Droman
𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍
Demihellene, perhaps? Philhellene, possibly?
Magna Graecia: Titanomachia (A City State Quest)
- Thread starter Cetashwayo
- Start date
- Original Alt. History
-
- Tags
- ancient greece alternate history empire builder civ quest democracy gods save us granary management hubris it's an eretrian thing. let lose the weasels of war lithocracy lithocracy is my fetish maximum hellene my big fat greek divine wedding this granary aint gonna fill itself cetash unwinnable
Demihellene, perhaps? Philhellene, possibly?
Turn 7, 351 OL: Red Smiles
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
Turn 7, 351 OL: Red Smiles
351 OL
Kerkyra, Hellas
Strife always begins with a thought in men's minds. A single piercing insight, emerging perhaps in the course of bitter debate, a night of symposium, or simply while abed, nestles itself in them. It is the idea that politics is war.
At first, war is rhetorical, a mere matter of muttering among friends and allies about your rancorous rivals in the assembly, about how much easier it could be if the opposition were to be...permanently vanquished. But as time goes on, the seed of hatred grows. In dinner meetings, you begin to fantasize. Those who are with you are counted as your allies, and to them nothing is too far. Those against you are your enemies, and against them nothing is too far. There are those citizens who prudently see the shifting winds and attempt to steer the ship away from the rocks, but the sirens sing their song of victory, and these prudent men are thrown from the helm. The lines of battle are drawn across the cobblestones of the city streets.
And then, at once, there is a moment. Rarely is the moment pre-planned, or a matter of clear initiative, but the rabid and fevered impulse of hate-filled men. Their hearts turned to stone, they draw their daggers, and then at once all that was forbidden becomes acceptable.
So it was in Kerkyra. When the democrats attempt to seize those plotting members of the aristocracy on questionable pretenses, mobilizing the sacred law to depose of their foes, the oligarchs plunge their knives into the members of the boule and spilling their blood upon the council floor. And them from that, pandemonium grips them. Intoxicated by fear and nervousness and rage all mixed together, they lumber the streets like men drunk, stuttering out declarations of their murders. As they sober, the nervousness is gone but the rage and the fear remain, and now comes the killing time. They begin with the men first. Those who have not already fled are descended upon. Mercenaries, hired not for skill in battle but ability to kill without hesitation, fall upon citizens and stab them five, ten, fifteen times. Once the men are dead or fled, the women and children are next. They tell themselves, as they lift her hair and cut her throat while the child screams, that it is better not to leave any of the enemy alive.
The men who have fled hold in their hearts their own special rage, of defeat and humiliation, that turns to mad grief as the loss of their families becomes clear. They make their sacred vows and sacred pacts and agreements that when they return, and they shall return, the groves of the city will feed on the bones of their enemy. In the meanwhile, the oligarchs have made their own agreements, and received smiling envoys who look upon the devastation as nothing less than evidence of loyalty. Korinthos is pleased, the envoys tell them. This will help the cause greatly. The oligarchs, like beaten dogs, lap up the encouragement with desperation. It was all for good, they tell their wives. The Korinthians are here.
But across the sea the Athenians have not been idle, and the expedition is prepared. The strategos Demosthenes is not a man who relishes war, but he enlists one who does. Erasmos Dion practically quakes with excitement at the opportunity. What was left of the man who slurred his way through assemblies has been stripped away by war, and in his place has emerged an icon of cruelty, who runs down farmers and burns their groves with special pleasure.
He is the man who declares he will make Kerkyra whole again.
The naval battle is a practical formality. The Korinthians are fine sailors, but before the rowers of Athenai they can never be a match. On Kerkyra news begins to spread. They're coming, the messengers scream. Before the democrats arrive the battle in the city has renewed. The oligarchs were sloppy, as it turned out, and did not kill everyone who could rise against them, or else could not for too much of the city hated them. Angry citizens who remember the violence against their neighbors turn against their rulers and burn them in their homes. Those who flee onto the street are cornered in alleyways. They wish they had been burned.
Then the democrats arrive, and Dion with them. Unlike the oligarchs, their search is thorough. They find the families in the caves, in the boats, in the groves and in the temples. Sometimes sons will stab their fathers, othertimes fathers their sons. The sacraments are ignored, for what is tradition now, when the city has become a grave of its people?
The last are cornered in the highlands in the center of the island. They beg for mercy, barricade themselves, but the Athenians have no time for mercy. A war must be won, and they are an inconvenience. The men are killed, the women and children sold into slavery. The city falls quiet now, quiet, for there is no one left to kill. Bewildered citizens look around at the red-stained walls and wonder what they have done, but it is too late to turn back now.
And so, at last, Dion proclaims, the tyrants have been vanquished, and for their service the people of Kerkyra are welcomed into the Delian League. The ceremony takes place in the city's theater. Dion declares that once more, the polis has been made whole. Stability has been returned, and victory won against tyranny. The people clap and cheer and smile, for the time of strife has ended.
But only half the seats are filled.
Kerkyra, Hellas
Strife always begins with a thought in men's minds. A single piercing insight, emerging perhaps in the course of bitter debate, a night of symposium, or simply while abed, nestles itself in them. It is the idea that politics is war.
At first, war is rhetorical, a mere matter of muttering among friends and allies about your rancorous rivals in the assembly, about how much easier it could be if the opposition were to be...permanently vanquished. But as time goes on, the seed of hatred grows. In dinner meetings, you begin to fantasize. Those who are with you are counted as your allies, and to them nothing is too far. Those against you are your enemies, and against them nothing is too far. There are those citizens who prudently see the shifting winds and attempt to steer the ship away from the rocks, but the sirens sing their song of victory, and these prudent men are thrown from the helm. The lines of battle are drawn across the cobblestones of the city streets.
And then, at once, there is a moment. Rarely is the moment pre-planned, or a matter of clear initiative, but the rabid and fevered impulse of hate-filled men. Their hearts turned to stone, they draw their daggers, and then at once all that was forbidden becomes acceptable.
So it was in Kerkyra. When the democrats attempt to seize those plotting members of the aristocracy on questionable pretenses, mobilizing the sacred law to depose of their foes, the oligarchs plunge their knives into the members of the boule and spilling their blood upon the council floor. And them from that, pandemonium grips them. Intoxicated by fear and nervousness and rage all mixed together, they lumber the streets like men drunk, stuttering out declarations of their murders. As they sober, the nervousness is gone but the rage and the fear remain, and now comes the killing time. They begin with the men first. Those who have not already fled are descended upon. Mercenaries, hired not for skill in battle but ability to kill without hesitation, fall upon citizens and stab them five, ten, fifteen times. Once the men are dead or fled, the women and children are next. They tell themselves, as they lift her hair and cut her throat while the child screams, that it is better not to leave any of the enemy alive.
The men who have fled hold in their hearts their own special rage, of defeat and humiliation, that turns to mad grief as the loss of their families becomes clear. They make their sacred vows and sacred pacts and agreements that when they return, and they shall return, the groves of the city will feed on the bones of their enemy. In the meanwhile, the oligarchs have made their own agreements, and received smiling envoys who look upon the devastation as nothing less than evidence of loyalty. Korinthos is pleased, the envoys tell them. This will help the cause greatly. The oligarchs, like beaten dogs, lap up the encouragement with desperation. It was all for good, they tell their wives. The Korinthians are here.
But across the sea the Athenians have not been idle, and the expedition is prepared. The strategos Demosthenes is not a man who relishes war, but he enlists one who does. Erasmos Dion practically quakes with excitement at the opportunity. What was left of the man who slurred his way through assemblies has been stripped away by war, and in his place has emerged an icon of cruelty, who runs down farmers and burns their groves with special pleasure.
He is the man who declares he will make Kerkyra whole again.
The naval battle is a practical formality. The Korinthians are fine sailors, but before the rowers of Athenai they can never be a match. On Kerkyra news begins to spread. They're coming, the messengers scream. Before the democrats arrive the battle in the city has renewed. The oligarchs were sloppy, as it turned out, and did not kill everyone who could rise against them, or else could not for too much of the city hated them. Angry citizens who remember the violence against their neighbors turn against their rulers and burn them in their homes. Those who flee onto the street are cornered in alleyways. They wish they had been burned.
Then the democrats arrive, and Dion with them. Unlike the oligarchs, their search is thorough. They find the families in the caves, in the boats, in the groves and in the temples. Sometimes sons will stab their fathers, othertimes fathers their sons. The sacraments are ignored, for what is tradition now, when the city has become a grave of its people?
The last are cornered in the highlands in the center of the island. They beg for mercy, barricade themselves, but the Athenians have no time for mercy. A war must be won, and they are an inconvenience. The men are killed, the women and children sold into slavery. The city falls quiet now, quiet, for there is no one left to kill. Bewildered citizens look around at the red-stained walls and wonder what they have done, but it is too late to turn back now.
And so, at last, Dion proclaims, the tyrants have been vanquished, and for their service the people of Kerkyra are welcomed into the Delian League. The ceremony takes place in the city's theater. Dion declares that once more, the polis has been made whole. Stability has been returned, and victory won against tyranny. The people clap and cheer and smile, for the time of strife has ended.
But only half the seats are filled.
[X] [Cattle] Grant Artahias authority over the annual cattle drive [+1% tariff efficiency].
[X] [Italy] Krotone. Once the hegemon of the western Italiotes, Krotone's star has fallen significantly. However, they still constitute a significant force and have strong relations with the minor cities of the region. If they were to be swayed into alliance and friendship, the main challenge remaining would be to reconcile them with the ambitious Thuriians [-10 talents, Xenoparakletor will seek out alliance with Krotone].
[X] [Mission] Illyrian Expedition: The time has come for more than a simple pirate-hunting expedition. For years Illyrian pirates have stalked the southern islands of the Liburni and threatened Eretrian trade eastwards. It is time for Eretria to seize these islands with a full expedition and establish a colony on the island of Issa, ending the threat of piracy in the Adriatic conclusively through the establishment of a new colony in the region for merchants to call home while building allies for Eretria among the Illyrians to ensure victory [3 Month campaign led by elected strategos, 500 Ekdromoi, 18 Triremes, 72 talents naval upkeep for campaign, if successful, new land for colony on Eastern Adriatic Island of Issa].
[X] [Italy] Krotone. Once the hegemon of the western Italiotes, Krotone's star has fallen significantly. However, they still constitute a significant force and have strong relations with the minor cities of the region. If they were to be swayed into alliance and friendship, the main challenge remaining would be to reconcile them with the ambitious Thuriians [-10 talents, Xenoparakletor will seek out alliance with Krotone].
[X] [Mission] Illyrian Expedition: The time has come for more than a simple pirate-hunting expedition. For years Illyrian pirates have stalked the southern islands of the Liburni and threatened Eretrian trade eastwards. It is time for Eretria to seize these islands with a full expedition and establish a colony on the island of Issa, ending the threat of piracy in the Adriatic conclusively through the establishment of a new colony in the region for merchants to call home while building allies for Eretria among the Illyrians to ensure victory [3 Month campaign led by elected strategos, 500 Ekdromoi, 18 Triremes, 72 talents naval upkeep for campaign, if successful, new land for colony on Eastern Adriatic Island of Issa].
Goings on from around the Mediterranean, presented by Xenoparakletor Obander Eupraxis of the Demos Antipatria
OBANDER: Citizens! I rush home from Italia with news from the cities of the Italiotes. Below is the report I have constructed for you of all the cities that I visited. In succession I went to Metapontion, Thurii, Krotone, Lokri, Rhegion, and Hyele, along with a number of minor cities along the way such as Kaulonia.
I first arrived at Metapontion where I was greeted with great respect (5d4+4=19). The Metapontines had been pleased by the Eretrian acceptance of their peace and the securing of Metapontion's security for decades to come by their proboulos Phaidros, who was heralded by his people as a hero. I met with Phaidros and we spoke of my proposal to establish a permanent proxenos in the city. Phaidros was happy to accept, and explained the thought process of the Metapontines for pressuring for peace. Metapontion saw itself as the "hinge" of Italia and Epulia, the transitional region between the two, and thus also saw itself as the only state capable of maintaining peace in the region through its position. In that way it would ensure its own prosperity and stability and those of its people. Phaidros pointed to the fact that Metapontion had superseded Krotone as a center for learning and mathematics, and noted that the Eretrians took their own system of weights and measures from a Metapontine mathematician. I then proceeded to have a number of symposia with wise men and intellectuals of the city, and we discussed many fine concepts such as the positions of the stars and the boundaries of the earth.
From there, I went on to Thurii, where I was given a far colder welcome (2d10+2=7). The Thuriians were of ill humor when I arrived, and although their supreme leader, an elected xenologos by the name of Kimon Phileos, was happy to accept the concept of a permanent proxenos of Eretria, the news that I was seeking out an alliance with Krotone significantly angered them. Kimon calmed the people, who had gone so far as to throw insults at me in my wake, and took me into his home, where he treated me kindly and fairly as befits him. He explained the delicate situation; that there was a faction in Thurii that was considering abandoning the Eretrian alliance altogether, and seeking out Athenai as a friend instead. I was mortified at this news, as surely the involvement of Athenai in Italiote affairs could mean nothing good, especially if it went so far as Thurii joining their Delian League. In the end, however, the promise of Herakleia Lukania quelled the people enough to temporarily allay such anger, and many were excited at the prospect of removing the threat Taras posed to them from the north. Still, I received the impression that the alliance with Krotone had deeply angered the people of Thurii, who had felt that they had not gained anything from the war with Taras. The bonds between Eretria and Thurii remain strong, but they are fraying and I fear that if negotiations with Taras break down we could soon lose Thurii as well.
My arrival at Krotone was met with better reception (2d10+4=16). The people of Krotone had not had the opportunity to meet an Eretrian for many years, and they had remembered how Eretria had favored them in the war against them all those years ago, over the Lokrians. Although I dreaded my reception in Lokri as a consequence, this only augmented my reception in Krotone, where the strategos who was most notable among them, the mighty Ajax the Fist who had the tendencies of a demagogue in his attempt to present himself as the city's chief wrestler as well as leader. Ajax had won thrice as a wrestler in the Olympic games, giving him a reputation legendary throughout all Hellas and Italia, but I also saw in him a carefully curated persona and an acumen for the mood of the people. He said that Krotone was happy to forge alliance with Eretria, and that it would support us in the coming war against Syrakousai, if it came to that. The Krotonites were spoling for a fight, anyhow, and better for them to fight Lokri and not Thurii, eh? Concerning to me was the ambitions of Ajax's opponent, Inaros, who was a man of fine Akhaian stock and had been arguing in the public eye for the necessity of an Italiote League composed out of the major Akhaian cities of Italia, such as Sybaris on the Traeis and Kaulonia. This new bloc could become as strong as Thurii, and surely threaten war between the two. I advised the proxenos I assigned to the city to keep a good eye out for this Inaros and his steep ambitions before I departed.
The arrival at Lokri was very cold (2d10+2=7) and I was not well-welcomed. I was not even allowed to meet with their xenologos. The general atmosphere was one of deep disdain for Eretria, and although there were some who were friends in the city, and I was hosted kindly by a number of aristocrats who were sympathetic to my mission, the government of the time was worried about the impression that my visit would bring and were generally suspicious of me. This was an unfortunate failure on my part, but one that it seemed difficult to overcome. The city is strong and rich, but the people are nervous and expect war, and are paranoid of outsiders from Epulia, as they see me to be. A much-isolated polis in Italia, Lokri is swept with fear that Athenai will back their enemies and destroy them soon. Little more could be done, even the establishment of a permenant proxenos, which the people of Lokri saw as a pretext for spying.
Finally I arrived at Rhegion, where the people brought me flowers and grapes on arrival (5d4+3=15) and I was brought to the council chambers of the boule of Rhegion, which had far more power than the assembly of the people and thus the city could be described as a mix of oligarchy and democracy. They owed this to the extraordinary slave-adviser Mikythos, who was honored in the city despite his low background. I was shocked by the wealth and glory of the city of Rhegion. Despite its small size, it seemed as though vast portions of the citizenry were devoted to trade and commerce, more than any city in Italia and rivalling Eretria. All the goods of Carthage flowed from the west, the goods of Hellas from the east, and the goods of Etruria from the north. Truly, this was a city to watch for, as this newfound wealth had come to it only recently as the Carthaginians opened up to trade with the Italiote Hellenes. The only thing I found disturbing, besides the news from Sicilia which I will relay in a moment, is their happiness at the trouble Kymai and the Etruscans of Campania were in. The proboulos Mnester found great joy in the decline or even potential destruction of his Hellene rival, though he apologized when I informed him of Eretria's own care for its daughter city. It appears that in matters of trade the people of Rhegion are as cutthroat as they are proficient.
The news from Sicilia is what most concerned me, however. It is worse than we had imagined, and I must blame our lack of interest in Sicily for blinding us to this. The Sikeliote League's defeat by Syrakousai during our war with Taras had larger consequences than had been conveyed by Mnemnon, and in fact it seems that a peace faction in the League is gaining sway and may seek to concede defeat to Syrakousai. The strategos Hermokrates, Syrakousai's main representative abroad, has also been touring the isle, and is coming close to turning the city of Selinous. Given that each major power in Sicilia, specifically Rhegion, Syrakousai, the Sikeliote League, Himera, Gela, Akragas, and Selinous have an equal vote in the congress, and Selinous is the only one that has been neutral, it could break the tie that has been held throughout the island and outvote our coalition.
I wish I could have departed for the island and tour it, but that must wait for next year. I had to return home, you must understand, for staying too long at sea threatened dangerous journeys during the autumn and winter, not to mention the necessity of meeting with Taras. Next year, however, I will devote the sum total of my efforts to Sicilia, and assign deputies and trusted citizens to deal with gathering allies for the Illyrian expedition chosen by the citizenry. The situation remains salvageable; there are many on the island of Sicily who remain suspicious to Syrakousai, and if we devoted enough money and work to the matter we could sway especially the Gelans, who have been traditionally neutral and only recently moved to support Syrakousai outright. News from Hyele was nothing remarkable; I stayed a very brief amount of time there, and was told only that the Lucani are quiet and the crops are growing well. Kymai is indeed in dire straits, though we can do nothing for them until after the conference is complete.
I turn now to the general news around the Mediterranean. This has not been a peacable year, and there are many ominous developments.
News from Hellas! The great war is turning rapidly in favor of Athenai. The strategy of Kleon, their prime strategos, has been bearing fruit. Despite the rising star of Paralos Perikles, son of the famed statesman, who advocates much the same policies as his father, Kleon remains pre-eminent, and has leveraged the increased tribute from the Delian League and the Athenian navy to deliver several shocking blows. In the northwest, Athenai has destroyed the Korinthians and their allies. First, Athenai and its allies in Akarnania and Amphilokia defeated the force of Korinthos and Ambrakia at the Battle of Olpai. The island of Leukas, a member of the Peloponnesian League, fell to Athenai, securing them the Ionian Sea approach to the Adriatic. The Korinthian colony of Anaktorion had its colonists expelled, the bridgehead to the Adriatic lost. Then, when the Amphilokians, Ozolian Lokrians, and Akarnanians pressured the Athenians and exited the Delian League for fear of their ally's rising power, Athenai merely pivoted its navy led by the strategos Demosthenes to take Kerkyra. After a bloody fight on the island, it has fallen to Athenai, and joined the Delian League as a full dues paying member, granting Athenai access to the Adriatic and further choking Korinthos. The democrats have been restored in a greatly diminished Kerkyra, now dependent on Athenai.
Then, to the south, Athenai has used its control of the island of Kythira south of Lakonia to attack and seize Pylos, capturing much of the Spartan fleet in the process. Pylos is a spit on the coast of Messenia, and its control by the Athenians could destabilize the Spartan hold over their Messenian helots. Then, in a spectacular victory, the Athenians defeated and captured a group of trapped Spartan hoplites on the island of Sphacteria off the coast of Pylos, an utter catastrophe for the Spartiates. Suddenly, the Spartans have been embarrassed on both land and sea, and their coalition has been weakened, with the fear of Sparta greatly diminished among both allies and enemies. With the death of the King of Kings, the accursed Mede Artaxerxes I Makrocheir, they can also expect no support from a Persia locked in a crisis of succession. Kleon's popularity is rising in Athenai, though it has been said that among some members of the Delian League there is a rebellious mood.
News from the West! The Etruscan cities of Nola and Nuceria have fallen to the Samnites. The raiding has become an invasion now, and the hoplites of the city of Kymai have been trapped and slaughtered in an ambush. Reeling from the loss, the city cannot assist the Etruscans against the invasion any more, and has few allies among the Hellene states of Sicily, who are absorbed in their own affairs and who might even relish the destruction of Kymai. The Etruscan city of Capeva is under siege, while the Lucani are moving their herds close to the town of Irna. In Africa, Carthage's victory in Sardinia has been dampened by war against the Numidians, who have attacked the Carthaginian ally of Acholla, a Phoenician city on the coast, and forced their intervention. Carthage is now at war with a coalition of Numidian tribes who have briefly united against the encroaching Phoenician threat buttressed by mysterious gold which has been rumored to allow Carthage to fund multiple campaigns abroad at once.
News from the North! The king Sitalces has become embroiled once more in warfare against the Triballi, though this time they have conducted an invasion against him. The Odryssians are bogged down in fierce fighting against their neighbors. The Northern Etruscans have enlisted their own modest fleets against the Liburni, and have scored a few victories, but the conflict is threatening to drag in the entire Liburnian Confederation and result in an issuance of war by the city of Iadar, which holds the captaincy of the league.
Goings on from within the city, presented by Proboulos Theron Archippos of the Demos Exoria
THERON: Citizens, the cattle drive once again delivers great wealth and prosperity to the city. Now, with the wealth of cattle that we have received, we may use these fine oxen to make sacrifices and celebrate festivals. Our mathematicians have worked hard to create a new calendar that restores as much as possible the original schedules of the city of Eretria, and allows for a more harmonious and holy respect for the Gods. The citizens shall have the options now of choosing from among the many folk holidays that have emerged in the years since the city's founding, so that we may perform a second founding of our faith in the Gods with the knowledge that we are now wealthy enough, secure enough, and pious enough to truly honor them as we have never been able to before.
In terms of finances and the constructions the city continues to run a small but entirely manageable deficit, which will be annihalated next year with the completion of the Hill of the Divine Marriage. I know it does not look like much with the web of scaffolding and constant construction that has so annoyed the founding families in Old Bare with the noise and racket, but once it is complete it shall be a true wonder to behold. I have inspected the plans myself and been shocked by the wonder of the designs. Though we must admit this is no Parthenon, the hill itself forms a wondrous structure, and has now begun to truly rise above the city, as it should.
The following citizens are thanked for their special participation in the assembly's debate and given cash rewards for their speaking, as chosen by the boule and an assembly of their peers. Gregarios, Son of Alexios, Alkaios son of Kleitos, Dareios the One-Named, Ajax son of Lalage who has had his citizen motion moved to by the assembly to a general vote, Dimodion the Terse, Skantarios the Hoplite, Arkadios the Captain, Eugenios the Stonemason, Phokion Aristedes, Arktos Arkadios, Hektor the Rower, Nikephoros the Hoplite, Isigas Euplastos, Erastos Nikedemos, Kipekos the Wide-speaking, whose vigorous arguments for Rhegion are acknowledged and specially rewarded even if they were not successful, Heliodoros Giorgos who has learned better than to drool, Theopilos who has been put in a jail for two days for the crime of drunkenness on the assembly field but is rewarded for speaking, Leander who has spoken long and rightly, Kleon Aristophanes, Kleon Prokopios who is not the other Kleon, Hermesdora Eretriazenis who is advised in the future to bring legal concerns about the sanctity of citizenship to the Popular Tribunal, and Kaidos the Messenger.
Iskander Xanatos is asked in the future not to speak in barbarian tongues in the assembly, or to speak so violently in a sacred space, though his speechmaking and participation remains acknowledged.
Due to the number of different decisions before the assembly, the matter of colonial land policy has been moved to next year after some discussion with the Demos Drakonia. The issues this year will be important, indeed, for deciding on how to proceed with the Illyrian expedition next year, and so the colonial land policies will be reformatted so they may be blended in with the rest of the decisionmaking around an Illyrian expedition.
Burying the Spear
The arrival of Obander Eupraxis in Taras was met with deep caution and coldness among its people (2d10+2=10). Though Pankratios Telesphoros was the leader of the city, the wounds of the war remained raw, and some even wondered if Eupraxis was here to mock them. Eupraxis spoke to many among the people, even meeting with members of the war party, such as the famed matriarch Eudoxia, who embarrassed Eupraxis by speaking to him as an equal and being supported in such by her son and his supporters. Such was the traditions in Taras that their women were allowed such freedom, perhaps inherited from the proclivities of Spartan wives. However, upon more and more discussion, Eupraxis was able to warm this initially chilly welcome (2d10+4=15) and sway the Tarentines to openness. Telesphoros, now with a growing respect for Eupraxis, engaged him properly.
The two walked outside the city, to Telesphoros' estate, where Eupraxis was hosted. Situated just outside of the city on the inner bay of the city's harbor, Telesphoros told Obander of his vision and his troubles. He imagined a Taras that was a true commercial entrepot, with ships coming and going from across the west and east, a counterpart to Eretria which was the door to the Adriatic. A new fleet, and a reduction of the emphasis on land warfare, he explained, had been needed because the city had always been filled with boorish men who thirsted for land, and as long as the city placed land first above all, they would never be at peace. This, he explained, was the true instinct behind the support for Myron; in their hearts the war party wished to become an Italian Sparta, and the Messapii as their helots. The peace party wished instead to look to more peacable pursuits; the cultivation of a navy, trade, and the enrichment of its people. A democracy, Telesphoros told Obander, where the gains of trade were distributed to the people, and so the people had no reason to beg for land, as they were no longer destitute.
Obander scoffed at all of this. He argued that land remained of the greatest value to Hellenes and that placing such value on capital was doomed to failure. But he did not wish to offend his guest, so instead he offered him a parable of wood and iron. Wood, he explains, is flexible, and can be crafted into many things, and it is easy to find, but in time it rots and dies and must be replaced and eventually exhausted. But iron is everlasting save for rust, and can be molded and re-molded over and over again. Such was trade versus land; trade was easy, but fragile, and could splinter or rot or disappear, but land would remain there, forever, constantly re-molded to serve the purposes of the people. Telesphoros scratched his head at the analogy and wondered if he needed to discuss the veracity of this claim about iron with a blacksmith, but relented, and the discussion turned instead to how reconciliation could be reached.
The trouble, Telesphoros explained, is that the immediate memory of the war was beginning to fade. The war party had begun to craft all kinds of myths, such as that the peace party had forced it to make peace and stabbed it in the back, or that they wished to enslave the city to Eretria. At the same time, the peace party needed a real win, and it needed one that was done in conjunction with Eretria; if it angered Eretria, then what was the point of being the peace party? And so Telesphoros set his sights on the very object of Taras' disdain for Eretria, the city of Lykai. Eupraxis had remembered it; some fourty years ago, the city of Kerkyra, then a significant naval power, had forced Eretria and Taras to break their alliance and settled the city of Lykai on the very tip of the Sallentine Peninsula. Now Kerkyra was a dependent of Athenai, but this made securing Lykai all the more urgent; if it was not seized quickly, it may appeal to the Athenians, and that would be an unmitigated catastrophe for Italia. Many were now beginning to expect an Athenian victory in the war and were preparing accordingly.
So the terms were put forward. The aim was for the end of the city of Lykai as it stands now, and for this both Eretria and Taras were needed. Eretria would take the founding families most likely to rebel against Taras or fight back and do what it wished with them, whether that was selling them into slavery or deporting them to some colony in the Adriatic. The remainder of the citizens with no real loyalty to Lykai as a city would be lavished by Taras and brought under their protection. In exchange, Taras would transfer protection of Herakleia Lukania to Thurii, forever relinquishing that bridgehead into western Italia and ending its rivalry with that city. Eretria and Taras would vow not to make alliances with any power in Hellas to allay fears of Taras appealing to Sparta and Eretria to Athenai in future conflict, though aid to the combatants in the form of grain or funds would still be permitted. The border between Taras and the Messapii would be set, a proxenos would be permanently placed in each sity, and a sacred tree would be planted, representing the seed of Eirene, peace, finally, between the two powers.
It was an impressive list that Eupraxis brought home, but there were some misgivings. Some citizens raised the specter that if Thurii is given Herakleia Lukania its next target for expansion will be Krotone, exploding the new alliance before it even has a chance to begin. Others argue that giving it Herakleia Lukania will quell its concerns for years to come, and that the city will calm in its expansionist tendencies and remember its alliance with Eretria. Some doubt the sincerity of Taras and suggest this is an opportunity for the Tarentines to try and secure their peninsula while cutting their losses elsewhere, while still others point out that this is a fair olive branch. There are a few angry about the idea of taking the founding families of Lykai, treating it as a poisoned chalice, but Epiktetos Linos points out that by taking them the city has just found its colonists for Issa without losing a single taxable citizen from Eretria. Some pointed out Taras would do all the effort of besieging Lykai, kindly preserving Eretrian finances.
The assembly was divided when the question came before them.
Should Eretria accept a reconciling peace with Taras with the following terms?
- The city of Lykai will come under the protection of Taras.
- The founding families of Lykai (800 citizens) will be expelled to Eretria.
- Taras will transfer protection of Herakleia Lukania to Thurii.
- Taras and Eretria will vow not to make alliances with any power in Hellas for the duration of the war between the Hellene leagues.
- The border between the Messapii and Taras will be accepted and set.
- A proxenos of each city will be placed in the other.
- The mutual hatred and thoughts of revenge on both sides shall be put to rest with the planting of a sacred tree of peace in each city.
[] [Taras] Reject their terms.
Filling in the Godly Gaps
Grand Mantis Imbrios Drimylos and Theron Archippos have been hard at work refining and re-crafting the Eretrian festival calendar. The final calendar that has been produced is both pleasing, in that it has organized the seasons well, but also disturbing, as it shows where the city is missing festivities in winter to honor the Gods, and there is precious little to honor any of the Gods except for Apollon, Artemis, and Athene. Below is the calendar:
Spring
Procession of the One Marriage (Late-Spring): A massive three-day procession that starts at the Gate of Heroes and stops at the temple of the Divine Marriage at the end of the processional way. At the end of the way, a young man representing Apollon and a girl representing Athene are "married", after being carried through the city on a chariot driven by the ekdromoi in place of horses. The festival also includes bull running on the first day, added to the enterprising hooliganry of a young man many years ago. Bulls are slaughted during this festival and no work allowed in the city.
Summer
Holiday of the United City (Early Summer): The foremost civic holiday in Eretria. A celebration of Apollo & Athene, the Holiday of the United City is also when young men are ordained as adults and welcomed into the rolls of men who can be called to war. It is a bellicose and festive occasion, full of wrestling, favored most by the men, and is also when Metics are given the reward of citizenship if they are judged to have served the city enough in some capacity. Speeches are made, the youths dance and chase one another, and there are two days of dancing. Many bulls are slaughtered during this festival, and it is the premier source of beef for many poorer citizens.
Festival of Apollon & Artemis (Late Summer): The premier festival for barbaroi outside the city. Tribute is collected from all of the tributary vassals, athletic games are held, a contest of plays is held in the Theater of the Thunderbird, the barbarian agora is opened up to any and all from within and without the city. With the arrival of the cattle drive along with the ceremony of the barbaroi swearing sacred oaths, this festival has become extremely popular.
Autumn
Running of the Weasels (Mid-Autumn): A folk festival that has been incorporated into the new calendar by Theron Archippos. The Running of the Weaels is most popular among the young, especially young men and women, who hope to find lovers and marriages at the festival; its situation after the end of a summer campaign is not accidental. Usually presided over by an honored citizen, the festival is one day and consists of young men chasing women wearing weasel masks through the Gate of the Weasels while being in turn chased by their elders who scream at them that weasels are a poor animal to keep as a pet and beat the ones who fall behind with sticks. Afterwards there is a communal feast and a singing competition of the women, voted on by the men. The festival is dedicated to Demeter.
Winter
None.
Procession of the One Marriage (Late-Spring): A massive three-day procession that starts at the Gate of Heroes and stops at the temple of the Divine Marriage at the end of the processional way. At the end of the way, a young man representing Apollon and a girl representing Athene are "married", after being carried through the city on a chariot driven by the ekdromoi in place of horses. The festival also includes bull running on the first day, added to the enterprising hooliganry of a young man many years ago. Bulls are slaughted during this festival and no work allowed in the city.
Summer
Holiday of the United City (Early Summer): The foremost civic holiday in Eretria. A celebration of Apollo & Athene, the Holiday of the United City is also when young men are ordained as adults and welcomed into the rolls of men who can be called to war. It is a bellicose and festive occasion, full of wrestling, favored most by the men, and is also when Metics are given the reward of citizenship if they are judged to have served the city enough in some capacity. Speeches are made, the youths dance and chase one another, and there are two days of dancing. Many bulls are slaughtered during this festival, and it is the premier source of beef for many poorer citizens.
Festival of Apollon & Artemis (Late Summer): The premier festival for barbaroi outside the city. Tribute is collected from all of the tributary vassals, athletic games are held, a contest of plays is held in the Theater of the Thunderbird, the barbarian agora is opened up to any and all from within and without the city. With the arrival of the cattle drive along with the ceremony of the barbaroi swearing sacred oaths, this festival has become extremely popular.
Autumn
Running of the Weasels (Mid-Autumn): A folk festival that has been incorporated into the new calendar by Theron Archippos. The Running of the Weaels is most popular among the young, especially young men and women, who hope to find lovers and marriages at the festival; its situation after the end of a summer campaign is not accidental. Usually presided over by an honored citizen, the festival is one day and consists of young men chasing women wearing weasel masks through the Gate of the Weasels while being in turn chased by their elders who scream at them that weasels are a poor animal to keep as a pet and beat the ones who fall behind with sticks. Afterwards there is a communal feast and a singing competition of the women, voted on by the men. The festival is dedicated to Demeter.
Winter
None.
With this in mind the most obvious deficiencies are the lack of a winter festival and the lack of a festival for the vernal equinox. A mid-winter festival is very common among many peoples of the Mediterranean, and a number of proposed festivals or already-celebrated ones have emerged to account for this, whilst it would be wise also to have a festival in mid-spring to celebrate the vernal equionox. To that end, there are a number of folk festivals to draw on. While some have raised the idea of having an additional festival around the harvest, the general disposition is to leave such an important festival to another reform, as there are many minor traditions that would be difficult to choose from. So instead, there are options for both spring and winter, that the citizens can choose to elevate from the position of folk festivals.
Which festival should the city choose to celebrate the vernal equinox?
[] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
Which festival should the city choose as a mid-winter celebration?
[] [Winter] The Ascendency of Zeus Olympios. A monumental festival that celebrates the military victory of Zeus Olympios of the titans and the end of the titanomachia, the war against them. The ascendency has become increasingly popular in Eretria due to the influence of her olympic contestants who have been so shaken by the recently completed statue of Zeus at Olympia that have returned to their faith more vigorous than ever. The true supreme God of the Hellenes, Zeus deserves to be celebrated with vym and vigor in a military and civic parade. During the Ascendency, there is a battle among those representing the titans and olympians, with brawling and wooden swords, and a competition involving a ball which represents control of the heavens between two teams.
[] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
User Motion: Honoring the Victorious
It had been proposed by Ajax son of Lalage that the city should have a special honor for those who have done their duty above and beyond. There was discussion in the assembly about the appropriate reward and enough kleftes were composed to warrant the motion moving to a general vote. He spoke of this in the context of honoring Mnemnon, but the man in question has declined the honor, saying he did nothing to warrant it. However, the amended suggestion pushed by Phokion Aristedes remains on the assembly force, having gathered enough of its own kleftes:
PHOKION: "It is true that service to the polis is its own reward. To bestow great wealth and special rights or large bodyguards and other privileges upon a public servant is to invite tyranny. But it is also the case that arete deserves to be recognized.
I would propose, to elaborate upon the desire of Ajax son of Lalage and many other citizens to honor our former xenoparkletor, that our city establish a means to recognize those who perform good service to our state. It need not be anything more valuable than the laurel wreath sacred to Apollo, which is to say it would be of inestimable value. The probolous and xenoparakletor might be awarded such a token of esteem by acclamation of the Assembly at the end of their terms, should they be worthy of it. The Assembly might honor as well such citizens and Metics as perform some outstanding feat worthy of recognition in battle or the arts at one of our festivals. This I feel would be for the best."
I would propose, to elaborate upon the desire of Ajax son of Lalage and many other citizens to honor our former xenoparkletor, that our city establish a means to recognize those who perform good service to our state. It need not be anything more valuable than the laurel wreath sacred to Apollo, which is to say it would be of inestimable value. The probolous and xenoparakletor might be awarded such a token of esteem by acclamation of the Assembly at the end of their terms, should they be worthy of it. The Assembly might honor as well such citizens and Metics as perform some outstanding feat worthy of recognition in battle or the arts at one of our festivals. This I feel would be for the best."
The proposal was put to the boule to refine the suggestion. After some discussion Theron Archippos proposed two separate rewards. The first reward is the laurel weath of Apollon, which should be delivered for extraordinary works for the city in matters of diplomacy, governance, the arts, or some other contribution to the city's cultural and political life, such as a great legal reform. The second reward is their name upon a painted relief of Athene, to be placed at the head of the assembly field. The painted stone rewards those whose contributions to the city are truly legendary, to the point where it requires them to be permanently recognized within the place of the people. This particular honor can only be granted after someone has retired from public life, to those who have given something extraordinary to the city such as vast new territory or saved it from certain defeat.
Of course, as with the cemetary of heroes, there are many opponents. The argument given especially by some of the common people and supported by Obander Eupraxis is that service is its own reward, but even further than that, that the whole city is in service of higher powers, the Gods, and to the polis as a whole. To elevate specific men is to sway the city towards oligarchy by encouraging vain glory-hunting and competition among the aristoi to go beyond the normal of politics and into the realm of deification. Worshipping citizens, even the greatest of all citizens, as these proposals suggest, would destroy the sanctity of the city's relationship with the Gods, and elevate men to their level.
It was argued against this that the cemetery of heroes had stood for decades and never promoted tyranny, and that rewards would further draw in and reward aristoi for their services, making them love the city and its institutions even more for they were bound to them for reward. Among those supporting the motion were Mnemnon Keylonos and Athenagoras Symmachos as well as Epiktetos Linos, who pushed back against Eupraxis' assumption that all it took for tyranny to root itself was a wreath and an inscription on a stone.
The matter is put before the assembly.
Should the city have specific rewards to honor those who have sacrificed so much to the city to help make their sacrifice an object of praise and celebration and ensure they are remembered, or is offering such a reward encouraging some to think of themselves and their families as above the rest?
[] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.
[] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
Note: This map is for geographic reference and does not reflect border changes between 349 OL-353 OL. The map is updated every four turns, so the next update is 353 OL (423 BCE).
When voting, please copy out vote text in its entirety in order to preserve the coherency of the vote. That includes the word with the vote brackets.
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Last edited:
Deadly Snark
Tryhard As Fuck
Hmmm Eramos Dion future Tyrant of the Athenai? More likely than I hoped. Dark mirror to Herodion that one.
Also goddamn we dodged the United Sicily Gorilla by a fucking hair.
Obdander has done good work.
Also goddamn we dodged the United Sicily Gorilla by a fucking hair.
Obdander has done good work.
- Location
- Luton Airport
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
Men of Eretria, while I freely admit none of you know me, I must confess, while these terms are a bit risky, they also come with great rewards. Yes, we have to take on the founding families of Lykai, but nothing says we must keep them here. Instead, we can send them off to Issa as colonists, ones who have been given a new lease on life, and who would owe their lives to us. As for the risks of them being overly expansionist, well then, that's on them. Breaking a deal made in the spirit of the Gods is ill advised, we all know this, so surely they would bless us descending on them to punish their oath breaking.
For the spring festival, while I am tempted by The Courting of Ploutos, I would never hear a moment's peace from my wife if I did not advocate for The Return of Persephone. Giving our women a traditional and feminine figure to look up to can only bring us much peace. As my father told me, a happy wife is a happy home.
And as for the Winter festival, well, we are Eretria! Our power flows from the sea, does it not? For if it was not for the mercy of Poseidon, we would not have survived the perilous voyage to here in the first place! If it was not for Poseidon blessing the efforts of Eusebios in being an Aegis for our fair city, the hated Lykurgus would've sacked us, leading to our deaths! If it was not for Poseidon, we would not have had such wealth as came from the salted anchovies that helped us prosper to this day! It is only fitting we glorify Poseidon for His blessings upon us.
Finally, we come to the matter of honors. While I freely admit that glorifying great poets and other great men is tempting, where will it stop? We should not need to give a trinket to show a man is famed, his deeds and reputation should speak for themselves! There is no need to award them a trinket to prove they are indeed respectable.
Thus speaks Harmocydes, son of Isandros.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
Men of Eretria, while I freely admit none of you know me, I must confess, while these terms are a bit risky, they also come with great rewards. Yes, we have to take on the founding families of Lykai, but nothing says we must keep them here. Instead, we can send them off to Issa as colonists, ones who have been given a new lease on life, and who would owe their lives to us. As for the risks of them being overly expansionist, well then, that's on them. Breaking a deal made in the spirit of the Gods is ill advised, we all know this, so surely they would bless us descending on them to punish their oath breaking.
For the spring festival, while I am tempted by The Courting of Ploutos, I would never hear a moment's peace from my wife if I did not advocate for The Return of Persephone. Giving our women a traditional and feminine figure to look up to can only bring us much peace. As my father told me, a happy wife is a happy home.
And as for the Winter festival, well, we are Eretria! Our power flows from the sea, does it not? For if it was not for the mercy of Poseidon, we would not have survived the perilous voyage to here in the first place! If it was not for Poseidon blessing the efforts of Eusebios in being an Aegis for our fair city, the hated Lykurgus would've sacked us, leading to our deaths! If it was not for Poseidon, we would not have had such wealth as came from the salted anchovies that helped us prosper to this day! It is only fitting we glorify Poseidon for His blessings upon us.
Finally, we come to the matter of honors. While I freely admit that glorifying great poets and other great men is tempting, where will it stop? We should not need to give a trinket to show a man is famed, his deeds and reputation should speak for themselves! There is no need to award them a trinket to prove they are indeed respectable.
Thus speaks Harmocydes, son of Isandros.
Deadly Snark
Tryhard As Fuck
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
Dareios: "Truly, we are not going to get better terms from them. And while there are certainly risks involved, such is always the case with diplomacy. But the potential rewards we can get out of this are great, and thus said risks are worth taking."
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
"Celebrating both our proud naval traditions as well as the great wealth it has brought us? If there is a better option, I'm not seeing it."
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
"Ahhhh, such a blatant move towards oligarchy, or worse yet, tyranny! Honoring the great is all well and good, but there's such a thing as excessive honors, and I believe that this proposal certainly crosses that line. A wreath of shining Apollo himself? This is how the great become vain and hubristic! It would only be a matter of time before some of them will think themselves living gods and attempt to place themselves above the rest of us! Beware!"
Dareios: "Truly, we are not going to get better terms from them. And while there are certainly risks involved, such is always the case with diplomacy. But the potential rewards we can get out of this are great, and thus said risks are worth taking."
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
"Celebrating both our proud naval traditions as well as the great wealth it has brought us? If there is a better option, I'm not seeing it."
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
"Ahhhh, such a blatant move towards oligarchy, or worse yet, tyranny! Honoring the great is all well and good, but there's such a thing as excessive honors, and I believe that this proposal certainly crosses that line. A wreath of shining Apollo himself? This is how the great become vain and hubristic! It would only be a matter of time before some of them will think themselves living gods and attempt to place themselves above the rest of us! Beware!"
- Location
- France
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
i like the story of Ploutos.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
i like the story of Ploutos.
Last edited:
- Location
- Southern Virginia
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[X] [Winter] The Ascendency of Zeus Olympios. A monumental festival that celebrates the military victory of Zeus Olympios of the titans and the end of the titanomachia, the war against them. The ascendency has become increasingly popular in Eretria due to the influence of her olympic contestants who have been so shaken by the recently completed statue of Zeus at Olympia that have returned to their faith more vigorous than ever. The true supreme God of the Hellenes, Zeus deserves to be celebrated with vym and vigor in a military and civic parade. During the Ascendency, there is a battle among those representing the titans and olympians, with brawling and wooden swords, and a competition involving a ball which represents control of the heavens between two teams.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.
"Shall we accuse the gods of jealousy of the victors at Olympia? For it seems to me the arguments of Obander Eupraxis are so poorly reasoned as to imply such. The rewarding of a laurel crown or an engraving for service to the state is not worship, nor could anyone mistake it as such. He has called attention to his opposition to the Cemetary of Heroes. Has Eretria become a tyranny? Have we had the Cult of Antipater replace the worship of the Olympians? Shall we displace Eusebius and Herodion and Drako from their graves lest they become tyrants?
The acclamation of the Assembly if anything is a safeguard against tyranny. For such honors must come from the people in a spirit of true gratitude. Do we distrust the ekklesia so much? And the honors will be open to all. Wealth is the province of the aristoi and will remain so. A token of the esteem of the city, however, can be awarded to the humblest man who serves his city well. In this it is fairer than the trappings of coin and great estates."
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[X] [Winter] The Ascendency of Zeus Olympios. A monumental festival that celebrates the military victory of Zeus Olympios of the titans and the end of the titanomachia, the war against them. The ascendency has become increasingly popular in Eretria due to the influence of her olympic contestants who have been so shaken by the recently completed statue of Zeus at Olympia that have returned to their faith more vigorous than ever. The true supreme God of the Hellenes, Zeus deserves to be celebrated with vym and vigor in a military and civic parade. During the Ascendency, there is a battle among those representing the titans and olympians, with brawling and wooden swords, and a competition involving a ball which represents control of the heavens between two teams.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.
"Shall we accuse the gods of jealousy of the victors at Olympia? For it seems to me the arguments of Obander Eupraxis are so poorly reasoned as to imply such. The rewarding of a laurel crown or an engraving for service to the state is not worship, nor could anyone mistake it as such. He has called attention to his opposition to the Cemetary of Heroes. Has Eretria become a tyranny? Have we had the Cult of Antipater replace the worship of the Olympians? Shall we displace Eusebius and Herodion and Drako from their graves lest they become tyrants?
The acclamation of the Assembly if anything is a safeguard against tyranny. For such honors must come from the people in a spirit of true gratitude. Do we distrust the ekklesia so much? And the honors will be open to all. Wealth is the province of the aristoi and will remain so. A token of the esteem of the city, however, can be awarded to the humblest man who serves his city well. In this it is fairer than the trappings of coin and great estates."
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
- Location
- Southern Virginia
Also, @Cetashwayo, I'm frankly annoyed at how you framed the question of honors. You submitted all the arguments against it, without presenting any advocacy for it at all, and framed the question in the most negative way possible. Literally no one was suggesting that people be worshiped and allowing the question itself to suggest they were made that impossible to support.
Last edited:
- Location
- Canada
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
Hmm, fair. I've added arguments for it to the post. Not really my intention to bias it too much in one direction, and I did after all provide your own words on the topic, so it's not as if there was no advocacy for it.
- Location
- alphen aan den rijn
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
i`m sure it could go wrong for many reasons but i like this plan.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
i`m sure it could go wrong for many reasons but i like this plan.
- Location
- ferreries
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[x] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[x] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.
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[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.
- Location
- Southern Virginia
The negative on the vote endorses Obander's concerns as objectively correct while the positive on the vote is just a bald restating of the mechanics, which of course means that people skimming over and not bothering to read my whole post where I proposed (especially the bits about how democracy means we have to rotate people regularly based not on any defect of their own but because of the changing needs of the city and how such honors can make accepting that rotation easier and mark people who may be called upon again) or much of anything about the options will just take the obvious vote of not instituting "worship of men."
- Location
- Space
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone.Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[X] [Winter] The Ascendency of Zeus Olympios. A monumental festival that celebrates the military victory of Zeus Olympios of the titans and the end of the titanomachia, the war against them. The ascendency has become increasingly popular in Eretria due to the influence of her olympic contestants who have been so shaken by the recently completed statue of Zeus at Olympia that have returned to their faith more vigorous than ever. The true supreme God of the Hellenes, Zeus deserves to be celebrated with vym and vigor in a military and civic parade. During the Ascendency, there is a battle among those representing the titans and olympians, with brawling and wooden swords, and a competition involving a ball which represents control of the heavens between two teams.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone.Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[X] [Winter] The Ascendency of Zeus Olympios. A monumental festival that celebrates the military victory of Zeus Olympios of the titans and the end of the titanomachia, the war against them. The ascendency has become increasingly popular in Eretria due to the influence of her olympic contestants who have been so shaken by the recently completed statue of Zeus at Olympia that have returned to their faith more vigorous than ever. The true supreme God of the Hellenes, Zeus deserves to be celebrated with vym and vigor in a military and civic parade. During the Ascendency, there is a battle among those representing the titans and olympians, with brawling and wooden swords, and a competition involving a ball which represents control of the heavens between two teams.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.
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- Location
- Pilipinas
While i love the sounds of the clink of coin and the bustle of commerce, there is a greater joy in hearing the cry of a newborn healthy infant and the laughter of growing children hence i support the festival of the Return of Persephone. For children and life are the greatest treasures gifted by the Gods to our fair city.
So says i, Calyx the animal breeder.
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone.Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
So says i, Calyx the animal breeder.
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone.Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
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[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
[X] [Spring] The Courting of Ploutos. A more humorous and commercially oriented women's festival, the courting of Ploutos tells the story of Ploutos' attempts to flee from the bounds of marriage and love in favor of commerce. Celebrated in Eretria as the source of the city's trade wealth, Ploutos is surprisingly popular among widows and wealthy women because of this particular tale's affirmation of the importance of women to wealth. After fleeing from every potential mate, Aphrodite grows incredibly frustrated and crafts Nomisnia, a demigoddess who is good at creating wealth as Ploutos; the two immediately become competitors, further frustrating her. Finally, at last, Hermes intervenes, and convinces the two that they would have double the wealth if they were married, and at last the two accept, finding love in mutual success at business. The festival is celebrated through a dramatic re-enactment, dances between lovers, and a literal shower of drachmas given to the poorest women of the city.
[X] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] The city has no masters except the Gods, none to worship except those in the heavens. To elevate men to such a degree threatens the rise of tyrants.
- Location
- his hidden lair
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[x] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[x] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone
[x] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[x] [Winter] The Conquest of the Sea. A grand festival involving mock sea battles and swimming contests which celebrates Poseidon's subjugation of all the creatures of the sea. Poseidon is a popular god across Italia and Sicilia, in sharp contrast to his sometimes muted worship among Ionians on the Mainland. The Conquest of the Sea, conducted in the chilly mid-winter, promises to bring fantastic seafood to the mouths of hungry Eretrians and celebrate the city's naval and commercial traditions as well as thank the Gods for the first voyage that Eretria ever undertook. The greatest part of the festival is the battle between rowers in painted boats representing the dolphins allied to Poseidon and the krakens who oppose him, who conduct a mock ram battle with their boats, trying to tip each other over in the harbor of the fifty masts.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone
DkArthas
CAPITAL IS TO BLAME
- Location
- Earth
- Pronouns
- They
New
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[X] [Winter] The Ascendency of Zeus Olympios. A monumental festival that celebrates the military victory of Zeus Olympios of the titans and the end of the titanomachia, the war against them. The ascendency has become increasingly popular in Eretria due to the influence of her olympic contestants who have been so shaken by the recently completed statue of Zeus at Olympia that have returned to their faith more vigorous than ever. The true supreme God of the Hellenes, Zeus deserves to be celebrated with vym and vigor in a military and civic parade. During the Ascendency, there is a battle among those representing the titans and olympians, with brawling and wooden swords, and a competition involving a ball which represents control of the heavens between two teams.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
[X] [Winter] The Ascendency of Zeus Olympios. A monumental festival that celebrates the military victory of Zeus Olympios of the titans and the end of the titanomachia, the war against them. The ascendency has become increasingly popular in Eretria due to the influence of her olympic contestants who have been so shaken by the recently completed statue of Zeus at Olympia that have returned to their faith more vigorous than ever. The true supreme God of the Hellenes, Zeus deserves to be celebrated with vym and vigor in a military and civic parade. During the Ascendency, there is a battle among those representing the titans and olympians, with brawling and wooden swords, and a competition involving a ball which represents control of the heavens between two teams.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
If the vote loses significantly I'll think about it, but the text will stay as it is.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Truly, kayfabe springs eternal...
Phew! Just in time.
Uh-oh. Thaaat sounds bad.
Leukos the Accountant:
"And no graffiti on the measuring-stone this time! Last year we got the vernal equinox three weeks late because some genius thought it would be a good idea to do a charcoal sketch of a weasel across our notes! NO MORE, I say!"
The bit about not allying with any power in Hellas is fairly significant and I'd worry about it, except that it's pretty much in keeping with the policy we'd intended to pursue anyway. Plus it gives us at least a pretext to resist pressure by Athens and Sparta, within reason.
No time to go IC-speechy on this right now, but in regards to the underlined passages:
1) Krotone is relatively well-equipped to resist such pressure, and furthermore if Thurii expands north it's going to be more exposed to raiding from the inland natives, which will further occupy them. Sort of a mirror of the situation we might face if we conquer the Dauni- we'll be facing the Samnites at that point, and they're no pushovers. Likewise, if Thurii takes over Herakleia Lukania as a satellite city, it will be facing more activity from the Lucani along their new border.
2) It's entirely reasonable for Taras to seek such an opportunity, since Eretria blocking their ambitions among the Messapii means they don't really have any further outlets for expansionism anyway.
...
3) It also occurs to me that the Metapontines will have less inclination to be dickish about acting as a guarantor of a balance of power in southern Italy (here including both Epulia and 'Italia' or whatever they're calling it) if they have an expanding Thurii directly on their southern border.
I am amenable to this peace.
[X] [Taras] Accept the Tarentine terms.
...Hm. The vernal equinox festival is basically a "mysticism versus commerce" question. I'm going to vote for mysticism.
[X] [Spring] The Return of Persephone. Favored by many married women, the return of Persephone is a re-enaction of the drama of Persephone's departure from Hades. Having been married happily to Hades for six months of the year, for in this interpretation she is not kidnapped but seduced away from her domineering mother, the young Persephone must say goodbye to her beloved husband and lord of the underworld. Persephone is presented here as a traditional woman, but also an icon of femininity, beloved by many women in Eretria for giving them someone to look up to. Embued in mystery and icons of the dead, the Return of Persephone is a festival that celebrates the transition from winter to spring and from death to life, the birth of new children, and draws heavily from the Eleusinian mysteries near Athenai, that famed mystery cult.
A festival devoted to Zeus sounds fitting, since we've got a bit of a shortage of Zeus-worship IMO. But this is a toughie.
[X] [Winter] The Ascendency of Zeus Olympios. A monumental festival that celebrates the military victory of Zeus Olympios of the titans and the end of the titanomachia, the war against them. The ascendency has become increasingly popular in Eretria due to the influence of her olympic contestants who have been so shaken by the recently completed statue of Zeus at Olympia that have returned to their faith more vigorous than ever. The true supreme God of the Hellenes, Zeus deserves to be celebrated with vym and vigor in a military and civic parade. During the Ascendency, there is a battle among those representing the titans and olympians, with brawling and wooden swords, and a competition involving a ball which represents control of the heavens between two teams.
[X] [Honors] Pass the motion proposing the reward of a Wreath of Apollon and inscribing on the Painted Relief of Athene as the highest rewards that can be given to a citizen, to be decided by a 60% vote in the assembly for the wreath and an 80% vote for the Painted Stone.