switching lurk to applause mode. looking foward to the speech
Printable View
switching lurk to applause mode. looking foward to the speech
I hope Antigonos will crush those nasty, corrupt senators...:smash:
Nice chapter, I like the point of view. Kinda reminds me of the series "HBO Rome". Keep it up.
Love it.
Now comes a real test for the Basileus.
I can hear pigeons couping in the background.
All traitors deserve death!
Good god I really like this AAR, keep up the good work!:2thumbsup:
Thanks for reading and commenting, both lurkers and old friends.
I had planned to post the three or four parts of this story within a week, but this passed week turned out to be rather busy for me. And this coming Tuesday, three classes at Uni decided to all have their midterms on the same day. I may finished the second part of this story that I'd already started but until I get passed Tuesday, I can't really concentrate on anything else.
I finally managed to catch up with this (from the civil war onwards), so it's a good time to leave lurking mode as well.
I'm with the people stating that the political parts are the most interesting of the story, although "Down from Africa" was very good too.
Since it seems like there's a lot of politics coming, I can't wait untill the next chapter.
(Unlike most people, I'm with the democratic senators: ALL HAIL ATTIKA! :grin:)
So, for the whole AAR, have this: :balloon2:
(My first balloon given to anyone on these forums, by the way. :2thumbsup:)
I, too, support the Senators.
I, for one, welcome our new democratic overlords.
Dromeus Krokeaios
Athenai, Hellas
Spring of the Sixth Year of the Reign of Basileus Antigonos III (123BC)
That fated day began as countless other days in the city of Athenai had begun
for me. I awoke with the dawn, ate a small piece of bread and joined my
coworkers at the warehouse where I earned my wage. The day ended like no
other day I had lived in that great city. By midday it was clear that something
had happened. Rumors spread around and men started leaving. With neither
the little old man, with all his scrolls and notes, who runs the warehouse nor
his overseer, a strict enforcer, anywhere to be found, I decided to go out
outside and see what was happening on the streets.
As I walked down the wide streets, toward the dark narrow street where I lived,
I listened in on those who were talking. Nobles, merchants, laborers, and
street filth all alike stood around talking and there were all speaking of the
same thing. I wasn't sure what had happened but I could tell that the Basileus
had stepped down. A group of men, yelling and waving cudgels ran down the
street as I walked. I also began to notice, among those talking or rushing
about, there were old men, women, and entire families carrying everything
they owned slowly walking for the city gates. I rushed back to my own street,
knowing that Titus and Diokles would have returned to tell everyone what they
had heard at the Agora.
The first person I recongnized was a friend of mine. He was an old man who
had seen many things during his life. He had lived in the city of Pella and
moved to Athenai when the capital was moved here, like many others had.
He had a sack thrown over his back and seemed in a hurry. When I stopped
him he said that he was leaving the city and didn't have any time to waste. I
let him go and hurried onward.
The first voice I heard from the street was Titus. I knew it was him before I
saw him because of his strange barbarian accent. When I saw him, I didn't
believe my eyes. Titus, a common theif and teller of exaggerated stories, was
standing on a cart with a crowd around him giving a speech like a noble
politician. The people were gathered all around, blocking the street, staring
up at him. "What is happening here?" I asked a man near the edge of the
crowd.
"He is telling us of the speech by the Basileus," the man responded. I stood
and listened to what Titus had to say. The night before he was in support of
the Council but on that day he was clearly behind the Basileus. He spoke of
the speech he heard from Basileus Antigonos at the Agora.
From Titus and from others later that day I was able to learn of what the
Basileus said. From what I was told and how they told it, I gather that the
speech was very moving and dramatic. The Basileus had announced that he
was going to step down. The said that "the people" had chosen to remove
him from his position and he would do as they said. He spoke of his
ancestors, of Megas Alexandros, of Megas Demetrios, and of his father
Philippos. They say he repeated that the choice was with the people and he
would listen to them. He said this but we did not see the Council as "the
people". I had lived in this great city for many years and not once had I been
asked who would speak for me in the Council. The Council was not "the
people" the council only spoke for the with estates and owned large villas in
the old city.
I remember Titus saying, "Our great Basileus, son of Megas Philippos, said
that he would follow the decision of the people. We are the people and we
say that he is our leader. Let us not allow these self righteous Athenians rule
us. Only the line of Antigonos and of Pyrrhos can rule!" With this there was
a great cheer. From there, Diokles took over and the overflow of emotions
from the crowd turned to anger at this direction. I too was angry. I had loved
Basileus Philippos and I would not stand to let the nobles take anything away
from his family.
As the day passed I learned of what the Basileus had said and listened to
many angry speeches. The first sign that this was something more than the
annual anger from the alleys of this great city was when I came upon a man I
knew and hated. I never learned his name but we all knew him. He was the
tax collector for our part of the city. The greedy man had become the
wealthiest in the area, stealing from those who had nothing. But on that day,
when I saw him, he lived no more. His bloodied body lay in a gutter. He
looked as though he had been dragged through the streets and then stabbed
many times. This was only the first sign of violence.
As the day passed, the noises grew even louder and the anger rose. As
darkness began to fall, the glow of fires in the city could be seen against the
clouds in the sky. I would later learn that the Council had requested
Antigonos return to the position of Basileus but had refused, that evening.
Another great chapter by the AAR God MAA!
Is a second civil war going to break out? :idea2:
All hail Makedonia, All hail the righteous Basileus Antigonos III, grandson of Megas Pyrrhos and son of Megas Phillippos! :viking::horn::viking:
:smash:
Can't wait to see what's next!
TBH, I only support the Senators because they'll make things interesting. They're just a bunch of villa-owning nobles, not representatives of the common people. Nobody elects them.
Man that last chapter was great. I hope There will be another civil war. That would be awesome.
Viva la revolution!
An amazing chapter!
Ahem
Viva la contrarrevolucion!
Hopefully the combined forces of the people and the Basileus will be enough to destroy these weakling aristocrats, and a more democratic council with representatives from the lower classes will take their place. Though the Basileus should of course retain a certain amount of power.
Great chapter MAA, as always!
Hopefully that little "democratic" experiment failed and will give way to the direct rule of a true Basileus!
Thanks for reading. It is hard to respond to any comments without giving anything away...
I'm not sure on the ETA of the next chapter. I've started it but I'm never sure how much free time I'm going to have from day to day.
Are you refering to my post perchance? :tongue2:Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus
Dromeus Krokeaios
Athenai, Hellas
Spring of the Sixth Year of the Reign of Basileus Antigonos III (123BC)
By the third day, the chaos had nearly settled into a pattern. Laborers did not
labor, workers did not work, bakers did not bake, and merchants did not sell.
Each day was spent in the streets. I walked the streets of the city and
listened to various people giving speeches or arguing with each other. Those
who were vocal were mostly merchants or lesser nobles. All spoke of support
for the Basileus. It was not that there were no supporters for the Council, they
were simply outnumbered or silenced, sometimes violently.
The city was filled with violence. The most dangerous place for the common
man was in the Old City. The mercenaries hired by those with estates
furiously guarded their masters and their masters' property. With these
barbarian guards patrolling the streets of the Old City and Agora, most of our
action was restricted to the New City, the port (for the city of Athenai had
already expanded to consume the port of Peiraieus by that time), and the
slums. However, the rest of the city was nearly as dangerous as the Old City.
In the new parts of the city, supporters of the Council were beaten, as were
tax farmers and those who had exploited others, at the behest of and now
without support from those with power. Some who were not even connect to
the Council were even beaten and killed. Old rivalries quickly flared up in
those lawless days and many suffered for personal offenses against others,
perpetrated in the distant past.
I tried to avoid the violence and preferred to focus on the speeches and the
movement to restore the Basileus to power. Though there were rumors that
he had refused an offer from the Council, most agreed with his decision.
They said this offer was not a true return to power but an offer to become the
Council's puppet. By that third day the rumors grew ever larger. Rumors
spread that the Council had arrested Basileus Antigonos. Occasionally there
were even rumors that he had been killed.
It was the most wide-spread rumor that was the most frightening. There was
no army in Attika. It was tradition, perhaps, though it seemed too recent a
thing to be tradition. All of the armies of Hellas were garrisoned in cities and
forts of Makedonia, ever watchful for a barbarian invasion from the north. That
wide-spread rumor said that those armies had been called by the Council to
march south and to stop us. The Council intended to use force to exert their
power over the people of this great city and to silence support for the Basileus.
Excellent chapter, as always! :2thumbsup:
Phenomenal!
Can't wait for the next chapter!
Thanks for reading. This next one should be the penultimate chapter.
Dromeus Krokeaios
Athenai, Hellas
Spring of the Sixth Year of the Reign of Basileus Antigonos III (123BC)
After several days of circulating around the city, the rumor that an army, by
order of the Council, was coming to "restore order" was treated by most as
absolute fact. What we would do when that army arrived became the new
debate in the streets. Some said that they would fight and die, few were foolish
enough to believe the could win. Others were already fleeing the city. Some
tried to return to their normal routines, hoping that they would not be amongst
those slaughtered when the soldiers came.
On my own street, Diokles and Titus argued with each other. They argued over
whether they should stay quiet and rise up later or fight the soldiers. I even
heard them suggest that we should storm the old city ourselves. It was hard to
say which man supported which idea, they seemed to change opinions each
day and argued with each other just for its own sake.
It was day five or perhaps day six when I first heard the new rumors that had
started to spread. The first of these rumors was that there was a naval battle
off the coast of Euboia. Then the rumors were that there was a naval battle
south of the city of Thessalonika. Then I was told that there was no naval
battle but a land battle north of Thessalonika. There were even rumors that
the Demetrids had risen up and had taken Syria. Some even said that these
battles in Makedonia were between the Council and the Demetrids. This
started a whole new wave of debates. Some wanted the Demetrids to rule if
Basileus Antigonos would not, others said they preferred a corrupt Council over
the Demetrids. I came from Korinthos and was taught by my parents from a
young age of what the Spartan allies of the Demetrids did to my city. In Hellas,
the Spartans had tainted the name of the Demetrids and few southern Hellenes
wished for them to rule.
This did no matter within a week, when the rumor of the Demetrids died down.
It was quickly replaced with the rumor that those battles had been fought by
Hippostratos. They said he returned with an army of Aigyptoi and defeated the
navies and armies of the Council. Some even said that when he landed at
Thessalonika he needn't fight a battle at all. The armies of Makedonia united
behind him in support of his father. Now the rumors of an army marching south
from Makedonia were that of an army coming to overthrow the Council and
restore Basileus Antigonos. Each day news of new battles rose up and then
died away when proven false. I was very hesitant, knowing an army was
coming but not knowing who banner it flew.
https://img692.imageshack.us/img692/...entathens5.jpg
Truly an amazing read!
Where do you get all of these cool pictures of Athenai?
Very nice MAA, Im really enjoying the suspense.
:2thumbsup:Quote:
Now the rumors of an army marching south
from Makedonia were that of an army coming to overthrow the Council and
restore Basileus Antigonos.
Great chapter!
I hadn't thought it had been so long, but it's been more than two weeks since my last post. I've been writing reports and preparing for finals at uni. I have one more chapter to write in this series and hope to have it up in about a week when I am no longer busy.
Again, thanks to those who have read this AAR and to those who have commented.
A couple of old comments I did not respond to:
-I did think of HBO's ROME series when I was envisioning the cramped streets of the city and was kind of going for the feel of when Varinus went home.
-The pictures came from some random internet page. I did a Google search from Athens. Most pictures were modern pictures of the Acropolis but after some deeper searching I found a site with these pictures (forget where). The site said they were public domain, though who knows if they are.
-You may be surprised by the details of this revolution and counter-revolution. I still don't want to give anything away, though...
Dromeus Krokeaios
Athenai, Hellas
Spring of the Sixth Year of the Reign of Basileus Antigonos III (123BC)
That one event was glorious. On that last day we were all overjoyed. The gods
had listened to our pleas and given us a new era. However, it was short and not
what was expected.
I remember I was in one of the main streets, listening to some merchant speak,
when I heard the news. A runner had come from the north. He told all he meet
that he had seen a mighty army a day's march from the city. The rumors were
true. This was not the terrible news we feared but glorious news we had been
awaiting. For the army bore a banner with the Vergina Sun and a banner with
the emblem of the family of Pyrrhos. Immediately, we all knew what this meant.
Prince Hippostratos had returned from Aigyptos and was returning to restore
his family to the throne.
The following day the entire city, no matter their stance, crowded the streets to
see Hippostratos parade with his army toward the center of the city. The city
guards had thrown open the gates for him, for we would have overpowered them
and done it ourselves had they not done so, and his army marched down the
main street of the city, unopposed. His soldiers wore brilliantly shined armor
and his cavalry rode beautiful horses. I recall seeing Hippostratos on that day.
He looked much like his father but younger and more handsome. He wore
silvered armor and rode a white horse. I remember when Basileus Antigonos,
then only heir, returned from the war with the Persian ten years prior. His
triumphant return was grand but far less than the greeting Hippostratos received
on that day.
They say the greeting he received in the Old City was less impressive. Despite
what most of the people would have assumed, they did greet him happily. Even
the Council came out and greeted him. They say they showed him great
respect and treated him as they would a Basileus. They had no will to fight him
and his army. We had all expected bloodshed but their was none. A few
members of the Council who had been rather outspoken against Basileus
Antigonos "disappeared" in the following months. This kind of thing was
common, even in times of peace.
All that we had been building for had peaked with the entrance of Hippostratos
into the great city of Athenai. Many, like myself, were disappointed and felt
there should have been more. We felt that we were moving toward something.
That it would be us who destroyed the Council and restored the Basileus.
Most, like Titus and Diokles, felt that they had been the ones to restore the
Basileus. The mob embraced Hippostratos without question. Any remaining
hesitation was lost when several ships arrived in the harbor with free wheat
from Aigyptos. We had gone weeks living off of what was to be found or stolen
in the city and supplies were running low. Now, Antigonos and Hippostratos
gave out free bread to the masses. For several days, there were festivities in
the streets, singing, dancing, and drunkenness. It all slowly died down and the
city returned to how it had been, as though nothing had happened at all. Most
were fine with this, I was not.
As for Basileus Antigonos and his son, they were both made co-Basileus and
their power was restored. The Council remained, but the inclusion of several
generals in the Council changed the direction it would take in governing.
Basileus Antigonos would soon ride out to battle again, leaving the young but
competent Basileus Hippostratos to rule the Arche.
An exellent chapter!
This is how I like it. An absolute monarchy. :whip:
Great chapter, once again!
Chapter 143 : Manipulation
Hippostratos' plan had worked. That is to say, the plan had worked and it was Hippostratos who received all of the credit for the plan. Although, it was originally conceived by royalist members of the Council of Elders. Royalists knew that the Basileus was slowly loosing power to the Council, specifically the democrats. The well educated amongst the royalist knew that any sudden grab for power by the Basileus would most likely work against them and result in a boom in support for the Council. So they conceived of a strategy that would make it appear as though the Council was making a grab for power and then covertly encourage support of the offended Basileus.
The original cause of the situation was rather unimportant, unrelated, and unexpected. The Council had for months been planning the allocation of funds to build new ports and expand older ports in Ionia and the western coasts Anatolia. Basileus Antigonos III had not been involved in these discussions and had not even been present when most issues had been discussed. Near the end of these particular discussions, the Basileus arrived at the Assembly and demanded funds be diverted to build a military port on the Propontos. Seeing as the decisions had nearly all been made, the Council respectfully argued against the Basileus. The Basileus ordered the Council to do as he had ordered. They responded, telling him he did not have that power. The Basileus then left the Assembly without further incident. However, his agents throughout the city began spreading rumors and exaggerating the event that had happened. (It is interesting to note that the proposed military port on the Propontos was never built.)
The next day the Basileus surprised everyone, including the Council by saying, in a speech, that he would step down and hand power over to the Council. Over the next several weeks, the people of the city of Athenai were driven to riot throughout the city by the agents of the Basileus. The Council tried to maintain order but could not, finding themselves to blame for something they did not even understand.
Before any of this had even begun in the city of Athenai, Hippostratos, son of the Basileus, had set sail from Aigyptos with his fleet, army, and several ships full of grain. He had helped devise the plan and was ready for his part. He bypassed Athenai with his fleet and landed in Salonika. There, he rallied the Royal Army and marched south to Athenai. There were no battles fought and nobody disobeyed his orders.
When Hippostratos and the Royal Army arrived in Athenai, they were in the prime position to negotiate with the Council. Basileus Antigonos III was reinstalled, something the Council never objected to, and Hippostratos was made co-Basileus with his father. The Council had its power reduced but still remained important, as Basileus Philippos V had intended. To quiet discontent within the military, several military postings to the Council were created. This also helped to quiet down some of the democratic voices in the Council.
The whole plan had been extremely risky. There was a chance that the people and the military would support the Council and the royal family would truly be cast out of power. There was also danger of uprisings across the empire that would result in rogue generals or claimants to the empty throne. The greatest danger was from the Demetrids in Mesopotamia. This threat was taken seriously and an army of Gauls, loyal to Hippostratos, was sent to Demetreia to discourage any attack on Syria. The final danger was one that wouldn't truly show its danger to kings for many hundreds of years. That was the danger of showing the masses that they had the power to effect change on their own. Many riots and minor uprisings for the decades that would be tied to those who had a taste of the power of the masses in those short weeks in Athenai. Some were even able to see through the ruse, made evident by the easy conclusion to the troubles.
https://img213.imageshack.us/img213/5060/maa4868.png
The dangerous path was braved and it ended up being Hippostratos who would rule the Arche. At the time he was considered the lesser of the two Basileus but due to events that would soon follow, most historians consider the "failed revolution by the Council" to be the end of Basileus Antigonos III's reign and the beginning of the reign of the young Basileus Hippostratos I.
https://img403.imageshack.us/img403/5193/maa4870.png
Basileus Alypios Antigonos III would entertain himself as he had before, ignoring the Arche and dealing mainly with being the head of a powerful family. Although Hipppostratos may have been a better general, Antigonos was competent and would choose to be sole commander in chief of all the Arche's armies. He would soon leave Athenai and embrace that job once again on the Arche's borders.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The known world during the first year of the reign of Basileus Hippostratos I (122BC):
https://img267.imageshack.us/img267/...mak122edit.png
Next: Chapter 144 : Troubles in Distant Lands
Great chapter! That the royal family manipulated these events truly was surprising.
Oh and BTW Hippostratos' portrait reminds me of Pyrrhos.
Now THAT'S why I love this AAR. This is how politics works in every era,right? Manipulation of the masses and protection of the privileges of the rulers by any means necessary. A brilliant chapter.
Why have demos when you can just have kratos? :devilish:
finally caught up with this, didn't suspect for a second that the uprising was manipulated by the royals
MAA, how are things going with this AAR? Don't want to stress you or anything, just wondering.
This isn't dead yet. I almost completed the next chapter about a week ago but didn't finish it. I had planned to finish it up this weekend.
I have a huge report to write for uni so I'm going to be really busy and stressed until summer. That said, I think I'm approaching an finale for this AAR finally. You'll see what I'm talking about in two chapters...
Ah, good to know, I eagerly await the next chapter. :bow:
Chapter 144 : Forgotten Land
Arabia, a forgotten land. Although it lies between the important lands of Aigyptos and Persis, it is often overlooked by powerful states. The Arche of the Makedones and Hellenes had a long history of both fighting with and ignoring the lands of Arabia. Hardly organized into any form of state, the lands of Arabia had, for centuries, been dominated by the powerful cities in the south-western corner of those lands. Although, never did all follow the lead of any one of these cities. In the east the lands had almost a closer tied to Persis and often controlled by Persian or Mesopotamian powers. In the center there was only desert and nomadic tribes, closer to phantom myths than anything real. And along the western coast lived and independent peoples who did not like the southern cities.
The first time the Arche dealt with the peoples of Arabia was when they liberated the city of Petra from the grasp of the Ptolemaioi. For decades the Nabataioi and tribes living along the edges of Syria and Mesopotamia proved to be strong allies (for the right price) and troublesome when upset or not payed. The lands of southern Arabia proved to be far from the thoughts of anyone in the Arche until the Kingdom of Sab'yn came to dominate the western coastal areas. Not only did the Kingdom of Sab'yn challenge the Arche for control over the seas but also marched armies against colonies of Hellenes in southern Syria.
The Delphikos family waged war against the Kingdom of Sab'yn and her allies for years, just prior to the Makedonian Civil war. During the war they did not have any support from either side and lost territory to Saba-allied tribes. After joining the Pyrrhids, they took the fight to the Kingdom of Sab'yn and "liberated" the peoples of Arabia's western coast. At the same time, an army from Aigyptos invaded Saba territory from the sea, laying waste to the lands. They did not conquer any of the Saba core territories in the southwest. However, they "liberated" more cities along southern and eastern Arabia as they marched across those lands.
While the Arche was preoccupied fighting the First Persian War, the Kingdom of Sab'yn struck. Many new client kingdoms of the Arche fell and became garrisoned allies of the Kingdom of Sab'yn yet again. First the southern coast of Arabia, then the western coast fell. Only the lands around the Persian Sea managed to hold off against the Saba, mostly due to large amounts of monetary support from the Arche. However, armies of Saba and their allies continued every year to march against the "free" states of the Persian Sea.
https://img11.imageshack.us/img11/9228/maa4830.png
When the allied city of Carna in Arabia came under attack from the Saba, the Arche promised assistance but the assistance was slow. An army under the command of Aidesios Thermaios was assembled in Syria but had only begun to march when the city of Carna fell. General Aidesios lacked the strength, equipment, desire to retake Carna and choose to remain in the cities and villages of minor allies and tribes of the Arche along the western coast. Fortifying the city of Macoraba, the army defended the borders.
The armies of Saba did not stop, they were intent on expanding their influence all the way to Petra and beyond. Several times the city of Macoraba fell under siege and was attacked. Several times already the army of Aidesios Thermaios pushed them back. Yet again they had to defend the city, even though there were no longer welcomed there by the people of the city.
https://img251.imageshack.us/img251/48/maa4835.png
Once again, General Aidesios' army of Syrians and allied desert tribal soldiers marched out into the desert to face their enemy. In this battle, it was the Saba army that determined the course of the battle. First they drew the attention of Aidesios' men by strangely positioning their cavalry in the center. These horsemen did not charge, they only throw spears from afar. With this, the two sides began to skirmish from a distance:
https://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8952/maa4839.png
As Aidesios and his men would learn, the cavalry in the center was only a distraction. While the Saba cavalry and a small force of infantry drew attention to the center, the bulk of the Saba infantry attacked either flank of Aidesios' line:
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1165/maa4840.png
The Saba army had assumed the flanks were weak and had hoped to break through them and encircle Aidesios' center, where the bulk of his men were. But the Saba underestimated the flank and it held long enough to be reinforced. However, Aidesios gambled not send all of his men to the flanks, only that which was needed. Instead, Aidesios used the Saba plan against itself, focusing on the center. When Aidesios broke through the Saba center, he chased their cavalry from the field, wiped out their auxiliaries, and broke their army in half. Victory came shortly after.
https://img41.imageshack.us/img41/5913/maa4842.jpg
Although this battle was a victory for General Aidesios Thermaios and his men, they could not hold the city of Macaraba any longer. Rather than risk running low on supplies and be forced to silence the protests of the people by force, General Aidesios chose to leave the city. He chose then to flee three hundred kilometers to the north to an oasis called Lathrippa:
https://img121.imageshack.us/img121/9503/maa4866.png
On the far side of Arabia, the free peoples of Arabia were also defending themselves from an army of Saba soldiers and their allies. Unwilling to camp in the desert, the Saba army had chosen, unwisely, to assault the city walls and try to take it.
https://img405.imageshack.us/img405/5535/maa4848.png
The Saba were met with mixed success. Only their ladders reached the walls. Once atop them, they found the defenders brave and strong:
https://img532.imageshack.us/img532/255/maa4851.png
When it became clear that they could not take the walls, the surviving Saba soldiers retreated from the city and returned to their closest allied territory.
https://img694.imageshack.us/img694/3540/maa4855.jpg
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Next: Chapter 145 : Allies on the Far Side of the Persia
I like how you maintain them as a persistent threat, rather than wiping them out entirely. Good work MAA.
Great - again!
The Indo-Greeks? Or the Seleukids?Quote:
Next: Chapter 145 : Allies on the Far Side of the Persia
Forgotten land? Just you wait, AtB will have some Nabatu and Saba up your snotty Makedonian...
Oh, btw, great chapter!
Real nice update MAA! :2thumbsup:
Thanks for reading and thanks for commenting!
Can't wait and see. I wish I had move time and could keep a closer watch on all AtB is doing.Quote:
Originally Posted by gamegeek2
The answer:Quote:
Originally Posted by Horatius Flaccus
Chapter 145 : Allies on the Far Side of the Persia
During the reign of Aristotelis, the Antigonids and the Seleukids had waged war with one another, the spoils of that war being the lands of Mesopotamia. Because of Prince Bykoli and his friend/son-in-law Pefkolaos, the Antigonids had won that war and pushed the Seleukids all the way back to the Persian Gates. Soon after that war, tragedy struck both empires. In the west, the Arche Makedonia fell into civil war, and in the east waves of steppe horsemen invaded the weakened Arche Seleukeia. The invading army of steppe horsemen conquered all of Parthia, Iran, and Persia. The Pyrrhids replaced the Antigonids in the west and won the civil war, but in the east it had seemed that the Seleukids had been completely defeated and had gone from history.
The Seleukids ruled nearly nothing in an forgotten corner of the world. It was not until the rule of Antigonos III in the west that news came of Seleukid activity once more. With an army of loyal Gedrosioi and a small but elite force of Makedonian cavalry, a Seleukid Basileus for the first time in more than two generations engaged in an offensive war. Striking from Gedrosia, in coordination with the Indo-Hellenic Kingdom, the Seleukids attacked Persia.
https://img401.imageshack.us/img401/4605/maa4827.png
For years, the Seleukids struck into Karmania, marching against the Persians every season and then retreating back into their own lands to rest when it was either too hot or too cold. After many years of trials, they rested the majority of the lands of Karmania from the Persians and established themselves a new capital in those lands.
https://img401.imageshack.us/img401/229/maa4858.png
In Baktria, the Persians held a strong front against the Indo-Hellenic Kingdom but the Seleukids continued to have successes. After fortifying Karmania, the Seleukid armies turned north and invaded the lands of Ariana. They marched all the way to the city of Alexandreia-Ariana but failed to take the city.
The dual-monarchy of the Persian Empire continued to find even more enemies. The constant problem with steppe nomads continued, they feared attack from the Arche of the Hellenes to the west, the Seleukids and Indo-Hellenes attacked from the east, and finally a new threat came from the northeast. The Persians had established control over the mountain passes and trade routes heading to the far east. Along these routes came news of displaced peoples heading west. They had been lifted up from their homelands and pushed to the edge of the mountains. Although the Persians treated them like a client for decades, they would not longer have it. When all Persian authority beyond the great mountains was lost, they knew this new threat was going to be yet another problem for them if they were pushed or chose to migrate further to the west.
https://img19.imageshack.us/img19/3272/maa4900.png
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The known world during the second year of the reign of Basileus Hippostratos I (121BC):
https://img638.imageshack.us/img638/...ak1222edit.png
Next: Chapter 146 : Troubles in Foreign Lands
Interesting!
Chapter 146 : Troubles in Foreign Lands
Arabia
General Aidesios Thermaios had fallen back with his army from Macaraba to the oasis of Lathrippa in order to avoid the armies of the Kingdom of Sab'yn. However, he was only encamped at the oasis for about half of a year before another army came marching against him. The city of Macaraba had surrendered without a fight and become a client city of the southerners. Once the city had fallen, its people told the Sabaeans where Aidesios had gone and lead the soldiers of Saba strait to Lathrippa.
https://img18.imageshack.us/img18/1769/maa4872.png
General Aidesios took up the defensive on the top of a hill, while the the Saba army readily moved on the offensive against him.
https://img23.imageshack.us/img23/8158/maa4874.png
Aidesios' forces were split into two groups, with the largest atop a large hill and a small group to the west on a separate hill. The Saba army marched up the slope and attack Aidesios' main army while ignoring the smaller force. While the two armies fought, the smaller force of Syrians to the west watched and waited.
https://img372.imageshack.us/img372/6113/maa4876.png
Since the smaller group did nothing, the Saba soldiers continued to ignore them. As the fight when on, both sides began to tire and the smaller force saw their moment to attack. The light infantry charged down their own hill to the base of the larger hill where the main battle was taking place. Seeing themselves surrounded, the western flank of the Saba army broke and fled. The rest were soon to follow.
https://img8.imageshack.us/img8/7382/maa4878.jpg
Although General Aidesios Thermaios continued to win battle after battle, he lost the ability to hold his ground. Low on supplies and under constant attack, Aidesios retreated from Macaraba and Lathrippa and back into friendly territory of allied Arab tribes who had yet to be subjugated by the armies from the Kingdom of Sab'yn.
https://img522.imageshack.us/img522/6987/maa4881.png
A few months later, in the lands on the far side of Arabia, a small kingdom repelled another attack against one of their cities.
https://img220.imageshack.us/img220/2089/maa4882.png
The Hellene-built towers around the city managed to repel the first wave of attack and do damage to the Saba seige equipment.
https://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3906/maa4885.png
Yet, many siege towers made their way to the city walls and the defenders were forced to push back the Saba invaders who made their way atop them.
https://img714.imageshack.us/img714/7968/maa4890.png
After a considerable fight, the Saba soldiers were repelled. With the walls defended, the local king decided to risk his army and grasp a resounding victory from the situation he had been given. He gathered his men and marched out from the city to chase down the remaining Saba soldiers and slay all of them in the field.
https://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6642/maa4892.png
The Saba army obliged him and met him in the the open ground outside the city walls. The Saba force made up of mostly horsemen threw themselves at the Arab defenders.
https://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7097/maa4893.png
When the dust had settled, the daring move proved successful. Thousands of Saba soldiers lay dead, including their general, with very few friendly losses. The city was defended and time was bought, for it would take time before the Kingdom of Saby'n could completely replace that army.
https://img688.imageshack.us/img688/2109/maa4896.jpg
Around the Arche
Within the Arche but outside of the lands of southern Hellas, very little happened during this continued era of peace. News spread across the Arche that there were riots in Athenai and a possiblity of a dynastic change, but news quickly followed of the restoration of order and the ascension of Basileus Hippostratos I. Very few places in the provinces and satraps even reacted to this news, for it meant no changes for them, save maybe a new governor in a place or two.
The one exception was in the lands of Raetia and Noricia. These lands still bore a barbaroi culture and the population was one that felt occupied. They took the news of riots in the the capital as a chance to rebel. The rebellion had no organization and was quickly quelled. This episode was but another sign of the weak grip the Arche held on the un-Hellenized frontier lands.
https://img265.imageshack.us/img265/7702/maa4859.png
Around the same time as the riots in Athenai, a large plague broke out in southern Mesopotamia. It was reported that Laandros, the last surviving son of Pyrrhos II was badly ill and that death filled the streets of the cities in that region.
https://img177.imageshack.us/img177/3530/maa4860.png
The plague in Mesopotamia came and went, with many thousands dead. Laandros, despite his advanced age recovered and resumed his command of the frontier armies in Mesopotamia and Elymais. He would live many more years.
About a year into the reign of Basileus Hippostratos I, ironically, a great port was completed on the Propontos. This port was quite impressive and added to the continuing shift of the economic center of the Arche from Hellas to the immediate east. It is said that not to long after, Basileus Hippostratos began considerations to move the capital once again. This time to somewhere in the east.
https://img693.imageshack.us/img693/8743/maa4861.jpg
The era of relative peace that had lasted since the end of the First Persian War in 133BC was beginning to seem like it could not last. The war in Arabia that had been ignored was beginning to push its way to the borders of the Arche. In Iran, the Persian Empire was building up forces on their borders with the Arche while waging war with the Hellenized peoples on her far side. And in Gallia, the Aedui Confederation had nearly united the lands and defeated the Arche's Arverni allies. While the Aedui were not hostile with the Arche, the concept of a powerful neighbor to the northwest was undesirable to the Arche's leadership.
https://img26.imageshack.us/img26/2730/maa4899.png
As the era of peace started drawing to a close, another plague broke out. This time it was in the lands of Africa. The twin city of Karchedon and the lands around her filled with death and suffering.
https://img641.imageshack.us/img641/4136/maa4904.png
With the Arche secure and his son fully in power, Antigonos III gathered the royal army of Makedonia and a fleet in the port. Once again, he was prepared to march to war. During the second year of joint rule with his son, he would set sail once more for war on his Arche's borders.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The known world during the second year of the reign of Basileus Hippostratos I (121BC):
https://img638.imageshack.us/img638/...ak1222edit.png
Next: Chapter 147 : War!
Yes, finally! The era of peace is over!
My guess it's going to be a war in the forgotten land.
Those Dacians have been very complacent...
They are very rich. With the constant war with the Persians, and little gain in the arabia, your economy must be facing rampant inflation :clown: time to invade Dacia!
But why would he 'set sail' for Dacia? :inquisitive:
It would be a good time to invade Dacia, even though they are good allies. My economy, however, is strong and the gold mines of Dacia don't really seem necessary. The peace with the Neo-Persians has allowed for a trade with the east. I've managed to lower taxes and have been building everything I can. The era of peace and stability has been great for the Arche's economy. That said, Dacia is a wealthy prize and something I've wanted since the death of Antigonos II. You shall see where the Alypios Antigonos III is going in the next chapter... :laugh4:
I had started working on the next chapter and was planning to put it out this weekend, but my keyboard died. The Q through Y keys just stopped working. Since I can't type on my computer (I'm borrowing this one to use the internet), I'll continue to be delayed.
It has been a great read catching up. However, i think this AAR might take a little longer to wrap up. Anyway good luck MAA.
And he just keeps on being delayed...
I eagerly await an update of this epic!
Hello again. Due to writing a large paper, dealing with uni graduation, then going on a trip, I have not been around the fora. I haven't been doing anything with RTW, EB, or this AAR for nearly six months. I had the next chapter half written but haven't touched it in months. Since I don't have much time, this AAR is probably finally dead.
If you're wondering, the next chapter was to beSpoiler Alert, click show to read:
I want to thank everyone who read this AAR and those who commented. Maybe when I get a job and get bored I'll start playing TotalWar again and write another AAR in the future.
I will remember it as the most epic AAR I've ever seen.
Thank you, MAA.
Never really commented (except once) but I would like to thank you for the time and effort you dedicated to this work. It inspired a lot of people (for example the civil war exploit using the Baktria faction has become a must for every Macedonian campaign since then) and set a new standard for any future AAR. That is the magic of human nature right? To invest so heavily on things that are rather fictional and not useful in any practical way, such as a story based on a modification of a computer game concerning an era long gone. In other words our ability to imagine.
Ps. Those screenshots of your multiple fullstacks invading Persia have stuck into my mind ;-)
This truly was THE aar. You've inspired a lot of people and really, this could be made into some sort of alternate history book. That said, its good some closure has come to this thread. I was sorta hoping it would go on but of course school and careers take precedent.
BTW can I just say that its amazing that you played for so long and the Getai never attacked you. Mind boggling!
This AAR's predecessor was actually the first AAR I read and played a part in making me start mine. It has been all the time I visited this forum and now it feels weird to imagine it is over.
this awsome ARR was one of the things that conviced me to play my Macedon campaign which I've been having endless fun in. Despite a few losses in the units roster that AS has against Macedon its location in the campaign is endless fun once you kick Eperious out of Pella.
I have never commented, I read till after the civil war and just kept watching the updates but not always reading them for the numerous amount of time required for reading it. I will say though this is the most impressive story I have ever seen made by anyone of us and that it has gone on for so long shows your dedication to the story.
What the people above said :smiley:
This AAR is epic. I remember before registering here that I read through this AAR and really enjoyed it even though I never really played the makedonians (Their starting position is too hard). This is easily the best EB AAR on the org though.