The Royal Council

[The Celtic Viking]

"Did I not already tell you? The west has great wealth, manpower, infrastructure, Makedonians and loyal inhabitants. The east has some wealth, laughable manpower, horrendous infrastructure, few Makedonians and disloyal inhabitants. Do not fool yourself and think they're equals. They're not. I think that makes at least two who has said the East is less important. I, myself, have said it twice now.

Note though that all anyone here has said is less important, as opposed to unimportant. What I think you should do now, Andromachos, is first to calm down. Take your frustration out in the training yard or something. Then when you can think clearly again without your own personal feelings getting in your way for rational thought, come back. Your whole speech about what Alexander wanted seems a little bit... misdirected."

[johnhughthom]

Lykikos stands and looks at Andromachos

"I think you should heed Sarpedon's advice and calm down, although unfortunately that was the only thing of worth in his words. "
Looks to Sarpedon
"You keep going on about Makedones, Sarpedon, as if they are the be all and end all of the Arche, why not go back to Makedonia if thats what is important to you? For one who is heir to this Empire you seem to have little understanding how it works, indeed many in the east are not 100% loyal and a strong Basileus is needed to unite them all. I wonder how they will react when they have a leader who sees them as "less important" rather than "unimportant." I'm sure the huge difference in meaning will be very reassuring for them."

He sits, shaking his head

[Alerion]

A servant sitting at the doors listens carefully to what is going on and, knowing his master would want to know of this discussion, calls for one of THeodoros' messengers to deliver him news about this unrest.

[Hax]

Andromachos glances over at Polyxenides

"You are right, I spoke in anger. However,"

Andromachos turns towards Sarpedon again

"You misunderstand my point, Sarpedon. The true power of the Arche lies to the east, at the cities of Ekbatana, Susa, Seleukeia tes Tigrou, Babylon, and Persepolis. These are the economic powerhouses on which our strength lies. You severely underestimate the strength of the east. Were it not the Persians who claimed the largest part of Asia?"

"I have not even stated once that the West is less important than the East. They are balancing eachother, as the one relies on the other. I also think that you cannot even think to state that the East has "some wealth", at best, as you put it. I, personally, control all the trade coming through, far from the East, even further than the Mauryioi who live in golden cities, as is told. The provinces of Gabiene, Perse, Parthava, Hyrkania, Austauene, Karmania and Aria are rich in the silver and gold ore, which we use to pay our soldiers. Did you think that Antiocheia and Seleukeia Pieria alone could handle all the pay for our soldiers, or Issos, Sardis, Mazaka?

Nay. The economy lies in the East, the men in the West."

[The Celtic Viking]

""Go back to Makedonia"?" Sarpedon frowns and shakes his head. "Listen up, Lykikos, and listen good: without the Makedonians and the Hellenes, we have no army. When their numbers dwindle, we are forced to turn to mercenaries, lest our armies should dwindle with them. This is a fact, not how I want it to be, or even just my opinion. That's just the way it is, and that's why I'm saying they're more important, along with the fact that they're more trustworthy. I've never taken you for a fool, but you're starting to sound an awful lot like one if you're telling me you didn't already know this."

Sarpedon now turns to Andromachos, smiling gleefully.

"I'm afraid you're contradicting yourself now. First you say that "the true power" lies in the east, continuing to say that's where our strength lies. So far so wrong, but then you go on and say that you "never once" have said the west was less important than the east! But my dear Andromachos, you did so twice before in the very same speech!" Sarpedon laughs and continues. "Which is all the more funny since I hadn't even claimed that you said anything of the sort before!

In any case, you're being a fool here. Could Ekbatana, Susa, Babylon, Seleukeia and Persepolis alone pay for our armies? Of course not! Does that mean the west is supplying all the wealth? Of course not! You're saying it does, only you take western cities instead and claim the east is paying for it. You're, quite happily I presume, forgetting that Mikra Asia is a very, very rich area, and the trade there is great as well. This I know personally because I am the satrap there, and unlike others, I actually do my job."

With a long stare straight into Andromachos' eyes, Sarpedon sits down.

[johnhughthom]

Lykikos stands to adress Sarpedon

I care little for whether you took me for a fool, I had certainly never taken you for a potential tyrant

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

OOC using a modern interpretation of the word here

yet I'm sure I'm not alone in becoming very concerned recently that you are heir to our Empire. I am well aware of the importance of Makedones and Hellenes to our armies but even Alexandros had others in his armies, insulting the other peoples in our Empire will not motivate them to fight with us. I am not overly concerned with your opinions on military matters, I am very concerned with how you are putting them across. You seem intent on humiliating your cousin, and you are making sure everybody knows what a great job you are doing rather than letting your actions speak for themselves.
Perhaps we should focus on the Ptolemaic threat now, this bickering would be more at home in Athens and will get us nowhere.

The Babylonian sits looking tired

[The Celtic Viking]

Sarpedon sighs.

"I never said we have, are, or should exclude non-Hellenes from our armies, so don't try to play it that way. The fact still remains, though: they are the core, and without them we crumble. If saying that makes them more important than others is "insulting", than I'm sure you'd say that it would be insulting of me to say that the cavalry in our armies are more important than the levy skirmishers. Ridiculous.

If I'm humiliating Andromachos, then it's his own fault, because I don't humiliate someone because of how they look, how they dress or because I "just want to". I only humiliate people because of what they claim, and in the right circumstances, how they claim it. I simply call them as I see them. As for letting my actions speak for themselves, I tried that, and despite working the crap out of myself and becoming the best administrator in the whole damn kingdom, that only gained me attacks from Timarchos. Perhaps you had forgotten that?

But I do agree we should focus on the current problems we're having. We can't waste time on something like this now."

[johnhughthom]

Lykikos looks confused

"Are you seriously telling me you are so insecure that being "attacked" by the man who led to our humiliation in Heirosolyma has led to these arrogant outbursts? I believe I said once before that a lack of criticism is sometime the only praise you receive in politics, criticism from Timarchos hardly counts now does it? Personally I had no doubts you would succeed as Satrap but I didn't realize you needed constant reassurances of your worth, I will try to remember in future."

Lykikos smiles to assure Sarpedon he is not serious

[Celtic_Punk]

Euripedes after watching the three men bicker for a time stands up with a look of slight distaste
"SHUT UP! STOP YOUR PETTY BICKERING! You are men! ACT LIKE IT! Andromachos, those cities are the heart of the Arche, without them We cannot function. Sarpedon, you misunderstood what I said. When I said the East, I meant the far east, bordering the Persian scum and the Baktrians. The great core cities dwarf the East AND West in importance. You are SATRAPS! You are not accomplishing anything by disputing who's Satrapy is more important. We have a new issue here. A large army at Petra. We should not provoke it by taking Jerusalem. Leave the Jews to rot. I would not trade 10 000 Jews for 100 of our soldiers. We should hold the line, Pontus must fall before we can continue into Egypt...Eurpides takes a breath and a sip of water."Another issue. The Armenian threat! After Pontus is dealt with we will have extended our borders with them. This new border needs to be enforced. I propose that after the Pontic campaign is through we raise a small contingent as a delaying force if the Hai decide to make an incursion on our lands. Euripedes looks to the similiarly aged King Your thoughts sire?