On Mighty Getia: Commentaries on the Pan-Thracian Empire

[Laevex]

You could replace 2 Rhompheas with Podromoi.

I probably will. Beautiful as it is to watch the Rhomphaiaphoroi mutilating my foes, I do enjoy a massive cavalry 'hammer' for my phalanx 'anvil'. Nothing quite like 4 or 5 units of medium to heavy cavalry charging the flanks to cause a mass rout.

I've also found out that in many cases choosing heavy vs light phalanx isn't worth the increase in cost.

That's certainly true for Hellenic factions, but I think the heavy phalanx is much better when taken out of phalanx formation to use their sikas. Plus they look much more shiny and 'glorious' - befitting my empire because this army is going to be the jewel of my military. I might even make 2.

[Ayce]

You should try buying mercenary Thessalian Cavalry when you advance into Asia Minor. And I meant Dacian phalanxes, the only real advantage is in armor.

And I think the Empire will see Dacianization rather than Hellenization (except for urbanization and armoring of the troops). And ancient Thracian philosophical thought imposed.

[Laevex]

CHAPTER FOUR: ANOTHER SHEEP
531st Year of Zalmoxis (182BC)

In the spring of this year, Tzinto’s vast host of Getikoi cavalry landed on the shores of Rhodos – the last remaining founding city-state of the Koinon Hellenon. Shaken by the fall of Krete, the defending army had been alerted to our approach and waited for us between the beaches and the city. The Koinon’s main forces were busy in Phrygia though and this defending army was a small force made up of local troops.

Tzinto offered the enemy mercy if they surrendered to the Getike Basileia, as they could clearly never overpower our huge host of fine Getikoi men, but the Rhodoi refused to accept defeat and chose that they would rather die a heroic death in battle than to give up their homelands. Unfortunately for them their deaths were in no way heroic.

The basileus needed no battle plan, as these stubborn Greeks harkened to the glory days of Greece before Alexandros and as such they had no cavalry contingent to defend from our horse-archers. Tzinto simply ordered his Daoi to swoop down upon the pathetic Rhodoi forces and blot out the sun with their arrows.

This was not a battle. Within minutes, even the most elite Rhodioi soldiers lay dead in a heap.

After the massacre, Tzinto sent a messenger to the city of Rhodos bidding their lord – Herakleias Naxios – to witness his slaughtered men piled high upon the bloody field. He came forth and, seeing the horror which his resistance had caused, he bowed before the Getikos basileus as his king.

When Naxios returned to the city, he returned leading the Getikos basileus and 20,000 Getikoi horsemen through the streets of Rhodos. Tzinto was given a tour of the famous city by Naxios himself and marvelled at the famous Kolossos, standing proudly at the mouth of the harbour.

The harbour itself is a wonder to the eyes of our basileus and his Daoi. Its size is extraordinary, although it will not be much use to the Getai, who would rather conduct our battles on firm land. The Getikos navy will make this port their home however, and it may help to bolster the power of our seafaring forces.

At the heart of this legendary city is a gigantic stone building, lavishly decorated with fine paints and gold leaf. Naxios told us it is an important temple to Apollo, the Olympian god. Tzinto decreed that the grand structure must be re-dedicated to almighty Zalmoxis, although the local Hellenes may still worship Apollo here if they do so in a quiet manner.

As many of the Rhodoi were killed on the fields outside the city and also because they had been hospitable to the basileus and his men, Tzinto did not spill any more Rhodoi blood that day. He ordered his men to systematically loot the metropolis, taking anything of value for the coffers of the Thraike Basileia. All the island’s populace were allowed to continue their lives as before except that they now swore allegiance to the Getikos basileus.

With the fall of Rhodos – the last great Greek polis – the Koinon Hellenon was shattered. Its holdings in the south of Anatolia were granted independence and became the Kingdom of Karia under the rule of a new Hellenikos basileus in Halikarnassos, with whom our diplomats negotiated peace and trade between our nations. The high tribal council commended Tzinto for the huge success of his ‘hunt’ campaign. He has proven himself to be a great leader and our country already begins to see the rewards of his recent conquests.

Two weeks ago we received news that Kloilios per Tamasidava had left this world to join Zalmoxis, whilst in the north of the empire policing the land. The news was sad for Tzinto, who was Kloilios’ nephew, but this was a disheartening event for us all. The entire empire mourned his passing, as he was the last of the great generals of the Thraikioi wars. Kloilios was the first general to command Getikoi horse-archer armies and the first Grand General of the Hosts of Skythia. Kloilios fought under both Koson and Pharadmon to unite the Thraikes and it was he who brought the Odrysai, Apsynthai, Melanditai and Bythinai under the rule of the Getikos basileus. He will be sorely missed amongst the tarabostes and the generals, as he was a wise man and a legendary commander. His teenage son, Diegis, has been appointed Grand General of the Hosts of Skythia now so that he can serve the Hosts and the empire as his father did.

Diegis is a warlike young man, much like his father, thirsting for the blood of Getia’s enemies. He is a skilled archer and takes pride in his glorious stallion, Raspadmon – a fine Skythioi horse given to him by his father a year ago. The teenage commander is knowledgeable beyond his years in strategy and he bears much loyalty to the basileus and the empire. He has already began to continue his father’s work, policing the northern reaches of the empire until his Hosts are called up for war.

Once again the empire is stable and peaceful. But I hear more hints every day that the basileus and the high tribal council want more battles for the Daoi. Maybe the time has come for the Thraike Basileia to face up to the Seleukidai in the east and make something productive of this cold war, although the numerous factions of Anatolia may pose an obstacle to these aspirations. Perhaps the basileus will attack the Hai Empire next, as they are allied to the arrogant Arche Seleukeia and I hear rumours that, seeing the lives their Bosporios brethren live under our rule, the steppe peoples to the northeast have requested liberation from these Persian oppressors.

The world at the end of 531YZ:

[Poggleit]

Excellent, I see you got faction recolouring working.

I pity that one guy that died of friendly fire in your battle at Rhodes.

Have you had any trouble from any of your neighbours, your campaign seems to have been without the usual indiscriminate attack from all borders?

[Ayce]

Hmm, the Hai... a tempting target, maybe you can protectorate them.
RIP the friendly fire victim.

On a side note: the Arverni, Lusitani, Romani, Ptolemy, Parthians have chaotic borders.

Sarmis Vasil! Tzinto!

[Laevex]

Have you had any trouble from any of your neighbours, your campaign seems to have been without the usual indiscriminate attack from all borders?

No it's been a bit too peaceful for my liking really. I have fortified all my borders so the AI tends to avoid attacking me unless it's much more powerful than me. Mostly this is because I'm only playing on m/m though. I don't like said indiscriminate attacks to ruin a perfectly good AAR so I take it easy. Also I play EB to relax, not to stress about the endless AS stacks flooding at me.

Also the lack of indiscriminate attacks allows me to role-play wars more realistically, as I don't get tiny states that are allied to me declaring war suddenly.

[Laevex]

I've editted all my posts so that the names of tribes and places are more consistently Ancient Greek, seeing as nobody really knows how to speak ancient Dacian.

I think it's pretty muc correct now thanks to some help I got on these fora.

[Ayce]

Update pls!

[Gebeleisis]

nice map ayce!
and very nice AAR Laevex!
i see you are romanian,us 2 have to talk
expect a pm these days

[Laevex]

Update pls!

Nice map! How did you do that?

And an update is coming don't worry. I'm just waiting for some interesting material. I guess the siege of Sardis will be the main event of the next chapter. Then after that we will have some fun - an invasion.

[Olaf The Great]

Nice map! How did you do that?

And an update is coming don't worry. I'm just waiting for some interesting material. I guess the siege of Sardis will be the main event of the next chapter. Then after that we will have some fun - an invasion.

If you're going to do a mass invasion of rome you should send spies to each city to find out which ones are the major recruiting centers, and break their military back with assassins destroying buildings, then picking off the cities.

[Ayce]

Nice map! How did you do that?

It's a fan-made HoI2 blank province world map. I just used Paint - Fill - Crop.

[Ayce]

oops, double post. And Gebe - ciocu' mic!

[Gebeleisis]

double post n00b

[Laevex]

Disaster strikes!
I just played a large chunk of hugely eventful campaign and fraps wasn't loaded up!
I will attempt to find a save from before the session but it may be some time before the next update. I only hope the replaying will be as exciting as what has just happened.

[Laevex]

CHAPTER FIVE: THE SIEGE OF SARDIS
535th Year of Zalmoxis (178BC)

With the Koinon Hellenon crushed, the Aegean was fast falling under Getike rule. Tzinto did not spend long in Rhodes and in the following spring he landed on Anatolia, marched through Karia and into Lydia with his army. The basileus sent messengers north, summoning Drilgisa – the Makedonike commander of the Hosts of Thraikia – south. The Thraikiois army laid siege to the massive city of Sardis – the westernmost holding of the Arche Seleukeia – beginning the first Getike attack on its long-term rivals.

The Seleukeios garrison was substantial and included a large contingent of the elite Agyraspidai, who patrolled the imposing walls of the great city, their lavish armour glistening in the summer sun. Tzinto ordered Drilgisa to dig his troops in and encircle the enemy, blocking all supplies to Sardis until the cowardly Seleukidai chose to surrender. Tzinto’s own army galloped around Lydia, slaughtering any supporters of the Seleukidai to make sure the Thraikios army was not attacked by any Hellenic relief force.

The world at the end of 532YZ:


The siege of Sardis was maintained for two years without much happening either politically or militarily. Tzinto stayed with his army in Lydia, occasionally returning to the comfort of Pergamon to resupply. The basileus was patient and made sure Drilgisa’s men were not tempted to storm the Seleukeios city by promising them a glorious stroll into the city when the enemy surrendered and telling them of the city’s beautiful women who will be grateful for an end to this long siege.

The world at the end of 533YZ:


The Seleukeios basileus must have lost hope for distant Lydia, as no relief force was sent to relieve the starving citizens of Sardis. For over three years, no Getike blood was spilled.

In 534YZ, Tzinto’s attention was drawn to the gradual migration of the Skthai and Sarmatai southwards into the Getike-ruled cities of Chersonesos and Pantikapaion. When the reason for this was investigated, the migrating steppe-people said that since the Armenoi had conquered much of their lands, these people had been treated as little better than slaves by their Persian overlords. They revealed that the Armenios prince, Artavazt, marched through the Sarmatioi lands with his army and, surrounded by his legendary Kataphraktoi, claimed everything and everybody he saw as his own, including the beautiful granddaughters of the Sarmatian king, who now served as concubines to the Armenios prince. Tzinto sent envoys to Thiagaros – king of Sarmatia – offering aid in driving the Armenoi from the Sarmatian homelands. The proud Sarmatians gratefully accepted this offer of Getike might, but their pride was too great to declare Sarmatia official allies of the Getike Basileia.

This was a moralistic war, but the Armenoi are natural rivals of the Getike Basileia too, as they are allies to the Seleukidai. A war against Armenia could also be very beneficial to Getia, as their homelands in the Caucasos could serve as a front from which we could launch an attack on the very heart of the Arche Seleukeia.

Tzinto sent messages to Dula – defender of Taurika – and another, younger Dula – commander of the Second Army of Getia – ordering them to march their respective armies north to Neuria – a desolate land to the north. Once this province was conquered it would serve as a base from which we could launch an attack on the Persian invaders of the steppes.

Dula the Younger and the Second Army of Getia


Dula the Elder and his army from the Hosts of Skythia

Tzinto also marched north with his horse-archer army to join his brethren in the invasion of the Armenoi.

Dula the Younger was the first commander to reach the home of the Neuroi, which was extremely poorly defended and had been infiltrated by our spies, who opened the gates to let the Second Army in.

Needless to say, the town soon fell to our forces, although the elite Germanic horsemen fought bravely. The region of Neuria was conquered and transformed into a base from which our forces could be supplied.

The world at the end of 534YZ:


This year, while the invasion forces gathered in the north of our empire, the people of Sardis finally gave in and surrendered their city to Drilgisa and his troops. The Thraikios army marched proudly through the city, handing out bread to the newest people of the Getike Basileia and thus ending their starvation. What was left of the defending Agyraspidai laid down their arms and pledged allegiance to the basileus of Getia.

Sardis proved to be a city full of grandeur and riches, as the mines of Lydia have brought affluence to these lands for centuries. The Makedonike general and his army marvelled upon the vast temple of Artemis near the coast of Lydia and plundered its rich artefacts for the empire’s coffers, rededicating it to Zalmoxis in the same tolerant way that the Rhodian temple had been transformed.

With the fall of Lydia, Seleukeia pleaded with our nation for a merciful ceasefire, but they have long been our enemies and are treacherous villains; the basileus knows they are too ambitious to maintain any kinds of peace with our fruitful country and so we remain bitter enemies.

The world at the end of 535YZ:

[Ayce]

I think it's safe to say that Getia is the most important nation on the map now, your external policy decisions being either a life saver, or a death sentence. But, tell me why rededicate all wonderous temples to Zalmoxis (in role playing)? A Gebelesis or Hero would be good too.

And I see the Lusitani are doing really well.

[Chirurgeon]

First time I popped in here and I must say I am impressed. Keep up the good work and it is good to see the Lusitannan doing so well :)

[Chaotix]

Great AAR- I love the whole "civilized barbarian" thing you've got there. Keep it up!

[Laevex]

Thanks for reading everyone.

I agree that it's brilliant to see the Lusitannan doing well, especially as they are my allies.

But, tell me why rededicate all wonderous temples to Zalmoxis (in role playing)? A Gebelesis or Hero would be good too.

I was a bit confused about the Getic gods. I think I read somewhere that Zalmoxis was their only TRUE god; but I think you're probably right, Gebelesis and Hero should get some temples.

[Ayce]

Zalmoxis was just the most important god. Besides I don't think they even had the concept of demi-god.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Nice AAR. But two things keep bothering me:

1. It is completely unrealistic that conquerors hand out bread to the populace of a just conquered city. After a two year siege, the sieging army would be in a state of disgrace itself most likely and even the best general would have a hard time in trying to distract them from looting, pillaging, raping and plundering the city. After all that's what they have waited for and what kept them attached to their general for two hard years!

2. I think you have to elaborate the part of the Hellenes more, because I don't see why they should stay loyal to their barbarian overlords. I think that needs a feasible "reason" you should invent.

[Ayce]

2. I think you have to elaborate the part of the Hellenes more, because I don't see why they should stay loyal to their barbarian overlords. I think that needs a feasible "reason" you should invent.

Uhm, because the Thracians weren't barbarian in the Germanic sense (having a pretty ancient culture), and every man has his price (aka local influent people)? And Romans were also barbarian to Greeks, and they didn't look like revolting against the empire.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Uhm, because the Thracians weren't barbarian in the Germanic sense (having a pretty ancient culture)

Pardon? I do not get what you mean. Please elaborate your thoughts.

[Reality=Chaos]

As I understood it. The Dacians and thracians had a pantheon, but then zalmoxis came along. He preached something about immortality of the soul or somesuch. He became a prophet and later God to the getians. They still payed respect to their original gods though. Anyone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought this was how it was explained. It's a bit like the zoroastrians, The Ahura Mazda is their main god, and along with angru mainyu (ahriman, the evil spirit) the only true god. There were however demigods, and gods from before zoroastrism which were integrated into the new religion. I imagine something similar happening with the old Getian Gods.

[Ayce]

Pardon? I do not get what you mean. Please elaborate your thoughts.

Before the Greeks arrived in the Balkans, the pre-Thracian civilization was one of the more advanced in the world at that time (see Tărtăria Tablets), probably being descendants of the people that inhabited the now flooded area of the Black Sea (West and North). The Greeks took over part of the religious and architectural concepts and elaborated while the Thracians stagnated, but were generally ahead of the Germanics and many of the Celtic people (but lacking their metallurgy and wall building techniques for a certain period, later to be recuperated, and advanced upon). If they were to conquer Greece, they would have become very civilized in a Graeco-Roman sense.

[Laevex]

I wish I had the historical know-how to avoid indescrepancies but I'm not really learned in history so I apologise.

1. It is completely unrealistic that conquerors hand out bread to the populace of a just conquered city. After a two year siege, the sieging army would be in a state of disgrace itself most likely and even the best general would have a hard time in trying to distract them from looting, pillaging, raping and plundering the city. After all that's what they have waited for and what kept them attached to their general for two hard years!

Fair enough. I just kinda liked the idea of a liberal 'barbarian' empire and I assumed that since the city was pretty much secure from reinforcements, my army wouldn't have too much trouble sending for supplies from the north.

However, you have failed to take into account that Moskon, my narrator, is only a man and he is hugely biased because his mission is to reveal the heroes of Getia. He may well have deviated significantly from the truth in his recounting in order to show the Getai in a heroic and noble light.

2. I think you have to elaborate the part of the Hellenes more, because I don't see why they should stay loyal to their barbarian overlords. I think that needs a feasible "reason" you should invent.

My empire is pretty progressivist and liberal (at least in Moskon's eyes), so I don't see why the Hellenes would rebel too much. They have been granted freedom to retain their old lives and the most powerful Greeks have been granted the status of honourary tarabostes in the high tribal council. Of course the presence of professional garrisons does help their loyalty as any rebels are quickly slaughtered by my Hosts.

[Laevex]

So obviously I want to play 1.1. I say this AAR will at least be on hold until I get bored of my upcoming Sauromatae campaign on 1.1.

Hopefully it will be back though, as I'm really liking the campaign and I enjoy writing it. I may just do another AAR on 1.1. I havn't decided. It's a shame because I wanted to go on for decades with this like MAA's fantastic 'The Antigonids'.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Oh yeah, I missed that the narrator is biased.

Thanks for response though, although you want to head on to 1.1. Everytime a new version comes out it's incredible hard to go on with your well advanced campaign... Good luck with the Sauros.