 |
| |
|
|
Micha
|
 |
Technical University of Ilmenau, Germany
Oct 2002
time: 06:35
|
|
UPDATE - 305 to 300 b.c.
Middle East
Egypt
With Alexandrograd developing into a large Macedonian city, Egypt is also benefitting from the increased trade. Much of the excess food produced by the Nile farms can now be sold directly to the Greek, with less taxes on it and without shipping costs, thus increasing profits for Egypt.
With peace at all borders, the pharao has ordered a huge training program for the army. Much of the income has been spent on improving overall performance of the troops, while many of the militias have returned home to add to the workforce pool.
Persia
The people of Jerusalem were flocking into the newly opened amphitheatre, where local actors played the great epic dramas of famous greek authors! After the play, Cappadocian oil-wrestlers were giving a show to the masses, earning much respect.
The centralization programs in Persia were progressing as more funding flew into the pockets of the local Satraps. Somehow they were selling more and more privileges for money... Curruption at itīs best 
Also the secret police has been expanded, which discovered a Jewish secret society in Jerusalem planning assassinations of Persian officials in the region. Some followers could be arrested and executed, but the leaders escaped.
Meanwhile a national healthcare system was ordered by the great king, but calculations show that it would cost about 300 talents each turn to function... So the project was cancelled, the 11 talents allocated to it have been returned into treasury.
Also a training program for the huge military was ordered, but it showed only minimal effect as it was hopelessly underpayed.
An organized expedition to the Red Sea, however, has earned the Persian empire the entire Sinai coast and two passages through the desert. Wells used by the nomads there will help supplying travellars and troops, and although the land seems inhospitable, there are abundant copper deposits in the Sinai mountains to the West. Maybe they could be exploited at a decent cost, like founding a mining town there...
Tributes:
Altogether 23 talents have been paid in tributes; Phoenicia has built 14 new triremes; Egypt paid 17 talents in tributes.
Greece and Asia Minor
Macedonia
With a big ceremony the expeditionary navy of Lydia has been sent back to Pergamon. Only eight ships have survived the battles, another four of the captured black pirate ships have been added as a present. The Lydian king has sent back a shipment of thirty barrels finest Lydian wines to Macedonia, as well as a dozen of oriental belly dancers...
Another eight triremes were sent back to Athens, where they were greeted as national heroes, with celebrations all over the city.
A good laugh at the assembly has been the declaration of someone claiming to be "king of Athens" and generously cutting down his rations to feed the poor. Of course thereīs no king of Athens, since itīs a democracy... The manīs rations however have been cut and redistributed amongst the most needy, feeding two beggars and their dog.
But also serious politics took place in Athens. So a new Agora (Market) was opened, the largest one in whole greece, located inside a huge hall of columns made of marble... The city is getting more and more beautiful with each year.
When Alexanderīs army reached the small town of Lissos, the barbarians had already left. Looted and set on fire, the settlement was a shocking view for the Macedonian troops. However, the scenery stirred up hatred against the tribes and thus boosted the fighting morale.
Moving north, the army encountered the Western Moesians on the move. Obviously they were going to meet their Illyrian allies, so the Macedonian army leader decided to attack as soon as possible.
During night, the Greek catapults from the siege equipment fired rocks onto the barbarian night camp, killing hundreds of them in their tents.
Then the Macedonian cavalry started to raid. Especially the Hetaires proved to be invaluable, for they could fire arrows, charge into the enemy lines, pull back and repeat the whole thing.
Soon the majority of the barbarians has been killed, the rest was fleeing in chaotic disorder. The Eastern Moesian troops pounced upon the routed enemies with great valour and hunted them down one by one. Only a few thousand survived...
Meanwhile to the south, a new city was founded: Alexandrograd!
Situated at the fertile Nile delta with direct access to the Mediterranean Sea, itīs a strategically perfect place for a settlement.
The name was given in honour of the national heroe Alexander, who died at the age of 19 near Pergamon in todayīs Lydia while fighting the Persians.
These two facts - the place and the symbolic name - make the city a magnet for immigrants from the entire hellenistic world. While the harbour and the temples were still being built, almost tenthousand people settled down there, Egyptians were creating farms on the flooding areas of the Nile banks and many Greek farmers were watching and learning those techniques.
Even some of Aristotleīs scholars opened up a new lyceum in the city center, named "lyceum Aristotleon" after their great teacher who died 20 years ago in Athens.
With massive funding from Macedonia and many private efforts, the city has already grown to a fairly large size, now accomodating about 40,000 people. Once the cultural improvements will be finished (requires more funding), Alexandrograd might become a local trade center and maybe even second-largest settlement in the kingdom of Macedonia...
Lydia
The Lydian army has begun extensive military training, thus following the trend in these days...
Italian peninsula
The annihilation of the Elean garrison was a shock to the Apulians, but the condolences by Rome and the state burials given have eased the pain.
Near the cities of Capua and Neapolis, Roman citizens have founded the town of Beneventum. Itīs the first of many planned settlements to spread roman culture into the conquered regions. With 50 talents allocated to the new town it got all the luxuries of Rome, some Senators say it was too much for a single settlement... But then, Senators tend to save the money of Rome for their own interests... 
However, Beneventum will serve as a monument of Roman civilization in Samnium, and when time goes by, the locals will be totally integrated into the Roman society.
Equipped with the most modern and most expensive siege equipment in the known world, the Roman legions were laying siege on Perusia.
With constant attacks of the catapults and ballistas, soon most of the city walls have been destroyed or severely damaged. When the rams scattered what was left of the gates, the huge siege towers had already boarded the walls, disembarking hundreds of legionnairies into the Ethruscian capital.
The battle was bloody, at least for the Etruscians... After months of siege they were worn out, most injured or sick and with low morale.
About eightthousands have been enslaved and sent to Rome, the rest died defending their last stronghold. Only a few hundreds were able to escape into the hills. Now only the villages will still resist the Roman advance, with militia and traps opposing a ten-times larger and better trained and equipped professional army...
After Perusia was sacked (35 talents war treasury looted!) the three legions began clearing the area from the deadly traps. Meanwhile Legion I was ordered conquering the smaller towns and villages. It moved far north into the mountains, where it suddenly encountered an army of Aquileians who were pacted with Ethruria!
Surprised by that unexpected resistance, dictator Laurentius had to pull back to the top of a hill, where he could regroup for an attack.
With the Aquileians staying at the oher side of the valley, unwilling to move out, one side had to leave the tactically superior position in order to attack, or the legion would have to return home in disgrace.
At this time, help arrived from an unexpected side:
The Aquileian lines suddenly descended in chaos as their formation broke apart. Some groups ran downhills right into the Roman hail of arrows, while others simply dropped their weapons and ran away.
Soon the reason for all that became visible:
Fourthousand Ligurian horsemen were charging into the enemieīs rear, completely dissolving the order and command structure within the Aquileian army.
Then the Romans closed the bag and engaged the fleeing troops in the valley. The following slaughter might not be very heroic, but itīs certainly been a great victory for Rome!
After the battle, the Roman legion and the Ligurian cavalry merged and returned to the other armies for new orders.
Western Mediterranean
Carthage is again expanding its military forces, a new brigade of 100 war elephants has been created, and the whole Cyrenaican army is engaged in intense combat training, which is part of a very expensive campaign to improve the militaryīs overall effectiveness.
In addition, signal horns have been introduced as standard equipment of all brigades, adding another bid to the campaign.
With all these big things going on, only a small amount of funding has flown into the "Guardian of the West". The artisans have been somewhat bored, they only had to cover the knee parts of the statue in bronze plating. Nonetheless, the people are still supporting the project, and many tourists seem to be quite fascinated by the construction site alone, so international interest is still growing...
The Carthagian empire has been divided up into four provinces, each one under the rule of an elected official. Once this system is consolidated, it might improve the taxing methods and thus increase tax revenues...
NPC orders / Events
- Egypt spent 25 talents on military training
- "Western Moesian Tribes" lost 1,885 horsemen; 3,512 foot soldiers
- "Eastern Moesian Tribes" lost 258 horsemen; 1,090 foot soldiers
- "Alexanderīs Army" lost 640 Hetaires; 415 horsemen; 64 swordsmen; 204 hoplites; 559 foot soldiers; 170 light infantry
- "Legion I Romana" lost 335 legionnaires; 280 horsemen; 1,009 foot soldiers
- "Legion II Italica" lost 105 legionnaires; 462 horsemen
- "Legion III Latina" lost 195 legionnaires; 44 horsemen; 252 foot soldiers
- "Legion IV Augusta" lost 207 legionnaires: 260 horsemen; 461 foot soldiers
- "Ethruscian Army" lost 4,575 horsemen; 17,441 foot soldiers
- "Aquilejan Army" appeared, consisting of 2,459 foot soldiers
- Sparta has trained 2,000 swordsmen (22t) and added them to "Spartan elites"
- Lydia has ordered military training for her army (25t)
- Magna Graecia has trained 2,000 hoplites (24t) and created the army "Apulian Guards"
- Bosporian Greek trained 2,000 hoplites (24t) and created the army "Tanais Garrison"
- Crete trains 2,000 swordsmen (28t) and adds them to "Aegian Army"
- New army "Sinai tribes" - Sinai - 3,500 horsemen
Last edited by Micha on 31-05-2004 at 06:16
|
|
| |
|
|
|
foolish_icarus
|
 |
the thievery continues
Nov 2002
time: 21:35
|
|
After over 30 years of eventful rule, King Antigonus I of Macedonia has died. He was fairly healthy up until the last 6 or so months of his life, when he began to sicken easily and became weakened from illness. However he continued in his duties until the very end, when he took a chill and died 4 days later. His is succeeded by his son Demetrius I, who stepped in quickly and decisively, gaining the support, or at least acceptance, of the major members of the royal family and key aristocrats. It has been one of the most peaceful transitions of rulership Macedonia has seen in a long time. Demetrius has vowed to continue the tradition of just leadership set by his predecessors, and by all appearances he is doing just that, having already ordered the continuation of many of his fathers policies and programs. Although some wonder whether Demetrius wife is the real power behind the throne, as rumors say her to have much influence within the palace and thus the kingdom, the king is an honorable enough man, and the people are happy enough with any ruler so long as the royal orders are just and good.
Diplomacy
Macedonia to Athens :
Greetings from Demetrius. I have been crowned King of Macedon. I vow to continue the relationship with Athens that my father started, respecting your autonomy and learned institutions. If I have your trust, I humbly request that we renew the treaties of loyalty to the Kingdom of Macedon that our nations previously jointly enacted.
Macedonia to Crete :
Let us not have this vendetta continue past one reign. You made a promise to cease your piracy and cede some of you Aegean islands. If you would heal the wounds between our countries, we expect you to honor that promise.
To Lydia :
Many thanks. May our nations long prosper.
Battle Orders [B]
March to Tragurion. Use same tactics that would have been used for Lissos: Surrender or siege.
[B] Expenditures
5 talents; peasant aid. [/broken record]
20 talents; finish building necessary stuff in Alexandrograd (water system, market district, temple, and the like).
25 talents; to Athens (20 for five-year grant, 5 to repay loans [25 talents remain outstanding])
12 talents; train 1000 hoplites and station them in Alexandrograd
9 talents; Demetrius pays off the secret police, throws celebrations in honor of Antigonus, peacefully cements his rule and the like.
6 talents; Incorporate Lissos and help the locals rebuild.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
laurentius
|
 |
Helsinki, Finland
Jun 2001
time: 07:35
|
|
Rome to Carthage
We would like to continue trading as usual.
Rome to Ligurians
Ave! Juppiter bless you! We are delighted to see your magnificient cavalry side by side with our legions. As if Juppiter himself had send them, I could swore I saw Castor and Pollux leading your attacks. We are most grateful. If you decide to join the Roman Republic you will be greatly rewarded. The senate has decided that every liguian will immediatly be granted Roman citizenship, something only native Romans have had the privlidge to. You will have full judical protection, voting rights, you can join the legions, etc. The Senate will of course devote money into developing Liguria and we shal crush anyone who poses threat to you.
Vale Bene!
OOC: What happened to the payed merchant fleets I sent 15 years or so ago?
Last edited by laurentius on 31-05-2004 at 17:56
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Micha
|
|
Technical University of Ilmenau, Germany
Oct 2002
time: 06:35
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by laurentius
Rome to Ligurians
Ave! Juppiter bless you! The we are delighted to see your magnificient cavalry side by side with our legions. As if Juppiter himself had send them, I could swore I saw Castor and Pollux leading your attacks. We are most grateful. If you decide to join the Roman Republic you will be greatly rewarded. The senate has decided that every liguian will immediatly be granted Roman citizenship, something only native Romans have had the privlidge to. You will have full judical protection, voting rights, you can join the legions, etc. The Senate will of course devote money into developing Liguria and we shal crush anyone who poses threat to you.
Vale Bene! |
We thank you for that honour youīre offering to us humble folks, but right now an alliance is much more favourable to us. However, should things develop to our favour we might accept your proposal in the near future...
quote:
OOC: What happened to the payed merchant fleets I sent 15 years or so ago? |
They added to your annual income, a fair bit, if I remember right
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
laurentius
|
|
Helsinki, Finland
Jun 2001
time: 07:35
|
|
Roman Republic
a.d XVII Kal. Sextilis 303(anno 450 ab urbe condita) -- a.d. III Id. Ianuarius 296
Trouble at Tuscany
Right after the pompous Romes 450 anniversary celebrations, the full extend of the setbacks in Etruria was discovered. By the end of december 303 almost 2000 legionaries, 2000 horsemen and over 4500 foot soldiers had lost their lives. Generals were just as devastated as the mothers and wifes who had lost their sons and husbands to the Gods of the underworld.
The etruscans had been far more better prepared than we had thought. The legions had got a bad start at the battle of Volterrae, halfway between Veii and Perusia. Legion III and Elean garrison encountered relatively small group of enemies wich they started to pursue. The more lightly armoured Eleans we first to rush to the trap set up by the large Etruscan army hiding behind the hills. There was nothing we could do, the more slowly advancing legionaries saw Eleans slaughtered before them. First the enemy attacked the both flanks of the Eleans lines, then another front of warriors appeared in front of them sending the greeks in total chaos and panic. The fourth group of tuscans then cut their way out by attacking behind the lines, the legionaries could see the garrison being surrounded by the nenemies and eaten alive like wolves surround a sheep and then rip it apart. Needless to say, soldiers at the Legion III Latina were horrified and Marcus Aemilius had to retreat- in orderly fashion- to Rome. During this retreat many romans lost their lives.
The 1st gamble - won
The other legions learned from the mistakes made in Volterrae. We advanced along the coast rushing to Tarquinii to use it as supply fortress. We then carefully scouted the routes ahead and during the night the three legions quietly marched just west of the large etrurian entrenchments called the "Populonia line" by the locals. This was a huge gamble because it left our supply lines completely undefended. This time the Gods were with us, and we raided the fortifications from behind and forcemarched straight to the gates of Perusia.
Perusia, the dominating polis in Etruria was so heavily fortified that we were unable to take it without siege equipment. We needed lots of money from Rome to build large amount of modern siege weaponry. The engineers invented whole new weapons like the carro-ballista, the worlds first machine gun. After 4 long years of siege, the legionaries finally took the city. Perusia was throughly raided, its treasury looted and most of its citizens either killed or sold to slavery. To keep the city alive a small amount of citizens were left alive, and were called back from the hills they had fled to. The walls of Perusia were torn down.
The legions then started to clear out the countryside and secure the loyalty of the surrendered cities, also the remains of the Eleans were buried in the most appropriate manner. A small monument was erected to commemorete their memory and the word was sent to the greeks about their loss.
The 2nd gamble - lost, almost
Meanwhile we learned that few thousand etruscans had managed to escape from the burning city to the mountains North of Perusia and I demanded the honour of finally defeating the etruscan army. It was probably the greatest mistake of my military career. We were short on scouts and some of the locals mislead us by giving false information about the size and compilation of the enemy. There wasnt just "few thousand scattered warriors" but a disciplined army of 6000 etruscans and thousands of Aquileans singing war chants and clattering their swords to their shields. We were desperately outnumbered and had no choice but to retreat to the hill nearby, that we fortified quickly. There were no legions in the next 100 miles from us so we just had to cope on our own. When the night fell the enemy attacked. We were able to hold our positions but the number of wounded an killed estimated that we werent going to last for very long.
After 3 nights of battles the enemy had retreated to the hill across the valley, I had almost given up the hope and was ready to command the final counter-attack. About 9 am that morning just as we were approaching the enemies fortifications we started to hear strange noises from the distance. 4000 Ligurian horsemen had overran the etrusco-aquilean encampment from behind! This send the terrified enemy running down the hill to their sure death in Roman spears. It was a massacre, the etruscans faced just the same fate as the unfortunate Eleans had done 5 years before. The Ligurians had been interested in joining our Republic before, but a direct help we had recieved was a complete surprise to us.
Manifest Destiny
After the battle the Ligurians joined Legion I and we continued to drive the remaining thousand etruscans into another hill nearby. Our destiny was clearly manifested, the Gods were on our side, and the destruction of the enemies of Rome was imminent. We sent the one remaining etruscan officer to the camp with one message: Resistance is futile.
Stepping down
I had been the dictator for 30 years now, far longer in power than anyone after the creation of the Republic. At 57 I was an old man, who had payed a great price to maintain his position. So I decided to step down from the power and end the marshall law after the campaign at Etruria would be over. The only things I needed was a house on the hill and a garden to spend my time in. But there was still somethings to do first..
At Rome
The mood in Rome was more cheerful after the fall of Perusia. A grandiose religious festival was arranged by the senate. The gods were thanked and respected, the citizens got wine, gladiator fights and chariot races were arranged at the circus maximus build just for this purpose. Meanwhile the negotiations between the Ligurians and Senatorial envoyes continued, they rejected the offer to join the Republic as roman citizens, but promised to get back later. We were not in any hurry to start another campaign against the celts to defend the Ligurians so we gladly gave them more time. The senate spent great deal of money to found a new and modern colony of Beneventum in Samnia, 6000 latin colonists were arranged to inhabit the new city. Capua, Neapolis and Beneventum now made up the most vibrant commercial and industial area in the Empire.
Now that the civil law had been reinstated the senate was not very keen in giving money to the Legions but it was necessary to reinforce the war weary legions. The Legati Legioni visited the senate and talked them to for the last time use the money to build army.
Orders
- spend 8 talents to build Circus Maximus at Rome.
- spend 60 talents to raise 5000 legionaries.
- spend 28 talents to raise 2000 horsemen.
- Legion I destryes the rest of the etruscan army.
- the other Legion are to secure the rest of the Etruria, and take a rest(five).
Roman Military
- "Legion I Romana" (dict. Laurentius) - Etruria - 7,155 legionnaires; 3,777 horsemen; 2,060 foot soldiers
- "Legion II Italica" (Fluvius Camillus) - Etruria - 6,000 legionnaires; 1103 horsemen
- "Legion III Latina" (Marcus Aemilius) - Rome - 6,000 legionnaires; 1000 horsemen; 351 foot soldiers
- "Legion IV Augusta" (Publius Cornelius Scipio) - Etruria - 6,032 legionnaires; 500 horsemen; 2,122 foot soldiers
- Siege equipment will be storied near Rome in case its needed again. 500 foot soldiers from Legion IV will be assigned to guard them.
OOC: Would you care to elaborate? I used 15 talents to equip the merchant fleets, did I got only 5-9 talents back despite the "full success" of the merchants? Without the fleet my income would be 9 talents smaller? They just seemed to disappear somewhere, you mention the success of the fleet in your story but did they actually yied any money back? - A Concerned citizen
Last edited by laurentius on 03-06-2004 at 02:28
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Micha
|
|
Technical University of Ilmenau, Germany
Oct 2002
time: 06:35
|
|
quote:
OOC: Would you care to elaborate? I used 15 talents to equip the merchant fleets, did I got only 5-9 talents back despite the "full success" of the merchants? Without the fleet my income would be 9 talents smaller? They just seemed to disappear somewhere, you mention the success of the fleet in your story but did they actually yied any money back? - A Concerned citizen |
 Well let me calculate it:
3 turns ago: You spent 15 talents, so balance was -15
2 turns ago: Fleet has successfully established trade routes, adding 9[?] talents to turn income,
so balance was -15 + 9 = -6
last turn: With the higher turn income still present, balance was now -6 + 9 = +3
this turn: Still higher income, so balance is now 3 + 9 = +12
Iīd say your investment was a full success, amortizing after two periods, very long durance of positive cash flows and thus immense profits, still rising
Btw:
Great story!  
|
|
| |
All times are GMT. The time now is 05:35.
Apolyton Time is 00:35. |
top of page
|
|
|
Forum Rules:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
|
HTML code is ON
vB code is ON
Smilies are ON
[IMG] code is ON
|
|
|
|
|
|
30-05-2004 23:32
|