OOC: Parthia and Seleucia can send me their orders for the battle that is about to happen between them. I'll write a mini and do the stats when I get back to Belgium.
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Πόλεις Μασσαλία και Ἐμπόριον
(Massalia and Emporion)
The Council of Six Hundred is wondering why it hasn’t received any messengers lately. This long period silence has been most peculiar and thus the Council has decided to send an expedition under the leadership of Μέγας Ναύαρχος Νικόμαχος του Μασσαλία (Grand Navarch Nicomachus of Massalia) to find out whether the other realms still exist or not.
اترپتکان
Kingdom of Atropatene
Kingdom of Atropatene
The Kingdom of Armenia has annexed a free country as Albania, an evil act that covers that nation with shame. Their King has chosen to give support to the treacherous tribes that assassinated our ambassadors, the same ones who have been ruling Albania with a corrupt regime since centuries ago. The Kingdom of Atropatene have already won the friendship of many Albanian nobles, who have quickly understood that being a part of Armenia means the death of the Albanian nation, and that all Persian peoples should be united under the same rule. For that, our King promises them his support and will only recognize them as true rulers of Albania.
However, not all the news that arrived to us have been so unpleasant. We have been reported that our mercenaries have abandoned their crazy desertion and returned to our ranks. Their lives shall be pardoned if they keep serving us well. Also, we feel glad to know that our our irrigation program in the Caspian shore has started to improve the peasant´s lives. As always, our King will do whatever is in his hands to give all Persians the prosper life they ddeserve.
Atropathes II, King of Atropatene, ruler of all Persians and light of the East
"Citizens of Sparta, Members of the Assembly. I have today received a letter from the pretender to the Makedonian throne Meleager asking us to support his war to claim the throne he says is rightfully his. I would never support a pretender to a throne which oppresses the freedom of the Greek people. I would prefer to instead fight to liberate the Greek peoples from Makedonian oppression but I fear to do so would be to over reach ourselves. But I have reached the limits of my authority and I now ask you the Assembly of Citizens to make the final choice. War with the Makedonians in support of this pretender. War with the Makedonians to restore the freedoms of the Greeks or the last option Peace with all and avoid conflict to allow Sparta to grow stronger. Now vote and let the Gods bless your decision.
Mountains, betrayals and corpses
The Great Wall of Gorgan, coupled to the recent fortifications, is a thorn in the Seleucids' side.
The Seleucids, persuaded of the superiority of their troops and confident in their numbers, decide to attack the Caspian Gates frontally, to smash through the defences, the Parthia and the mountains. The Parthians decide to wait for the onslaught, but they have plans of their own, too. Both sides scarify beasts before the battle, but the gods only smile to one army. The Seleucids begin their attack.
The first wave is made of Turophoroi, who are tasked to assess the strength of the defences, eliminate outlying companies, to make way for the heavier infantry. Unfortunately for them, it doesn’t happen as the Seleucid command would have hoped. The Thurophoroi have to pass through a fortified mountain pass and there are enemies everywhere and the Dahan mercenaries are more than a match for these lightly armoured soldiers. The fight goes on, and the situation becomes desperate for the Seleucids. Should the cavalry be sent to relieve the breaking formations? Isn’t the risk of an ambush too high?
This all comes to nothing and the Seleucids rejoice, as the Parthians make what looks like a huge mistake. Their troops begin to fall back and abandon their defences, and it looks like victory is at hand for the Seleucids. The entire army, save for the elephants that are too risky to use in this confined space, marches and catches up with the Turophoroi. The cavalry begins to pursue the routing Parthians when they see Parthians horse archers on top of nearby hills. It’s already too late, as the arrows begin to rain down on them. The infantry stops its retreat and fights with the immobilized cavalry men. More than half of the Seleucid horsemen lie on the ground before they manage to break up and to go back to their lines. This setback might yet prove to create an opening for victory, as the Parthians have given up on their fortified positions, and the numerical advantage of the Seleucids will now work entirely.
These elephants never took part in the battle. The were too busy eating.
It is a Seleucid victory, no doubt about it. The Gates are under Hellenistic control and the Parthians flee. But the price to pay was too high. Nonetheless, their numerical superiority can no longer be challenged, and the Parthians are probably forced to negotiate. The Seleucids don’t have so much room to manoeuvre either, the revolts in their other provinces are worrying. [-8000 Regulars to the Seleucid Empire. -5000 Mercenaries, -250 Regulars to Parthia]
Far-away from the battle of the Gates, the army that had to go through the Kopet Dagh has entered the Parthian heartland. Unaware of the outcome of the battle, they begin to occupy parts of the country and are ready to march further north once they’ll hear about the expected victory. [-40 base to Parthia, +75 Gold to Seleucids]
Parthian money is taken out of Asaak and is sent to the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. The money is well spent, but some still think it’d be better to use it in Parthia proper. [-75 Gold to Parthia]
In the North-West, villages are being plundered by what appears to be Atropatenean forces. A small force is currently occupying Seleucid lands, what does this provocation mean? It only means trouble for Antiochus II, anyway. [-10 Gold to the Seleucid Empire, + 10 Gold to Atropatene]
OOC: Woe! Parthia will repay for this setback twofold.
If there would be need for a sub, or if a possibility arises to take over another vacant nation, I wouldn't mind to join. Just saying.
If there would be need for a sub, or if a possibility arises to take over another vacant nation, I wouldn't mind to join. Just saying.
OOC: which provinces? Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Persia, etc. Rather important to know
IC:The Galatians hold sacred ceremonies in their Oak Grove, calling upon their gods and ancestors for guidance before taking council about recent events. Chieftan Deaghaidh urges for a new plan to organize warriors of the three tribes into groups of 100, which will be battle companions with a similar group of warriors from each of the other tribes. These three hundreds would train together, march together and fight together, combining with other groups to form larger armies as needed, with the members of each band of three hundred setting standards of equipment, skill and behavior for their members. His backers say this system will produce better warriors who work better together, but others are reluctant to adopt any such rigid organization.
There is more agreement on his other proposal, that to be counted as a warrior (and enjoy the rights of the social rank) a man must be able to arm himself with a shield, a spear, and a sword. A noble must also bring one horse to ride and a spare for his baggage, and support at least one apprentice. Those unable to afford this gear can still become warriors if sponsored by a noble, who will supply his armament and vouch for his skill and courage. The new warrior is then bound by debt, both of honor and of actual wealth, to the noble, by terms they shall agree before hand. This codifies and formalizes an existing practice that opens the ranks of the warrior elite to Celts of lower classes. Deaghaidh speaks to the assembled of a day when all able-bodied Celtic men would be warriors who devote their lives to mastery of arms, or Druids devoted to the Gods, the Arts, and the Law, leaving the menial work to the lesser men they conquer. Some stroke their moustaches and smile, imagining such a perfect world, while others stroke their moustaches and frown at such nonsensical ambitions from a chieftan.
Other topics of debate include whether to offer their services to either side in the major war between the Parthians and Selucids, and for how much, or whther to attack the Paphlagonians again, or whether they should take no part in any war for the time being. The gods alone know what decision the elders and chiefs of the Galatian tribes will reach, if any...
OOC: Really should have left this for my orders, but I wanted to give the thread a bump and some momentum
OOC: Spectre needs to come back then the game will keep going. The revolt is happening in Bactria, but Judea is worrying too and the Attalids in the West could get momentum from the current chaos.
I would like to apologise but due to RL complications that are unlikely to go away in the short term I must put Dictators, Despots and Diadochi on hold indefinitely. I would like to apologise to everyone and I hope that I will be able to start it up again in the future.