why cant u give it away (BI RTW stupid A.I)

[caravel]

I had forgotten, but the Greeks also once attacked Sardis in the same campaign I'm playing. I had accepted Pontus' ceasefire with the additional clause that they hand over Sardis, which they accepted and then was sitting back for the usual scenario where the evicted pontic army then lays siege to my new garisson of peasants and nubian spearmen. This time though the greeks moved in and laid siege. A few turns later they attack, and my men retreat to the square and hold them off almost to the death, causing them massive casualties (considering the greek army was three times the size of my garisson then they didn't do to badly) but ultimately losing the city to the greeks. So the next thing I decide to offer the greeks a ceasefire (just to restore trade income) and thinking they won't accept anyway add in the usual "give Sardis"........... and lo and behold "the proposal would shame a helot"... and sure enough here we go again, and the next turn Pontus lay siege to Sardis...