All Rhodes Lead To Rome

[Nikolai]

Gods. We are great! Rhodos are amazing!

First, Epokillos built up a sizeable force in Southern Italy.

Then Zoilos enlarged it even more.

Then I swooped in and got all the glory!

Ahem.

Rome were weak. We were strong. The gods ordained it so. I, Lysandros, merely used the opportunity given by fate.

Soon, Rome itself fell to our invincible forces. Loads of slaves were taken. A good day for Rhodes.

Then, peace.

Feel the tranquility.

Naturally, as is Rhodian custom, we were merciful in victory.

And so my watch ended.

 

[Nikolai]

Rome. Rome was taken. The war was won, and now it was time to rebuild our country.

First Menelaos was elected Archon. He spent much time pacifying the lands, converting the populace to proper Rhodians.

Then the dreadful populist Epokillos was elected. He is best forgotten.

Then I, Machatas, rose to the office of Archon. I knew Rome was a spent force. So was Macedon. But Macedon was heir to Alexander's Empire, and in control of some of Greece still. Macedon had to go. Besides, they are more or less constantly in civil war. Easy target.

In the end, there was no contest. They fought, they died, they lost. We left them with the barbaric north.

And so my watch is ended.

 

[Nikolai]

Well ahoy there! I'm Lysandros and I'm going to leave my mark! The gods are with a man like me.

I didn't waste any time; the Phryigan rebellion was getting stronger against their former masters, but still weak and vulnerable.

Soon, much of their Anatolian lands, and not the least Cyprus, were ours. Cyprus and Anatolia is perfect for where we should go next...

And so my watch has ended.

 

[Nikolai]

Howdy there, mates! It's me! The ever popular Nikeratos! The Man! The Myth! The Conqueror!

After some dreadfully boring years with Menelaos as Archon, it was finally my time to shine! Man, the religious nuts, the civic bores... Give me a popular man like me any day, you know?

Clearly, after having taken Greece, Rome and much of Anatolia, we needed a new place to spread our wings. Some beaches, lots of grain, lots of slaves. You know, I found just the place; Egypt! Ripe for the picking.

And naturally, we won! Even got us some desert in the deal!

This meant we got control of Alexandreia, this marvel of a city. It had to be protected! We are Rhodes, not barbarians!

Then, there were the troubling news. Turns out the Demaratids, this long prominent Rhodian family, were kinda royalty. I mean, had it been an Abadanid that were Argead in blood, I would've been jubilant. But DEMARATIDS? Gods, have mercy...

Then; pretigous news. We got control over the remains of Alexander. And where better to place his body, than in Rhodos - this marvel of an island?

So I ordered the building of a Mausoleum.

As the popular, cultured man I am, I even ordered the building of a temple to the muses. Don't scoff at me, cultured men!

And so my watch ended.

 

[Nikolai]

Gods be gracious! We have work to be done! Enemies to conquer - in the name of the gods!

I am Molon Xerxids, and our foes will be vanquished.

First of all, the stain on the map that is Aetolia. The godless bastards that defeated us in war when we needed friends the most. Despicable people. They need to go. Added bonus: They are allied to our arch enemy of Phrygia.

Naturally, we won.

Not being one to rest on my laurels, I directed our armies in Italy north to take out Rome, once again. Added bonus: They're allied to our old enemy of Macedon.

But before the war is ended, my term is over. May the mercantile faction do us well, as they've done in the past. Blessings of the gods upon them!

 

[Nikolai]

41475....41476...

... oh hi there, I didn't notice you for the counting of Rhodes' money! I'm Krateros, a member of the mercantile faction and Archon of the Rhodian Empire.

First thing I did after taking office, was concluding our war against Rome. It went pretty well.

Then, I prepared for taking control over the most populous areas remaining of Egypt. More people equals more income. Easy peasy maths.

Then, all too sudden, my watch ended.

 

[Nikolai]

I was destined to rule. A man of the people, for the people. For life. It is my goal. But first I need the victories, support and power.

I am Nikerator Abadanids, and I intend to stay.

Not that I will do so for long, most likely. I am 70. But I plan to leave a mark behind, perhaps even a dynasty? First goal was accomplished when I got appointed dictator.

Then, I changed the election laws to lifetime elections. Or close to it, I will have 50 years before I need to step down. Being 70, that's a minor problem.

With the war won, Rhodes is now regarded as a Great Power. With great power, of course, comes great responsibility!

To rule fairly, will be our mission.

Like with our new subject, Memphis. I ordered the conquest to be merciful.

With the war won, even a ruler elected for life is required to hand off his dictatorship privileges. But I don't feel finished. I think I'll keep it.

Some don't like it, I have deep coffers, though.

Some guy wanted me dead, but I got him arrested pronto.

But alas, I'm sick, and I have only days left to live now... I have secured my apprentice, the young Themistios Mithridatids, the office of Archon. May he rule long and accomplish what I couldn't...

 

[Nikolai]

Young, popular, promising - and in charge. That's me, Themistios.

My predecessor left a spawling empire, big coffers, a huge manpower base, but also a big, bad infamy after multiple big conquests and an unruly Egypt. So I decided to let the country rest for a while. After nineteen years, however, Cyrenaica proved to be too tempting.

Even with the desert taking its toll, we won the war with bigger resources than we started.

Then, our friends in Cilicia got attacked by the Selucids, whom for some mysterios reason has named themselves "___".

The war was soon won by Cilicia by themselves, and we negotiated a favorable peace for them.

The next decade I used to slowly grow support for myself and my family, and by clever planning more clever than a clever fox with a degree in clever planning from the University of Clever, I finally proclaimed a permanent dictatorship with me and my family at the helm.

Fourty years as Archon is over, I am now Dictator for life!

 

[Nikolai]

With the title of Tyrant secured, it was time to secure my rule and the continued rule of my dynasty. The first problem was that my son was still underage, and many people in our country felt my ageing, older than me, brother should succeed me!

Further, not all approved of my rule, and several people within my administration was increasingly disloyal. Far from a problem at this time, but a thing to be closely monitored.

The problem of my older brother worked itself out soon enough, though.

As soon as my son came of age, I married him to a suitable bride. The boy was soon working hard on giving me grandchildren.

During this time, I began to move to secure the alligiance of our neighbouring countries to my benevolent rule. Pamphylia was the first victim.

With my old wife dying due to old age and sickness, I remarried, got a second son, and promptly was faced with betrayal; my new wife was discovered to work to kill my oldest son to place her own son on the throne! SHe is no wife of mine.

Life of a Tyrant is never easy.

 

[Nikolai]

Ah, the life of a Tyrant. The Judeans, that happy lot, have been granted protection from danger.

Not to be any worse, I negotiate the same terms for Bithynia.

And Aetolia. After losing to us and then to Carthage, they saw the error of their ways.

Then Trapezous got the same offer, and accepted. Being a Tyrant is good.

Of course, the happiness couldn't last forever. Some relative just had to be plotting!

Thankfully, the plot went nowhere.

It's good to be the Tyrant.

 

[Nikolai]

So. Not all like my son as heir. Some even think themselves disloyal to me. The people need to be distracted. War with Egypt should fix that.

That of course doesn't mean we won't seek vassals the peaceful way too. I'm particulary pleased with securing the allegiance of Byzantion.

Paonia is also a nice little catch.

But the most prestigeous of them all; the vassalization of both Macedon and Phrygia, age old enemies of Rhodes!

I'm feeling in a good mood, and take on Carthage for good measure. Our fleet is 1.5x their size, and while they have an estimated 400k of troops on the mainland, we rule the sea and the desert means an attack through the coast is unlikely, and potentially devastating for them. I don't have time for casus bellis though, the doctors tell me I have little time left...

To my absolute horror and anger, the Egyptians, while being thorougly beaten, snuck a small army behind our lines and sacked Alexandria! The Museon was burned down. The barbarians!

I let them off lightly enough in the peace though, as I want to focus on the war on Carthage.

In the Mediterranean, we catch the entire Carthagian fleet, and obliberate it.

I am growing weaker though. The doctors estimate another two months, tops. Rhodes, and later I, have built a tremendous Empire though. An Empire to stand the test of time. An Empire that can stand beside the one of Alexander.

This is Themistios Mithridatids, signing out.