Journey Of The Hellenes

[the man with no name]

anytime the enemy sallies no matter what their losses its a draw...not that i agree with that reasoning


didnt even notice...a mod must have grabbed it. Falcatas are swords native to Iberia. The romans liked them so much they made them standard in their armies.

Enjoy the update

Not for me. I thought the romans use the Gladius Hispanyensis or however you spell it. Thank you for your forgivenes, O master of AARs.

[Chirurgeon]

Not for me. I thought the romans use the Gladius Hispanyensis or however you spell it. Thank you for your forgivenes, O master of AARs.

yes thats the one. But the Lusitann derived theirs from a Greek saber of some sorts

[the man with no name]

yes thats the one. But the Lusitann derived theirs from a Greek saber of some sorts

Okay cool. I also expected you to say ""O master of AARs" I could get used to that"

[Chirurgeon]

hardly a master...There are others that are masters. But thank you nonetheless :)

[the man with no name]

Your on the council then. You're wellcome.

[Chirurgeon]

XXI - The Fall of Mastia
253 BC

I stayed to watch the battle of Mastia. With its small walls our slingers had their way with the enemy. Once when I was young, Lugos hit me with a sling stone. I told him he couldn't hit me. Never tell an Iberian that! I limped for two days. I couldn't imagine the pain of being hit by one at full force from a man. And speaking of Lugos I watched him and his man push the rams to the wall. Enduring the fire from a few towers and a shower of javelins they forced their way to the walls. It took some time but the walls gave way. Soon Lugos, Armin, and all the Iberians were storming into the city and meeting the garrison head on. It was a spirited fight but eventually they lost their nerve and retreated to the center of town. Lugos withdrew his men and soon the Hoplites moved in and formed squares within the walls. Here the enemy again pushed against us only to be routed. There were simply too many of us.
Our fresh hoplites marched calmly to the city center where Hasdrubal and his remaining horse tried to take as many down as possible. I could not bear to watch. I had visited the man on so many occasions. He had given me lucrative trade deals and given me tips on where to find good items at deep discounts. How could I hate a man that had helped me so much over the years. When it was over our men did their best to deal with the injuries. However without the great doctors and Chirurgeons of the Aegean we were somewhat limited as to what could be done. We saved who we could and was merciful to the ones that could not be saved.









***
A nobleman of Athens took over the city and as promised it was stripped bare. The cost of running the war had exhausted the treasury. Fortunately Mastia had much to offer in terms of wealth.

After a few weeks, Akratatos marched off to the final destination of the campaign. Gadiz was also a rich trade city in which we would do well to have on our side. However soon after Akrotatos left to siege that city a huge force of nearly 40 000 Iberians started marching down the coast past Arse and is rumored to be wintering north of Mastia. Only Akrotatos could defeat such a huge force of men.
I traveled north by ship and came to Emporion to find a city bustling but nervous. The Massalians had taken ship back to Massalia to deal with the Aeudi Threat. Again a force of these fierce warriors surrounded the city and the Massalians abandoned the defense of Emporion to deal with this threat to their own city. Another Lusotann army, nearly as large as Arebasiko's force, had nearly reached the Ebro. The city would have a tough fight if it wished to remain free.

A fierce debate amongst the advisors of Akratatos erupted. The King wanted to grab Gadiz but the siege and assault would take half a year. By the time he returned to Mastia the Lusotann were likely to be dug into the city. Finally a consensus was reached and we would wait till the spring. If the army laid siege to Mastia we would return to deal with it. Lugos was on the side of attacking Arebasiko first and then worrying about Gadiz. His army could get even larger if we delayed.

[the man with no name]

Again right after i post you post.

[Lovejoy]

Again a great update. This AAR has turned out to be the perfect bedtime story.

[desert]

Aaah, and so their huge, massive, ridiculous rise begins.

The one thing that brings me to dislike almost all the (perfectly good otherwise) AARs here is that I feel like the faction I'm supposed to be rooting for is a veritable Gary Stu among nations.

Same thing with Iberia Rising: I kept thinking "C'mon, get destroyed already!"

And to think I used to resent QuintusSertorius!

Maybe I just lack imagination.

[Reverend Joe]

Aaah, and so their huge, massive, ridiculous rise begins.

The one thing that brings me to dislike almost all the (perfectly good otherwise) AARs here is that I feel like the faction I'm supposed to be rooting for is a veritable Gary Stu among nations.

Same thing with Iberia Rising: I kept thinking "C'mon, get destroyed already!"

And to think I used to resent QuintusSertorius!

Maybe I just lack imagination.

Well, if it helps, I have a feeling that Emporion will have a pretty tough time just holding onto what they've got. I mean, they're already dealing with constant sieges and their resources are stretched thin. I think we've seen just about all of the expansion for a while.

[A Very Super Market]

I liked Berkelyboi's very much. Possibly because of his grand defeat, but I would never dislike a well-written story.

[Chirurgeon]

Again right after i post you post.

immaculate timing

Again a great update. This AAR has turned out to be the perfect bedtime story.

ah cool :) good to know

Well, if it helps, I have a feeling that Emporion will have a pretty tough time just holding onto what they've got. I mean, they're already dealing with constant sieges and their resources are stretched thin. I think we've seen just about all of the expansion for a while.

its expand or die. I would much rather expand.

I liked Berkelyboi's very much. Possibly because of his grand defeat, but I would never dislike a well-written story.

Yes one of the best AARs ever.

I did an AAR on the Ptolemies that ended badly I must say. Sorry to disappoint you on the rise of the Hellenes in Iberia. I personally like the way things have gone. I have been in survival mode for twenty years. Much longer than most AARs that I have seen.

[desert]

Your writing is excellent, but I'll never be able to cheer for the Greeks in this one. I can still hope, though.

And I did read the Ptolemaic AAR. I haven't read the Roman one, and I read about 30(?) years into the Carthaginian one.

[Antinous]

Great job!!

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Im actually sorry to say this but it hurts me to read this AAR. The Luso one you did was what inspired me to write my story, plus i cant STAND to see the KH without Greece, which this looks like it is going to be that way, for at LEAST a while.
As ever excellent story, GREAT pics and wonderful dramas.
It just hurts me to read this.

[Chirurgeon]

Please give this a chance. There are alot of surprises coming up. I am just kind of puzzled by some of the responses on here.

[SwissBarbar]

don't you dare stopping this

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Good chapter.
With Mastia, now you can build/rebuild/refit your fleet. (I'm assuming you dismantled all/most of it when you got to Emporion to save money.) You can go for the islands for trade, or go inland for the mines. Tolosa is also an option, it's just sitting there unclaimed. Although it will probably draw Gallic attension. Never seen an Emporion campaign before, so I have no idea of the best course of action.

Not too important, but I've noticed you've misspell Aedui as Aeudi. I think the greek is something like Aidouoi, if you prefer that.

[Vasiliyi]

I just caught up with the story and it is awesome! Don't u dare let
This one die!

[the man with no name]

Speaking of IBERIA RISING, i have my own campaign as the luso. I have taken: sucum, baikor, tyde, arse, massalia, pallantia and velika.

[Chirurgeon]

XXII - The Shield and the Sword
252 BC
I spent the Early part of the year in Emporion. I thought it was going to be a good year. All the signs were pointing in the right direction. The Massalians had defeated the Aedui and were preparing to return, trade was flourishing again, and my son turned 12. I had my thirty-eighth birthday this year as well. I spent much time with my son teaching him what I had learned. In a few years I will take him with me like my father did. Then I can teach him the intricacies of trade. He already worked for a merchant keeping records. Dorus seemed to really enjoy the same things that I had. It gave me great pride to watch my son develop so.
***
By late spring the Army of Massalia was again sailing to the city and arrived on the shores to find that the Lusitann had again crossed the Ebro with a large force. Again they made for Emporion. I accompanied the ruler of Massalia, Eugenios, and wished to see the battle for myself. Before I left to do this I learned that a massive number of Iberians under the son of Ditalkos had begun marching towards Mastia. Arebasiko was intent on capturing Mastia from us. In light of this move the campaign to capture Gader was put on hold
We marched to engage the Lusitann outside the city near where we had defeated them so many years ago it seemed. However the battle was delayed as Eugenios waited for the last of his men. King Akratatos struck against Arebasiko's army laying siege to Mastia. Lugos wrote to tell me of the fight:











It sounded like an incredible battle. I would be anxious to hear about it, in even greater detail. Outside the capital we have located the main Lusitann force hiding in the woods. Eugenios and his Massalians charged into the enemy. Using the trees as cover they pelted us from afar with slings and javelins. Our own slingers hurled their missiles into the woods at a nearly invisible enemy. Alas they engaged most of their men into our lines. Our slingers withdrew as the danger was now equally great that they could hit our own men. I could hear the cacophony of battle coming from the woods. The trees seemingly shaking from all the men. The din of battle was intense for some time until at last word came that Doros had arrived with the garrison from Emporion. He hoped to surprise the enemy and collapse their right flank. Unfortunately the scouts for the enemy notified their leader. Seeing that they could not break us they withdrew into the woods in the classic style we have grown to accustomed to. With terrible terrain for our horses and the threat of an unseen ambush, we did not pursue the enemy.






As the cleanup from the battle commenced it was learned that less than half their army had been defeated. Once again we would likely see these same warriors at some point in the future. The men were triaging the survivors. One particular man had survived the battle and was clearly not a warrior. He was Punic and was dressed almost as a nobleman. His equipment was a writing kit with all the proper tools of a scribe. I went to investigate. I recognized the man immediately. Castulo had resurfaced. His outside ankle had been hit by a slingstone and in the process shattering the small bone in the leg. He could walk but only barely. His horse had run off and he found himself clutching all he owned beneath a tree waiting for the enemy to find him. Fortunately his life was not dispatched. Instead I helped him onto my horse and took him back to my villa. Castulo was not an enemy but rather a cohort. We were above the common discrimination of soldiers. We were nobility and despite him being present with the enemy I knew that he did not have a hatred of us. To the both of us this was a learning experience. As educated men we could share what we knew and be better for it. The soldier would pull swords and fight each other to the death. However we were better than soldiers.
I treated him as a guest in the villa and brought the best doctors and chirurgeons from Emporion to visit him. As he healed we talked about many things. He was particulary interested in Rome and I told him everything I knew about the city. I was curious about Kart-Hadast and he told me of the ancient Punic colony. Older than most of our own colonies.
After several weeks he was healthy enough to ride his horse and walk for short distances. On his last day we talked about why the Lusitann had attacked us. It came down to simple economics. Kart - Hadast had agreed to allow them to have Emporion as their port. It was a bitterly fought decision in their senate but for now they thought it better to allow the Iberians to have Emporion rather to risk war with a very powerful confederation. Now it seemed that Kart-Hadast and the Lusitann had become even stronger allies against our king. Having lost two cities and the all powerful governor of Iberia, Hadrubal, it was clear that the republic was losing its grip. I told Castulo that the men were going to head for Gader in a short period of time. We talked about the fate of Mastia. How the mercenaries had killed many people that refused to give up their belongings. How a fire had "accidently" spread through an entire section of the colony. This concerned him greatly. The look on his face was of genuine concern. He looked up and asked me a question. "Will your armies do the same thing to Gadiz?" I wasn't sure how to respond. However after telling him of the financial situation I was convinced that the Non-Hellenic troops would surely have their way with the city. "Your estate will be a prime target I am afraid. You had best get your family out of there if possible. Our Mercenary troops are not merciful. They killed hundreds in and around Mastia." His look of concern grew to panic. "How can your king allow this?" I shook my head in disgust. "If he doesnt keep his men happy there will not be an army. The only men that will work for free are the Hellenes. And there are not enough of us to form a force strong enough to oppose the Lusitann and Kart-Hadast." I explained the situation as clearly as possible. However I knew that the King would allow his non-Hellenic troops the opportunity to loot and pillage the lands. Afterall our treasury was broke and in these times you had to do what you could to keep the loyalty of the men protecting you. Even if it meant a temporary cessation of civility. A sad truth that we were learning. This would not be tolerated had the treasury been in good shape.
Early the next morning I helped Castulo pack as much as he could carry and still make good speed on his horse. He planned on taking the land route and before he left I gave him official passage papers so that he could by any guards on the road. Doros signed them the day before he left. I gave him coin to buy another horse and extra money for supplies. He was grateful. However he was focused on one thing. Castulo would have to race to get his family to safety.

[Chirurgeon]

don't you dare stopping this

Oh I won't. There are some good twists and turns coming up

Good chapter.
With Mastia, now you can build/rebuild/refit your fleet. (I'm assuming you dismantled all/most of it when you got to Emporion to save money.) You can go for the islands for trade, or go inland for the mines. Tolosa is also an option, it's just sitting there unclaimed. Although it will probably draw Gallic attension. Never seen an Emporion campaign before, so I have no idea of the best course of action.

Not too important, but I've noticed you've misspell Aedui as Aeudi. I think the greek is something like Aidouoi, if you prefer that.

I will try to remember. Oh and thanks for your modding help :)

I just caught up with the story and it is awesome! Don't u dare let
This one die!

Nope it ain't dying :)

Speaking of IBERIA RISING, i have my own campaign as the luso. I have taken: sucum, baikor, tyde, arse, massalia, pallantia and velika.

Yes. It takes a while to build them up but the mines alone are worth it.

[the man with no name]

Shield and Sword, like SPEAR AND SHIELD. Yet again i have great timing. JK.

[Olaf Blackeyes]

NO PLEASE!!!! Please do not stop this simply because of me. If u want ill quit reading, just please dont stop.
As for some of the responses to this one, i think that u, Chiruriegon, have fallen victim to your own success. Iberia Rising was an INCREDIBLE AAR. I think im not alone in feeling bad for seeing it corrupted. But please dont stop on my account.

[Hotseat_User]

oh yeah - but what's going on with the evil macs? do they suffer well or?!?
furthermore, fine one

[Silence Hunter]

Great AAR! It seems that you are not going to see any peace for quite a while.

[Chirurgeon]

NO PLEASE!!!! Please do not stop this simply because of me. If u want ill quit reading, just please dont stop.
As for some of the responses to this one, i think that u, Chiruriegon, have fallen victim to your own success. Iberia Rising was an INCREDIBLE AAR. I think im not alone in feeling bad for seeing it corrupted. But please dont stop on my account.

Well thank you for that. But there had to be a point of departure. The arrival of thousands of Hellenic refugees is bound to stir things up. I had no idea there would be such backlash to conquering the rest of Iberia!

oh yeah - but what's going on with the evil macs? do they suffer well or?!?
furthermore, fine one

The Maks have pushed the Epirotes out of the Aegean and are clinging to a few cities in Dalmatia and other places. The Maks are the powers to beat at the moment!

Great AAR! It seems that you are not going to see any peace for quite a while.

You have no idea!

[Chirurgeon]

XXIII - Father and Son
251 BC
Dorus and I headed south to Mastia to check on the Merchants that lived there. Some of the ones I and my father had dealt with were still there and pleased to see us. They were even more pleased to learn that my son would be learning all that I could teach him about managing trade. I spent quite some time here looking at the records and trying to negotiate new prices based on the fact that this city was now part of the Hellenic Alliance. The letters of the Hellenic Alliance were now stamped on all cargo leaving the port. Because the tariff from one Greek city to another was so much lower now it was possible to squeeze a bit more profit. The city was bustling. A year after it had been attacked and ransacked it was exploding with people. Merchants from North Africa were traveling to the city to claim opportunities that had not been available. Mastia had the potential to be a very rich city. Its governor Leandros was a former merchant that was well trusted by many of the Athenians. The merchants had many of the same questions for me however. "When would the mines of Iberia be open to us again?". It was an issue that vexed me but alas I could do nothing. The confederation was still quite powerful and if one of our armies suffered a defeat all our gains could be wiped clean. The sheer number of people moving into the four cities of the confederation was staggering. Our population was growing quite fast as people began to migrate to our cities. Many of the merchants told of the Makedonians continuing their conquest of the Aegean. Having secured the great city of Byzantion, they now focused much of their attention on Epirus. They had captured Ambrakia and other territories that belonged to Epirus. Taras, in Italia, had now become the temporary capital. Facing the Roman Republic and the Makedonians might be too much for Epirus.
***
Earlier this year the city of Gader also fell to our forces. It was ransacked with great effort and much was lost. I shook my head at the barbarism of it all. Many men, women, and children were sold as slaves. Some coming back here to Mastia to be shipped to other destinations. Some would be put to task of rebuilding the city that they used to live. It was a horrific fate to be a slave. The battle itself for the city was not too grand. Although it employed a good strategy for Akratatos. He used his slingers to wear down the enemy. While the slingers were at work we moved the rams to the walls. Here they hammered two holes in the wall. The enemy had withdrawn under the fire of the slingers. However the slingers were now out of their characteristic lead shot. Iberian skirmishers moved in and rained much destruction upon the garrison as Lugos and his Caetrati moved in to engage the garrison. As they engaged, a group of hoplites were moved in and replaced Lugos's men after they had withdrawn. These hoplites engaged the remaining of the garrison and caused great destruction in their own right. The Heroic Spartans charged through the ranks and smashed the enemy.






***
Dorus and I stayed in Mastia and finalized things with the merchants. We watched in amazement as the port constructed dozens of light attack vessels. They were fast and potent. Although other nations had bigger ships with more men, we could at least defend ourselves. The shipwrights were importing many slaves and craftsmen for the effort. Although we couldn't really affor a fleet it was so small it would not be a huge burden on the treasury. Next year I would travel to Gader and again fix what i could.

[Tyrfingr]

Conquer Tolosa and you have the whole coastline...awesome!

[Ruepelheinz]

I havent been able to follow your AAR for a while but reading all these updates in one go was great. Thx.