hehehe, at the beginning of the game had this lone diplomat travel all the way along northafrican coast into egypt and seleucid lands. along the way he allied both: with egyptians and seleucids. meanwhile, my other diplomats had secured aliances practically everywhere else on the map spare carthagians, greeks ang gauls (i was playing as julii). once i reached the parthian lands, parthians were at war with seleucids. i sold aliance + trade rights + a map to the parthians: boom! parthians and seleucids declare ceasefire. i moved the diplomat further into armenian lands who were at the time at war with parthians and sold the same "sweet package" to them: boom! armenia declares ceasefire with parthians... the same got repeated with the people of Pont... :)