Preview: The Areuakoi

[Brennus]

Greetings Europa Barbarorum fans.

Today we are proud to present The Areuakoi.

INTRODUCTION

We don't know how long we have lived here, but these mountains and valleys are our home. It is here our sheep graze, our crops are grown and our people live good lives. Our neighbours look on our prosperity and they send their warriors to seize it from us, but our people will not give up what we have gained and we fight back with vigour our foes can not match. And we never let a slight go by, as our enemies learn when we bring our spears and swords to their lands. Once the clans lived each on its own, moving with the sheep or living in simple hamlets throughout the lands. Now, the clans live together in oppida, large towns with sturdy stone walls, where they are safe should the enemy invade in great numbers. Here, the craftsmen do their work, merchants ply their wares, farmers bring their crops and herders the sheep for slaughter.

In the days of our grandfathers, only some of our people were allowed to bear arms and fight for the clan. Those who fought for our protection were also the ones who ruled our clans, by virtue of being warriors. But times change. More of our men carry weapons and learn to fight. Our warriors are many and they are renown. Each year, young warriors travel south or east to fight in the wars of the Phoenicians or the Greeks, peoples who live far away across the sea. Each year, older and more experienced warriors return with tales and much wealth, strengthening our people. The wealthiest and noblest among us lead us in battle and fight at the front, protected by strong armour and sturdy swords, be it falcatas or gladius'. With them march warriors with spears and shields, skirmishers who pepper the enemy with javelins and cavalry who will harass or flank. Whatever foe we face, he will learn to fear our warriors.

We, the Arevaci, live in the heart of these lands surrounded by the sea on all corners, except in the northeast where high mountains separate us from the Gauls, whom we share some kinship with. Numerous tribes live here, fighting or trading each other. To our north fellow Celtiberi, as we are called, live and also to our immediate east. To our northeast live the Vascones and Ilergetes, powerful tribes, while along the eastern coast the Greeks have built cities. To our south, the Phoenician cities dot the coastlands and they might come north should their lust for wealth ever tempt them. In the western mountains and plains the Lusotannan live, a people who speak almost like we do and who are renowned warriors as us. They might find our lands tempting to raid, so always keep an eye out for them. To strengthen our people and gain power, you will have to fight all these peoples and numerous tribes more. It will be a hard struggle, but to the worthy goes the spoils. May our enemies never find reprieve should he cross us.

THE FACTION SYMBOL

The Areuakoi faction symbol is a composite image of two Celtiberian artefacts. The double horse design is adapted from a bronze standard recovered from the Areuakoi oppida of Numantia. The standard incorporates several themes for which the Celtiberians were renowned. The double horses can be seen to reflect the importance that cavalry played in Celtiberian society. Indeed Celtiberian cavalry units were renowned for their discipline; having proven themselves to be dangerous opponents, Celtiberian cavalry units soon found ready employment with the Mediterranean nations they had so terrified. Beneath each of the horses can be seen a human head. For the Celtiberians, as for other Celts, the head was the part of the body in which the essence of an individual resided. Decapitation and mutilation of the right hand was viewed, by the Celtiberians, as the greatest insult you could inflict upon a foe. By decapitating your foe you took his essence, by mutilating his right hand you inhibited his ability to wield a weapon in the next world. The Celtiberians also practiced ritual de-fleshing of their ancestor’s heads and preserving these for future ceremonies. Finally, the fine quality of the bronze used to create the standard attests to the highly quality of Celtiberian metallurgy which, especially in the case of swords, was praised by classical authors. The border of the symbol is adapted from a gold torque from Vilas Boas, Portugal. Although the torque was discovered outside of Celtiberian territory it is clearly of Celtiberian origin and, like many other examples of Celtiberian metalwork, is an exquisite and beautiful artefact.

The artefacts which inspired the Arevaci faction symbol. Left, the Villas Boas torque. Right, Celtiberian bronze standards

The faction colours for the Areuakoi are intended to reflect the importance of bronze and leather armour among Areuakoi warriors, the colour of Areuakoi cattle and the forests and soils of the Celtiberian homeland.

THE FAMILY TREE

The family tree of the Areuakoi is, like family trees for prehistoric Europa Barbarorum II factions, a work of fantasy. Although the Celtiberians were literate the only surviving texts produced by the Celtiberians are in the form of hospitality pacts and religious dedications, no indigenous history of the Celtiberians exists. The Europa Barbarorum II team therefore constructed a family tree from what little information existed for the Areuaoki and other Celtiberians in the 3rd Century BC. The two individuals listed at either side of the bottom of the family tree are historically attested. The first, Isolatios, is recorded as having attacked Hamilcar Barca late in the 3rd Century BC. It is said that he led the attack with his brother, whose name is not recorded. The name Kalamus was chosen for brother for Isolatios on no more evidence than it is an attested Celtiberian name. The brothers are said to have come from an aggressive tribe who lived north of the Turdentanoi. Considering the Turdentanoi lived in what is now south western Andalucía this means they could have belonged to almost any tribe, including the aggressive Areuakoi. As Isolatios and his brother were still alive and active when Hamilcar Barca was campaigning in Iberia (237-231BC) they have been given the ages of 17 and 16, respectively.

The individual next to Isolatios and Kalamus is Indortes. Indortes, like the brothers, is recorded as having attacked Hamilcar. However it is recorded that he came from a tribe different to that of Isolatios. The decision was taken to make him a member of the Belloi tribe as the Areuakoi and Belloi, along with the Lusones and Titoioi, were allies in the 3rd and 2nd Centuries BC. It was therefore considered acceptable to have a Belloi in command of Areuakoi warriors. The faction leader who, in the family tree, is the adopted father of these men is Magara. Although we know there was an individual called Magara at some point in Areuakoi history, the Magara in Europa Barbarorum II is entirely fictitious. Likewise the founder of the Areuakoi, Avaros is fictitious. The name Avaros was chosen as the Areuakoi may have taken their name from the name of an individual whose exploits were sufficient that he came to be considered the father of the tribe. Such an etymology has been theorised by academics for other Celtic groups such as the Catuvellauni tribe, who may have taken their name from the 1st Century BC British leader Cassivellaunus, and the Belgae who it is theorised are somehow related to the Celtic leader Bolgios who killed the King of Makedon, Ptolemy Keraunos, before withdrawing westwards.

Fans of Europa Barbarorum II will no doubt have noticed that there is a lack of women in the family tree. This is because the Areuakoi use the Teutonic system of family succession from Medieval II Total War Kingdoms. The Teutonic system works entirely by adoption: potential family members are adopted by an existing member whilst the faction leader is selected based on his influence. There are also no faction heirs in the Teutonic system. This system was chosen as it was thought to better reflect the Celtiberian tendency of electing their war leaders, rather than establishing hereditary lineages. Therefore the Areuakoi will be led by an Ueramos rather than a Gaulish Rixs.


A NOTE ON THE NAMES OF CELTIC FACTIONS IN EUROPA BARBARORUM II

Fans of Europa Barbarorum will no doubt have noticed that in Europa Barbarorum II the names of the Celtic factions have changed. New fans may also be confused as to why they cannot find the names Aruernoi or Boioi in books or online, or why in this preview we refer to the Areuakoi when we in fact mean the Arevaci. The reason for this is the same reason for the entire Europa Barbarorum II project: historical accuracy. In Europa Barbarorum many factions were referred to by the names which their leaders and citizens would have known them; for example instead of Carthage there was Karthadastim. However, we neglected to change the names of the Celtic factions. Instead we referred to them by their Latinised names; the Aedui and Arverni (please note that no classical author ever referred to the Britons as “Celts”, and no Briton ever identified them-self as a “Celt” until the 1700s AD). In Europa Barbarorum II, our linguistic researchers have attempted to reconstruct the names of the Celtic factions as they would have sounded when spoken by Celts. Additionally the letters “V” and “C” are not used when writing Celtic names. The reason for this is that the scripts which Celtic peoples used during the EBII timeframe, Iberian and Greek, did not contain these letters; V and C are Latin characters. Thus the Greek characters K (Kappa) and U (Upsilon) are also used to produce C and V sounds, respectively, when pronouncing Celtic names. All of this means that instead of the Aedui, Arverni, Boii and Arevaci, in Europa Barbarorum II, you will play as, and encounter, the Aedui, Aruernoi, Boioi and Areuakoi, among others.

Special thanks go the oudysseos, Haithabas and Skyn0s for their artwork.