For much of the third century the Ptolemaic Empire was forced to turn south to increase its powerbase. Wars with the Seleucids ended in stalemates at best. An attempt to draw the line at Jerusalem failed, and the Seleucids were only checked by the unprecedented levying of native Egyptian soldiers. Raids meant to weaken Seleucid power in order to enable the upstart Pontus to supplant them in Anatolia also came to a bad end, merely replacing a Greek enemy standing at the gates of Alexandria with a Persian one. A power also rose in Arabia, which ontinually threatened to spill over the borders of their peninsula into Egypt. Only in the south was success to be found, and the mines there would pay the armies that saved Alexandria from conquest repeatedly over the course of the century.
Things would come to a close towards the end of the third century, however. Carthage, long time allies of the Ptolemaios family, attacked Kyrene, crushing the army sent to stop them. At first there was panic in Alexandria, as it wasfeared that the Pontus and Saba would take advantage, but the former became embroiled in a conflict with the rising power of Macedonia, and the latter not yet powerful enough to be a threat without Pontic aid.
The heir Iason Ptolemaios was designated to take back Kyrene and punish Carthage for their treachery. Although the war would bankrupt the nation as multiple great armies had to raised, and at times fortune seemed to go against the Ptolemies as much as Carthage, in the end Iason was successful and took Carthage itself. When his father passed and he became ruler he decided that the area around Carthage and directly to the west would become permanent possessions of his family.
For some time their was peace as the remnants of Carthage were to weak to strike back, but when Rome attacked the Ptolemaic allies to the north, the Sweboz, Iason ordered his cousin and designated heir Menestratos Ptolemaios, to raise an army against them. Only their great mercenary armies were a challenge. Quite to his surprise Menestrator found himself in command of nearly all of Italy within a relatively short period of time. It would seem the people of Rome had forgotten how to fight, as they fielded mainly armies of light spearmen, with some few heavy infantry.
Many scholars of the time have termed this te beginning of a Golden Age of Ptolemaic wealth and military might, but not all is at it seems. Armies take up the vast majority of the Imperial budget, with little available for the upgrading of buildings or garrisons. Macedonia has risen to great power, and wrested Kyrene itself from the Ptolemies, a development ignored by Iason in his obsession with the west. The most recent news has it falling yet again, this time to Pontus. Iason Ptolemaios is under siege, while one of his settlements east of Carthage has fallen. Alexandria still lies open to attack, with no buffer for protection if Macedonia conquers its way to her gates, or if Pontus has a resurgence. Meanwhile to the east the Seleucids have eliminated most of their rivals, and are still regarded as the most powerful kingdom in the known world. This at least hasn't been ignored, and Iason has sent a force under the Egyptian Nikeratos Mendaios east to aid the Baktrians.
OOC:
Re: Post your EB empires!
I couldn't believe my eyes when i saw the message:
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks