Alexandros squeezed his brother's shoulder and gave him a smile before he stormed off. They had much to talk, but now was not the time. For a moment, the lad found himself thinking of their sister - she was safe here, in his Alexandrian estate. Alexandros had a duty to her as the oldest, after all.
However his attention was now focused on the newcomer - someone unknown to him personally, though he had heard of his name from somewhere or other...
"As the present governor of Hierosolymna I would welcome any and all troops sent to the town. However the Royal Army is needed up North to repel the immediate Seleukid threat. Damaskos is well defended and cannot be assaulted without great risk to the army and by proxy - to the whole North-Eastern front. It would be wiser to secure our own positions and then gradually push in the undefended Selekid lands. The riches of the East, Babylon especially, will allow us to raise an appropriately sized force to capture Damaskos."
The art of war, then, is governed by five constant
factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations,
when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.
These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth;
(4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline. Sun Tzu, "The Art of War" Like totalwar.org on Facebook!
Basileus Philadelphos Ptolemaios raises his eyebrow at Alexandros.
"I am kind of surprised by your latest words. Lets see here..."
He waves a scribe to come over and he is given a piece of paper which he quickly scans through. When he finds what he's seeking for, he turns back up towards Alexandros.
"Ah, yes, Edict E1.4. It was proposed by you, wasn't it? Well, according to it, the Royal Army is supposed to confront the main enemy force in the area, which can only be interpreted as the one currently stationed in Damaskos. Now you're against going after them?
But Edict E1.4 also states that you would "amass 6 to 8 phalanxes" for yourself, but the only phalanxes available in the area belong to your Basileus' army - my army! Surely you would not have the cheek to try and steal my men from me, so where would you get these phalanxes from, may I ask?"
Last edited by The Celtic Viking; 06-13-2011 at 18:59.
Basileus Philadelphos Ptolemaios raises his eyebrow at Alexandros.
"I am kind of surprised by your latest words. Lets see here..."
He waves a scribe to come over and he is given a piece of paper which he quickly scans through. When he finds what he's seeking for, he turns back up towards Alexandros.
"Ah, yes, Edict E1.4. It was proposed by you, wasn't it? Well, according to it, the Royal Army is supposed to confront the main enemy force in the area, which can only be interpreted as the one currently stationed in Damaskos. Now you're against going after them?
But Edict E1.4 also states that you would "amass 6 to 8 phalanxes" for yourself, but the only phalanxes available in the area belong to your Basileus' army - my army! Surely you would not have the cheek to try and steal my men from me, so where would you get these phalanxes from, may I ask?"
My Basileus. The army near Sidon I proposed to march under your or your sons command, but not to claw at the stone walls of Damaskos, but to relieve Tarsos instead and perhaps meet the army stationed next to Antiocheia. Frankly I see little reason to move the other Royal army that is near Memphis and wait months for them to arrive, instead of using the force that is bordering the Seleukid territories!
As far as the forces under my command, I proposed, out of courtesy, to move the garrison of Hierosolymna North to Sidon and there combine the two in a force to aid the Royal army in pushing the Seleukids back. Surely you don't think you personally possess the armies that our great kingdom has levied? You are a Basileous of free Greeks who know the taste of democracy, not a god-king of Persia! Best keep that in mind."
The art of war, then, is governed by five constant
factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations,
when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.
These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth;
(4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline. Sun Tzu, "The Art of War" Like totalwar.org on Facebook!
Alexandros Thraikikos I think you go to far. As the Basileus he is the leader of our Kingdom and he can exercise any right he wants. All troops are under the command of our great Ptolemy and they serve the Kingdom and the Kingdom only. The leader of the Kingdom is the great man you seek to belittle. Best keep that in mind.
Philadelphos smiles towards Bothos before turning to Alexandros, his face now turning more disappointed.
"Who do you think you are, talking to me like that? I am your king! You owe me your loyalty. As the Basileus, the Royal Army is my personal army. I decide where it goes. I decide what it will do. I also decide who will command any regular army in the field. You have no more influence in this than I decide to give you. This is not a democracy, and if you don't like that, then you should get off my land immediately and never return. If you do stay, however, I expect you to apologize and to get with the program.
As it is, I will not support your Edict. Instead, I shall make a new one:
Edict E1.11: The Garrison of Hierosolyma and Sidon shall be combined and made into a Regular Army. This army will march down to reclaim Paraitonion, while the Royal Army stays in defence of Syria."
One more thing needs to be cleared up."
Philadelphos turns to a scribe standing nearby.
"You are supposed to hold expert knowledge on the law. Would it be possible, if my son doesn't show up, for me to act in his stead, deciding instead of him who shall control his army? If not, I think I might have to undo my decision and let Leontiskos be the heir again, until such time as my son feels ready to enter the political scene and fulfill his duty."
Last edited by The Celtic Viking; 06-13-2011 at 21:55.
"I have not decided that yet. Leontiskos Thraikikos is my first choice, but I expect him to take command over my son's Royal Army. If my son actually shows up and declares this will not be, then he will take command of it. Otherwise, I believe you would be the best choice, comrade.
If this edict passes, then this would mean that the heir's Royal Army would have to leave less men behind, strengthening our positions everywhere."
Of course I will be leading my army where you or the Council wishes, father. No need to appoint a proxy.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Originally Posted by The Celtic Viking
"I have not decided that yet. Leontiskos Thraikikos is my first choice, but I expect him to take command over my son's Royal Army. If my son actually shows up and declares this will not be, then he will take command of it. Otherwise, I believe you would be the best choice, comrade.
If this edict passes, then this would mean that the heir's Royal Army would have to leave less men behind, strengthening our positions everywhere."
Re: The Royal Council
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Originally Posted by The Celtic Viking
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