Hello!

I have followed EB out of a professional interest for quite some time, and even though I'm not sure wether this is the proper thread I'll just post away as what I have to say concerns how the Ptolemies seem to stomp Seleucids far too easily.

A way to fix this oddity - and to increase the historical accuracy of EB - might be to weaken the Ptolemies by not giving them the povince(s) constituting Cyrene. Cyrene was part of the original realm of Ptolemy I, and in around or soon after 300 BC he gave it to one of his sons to govern, to Magas of Cyrene. Magas remained loyal to his father, but when Ptolemy I died and Ptolemy II ascended the throne, he rebelled against his half-brother. This took place soon after 280 BC, slightly earlier than the date of 276 BC given in the wikipedia article I have linked. Magas crowned himself king of Cyrene and took Paraitonion from his half-brother and in around 275 BC even marched on Alexandria in attempt to win Egypt. He was thwarted in this, but he remained securely in possession of Cyrene and Paraitonion until his death in te 250s. Only then did Ptolemaic Egypt regain control over Magas holdings.

Having the Ptolemies in 272 BC in control of Cyrene and Paraitonion is thus not only wrong, giving it to Rebels might also weaken the Ptolemies sufficiently to give the Seleucids a better chance against them.

Hmph. I tried to link to the wiki article on Magas of Cyrene, but this forum seems to have regulations that this is not allowed on a first post, so you will have to enter "Magas of Cyrene" into wikipedia's search window yourself.