Alternative factions

[menander]

A Galatian faction, maybe? There are two Gallic factions already, though...

[Geoffrey S]

The reason I like the idea of an Arabic faction is that it seems either the Seleucids or the Ptolemaioi dominate in the region, which is neither entirely realistic nor that good for the gameplay. On the other hand, a new Germanic faction would fill out the rather empty northern end of the map quite nicely, though the loose tribes up that way may be better represented by rebel provinces.

The Sabeans are much more likely than the Nabataeans as the Nabataeans hadn't even become sedentary until the very end of the mod's time frame.

Sounds good. Is there anywhere you'd recommend to find more (accurate) information on the Sabeans, because I know next to nothing about them.

Would I be correct in assuming that there's very little (primary) information on the Sabeans? I wouldn't have thought they left much behind in the form of written records, though I'd have thought that about the Yuehzi too.

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

An African faction would be great with that huge expanse there.

[QwertyMIDX]

Over 10,000 Southern Arabian inscriptions have been found, the large plurality of which are Sabean. They are also mentioned briefly in Pliny, who was part of a Roman expedition sent ton conquer southern arabia (didn't manage it, but more because their guide, a Nabataean, betrayed them). Ptolemy also talks about the peoples and cities of Southern Arabia.

[Justiciar]

The Cimbri perhaps? Kush? Or maybe the Mauryan Empire?

[Geoffrey S]

Over 10,000 Southern Arabian inscriptions have been found, the large plurality of which are Sabean. They are also mentioned briefly in Pliny, who was part of a Roman expedition sent ton conquer southern arabia (didn't manage it, but more because their guide, a Nabataean, betrayed them). Ptolemy also talks about the peoples and cities of Southern Arabia.

Sounds good. Are there any books/articles on the subject you'd recommend?

Or maybe the Mauryan Empire?

It's one I'd love to play as, but I can't realistically see enough room on the campaignmap to represent their true size and power, or enough unit slots to accurately portray them.

[Greek_fire19]

The only problem with the sabeans is that (i'v only read a few articles on them but this seems to be the general consensus) they were an important trading power on the route from the west to the east, and they had a virtual monopoly on the frankinsense trade, which was used as an incense in temples across the western world, so they were a small put wealthy power, however, they didn't have a particularly large population and would rely mostly on mercenaries. They wouldnt have a particularly diverse or interesting military.

I might be wrong though, I havent seen any studies of them which dwell on their military prowess, except that they were occupied throughout this period with fighting between themselves and one of their neighbour states, whose name I forget

[QwertyMIDX]

They were actually a rather expansionistic power, they conquered all of Southern Arabia at one point and ruled over large parts of Ethiopia as well. Their Military would likely be made up of rather well armed nobels from the cities, some what less well armed citizen soilders (also from the cities), large numbers of Arabia tribesmen who were supplied by the nomadic Arabian tribes that owed alliegence to the Sabeans and perhaps some Ethiopians. Other than the Arabic tribesmen none of the forces they field could even been broadly called mercs, and they aren't really mercs except in the sense that the Sabeans (or some other urban power) would usally give certain tribes gifts in exchange for their allegience.

The 3 other Southern Arabian states at the time were Qataban, Ma'in and Hadramaut with Himyar emerging later.

The Sabeans were indeed generally occupied with trying to restablish dominance over the other southern Arabian kingdoms during this period, and it should be very hard for them to do so, but they had managed to conquer the entire area in the past, and were things to have gone a little differently they could have managed it again.

[MeroFromVero]

The only problem with the sabeans is that (i'v only read a few articles on them but this seems to be the general consensus) they were an important trading power on the route from the west to the east, and they had a virtual monopoly on the frankinsense trade, which was used as an incense in temples across the western world...

Why would that be a problem? One of the big reasons the Casse got factionized was their control of the tin trade, right?