Quote Originally Posted by Salazar
@Caesar: Don't let Steppe Merc hear this, there were tribal confederations all over the Steppe, and the Saharah wasn't unpopulated. Arabian Peninsula had some really wealthy trading Cities.
And in Africa, if i remember correctly there were even some awefully rich
!kingdoms! (not tiny tribes) on the Southern Edge of Sahara, had something to do with Gold and Salt i think. Though i'm not sure if these were established later.

Just look at maps for 280 or 270 bce - no political entities in Africa South of Numidia , no political entities in the Arab peninsula (OK , several cities 1,000 km from each other...) and East off Dacia (OK , some tribes that moved from here to there , Steppe - ni offence )
The point is that the Greeks had tiny City states that had more influence than any gigantic tribal "empire" like the Sarmatians or the Scitians . now , in a big map you will see a mighty Sarmatian "empire" that controls 5 cities and a tiny Hellenic union that control 15 cities...