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Ha, are you kidding? Of course people are still following. People fear following an aar that just began, because you know, most aars end shortly. Yours has over 700 comments and 35000+ views? People are still following this EPICNESS (for lack of a better word). :2thumbsup: :clown: ... now get to work. :whip:Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus
Chapter 131 : An Era of Peace
As the First Persian War came to a close, Basileus Philippos V was approaching seventy years in age. Though he had neither lead men into battle for many years nor fought in the war, the war in the east had put a great stress on him. While his son waged a war against Persian soldiers on a battlefield, Basileus Philippos waged war against the nobles of the Ruling Council. Although supreme power still remained in the hands of the Basileus, Philippos did not wish to risk directly countering the commands of the Ruling Council. Instead, Basileus Philippos did what he was good at and manipulated the council from the shadows. Through his actions, the war continued to receive the needed funds. Even as the war raged, Philippos managed to finish rebuilding the Arche. For the first time since before the Makedonia Civil War, the Arche was peaceful and rich. The people of the Arche loved their Basileus, even if they didn't know exactly how he accomplished what he did.
https://img269.imageshack.us/img269/3062/maa4698.jpg
Though he was old and occupied with the matters of ruling a massive empire, Basileus Philippos V continued to expand his skills. In his spare time, he preferred to read about military tactics and speak with his generals. Although there was a good chance he would never again lead an army into battle, he continued to better his skills as a general.
https://img197.imageshack.us/img197/2770/maa4605.jpg
As he awaited his son's returned from the war, he managed the Arche. Both victory and tragety were put before him and he had to deal with it all. Soon after the end of the First Persian War, Basileus Philippos learned of the death of the great Galatian general Protogenes Datos.
https://img268.imageshack.us/img268/964/maa4606.jpg
It had been Protogenes who had lead the Galatian kings soldiers into battle during the Makedonian Civil War. General Protogenes had expanded the domain of the Galatians in Anatolia (though Philippos had taken the newly gained territories away during his provincial reforms), and lead his battle hardened soldiers to victory in many battles against the Demetrids. The war may have not turned the way it had if the Galatians had not chosen to side with Pyrrhos II. Even decades later, the site of Protogenes' greatest battle was still remembered and celebrated. Travelers who passed looked at the field where thousands had died and ensured the fall of Demetreia to Philippos during the war.
https://img268.imageshack.us/img268/1553/maa4686.png
Another tragedy was news of a widespread plague in the city of Korinthos. All of Hellas began to panic but the Council's order to isolate the city kept the plague from spreading beyond her walls. Thousands died.
https://img118.imageshack.us/img118/2115/maa4621.png
In happier news, the great Gymnasion in Athenai was completed. In the new capital, this rebuilt Gymnasion Akademaikon was unique in the Arche, specially designed for both exercise and learning. This was but one of the great building projects of the era.
https://img269.imageshack.us/img269/4509/maa4637.png
With the war against the Persians ended, the Arche began to overflow with funds. For the first time since the rule of Basileus Aristotelis, the Arche brought in more money then she could spend.
https://img43.imageshack.us/img43/236/maa4688.jpg
For the second time in his rule, Basileus Philippos V lowered taxes across the Arche. Yet, still the treasury overflowed. To spend some of the money, Philippos commissioned another series of building projects, including port expansions, new academies, and an Romaioi styled road that would connect Demetreia in Syria to the old Persian Royal Road in Assyria.
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On the opposite side of the Arche from Assyria, in the lands of Iberia, there was a growing problem. When Philippos had first invaded southern Iberia as a youth, the Iberians had fled before him. This left many lands and field free to settle. A great influx of Hellenes, Makedones, and other citizens traveled to Iberia and set up farms and settlements. They settled in many areas of southern Iberia but did not cross into the lands of the Lusotanni and Arevaci.
When the Lusotanni and Arevaci tribes were defeated by Philippos, many of the refugees from southern Iberia had nowhere left to run to and chose to returned to their land. When they arrived, they found their lands occupied by Hellenes. The refugees were forced to settle in the cities, which were growing ever more Hellenistic. As time passed, more Hellenes arrived to the lands of Iberia. Many Iberians who regained their land or had not fled at all were force off their lands in favor of Hellenistic settlers.
Although it seemed clear that the tension came form the settlers, the true tension was actually generated from amongst the Iberians. The tension grew from the disagreements between two groups who had begun to form. First were those Iberians who embraced Hellenistic culture and moved into the cities, generally the youth. Then there were those who still held onto their own culture. They saw the Hellenes as an enemy and the Hellenized Iberians a traitors.
https://img38.imageshack.us/img38/7600/maa4581.png
Tensions only grew in Iberia when two Makedonian governors mysteriously died at the same time. At first the Iberians were blamed and the army began looking for local assassins. As time passed it began to looked less like murder and more like random chance and bad luck. The settlers were outraged at the mere thought of Iberian assassins, and the Iberians were outraged when the Hellenes blamed them for something they did not do.
https://img194.imageshack.us/img194/7454/maa4635.jpg
Adding to the troubles in Iberia were the Lusotanni and Arevaci tribes themselves. For more than forty years, these and other tribes in central and western Iberia had been occupied by the armies of Makedonia. Even after the reforms of Basileus Philippos V and the creation of "Provinces", these more hostile lands of Iberia continued to be ruled by generals, through the blades of their soldiers. Especially amongst the Lusotanni, a wave was building up again and all it needed was the right occasion to break across all of Iberia.
Amongst the Arevaci, there was less tension with the Arche directly. Some even began to embrace Hellenistic culture of their own will. Some wished to be given the rights of a Satrapy, to be ruled locally by themselves but still loyal to the Arche. In the city of Numantia, a Hellenistic temple was built and co-dedicated to Dionysos. Some welcomed this huge sign of Hellenistic culture, but this temple alone nearly tore the city apart.
https://img37.imageshack.us/img37/2897/maa4702.jpg
In financial news, the already profitable region of Kantabria completed an expansion of a complex of old Iberian mines. Through trade with the Tin Isles and now with her mines, the region added greatly to the income of the Arche. Because of this, it was heavily occupied and governed by the military.
https://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2499/maa4715.jpg
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An earthquake shook Epeiros a year after the end of the First Persian War, killing thousands...
https://img31.imageshack.us/img31/470/maa4684.png
...but most people feared the spreading plague. Another or perhaps the same plague that was hitting Korinthos hit a couple cities in Africa. Because of the overpopulation of the region, tens of thousands became ill and thousands died. Even a Makedonian governor fell sick.
https://img24.imageshack.us/img24/7277/maa4687.png
More trouble came when rioting broke out in the isolated village of Ammonion that year. The cause was unknown, but many believe it was due to the oracle there. Even after the rioting was stopped by soldiers from Kyrenaia, the people remained discontent. The troops was forced to remained in the city and permanently garrison the small outpost.
https://img43.imageshack.us/img43/5104/maa4692.jpg
A tragedy hit the royal family as Basileus Philippos waited for his son to return from the east. In the old capital of Pella, Makedonia, Euphrantos died quietly after a short bout of illness.
https://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7097/maa4714.jpg
Euphrantos was the younger brother of the Basileus and had governed Pella since the capital had been moved to Athenai. Though he had been a lover of the shadier aspects of life and never competent at any given task, he had remained loyal to his father and his brother throughout his life. He left behind a wife, two daughters, and a son who was no more than ten years in age. With the death of Euphrantos, only Basileus Philippos and his brother Laandros survived of the sons of Pyrrhos II. Six males now remained in the royal family and three where children.
A plague broke out in Syria, hitting the Klerouchoi city of Bostra the hardest. It was uncertain if this was the same plague that had hit Hellas and Africa, but many believed another massive plague was going to hit the Arche once more. Plagues had catastrophically hit the Arche before. In the last great plague, tens of thousands died in Hellas and Basileus Neokles had died, triggering the Makedonian Civil War.
https://img34.imageshack.us/img34/9632/maa4719.png
The peaceful years continued and so did the massive building projects. In Syrakousai, the main trading port between Hellas and the west, an enormous expansion of the port itself was completed. The project had taken many years and cost a great deal. Many said it was not worth the effort, but Syrakousai was proud of their effort and their new port.
https://img194.imageshack.us/img194/9311/maa4717.jpg
In the lands of Assyria, Euktimenos of the Demetrids and his son continued to claim to be loyal to Basileus Philippos V and his dynasty. Euktimenos was growing old like Philippos, and like Philippos he continued to study the ways of war. No matter what he said, as long as Euktimenos lived, the people of the Arche feared another civil war.
https://img7.imageshack.us/img7/570/maa4729.jpg
Good news for the Demetrid Dynasty came in the thirty fifth year of the reign of Philippos, when Euktimenos' son Synlekteinos married. Although it was a joyous day for their family, many feared the thought of the Demetrid line continuing or growing stronger.
https://img22.imageshack.us/img22/8826/maa4725.jpg
Euktimenos had always been weak, even when he held the title of Basileus in Demetreia. His lands then had been ruled by his mother and his advisers. Now in this old age, he truly had no plans to begin another civil war. He simply wished to prove himself in the First Persian War and then live peacefully until the end of his days. His son Synlekteinos was another matter. He had been raised on stories of the greatness of his ancestors and truly believed his right to rule had been striped from him before he was even born. If he ever built support, he could be a problem for the Arche, but so far his father had kept him from doing something disastrous.
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The known world during the thirty sixth year of the reign of Basileus Philippos V (129BC):
https://img35.imageshack.us/img35/748/hxmak129edit.png
Next: Chapter 132 : Out of Arabia
Great chapter, MAA! :2thumbsup: Where do all these earthquakes and plagues come from? In 115 years I cannot remember more than one plague in my campaign.
QFT. The Anabaseis ain't dead by the way. :beam:Quote:
Originally Posted by Vasiliyi
What is QFT?Quote:
Originally Posted by Centurio Nixalsverdrus
Quote For Truth, I think.
Up until the release of v1.0 the disasters were working fine. My disasters work just like Teleklos programmed them to (on this pre-v1.0 version of EB that my campaign is played on). I have no idea why people have been having problems with the disasters. Maybe some tiny change was made in some file on accident before the release and nobody has been able to find it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Centurio Nixalsverdrus
That's good to hear. :beam:Quote:
Originally Posted by Centurio Nixalsverdrus
I always thought it was "Quite F-ing True", but Apraxiteles is probably right. Same basic meaning, though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vasiliyi
If it's in a single or two files and savegame-compatible, perhaps you might want to share your disaster file with us? (Or at least with me)Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus
Since I'm pretty sure that Teleklos went over the main files when the error was first reported, I would think they are working fine and the error would be in some minor file. Although, I've never modded disasters and I'm not entirely sure what all the files that are associated with disasters are. I wouldn't even know all the files to copy and post.Quote:
Originally Posted by Centurio Nixalsverdrus
This AAR is great and inspired me alot to write my own one. Fun to see what happens when the king dies if peace will last or civil war will break out. :beam:
wow. had no idea this was still going on. i've got reading for all day!
Good luck writing, keiskander.
Yep, been going for nearly two years now. A nice little alternate history I've got going. Thanks for following... to everyone.Quote:
Originally Posted by paullus
I haven't even started on the next chapter. I've been using the time I usually write to write a story, but I still plan to continue. I haven't played a whole lot for the last few months, either. I have about two more chapters left to write before I catch up to where I'm playing. You might have noticed that the last chapter covered four years of the campaign. Without any wars, the game doesn't have much to write about but still takes about as long to play. I get several more years along before I'm caught up, though...
Chapter 132 : Out of Arabia
Although the latter years of Basileus Philippos V's rule were dominated by peace, there was still conflict in the world and wars still raged outside and along the edge of his Arche. Though unorganized, the Numidians and Mauretanians still raided the Arche's coastal cities in Africa. The Iberians, too, continued to threaten the Arche's borders with raids and ambushes, but they could never be found when pursued. In Gallia, the tide of warfare had shifted for the first time in decades, and the war amongst the tribes threatened to overflow into territories held by the Arche. The Median borders with the Persian Empire remained suspiciously quiet. It was in Arabia that troubles brewed. There, a true war waged between the Arche's allies and the Arche's enemies.
For more than a decade, the city of Carna had requested aid from her Hellenic allies but had received very little. Several times the city and her king had fended off invading armies and withstood sieges. There had been great challenges for the city during the Arche's war with the Persians, but for several years the Kingdom of Sab'yn had left Carna alone. For only a couple years the city saw peace, and once again the Saba returned to besiege the city.
Because of the desert heat, the armies of the Kingdom of Sab'yn had always tried to take the city by force before the summer began. This siege was no different from those that came before. As the summer approached, they attacked the city walls with their siege equipment.
https://img193.imageshack.us/img193/8205/maa4704.png
Though his army had been cut in half by previous battles, the King of Carna rallied his men and prepared them for whatever came. When the Sabaean soldiers began moving their siege equipment for the walls, the soldiers of Carna threw everything they had down at them. From their place atop the walls, they were able to cause heavy damage to the enemy siege equipment and to the army itself.
https://img269.imageshack.us/img269/8336/maa4708.png
Only a few Sabaean ladders even made it to the walls. Only death awaited at the top for those who climbed them.
https://img42.imageshack.us/img42/1564/maa4710.png
While his soldiers defended the walls, the King of Carna personally lead what was left of his cavalry force out from the city to engage the Sabaean cavalry. Like he had before, the king lead his cavalry to a victory just outside the walls of his city.
https://img42.imageshack.us/img42/2081/maa4711a.png
Barely loosing any men, the King of Carna once again was able to defend his city and wipe out an army of the Kingdom of Sab'yn.
https://img269.imageshack.us/img269/6481/maa4713.jpg
The city of Carna celebrated their victory, but even greater news came soon after. After years of preparation, an army of Syrians from the Arche had begun their march southward. Almost half the army had been equipped to fight as Thorakitai directly by Arche funds, but most of the soldier were of generally low quality. This did not matter greatly, for the Kingdom of Sab'yn had not been able to field a well trained army since the days of the Makedonian Civil War.
As summer came to the deserts of Arabia, the Syrian army came to a halt. Not wishing to risk marching in the heat of the summer sun, the army stopped at a small town that was allied to the Arche. Known mostly for an odd rock, the city was of little importance strategically but did have some importance in trade. The city hesitantly became the home of the army of foreigners for the summer.
https://img198.imageshack.us/img198/4313/maa4723.png
The summer came and went but the soldiers of the Kingdom of Sab'yn just kept coming. Leaving nothing to chance, the Saba sent three armies to take the city of Carna. With the Syrian army still in their camp far to the north, the army of Carna had to fight alone when the attack came once more.
https://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4459/maa4738.png
The Sabaeans took heavy casualties when they came at the walls, but they had the numbers to withstand the losses. Still they were able to storm the walls. The soldiers of Carna fought with all they had, but they could not hold out against the overwhelming force that was coming over the walls on ladder and tower.
https://img268.imageshack.us/img268/4682/maa4742.png
After several hours of fighting, the soldiers of Carna were forced to give up the walls and the Sabaeans took the city gate. With the gates opened, the Sabaean cavalry charged forward and into the city.
https://img199.imageshack.us/img199/6193/maa4743.png
There was little resistance for the cavalry, but a handful of spearmen tried to hold back the swarm of horses that poured into their city. Although, as more and more horsemen joined the battle, the spearmen's effort proved futile. Most fell dead and the rest retreated back to their homes, giving up the fight.
https://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9871/maa4745.png
The Sabaean cavalry then charged into the city, believing that it was theirs. When they came upon the city palace, they found themselves to be mistaken. Rallying all the men he had left, the King of Carna managed to ambush the Sabaean cavalry and cut them down.
https://img268.imageshack.us/img268/5974/maa4748.png
Soon, almost all the Sabaean horses lay dead but the enemy infantry marched down from the conquered walls and through the opened gates. Into the city they marched and down her streets. From all sides they marched against the King of Carna and the few men that still stood with him.
https://img42.imageshack.us/img42/579/maa4750.png
The soldiers of Carna who still stood after the battle they had fought against the Sabaean cavalry tried to stop the Sabaean soldiers in the narrow streets but did not have the numbers needed to hold their enemy back. When they panicked and started to run, the King of Carna finally surrendered his city.
https://img268.imageshack.us/img268/6130/maa4752.png
Failed attempts to take the city of Carna had cost the Kingdom of Sab'yn many armies. Even success had cost them greatly. With their army almost entirely wiped out, the had finally won.
https://img197.imageshack.us/img197/6246/maa4753.jpg
Although he had surrendered, the King of Carna was executed. In the days that followed, a large portion of the peoples of the city were slaughtered and many more were rounded up and sold into slavery. The Saba treated the people of Carna so poorly that even those people in the Arche, who had not cared of the events in Arabia, were outraged.
https://img42.imageshack.us/img42/1060/maa4754.jpg
Without a city to rescue and lacking the resources or will to retake it, the Syrian army remained where they were and began to barricade the city. The Kingdom of Sab'yn conquered many minor kingdoms along the coast but waited to attack the garrisoned city in the north. They knew that these soldiers were from the Arche and not simply allied to her. Attacking that city may have begun a war with the Arche, one the Arche was willing to fight, a war that the Kingdom of Sab'yn could not win.
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The known world during the spring of the thirty seventh year of the reign of Basileus Philippos V (128BC):
https://img268.imageshack.us/img268/...mak128edit.png
Next: Chapter 133 : A Generation's Passing
Carna is always a slaughterhouse. Who are these archers you have there in Carna?
Theses guys?
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...an_archers.gif
Those archers are "Sabaean Archers". In my pre-release version, there was nothing available for recruitment in Arabia, so I had to manually mod all of the Arabian units in. The archers may not have been modded in for foreign factions in the official release version of EB.
Yes, I saw them in my 1.1 build yesterday too. I just could not remember them because they are so seldom! They always use slingers, and a few Arabian archers in between.
I've read from the "Down from africa" part to here and really like it. I also read the beggining up until the chapter: "Death of a Basileus." I look forward to readingm btween the 2 parts. Good luck and keep it coming.
I've finally started writing the next chapter of this AAR. It should be done in a few days.
A while back I mentioned some maps I had made for this AAR and I thought I'd post a few since they are now accurate for the time frame.
First is the divisions of the Arche:
https://img9.imageshack.us/img9/3487/provinces128.png
White are regions controlled by directly by the Basileus and Council (Type1 Government)
Red are Provinces controlled by representatives of the Basileus (Type2 Government)
Yellow are Satrapies (Type3 Government)
Orange are military controlled (Type 3 Government)
Green are Client Kingdoms and Allies (Type4 Government)
Then there is this one that shows the expansion of the Arche by rulers:
https://img10.imageshack.us/img10/204/expansion128.png
(Only territories that were held are shown.)
Black is territory held at the start of the game.
Red is the expansion of Antigonos II.
Orange is the expansion of the shared rule of Alkyoneus and Demetrios II.
Yellow is the expansion under Demetrios II after the death of his brother.
Green is the expansion under Aristotelis.
Light Blue is the expansion under Neokles. (there was more expansion eastward but that territory was lost during the Makedonian Civil War.)
Dark Blue is the expansion under Pyrrhos II. (other than the Civil War gains, there was only Philippos' conquest of Iberia.)
Violet is the expansion under Philippos V.
Then there is this map that is unrelated to the AAR or to RTW:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
What's the difference between the two different Type 3 governments??
Great story! Easily one of the best, if not the best, on here.
If memory serves, there isn't any difference gameplay-wise. They are only different for the purposes of the story. Of course, if I'm wrong someone correct me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutchhoplite
Thanks, Scipio Germanicus.
It is just a roleplay difference. In military controlled regions, I keep a large army and a general in the region, while in Satrapy regions I only have a few regional units and try to keep family members out of the town to represent local rule. Of course there are exceptions. I also won't often build any culture buildings in military controlled regions.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutchhoplite
It's really a blessing you haven't run into a gamebreaking crash yet. It's always those campaigns that made the most work :no:
There's nothing that can compare with the epic-ness of this AAR. I'd really like to know how many screenshots you already used :laugh4:
You jinxed him.:clown:Quote:
Originally Posted by Lysimachos
These are great maps!
Chapter 133 : A Generation's Passing
The last years of the reign of Basileus Philippos V were years of peace for the Arche of the Hellenes. Before the Makedonian Civil War, the Arche had been expansionistic, militaristic, and constantly competing with other powers for dominance of the Mesogeios Sea and Mesopotamia. The Civil War changed all of that. Other than small annexations of regions for trade and stability, the only expansionistic exploits of the Arche following the Civil War was the failed conquest of Arabia. Without any aggressive wars and having achieved dominance in her defensive wars, the Arche was graced with an era of peace and prosperity.
Even the Persian War had not been a war of expansion. After reclaiming lost territories, the Arche halted the march eastward. Having 'reclaimed' Elymais, the border with the Persian Empire was fortified and heavily defended. Even the armies that garrisoned those regions were defensive in nature, Alypios Antigonos III having taken his two armies with him when he returned to Hellas.
https://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9128/maa4732.png
During these years of peace, the Persian Empire remained quiet on the Arche's borders. They did, however, continued their own expansion elsewhere. In the northern and eastern steppes, the long lost sons of the nomads, who had invaded the Arche Seleukeia and formed half of the new Persian Empire, returned to the steppes to conquer their brothers. West of the Indus River, the armies of Persia burned the lands and terrorized the citizens of the the Indo-Hellenic Kingdom. Elsewhere, the Seleukids were under constant threat of attacked and besieging in the tiny enclave of power that was left to them.
https://img16.imageshack.us/img16/171/maa4730.png
Other than the western branch of the royal family, from which the Pyrrhic Dynasty came, there were two smaller branches of the family that still existed. Both of these branches were descendants of sons of Antigonos II Gonatas and had closer ties to the old Antigonid Dynasty.
In Assyria, even the remnants of the Demetrids were quiet. As long as the meek Euktimenos lived, he prevented his son Synlekteinos from taking any foolish action against the Pyrrhic Dynasty. Few feared betrayal from Euktimenos, but there was a concern of what would happen if he were to die and his son were to gain fame.
In Bosphoria and Skythia the descendants of Euboulides son of Antigonos II lived quietly as well. After giving up claim to the throne during the Civil War and joining the side of Pyrrhos II, the family had remained quiet. Herodes had fought in the Civil War and then retired to Bosphoria. His only noteworthy deed after then was the conquest of the Hellenic city of Tanais. His brother Anaxagoras had spent his life studying in Hellas and then governing Bosphoria. He conquered the city of Olbia, while his brother still fought in the Civil War. Even as he aged, Anaxagoras continued to study, though saw little chance of using his knowledge for anything other than governing:
https://img21.imageshack.us/img21/4933/maa4755.jpg
During this era of peace, Herodes died while on patrol for rebels. Having taken ill in the countryside, he died before he could return to Tanais. This left Anaxagoras as the last surviving member of his family and only surviving direct male descendant of Basileus Antigonos II Gonatas.
https://img193.imageshack.us/img193/7573/maa4792.jpg
Herodes' passing also meant that the Basileus himself was the only surviving man who had lead troops into battle during the Makedonian Civil War. The events of the Civil War had changed the lives of all it touched, but now it was finally beginning to fade into the past, only by the deaths of all those involved. Only Basileus Philippos V and Euktimenos of the Demetrids still lived that tied people to those events. Soon only one would remain.
The known world during the thirty seventh year of the reign of Basileus Philippos V (128BC):
https://img268.imageshack.us/img268/...mak128edit.png
Next: Chapter 134 : A New Basileus
Love it. :2thumbsup:
Excellent, again!
Thanks for following. I have another chapter ready for tomorrow.
Chapter 134 : A New Basileus
Another year of peace passed, but not even the gods could prevent Basileus Philippos V from joined his brothers and comrades who had passed on. As his father had, Philippos died quietly in his sleep at the capital.
https://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2822/maa4772.png
Basileus Philippos V had ruled for thirty seven years (only one year short of Basileus Megas Demetrios II's long rule), and in his years he had taken a shattered and war-torn Arche and reforged it into a powerful Empire. His father Pyrrhos II had been the beloved victor of the early Makedonian Civil War, but it was Philippos who had ended the war. He had expanded the domains of the Hellenes and brought prosperity back for the first time since the beginning of mad Aristotelis' rule. He had reformed the Arche and her armies. He brought democracy into the Arche while at the same time strengthening the position of the Basileus. Although his father was the man loved by the masses, Philippos would go down as one of the most accopmlished Basileau in the history of the Arche Makedonia.
A great funerary feast was given in Athenai and many speeches were given about him and in his honor. After debate, it was decided that Basileus Philippos V would be laid to rest with his ancestors in Aigai. After many days of feasting and mourning, the old Basileus was finally layed to rest and passed into the pages of history.
At the age of forty five, the only son of Philippos, Alypios, became Basileus Antigonos III. Antigonos was a great general and was loved by his soldiers and by the masses. He even had the charisma to influence those around him. He didn't, however, have any skill with management tasks. With his father gone, the task of managing the entire Arche now fell to him and his ineptitude.
https://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9751/maa4776.png
The first order given by the new Basileus was to send an army recruited in the west to Demetreia, in Syria. With the death of Philippos, it was feared that the Demetrids would once again make a grab for power. It may have been the new army in Demetriea or may have just been the attitude of Euktimenos, but no uprising came at that time.
The task of managing the entire Arche was a task that would overwhelm Basileus Antigonos III. However, he did not even get the time to make a mistake of his own before everything started to fall apart. As though the gods had been holding back troubles for Philippos, he had an era of peace. When he died, all those troubles were finally unleashed and fell upon Antigonos.
At the same time as the death of Basileus Philippos V, the head of the Romaioi state died:
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The council that ruled Roma had elected this man to rule in their stead, reelecting him every few years to the task and allowing him to act as a king would. This had worked out well for Roma's Hellenic protectors, for this man was a friend to Hellas and the Pyrrhic Dynasty. With his death, the Romaioi council once again ruled their city and the territories of central Italia. Though the Romaioi council had been friends of Phyrrhos II, it was unsure how they would react to his grandson, Basileus Antigonos III.
Then came the news of an attack on the city of Hippone. For nearly twenty years, since the Mauretanian campaign of Basileus Philippos V, the Numidians and Mauretanians had been quiet, defeated. Although it was unrelated to the death of Philippos, they seemed to unleashed an attack only after his death.
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The city had one of the largest native garrisons in all of the Arche and was able to handle the attack on its own. The Numidians employed desert dwelling mercenaries to try to take the walls, but the state equiped local Thorakitai were able to hold them on those walls.
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Though the city took great damage and many towers reached the walls, the large garrison was able to defeat their attackers. As the battles still waged atop the walls, the governor of Hippone rallied his cavalry and charged out of the city to confront the Numidian general.
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The cavalry of Hippone killed the Numidian general while the infantry of Hippone held the walls. Very few soldiers of Numidia survived the battle, but they managed to damage the wall and kill more than a thousand of the city's defenders.
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Word reached Athenai and the new Basileus that Hippone had repelled her attackers but soon news came of another invasion. Unexpected and moving quickly, the Kingdom of Sab'yn had marched two armies across the deserts of eastern Arabia and attacked the Arche's allies in Maka.
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Though the cities of southern and western Arabia were of little value to the Arche, the cities and ports of eastern Arabia were necessary for her trade to India. Basileus Antigonos III could not let these regions fall but it was too late to send any reinforcements. The local peoples would have to defend themselves from the Saba armies.
The armies of Sab'yn attacked the city from two sides, bringing up siege equipment on both the side facing the sea and the side facing the land. The defenders were prepared and had a large contingent of slingers. With the slingers positioned them atop the walls, they began to rain down death on the slow moving enemies as they approached the walls with their siege equipment.
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As the Saba soldiers approached the walls, slinger stones were joined by thrown spear, raining down on them. The armies of Saba took heavy losses before they even managed to get atop the walls, but they did manage to get atop those walls.
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With ladders and towers attacking all points around the city, the city defenders were spread thin when the Saba soldiers managed to get atop the walls. All around the city, defenders tried to push back the attackers and back over the walls.
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After hours of fighting, all of the Saba soldiers atop the walls were killed or routed. The ladders were pushed down and the siege towers were destroyed. With defeat before them, the horsemen of Saba turned and retreated back across the desert.
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In both Hippone and Maka, the defenders had managed to push back the enemies of the Arche. However, in both regions new enemy armies were being gathered to renew the attack on another day. There had been no peace in these regions even during the time of Philippos V, but now things had grown worse. The Arche's enemies were beginning to move.
As winter came, new troubles brewed for the Arche and her new Basileus. In Gallia, the war that had been going, off and on, for more than a century looked as though it was coming close to an end. For years, there had been a balance of power in the region, ever since the defeat of the Romaioi. However, disagreements between the Arverni and the Sequallia had grow so bad that the Sequallia had abandoned the Arverni and joined their enemy. With the balance of power shifted, the Aedui Confederacy began to attack the Arverni and her remaining allies. The Aedui threatened to defeat the Arverni, an ally of the Arche, and perhaps one day threaten nearby Hellenic cities such as Massalia.
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That same winter, there were reports of gathering Persian armies along the eastern border of the Arche. Basileus Antigonos III knew that the Persian Empire could not be trusted, and as soon as they had rebuilt their economy and military they would attack the Arche yet again. He had expected betrayal to come sooner, but he knew that it would come.
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When spring came, two huge armies from the Kingdom of Sab'yn moved against a different front of the Arche. They marched north, across the deserts, and attack the army of the Arche that was garrisoned at Macoraba. This was the last outpost that stood between Arabia and Syria. Were it to fall, the Kingdom of Sab'yn would be able to attack at the heart of the Arche.
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The troubles just seemed to pile up for the new Basileus. He tried to handle them, but the more troubles that came, the more he sought to avoid the tasks of managing the Arche. Quickly, the council of nobles in Athenai took up the tasks that Philippos had done and Antigonos now avoided. Lacking a strong hand in management, the power of the council grew at the cost of the new Basileus.
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The known world during the second year of the reign of Basileus Antigonos III (127BC):
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Next: Chapter 135
Uh, never saw the Sabeans field Troglodytikes. :smash: Hopefully those democrats won't get too much power. :sweatdrop:
I have a question. Does the game force you to quit at 14 AD? Because ur getting awfully close to it.