Regional Descriptions: Help the EBII Team

Hey @Arjos, I modified the Dahyu Mazasaka description to account of the proper linguistic reconstruction as well their relationship with the Alani. What do you think? My understanding of the Yuezhi invasion is really shaky. Thanks so much!

Dating the Yuezhi (Ta-kara/Tau-kara) in the 1st-2nd century CE is very late, they in fact moved into Sogdiana and Baktria some time after 133-2 BCE, when the Wusun (Asheinae) expelled them from the Ili Valley...

Their actions possibly coincided, or allowed, with the Alantae defeating the Mazsakatae in the lower Syr Darya (Yakhsha Arta) [change in burials there], as Ssu-ma Chien says that they were independent and dwelled in that area too...

However by 80 BCE the Yuezhi (Ta-kara/Tau-kara), who started to call themselves Kushine (its meaning being the same as Arshi, luminous, bright, white. A religious colour for purity and also the name of the leading tribe of the Ta-kara), had taken over all of Baktria and now extended their influence over Kangju (Kangha), which recognised their suzerainty...
It would seem that the people of Kangha were remnants of the former confederations and possibly those Mazsakatae, who were not assimilated by the Alantae, lived there. Becoming "vassals", at the same time they nominally recognised the Hsiung-nu (Dzonyu) as overlords, allowed them to turn the tide against the Alantae, who in the early 1st century CE had become a dependency of Kangha...

This would not last long, because the Hsiung-nu (Dzonyu) had already been split into two polities and the northern one increasingly moved into Central Asia, unable to act as hegemon like before, it became another force of instability...
Something definitely tied to the expansion and large scale raids launched by the Alantae in Media, Parthia and the Pontic region...

Hey,

Can I just confirm that the front page of this thread is up to date? If so, I'd be happy to do the grammar check for a few provinces. The ones I was looking at were

"122. Mesopotamia: waiting grammatical check. Here
123. Babylonia: waiting grammatical check. Here"

However, the links in the front page are not working for me, something to do with forum permissions and such. Any idea as to what is going on?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Gypsy

However, the links in the front page are not working for me, something to do with forum permissions and such. Any idea as to what is going on?

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That post was pasted from the EB team's internal fora, so the links are locked, but I can confirm that the grammatical check is still needed. You could use directly the .txt file from /mods/EBII/data/text/export_buildings.txt if you want :)

Mesopotamia Edits

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

<h>Overview</h><p>Anyone entering the lands of Mesopotamia, be it south from Babylonia, east from Persia or west from Syria or north from Armenia is unable to escape from the sight of the great Tigris River. From its springs in the mountains to the great delta in the lands of Mesene, the river lazily finds its way across the desert, creating a land of great bounty in what would otherwise be a hostile environment. From the highlands of the Zagros to the waterways between the meandering streams of the Tigris and Euphrates, this is the cradle of the Akkadian, Sumerian and Babylonian civilisations and the birthplace of history.</p><h>Geography</h> <p>Mesopotamia is situated between the Zagros Mountains to the north and the Euphrates River to the south. To the west it is bordered by the province of Assyrie, where the flat Mesopotamian plateau is gradually replaced by rocky highlands. The Zagros mountain range seperates Mesopotamia from the Persian heartland to the east. This mighty range, penetrable only at one or two locations, stretches from the very fringes of the Parsa all the way to Armenia. While its peaks are not as high as those of the Hindu Kush or the Carpathians, they are of no small size either; the Zard Kuh has an elevation of 4,548 meters, closely followed by Mount Dena with an elevation of 4,359 meters.</p><p>The soil of Mesopotamia is one of the richest of the known world, at least as bountiful as that of the Egyptian Nile. Herodotos notes that no other country produces as much grain in one year as Mesopotamia and it remains one of the most important sources of revenue. Other than grain, the date palm has proved to be another great source of income. It was cultivated from the earliest of times and that cultivation has not ceased until this day. Other important agricultural products are the fig, the olive and the vine.</p><p>The most dominant feature in Mesopotamia is the Tigris River, which is in sight almost regardless of ones position in the province. In March the river begins to rise, reaching its greatest height in April, at which point it rapidly declines, leaving behind a very fertile land fit for any kind of agricultural exploitation, before returning to its natural borders in June. Further to the south, where the Tigris and Euphrates both gain volume and speed and nearly collide, a great marshland is created. To this day, it is inhabited by the descendants of the ancient Sumerians, who have retained the customs and culture of their forefathers.</p><h>History</h><p>The history of Mesopotamia is one of the richest and most turbulent of our age. It was first settled by the ancient Sumerians many years ago when they revolutionized they’re way of living by domesticating local crops. Due to rapid urbanisation, many independent city states formed on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates. Finally, these city states formed minor independent kingdoms such as Uruk, Kish and Lagash. After several dynastic periods in which certain cities ruled supreme before power was usurped by yet another city, the Sumerians were united under a single ruler, Sargon of Akkad who formed the Akkadian Empire (circa. 2200 BCE). The Akkadian Empire reached from Elymais to the borders of Armenia and all the way west to the Mediterranean Sea. However, less than two hundred years later, the Akkadian Empire collapsed. However, it was a sign of things to come.</p><p>A few centuries after the collapse of the Akkadian Empire, Hammurabi, King of Babylon, conquered large swathes of land in Mesopotamia (circa. 1800 BCE). The Babylonian conquest of Mesopotamia was a double-edged sword; on the one hand, the old Assyrian city-states of Assur, Nuzi, Sippar and Esnunna declined in political importance due to the Babylonian centralist administration. On the other hand, because of the political stability that Babylonian rule brought, the fertile soil of Mesopotamia was able to be fully exploited. This prosperity would last for a long time, as even under Persian rule, it was noted that the Babylonian satrapy was the most prosperous and yielded the most tax income.</p><p>The Hittite Empire was the next power to dominate Mesopotamia after the collapse of the short-lived Babylonian Empire. They arrived from Asia Minor and dominated the region until around 1100 BCE, before splintering into multiple city-states during the Bronze Dark Age. Shortly after this period came to an end in 900 BCE, the Neo-Assyrian Empire began to gain power. Located in the Mesopotamian heartland, the Assyrians were one of the oldest city-states of the region. They rose to power and swiftly took control of Mesopotamia and Babylonia. During the reign of Shalmaneser III, the Assyrians repeatedly defeated Babylonian, Syrian and Caucasian foes. Once again, Assyrian armies marched towards Lake Van. Syria and Phoenicia were added to the Neo-Assyrian Empire, while Judea was subjugated by King Tiglath-Pileser. After his death, the Israelites rebelled against Shalmaneser V, who died during the siege of Samaria. Power came into the hands of his brother Sargon II, who destroyed the Israelite kingdom and deported many Jews to Babylonia. It was during the rule of Sargon's great-grandson, Ashurbanipal, that Egypt was conquered. After his death, however, the Assyrian Empire underwent rapid disintegration (circa. 620 BCE), after which the Neo-Babylonian Empire shortly ruled Syria, Assyria and Mesopotamia, and even though Mesopotamia would once again thrive under Babylonian rule, the end of the Neo-Assyrian Empire meant the end of Mesopotamian independence.<p/><p>As the Persians took control of the old Median Empire and conquered Babylon shortly afterwards Mesopotamia would gain a position as one of the most important provinces in the empire. Despite several attempted rebellions, it would remain firmly under Persian control up until the conquest of Alexandros. After Alexandros' death, Seleukos was awarded the satrapy of Babylonia and gained control of Mesopotamia. However, he had to flee his satrapy after Antigonos I Monophtalmos gained too much power. The other Diadochoi combined forces and were able to defeat Antigonos, allowing Seleukos to regain his lost provinces.</p><h>Strategy</h><p>Any ruler in possession of Mesopotamia should try to exploit its wealth as soon as possible. The Mesopotamian soil is very fertile and a desirable location for both crops and people. The province remains vulnerable to assault from the Zagros Mountains to north, but if neighbouring Babylon remains under your control, securing those mountains should be a priority. With Babylonia and the Zagros Mountains pacified, the only viable threat comes from Susiana and Charax Spasinou, and great care should be taken in the protection of those southern borders.</p>

Babylonia Edits

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<h>Overview</h><p>Babylonia is an ancient land. Warring chieftains and tribes, great kings and emperors have left their mark on the land of the Euphrates. From the Sumerians and the Akkadians to the Persians and the Macedonians, it is a contested land of great wealth and power.</p> <h>Geography</h><p>The land of Babylonia is characterised by its farmlands that follow the lazily flowing Euphrates all the way to the border with Charax Spasinou. Babylonia is also widely known for its mild climate; while summer temperatures can reach incredible heights, frequent winds from the Zagros Mountains come blowing over the flood plains, bringing much-needed coolness to an otherwise hot and arid land. The winters are exceptionally mild, with no snows ever reaching the plains or cities of Babylonia, although hail storms can occasionally wreak havoc upon the crops.</p><p>Babylonia is bordered to the north by Mesopotamia, with which it shares many of its characteristics. To the south-east, where the Tigris and Euphrates converge, it is bordered by Charax Spasinou, while the north-western border is shared with the province of Assyria. To the south-west, however, any notion of a border becomes irrelevant; the wide and harsh Arabian Desert stretches nearly infinitely on towards the horizon, and is trod by no-one, save the hardy Bedouin. \n\nBabylonia is famed for its fertile ground; several writers have noted the abundance of wheat, barley, millet and lentils. As for fruits, the date-palm is widely cultivated, as well as the olive, which is found in abundance further upstream, near the border with Assyria. The rivers and fresh-water lakes offer fish in great abundance; especially the barbel and carp.</p><h>History</h><p>The first Babylonian Empire was formed around 1750 BCE by Hammurabi the Great. His empire was short-lived, lasting only until his death after nearly 40 years of rule. However, his famous Code of Hammurabi represents the first law code in existence, holding the immortal phrase, “An eye for an eye…” Babylon was a subject kingdom for more than a thousand years before regaining independence under the Chaldeans, who ruled for a short time as the Neo-Babylonian Empire (600 BCE-540BCE). The overlords they overthrew were the Assyrian Empire, neighbours and rivals from Mesopotamia. </p><p>The man who rose to power after the disintegration of the Assyrian Empire was Nabopolassar, who reigned only for a short while before he was succeeded by one of the greatest kings in the history of any civilisation, Nebuchadnezzar. Under the rule of the Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian Empire regained its political power, and the rule of the Babylonians stretched from Syria all the way across the Fertile Crescent to the delta of the Tigris and Euphrates.</p><p>Nebuchadnezzar was also responsible for two of the greatest monuments to exist in our day; the Ishtar Gate and the fabled Hanging Gardens. While some scholars have contested whether or not the Gardens existed at all, it cannot be denied that under Nebuchadnezzar’s rule, Babylon thrived, both economically and politically. The Hanging Gardens may have been confused with those in Assyrian capital of Nineveh, an explanation that seems ever more likely since no evidence of its existence have been found in Babylon.</p><p>Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by King Neriglissar, who reigned for no more than two years before his demise, after which his son, Laborosoarchod, or Labossoracus to the Greek writers, came to the throne. However, he was only a young boy, and was unable to wield sufficient political power to effectively rule the Babylonian state. Before long, a group of conspirators had him tortured to death, after which the throne passed to Nabannidochus, a relatively incompetent man.</p><p>At this time, Kurush, more commonly known as Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire, had laid waste to the kingdom of Croesus and turned towards Babylon. In a great pitched battle, Cyrus utterly defeated Nabannidochus, who fled to the city of Borsippa, and with great cunning, the Persians are able to take control of Babylon, after prompt analysis of the rise and fall of the river's tides. In this way, the Persians were able to conquer Babylon without spilling a single drop of blood.</p><p>Under Persian rule, Babylonia once again thrived. The Persian King Darayavaush took up residence in Nebuchadnezzar's palace before he built his own in the western part of the city. The satrapy of Babylonia was held in great esteem and being granted governorship over the Babylonians was a great honour for any satrap. The importance of Babylonia was further stressed by the enormous amount of tribute it paid: an annual thousand talents of silver, more than any other satrapy in the Empire.</p><p>Under King Khsayarsha (Xerxes) Babylonia revolted, killing the Persian satrap and the leader of the revolt, Belshimanni, proclaimed himself King of Babylon. Khsayarsha's brother quickly stifled the revolt and retook Babylon, tearing down its famed fortifications and melting down the eighteen-foot statue of Bel Marduk. The destruction of Babylon's defences and the sacrilege of its holy places marked the waning of Babylon's political importance.</p><p>When the Macedonian King Alexandros defeated Darayavaush III at Gaugamela, the Persian King fled, surrendering his claim to the Persian Empire, and when Alexandros descended on Babylon, the priests and officials opened the gates of the city to him. Alexandros commanded the temples to be rebuilt, including that of Bel Marduk, which had laid in ruin since its destruction by Khsayarsha. The Persian satrap that had surrendered the city was promptly returned to his position. Military control remained firmly in hand of the Macedonians, however.</p><p>Alexandros died in Babylon, leaving no heir. Several of his commanders styled themselves his successors, the Diadochoi, and they convened in Babylon. Perdikkas would remain regent in Babylon, while the others would all get a share of the lands conquered. He was assassinated scarcely a year later, with control of Babylonia passing into the hands of his general, Seleukos. After an extensive civil war in Greece, Antigonos "The One-Eyed" was the uncontested ruler of the Anatolian and Syrian part of the Empire. Four of Alexandros' generals, including Seleukos conspired against Antigonos, who was utterly crushed and subsequently killed at the battle of Ipsos.</p><p>With the death of Antigonos, Babylonia remained firmly in the hands of Seleukos.</p><h>Strategy</h><p>Babylonia is inhabited by a great many people. Alexandros left a sizeable Macedonian military contingent within the city of Babylon after his conquest, while the city also supports one of the highest concentrations of Jews outside of Jerusalem. Furthermore, it is frequently visited by Arab traders and is inhabited by native Chaldeans, Assyrians and Persians.</p>

I found the UNESCO documents of central Asia which is very helpful for discovering the whole story. If the team still needs Kangju i have done a brief chronology in the history section, but i wonder if it is correct.

Here is a rough copy of the province description.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Kangha

Kangju/ K'ang chii/ Kangui/ K'ang chu

---------Traveler's Log----------


----------Geography----------

oasis

steppe

Syr Darya - kanga river - Jaxartes

tributaries

Tein shen mountains

Pines

Kara tau range

----------The People, Society and Government----------

Iranian speaking

Sedentary and nomadic societies - Nomadic leadership

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Yuyeni (Yuni) - tashkent - bityan - chach - Stone city - capitol

oasis town

Late Burgulyuk period - 600bc -500bc

Kaunchin culture 400bc- 900ad
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kangju coins 2nd-3rd century AD

Winged camels are sign of kingship in Khwarezm and Kangju

Kultobe - script fragments

----------History----------


~1500BC - nomadic tribes arrive in the area, with horses and chariots. Bronze age centers are abandoned and new ones are founded. Settlements and nomads interchange technologies, bronze working, horses and chariots. indo-iranians (Androvono karasuk)

800-600BC Iron working establishes the vision of nomads as we know today of weapon, horse, saddle, 'scythian animal art style' cultural continuation from bulgaria to mongonlia. (Uyuk pyzerk)


Kangha - avesta?

Turan afrasaib?


593BC Cyrus invades. Syr Darya - frontier of the achmeniead empire against the northern sakas. fortresses established along the river.

329BC Alexander invades. No mention of kangju, may be part of massagetae(Tribes beyond the jaxartes, Spitamenes allies). chorasmia and macedonia(alexander) vs (spitamenes)sogdia and massagetae.



162BC Nomadic migrations begin with the bitter defeat of the yuechih by the Hsungnu. They begin political influence of central asian tribes, extracting tribute. The Kangju emerge sometime during this chaotic period, and assume control of independant Sogdia, Samarkand and Bukhara.

In 138 BC, the Han Emperor Wu sent an embassy headed by Zhang Qian to Central Asia to form an alliance against the Hsungnu. The 100 man delegation is captured by the Hsungnu and Zhang Qian is held captive.

132BC The Wusun, take revenge on the yuechih for past grevences and attack them at lake isuk-kul, with Hsungnu permission or alliance. Wusun take isuk-kul for themselves forcing the yuechih to move south.

131BC yuechih arrive in kangju controlled sogdia, either peacfully or forcefully.



130-125BC After 10 years of captivity Zhang Qian escapes, instead of going home he continues his diplomatic mission. During his stay in sogdia he takes note of the surrounding tribes including Kangju.
He notes that they are subservient/tributary to the Hsungnu and yuechih both. As the yuechih are now gaining control of sogdia and northern bactria. Kangju sends a prince as a royal diplomatic envoy to the Han court. They have a powerful army and control 5 kings/tribes

1??BC Kangju expands west past the Aral sea, reaching the southern urals. They subjugate the arosi tribe, force the alans west and have contact with the Sarmatians.



101bc kangju protects dayuan independence against Han through alliance.

60BC kangju leader invites chichi, leader of northern hsungnu into kangju to form an alliance, by exchanging daughters for marriage. they plan to attack Han ally Wusun.

42BC chichi and kangju leader reach the wusun capitol at issuk-kul, chichi starts demanding tribute from dayuan and other kingdoms.

36BC During a quarrel with his allies, Chichi confronts the Han army at talas. the same area of the abbasid vs tang battle. Chichi is killed in battle and the whole campaign falls apart. Han protects wusun and forces submission of kangju by demanding the kings son as a hostage



~0BCAD Northern hsungnu migrate north of kangju to the surrounding lake Bulkhash steppe. Kangju is increasingly trapped between the kushan/yuechih empire to the south and the rising Yue-pan/hsungnu kingdom into north.

83AD Kushans ally and intermarry with Kangju dynasty.

123-135AD prince Hu-yen of the Yue-pan creates a powerful kingdom.

~300AD Kangju remains independant untill absorbed into hephthalites.


Kara Kanga turks?

----------Strategy----------



----------source----------

History of Civilizations of Central Asia: The dawn of civilization earliest times to 700BC - UNESCO
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/000...44/094466e.pdf

History of Civilizations of Central Asia: The Development of Sedentary and nomadic civilizations 700BC to 250AD - UNESCO
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/001...7/105703eo.pdf

History of Civilizations of Central Asia: 250-750AD
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/001...46/104612e.pdf

The Yuezhi Migration and Sogdia - Dr. Craig Benjamin
http://www.transoxiana.org/Eran/Articles/benjamin.html

So if you still need it i can continue investigating and turn it into a proper description. Also, I can look into the Indo-saka and indo-greeks these documents have good information but i don't know if i can trust them.


This is how i view the tribes:

Scythian = European word for the steppe nomads
Saka = Iranian word for the steppe nomads

Sai = EB's Saka Rauka

Yuechih, Tocharians are the royal tribe > Kushans

Wusun

Kangju

Dayuan = Fergana

Hsungnu > Northern Hsungnu > Yue pan > Hephthalites/White huns
Hsungnu > Northern Hsungnu > westward huns? > Attila's Huns


Province Map
Attachment 15342

Just for clarity regarding the Yuezhi: They were most likely Tocharians who were ousted from the Tarim and later the Issyk river basin by the Xiongnu and Wusun. They established 5 kingdoms in Sogdia. It is the most plausible theory that the Kushans were the rulers of one of these kingdoms, who later established hegemony over the other four and then expanded to become the Kushan Empire.

I have the UNESCO volume, it is generally good, but now it is getting a bit dated. Like Kangju going all the way to the Aral is just made up, there's no source for it. What the Han Shou says is that at one point Kangju held nominal suzerainty over the Alantae...
As for the Aorsi, that is nonsense, archaeology shows nothing of the sort and the Romani were even allying themselves with the Aursatae, recognising them as a major power in the region at that time...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chap

This is how i view the tribes:

Scythian = European word for the steppe nomads
Saka = Iranian word for the steppe nomads

Sai = EB's Saka Rauka

Yuechih, Tocharians are the royal tribe > Kushans

Wusun

Kangju

Dayuan = Fergana

Hsungnu > Northern Hsungnu > Yue pan > Hephthalites/White huns
Hsungnu > Northern Hsungnu > westward huns? > Attila's Huns

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If you are interested in these etymologies:

Skythai is a Hellenic transcription of Skuda "archers"...
Saka was an endonym, meaning "deer", but was reinterpreted by Persian speakers as "those who roam", this folk etymology being extended to all nomads...
Sai is just a Han Chinese transcription of Saka, which in the Han period was pronounced Saek...
Yuezhi a Han transcription for Arshi, its pronounciation was Ruzhi, which appears in Tocharian texts to denote their own language (in the tongue of Arshi). It meant White/Luminous...
Tocharoi was a Hellenic transcription for Ta-kara, kara appears on Kushan coins, it's a tocharian noun meaning "group of people". It appears even in Khotan Saka, whereby texts speak of the "neighbouring Gara people", reinterpreted in Khotanese to mean mountaneers, due to Iranian gar (that is mountain). While Ta, or Tau, is again a tocharian noun which means large/many. This particular word had a much linguistic success, it is thought that even Mongol Tumen is a borrowing of it. Anyway Ta-kara, meant something like "the large group of people", perhaps "confederacy", hence it was an inclusive collective, making it harder to determine ethnicities, because whomever followed the royal tribe of the Arshi, was by definition a member of their large Kara...
Wusun is another Han transcription, it sounded something like Aswen, it reflects Asana (Hellenic Asioi, Asianoi) meaning "noble, worthy" in Khotan-Saka...
Kangju yet more Han transcripting, pronounced Kangka, ultimately reflects the North Iranian Kant or Kand meaning "city/building" and an adjective suffix -ka, something meaning "those of the city". If you are familiar with Kangju's history, it centered around urban Chach and was inhabited by various peoples...
Dayuan is just Han Chinese for "The Great Yuan", this last name being a transcription of Yauna, the Iranian name for Ionian/Greek...
Hsiung-nu is a Han transcription, which went through subsequent folk etymologies, its contemporary pronounciation was something like dzunha, reflecting an Altaic noun meaning "population, people, country, community". Cognates are Mongolian dzon, Buryat zon,Yakutsk djon, Tuva, Shors, Sagay čon, Altaic Turks jon, Evenki ngōnmin and Chuvash şыn...

Widura/Silengolandam Edits

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Introduction\n\nDescending from an Alpine pass the weary traveller is invited to lie amidst the calm of a holy grove and attend more than the song of birds. This scared shrine is centred atop a broad hill that overlooks the upper basin of the Widur (Oder) River. In fact, this region is called Widura (Silengolandam), meaning the "middle place”; taking a name from this waterway. This land of mountains, hilly forests, and open plains is home to the Didunes, who dwell in small scattered settlements that lack defences. As colonial descendants this tribe speaks the language, follows custom, and practice the art and industry of the eastern Celts. However, they are wed to the people of Luguwa and to great extent share the latter's economy, government, and laws. Collectively, they devote themselves to their cattle and spend little time on farming; leaving that to those indentured. As with the other tribes of greater Germania, the Didunes are exceedingly addicted to both the conduct and income of trade and war. \n\nGeography\n\nThe province of Widura is centred on much of the upper and middle Oder River basin and includes much of the historic extent of Silesia and western Poland; as well as the portions of Saxony and Brandenburg that border the middle Oder River. This region can best be characterized as relatively flat lowlands that form the middle and upper basin of the Oder river system. This area is bounded on the northeast by modest uplands and on the south by a western extension of the Carpathian Mountains. The regional vegetation is directly related to geomorphology setting. For example, the hilly plains of the lowlands are dominated by grassland and scattered groves of deciduous trees. In contrast, highland areas below the timber line feature large and diverse deciduous and coniferous forests. The climate of Widura is temperate with precipitation primarily concentrated in the rugged highlands. Spring and fall are somewhat short, the summers typically range from moderate to warm, while the winters are cold to very cold, depending on altitude.\n\nSocial and Political Organization\n\nThe social and political organization of Widura can best be characterized as a system of tribal based chiefdoms that represent relatively egalitarian collectives that displayed little evidence of stratification. As a multi-layered ethnicity these communities seem to have shared a somewhat common set of legal, religious, and militaristic customs. Overall, these tribes were informally administered by an ill-defined religious caste and ruled by dominant clan affiliations and an assembly of the general citizenry, which formed the overwhelming bulk of the populous.\n\nProto-History\n\nThe culture or proto-history of this area, is relatively well understood; however present day political issues often cloud normative assessments of the Widura region. Putting aside recent projections of nationalism on the past, the Widura region can be confidently included within the southern periphery of the Lusatian Culture. Based on agriculture, the Lusatian Culture was characterized by large fortified settlements and extensive cremation cemeteries. About this same time Celtic elements associated with the late Hallstatt Culture appear to have crossed over the Moravian Gate into Silesia and southern Poland brining advanced iron working technologies. However, in the 6th century BC this region was also repeatedly attacked by Scythian nomads who seem to have specifically targeted the large Lusatian settlements. In fact evidence of widespread destruction throughout southern Poland and Silesia and the burial of a wealthy Scythian war lord at Witaszkowo, indicates they gained temporary control of several local districts. Nonetheless, around 500 BC the Lusatian Culture collapsed, the large fortified settlements were abandoned, and attacks by eastern nomads seem to have stopped. \n\nLarge areas of Silesia appear to have been effectively abandoned until the beginning of the 4th century when Celtic elements associated with the La Tené Culture were established in Upper Silesia. These are referred to as the Głubczyce, Ślęża, and Wrocław archaeological groups which were associated with the Púchov Culture. They were characterized by the distinctive La Tené weapons and metallurgical technology; as well as wheel-made ceramics and Celtic subsistence patterns. However, their settlements were small undefended farmsteads, while fortified villages and oppidum were entirely absent. Although apparently established in the period of the Lusatian and Hallstatt cultures, during this later period the cultic site found atop Mount Ślęża seems to have gained a certain degree of prominence. Additionally, as this region sat astride one of the main avenues of amber exchange, coins minted by Boii chieftains to the southwest and those produced by Greek city-states are often found at settlements occupied during this period.\n\nMany of the Celtic settlements in Lower Silesia were abandoned soon after 120 BC. This seems to roughly correspond to part of the 100 mile wide Vacare Agros mentioned in Book 4 of Caesar's Gallic War. On the other hand with the steady political decline of the east Celts, and retraction of the La Tené Culture, Upper Silesia was increasingly pulled into the sphere of the Przeworsk Culture. This archaeological construct may be characterized as pastorally based tribal society, without an established capital, that was based on small scattered unfortified farmsteads and hamlets. Although written in the early 2nd century AD, form Ptolemy's Geographia we learn that Upper Silesia was occupied by the Omanoi and Didunoi tribes, who were associated with the Lugii confederation and Lugidunum, apparently an important settlement. The Didunoi or Diduni tribal name may represent Greek and Latin forms of the Celtic Dī dunos; meaning "those of" or "from the uplands." In contrast the tribal name Omanoi or Omani may be similar to the Gaulish "komantos" and mean "those who are equals." \n\nStrategy

Kottinon Edits

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Introduction\n\nFollowing a narrow trail over a high mountain pass, the rugged traveller enters the realm of the Oesioi and Kottinoi. A precipitous land of high peaks, deep valleys, forests, lakes, and streams takes the name, Kottinon, after the latter tribe of eastern Celts. Throughout, these hardy peoples reside in scattered farmsteads and villages, yet the nobles abide within hill-top forts, while their kings erect vast citadels of stone and timber. Here they build their mansions and gather around them the finest warriors, merchants, and craftsmen. To some extent they are also renowned for their iron mines, from which the ore removed fashions weapons; always in great demand throughout Barbarorum. By all accounts this promotes the ruler's authority and power to exact all manner of art, industry, and foreign enterprise, which in turn secures great fame and fortune, both near and far. Unlike the other nations of greater Germania, these eastern Celts prefer the plow as much as pastoral pursuits and gain equally from trade or war.\n\nGeography\n\nThe province of Kottinon is centred on much of the area covered by the modern nation of Slovakia and south central Poland. This region consists of two geomorphologic zones; the first of which is the central uplands dominated by the western extension of the Carpathian Mountains, with Kriváň the highest peak at 2,495 m (8,186 ft). The second physiographic zone is lowlands of the upper Hungarian Plain and the Pannonian Basin, which is bounded on the south by the Danube River. The regional vegetation is directly related to these geomorphology settings. For example, the undulating plains of the lowlands are dominated by grassland and scattered groves of deciduous trees. In contrast, below the timber line large and diverse deciduous and coniferous forests exist throughout the highland zone. The climate of Kottinon is temperate with precipitation primarily concentrated in the rugged highlands. Spring and fall are somewhat short, the summers typically range from moderate to warm, while the winters are cold to very cold, depending on altitude.\n\nSocial and Political Organization\n\nThe social and political organization of Kottinon can be described as a group of agriculturally based tribal communities organized as feudalistic societies that shared a common language and set of deeply rooted oral, artistic, legal, spiritual, and militaristic traditions. These tribes were ruled by a warrior-elite, who fostered the activities of artisans, merchants and craftsmen and gained their support as a result. In turn these classes were maintained by a vast system of indenture and other forms of servitude, which were informally administered by a discrete body of religious and secular magistrates. This system was anchored by a network of large fortified towns, called oppida which acted to serve as tribal capitals, provide requisite logistics for the aristocracy and symbolise the extent and authority of the politic.\n\nProto-History\n\nDue to extensive archaeological survey and excavation the culture or proto-history of the Kottinon region is relatively well understood. Our overview begins in the 7th century BC with the Lusatian Culture. Well entrenched throughout the Upper Vistula basin this archaeological construct was based on agriculture and was characterized by large fortified settlements and extensive cremation cemeteries. In contrast, the south-western uplands were dominated by settlements associated with the periphery of the Calenderberg Group. Later expressions of this culture are associated with the late Hallstatt Culture. In the 6th century BC this region was also repeatedly attacked by Scythian nomads operating from bases in the western Ukraine, which seem to have specifically targeted the large Lusatian settlements. Evidence of widespread destruction throughout southern Poland, eastern Slovakia, and Silesia indicates they enjoyed temporary success. Nonetheless, around 500 BC the Calenderberg Group and Lusatian Culture collapsed, the large fortified settlements were abandoned, and attacks by eastern nomads seem to have eased.\n\nMuch of this region was effectively abandoned for at least 50 to 75 years when a few small scattered settlements associated with the La Tené Culture were established. Around the end of the 4th century BC this manifestation had developed into a local mix of La Tené and latent Illyrian, called the Púchov Culture. They seem to have established an oppidum at Havránok, which possibly represents Ptolemy's Asanca. By 270 BC population levels had recovered sufficiently that related communities known as the San and Tyniec archaeological groups were founded in the upper Vistula basin. Here, coins were minted at a smaller oppidum called Karrodunum that was established near Krakow, Poland. Based on statements made by Tacitus this area seems to have been an important iron mining district. Shortly after the Cimbric migration in 120 BC, the oppidum at Havránok was vastly expanded and its defences improved. However, between 60 and 40 BC this and several surrounding regions became embroiled in a war that resulted in Dacia assuming a dominant role in the lower Danube basin. Dacia's success may have been due in part to Caesar's Gallo-Roman war which shattered Celtic military authority throughout continental Europe.\n\nThe closing decades of the 1st millennium BC witnessed the neighbouring Boii abandoning much of their territory north of the Danube and the steady encroachment of Swabian tribes in the northwest and incessant raids by eastern nomads. From Tacitus' Germania we learn that this region was occupied by the Cotini. The Cotini were affiliated with several other tribes including the Buri and Osi, possibly in the upper Vistula basin; and the Anarti found in eastern Slovakia. While there is consensus that the Cotini and Anarti can be directly linked to the Púchov Culture, the relationship of the tribal Buri and Osi to the Tyniec and San archaeological groups is far less certain. However the association of the Buri and Osi with the Lugii confederation may offer some support to this theory. Nonetheless, during the timeframe of Europa Barbarorum II, in terms of settlement plan, burials, ceramics, weapons, and other elements of material culture; this province was integrated into the La Tené regional system as peripheral expression.\n\nStrategy

Both of these descriptions lack a strategy section, not sure if my version of EB is behind the curve (2.01 I think) or if it was saved for later. Once again I have rewritten a few sentences to improve clarity.

Ok thanks guys for clearing that up.

Yeuchih = Arshi, White/Luminous
Wusun = Aswen, asana, noble/worthy
Tochari = Ta-kara, large-group of people/confederation
Kangju = Kangka, city-people. centered around chach
Hsungnu = Dzunha, people, community

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Just for clarity regarding the Yuezhi: They were most likely Tocharians who were ousted from the Tarim and later the Issyk river basin by the Xiongnu and Wusun. They established 5 kingdoms in Sogdia. It is the most plausible theory that the Kushans were the rulers of one of these kingdoms, who later established hegemony over the other four and then expanded to become the Kushan Empire.

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The Ta-kara headed by the Arshi tribe where attacked in Issyk-kul by the Aswen tribe with the help of the Dzunha. They where forced out as the Aswen settled in Issyk-kul. The Ta-Kara migrated into Sogdia where they established 5 kingdoms. The kushans emerged as the hegemon and started their rise to empire.

It sounds like the Ta-kara disintegrated when they reached sogdia and the Arshi no longer held authority in the group. Then the Kushans emerged as the new authority or royal tribe. I have not read too much on the kushans yet i guess they would have some history with Kangka in AD

Did the Saka Khotanese and Tocharians use the Kharoshti script?

Dear, The Gypsy

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Both of these descriptions lack a strategy section, not sure if my version of EB is behind the curve (2.01 I think) or if it was saved for later. Once again I have rewritten a few sentences to improve clarity.

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If you look at this map you can see the dark green are missing sections and light green have all sections. So its about less than half of the descriptions that are in have missing sections such as the strategy. In Italy and Egypt they use the old format and i think they need to be rewritten to include The Society, People and Government.

Attachment 15345

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Originally Posted by Chap

Did the Saka Khotanese and Tocharians use the Kharoshti script?

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Their script was modelled after Brahmi, due to buddhist missionaries. However the surviving texts appeared much later than EB's timeframe, so probably in our centuries they still lacked a writing system. Inscriptions from India and Sogdia/Baktria were likely the product of locals serving the nomadic overlords. In fact both the Kushans and the Indo-Saka quickly adopted the local language...

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Originally Posted by Chap

I have not read too much on the kushans yet i guess they would have some history with Kangka in AD

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I think Kangka was useful to the Kushans as a buffer state, while from Kangka's prespective keeping good terms with them and the Han was vital for survival and trading...
Also the displaced nomads were an enemy, which easily helped to unite these peoples, and of course forming alliances against either of the stronger powers attempting to establish hegemony...

Think for example Kangka fighting alongside the Han against the Hsiung-nu/Dzunha, btw interesting of that campaign is the possibility that Roman legionaries, captured at Carrhae, had managed to become mercenaries in Central Asia and fought for Zizhi in 36 BCE...

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Originally Posted by Chap

Dear, The Gypsy



If you look at this map you can see the dark green are missing sections and light green have all sections. So its about less than half of the descriptions that are in have missing sections such as the strategy. In Italy and Egypt they use the old format and i think they need to be rewritten to include The Society, People and Government.

Attachment 15345

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Thanks for the clarification, I'll keep that map for reference. Would it be useful for me to add those strategy sections if they are missing? Or is that a task best left for later when everything is finalised? I'll keep doing the remaining provinces that need grammar checks. I believe there are three on the front page of the thread still to do.

Strategy sections generally address the gameplay prespective, so I think they can be written with no problems :)

I have taken a look at the remaining descriptions needing an edit (Areia, Oxeiana, Sogdiana and Baktria) and have reached a few conclusions.

The description for the province of Areia is a copy paste job unfortunately. As a result it is close to unreadable. I have made a start on rewriting it in a form that makes more sense, perhaps also adding few sections that were missing (namely Strategy, The People, Society and Government). The other descriptions are also in need of little work but I can probably resuscitate those ones. I'll try to get the ones in need of an edit done first and finish Areia at a later date.

Oxeiana Edits

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Overview\n\nOxeiana is the south-eastern part of the historical Sogdiana, surrounded by mountains to the north, east and west, and by the mighty Oxus to the south. Oxeiana is a more mountainous land than nearby Baktria and Sogdiana, with fierce mountainous tribes in the periphery and savage nomadic tribes to the north.\n\nGeography\n\nOxeiana geographically speaking isn't anything more than the land on the northern bank of the Oxus River, with its southern bank forming the northern Baktrian border. Oxeiana’s northern border is formed by the Hissar Mountains, bounded to the west by another range of mountains, the Sogdian’s. To the east lies the fabled Hindu Kush, while the southern border is closed by the mighty of Oxus, of Alexander’s fame. Like its neighbour Baktria, Oxeiana is a land of contradictions: high mountains dominate the north, while abundant river valleys flow down from these high peaks. There was once a semi-arid zone between the Hissar Mountains and the Oxus River. Some mountain streams reached the river Oxus after leaving the Hissar Mountains, and had formed lush corridors through the steppe. When the farmers started to dig canals to irrigate fields, the waters disappeared from the arid zone and it changed into a desert. The area is riven by one major river to the south of the capital, Oskobora, the Oxus, coming from the north-east and passing through the entire province. Like Baktria, Oxeiana is a land of towns; most of these were located on the Oxus, like Oxeiana at the confluence of Oxus and Occhus. Many mountain tribes inhabit the circumference of the province, like the Maroukaioi to the north-east.\n\nHistory\n\nHistory of Oxeiana is tied to that of Baktria’s, due to their proximity. Little is known about the first civilizations of this area, except that the indigenous inhabitants of Oxeiana were prosperous before those of Baktria, due to the fertility of the area. However, later irrigation projects in the Bronze Age in Baktria resulted in it eclipsing the fertility of the lower river valley in Oxeiana. At this point Oxeiana became no more than a part of Baktria, and its history becomes amalgamated with that of Baktria’s. Assyrian kings Ninus and Seramis are supposed to have conquered it along with Baktria against the Bactrian king Oxyartes but this is likely myth. However it seems, reading through the lines of holy text of the Avesta, that an independent state had risen around Baktria-Zariaspa, including Oxeiana, where Zoroaster would have taken safety. \n\nWhat is sure, is that during Cyrus the Great’s campaign against Massagetai, he incorporated Baktria, Sogdiana and Oxeiana into the Achaemenid Empire. However, Baktria-Oxeiana was a rebellious area which created some difficulties for the Achaemenid state: for example in 462 BC Artaxerxes I annihilated a Baktrian revolt instigated by his own brother. When Alexander the Great began to conquer the Achaemenid state, the Baktrian satrap Bessos murdered King Darios, in July 330 BC, who had fled to Hecatombopylos after his defeat at Gaugamela. Bessos then attempted to make a new kingdom with Baktria as its heart, also taking control of Oxeiana, taking the name of Artaxerxes. Alexander came to Baktria in shortly after, vanquishing Bessos in 329 BC and taking a year to pacify the region, putting in place Artabzos as a satrap. Oxeiana created a number of difficulties for the Makedonian king, who spent the spring of 328 BC subduing tribes and towns under the control of the rebellious satrap Spitamenes, and fighting the Eastern Sakas. Alexander the Great is said to have founded several towns both in Baktria, Sogdiana and Oxeiana, but it's difficult to tell where these were located or even if they were a foundation or a re-foundation.\n\nUpon the death of Alexander, Sogdiana bore the brunt of the conflicts between the Diadochoi. After the early years of the conflict of the Diadochoi, Oxeiana was subdued by the Seleucid dynasty.\n\nBy 272 BC Oxeiana was under the power of Seleucid dynasty. Far from the administrative heartland of the empire, imperial power was weak, creating a region riven with disorder and banditry. Weakening of imperial authority resulted in Diodotos' revolt of 250 BC, leading to a new Greco-Baktrian kingdom. Baktria became a dominant power in the region, extending its influence all the way to India, resulting in a unique local fusion of Indian, Greek and Persian culture. Oxeiana remained part of the Baktrian Empire until 140 BC, when the Yuezhei took several towns in the area and sacked Eucratidia, the former Oskobora. The influence of nomadic tribes increased over time, resulting in the region becoming known as Tocharistan and marking the end of the Baktrian Empire. \n\nStrategy\n\n A wise leader would aim to control both Oxieiana and Baktria, as both straddle valuable trade routes and possess rich and fertile soils. Control of one province will likely result in dominance of the other, providing a rich heartland for further conquest…

Just for reference, this lacks a People/Government section. Everything else is present, however.

I can bring some writers/amateurs writers to work their magic on some traveler logs but first I really think the OP should be updated and better organized. And a similar complete and updated thread should be stickied to TWC as well.

Baktria Edits

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Overview\n\nBaktria, also known as Bahlikâ by Indian sources and Daxia by Han writers, is the area surrounded by the Oxus River to the north, the Hindu-Kush to the east and arid deserts of Aria to the west.Baktria is a dry and arid province in west as you exit the deserts of Aria, before rapidly becoming a lush paradise as you approach the Oxus and the foothills of the Hindu-Kush. Baktria is a rich province coveted and desired by many, who may seek to add it to their own empires.\n\nGeography\n\nBaktria is hemmed in by the great mountains of Hindu-Kush to the east, forming an almost impenetrable wall. The Oxus River originates in the Hindu-Kush before flowing westwards, forming the northern boundary of the province before turning north towards the Aral Sea. Its western boundary is less clear fading away somewhere in the deserts of Aria beyond the Andkhoi River. The most productive part of Baktria is the river plain carved out by the Oxus, one of Central Asia’s great rivers, which provides both nutrients and water to an otherwise barren landscape. To the east lays lies another river, the Ochus, which joins the Oxus in the centre of Baktria, before hurrying towards the Aral Sea. Quintus Curtius’s histories of Alexander speak of trees and vineyards’ carpeting riverine areas of Baktria. The wealth and richness of Baktria is a welcome balm to weary travellers after passing through the deserts of Aria. The Oxus is a hasty river, speedily running from the foothills of the Hindu-Kush on its path towards the Aral Sea. As a result, it fails to irrigate Baktria to any great extent. However, large scale irrigation projects to divert and slow the river’s flow in the early years of Baktria’s history have resulted in a rich and fertile land beyond measure. \n\nBaktria is a land of towns, "The thousand Baktrian towns" quoting Justin (XLI 4, 5). The most important one is Baktra, also called Zariaspa in earliest times, which is located by a river of the same name, laying in the south of the province. Most of these towns are located near the Oxus and its tributaries: Antiocheia Tarmita/Alexandria Oxeiana, Pandokheion, Oskobora/Eucratidia lie at the joining of the Ochus and the Dargoďdos. \n\nHistory\n\nWe know little about the first Bronze Age civilization of Baktria, except that they created a complex system of irrigation which is at the heart of its wealth. Assyrian kings Ninus and Seramis are supposed to have conquered Baktria deafeating the Bactrian king Oxyartes but this likely a Persian myth. It seems however, reading through the lines of holy text of the Avesta, that an independent state existed around Baktria-Zariaspa, where Zoroaster would have taken safety. \n\nWhat is sure is that Cyrus the Great, during his campaign against Massagetai, incorporated Baktria under his rule, making it the 12th satrapy of the Persian Empire. Baktria was far from the centre of the Persian Empire, making to more likely to harbour rebels and enemies of the state: in 462 BC Artaxerxes I annihilated a revolt in Baktria instigated by his own brother. When Alexander the Great began to conquer the Achemenid state, the Baktrian satrap Bessos killed King Darios, in July 330 BC, who had fled to Hecatombopylos after his defeat at Gaugamela. Bessos then attempted to make a new kingdom with Baktria at its centre, taking the name of Artaxerxes. Alexander. Alexander proceeded to defeat Bessos and take cobtrol of Baktria, taking a year to subdue the querulous population. Alexander is said to have founded several towns in Baktria and Sogdiana, but it is difficult to tell where these were located as they have vanished long before times.\n\Upon the death of Alexander, Baktria was hotly contested by the Diadochoi. Baktria was finally subdued by the Seleucid dynasty, and Antiochos I renamed a number of towns, like Alexandreia Oxeiana in Antiochia Tarmita. \n\nBy 272 BC Baktria was under the power of Seleucid dynasty. However, far from the administrative heartland of the Seleucid Empire in Syria, lawlessness became the norm as northern tribes from the steppes encroached upon Baktrian territory. The weakness of the central administration and the resultant pressure of nomads from the north lead to Diodotos' revolt of 250 BC, leading to a new Greco-Baktrian kingdom centred in Baktra. Baktria rapidly expanded east to India, resulting in a unique mix of Persian, Greek and Indian influences. The province of Baktria remained independent until 128 BC, when the Yuezhei took it from the last Greco-Baktrian king, Heliocles, renaming it Tocharistan.\n\nStrategy\n\nBaktria is arguably the important province in the Greek far-east, having rich fields and straddling trade routes to India. It can also provide a wide variety of colonial Greek troops and native Persian and Indian auxiliaries to an ambitious warlord, looking to add more provinces to their empire.

People and Society is missing, otherwise it is complete.

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Originally Posted by Orphydian

I can bring some writers/amateurs writers to work their magic on some traveler logs but first I really think the OP should be updated and better organized. And a similar complete and updated thread should be stickied to TWC as well.

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How would you suggest it be rearranged?

Also I have edited to title post to include the formatting we use internally. If everyone could try to use that for future descriptions that would be lovely and save us some menial formatting work.

Also Gypsy I have put in your Baktria and Oxeiana edits as well as the previous ones done for Kottinon and Silengolandum(sp?). I corrected a few minor spelling errors but overall very good thank you. I also went ahead a wrote a very small and basic Strategy section for Silengolandum.

"To the talented warlord who can bring these lands under his command, and manage to hold onto them, there is much wealth to be had from the trade that follows the amber route. However, that may be a challenging venture given the nature of the local tribes..."

Feel free to write something better it just seemed an easy filler for now.

Please check Chaldeans, Sargon of Akkad as an Assyrian ruler and the actual location of "Babylon's" Hanging Gardens not in Babylon after all.

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Originally Posted by kdrakak

Please check Chaldeans, Sargon of Akkad as an Assyrian ruler and the actual location of "Babylon's" Hanging Gardens not in Babylon after all.

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I'll take a look at that, I confess I don't really know much about that area at all. I just assumed whatever had been written was correct. But thank you for telling me.

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Originally Posted by The Gypsy

I'll take a look at that, I confess I don't really know much about that area at all. I just assumed whatever had been written was correct. But thank you for telling me.

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I would suggest "A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000 - 323 BC" by Marc Van De Mieroop, if you are interested in an a general approach.

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Originally Posted by kdrakak

I would suggest "A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000 - 323 BC" by Marc Van De Mieroop, if you are interested in an a general approach.

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Yes that's a great introduction to the Ancient Near East. He also presents historical documents and sources in every chapter which is something I really like.

I finished fixing/rewriting Sogdiana, mostly rewriting unfortunately.

Sogdiana Edits

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

<h>Overview</h><p>Sodiana is bounded by rivers on two sides, by the Iaxartes River to the north and by the Oxus River to the south. The Iaxartes was the northern border of both Alexander’s Empire and that of the earlier Persian Empire, marking the shift from sedentary farming to pastoral herding. The eastern border of Sogdiana is the Pamir Mountains, part of the greater Hindu-Kush. The western border fades away somewhere in the Kyzyl Kum desert, where little can survive and nothing can thrive.</p><h>Geography</h><p>Sogdiana is bounded north and south respectively by the Iaxartes and Oxus, two great rivers that both flow across the empty desert to the north-west towards the Aral Sea. Its limits east and west are more difficult to determine, given that the toponym "Sogdiana" covered different areas according to the period. At times the province extended east to include Oxeiana within its borders; in other cases, the Pamir Mountains and the beginnings of the Ferghana Valley defined the eastern extent of Sogdiana. Within EB, however, the Pamir Mountains represent the border between Oxieana and Sogdiana. The western border of Sogdiana was once ill-defined but recent damming projects by Soviet engineers created Aydar Lake which marks the western border of modern-day Sogdiana.</p><p>The province is riven by another major river, today called the Zeravshan River but known to the Greeks as the Polytimetos River. The capital of Sogdiana, Marakanda lies beside the Zeravshan River which then flows west to join the Oxus on its path to the sea. Marakanda is known today as Samarkand, a major city in modern Uzbekistan.</p> <p>Sogdiana is landlocked, resulting in low precipitation year-round and extreme temperature variation throughout diurnal and seasonal cycles. This results in a sparsely vegetated province with what vegetation there is growing adjacent to its rivers. But extensive irrigation of its major rivers has produced significant areas of arable land that is rich in nutrients due to its loess soils. </p><h>History</h><p>Little is known of Sogdiana’s history before the Iron Age when an Iranian people called the “Sogdians” arrived to give the province its name, inhabiting an already somewhat urbanised society. The Persian Empire conquered Sogdiana during the reign of Cyrus the Great in 540 BCE, creating Marakanda as a centre of influence in the province. The region was not administered as a separate satrapy, instead being controlled from Baktria. The region was sometimes administered by second-born sons of the Great King, as a bribe to quieten their ambitions. The last man to rule Baktria and Sogdiana as a Persian satrap was Bessos, a relative of Darius III. </p> <p>Bessos ruled Baktria and Sogdiana until the fall of the Persian Empire in 329 BCE, when Darius III fled to Baktria after his defeat at Gaugamela by Alexander the Great, only to be executed by Bessos. The former Persian satrap wasted no time in declaring himself King of Baktria and set out to defeat Alexander. He failed and was killed in the process, leaving Alexander as the ruler of Baktria, Sogdiana and Oxieana. Alexander then proceeded to found a series of cities all bearing his name, before turning his attention to India. After Alexander’s return to the west and his untimely death, Sogdiana became a battleground for rival Diadochoi, eventually becoming part of the Seleucid Empire.</p><p>By 272 BCE Sogdiana was part of the Seleucid Empire, but remained distant from affairs in the west. Constant incursions by nomadic tribes from the north and little or no response from the Seleucids prompted the satrap in the east, Diodotos, to declare independence in 248 BCE, resulting in the creation of the Greco-Baktrian kingdom. Baktria remained independent for almost a century, creating a dynamic fusion of Indian, Greek and Persian culture before being subjugated by the nomadic Yuezhei. The Yuezhei became the rulers of Sogdiana, Oxienana, Baktria and parts of north-western India and created the Kushan Empire, which collapsed in the 3rd century CE. </p><h>Strategy</h><p>Sogdiana lies at the interface between settled and nomadic cultures, providing both settled Greek troops, Iranian levies and wild nomadic horsemen from the steppe. The rich soils and trade from the east will provide the taxes needed to sustain such troops and perhaps build an empire to stretch across all of central Asia. </p>

I used the new html format in this description. I also went back and fixed the Babylonia and Mesopotamia descriptions, fixing any errors, historical or otherwise and adding html tags. I'll try and finish Areia sometime this week, when I get around to it.

so besides Greece all the Balkan regions are description free?

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Originally Posted by Orphydian

so besides Greece all the Balkan regions are description free?

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No, I'm still working on the one for the Odrysai, although it'll likely take at least a few weeks more before I'll be able to post anything here (exams and all that). Most of the balkans is still up for grabs AFAIK though. I'd recommend checking the most recent map Chap has provided to get a clearer picture.

What sections are missing for todays Romanian teritory regions: Getia , Getia Koile, Mikra Schitia? What about that lonely province in Asia Minor- Paphlagonia (Sinope). Is still decription-free?

Just a reminder that "Overview" as a section has been replaced with "Traveller's Log".

Traveller's Log
Geography
People, Society, and Government
History
Strategy

That being said there are still several in older formats that need rewriting for anyone that wants to.

Also Gyspy I have added your edits to Mesopotamia, Babylonia, and Sogdiana. Thank you :)

Description of Venetia is coming...brace yourselves

@DurinElminpietra you should not consider that Ive wanted to hurry you. I just asked at TWC if you are still working at it since I might bring some peoples to write some of descriptions.

I am looking for a bit of feedback on this Travellers Log for Areia. I am not too sure on some of the details, mainly those concerning the people and religion of the province. Otherwise its okay I think.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Travellers Log

The traveler rests his weary feet as he enters the valley of the Arieos River after a long journey into the rising Sun. The seemingly endless deserts of Persia have come to end as the Hindu-Kush becomes visible at last. The waters of the Areios River provide the only nourishment this valley needs, creating rich fields and vineyards. But its softening influence does not extend far from the valley floor, leaving those who live in the mountains to the east, the highland plateau to the north and few nomads in the desert to the west jealous of its riches. The deserts of the west are starved of water, while the high peaks of Hindu-Kush hoard water on their high peaks during their harsh winters. Areia’s only great town, established by Alexander, Alexandria-Areios lies on the Areios River. The “Shining Ones”, the Arya of the Iranian steppe are the most numerous people in this region, together with newly arrived Greek settlers and various mountain tribes. On the hills, birds can be seen circling over so-called “Sky Burials”, where the dead are laid out to be consumed by birds of prey. The God of Zoroaster, Ahura Mazda, presides over these hills and valleys, where a harsh land breeds a harsher people, ready for war.

@paullus @Arjos @abou @DeathFinger One of these people should be able to help with those questions. But history aside I'd say it reads very well :) Thanks for your continued work!

It's all correct, Areia and Ariana were Hellenic transcription of Arya and Aryana, the former being a term denoting people, following a common religion...

Specifically for those in that general area, after the reforms by Zarathushtra, that very burial practice developed...

Can read more about it by searching "Dakhma" :)

Here's the next bit of the province description, geography and society. Again feedback is appreciated. I'll try and get the whole thing finished by midweek (fingers crossed) and post it up with html tags. I'll put the entire description in one post so nobody has to run around to find it all.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Geography
The province of Areia split into two main regions, gradually shifting between them as one travels east to west. The east of Areia is composed of the mountains and foothills of the Hindu-Kush, with steep valleys and craggy hills. As one travels west away from the mountains, the land becomes increasingly arid as one enters the Kara-Kum desert. The temperatures across the province vary in relation to altitude, but can reach 45 degrees Celsius in summer before falling to below freezing during winter. The precipitation in the province is low, but becomes even more lacking as one travels into the Persian desert that forms a hazy border to the west. The vegetation in the province is limited by water and altitude leaving a landscape dominated by low sagebrush, dwarf birch and pine. The main source of water in this province is the Areios River, in modern times called the Hari River, that creates a wide river with ample water in the valley adjacent to Alexandria-Areios, now called Herat. This forms the base of nearly all agriculture in the region, except for pastoral activity in the marginal areas of the province. The Areios River is formed from snowmelt and rain in the Hindu-Kush coming down along its various valleys to the west. Areia’s borders are roughly analogous to the province of Herat in the modern state of Afghanistan and remain one of the most productive regions in the country.

The People, Society and Government

By the timeframe of Europa Barbarorum, Areia is governed as a satrapy of the Seleucid Empire. A satrapy is a nominated client king under the dominion of a greater king or emperor. A satrap is often given a great deal of autonomy to govern as they see fit, often only having to pay annual tribute and provide troops as required. This was much the case in Areia after the conquests of Alexander and the wars of Diadochoi.

The native people of this region were Iranian Zoroastrians. These people were the origin of the spread of Iranian peoples across the steppe in the 8th century and became known as the Scythians. As such their language and culture remains very similar to the nomads to the north and west across the steppe. They revere fire, earth and sky much as their neighbours to the north do but the details vary. One thing that does remain the same is the “Sky Burials” first mentioned by Herodotus in the 5th century. These involve ritually laying out the dead to be consumed by predatory birds, to remove “impure” flesh. This practice remained across the European and Asian steppe for thousands of years, and was practiced by the Mongols when they first entered recorded history in the 13th century.

The other main group in this province were the Greek colonists and settlers brought by Alexander and the Seleucids. They form the governing class and the majority of the soldiery in the empire, despite being in a huge minority. Greek settlers become administrators, famers and soldiers living and working on the plots of land given to them by their Seleucid overlords. Greek culture becomes fashionable for many nobles of this region trying to curry favour with the new ruling class, leading to the term by modern historians of “Hellenization”. The extent to which Greek culture influenced native beliefs and practices is debated but Greek becomes the lingua franca of the eastern world at least until the end of the Baktrian and Seleucid kingdoms and remains on coins until the 1st century AD, well after the fall of Greek rulers in this region.

I like it! A few minor points below:

- I'd suggest, instead of the formulation "By the Timeframe of Europa Barbarorum", to write something like "by the early third Century BC". "Timeframe of Europa Barbarorum" is a bit inspecific, and it most assuredly was not part of the Seleukid domains by the end of the period.

- Also, a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but do note the Spelling. We often use greek Spelling for names, e.g. "Seleukid", "Alexandros", etc. Especially since we use the greek province name Areia.

Areia is done, many thanks to Mithridates and Arjos for their kind help.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

<h>Travellers Log</h><p>The traveller rests his weary feet as he enters the valley of the Arieos River after a long journey into the rising Sun. The seemingly endless deserts of Persia have come to end as the Hindu-Kush becomes visible at last. The waters of the Areios River provide the only nourishment this valley needs, creating rich fields and vineyards. But its softening influence does not extend far from the valley floor, leaving those who live in the mountains to the east, the highland plateau to the north and few nomads in the desert to the west jealous of its riches. The deserts of the west are starved of water, while the high peaks of Hindu-Kush hoard water on their high peaks collected during the regions harsh winters. Areia’s only great town, established by Alexandros, Alexandria-Areios lies a few kilometres to the north of the Areios River. The “Shining Ones”, the Arya, of the Iranian steppe are the most numerous people in this region, together with newly arrived Greek settlers and various mountain tribes. On the hills, birds can be seen circling over so-called “Sky Burials”, where the dead are laid out to be consumed by birds of prey. The God of Zoroaster, Ahura Mazda, presides over these hills and valleys, where a harsh land breeds a harsher people, ready for war. </p><h>Geography</h><p>The province of Areia split into two main regions, gradually shifting between them as one travels east to west. The east of Areia is composed of the mountains and foothills of the Hindu-Kush, with steep valleys and craggy hills. As one travels west away from the mountains, the land becomes increasingly arid as one enters the Kara-Kum desert. The temperatures across the province vary in relation to altitude, but can reach 45 degrees Celsius in summer before falling to below freezing during winter. The precipitation in the province is low, but becomes even more lacking as one travels into the Persian desert that forms a hazy border to the west. The vegetation in the province is limited by water and altitude leaving a landscape dominated by low sagebrush, dwarf birch and pine. The main source of water in this province is the Areios River, in modern times called the Hari River, that creates a wide river valley with ample water adjacent to Alexandria-Areios, now called Herat. This forms the base of nearly all agriculture in the region, except for pastoral activity in the marginal areas of the province. The Areios River is formed from snowmelt and rain in the Hindu-Kush coming down along its various valleys to the west. Areia’s borders are roughly analogous to the province of Herat in the modern state of Afghanistan and remain one of the most productive regions in the country.</p><h>The People, Society and Government</h><p>By 272 BCE, Areia is governed as a satrapy of the Seleukid Empire. A satrapy is a nominated client king under the dominion of a greater king or emperor. A satrap is often given a great deal of autonomy to govern as they see fit, often only having to pay annual tribute and provide troops as required. This was much the case in Areia after the conquests of Alexandros and the wars of Diadochoi.</p><p>The native people of this region are Iranian Zoroastrians. These people were the origin of the spread of Iranian peoples across the steppe in the 8th century and became known as the Scythians by Greek sources. As such their language and culture remains very similar to the nomads to the north and west across the steppe. They revere fire, earth and sky much as their neighbours to the north do but the details of deities and worship vary. One thing that does remain the same is the “Sky Burials” first mentioned by Herodotus in the 5th century. These involve ritually laying out the dead to be consumed by predatory birds, to remove “impure” flesh. This practice remained across the European and Asian steppe for thousands of years, and was practiced by the Mongols when they first entered recorded history in the 13th century.</p><p>The other main group in this province were the Greek colonists and settlers brought by Alexandros and the Seleukids. They form the governing class and the majority of the soldiery in the empire, despite being in a huge minority. Greek settlers become administrators, famers and soldiers living and working on the plots of land given to them by their Seleukid overlords. Greek culture becomes fashionable for many nobles of this region trying to curry favour with the new ruling class, leading to the term by modern historians of “Hellenization”. The extent to which Greek culture influenced native beliefs and practices is debated but Greek becomes the lingua franca of the eastern world at least until the end of the Baktrian and Seleukids kingdoms and remains on coins until the 1st century CE, well after the fall of Greek rulers in this region. </p> <h>History</h><p>The people of Areia and its surrounding provinces are the purported source for the Indo-Iranian migrations in the early Bronze Age. This view is advanced in light of linguistic evidence from the period, sourced primarily from the Avesta, the Zoroastrian sacred text, and the Indian epics from the same period, written in Sanskrit. Zoroastrianism took first took root in this area in the Bronze Age, around 1800 BCE and became the dominant cultural feature of this area until the arrival of Islam in the 8th century CE. Limited archaeological evidence exists in this area but absence of burials becomes prominent after the acceptance of Zoroastrianism, when “Sky Burials” become the norm. </p><p>Areia becomes visible in European literature only after it is conquered by Cyrus the Great, during his vast conquests to form the Persian Empire in the 6th century BCE. It remains a satrapy of the Persian (or Achaemenid) Empire until its fall and conquest by Alexandros around 331 BCE. After his defeat at Gaugamela by Alexandros, Darius III fled to the east and took shelter with the satrap of Baktria-Bessus- who promptly murdered him and declared himself king. He immediately mobilised to attack Alexandros but was defeated and Baktria, Sogdiana, Oxieana and Areia become part of Alexandros’s empire. Alexandros continued to campaign in the east before returning to Babylon and dying of either disease or poison in 323 BCE. The account by Diodorus relates that when asked on his deathbed who should rule his empire, it is reputed he said “The strongest….” </p><p>This was much the case in the years that followed as the Diadochoi, the successors, fought over the scraps of Alexandros’s great empire, resulting in the formation of the Seleukid, Ptolemaic and Antigonid dynasties. By 272 BCE, Areia was part of the Seleukid Empire but remained a distant eastern province and was weakly administered by the central authority. By the late 3rd century BCE, the power of the Seleukids had waned and new powers had formed. The Parthian and Greco-Baktrian Kingdoms both declared independence and by 167 BCE Areia was part of the Parthian Empire and would remain so until the decline of Parthia and rise of Sassanids in the 3rd century CE.</p> <h>Strategy</h><p>Areia straddles one of the few routes east and west across the Kara-Kum desert and as such, is a hub of trade in the region. The mixture of Greek settlers and native Iranian troops will provide a flexible and effective fighting force for any ruler, while the rich river valley of the Areios will provide the tax revenue need to pay for those soldiers. This province holds the key to Central Asia and any ruler seeking to dominate the East would be wise to control this region.</p>

Feel free to critique any bit of what I've written, enjoy :)

Hi people!

I think I've located a little mistake in Vmbria's regional description:

In the last line of the fist paragraph, there is written: "...rises to drown out all bu the most vigorous clashes"

English is not my mother language, but I think you meant "BUT" instead of "BU". I hope this will help, cheers team!

Added both of those :) Glad you pointed out Vmbria as it was also missing the Traveller's Log header.

I should be able to write another province description before my exams start, is there any particular area you would like me to start on or just wherever one hasn't been written yet?

Whatever sounds interesting to you :)

to you my 'proto-english' version of description of Venetia...ready for artists' rework ^^

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Traveler’s log:
A traveler who goes across the great estuary of the Padus River will find the rich sea city of Hatria, which later gave name to the Adriatic sea. The city is situated in the middle of marshes and lagoons, where peoples that populate or frequent Venetia merge themselves: Greeks, Etruscans, Celts and Veneti. On proceeding in the north, into a labyrinth of salty swamps, artificial channels, salt mines and cultivated fields, he will find several sea vici, little settlements populated by fishermen and merchants. Then he will come to a little sanctuary and a harbor on the estuary of the Medoacus River, by which it is possible to reach in few hours of navigation the most important city of the region: Patavium (venetic Patava), the most powerful of Veneti’s settlements. Far beyond the city, on the west of the settlement, the traveler will reach the so-called Euganei hills, covered by woods, at whose feet is situated the oracular shrine of Aponus, in a location famous for thermal waters and, in the south, the ancient venetic city of Ateste, once prosperous but now less important than before. Further, on the west, among rivers, forests and hills, Veneti and Cenomani celts live into a mutual relationship in the fertile territory between Vicetia and Verona, Despite this does not mean that their relate into each other pacifically. Proceeding on the opposite side, leaving Medoacus on the back and going east, the traveler will come across the town of Altinus, on the northern border of the most extensive of Venetia’s lagoons. It is an ‘island-town’ based on pile-dwellings, an important multi-ethnical trade and cult center which links not only western and eastern Venetia, but also the Adriatic sea, and its trade routes, with the valley of the Plavis river that reaches the alpine pass, Retia and Noricum. On the eastern side of Plavis are situated few towns of Veneti (Optergium is the most relevant), while the territories beside the mountains of Carnia are inhabited by other celtic tribes. At the very eastern border of the region, there is another important venetic sanctuary, next to the mysterious karst spring of Timavus river’s estuary, sacred to an ancient hero called by Greeks ‘Diomede’.
Geography:
Venetia’s landscape is mainly flat. It is ploughed by several rivers which gives birth to salty marshes and lagoons marvelously healthy thank to the sea, that regularly flows into them (in this case artificial channels are also helpful). In the hinterland, plains and hills are covered with woods and water. There, herds of sheeps are reared for their wool, which is really appreciated by merchants. Nevertheless, Veneti are considered good farmers among Greeks and Romans thank to an excellent horses’ breeding. Because of its strategic position, linking the Mediterranean Sea (and Hellenistic world) with Alps (and consequently Germania) and Cisalpine Gaul (and so the Italic peninsula) with Pannonia and Illyria, several trade routes pass across the region.
The people, society and government:
Veneti are the most important people living in Venetia. Myths tell that they descend from Eneti of Paphlagonia, which after the fall of Troy followed the Trojan hero Antenor until Caput Adriae and, after they went up to the Meodacus River and drove away the Euganei, founded Patavium. This happened in the same years during which Antenor’s compatriot Aenea was starting the foundation of Rome.
The truth is that Veneti constitute a population similar to other Italic ones like Romans and Picenes. Most ancient settlements are Patavium and Ateste, but, while the second one has been laying in a period of economic and cultural stagnation for a very long time, Patavium is constantly rising, day after day, proud of its traditional values, and wisely exploiting the ideological propaganda about its Trojan origins in order to reinforce relationships with Greeks and Romans. Veneti never formed a cohesive nation. They split in several independent settlements and towns but Patavium was able to impose its authority on other communities. The city of Antenor coordinates levies from all Venetia in the time of need, to the point that Strabon tells it was able to gather “120.000 men” (he testifies that the memory of its military power was still alive during Augustan era) [Strab. 5, 1, 7].
An oligarchic assembly called teuta rules Venetic cities in a similar way to other italic communities, but, unlike them, Venetic cities do not own the typical traits of Mediterranean city-state. Venetian cities have no walls, they are surrounded by channels and rivers with a defense purpose, and their sanctuaries have no monumental buildings (on the contrary, sacred places consist of light wooden structures, fenced holy groves and healthy pools). The lack of monumental buildings, and the adoption of Celtic arms and costumes during the great migration of Gauls in Cisalpina, leaded Polybius to misconsider Gauls and Veneti. Their culture did not overlap at all, as he previously thought, as long as their languages [Polyb. 2, 17, 4-9].
Ekupetaris are the most relevant, noble class of the Venetic society. The word means literally “lords of horses”. The etymology is representative for the essence of ekupetaris’ power, that is to say horse breeding and trade. Venetic horses were very good valued among Greeks, to the point that Dionisius the Old, tyrant of Syracuse, purchased many of them, in order to win panhellenic cart roads games [Strab 5, 1, 9]. From a military point of view, Ekupetaris are also the élite of Venetic cavalry.
Veneti’s gods are represented by no idol. They are strictly connected with forces of nature and warrants of human activities. Reitia Pora is the goddess of written wisdom and the protectress of rites of passage. Aponus is god of healthy waters and wealth. Trumusiati is an obscure mountain god, in which sanctuary warriors’ offers from various tribes and populations are collected. Furthermore, Greeks are used to spread a story in which an oracle in the water is seen as the mythical three-headed monster Gerion [Plut. Caes. 47; Suet. Tiber. 14, 3]. A hero whose greek name is Diomede is also venerated by Veneti. His sanctuary, where Veneti regularly sacrifice a white beautiful mare, is situated in the middle of the woods next to Timavus River. There, both wild beasts and cattle were said to live in harmony [Strab. 5, 1, 9].
History:
Veneti have been in good trade relationships with people from both Italic peninsula and Aegean Sea since very long time. Between 5th and 4th century B.C. they were forced for the first time to face a great danger: the arrival of the Gauls. Many hordes of warriors from cold forests of Gallia literally overwhelmed Cisalpine peoples. North-Etruscans and Umbrians have been easily subdued by the Celts, who yet never managed to overcome the Veneti. In fact, these people from woods and lagoons took benefit from the knowledge of the insidious territory and from a more effective warfare against the fast Gallic marauders. It is not unlikely that, thank to the well-trained cavalry of ekupetaris, Veneti were able to stop the formidable Celtic horsemen (a purpose that slow Etruscan phalanxes could not afford). War rages between Gauls and Veneti had been lasted for at least two centuries. Sources say that a Venetic attack to Cisalpine Celtic tribes convinced Brenno, after the notorious sack of Rome, to leave the city and retreat in the north, in order to defend his people [Polyb. 2, 18, 1-3].
In 302 B.C. a Spartan prince called Cleonymous sailed to Venetia and began to loot vici and harbors. His mercenaries, who previously went up to the Medoacos River, were taken by surprise by Venetic troops while they were disjointed to search for booty. In fact, once informed about the intruders, Patavians, whom the vicinity of the Gauls kept them always under arms, split their young warriors into two divisions of cavalry. One of these marched into the region where the scattered marauding was reported; the other one, taking a different road, to avoid falling in with any of the marauders, proceeded to the place where the ships were moored. Thus, the enemy were caught between two parties and were cut into pieces. While Veneti managed to captured some of Greek ships and burn them, Cleonymus sailed off with barely a fifth part of his ships intact. The beaks of the ships and the spoils of the Laconians were fastened up in the old temple of the city and in commemoration of the naval battle a contest of ships was held regularly [Liv. 10, 2-3].
In 225 B.C. an arm of Gesatai, Transalpine Gallic mercenaries, joined Insubres and Boii in the war against Rome. In order to repel the invaders, Rome and Veneti drew up an alliance that would have faithfully endured until roman annexation of Venetia [Polyb. 2, 23, 1-3; 2, 24, 7-8]. From this event, the two peoples made a deal (foedus) of mutual military assistance. Many times Veneti muster their troops to obstacle Gauls attacking Rome. Patavians auxiliares fight at the side of the Romans, both at Canne and Nola [Sil. It. 8, 602-604; 12, 212-225; 232-244; 251-260]. Funditores from the Venetian town of Opitergium fought with G. Pompeus Strabo during the siege of Asculum, stronghold of the rebels socii, in 90 B.C. Once again, Opitergians fought with caesarians during civil war [Liv. Perioch. 110, 4-5]. On the other hand, Rome helped Patavium with internal turmoil and sent troops to throw out Celtic tribes migrated from Pannonia into eastern Venetia [Liv., 41, 27, 3-4; Liv. 39, 45, 6-7; 39, 54; 39, 55, 1-6]. Friendship between Romans and Veneti finally flew into a pacific annexation and into an exemplary case of self-romanisation regarding costumes and life style. Livius, who also came from Patavium and lived about a century after the political annexation of the region, is rightly rated as one of the greatest roman historiographers.

Strategy:
The Angulus Venetorum is an unavoidable beachhead to enter Italic peninsula from both eastern and northern borders. A fact that the Romans were about to discover during the last decades of their empire. To keep Venetia under control means to own the gates of Italy.

Molto interessante ed ottimo lavoro Durin ^^

Cmq quando vuoi, se hai tempo ovviamente, il concept per l'unità di cavalleria secondo me ne vale veramente la pena!

Grazie mille, spero si riesca ad inserire la versione definitiva entro la patch estiva =D
Provvederò a raccogliere un repertorio di immagini sostanzioso da mostrare agli sviluppatori, d'altro canto diversi modelli come elmi La Tène, scudi a spina centrale e bordo rilevato, spade e lance medio La Tène sono già state utilizzate (non so come funzioni ma immagino che riutilizzarle richieda meno tempo che crearne ex novo). Secondo me sarebbe interessante come unità mercenaria reclutabile tra Venetia, Raition e Pannonia Illirika (tutte aree con una certa influenza venetica)

(sorry for the Italian xD)

Edited and added :)

Anatolia finished ^^

Here is Paphlagonia:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

<name>Province: Paphlagonia</name>
<full>
<h>Traveller's Log</h>
<p>
Entering Paphlagonia from Amastris, the traveller encounters a long stretch of coast with a harbour called Krobialos. It is particularly noteworthy, because its promontory, Karambis, stands exactly opposite Chersonesos' promontory Kriou Metopon, diving the Euxeinos Sea in two halves. Sailors claim that on a good day it is possible to see both promontories when out at sea. Krobialos is part of the Sinopean sea-trade network, which is protected by the surrounding mountains in the hinterland. This mountainous region experiences frequently earthquakes, but these also allow opportunistic mining of copper and arsenic. Therefore the valleys are inhabited by seasonal workers and artisans under the protection of the local elite. It is by boarding a vessel that the traveller can then visit all the other harbours: Abonouteichos, Kinolis and Harmene. The last one belongs to Sinope itself, whose inhabitants erected fortifications around it. These safe anchorages were established each at a day's sailing from the other, allowing refuge in adverse weather. Then comes a marvelous peninsula, upon whose neck Sinope lies. A Milesian colony built by an isthmus, famous for its fisheries, said to be even better than those of Byzantion. The site of Sinope was cleverly selected, because the shores are surrounded by a chain of rocks and cavities, while the landscape is covered with sharp-pointed stones. Thus the settlement is well defended, moreover inside the walls the land is higher and has a particularly good soil, bearing fruits. A most precious possession of the Sinopeis is a statue of Autolykos, Who joined Herakles against the Amazones and later also the Argonautai. The citizens regard this adventurer as a founder and honour him as a deity. Sinope is a major trading center, owing to its control of ore deposits and arable land in the hinterland, allowing seasonal exports of timber, copper, olive and realgar pigment. Farther South, beyond Mount Olgassys, flows the Amnias River. This is fairly good territory, called Blaene and Domanitis. Noticable are its temples and sancturaries cut into the rock, which are held by the Paphlagones. Beyond, however, live Galatai and communities allied to the Pontic Basileis.
</p>
<h>Geography</h>
<p>
The landscape of Paphlagonia comprises narrow linear valleys, alternated with sedimentary basins. This is the result of tectonic processes causing fault lines, which form sheer cliffs. Nevertheless the Amnias River cuts this province in half, establishing a pathway between Mount Olgassys and the mountain ranges by the Euxeinos Sea. This division coincides with different climates: the northern area hosts deciduous forests with beech and fir trees, together with rhododendrons at higher elevations. Here the rains moderate the winters, granting a milder climate, albeit moister. While moving southwards it is possible to encounter oaks and pines in greater numbers, until Mount Olgassys, which marks an area of arid continental climate joining the warmer steppes of the Anatolian Plateau. Overall the province is rich in wildlife like red deers and roe deers, along with lammergeiers, griffon vultures and booted eagles. While the most common predator is the gray wolf.
</p>
<h>The People, Society and Government</h>
<p>
The Paphlagones came in contact with the Hellenic world very early around the 7th century BCE, possibly even prior to that during the late Mycenaean period. One of the first descriptions of them, corroborated by archaeology, seem to depict a society characterised by various elites in competition. The social phenomenon encompassing military conflicts, but also feasting, burial practices and trading agreements. Specifically with the Hellenes, due to a false etymology of Paphlagon from the Hellenic verb Paphlazein, meaning "to stutter, bluster, stammer", the Paphlagones came to embody the typical stereotype of the barbarian being unscrupolous, violent and prone to anger. However this people was preserving customs, or at least ideologies, which stretched back to the Bronze Age connected to the people of Pala. Indeed Nergal, a deity of the Underworld borrowed from Sumer in the Hittite Pantheon, was still depicted in the Hellenistic period, being honoured as a patron of miners and smiths. Also Sinope was recently identified, by excavations, as a continuously occupied site from the late Bronze Age, at that time known as Shinuwa. It would seem that the settlement of Hellenic traders was achieved thorugh negotiations with a local Paphlagonian leader. Actual urbanisation occurred only at the end of the 6th century BCE, when these trading settlers adopted local building techniques in what by that time were mixed communities. Similarly during Persian suzerainty, Sinope came to be incorporated into the imperial administration only in the 4th century BCE, when Datama of Katpatuka, himself half Paphlagonian, conducting satrapal military operations against Sinope, negotiated a military alliance. Remarkably these events coincide with agricultural and settlement densities expansion, meaning that both partners of the treaty benefited, possibly even more so Sinope, as it came to control a territory it had never held before. This cultural encounter brought the subtle syncretism of local motifs with Hakhamanishiya imagery, particularly apparent in rock-cut tombs featuring bulls and lions, the forms taken up by Nergal. Moreover this deity was interpreted by the Hellenes as Herakles, which allowed even further inclusion and the establishment of shared practices. The cultural exchange operated in both directions, for even the Paphlagones looked back at Hellenic epics to enhance their status and the Homeric Pylaimenes, which meant "gatekeeper", became the official title for the ruler of Paphlagonia. Interesting to note, however, is that Nergal himself was the keeper of the gates to the Underworld, so there might be a connection. Overall the Paphlagones were known as great horsebreeders and riders, who were readily hired by neighbouring larger polities.
</p>
<h>History</h>
<p>
It could be said that Paphlagonia entered the Hellenistic period around 314 BCE, when the nephew of Antigonos Monophthalmos, Polemaios, was sent with a large force to establish Makedonian rule there for the first time. However it did not last long, because the establishment of the Pontic Dynasteia allowed the Paphlagones to assert their independence. Nevertheless their rulers did not lose track of the events unfolding, especially the Tyrannos of Sinope, Skydrothemis, who realised how Pontic alliances were isolating him and opted to establish good relations with Ptolemaios I of Aigyptos. Trading and possible naval assistance from Sinope were important for Ptolemaic operations in the Aigaion Sea and the alliance was upheld even by Ptolemaios II Philadelphos. This delivered Sinope from Ariobarzanes and his troops in 275 BCE, because as they were besieging the polis, the Ptolemaic fleet disembarked troops and managed to repel the attackers. Sinope could then keep on expanding its trading network in the Euxeinos Sea, while at the same time intensifying agricultural production. However such a strong commercial position made Sinope the prime target for Pontos, whose Basileus Mithradates II opted to build the first Pontic fleet in order to win the polis. By 220 BCE everything was set for the concerted attack, which however was carried by Mithradates III, because his father had just died. Despite the naval assistance, the Pontic army still failed to capture Sinope, as the latter had sent an embassy to Rhodos and received troops with 10,000 jars of wine, 300 talents of prepared hair, 100 talents of bow-strings, 1,000 suits of armour, 3,000 gold pieces and four Katapeltai with their professional artillerymen. Success was achieved only in 183 BCE, when Pharnakes I exploited the confusion in the Hellespontos during a conflict between Pergamon and Bithynia. Since the Rhodian fleet was occupied there, it could not come to help Sinope, itself not expecting an attack as Pharnakes I feigned to participate in the campaign against Pergamon. Instead he suddenly stormed Sinope as other war came to a conclusion. Unfortunately for the Pontic Basileus his clever plan alarmed Eumenes II Soter of Pergamon, who simply continued the conflict, which Pharnakes I had joined only nominally. This forced the Pontic army to fight alone, but at the same time Pontic envoys were hard at work in Roma and managed to secure favourable peace terms, Indeed the SPQR wanted neither side to prevail over the other and was glad to accept even Pharnakes I as an Amicvs of the Roman people in 179 BCE.
</p>
<p>
Now Sinope became the royal Pontic capital and started to enjoy the time of its greatest splendour: men of science, artists and philosophers were invited there, while the poleis of Chersonesos and Odessos looked at the Pontic Basileia as a protector and trading partner. Around this time possibly appeared in Sinope the sphere of Billaros, today known as the Antikythera Mechaninsm. Now Pharnakes I focused on setting up an infrastructure worthy of an empire and establishing his Dynasteia as a major power. He married the Seleukid princess Nysa, allying himself with Demetrios I Soter. Then he made a voluntary donation to Delos, honouring the existing friendly relations with Athenai and his family. Around 155 BCE Pharnakes I was succeeded by his brother Mithradates IV Philopator Philadelphos, who opted for a philo-Roman policy, sending dedications and benefactions to the people of Roma. He also sided with Attalos II of Pergamon and Ariarathes V of Kappadokia against Prousias II of Bithynia. While regarding internal affairs, Mithradates IV decided to marry his own sister Laodike, making her co-ruler. This move aimed at curbing the goodwill of their new Hellenic subjects, associating themselves with Zeus and Hera, while at the same time appealing to Zoroastrian subjects due to their sacred union, known as Khwedodah. Mithradates IV also started to draw attention to his mythic forefather Perseus, a Hellenic hero, displaying how the rulers of Pontos had an excellent Hellenistic pedigree, worthy of the royal diadem. Still the couple ruled only to 151 BCE, when Pharnakes I's son Mithradates V Euergetes became Basileus. For the time being he continued to be loyal towards the SPQR, sending ships and troops in 149 BCE against Qarthadast. Later on the death of Attalos III of Pergamon in 133 BCE, Mithradates V also fought against the pretender Aristonikos and for that was rewarded Phrygia. Even the Basileus of Kappadokia fought in this campaign, but died and was succeeded by the still minor Ariarathes III. His mother Nysa, a daughter of Pharnakes I, had poisoned her elder five sons to ensure a longer regency, but the Kappadokes had her killed. Thus in 130 BCE, to avoid losing control over Kappadokia, Mithradates V attacked and quickly bested the Kappadokian army, making certain to remove any strong figure. After that he married off his own daughter, Laodike, to young Ariarathes III. This policy aimed at keeping the SPQR satisfied, afterall both rulers Pontos and Kappadokia were Roman Amici, but at the same time maintaining Pontic hegemony. Indeed Mithradates V Euergetes now started to act as an important Basileus, with great ambitions, being the first Pontic ruler to launch recruiting expeditions in Hellas, Thraike and Krete. Alongside these activities, Mithradates V carried on the Philhellenic policy of benefactions, which likely earned him his epithet, showing particular devotion to Apollon Delios. The Pontic Basileus had definitely set the stage to achieve greatness, but much like Philippos II of Makedonia was assassinated in 120 BCE and left all his preparations to an ambitious thirteen years old son, who became convinced to be the next Alexandros Megas.
</p>
<p>
Indeed portents accompanied the birth and youth of Mithradates VI. First for seventy days during the year of his birth a comet appeared and filled a quarter of the whole sky, almost outshining the sun. Thought to symbolise the length of his life, the extent of his conquests and his eclipse of Roman power. Also when still a baby, Mithradates VI was struck by a lightning, which earned him the epithet Dionysos, because the deity's mother Semele had been struck too when pregnant. This very experience also corroborated in Mithradates VI Dionysos' mind his connection to Alexandros Megas, because even the latter's mother Olympia dreamt that her womb had been struck by a lightning. Moreover the same comet of his birth showed up again when his father was killed in 120 BCE, as if to herald the beginning of the new reign. Nevertheless Mithradates VI Dionysos Eupator's beginnings were not easy, his mother Laodike became regent, and many suspected her involvement in her husband's assassination with Roman collaboration. Even more alarming was that, during her regency, Laodike set also her younger son Mithradates Chrestos as future co-ruler. Whether she planned to kill Mithradates VI is unclear, even though after a poisoning attempt he started to assume doses of arsenic to build immunity, but what certainly happened was that the Roman Senatvs now decided to revoke Phrygia from the Pontic Dynasteia. Already Euergetes' officials feared for the future of Pontos, envisioning a gradual bequeathal in favour of Roma, and opted to stay away from Sinope. However in 116 BCE the sixteen years old Mithradates VI Dionysos Eupator had returned from his training with firm resolution. He had shown great horsemanship and hunting skills, being able to cope with a particularly dangerous horse, something which fostered even further his comparison of himself with Alexandros Megas. Mithradates VI had been joined by other noble young men, who became his companions, led by Dorylaos, who used to serve Mithradates V Euergetes, and during his march to Sinope he gather armed bands with the intent to avenge his father. The coup was bloodless and did not meet resistance, but both Laodike and Mithradates Chrestos were imprisoned and soon found dead. Now sole ruler of Pontos, Mithradates VI gave his dead relatives a royal funeral, but also started to prepare a campaign beyond Thraike. Also news reached that Ariarathes III, now an adult, could not be controlled anymore and, as his first act in foreign affairs, Mithradates VI ordered his assassination by an associate of his Dynasteia called Gordios. Later in 115 BCE the citizens of Chersonesos called upon Mithradates VI, because the Skulata under Skiluros had just sacked their polis. Perhaps they expected some sort of military assistance, which would not resolve in any particular political change, but that was not to be the case. Diophantos, the Strategos sent by Mithradates VI, quickly defeated Skiluros' son and successor, Palakos, making Pontos the first Hellenistic and Persian polity to defeat and subdue Skythian nomads. Now Mithradates VI claimed to have avenged Kyros and bested Dareios, Philippos II of Makedonia and Alexandros Megas' Strategos, Zopyrion. Diophantos did not lose momentum and subdued the Tauroi as well, founding the town of Eupatorion, to then move towards Pantikapaion. There he engaged in diplomatic talks with Pairisades V of the Kimmerios Bosporos to persuade him to cede his power to Mithradates VI. It is possible that the Bosporan ruler had no heirs and was fearing an increase in Skythian influence, so for the time being he gave Diophantos positive signs. In the mean time the Pontic Strategos returned to Chersonesos and received the nominal submission of Palakos. However soon as he left Palakos rose in revolt and Diophantos was once again dispatched with an army. Despite assistance from the Raukhsalantæ, Palakos was again defeated and this time Diophantos assaulted and captured the strongholds of the Skulata. Only remaining task was to finalize the arrangements with Pairisades V, who had been rearing the Skythian Saumakos, possibly the leading man of the party that was vying for power with the Bosporan Archon and Basileus. When Diophantos reached Pantikapaion he found Pairisades V killed by Saumakos and he managed to escape only thanks to the help of vessels and their crew from Chersonesos. With the coming of spring, after having received reinforcements, Diophantos put an end to the rebellion, sending Saumakos to Sinope as a captive, and at the same time almost doubling the Pontic territory. To celebrate Mithradates VI Dionysos Eupator married his own sister Laodike, like his great-uncle did, but had no intention in sharing power. Quite the opposite, the pragmatic and paranoid Mithradates VI had all his younger sisters secluded under guard for life: no one, but himself could decide the fate of the Pontic Dynasteia. The following years would experience even further expansion around the Euxeinos Sea, notably Pontic armies fought against the Sauromatæ, the Bastarnoz and the coastal communities of Kolchis. Nevertheless the Pontic Basileus still had the time to tend to his gardens of poisonous plants and his flocks of ducks, obviously fed on baneful herbs. Thought to have the ability to live on poisons, Mithradates VI mixed the bood of his ducks into his antidotes. Collaborating with the Pontic Basileus were his royal physician Papias, a group of shamans from north of Lake Maiotis and Krateuas, an experimenter from Pergamon, who can be safely considered the first ethnobotanist and father of botanical illustration. Krateuas wrote detailed pharmacology manuals and Mithradates VI, thanks to his knowledge of over twenty languages, collected scientific treaties from other lands, which he studied, while corresponding with scholars about poisons and antidotes. Having secured the Euxeinos as a personal possession, Mithradates VI Dionysos Eupator had obtained a great amount of annual tribute, with which he financed the construction of several fortifications throughout his domain, all having hidden cisterns, caches of weapons and a treasury: everything was set for his next move.
</p>
<p>
In 109 BCE, as news reached about humiliating defeats suffered by Roman troops in Numidia and at the hands of the germanic Himbroz, Mithradates VI left Sinope, travelling incognito through Asia. His intent was to gather intelligence and visit the places, which witnessed the deeds of Alexandros Megas. During his journey the Pontic Basileus also had occasion to form an alliance with Nikomedes III of Bithynia, planning to jointly invade Paphlagonia west of Mount Olgassys and split it among the two rulers. When Mithradates VI returned to Sinope, where some thought him dead since he had left in secrecy and been gone for a year. Right away he was greeted with news of the birth of another son. However to Mithradates VI it was clear that he could not have been the father, but without losing his calm and rationality, he embraced his sister-wife. In time he was informed that Laodike had started to rule on her own and now planned to have him removed, ensuring her safety. However the Pontic Basileus moved first, or even if he had been poisoned his daily routine of antidotes proved effective, seizing Laodike and her child, who was spared, but the mother and all her conspirators were executed. Thus in 108 BCE Mithradates VI could leave his capital to annex the remainder of Paphlagonia. Everything went smoothly and all the Roman Senatvs could do was sending ambassadors demanding to return Paphlagonia to a pristine condition. These were ignored and Mithradates VI sent envoys to Roma with bribes, while once again another ruler of Kappadokia, Ariarathes IV, had become an adult. His mother Laodike, sister of Mithradates VI Dionysos Eupator, started to fear for her life, knowing that her usefulness had ceased. Thus she invited Nikomedes III of Bithynia to invade Kappadokia, which this Basileus did around 103 BCE. However Mithradates VI would have none of that, and he did not care about who specifically ruled Kappadokia, so long as it was someone he could trust. As a result the Pontic Basileus invaded Kappadokia and restored Ariarathes IV. Soon he found that Pontic interests would not be upheld and insisted on Gordios, his Kappadokian associate, to be taken at court. Understandably Ariarathes IV refused the murderer of his father, even though there is no reason to believe that Mithradates VI would have had him removed as well, had he complied with Pontic policies. Nevertheless in 100 BCE Ariarathes IV met on the battlefield his uncle Mithradates VI of Pontos. However the latter did not want to waste time and valuable soldiers, opting to parley instead. Having ostentatiously layed down his weapons, Mithradates VI waited for his nephew as Kappadokian guards patted down the Pontic Basileus. After as Ariarathes IV approached his uncle for a private conversation, Mithradates VI reached into his Iranian trousers, pulling out a blade concealed alongside his penis and cut Ariarathes IV's throat. Everyone was left dumbfounded, while Gordios started to hail the new Basileus of Kappadokia: the eight years old stepson of Mithradates VI by his dead sister-wife Laodike. As a result in 99 BCE the Roman Senatvs sent Gaivs Marivs to investigate the possibility or likelihood of an attack on the Provincia of Asia. However the SPQR still did not know about the matter of Kappadokian succession, but were alarmed by the series of conflicts taking place at their borders. During Marivs' meeting with Mithradates VI, he is said to have told the Pontic Basileus to be stronger than the Romani or obey their commands in silence. A suggestion that Mithradates VI definitely followed on both counts. Everything was spoiled, from a Pontic perspective, when Nikomedes III of Bithynia put forward in 96 BCE a false pretender as Basileus of Kappadokia. Sending his newer wife Laodike to Roma, in order to testify that the child was a legitimate son of Ariarathes III. Now that the whole matter had come to the Senatvs' attention, as even a Pontic embassy showed up claiming the legitimacy of their own little Ariarathes, a single order was issued: leave Kappadokia and Paphlagonia, which had been declared free. The instructions were followed, but needless to say animosity between Bithynia and Pontos grew to a new extreme. Now Roman officials changed attitude and invited the rulers of Kappadokia, Paphlagonia and Bithynia to attack Pontos. Most ignored this, without a direct Roman involvement, except for the heavily indebted Nikomedes IV of Bithynia, who initiated in 89 BCE a conflict. The Bithynian army was easily taken care of by the Amnias River, where the Pontic scythed chariots and Sauromatian horsemen proved particularly effective. However this set in motion a series of events that escalated in major wars between Pontos and the SPQR. During the course of which in 70 BCE Sinope was besieged and nearly destroyed by Lvcivs Licinivs Lvcvllvs, who stripped it of its riches and sent them to Roma. From then on Paphlagonia ceased to be a center of power, even though it kept on being an important trading port. Its coastal settlements were incorporated by Cnaevs Pompeivs Magnvs in 64 BCE to the Provincia of Bithynia et Pontvs. Notably in 47 BCE Caivs Ivlivs Caesar refounded Sinope as the Colonia Ivlia Caesarea Felix.
</p>
<h>Strategy</h>
<p>
Paphlagonia stands right in the middle of the southern coast of the Euxeinos Sea. Protected by rivers and mountains, it is the natural center of power for a polity aiming at controlling the maritime trading routes.
</p>
</full>

I hope that the engine's codes are correct :P

As usual, wonderful work Arjos! The last paragraph needs some editing, I think. There are a few points that need clarification. As does the first mention of Mithidates VI's anti-poison treatment in the previous paragraph.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kdrakak

As usual, wonderful work Arjos! The last paragraph needs some editing, I think. There are a few points that need clarification. As does the first mention of Mithidates VI's anti-poison treatment in the previous paragraph.

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Could you be a little more specific please?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arjos

Could you be a little more specific please?

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Of course!

"even though after a poisoning attempt he started to assume doses of arsenic"
Arsenic is a poison. I think it should be stated that he did so hoping to build some sort of resistance or immunity.

"suffered by Roman troops in Numidia and at the hands of the Himbroz"
Who are the Himbroz? (Cimbrii?)

"When Mithradates VI returned to Sinope, where some thought him dead"
Why?

"After as Ariarathes IV approached his uncle for a private conversation, Mithradates VI reached into his Iranian trousers, pulling out a blade concealed alongside his penis and cut Ariarathes IV's throat"
Is this something I read in "The Last King"? or is this from a legitimate source?

"would not be uphold"

"a serie of events"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kdrakak

"even though after a poisoning attempt he started to assume doses of arsenic"
Arsenic is a poison. I think it should be stated that he did so hoping to build some sort of resistance or immunity.

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Ok, thanks ^^

Quote:

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"suffered by Roman troops in Numidia and at the hands of the Himbroz"
Who are the Himbroz? (Cimbrii?)

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Cimbri indeed, that transcription will be used in-game too, so I think it is clear enough. Maybe I can add germanic to specify...

Quote:

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"When Mithradates VI returned to Sinope, where some thought him dead"
Why?

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Because he left in secret and wandered for a year, will try to make it clearer...

Quote:

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"After as Ariarathes IV approached his uncle for a private conversation, Mithradates VI reached into his Iranian trousers, pulling out a blade concealed alongside his penis and cut Ariarathes IV's throat"
Is this something I read in "The Last King"? or is this from a legitimate source?

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It is actually taken from Justin's empitome of Pompeius Trogus ;)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Mithridates, after bringing into the field eighty thousand foot, ten thousand horse, and six hundred chariots armed with scythes, (while Ariarathes, by the aid of the neighbouring princes, had no less a force), fearing the uncertain event of a battle, turned his thoughts to treachery, and, inviting the young prince to a conference, and having, at the same time, a weapon concealed in his lower garments, he said to the searcher, who was sent by Ariarathes, after the manner of princes on such occasions, to examine his person, and who was feeling very carefully about his groin, that “he had better take care, lest he should find another sort of weapon than he was seeking.” Having thus covered his treachery with a joke, he killed his nephew, (after drawing him aside from his friends as if to confer with him secretly), in the sight of both armies, and bestowed the kingdom of Cappadocia on his own son, a child eight years old, giving him the name of Ariarathes, and appointing Gordius his guardian.

Quote:

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"would not be uphold"

"a serie of events"

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Thanks for spotting them :)

Thanx for writing the whole thing. What are you working on next?

For the moment German Literature for an exam :P

Still I managed to write biographies for starting generals of the Eleutheroi, as for the next province I'd like "Saka Yabgu", but have to come up with a new name for it (or find evidence that as a name it is acceptable, because from what I know it means "Saka Prince/Chieftain" and doesn't seem appropriate at all)...

Yes, Yabgu is a title and does not seem appropriate. We should discuss some other possible names.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mithridates VI Eupator

Yes, Yabgu is a title and does not seem appropriate. We should discuss some other possible names.

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In Khotanese there is Kshaharae meaning land/country. Tricky is also going to be choosing, who was living there in 272 BCE. Archaeologically the Bolsherechenskaya culture might be too far North...
Generally west of the Balkash it is assigned to "Saka tribes", why not giving it as a starting province then?

Hey, I'll take a look at doing the province description for Armorikos over the next week or two. Seems like it might be interesting.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Gypsy

Hey, I'll take a look at doing the province description for Armorikos over the next week or two. Seems like it might be interesting.

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I think it's already done, unless you mean reviewing its grammar...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arjos

I think it's already done, unless you mean reviewing its grammar...

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Oh really? I've been going off what is on the front page of the thread. There it says that no progress has been made on it. So is the front page correct or is it best to ask someone?

The front page was an old copy from the internal forum and it isn't up-to-date. Chap made a map, which is keeping track of changes and formats :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chap

Attachment 15345

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In that case I'll make a start on Ikoranda Piktonis instead :)

Should you ever need info on good sources or assistance of any kind, feel free to contact @Brennus :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arjos

The front page was an old copy from the internal forum and it isn't up-to-date. Chap made a map, which is keeping track of changes and formats :)

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Is there any updated map? Could anybody create one?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arjos

Should you ever need info on good sources or assistance of any kind, feel free to contact @Brennus :)

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I suggest looking for the Bilan Scientifique Regional for that region of France, several of the recent editions are free from the French government, and contain lots of recent archaeological data.

I can do Dalmatia :)

I thought I'd post a small 'preview' of sorts of my work on the description for the Odrysai province, both to show I've made some progress over the past few months (though not as much as I'd hoped, I'm afraid) and to get some feedback on whether I can continue writing in the way I have thus far. One thing I'm wondering about in particular is whether is should try to shorten things up a bit, as I'm getting the impression that a lot of what I've added consists of unnecessary detail.

Rest assured that I've made more progress than what follows below, but I figured this would do well as an example. Warning: I haven't really proofread this yet.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

History

Although the Thraikes appear in the Homeric epics as allies of the Trojans, Thrace and its inhabitants do not fully emerge in the historical record until the end of the 6th century BCE, when the Persians began their conquest of the northern Aegean coast. This process was set in motion by the Skythian expedition Dareios led sometime between 514 and 512 BCE, prior to which a nominal submission was likely received from the Thracian Chersonese and Byzantion to facilitate a safe passage of the Persian forces. On their march to the river Istros (Danube) the Persians also subjugated several Thracian tribes they encountered on their way, which included the Skyrmiadai and Nipsaioi occupying the hinterlands of Apollonia and Mesambria. Most of the local tribes seem to have submitted peacefully, with the notable exception of the Getai. Yet their resistance was swiftly broken and after their defeat they were made to follow the Persian army by force.

After returning from the unsuccessful Skythian campaign, Dareios crossed the Hellespont back into Anatolia. Before doing so he appointed Megabazos general of the Persian armies in Europe, with instructions to establish Persian control over ‘every single polis and tribe in Thrace’. It seems the more realistic objective was to establish Persian control over the coastal lands between the Hebros and Strymon rivers as well as the Hellene cities located in said region. After a revolt in the Hellespontine region was crushed, this was indeed the task Megabazos set out upon. The Paiones living by the lower Strymon formed his next target and after their conquest a large number of Paiones was forcefully moved to Asia Minor. The campaign was concluded with a peaceful submission by Amyntas of Makedonia.

The extent of the resulting Persian control in Thrace is controversial: estimates vary from a loose dominion primarily centred on the coastline to the establishment of a full-fledged satrapy stretching from the Istros to the Peneus River in Thessaly, centred on the Thracian plain. The author of this description favours the former hypothesis, which supposes that most, if not all of the areas within the Odrysai province likely remained outside of direct Persian control, save for perhaps the southern edges and part of the western coastline of the Pontos Euxeinos. Whatever may have been the case, the newly conquered lands were controlled by Persian garrisons established in strategically important locations. The Persian conquest also led to the imposition of tribute upon the Hellenic cities and Thracian and Paeonian tribes within these territories, likely paid either in silver bars or coins. Several archaeological finds of Persian make or influence near Duvanli indicate the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Persians and local Thracian dynasts in the hinterland, although the character of said relations remains unknown thus far.

I think it is good, but as you mentioned it will be quite lengthy by the end...

Major focus has to be given to the Hellenistic period of course, maybe you could shorten this part, while keeping the same style for EBII's timeframe...

Still there are definitely long descriptions in the game already :P

BTW as an update: I finished and submitted "Saka Yabgu", just reviewing it now...

This is a description I made a while after talking to Brennus.

Feedback/criticism would be super appreciated! :)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Talallobrogis Province Description
Turning away from the warm shores of the Great Sea the traveller heads north, to follow the banks of the mighty Rodonos River as it climbs into the valleys and peaks of the soaring Alpes peaks. This river is the lifeblood to the many Keltoi tribes that live in its watershed, no more so than the strong and fierce Allobroges people that call these valleys home. They are a warlike and divided people, but of outstanding courage and loyalty. They are excellent farmers as well, and grow rich from the supplies of wheat and wine their fruitful valley supplies. Woe betides the traveller who would seek to cheat them or question their honour. Like the mighty oak forests and cloudy peaks of their homeland, the Allobroges are tall, imposing, and not to be trifled with.

Geography
The territory of the Allobroges corresponded roughly to the modern French department of Rhône-Alpes, centering on the various river valleys extending east and south from the Rhône River. The region is marked by its topographical diversity; in the west part of the territory the crumbling eastern terminus of the Massif Central range gives way to the Rhône valley; the upstream path of the Rhône then carves to the northeast towards Lake Geneva joined by number of tributaries that cascade from the Alps tallest peaks. Scattered amidst these peaks can be found some of continental Europe’s only glaciers, which feed streams that trickle through valleys that evolve from narrow mountain passes into smooth and broad troughs at the point of their confluence with the main Rhône valley.

Talallobrogis is home to an extremely variable climate, due to the blending of four distinct weather influences; the Continental system to the north, the Mediterranean climate to the south, Alpine to the east and Atlantic to the west, from across the massif. As such, for the Rhône and adjacent valleys the summers are hot and generally humid; spring and autumn are mild; winter is long, cold and snowy, especially in the mountains. Rainfall is typically higher than surrounding regions, but varies constantly.

The flora and fauna of the region are typical of the temperate and mountainous areas of the province. The most significant type of vegetation is the old growth forests that dominate the landscape. Oak, Chestnut poplar and Beech trees are common in the central and west parts of the territory, with mulberry and olive trees flanking vineyards that lie along the Rhone as it heads south towards the Mediterranean. Juniper and dwarf pines persist on the higher slopes of the valleys and mountainsides.

The rivers of the territory hold large populations of eels, pike, perch, carp, roach, salmon, and trout. The Roman baths of Vienne held a basin that contained a large selection of indigenous fish from the river for decoration. In Neolithic times, this region was home to large predatory animals such as wolves and brown bears, as well as herbivores such as elk. The larger fauna gradually disappeared from the lower valleys during the occupation by Iron Age tribes of the La Tène expansion but could still be found in the foothills of the Alps well into the Roman occupation. Smaller animals found in great abundance in the forests of Talallobrgis include martens, beavers, wild pigs, foxes, weasels, bats, rodents, rabbits, and assorted birds, with ibex and lynx at higher altitudes.

The People, Society and Government
The eponymous inhabitants of Talallobrogis during the third century BC were primarily members of the Allobroges tribe, a Keltoi clan confederation that came into being as part of the middle La Tène cultural expansion into the western Alps.

The people that composed the tribes of the Allobroges were a mixture of the regions Bronze Age predecessors, with an additional influx of people from the northeast Hallstatt core area who brought with them new cultural behaviours. This cultural expansion reached its zenith in the 4th century BCE, completely replacing the earlier Urnfield culture and bringing with it an explosion of complexity in the art and metal work of the people, with the introduction of intricate spiral designs and metallic jewelry.

The social organization of the Allobroges was akin to those of other Keltoi groups, but their proximity to the Mediterranean basin likely caused extensive influence from the Hellenic, Phoenician, and Rasenna civilizations that interacted with southern Gaul. Early settlements were open villages centred on fortified Chieftain’s homes, but towards the third century BCE the Allobroges increasingly lived in larger fortified Oppida fed by surrounding farming areas. The primary urban centre of the region was known as Vienne or Uiennos which was located on two hills overlooking the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Gère and in the vicinity of a small number of unfortified hamlets.

The Allobroges practiced extensive agriculture, with a surplus of wheat being grown along the banks of the Rhône. The slopes of the valley were also excellent locations for viniculture, a potential that would be realized into wine production after the incorporation of the Allobroges into the Roman Empire. The region also saw animal husbandry, forestry, and limited amounts of ore mining. There are records of slaves being traded through Massalia by Gaulish tribes that would have undoubtedly included the Allobroges. These Greek traders also introduced to the tribes of the Rhône wine, salted pork, medicinal plants, coral and cork.

The religion of the Allobroges was drawn from many Gallic sources, and like their neighbours the people dug ritual burial shafts and practiced votive offerings and occasionally human sacrifice. The deities were likely identical to those of other Gallic tribes, although it is noteworthy that no representations of Cernunnos or Epona have been found in the area. The introduction of Roman rule saw some changes to the religious fabric of the province but great numbers of adherents continued old traditions. Old Gallic gods like the mallet-bearing Sucellus and the mother goddesses called the Matres (depicted with cornucopiae) continued to be worshiped syncretistically along with the Roman gods in the region long after the induction of the territory as a Roman colony. Additional religious cults came later with the oriental immigrants, who brought the eastern mystery religions to the Rhône valley. A major shrine of the Phrygian goddess Cybele was built in Vienne, and grew significantly in popularity by the 1st century and 2nd century. North-east of Vienne and north of Cularo (modern Grenoble), is a major healing sanctuary at the modern town of Aix-les-Bains. This was dedicated to a southern Gaulish healing god Borvo, and not to Apollo as might have been expected of such a Romanised people.

Politically the Allobroges were, like other Gallic tribes, actually a super-tribal group composed of functionally independent smaller tribes. Each of these groups were often large related families with their own councils of elders, religious leaders, and warleaders. There were nominal ties between these groups but in practice the Allobroges rarely acted as a unified political force, only doing so in times of external strife or crisis, such as the election of Chief Catugnatus during a revolt against Rome in 61 BCE.

History
The legacy of humanity in the province of Talallabrogis is ancient, murky, and violent. Archaeological evidence indicates that the valleys of what would later be called the eastern Rhone watershed have been home to early modern human populations as early as 43,000 years ago, where they gradually displaced or merged with the endemic Neanderthal population. This tiny hunter-gatherer population would gradually adopt metal-working and agriculture, a process that escalated significantly with the influence of the proto-Celtic cultures to the northeast that began to affect the area around 500 BC.

By 400 BC Celtic tribes of the La Tène culture were firmly entrenched in the upper Rhône valley, forming the eastern flank of would become to be known as the Gaulish civilization. At this point they began to interact with the Greeks of nearby Massalia whose traders established envoys and trading routes to expand their access to the goods of the interior. Through this link contact was made with the vestiges of other Mediterranean civilizations, in particular the Etruscans and Phoenicians. Mediterranean events would gradually begin to involve and eclipse the local tribal politics of the Allobroges.

The first written record of the Allobroges comes from Polybius, who details their role in the journey of Hanba’al who during his journey to Italy was make his way through mountain passes that were fortified by the Allobroges. Though Hannibal had great success in making alliances with tribes west of the Rhône and those of Cisalpine Gaul, he does not appear to have been successful at negotiating friendship or free passage in this case. Allobroges warriors first unsuccessfully attacked Hannibals baggage train and harassed the passage of the army following an assault on their forts. For his part, Hannibal appears to have destroyed several settlements in his path as a lesson to the ‘barbarians’.

The Allobroges appear thereafter to have been left alone during the remainder of the Punic Wars, continuing to engage only in trade or low level conflict with immediate neighbours. During this century the tribe appears to have allied with the stronger Averni confederation to their west. The area once again came in conflict with a distant empire when two newly elected and ambitious Romani consuls named Gnaeus Domitius and Quintus Fabius Maximus began a campaign to subdue the Gaulish tribes in southern Gallia Transalpina. The pretext for the invasion was that the king of the rebellious Saluvii tribe had fled north to escape justice by Romani hands and received succor from the Allobroges. A potentially more important strategic consideration for the invasion was that conquering this area would give the burgeoning empire land access to their Iberian holdings and humble the rivals to their allies, the Aedui.

In any case, a Romani army assembled in 121 BC and marched from Masallia to confront the Allobroges. After a swift but inconclusive defeat at the hands of the Romani force as they occupied the area where the Isère (Isara) meets the Rhône (Rodonos), the Allobroges appealed for help from their powerful Averni allies, who had established the most powerful tribal coalition in the region. Bringing a large army to bear, King Vituitus marched to the Rhone to meet with the remaining warriors of the Allobroges and assaulted the Romani forces at Vindalium on the banks of the river. This battle proved disastrous for the alliance, as Romani discipline and decisive use of war elephants broke the Keltoi assault, resulting in the destruction of the Allobroges and Averni forces as well as the capture of the Averni king. In their victory, the Romani caused much resettling and occupied the main Oppida of the Allobroges at Vienne.

Romani rule would prove to be beneficial to many in the region, as growing connections with the Empire’s trade routes saw a significant increase in urbanization and wealth of the province. This prosperity was challenged when the invasion of the Cimbri and Teutones threatened the security of the area and set off a destabilization Helvetii migration into the area. Imperial rule was seriously challenged in 105 BCE the Romani army was defeated at nearby Arausio and the Germanic tribes began to penetrate the Alpine passes. The general Gauis Marius eventually succeeded at dealing with this invasion, once again cementing the security of the area.

As the prosperity and population of Gallia Narbonensis grew, the Allobroges tribe grew more and more entwined with the politics and intrigue of Roma. The most infamous example of this would be the Catalunian conspiracy of 63 BCE, whereupon a group of ostracized Romani political elites sought to foment rebellion and attempted to recruit the Allobroges into the conspiracy. The Allobroges instead informed on the conspirators, an act which resulted in a failure of the plot. Two years later the tribe rebelled on its own, electing chief Catugnatus to lead the revolt and expelling Romani citizens from Vienne. Those fleeing citizens would resettle the former village of Lugdunon, turning it into a rival city. This rebellion was ultimately crushed by Gaius Pomptinus at Solonium.

Their loyalty restored, the Allobroges would play an important role in ensuring the early success of Julius Caesar as he began his campaign to subdue the remaining entirety of Gaul. Caesar praised the warriors of the Allobroges, including two brothers named Roucillus and Egus who had been Chieftans of the tribe as excellent and upstanding allies during the campaign. Though the Allobroges would briefly assert a final attempt at independence in the chaos following Caesar’s assassination, they would once again aquiese to Romani rule, this time permanently.

By 100 AD, the city of Vienne had been granted status of full colonae by Emperor Augustus and had become capital to the flourishing province of Gallia Viennensis. Though highly Romanised, the remainder of the province retained elements of Keltoi culture, such as language and religious worship. Described as ‘historic and imposing’ by Tacitus, the city would continue to prosper until the general Imperial decline in the early 5th century. When the Burgundian tribe established control over the area in 443, the small remnants of Allobroges culture and language that remained quickly disappeared.

Strategy
Allobrogis is a highly strategic province, located as it is in the nexus of the southern Gallic lands; no transalpine nation can afford to overlook it. Rich in ores, slaves and other tradeable goods, it has the capacity to grow into a wealthy urban centre and become the jewel of any burgeoning empire.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Friendly Sword

This is a description I made a while after talking to Brennus.

Feedback/criticism would be super appreciated! :)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Talallobrogis Province Description
Turning away from the warm shores of the Great Sea the traveller heads north, to follow the banks of the mighty Rodonos River as it climbs into the valleys and peaks of the soaring Alpes peaks. This river is the lifeblood to the many Keltoi tribes that live in its watershed, no more so than the strong and fierce Allobroges people that call these valleys home. They are a warlike and divided people, but of outstanding courage and loyalty. They are excellent farmers as well, and grow rich from the supplies of wheat and wine their fruitful valley supplies. Woe betides the traveller who would seek to cheat them or question their honour. Like the mighty oak forests and cloudy peaks of their homeland, the Allobroges are tall, imposing, and not to be trifled with.

Geography
The territory of the Allobroges corresponded roughly to the modern French department of Rhône-Alpes, centering on the various river valleys extending east and south from the Rhône River. The region is marked by its topographical diversity; in the west part of the territory the crumbling eastern terminus of the Massif Central range gives way to the Rhône valley; the upstream path of the Rhône then carves to the northeast towards Lake Geneva joined by number of tributaries that cascade from the Alps tallest peaks. Scattered amidst these peaks can be found some of continental Europe’s only glaciers, which feed streams that trickle through valleys that evolve from narrow mountain passes into smooth and broad troughs at the point of their confluence with the main Rhône valley.

Talallobrogis is home to an extremely variable climate, due to the blending of four distinct weather influences; the Continental system to the north, the Mediterranean climate to the south, Alpine to the east and Atlantic to the west, from across the massif. As such, for the Rhône and adjacent valleys the summers are hot and generally humid; spring and autumn are mild; winter is long, cold and snowy, especially in the mountains. Rainfall is typically higher than surrounding regions, but varies constantly.

The flora and fauna of the region are typical of the temperate and mountainous areas of the province. The most significant type of vegetation is the old growth forests that dominate the landscape. Oak, Chestnut poplar and Beech trees are common in the central and west parts of the territory, with mulberry and olive trees flanking vineyards that lie along the Rhone as it heads south towards the Mediterranean. Juniper and dwarf pines persist on the higher slopes of the valleys and mountainsides.

The rivers of the territory hold large populations of eels, pike, perch, carp, roach, salmon, and trout. The Roman baths of Vienne held a basin that contained a large selection of indigenous fish from the river for decoration. In Neolithic times, this region was home to large predatory animals such as wolves and brown bears, as well as herbivores such as elk. The larger fauna gradually disappeared from the lower valleys during the occupation by Iron Age tribes of the La Tène expansion but could still be found in the foothills of the Alps well into the Roman occupation. Smaller animals found in great abundance in the forests of Talallobrgis include martens, beavers, wild pigs, foxes, weasels, bats, rodents, rabbits, and assorted birds, with ibex and lynx at higher altitudes.

The People, Society and Government
The eponymous inhabitants of Talallobrogis during the third century BC were primarily members of the Allobroges tribe, a Keltoi clan confederation that came into being as part of the middle La Tène cultural expansion into the western Alps.

The people that composed the tribes of the Allobroges were a mixture of the regions Bronze Age predecessors, with an additional influx of people from the northeast Hallstatt core area who brought with them new cultural behaviours. This cultural expansion reached its zenith in the 4th century BCE, completely replacing the earlier Urnfield culture and bringing with it an explosion of complexity in the art and metal work of the people, with the introduction of intricate spiral designs and metallic jewelry.

The social organization of the Allobroges was akin to those of other Keltoi groups, but their proximity to the Mediterranean basin likely caused extensive influence from the Hellenic, Phoenician, and Rasenna civilizations that interacted with southern Gaul. Early settlements were open villages centred on fortified Chieftain’s homes, but towards the third century BCE the Allobroges increasingly lived in larger fortified Oppida fed by surrounding farming areas. The primary urban centre of the region was known as Vienne or Uiennos which was located on two hills overlooking the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Gère and in the vicinity of a small number of unfortified hamlets.

The Allobroges practiced extensive agriculture, with a surplus of wheat being grown along the banks of the Rhône. The slopes of the valley were also excellent locations for viniculture, a potential that would be realized into wine production after the incorporation of the Allobroges into the Roman Empire. The region also saw animal husbandry, forestry, and limited amounts of ore mining. There are records of slaves being traded through Massalia by Gaulish tribes that would have undoubtedly included the Allobroges. These Greek traders also introduced to the tribes of the Rhône wine, salted pork, medicinal plants, coral and cork.

The religion of the Allobroges was drawn from many Gallic sources, and like their neighbours the people dug ritual burial shafts and practiced votive offerings and occasionally human sacrifice. The deities were likely identical to those of other Gallic tribes, although it is noteworthy that no representations of Cernunnos or Epona have been found in the area. The introduction of Roman rule saw some changes to the religious fabric of the province but great numbers of adherents continued old traditions. Old Gallic gods like the mallet-bearing Sucellus and the mother goddesses called the Matres (depicted with cornucopiae) continued to be worshiped syncretistically along with the Roman gods in the region long after the induction of the territory as a Roman colony. Additional religious cults came later with the oriental immigrants, who brought the eastern mystery religions to the Rhône valley. A major shrine of the Phrygian goddess Cybele was built in Vienne, and grew significantly in popularity by the 1st century and 2nd century. North-east of Vienne and north of Cularo (modern Grenoble), is a major healing sanctuary at the modern town of Aix-les-Bains. This was dedicated to a southern Gaulish healing god Borvo, and not to Apollo as might have been expected of such a Romanised people.

Politically the Allobroges were, like other Gallic tribes, actually a super-tribal group composed of functionally independent smaller tribes. Each of these groups were often large related families with their own councils of elders, religious leaders, and warleaders. There were nominal ties between these groups but in practice the Allobroges rarely acted as a unified political force, only doing so in times of external strife or crisis, such as the election of Chief Catugnatus during a revolt against Rome in 61 BCE.

History
The legacy of humanity in the province of Talallabrogis is ancient, murky, and violent. Archaeological evidence indicates that the valleys of what would later be called the eastern Rhone watershed have been home to early modern human populations as early as 43,000 years ago, where they gradually displaced or merged with the endemic Neanderthal population. This tiny hunter-gatherer population would gradually adopt metal-working and agriculture, a process that escalated significantly with the influence of the proto-Celtic cultures to the northeast that began to affect the area around 500 BC.

By 400 BC Celtic tribes of the La Tène culture were firmly entrenched in the upper Rhône valley, forming the eastern flank of would become to be known as the Gaulish civilization. At this point they began to interact with the Greeks of nearby Massalia whose traders established envoys and trading routes to expand their access to the goods of the interior. Through this link contact was made with the vestiges of other Mediterranean civilizations, in particular the Etruscans and Phoenicians. Mediterranean events would gradually begin to involve and eclipse the local tribal politics of the Allobroges.

The first written record of the Allobroges comes from Polybius, who details their role in the journey of Hanba’al who during his journey to Italy was make his way through mountain passes that were fortified by the Allobroges. Though Hannibal had great success in making alliances with tribes west of the Rhône and those of Cisalpine Gaul, he does not appear to have been successful at negotiating friendship or free passage in this case. Allobroges warriors first unsuccessfully attacked Hannibals baggage train and harassed the passage of the army following an assault on their forts. For his part, Hannibal appears to have destroyed several settlements in his path as a lesson to the ‘barbarians’.

The Allobroges appear thereafter to have been left alone during the remainder of the Punic Wars, continuing to engage only in trade or low level conflict with immediate neighbours. During this century the tribe appears to have allied with the stronger Averni confederation to their west. The area once again came in conflict with a distant empire when two newly elected and ambitious Romani consuls named Gnaeus Domitius and Quintus Fabius Maximus began a campaign to subdue the Gaulish tribes in southern Gallia Transalpina. The pretext for the invasion was that the king of the rebellious Saluvii tribe had fled north to escape justice by Romani hands and received succor from the Allobroges. A potentially more important strategic consideration for the invasion was that conquering this area would give the burgeoning empire land access to their Iberian holdings and humble the rivals to their allies, the Aedui.

In any case, a Romani army assembled in 121 BC and marched from Masallia to confront the Allobroges. After a swift but inconclusive defeat at the hands of the Romani force as they occupied the area where the Isère (Isara) meets the Rhône (Rodonos), the Allobroges appealed for help from their powerful Averni allies, who had established the most powerful tribal coalition in the region. Bringing a large army to bear, King Vituitus marched to the Rhone to meet with the remaining warriors of the Allobroges and assaulted the Romani forces at Vindalium on the banks of the river. This battle proved disastrous for the alliance, as Romani discipline and decisive use of war elephants broke the Keltoi assault, resulting in the destruction of the Allobroges and Averni forces as well as the capture of the Averni king. In their victory, the Romani caused much resettling and occupied the main Oppida of the Allobroges at Vienne.

Romani rule would prove to be beneficial to many in the region, as growing connections with the Empire’s trade routes saw a significant increase in urbanization and wealth of the province. This prosperity was challenged when the invasion of the Cimbri and Teutones threatened the security of the area and set off a destabilization Helvetii migration into the area. Imperial rule was seriously challenged in 105 BCE the Romani army was defeated at nearby Arausio and the Germanic tribes began to penetrate the Alpine passes. The general Gauis Marius eventually succeeded at dealing with this invasion, once again cementing the security of the area.

As the prosperity and population of Gallia Narbonensis grew, the Allobroges tribe grew more and more entwined with the politics and intrigue of Roma. The most infamous example of this would be the Catalunian conspiracy of 63 BCE, whereupon a group of ostracized Romani political elites sought to foment rebellion and attempted to recruit the Allobroges into the conspiracy. The Allobroges instead informed on the conspirators, an act which resulted in a failure of the plot. Two years later the tribe rebelled on its own, electing chief Catugnatus to lead the revolt and expelling Romani citizens from Vienne. Those fleeing citizens would resettle the former village of Lugdunon, turning it into a rival city. This rebellion was ultimately crushed by Gaius Pomptinus at Solonium.

Their loyalty restored, the Allobroges would play an important role in ensuring the early success of Julius Caesar as he began his campaign to subdue the remaining entirety of Gaul. Caesar praised the warriors of the Allobroges, including two brothers named Roucillus and Egus who had been Chieftans of the tribe as excellent and upstanding allies during the campaign. Though the Allobroges would briefly assert a final attempt at independence in the chaos following Caesar’s assassination, they would once again aquiese to Romani rule, this time permanently.

By 100 AD, the city of Vienne had been granted status of full colonae by Emperor Augustus and had become capital to the flourishing province of Gallia Viennensis. Though highly Romanised, the remainder of the province retained elements of Keltoi culture, such as language and religious worship. Described as ‘historic and imposing’ by Tacitus, the city would continue to prosper until the general Imperial decline in the early 5th century. When the Burgundian tribe established control over the area in 443, the small remnants of Allobroges culture and language that remained quickly disappeared.

Strategy
Allobrogis is a highly strategic province, located as it is in the nexus of the southern Gallic lands; no transalpine nation can afford to overlook it. Rich in ores, slaves and other tradeable goods, it has the capacity to grow into a wealthy urban centre and become the jewel of any burgeoning empire.

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Nicely done.:2thumbsup:

EDIT: What should the actual name of the province be? Talaallobrogis (Old) or Talallobrogis (New). If it is the new spelling version then the imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names file will also need to be updated as well.

Greetings Gentlemen,

I never said it would be fast but its here, only 6 months late (oops). Here is the regional description for Ikoranda Piktonis, not including "People and Society and Strategy" which will be done tomorrow along with formatting and such. Thoughts and feelings?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Traveller’s Log

The cold Atlantic splashes onto the deck as the Traveller shivers under his cloak, the harsh Gallic voices of the crew swallowed by the hiss and rush of the ocean. The captain, despite being a seasoned seaman, refuses to travel close to the coast siting risks of shifting sandbars, strong and unpredictable currents and tides. All that can be made out is the mouth of the Liger, surrounded by marshes and, on drier land, deciduous forests and farmland. This land is inhabited by the Piktonis and the Santonis, and his final destination, Lemonum, by the Lemovices. All are Celts, warlike and proud, who live and die by the sword.

Geography

Ikoranda Piktonis roughly corresponds to two of the administrative regions of modern France, Pays de la Loire and Poitou-Charentes, and is split equally between them. It covered the area between the Loire River (in the period of EB, the Liger), which forms its northern border, and the Gironde Estuary (the Garumna), which forms its southern border. Technically, the Gironde is only the mouth of two rivers, the most northern of being the Dordogne which formed the southern border. Its limit to the west is the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic, while its eastern border is somewhat unclear with the province petering out east of the capital, Lemonum. The Gironde and the Loire were (and are) marshy and unpredictable rivers with strong tidal flows and changeable sandbanks, requiring an experienced pilot to navigate safely. But with risk comes riches, the marshes are a haven for birds and fish. The Atlantic was a major means of travel and exchange by the 3rd century BCE, influencing the archaeological signature of all coastal settlements in Celtic land, creating the ‘Atlantic façade’.

The climate of this period was much as it is today, a temperate oceanic climate, with significant rainfall in both summer and winter. The land is mostly flat and low lying, with no major mountain ranges or hills. As a result, the two dominant biomes are marsh and deciduous forest. The deciduous forest was made up of oak, beech, pine and birch with numerous mammals such as deer, boar, wolves, foxes, rabbits and–occasionally-bears. However, the large carnivores that once inhabited this forest such as bears and wolves were eradicated in the Middle Ages.

History

The history of this region is long, stretching as back to its first settlement by the genus Homo by Homo neanderthalisensis, almost 200 000 years ago to their eventual replacement by humans by 30 000 years ago and onwards. These humans were responsible for the stunning cave paintings at Lascaux and other Upper Paleolithic sites.

The arrival of farming and the somewhat mysterious Indo-Europeans around 3000 BCE, marks the beginning of the story of Ikoranda Piktonis.

Indo-Europeans are the source of the majority of modern European and Asian languages, with the exception of Basque and Finnish in Western Europe. They are reputed to have migrated from an area around Iran and Northern India to travel as far west as Ireland, leaving behind both language and belief systems that would evolve into ‘Celtic’ by 1000 BCE. These languages were driven into extinction by the Roman conquest of Western Europe, delivering the killing blow to Gaulish, Galatian, Celto-Iberian among others. Only in the far western strongholds did these languages survive, leaving Welsh, Gaelic and Irish to survive into the present.

The first truly ‘Celtic’ culture in Europe is the Hallstatt, which marks the beginning of widespread iron usage in this area albeit tempered with a strong usage of bronze. It was named for a huge cemetery is Austria where over 1000 burials were discovered. It was characterized by the appearance of fortified hilltop settlements (Oppida) and elaborate elite burials which would continue into the next archaeologically defined culture, the La Tène. This begins around 5th century BCE and would continue until the Roman conquest in the 1st century. Contact with the Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans resulted in a vibrant trade, exchanging the exotics of the north for those of the south, by riverine routes on the Danube and Rhine. In Ikoranda Piktonis Greek and Phoencian traders arrived from the Mediterranean to trade for tin from Britain and other goods from the interior of Gaul. This helped fuel the wealth based culture of the La Tène, where gifts and largess played a key part in determining status, reflecting in the impressive burials and artifacts of the period.

Such is the state of play by the beginning of Europa Barbarorum in early 3rd century BCE, with elite culture and status being fueled by Mediterranean trade, which was funneled into the ports of the Atlantic coast and up the rivers of Central Europe.

The arrival of Julius Caesar in Gaul in 58 BCE gives us our first comprehensive written accounts of this region, which gives us the names of many of the tribes he encountered, including in Ikoranda Piktonis, the Pictones or Piktonis. These people were renowned for their shipbuilding and aided Caesar in his initial conquest of Gaul, supplying ships and men. They attempted to aid the rebellion of Vercingetorix but were repressed after his defeat at Alesia and became part of the Roman Empire.

@Brennus - new description above for you to review.

All polished off, its decent but may be a bit general. It lacks specificity about the province itself, I ended up rambling about things that are not strictly on topic. Plus needs more druids, I'll come back to it probably but for now here it is.

Ikoranda Piktonis

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

<h>Traveller’s Log</h><p>The cold Atlantic splashes onto the deck as the Traveller shivers under his cloak, the harsh Gallic voices of the crew swallowed by the hiss and rush of the ocean. The captain, despite being a seasoned seaman, refuses to travel close to the coast, siting risks of shifting sandbars, strong and unpredictable currents and tides. All that can be made out is the mouth of the Liger, surrounded by marshes and, on drier land, deciduous forests and farmland. This land is inhabited by the Piktonis and the Santonis, and his final destination, Lemonum, by the Lemovices. All are Celts, warlike and proud, who live and die by the sword.</p><h>Geography</h><p>Ikoranda Piktonis roughly corresponds to two of the administrative regions of modern France, Pays de la Loire and Poitou-Charentes, and is split equally between them. It covered the area between the Loire River (in the period of EB, the Liger), which formed its northern border, and the Gironde Estuary (the Garumna), which forms its southern border. Technically, the Gironde is only the mouth of two rivers, the most northern of being the Dordogne which forms the southern border. Its limit to the west is the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic, while its eastern border is somewhat unclear with the province petering out east of the capital, Lemonum. The Gironde and the Loire were (and are) marshy and unpredictable rivers with strong tidal flows and changeable sandbanks, requiring an experienced pilot to navigate safely. But with risk comes riches, the marshes are a haven for birds, fish and traders. The Atlantic was a major means of travel and exchange by the 3rd century BCE, influencing the archaeological signature of all coastal settlements in Celtic land, creating the so-called ‘Atlantic façade’.</p> <p>The climate of this period was much as it is today, a temperate oceanic climate, with significant rainfall in both summer and winter. The land is mostly flat and low lying, with no major mountain ranges or hills. As a result, the two dominant biomes are marsh and deciduous forest. The deciduous forest was made up of oak, beech, pine and birch with numerous mammals such as deer, boar, wolves, foxes, rabbits and–occasionally-bears. However, the large carnivores that once inhabited this forest such as bears and wolves were eradicated in the Middle Ages.</p> <h>History</h><p>The history of this region is long, stretching as back to its first settlement by the genus Homo by Homo neanderthalisensis, almost 200 000 years ago. But bthe arrival of Indo-European languages and farming marks the beginning of the history of Ikoranda Piktonis.</p><p>Indo-Europeans are the source of the majority of modern European and Asian languages, with the exception of Basque and Finnish in Western Europe. They are reputed to have migrated from an area around Iran and Northern India to travel as far west as Ireland, leaving behind both language and belief systems that would evolve into ‘Celtic’ by 1000 BCE. These languages were driven into extinction by the Roman conquest of Western Europe, delivering the killing blow to Gaulish, Galatian, Celto-Iberian among others. Only in the far western strongholds did these languages survive, leaving Welsh, Gaelic and Irish to survive into the present.</p><p>The first truly ‘Celtic’ culture in Europe is the Hallstatt, which marks the beginning of widespread iron usage in this area albeit tempered with a strong usage of bronze. It is worth noting however, the arrival of a specific archaeological culture cannot be equated with the arrival of the Celts or even a broad sense of ‘Celticness’. It was named for a huge cemetery is Austria where over 1000 burials were discovered. It was characterized by the appearance of fortified hilltop settlements (Oppida) and elaborate elite burials which would continue into the next archaeologically defined culture.</p><p>The La Tène begins around 5th century BCE and would continue until the Roman conquest in the 1st century. Contact with the Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans resulted in a vibrant trade, exchanging the exotics of the north for those of the south, by riverine routes on the Danube and Rhine and through the Atlantic. In Ikoranda Piktonis Greek and Phoencian traders arrived from the Mediterranean to trade for tin from Britain and other goods from the interior of Gaul. This helped fuel the wealth based culture of the La Tène, where gifts and largess played a key part in determining status, reflected in the impressive burials and artifacts of the period.</p> <p>Such is the state of play by the beginning of Europa Barbarorum in early 3rd century BCE, with elite culture and status being fueled by Mediterranean trade, which was funneled into the ports of the Atlantic coast and up the rivers of Central Europe.</p><p>The arrival of Julius Caesar in Gaul in 58 BCE gives us our first comprehensive written accounts of this region, which gives us the names of many of the tribes he encountered, including in Ikoranda Piktonis, the Pictones or Piktonis. These people were renowned for their shipbuilding and aided Caesar in his initial conquest of Gaul, supplying ships and men. They attempted to aid the rebellion of Vercingetorix but were repressed after his defeat at Alesia and after being absorbed by the Romans, ceased to exist as a separate entity.</p><h> People, Society and Government</h><p>The people of this region are Celts, drawn from ancient stock and with culture and language that can be traced back to the first Indo-European migrations into Europe.</p><p>There are two main varieties of Celtic that have been identified in Iron Age Europe, Insular and Continental Celtic, the former being spoken in Britain, Ireland and Brittany while the latter was spoken in the rest of Celtic Europe (including the similar but distinct Celto-Iberian). The language of the people of Ikoranda Piktonis was probably Gaulish, a language whose main source of evidence comes from inscriptions, due to the extinction of Continental Celtic during the Roman occupation to follow.</p><p>Celtic society and government is based around bondage, status and privilege. They were dominated by warrior elites, whose drive for status resulted in the beautiful and ornate art of the period. Bondage and fealty bound men and women to the King, in variety of statuses, from valued ‘shieldman’ to lowly serf. The sense of ‘nationhood’ was primarily formed from belonging to the tribe, resulting in frequent inter-tribal violence, which was often used to build a warrior’s prestige.</p><h>Strategy<h/><p>Rich trade and soils make this province a potential breadbasket for any empire, with wealth to expand and form a yet greater nation.</p>

hi all.
sorry to disturb, about the regions.
i know you all are really advanced in the s.c. 'making of', but - historically speaking, i would like to give two little suggestions, more in line with the historical accuracy, concerning italy.

Could the game regions be more adherent with the Augustan Division of Italy? Augustus reorganized Italy in 11 regions, coherent with their history and traditions (so it can be somehow historical even 3 centuries before him).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Italy


For example, it is a pity that there is no Samnium, a region with its own particular people, history and military tradition and which was very important in roman history and for the roman armies.

Attachment 17110


One more thing. i noticed that in none of the RTW/EB simulations, there is the Lake Fucinus.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fucine_Lake

it was the biggest lake in peninsular italy, even bigger than the Trasimeno lake. it was even fought a naumachia during the emperor Claudius, and was place for a big batle during the Social War (89 b.c.).

SO, i know the fixing is nearly completed, but, what do you think about?

Belliger

Uh, why would we use a division that's irrelevant in 272BC? Not only that, out of a limit of 199 provinces, why should Italy alone merit 11 of them?

thx for the quick and pertinent answer, Quintus. i know that 11 provinces is A LOT.

my consideration was not about that, i know such regions are hardcoded, and so on.
I just considered that the Augustan division was -somehow- depicting also a cultural/ethnic (and military) evidence exixsting since the beginning of roman history (and before).

And I just wonder it is a shame that Samnium disapperars as a whole, considered its historical relevance , especially compared with -let's say- corsica, that can effectively be united with Sardinia.

About lake fucinus, it is a simple matter of fact that it was a very big lake, that does not exist in the game.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Gypsy

All polished off, its decent but may be a bit general. It lacks specificity about the province itself, I ended up rambling about things that are not strictly on topic. Plus needs more druids, I'll come back to it probably but for now here it is.

Ikoranda Piktonis

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

<h>Traveller’s Log</h><p>The cold Atlantic splashes onto the deck as the Traveller shivers under his cloak, the harsh Gallic voices of the crew swallowed by the hiss and rush of the ocean. The captain, despite being a seasoned seaman, refuses to travel close to the coast, siting risks of shifting sandbars, strong and unpredictable currents and tides. All that can be made out is the mouth of the Liger, surrounded by marshes and, on drier land, deciduous forests and farmland. This land is inhabited by the Piktonis and the Santonis, and his final destination, Lemonum, by the Lemovices. All are Celts, warlike and proud, who live and die by the sword.</p><h>Geography</h><p>Ikoranda Piktonis roughly corresponds to two of the administrative regions of modern France, Pays de la Loire and Poitou-Charentes, and is split equally between them. It covered the area between the Loire River (in the period of EB, the Liger), which formed its northern border, and the Gironde Estuary (the Garumna), which forms its southern border. Technically, the Gironde is only the mouth of two rivers, the most northern of being the Dordogne which forms the southern border. Its limit to the west is the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic, while its eastern border is somewhat unclear with the province petering out east of the capital, Lemonum. The Gironde and the Loire were (and are) marshy and unpredictable rivers with strong tidal flows and changeable sandbanks, requiring an experienced pilot to navigate safely. But with risk comes riches, the marshes are a haven for birds, fish and traders. The Atlantic was a major means of travel and exchange by the 3rd century BCE, influencing the archaeological signature of all coastal settlements in Celtic land, creating the so-called ‘Atlantic façade’.</p> <p>The climate of this period was much as it is today, a temperate oceanic climate, with significant rainfall in both summer and winter. The land is mostly flat and low lying, with no major mountain ranges or hills. As a result, the two dominant biomes are marsh and deciduous forest. The deciduous forest was made up of oak, beech, pine and birch with numerous mammals such as deer, boar, wolves, foxes, rabbits and–occasionally-bears. However, the large carnivores that once inhabited this forest such as bears and wolves were eradicated in the Middle Ages.</p> <h>History</h><p>The history of this region is long, stretching as back to its first settlement by the genus Homo by Homo neanderthalisensis, almost 200 000 years ago. But bthe arrival of Indo-European languages and farming marks the beginning of the history of Ikoranda Piktonis.</p><p>Indo-Europeans are the source of the majority of modern European and Asian languages, with the exception of Basque and Finnish in Western Europe. They are reputed to have migrated from an area around Iran and Northern India to travel as far west as Ireland, leaving behind both language and belief systems that would evolve into ‘Celtic’ by 1000 BCE. These languages were driven into extinction by the Roman conquest of Western Europe, delivering the killing blow to Gaulish, Galatian, Celto-Iberian among others. Only in the far western strongholds did these languages survive, leaving Welsh, Gaelic and Irish to survive into the present.</p><p>The first truly ‘Celtic’ culture in Europe is the Hallstatt, which marks the beginning of widespread iron usage in this area albeit tempered with a strong usage of bronze. It is worth noting however, the arrival of a specific archaeological culture cannot be equated with the arrival of the Celts or even a broad sense of ‘Celticness’. It was named for a huge cemetery is Austria where over 1000 burials were discovered. It was characterized by the appearance of fortified hilltop settlements (Oppida) and elaborate elite burials which would continue into the next archaeologically defined culture.</p><p>The La Tène begins around 5th century BCE and would continue until the Roman conquest in the 1st century. Contact with the Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans resulted in a vibrant trade, exchanging the exotics of the north for those of the south, by riverine routes on the Danube and Rhine and through the Atlantic. In Ikoranda Piktonis Greek and Phoencian traders arrived from the Mediterranean to trade for tin from Britain and other goods from the interior of Gaul. This helped fuel the wealth based culture of the La Tène, where gifts and largess played a key part in determining status, reflected in the impressive burials and artifacts of the period.</p> <p>Such is the state of play by the beginning of Europa Barbarorum in early 3rd century BCE, with elite culture and status being fueled by Mediterranean trade, which was funneled into the ports of the Atlantic coast and up the rivers of Central Europe.</p><p>The arrival of Julius Caesar in Gaul in 58 BCE gives us our first comprehensive written accounts of this region, which gives us the names of many of the tribes he encountered, including in Ikoranda Piktonis, the Pictones or Piktonis. These people were renowned for their shipbuilding and aided Caesar in his initial conquest of Gaul, supplying ships and men. They attempted to aid the rebellion of Vercingetorix but were repressed after his defeat at Alesia and after being absorbed by the Romans, ceased to exist as a separate entity.</p><h> People, Society and Government</h><p>The people of this region are Celts, drawn from ancient stock and with culture and language that can be traced back to the first Indo-European migrations into Europe.</p><p>There are two main varieties of Celtic that have been identified in Iron Age Europe, Insular and Continental Celtic, the former being spoken in Britain, Ireland and Brittany while the latter was spoken in the rest of Celtic Europe (including the similar but distinct Celto-Iberian). The language of the people of Ikoranda Piktonis was probably Gaulish, a language whose main source of evidence comes from inscriptions, due to the extinction of Continental Celtic during the Roman occupation to follow.</p><p>Celtic society and government is based around bondage, status and privilege. They were dominated by warrior elites, whose drive for status resulted in the beautiful and ornate art of the period. Bondage and fealty bound men and women to the King, in variety of statuses, from valued ‘shieldman’ to lowly serf. The sense of ‘nationhood’ was primarily formed from belonging to the tribe, resulting in frequent inter-tribal violence, which was often used to build a warrior’s prestige.</p><h>Strategy<h/><p>Rich trade and soils make this province a potential breadbasket for any empire, with wealth to expand and form a yet greater nation.</p>

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Can't speak for @Brennus, other than commenting that it's really well written and I hope you do more. ~:)

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Originally Posted by z3n

Can't speak for @Brennus, other than commenting that it's really well written and I hope you do more. ~:)

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I second that... Hope you do more.

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Originally Posted by kdrakak

I second that... Hope you do more.

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You should all be very afraid, I just might :P

I've made a decision as to what province to do, the trouble is I don't have EBII installed right now so I can't check the province name and they have all changed since EB1, so all the old maps are no good.

So can anyone tell me what this province is called? The south-western most province in Gaul.

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Attachment 17120

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Originally Posted by The Gypsy

You should all be very afraid, I just might :P

I've made a decision as to what province to do, the trouble is I don't have EBII installed right now so I can't check the province name and they have all changed since EB1, so all the old maps are no good.

So can anyone tell me what this province is called? The south-western most province in Gaul.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Attachment 17120

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it might be Aquitania (quoting Caesar)

Aye, Akuitanon @The Gypsy it should be the native name...

z3n is right, that is very well written The Gypsy. A few inclusions regarding the Archaeological data for the region, and it would be comparable with the extant Gallic province descriptions (I can provide sources or take care of it myself if you prefer?). However, in its current state I am happy to see it included in the game.

I would be happy for you to provide sources (that would be very nice of you, I'd normally expect to have to do it myself) and I can do it, I'll use some of what is there for the description I am writing for Akuitanon as well to bring it up to standard. I had another question as well, what is name of the capital in Akuitanon?

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Originally Posted by The Gypsy

I would be happy for you to provide sources (that would be very nice of you, I'd normally expect to have to do it myself) and I can do it, I'll use some of what is there for the description I am writing for Akuitanon as well to bring it up to standard. I had another question as well, what is name of the capital in Akuitanon?

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AFAIR , is Burdigala (the now Bordeaux)