Quote Originally Posted by Hax View Post
However, if you truly do not wish any harm to be brought upon the Hellenes, which I too, would greatly regret, I can give you the cities of Marakanda and Alexandreia "the Furthest". From there, we can look to turn the barbaroi from the north back to the vast plains from whence they came. Ptolemaios and myself have already discussed a peacetreaty to avoid any Hellenic bloodshed in the Levant, and yet you seek to throw the Hellenic lands into turmoil and civil war.
I assure you, that this all the Baktrian people want. Whether intentionally or not, we have been neglected by the great Arche, thanks to your distractions in the Levant, and we feel, whether justifiably or not, that our sacrifices have not been rewarded or even noticed by the Basileus. This is what we have been striving for, not conquest or conflict, ad we humbly ask for your forgiveness for what we said about dividing your great Arche; never would we think to act upon such a misguided whim.

However we beseech upon thee the request to add Margiane to our Satrapy; it would make communications between our three provinces easier and help finance our war against the Saka. To take the war against the Saka to the next level, as you propose, we will need more resources than a mere three provinces can provide, and with the Saka constantly harassing us, we will have no resources to spare to gather more territory in your name and push back the Saka. We would govern it in your name of course, and we will obey your every command. We would also like to remind you that there are rumblings among the Pahlava, and that a betrayal by them is not unlikely. Should Margiane stay under your direct control, it has no chance of being safely retained in your hands, with your resources stretched so thinly in your great Empire. However, were you to gift it to us, then we would be able to enforce your will much quicker and effectively than all the way from Antiochea.

Your Satrap of Baktria, Servant of the Arche - Diodotos II.