Regional Descriptions: Help the EBII Team

[kdrakak]

While I appreciate your faith in my linguistic abilities, I can't read Italian!

If you have a google account, log with it at books.google.com a search with the title returns the book. It is now in my library. I'll get to it after "From Samarkhand to Sardeis" :)
Thanx Arjos. Chaniotis' book looks very very interesting!

[QuintusSertorius]

If you have a google account, log with it at books.google.com a search with the title returns the book. It is now in my library. I'll get to it after "From Samarkhand to Sardeis" :)
Thanx Arjos. Chaniotis' book looks very very interesting!

I don't have a Google account, though it was logged in to my wife's and the link pulls up an Italian edition.

On Uidi Saluuioi, I'm about 75% done on content, but it's going to need some judicious editing, which I'm not very good at. Having a torrid time trying to find period-appropriate names for places and geographical features.

[Arjos]

On Uidi Saluuioi, I'm about 75% done on content, but it's going to need some judicious editing, which I'm not very good at. Having a torrid time trying to find period-appropriate names for places and geographical features.

@Brennus will be more than happy to help you there. Actually he will likely demand it :P

[Brennus]

@Brennus will be more than happy to help you there. Actually he will likely demand it :P

GAAAUUULLLL!

(Yes)

Quintus, PM what you have already, I can already think of some sexy archaeology from that region.

[QuintusSertorius]

GAAAUUULLLL!

(Yes)

Quintus, PM what you have already, I can already think of some sexy archaeology from that region.

Excellent, because while I'm fat on assertion (a fair bit is taken from my notes culled from a range of sources without noting citations), I'm thin on sources.

[Friendly Sword]

Hi all!

Just wanted opinions from y'all. I am part way through completed the three proto-Yemeni territories and something occured to me. Would it make sense to include a mention of Socotra in either Hadramawt or Qataban? Socotra is super cool!

The island was certainly inhabited or at least had been inhabited by our time frame as archaeological evidence demonstrates, and became an important stopping point in the Indian Ocean trading network, especially by the 1st century BCE and onwards...

The only issue is that it does not logically jive particularly well with either province, except perhaps as an addendum to the description of the spice trade's growth across the Arabian Gulf.

[Arjos]

Please feel free to do so, as a matter of fact Socotra in-game is part of Hadramawt :)

@Moros any thoughts or plans?

[Moros]

I inserted Socotra as a unique building a few days ago. But the description it currently has was just a quick whip up from memory and pretty short. So you're always welcome to write a description for it. A new description wouldn't make the first release though.

[Friendly Sword]

No worries!

Here is a sample; just the first two sections of Hadramawt. I cannot quite match Arjos for style. ;)

Hadramawt Travellers Guide
It is a worn and weary traveller who reaches the land of Hadramawt, for whether scorching desert or roiling sea, this land of jagged mountain and narrow valleys is surrounded by forbidding terrains with a paucity of life. Yet somehow in this crucible of heat and aridity one finds cities of shining towers and lush valleys that lie nestled in carved out limestone valleys. Called Arabia Felix by distant enviers, it has been made fruitful and prosperous by a canny people who upon finding themselves astride what would become one of the world’s most important routes, chose to become its careful guardians. The land they inhabit lies abreast the Arabian Gulf where beyond the narrow coastal plain lie distant exotic islands such as dvipa sukhadhara that give shelter to ships bringing distant goods. In the mountain fastnesses lie the wadis, where the tribes of Hadramawt build dams and cities amid the greenery that blooms amidst fertile soil. To the west lies the central basin of southern Arabia, gateway to rival kingdoms that would seek to control the riches that flow through this land. And finally, to the north lies the great desert, with departing caravans able to glimpse in the distance the glittering visages of sand dunes that rise as high as mountains.

Geography
Hadramawt is a varied territory in the southern Arabian Peninsula that roughly equates to the eastern portion of modern-day Yemen that compromises its three the eastern governorates of Shabwah, Hadramaut, and Al Mahrah. As in much of southwestern Arabia, the landscape is dominated by geologically young interior mountains that give way to semi-arids central highlands to the north and a narrow arid coastal plain that borders the Arabian Gulf to the southeast. Interspersing the limestone highlands lie one of Hadramaut’s most important features for its human populations; the relatively fertile valleys with seasonal watercourses called ‘wadis’. It was along the contours of its westernmost wadi that Hamdramawt’s earliest permanent human population likely developed and along which its first urban settlements saw their roots. Abutting these carved valleys can be found rolling hills and hot plateaus that may have supported grazing for Iron Age people and continue to support herds of goats and sheep. In the northeast of Hadramawt lies the fiercely arid gateway to the Empty Quarter, where the eastern plateau region gives way to rolling dunes and some of the hottest and driest weather on the planet. Finally, several hundred kilometres south lies an offshore archipelago of which the island now known as Socotra is the largest. It is among the isolated landforms on earth of continental origin.
The climate of Hadramawt follows a similar pattern to much of Arabia, with the western highlands dominated by a mild temperate climate that fluctuates between a dry cool winter and a rainy warm summer. The more northerly areas of the plateau and the adjacent Empty Quarter have a hot, dry, and harsh desert climate throughout the year. The coastal plain also has a hot climate throughout the year but is differentiated by its high levels of humidity, a characteristic shared with the island of Socotra.
The flora and fauna of Hadramawt differs drastically across the different subregions. The northern desert is a truly inhospitable place, with virtually no life to speak of beyond a small number of desert-adapted species of lizards and insects. Vegetation along the coastal plain is limited to sparse grasses and dry climate plants such as date palms, citrus, and spurges. The volcanic soils of the central highlands support a more mixed and flourishing plant life, with acacias and sycamore trees giving way to pines and mosses at higher altitudes. Settled areas here are surrounded by fertile grazing land and plots of land that have yielded cereal crops for millennia. The animal life of Hadramawt is as varied as its plant life, with huge populations of ostriches, antelopes, and baboons serving as prey to deadly predators such as panthers and even lions. The waters off the Hadramawt coast are far less bountiful than their Red Sea equivalent, but still contain schools of tuna, mackerel and sardines. The most extraordinary example of lifes diversity can be found on the island of Socotra however; where umbrella-shaped dragon’s blood trees shelter hundreds of species of birds, bats, insects and insects found nowhere else on the planet.

[QuintusSertorius]

Did all those contained herein make it in time for the beta?

[DeathFinger]

Not the very last ones but don"t worry, they sure will in the second release

[kdrakak]

Re-started work on Kilikia. I realize this bit of info is negligible with 2.0 so recently released, but I thought I'd commit online so I follow through... consider this a note-to-self type of thing :)

[QuintusSertorius]

Not negligible if it will make the second release.

[kdrakak]

Not negligible if it will make the second release.

Any ideas on when that will be?

[Moros]

Any ideas on when that will be?

The next minor version which will include fixes mostly, shouldn't be too long. A new big release will take a long while. At this moment we have no idea when it will be released. We have barely started work on that, instead our focus was were it needed to be, tweaking and fixing.

[Alcibiade]

I saw thre were placeholder in place of descriptions for lugdunum, gergovie, etc... It's weird because I thought you had alrready too many people for that kind of work compared to the programing/modding part.

Anyway, do you need people to write them ? English is not my mother tongue but with some focus I can write litterary english without accent. Just tell me, it would be an honnor to help and this is the only thing I can do with M2TW engoine...

[DeathFinger]

Gaul lacks of several Province Descriptions, as of now:

Gaul

21. Ikoranda Piktonis
22. Akuitanon
23. Ikoranda Uolkias
24. Aruernselua
25. Uidobiturigeis
26. Brogi Aulerikoi
28. Akitosekuanoi
29. Etusegusauoi
30. Uidi Saluuioi
33. Nikron
35. Liguria
36. Venetia
71. Talaallobrogis
72. Uidu Teuto Ikoranda

So feel free to help us and write what you can about one or some of them and don't worry about your English, it will be grammatically checked before insertion.

As for members doing descriptions, every member is more or less polyvalent, and priority those last months was on other domains that those descriptions, which explains the gaps

[QuintusSertorius]

Gaul lacks of several Province Descriptions, as of now:

30. Uidi Saluuioi

I made a start on this one, and Brennus is finishing it off, so it's not lacking as much as in the works.

[Brennus]

I made a start on this one, and Brennus is finishing it off, so it's not lacking as much as in the works.

I am aiming to have it ready for Sunday.

Any volunteers looking to write Gallic provice descriptions please contact me beforehand, see the 3rd signature below for the reason why....

[Alcibiade]

I am aiming to have it ready for Sunday.

Any volunteers looking to write Gallic provice descriptions please contact me beforehand, see the 3rd signature below for the reason why....

Wow, impressive 3rd signature. I hope the fly which is walking over my screen atm is not underage (or worse, related to those flies).

Ok, I'll contact you then. I just would feel more confortable with a Gallic tribe from the region of France I know the best : south-west of France. The Petrocores would be perfect but I don't see them in the list.

Maybe Akuitanon means Aquitani ?

EDIT : I was so surprised to meet those placeholder in my campaign. I thought you were crumbling under help offers from historians and that the most wanted applications would be of programmers and 3D model designers.

[Mouzafphaerre]

​

Here is the map for specific region names and locations:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Attachment 9126

I think this is somewhat outdated. Is it possible to extract the recent map from the installed mod?
​

[Brennus]

I was so surprised to meet those placeholder in my campaign. I thought you were crumbling under help offers from historians and that the most wanted applications would be of programmers and 3D model designers.

Part of the problem is information for Iron Age France, specific information for regions and departments, is difficult to come by. The risk is that you end up with very generic descriptions ("All of Gaul is divided into three parts....") which rely alot on biased historical accounts which are not actually a true reflection of the archaeological evidence.

....also I nitpick which slows things down.

[kdrakak]

"From Samarkhand to Sardeis".
Finished reading this one earlier today. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Seleucids.

[rickinator9]

"From Samarkhand to Sardeis".
Finished reading this one earlier today. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Seleucids.

Is the book worth the price tag though?

[DeathFinger]

"From Samarkhand to Sardeis".
Finished reading this one earlier today. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Seleucids.

I second it, was pretty interesting for neighbouring states (Parthians also) and countains elements of interests for others (Baktria, Persis, ....)

[Brennus]

Thanks to @QuintusSertorius for all the help with the Uidi Saluuioi province description. Just so you can appreciate his work, here it is (with a bit of Brennus editing and additions):



Uidi Saluuioi Province description:

Traveller’s Log

In the foothill of the Alps, west into Gaul goes the traveller. Out in the far western reaches of the Mediterranean, north of Sikelia and the Hellenic cities of Italia, the traveller could be forgiven for thinking they have left civilisation altogether. However, beneath in the southern realms which form the vast realm of the Keltoi can be found a distant corner of Hellas. Here, clutching at the coast and surrounded by Keltoi and Ligures are the children of the Phokaeans, who long ago set sail in search of new adventure. It is Massalia, the new metropolis of the Phokaeans who reigns here, surrounded by her daughter cities of Monoikos, Antipolis, Nikaia, Olbia and others. Ringed by imperious walls whose bastions proclaim her reign as queen in this part of the Great Middle Sea, her fleets ply the waves, keeping even the mighty vessels of Karthadastim at bay. Forever in varying states of relation with her Keltoi and Ligures neighbours, when tempers may burn hot as Hephaestus forge, or as loving as Aphrodite’s loins, she has carved out and empire of trade with her northern neighbours. There are rumours too that the queen of the west even now courts the rising power of Roma, fearful that age is beginning to show.

Geography

Uidi Saluuioi approximately corresponds to the modern day French region of Provence-Alpes-Côtes d’Azur. Like many estuarine regions the geography of Uidi Saluuioi is composed of a mix of rivers, but also other geographic features such as mountains and a coastland with numerous offshore islands. On account of its location it is also a zone of interaction for four major climactic systems. Its borders are framed by the Var river to the east and Rhodanos (Rhone) river to the west, the Mediterranean sea to the south and an open northern border. The Rhodanos river, named after Rhodian traders who were the first Hellenes to visit the region, is one of the largest rivers in Gaul, and a major highway for commerce and communication between inland Gaul and the Mediterranean. It originates from a glacier in the Alps, and is joined by the river Souconna (Saône), the major river of eastern Gaul, near Lugodunon (Lyon). Many other, smaller rivers, join the Rhodanos along its valley, on the right bank from the Cebenna mountains and on the left back from the Alps, including the Druentia. At Theline (Arles), the Rhodanos forks into two arms, forming the Carmague delta. The Druentia has its source in the Alps near Brigantium and flows south-west, acting as a natural boundary between their lands. The river valley was later used by the Romani as part of the path of the via Domitia. The Var river rises in the Maritime Alps and flows southeast into the Mediterranean near Nikaia (Nice).

At the mouth of the Rhodanos is the Camargue delta, a vast plain comprising large brine lagoons which are isolated from the sea by large sandbars encircled by marshes, beyond which are located cultivated lands. Although the delta itself was, and still is not, suitable for human habitation, not least because of the fact it was once a prime breeding ground for malarial mosquitos, it remains an important breeding ground for birds. In addition to the watercourses is an area bordered by the Maritime Alps to the east, which provide a regular supply of rainfall. There is also the Garrigue, a Mediterranean scrub land with light forests and grasslands which provides suitable environment for local wildlife.

Most of the province enjoys a Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers, mild winters, little snow, and abundant sunshine. Within the province there are micro-climates and local variations, from the Alpine climate inland to a continental one in the mountains further north. The winds of Uidi Saluuioi are an important feature of the climate, particularly the mistral, a cold, dry wind which, especially in the winter, blows down the Rhodanos Valley to Massalia, and often reaches over one hundred kilometres an hour.

The People, Society and Government

Uidi Saluuioi, along with the neighbouring povinces of Akuitanon and Ikoranda Uolkias, is unique in that it possessed a substantial non-Keltoi speaking population. In fact, Uidi Saluuioi possessed arguably the most eclectic population in Gaul. These included the indigenous Keltoi and Ligurian populations, but also a large population of Hellenes, and later Romani, as well as a very small number of Rasenna. The smallest non-indigenous population, the Rasenna, originally from northern Italia, did not settle in great numbers. Only one settlement has produced sufficiently strong evidence for permanent Rasenna population, Lattes in Ikoranda Uolkias, and even then the scale of Rasenna settlement is debateable. Instead, the Rasenna appear to have been seasonal visitors, plying their trade with the indigenous population by using their ships as floating markets. Although it is unclear what the Rasenna were accepting from the indigenous population, although slaves and raw materials are often considered the most likely goods, we do know what the Rasenna were providing in return: wine from southern Etruria, as well as a few buchero nero drinking ceramics and a few bronze basins. The consumption of Rasenna imports, however, was largely restricted to the coast, and in the case of only a few exceptions, such as the buchero nero ceramics and bronze vessels, as well as a few amphorae sherds found as far north as Lyon, few indigenous settlements more than 30km inland have revealed large quantities of Rasenna imports.

Arguably the most famous inhabitants of Uidi Saluuioi were the citizens of Massalia. The emporion of Masalia was established in 600BC by Phokaean Hellenes from Ionia. The Phokaens belong to the various waves of pioneers who struck out from Hellas in search of new lands, and in doing so founded some of the most famous cities in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Established between the Golf de Lyon and the Golf de Gênes, Massalia’s location afforded her command of both the Mediterranean coast of Gaul and access to the River Rhône and the lands in the interior of Gaul. This position provided her with excellent trading prospects, providing Mediterranean goods such as wine, exotic ceramics and bronzes to the Gallic tribes of the interior in exchange for cereals, timber and slaves. The Phokaean Hellenes are interesting for a variety of reasons, one of which is the close bonds which persisted between their cities. Although by and large all Hellene cities maintained ties between the mother city and daughter cities, for example Korinthos and her daughter Syrakosai, who called upon Korinthos to aid her in the Peloponnesian Wars against an Athenai led invasion (although conversely Syrakosai did not come to the aid of Korinthos during the Persian Wars, despite appeals), the relationship between the Phokaean cities was unusually strong.

The position which Massalia occupied was something of a double edged sword. On the one hand she enjoyed one of the most profitable trading locations in the Mediterranean, with a virtual monopoly on trading rights with Gaul until the end of the 2nd century BC. Her Phokaean heritage also meant that she was a powerful and competent naval power, which both served to defend her from external threats and meant that she was an important regional voice in western Mediterranean politics. Conversely however, her position made her incredibly vulnerable. Powerful though her navy was, it could not compare with Karthadastim in terms of size. Likewise, although she maintained the upper hand in trading activities, Massalia was still at the mercy of the Gallic tribes who, by the late 3rd BC century if not before, were beginning to form into increasingly large and powerful confederacies. Massalia provided the Gallic hinterlands and beyond with a range of Mediterranean goods, including olives, wine, exotic bronzes and new ceramic types. In exchange she received goods such as timber, grain, tin, copper and the lifeblood of large Mediterranean economies, slaves. Throughout her history of exchanges with the neighbouring Gallic and Ligurian peoples, Massalia remained the dominant trading partner, being able to pick and choose which indigenous peoples she preferred to trade with whilst remaining the sole source of many Mediterranean items. Around her, Massalia founded several daughter cities. The names of some of these, such as Olbia, are known from historical sources, however others, like the sites of Arles and Béziers, have only become known to us through recent archaeological work.

Massalia incorporated many of the trademarks of a Hellene town. Enclosed by a stone wall, it possessed the institutions of the agora (market), gymnasium, baths, as well as a theatre and temples. Two temples of note were temple of the Delphinian Apollo on a hilltop overlooking the port, and a temple of the cult of Artemis of Ephesus (the Ephesium) at the opposite end of the citadel. In addition to these were lesser cults dedicated to Artemis and Herakles. As with other Hellene colonies the Massalioi sought to preserve their Hellenic culture to the best of their ability, actively excluding non-Hellene influences where necessary. For this reason only those of Hellene ancestry could be recognised as citizens, whilst those who shared mixed Hellene-Keltoi parentage were excluded from such rights. As in any other Hellene polis, only free Hellene males participated directly in political life, in return for military service. In keeping with this idea of traditional Hellene mores, women were discouraged from drinking wine, whilst the more licentious sorts of plays were banned. Sumptuary laws restricted the amount of conspicuous wealth people could display, and limited the amount of a dowry that might pass from a woman's family to her husband. The Massalioi cultivated literature, but the city didn't produce a great deal, nor did it host any prominent philosophers or writers. There was however great demand for tutors and physicians.Theoretically, every member of the council was liable to be called up to fight should the city be threatened. On feast days, the gates were locked and the walls manned by citizens, after an attack by one of the Ligurian kings nearly succeeded in taking the city soon after its founding. However, the reality was that Massalioi preferred to let others do their fighting for them, co-opting the local tribes, and when all else failed seeking assistance from the Romani. Ultimately, Massalia was an affluent city prospering through trade, and its aristocrats and other worthy men were more interested in profit than anything else.

Initially, the government of Massilia was a narrow aristocratic regime. However, an attempt was soon made to reduce the power of the great families by insisting that, if a man belong to the Council his son could not, and if an elder brother belonged to the Council his younger brother could not be a member. Such specifics probably lapsed, but the tendency led to the evolution of the aristocratic system to a more plutocratic oligarchic system. This government was later headed by the Council of Six Hundred. To be a member, councillors had to be able to prove they were of citizen decent for at least three generations or, alternatively, had to possess children. It is likely that membership was also based upon certain property requirements, which excluded the majority of the population. Membership was for life. The list of councillors was revised from time to time. The Council elected an executive council of fifteen— oi timoukoi—from the main body. The timoukoi were led by three presidents, elected from amongst the timoukoi. An unusual feature of the Massilioi government was that a criminal condemned to death was maintained at public expense for one year, after which they were executed as a pharmakos or purification of the city. Another was poison was kept by the state: if a man wished to commit suicide, he would have to apply to the council, and if he could make his case would be granted a dose. The laws were those common to Ionia, and were displayed in public. Foreigners were also forbidden from carrying arms in the city.

Although preserving a conservative Hellene mind-set the Massalioi were nevertheless in constant contact with the local indigenous cultures. Through these mediums they also contributed in important ways to Iron Age civilisation in Gaul. Along with Makedon and the Hellene city of Taras, Masallioi coinage served as a basis for numerous Keltoi coinages, in particular the Aruernoi and other central Gallic tribes, although a few Belgic issues also used Masallioi coinage as a basis, and isolated examples of actual Massalioi coinage have been found as far north as Britain. In addition to coinage, various other important cultural influences were diffused into Gaul including the fast potter’s wheel, viticulture, sun dried bricks and food stuffs like the olive. Massalia was also instrumental, in addition to mercenary activity for the eastern Diadochi, for the adoption of the Hellene alphabet among Gallic peoples. It must be remembered, however, that the cultural impact of the Phokaeans did not affect every member of the indigenous population, and in some cases, such as the alphabet, would have influenced only a small part of the population.

In the land surrounding Massalia lived the indigenous population composed of Keltoi and Ligures. The former are well known and much is written about their culture elsewhere in Europa Barbarorum II, however the Ligures (or Ligurians) are not as familiar. Of all the populations which existed in Uidi Saluuioi the most perplexing are arguably Ligures. Despite bordering several literal peoples at varying periods, including the Romani and Rasenna further east, as well as the Phokaean Hellenes, little is known for certain about them. Toponyms and anthronyms indicate that they were an Indo-European people, however the exact classification of their language is still disputed, with some arguing it to be a close relative of Keltoi (thereby placing it in a reconstructed Celto-Ligurian sub-group) whilst some prefer to classify it among the Italic languages. According to Plutarch the Ligures referred to themselves as Ambrones, although this is disputed as Ambrones appears to be a word of Gaulish origin likely meaning "of the other side", and thus possibly signifying a geographic quality associated with the Ligures. By the time of Europa Barbarorum II the Ligures were increasingly restricted to inhabiting North West Italy, controlling an area slightly larger than the modern Italian region of Liguria, as well as small populations in Uidi Saluui. However, topnyms suggest that the Ligures were originally a much more widely spread people, or at least their language was much more widely spoken. Ligurian, at its height, appears to have been spoken in eastern Iberia, southern Gaul, Corsica, northern Sardinia, Sicily and in Italy as far south as Latium. Successive assimilations, or possibly more violent methods, by Punic, Hellene, Latin and Keltoi peoples is likely to explain for the decline in the distribution of the Ligurian language by the 3rd century BC. Archaeological studies of supposed Ligurian material in Iberia and southern Gaul has revealed evidence of commercial contact with Punic traders, whilst excavations of Celto-Ligurian settlements in Uidi Saluui and further east in Cisalpine Gaul has shown that, archaeologically, it is almost impossible to discern between the two ethnic groups. Strabo believed that the Ligures had once shared borders with the Skythians and Ethiopians, leading some earlier historians to postulate that the Ligures were the ancestors of many of the Indo-European peoples of Europe, however this statement is now widely dismissed. 4th BC century texts, from both Hellene and Latin authors, indicate that, even at this date, Ligurian peoples still lived in southern Gaul and eastern Iberia.

The Keltoi and Ligures tribes coalesced at various points to form tribal groupings like the Segobrigioi, Kamaktullikoi, Dekiates and the Oxybioi, as well as larger confederacies such as the Salluuoioi. The Kelto-Ligurian population inhabited a wide variety of settlements. Although it was formerly assumed that they restricted themselves to hill-top fortifications and oppida, it has become increasingly apparent to archaeologists that the settlement pattern in this region was as varied and complex as in other regions of Gaul. Many indigenous settlements close to Masallia were occupied continuously during this period, whilst others underwent regular periods of reconstruction. This period also witnessed the establishment of a variety of new, fortified villages on hilltops and mountain tops, such as Notre-Dame-de-Pitié, La Cloche aux Pennes-Mirabeau and Entremont. In the vicinity of Massalia a variety of indigenous settlements existed, ranging in size from 0.15 to 0.6ha, employing rectilinear forms and typically favouring hill-top and upland locations. At the same time the large, open agglomerated settlements which had been a feature of the earlier Iron Age appear to have been partially abandoned. The overall settlement pattern was therefore one of dispersed fortified villages and farmsteads perched on ridges, with a particular focus around the Rhône and near Masallia, although there is a lack of data available for the settlement pattern between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC.

At the time of the arrival of the Phokaeans Gaul was in what is referred to by archaeologists as the first or Hallstatt Iron Age. Around this time the settlement pattern of the indigenous population was undergoing a series of important changes. One of these was the reappearance of fortification, a feature largely absent in the settlement record since the late Bronze Age. In addition to the traditional construction materials of wood and turf, stone became increasingly used in construction. Evidence shows that within settlements there was an increased emphasis on communal areas also, with public spaces being constructed and signs of planned settlements. The settlement pattern also became increasingly permanent, with a decline in the roving settlements of the Bronze Age, as well as an expansion into what might be termed liminal areas, with settlements appearing on the nearby marine islands. The abandonment of field systems in the region surrounding Massalia has often been attributed to the existence of a population which could not be sustained by the fields and economic practices which existed at the time. It was once theorised that, with the arrival of the Phokaean colonists, the indigenous population was driven out of the lowlands and forced to occupy the hills, as occurred when Hellene colonists arrived in southern Italia. However, it now appears that the indigenous population actually preferred the uplands, with their lighter, chalky soils, to the lowlands with their heavier, alluvial soils as it was easier to plough the former.

During the Hallstatt period there existed a vibrant trade between the Phokaeans and their Keltoi neighbours. Employing the Rhône as a route through which to trade with the peoples further north. Hellenic goods from Masallia were transported north into Gaul and southern Germany, with finds at famous Hallstatt sites like the Heuneburg and Vix. The latter site is of particular importance, at it is here that the arguably the finest and most impressive example of Archaic period Hellene metalwork was recovered. At Vix in modern day Burgundy, a massive bronze krater, a type of vessel used for serving wine, was recovered. The krater measures 1.63m in height with a volume of 1,100 litres. Decorated with a variety of figures, including a frieze of hoplites and chariots around the rim, and griffins and gorgons on the handles, it was shipped to Vix and assembled in pieces, as shown by the presence of Hellene alphabetical symbols on different parts of the krater.

With the onset of the second Iron Age, or La Tène period c.450BC, the changes in settlement pattern which had begun in the late Hallstatt period intensified. Settlements became increasingly permanent and longlasting, albeit with periods of abandonment at some. Some, such as Saint Pierre à Martigues, in the immediate environs of Massalia were occupied continuously between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC, whilst others were re-occupied and rebuilt several times. This period also witnessed the construction of several new upland settlements such as Notre-Dame-de-Pitié and La Cloche aux Pennes-Mirabeau. The Keltoi of this region contrasted with their cousins elsewhere in Gaul in that they do not appear to have adopted the La Tène culture to the same extent. Pottery from this region continued to be produced entirely by hand, even after the fast potters wheel had become widespread across the rest of Gaul (despite it being introduced from Masallia). Likewise this pottery employed non-La Tène patterns in its decoration. Although items of metalwork decorated with La Tène patterns appeared in abundance in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, they appear to have been imports from elsewhere. Despite this the La Tène culture was not totally absent from local artistic styles, as evidenced by a mold for casting bronze Teste Nègre type bracelets recovered from the site of Lattes to the west in Ikoranda Uolkias. In further contrast to their northern neighbours, who relied more on timber and earth structures until the development of oppida from the 2nd century BC onward, the Keltoi of this region began to build in stone much earlier,. Houses with stone foundations and fortifications are known, as are a wide number of dry stone, timber laced fortifications such as the example from Teste-Nègre. The practice of producing dry stone fortifications was particularly long lived in this region of Gaul, with examples such as Entremont, Pierredon and Baou de Saint-Marcel continuing to be constructed into the 1st century BC.

Until c.200-180BC most Iron Age indigenous settlements were small, between 0.1 and 0.9 ha in area, with the exception of larger agglomerations such as the oppida at Saint Pierre. This suggests that much of the population was dispersed throughout the landscape.The process of indigenous urbanisation began in the mid-4th century BC. However it was in the 3rd century BC that it became truly perceptible when it is characterised by a rise in the variety of socio-economic pathways, the most noticeable of these being the rise in masonry and sculpture which date to this period. At this time it appears that indigenous elites sought to express their status by commissioning large stone statues of themselves (or possibly deities). This is at the same time that historical evidence allude to increased levels of confrontation between Massalia and the indigenous population, possibly as a result of new indigenous elites seeking to demonstrate their power in warfare and cultivating a martial identity.

Between 220-175BC there a dramatic change is observable in the indigenous settlement record with numerous sites being abandoned, some apparently violently. From c.180-170BC there was a reconfiguration in the settlement pattern with the establishment of much larger settlements. Some of these, such as the oppidum at Mayans and the site of Teste-Nègra made use of projecting bastions, such as those which surrounded the walls of Massalia. These larger sites have often been interpreted as seats for paramount chiefs who descended from the powerful rulers of the 3rd century BC. Even those smaller sites which had been abandoned in the preceding period, and were subsequently reoccupied, were enlarged to become between twice and six times as large as they had previously been. As the site of Martigues the original settlement grew from 0.5ha to double in size, and in doing so was re-orientated and urbanised. At Pierredon the original settlement of 0.5ha, erected c.200BC, was violently abandoned and a new settlement covering 3ha in area was established. The same is true of Entremont, where the site grew from 0.9ha to 3.5ha. Many of these new settlements incorporated long roads and open public spaces, indicating an increased emphasis on the role of public life and communal identity.

An excellent and well-studied example of the sequence and changes which affected indigenous settlements is the sanctuary and hill-fort of Roquepertuse. Situated in the Arc valley in the west of Uidi Saluuii, the site of Roquepertuse yielded over two hundred fragments of limestone when it was excavated. These fragments of malleable limestone, mined from a local quarry, were found to have been carved into a variety of forms and painted, a practice more commonly associated with Mediterranean peoples than Keltoi. Nevertheless the sculptures from Roquepertuse are clearly the result of indigenous craftsmen. They occur in a variety of forms including two seated men with crossed legs, wearing torcs and what appear to be either checkered tunics or some forms of leather armour, possibly a linothorax. In addition to this are a double headed deity, similar in appearance to the Romani god Janus, a bird of prey, horses engraved into stone slabs and a variety of paintings, including examples of marine life. Although there is debate as to what these statues were intended to represent, it appears that the two seated men were originally part of a set of four which were arranged together in a portico, possibly to serve as guardians, in front of an complex constructed of timber of stone, into which were set the double headed deity, the bird of prey and the carved and painted stone slabs. The sanctuary at Roquerpertuse was destroyed by a fire in the 2nd century BC after which point the site was abandoned.

The actual system of government employed by the Keltoi and Ligures in this area is unclear. As noted above it appears that, at certain points, paramount chiefs or local warlords rose to power. Likewise we have mention in the historical records of individuals who are listed as kings. Considering the Saluuioi, the most powerful indigenous group by the time of the Romani conquest, were described as being a confederacy who possessed kings, it is likely, as was the case that with numerous other Keltoi peoples, that they shifted between periods of being dominated by an aristocracy and other times when individual aristocrats were able to exert themselves as the sole ruler. Throughout the Iron Age, although there is ample evidence or sanctuaries such as at the sites of Entremont and Roqueoportuse, there is a lack of evidence for mortuary practices. This is likely the result of soil conditions and the placing of the dead on hill-tops and sides which subsequently eroded away. From what evidence we do have it appears that inhumation and cremation were both practiced in the region, although inhumation was more common. Typical grave goods which survive include ceramics and metal items of personal adornment, although there are rare instances of swords as well.

The arrival of Romani settlers in 121BC brought with it important changes in the landscape. Excellent hydrologists and engineers, the Romani drained the lowland floodplains, opening up large areas of land for cultivation. Furthermore they established vast vineyards which ultimately formed the basis of the modern French wine industry. Although it would take until the 2nd century AD for these vineyards to reach maturity, they would ultimately eclipse the Italian wine industry and become the mains source of wine for the Western Empire. The effects of the rapid Romani colonisation of the area beginning in the late 2nd century BC can be observed on the indigenous population in two ways. Firstly there was a widespread abandonment of Iron Age settlements (although it is unclear if the population was removed from the land or simply relocated into Romani settlements), secondly it appears, based on epigraphic evidence and hoards of coins, that several indigenous individuals (the most philhellenic of society) managed to accrue large private domains. It is interesting to note the differences between the cultural and colonial impacts of the Phokaean Hellenes and the Romani. In the case of the former the long lived settlement of Massalia had important influences, but often on only a limited, upper strata of society. The Phokaeans made no attempt to actively incorporate the indigenous people into their society and, aside from the adoption of the Hellene alphabet, made no real impact upon the Keltoi language. By contrast the Romani actively incorporate the Gauls into their society, with Keltoi nobles holding high ranking military and administrative positions within the empire. Likewise Romani culture was pervasive, eclipsing the La Tène culture of the Gauls within a century, whilst Latin likewise replaced Keltoi as the mother tongue of many peoples in Gaul, ultimately forming the basis of the French language.


History

Although a variety of peoples had visited and settled in the region since the Palaeolithic, it is during the Iron Age that this history begins. The first non-indigenous peoples to visit the region were the Rasenna, who began to visit the coast of Uidi Saluuioi in the late 7th century BC although, as noted above, they did not establish a strong permanent presence in the area. They were quickly followed at the beginning of the 6th century BC by Hellene settlers from the city of Phokae in Asia Minor. Upon their arrival they founded the emporion of Massalia. The founding of Massalia is, like the founding of so many Hellene and Phoenician settlements from this period, recorded in legend rather historical fact. The story goes that a Phokaean explorer, named Protis, located a suitable place to land near the site which would subsequently become Massalia. Upon arriving on shore he was invited to attend a feast by the local Celto-Ligurian chief, Nann, ruler of the Segobriges. At the banquet the daughter of the chief, a woman named Gyptis, was expected to select a husband from among those assembled by offering him a cup of wine. To everyone’s surprise she selected Protis. As a wedding dowry Protis was gifted the lands around the area he and his men had landed, and on a nearby hill Protis and his wife settled and established Massalia. Another legend has it that the location was suggested by the oracle at Delphi.

Sometime in the 4th century BC the Massalioi attempted to establish trading rights with southern Iberia, with the aim to taking advantage of the legendary silver mines of the kingdom of Tartessos in modern day Andalusia. Herodotos records that the Massalioi emissaries were embraced by Arganthonios, king of Tartessos, with open arms. In addition to the account of Herodotus, archaeologically evidence attests to contacts between Massalia and southern Iberian at this time, with Phokaean ceramics dated to this period having been recovered in Andalusia. In addition to such trading expeditions, the Massalioi also attempted to expand their overseas colonies. Although the founding of new colonies was always a risky endeavour, it was made more so by the fact that the western Mediterranean, excluding southern Italia and Sicilia, was increasingly under the monopoly of the Phoenicians. In c.540BC relations between the Phokaeans and Phoenicians reached a climax when, in an effort to prevent the Phoakaeans from establishing a successful settlement at Alalia, Corsica, an allied fleet of 60 Rasenna and Phoenician ships assembled. At the Battle of the Sardinian Sea the allied fleet was victorious, with the Phokaeans having abandoned their Corsican colony by 535BC and thereafter being restricted to southern Gaul and northern Italia.

The date of 540BC also coincided with the fall of Phokaea itself to the Achaemenid Persian Empire, thereby resulting in the flight of numerous refugees from Asia Minor to Massalia. The fall of Phokaea meant that Massalia now assumed the mantle of Metropolis (mother city) for the Phokaean Hellenes. As a result of the loss of Phokaea, coupled with the dominance of the navy of Karthadastim around Sardinia, Corsica and southern Iberia, Massalia was forced to reduce the scope of her colonial ambitions. As such she no longer attempted to found new colonies far from southern Gaul, preferring instead to form a dense web of settlements in her immediate environs. It was with this policy in mind that many of Massalia’s later colonies, such as Olbia in the mid-4th century BC, were founded.</p>
<p>Between the founding of Massalia and the establishment of the Romani province of Gallia Transalpina in 121BC, relations between the Hellenic colonists and local Keltoi and Ligurian tribes varied between amicable to openly hostile, with Livy using terms like "savage and bellicose" and "quarrelsome" to describe the indigenous population. One particularly dangerous period for Massalia was in c.390BC when the local Keltoi ruler Katamandos placed the city under siege. Strabo records that, in order to defend against incursions from the indigenous population, Massalia established bastions known as epiteichismata. However this was also something of a cultural golden age for Massalia. Between 330 and 320BC, the renowned mathematician, astronomer, navigator and native of Massalia, Pytheas, the first man to theorise that tidal patterns are connected with the movements of the moon, organised a long distance voyage. He circumnavigated Iberia, sailed up the Atlantic coast of Gaul and managed to reach the British Isles. Due to the fact the original account of Pytheas has been lost, and details of his voyage only survive as fragments in later works, it is unclear how far he actually went. Pytheas appears to have reached a land known as Thule, which some have theorised to by Iceland.

By 220BC Massalia had allied herself with Roma, although according to legend amicable relations had existed between the two since the reign of the Romani king Tarquin the Elder in the late 7th and early 6th centuries BC. The latter’s conquest of the Rasenna, defeat of Karthadastim, generally anti-Gallic outlook, and the fact that the other great Hellene city in the western Mediterranean, Syrakosai, was a Romani ally, were strong incentives to the Massalioi to ally themselves with the growing Italian power. The alliance between Massalia and Roma was to prove a long-lasting and highly rewarding one for both parties. Roma guaranteed Massalia protection from the neighbouring Gallic tribes and Karthadastim, whilst Massalia provided an overland route into Iberia. The economic situation was likewise highly favourable to both, with Massalia serving as an exporter of raw materials and slaves procured from the Keltoi, whilst Roma served as an insatiable market for these goods. Massalia also served as a place of exile for Romani over the years, most famously Titus Annus Milo, who fled to Massalia following his conviction for the murder of Publius Clodius Pulcher, where he subsequently developed a great liking for the red mullet of Massalia.

It is interesting to note that, despite having been founded c.600BC, it was not until the late 3rd century BC and lasting until the end of the 2nd century BC, that Massalia sought to expand the chôra (the land surrounding her metropolis, c.7-8km). With the establishment of the alliance between Roma and Massalia, the Romani established an overland route to Iberia which, ironically, would initially serve as a route for Hannibal to invade Italia, before the tide turned and Roma used it to attack the Iberian possessions of Karthadastim. Massalia did possess her own army, however like several other Hellenic poleis, her real strength lay in her navy. As a result she tended to call for help from the Romani when it was required, as occurred in 154BC when Massalia found herself in conflict with the Kelto-Ligurian Oxybioi and Dekiates, and again in 123 BC against the Saluuioi. The conflict with the Saluuioi ultimately proved to be a spark which brought about a change in Romani foreign policy in Transalpine Gaul. This change in policy was based on the perceived threat posed by an alliance between the Aruernoi and Allobroges. From the 2nd Punic war onwards, the Aruernoi had been constructing a powerful hegemony in Gaul which, at its zenith, stretched from the Atlantic coast, to the borders of the Belgic tribes in the north, to the borders of the Aedui in modern day Burgundy in the east, and down to the borders of Massalia. The alliance with the Allobroges, who in 123BC had given shelter to Teutomalius king of the Suluuioi and an enemy of Roma, was perceived by the Romani as presenting a serious threat to their interests in the region. Under the command of Quintus Fabius Maximus the Aruernoi-Allobroges alliance was decisively defeated. The Allobroges were incorporated into the Romani territories, whilst the Aruenoi, although remaining independent, suffered such a blow to their prestige that it caused their hegemony to be broken, thereby paving the way for the Aedui to rise to prominence. The Saluuioi, however, disappeared completely from history.

After the defeat of the Allobroges and the Aruernoi, the Romani expanded their control of the area, establishing the colony of Narbo, possibly named after a local deity, close to Massalia in the neighbouring Ikoranda Uolkia, although they also donated part their newly won land to Masallia. Narbo, which subsequently became a serious economic competitor to Massalia, became the capital of a new Romani province: Gallia Transalpina, or Gaul beyond the Alps. Gallia Transalpina incorporated the Europa Barbarorum II provices of Ikoranda Uolkias, Uidi Saluuioi and parts of Talaallobrogis, and it was from here that Caesar launched his conquest of the rest of Gaul in 58BC. It should also be noted that it was in this region, at Aquae Sextiae, that the Teutones, a tribe from the far north who, with their allies the Kimbroi, had rampaged through much of Europe, were decisively defeated in 102BC.

Despite the establishment of Gallia Transalpina, Massalia did not lose her independence, and was allowed to retain her territories and navy. This changed however in the Romani civil war of 49-45BC when Massalia, like so many of Roma’s protectorates, allies and power brokers, was forced to choose between the Populares of Caesar or the Optimates of Pompey. Massalia chose to ally with the Optimates and were subsequently put under siege by an army and navy led by Caesar. After a long and violent siege, which saw diplomatic trickery on the part of the Massaliotes and a surprising victory for the Populares fleet against a numerically and technologically superior Massaliote one, the city fell. Caesar, displaying his customary clemency, allowed the city to retain its independence, although he confiscated her fleet and the surrounding territories, thereby effectively ending her independence.




Strategy

Massalia is a rich prize to hold, for while it lacks precious metal mines, it has great maritime trade prospects, acting as the gateway to Gaul. The deep ports are also well-suited to the construction of warships, which may be a necessary component of any naval strategy in the region. While the provincial capital Massalia itself is well-defended, both by an extensive stone wall against land, and by the sea, holding Uidi Saluuioi is a trickier prospect. It is a province surrounded by potential rivals, first and foremost amongst them the Romani to the south-east. To the north are the warring tribes of the Aedui and Aruernoi and to the west the Areuakoi, and to the south-west and at sea the Karthadastim.

[kdrakak]

Great work Brennus! As always.

[Brennus]

Thank you, but if it were not for QuintusSertorius laying the foundations of this it would not be ready now.

[QuintusSertorius]

Thank you, but if it were not for QuintusSertorius laying the foundations of this it would not be ready now.

However, you've taken what I started with and turned it into something of beauty. Much respect is due.

[kdrakak]

In the regional description for Lakonike I rendered the Spartan royal family names to mean, perhaps, the "leaders" and of the "wide sea". While this makes sense to me, I am no linguist and this could be way off base. I saw it has been included in the game. I would like to point out that this is my own non-professional interpretation and I have not seen any relevant reference anywhere. I think the team should consider revising or verifying this for future releases.