- Location
- Luton Airport
@Cetashwayo are our rowers all citizens? I'd understood the Athenian crews tended have a fair split between citizens, metics and miscellaneous mercs picked up from hither and yon.
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
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
No, they're a mix of metics and citizens.
- Location
- Virginia
[X] Demos Drakonia
[X] ...Thurii & the Sikeliote League
[X] Syrakousai.
[X] ...Thurii & the Sikeliote League
[X] Syrakousai.
KlinkerKing
Man bites dog?
- Location
- The Lion's Den
Or perhaps "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" :lol
- Location
- Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines
Another question @Cetashwayo...or several question, actually.
In terms of quality, what is the ranking of the Eretrian psiloi in the Greek World or just the Italian area? How about the Peuketii psiloi...or do the Peuketii even have psiloi?
Did the presence of at least one ex-Thracian mercenary peltast, in the form of the IC I played as, and probably even more Thracians here or there in Eretria who might offer their skills in javelin throwing as teachers for Olympic hopefuls, had an effect in any way, shape and form on the quality of the Eretrian Psiloi?
Is forming or agitating for the formation of a special unit of Psiloi even possible in the Classical Greek context?
In terms of quality, what is the ranking of the Eretrian psiloi in the Greek World or just the Italian area? How about the Peuketii psiloi...or do the Peuketii even have psiloi?
Did the presence of at least one ex-Thracian mercenary peltast, in the form of the IC I played as, and probably even more Thracians here or there in Eretria who might offer their skills in javelin throwing as teachers for Olympic hopefuls, had an effect in any way, shape and form on the quality of the Eretrian Psiloi?
Is forming or agitating for the formation of a special unit of Psiloi even possible in the Classical Greek context?
Demeter objects to being called fat.
She's maternally
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
About the same? The Peuketii have skirmishers which fulfill much the same role but are better than your light infantry by a lot.
Probably not, given that psilloi are the poor citizens of the city. They don't have a lot of time to train.
Maybe later, or if the Demos Exoria had won the opening vote.
Anyways, vote's closed. Demos Drakonia wins for background faction, Thurii & the Sikeliote League for ally, and Syrakousai for rival. Now it's time for the election year.
- Location
- Luton Airport
I did keep pushing for Euzonoi for years...
Turn 1, 345 OL: Groves Alight
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
Turn 1, 345 OL: Groves Alight
345 OL
The Megarid, Hellas
The air stank of ash and olives.
The Megarians hadn't expected cavalry, after all. By the time the Athenian rabble had dropped their chamber pots and chisels and rallied to Perikles' call to loot the whole plain from Pagai to Mount Geraneia for the sake of some obscure revenge, they were already too late. Erasmos Dion and the riders had descended from Attike and caught the Megarians like Artemis-snared bucks. They were a loud lot, those farmers. Oh, they protested, the Thessalians must have allied the Athenians again. Oh, they insulted, how barbarian they look, with such absurd upturned feathers. Oh, they begged, that's my favorite tree, I did not mean it about the feathers, I call the tree Isidora, you must spare her, the oil her fruits make is such a lovely colour-
Always with the bloody feathers. A shame about the tree, but it's important to impart lessons.The Megarid, Hellas
The air stank of ash and olives.
The Megarians hadn't expected cavalry, after all. By the time the Athenian rabble had dropped their chamber pots and chisels and rallied to Perikles' call to loot the whole plain from Pagai to Mount Geraneia for the sake of some obscure revenge, they were already too late. Erasmos Dion and the riders had descended from Attike and caught the Megarians like Artemis-snared bucks. They were a loud lot, those farmers. Oh, they protested, the Thessalians must have allied the Athenians again. Oh, they insulted, how barbarian they look, with such absurd upturned feathers. Oh, they begged, that's my favorite tree, I did not mean it about the feathers, I call the tree Isidora, you must spare her, the oil her fruits make is such a lovely colour-
That particular feeling of prideful offense was a new one for Erasmos. Only five years prior he had been another demos-yoked aristocrat drinking himself to death in endless midnight symposia, vaguely mewling about how much nicer and fairer the Spartan constitution was and how traitorous Perikles was to his class. Now, here he was, leading five-score cavalry on a raiding mission for the very man that he had hated so vaguely and deeply for so long. He took great pleasure in imagining what his father's reaction would have been. "Make a man of yourself, you foolish boy! Wait, not like that-"
This peculiar turn had all started with what seemed to have been a simple and innocuous mission. The city of Eretria Eskhata, surefire allies of Athenai, great trading partners, wonderful friends for all time, had been drifting apart from Athene's favored ite city for some time. Erasmos had once suggested that if they convinced the Eretrians to divorce Apollon and Athene they would surely return to the fold, but that joke did not go over well.
In any case, the Eretrians had traipsed through Epulia and found themselves a cute little fleet along with a propensity to pick up orphaned children from across Greece for import to their city, without even the common decency to make them slaves, which was odd enough. The real concern, though, was to ascertain whether the city's drift was simply away from Athenai or against it, especially given that the Korinthians and Kerkyrans had gotten into one of their enormously tedious fights again. Another enemy in the Adriatic would spell trouble for any planned expedition to intervene in Ambrakia and Aetolia against the sheep-shagging friends of Sparta that inhabited the region.
And so, without prior prompting or really much good reason at all, Perikles had invited Erasmos into his abode and told him to go on a mission to the city. The sharp old coot had apparently gauged Erasmos' desperation correctly, because he took it with the eagerness of a centaur to young women. Okay, perhaps a boorish analogy. The eagerness of a stallion to a mare. No, no, enough with that. So vulgar. The...eagerness of a rower to sacking a rebellious ally. Ah, there we are! Much more patriotic.
And so, Erasmos embarked upon the trip only one year earlier with a fateful partner, the young man Alkibiades. Charming, to be sure, extraordinarily handsome as well, though Erasmos suspected a certain air of Eris around the lad and tried to avoid getting too close. Unfortunately, Alkibiades was the kind of boy that was everywhere and so would be close regardless of whether you wished or not. He had an endless virility and dynamism that manifested in a series of dramas too long to recount. It was unclear how he had even managed to secure his passage on; there were rumors of a pottery shipment being involved, though Erasmos had no eye for money and could make neither heads or tail of it.
It can be sufficed to say that by the end of their expedition in Eretria, Alkibiades had broken an equal amount of hearts and noses, usually in that order and usually delivered to the wife and the husband respectively, been charged by the city's popular court for ten offenses, and incited a gang of metics to abduct an aristocrat's horse for the purpose of impressing a young lady. She was not impressed, given it was her father's horse. Amusingly, the citizens of the city already appeared to have a name for this kind of behavior, and called Alkibiades the "Leontios of the East", which was meant to be some great indictment but only encouraged the rampaging eighteen-year old further, until at last Erasmos had to extricate him with a vast amount of gold and an escape plan involving an Illyrian shepherd and a massive amphora. They had parted ways after that; last he heard of the boy he had been dispatched north and rescued some man named Sokrates at Potidaea.
But in any case, leaving aside the immense and overwhelming foolery of his young companion, Erasmos learned an intriguing amount about the city, marking it far stranger about the Hellenes as he expected. For one, it appeared to be ruled not by the people, as had been claimed, but by officials; they were quite excited to elect their four-year tyrant in the following year, and had made sure to collect a vast number of standing rocks for the occasion, as no citizen in the city could speak if he did not have both the metaphorical and literal stones below him to do so.
In the second place, the city truly did not have many slaves; a few had been organized into groups and were harassing passers-by about a fantastic opportunity at a local merchant's dinghy, and some walked the streets with their masters, but bore few markings and carried themselves like citizens, a familiar sight from the ill-behaved Athenian slaves that turned his stomach. The metics were worse; loud, noisy, barking in a dozen different dialects from Attic to Kretan and always accidentally poking him with their straw hats as he walked by their markets. An annoying lot that ranged from the fine-clothed aristocrat to the hairy labourer, those ones. And the beards, by gods the beards. Old Drako the Lawgiver would have wept at the chinstrap worn by the statue of his local namesake (after having the man flayed appropriately). In that moment Erasmos was enveloped in a new urgency; to ensure that if the barbers of Athenai ever attempted such styles he would exterminate them to the man. It would be a citizen's duty.
Putting aside all the curiosities and dreadful facial hair, the city was simply shabby, with handsome people and ugly buildings. Their public works were imparted with little respect for the Gods, their processional way was crowded with dung, their harbor was stuffed with ships, and their water was gathered in smelly cisterns from the rain. There were still remains of the old barbaroi city they had founded the city atop of, out of some unmanly sense of guilt. Bah! At least the women were something special, haughty and fun in a way the frightened Athenian ladies could do little to compete with. And so he had told all of this to Perikles, and the old man had simply smiled that all-knowing grin he wore public occassions and asked about the cavalry.
Oh yes, the cavalry! It was quite good, sir, Erasmos explained stupidly at the time, suddenly overtaken by some youthful excitement and unaware what he was in for. They've got a funny way of doing it, but their cavalry wheels and rides expertly, their horses are as fine as Thessalians or Tarentines, and their riders, feathered or not-
And so, with that unfortunate set of sentences (simplified for the sake of the reader), Perikles thanked Erasmos, patted him on the back, and sent him off with his new division of state-provided horses and feathered helmets, despite the fact he knew little about either feathers, and he was a middling rider. But such was the times of euphoria in those days, that the world was a marketplace of ideas, and Athenai would purchase and steal any that it could find. In a further miracle surely brought upon by the pity of the Gods for his position, Erasmos the drunk managed to find an equine spirit, granted by Athena, to become Erasmos the cavalry commander.
And that, dear readers, is the little tale of how Erasmos Dion became the leader of the Hippeis Eskhata, Athenai's foremost cavalry force, and found himself raiding the Megarid, only the first of many misadventures for the city's enemies. But those are a story for another time.
Results of the 345 OL Census
Winning Votes
Demos Drakonia (Background Faction)
Thurii & the Sikeliote League (Ally)
Syrakousai (Rival)
Demos Drakonia (Background Faction)
Thurii & the Sikeliote League (Ally)
Syrakousai (Rival)
Goings on from around the Mediterranean, presented by Xenoparakletor Iason Nikias of the Demos Drakonia
IASON: Greetings, citizens! The Xenoparakletor speaks, buoyed by news carried by Demeter and Poseidon across land and sea. This shall be the last of my reports, for my term comes to an end, a term blessed by Apollon and Athene and the spirit of liberty! It is a good time for our city. Our cattle grow fat, our people prosperous. The wise men of the Demos Drakonia have delivered this to you, in service to the Gods. But elsewhere, others are not so blessed, and ever more the world turns, guided by the Fates that carry forth our lives. Let me speak now to the report of the world around, and let no man speak up during my speech, or may he be dragged from the assembly and beaten with sticks!
News from Hellas! The Peloponnesian conference has convened and concluded the error in Athenai's ways, that they have broken the sacred peace! War has begun! The Athenians have made a foray into the Megarid with a great many of their citizens, looting the countryside on the advice of strategos and notable of the city Perikles, son of Xanthippos! The city of Plataiai on the plain of Boeotia is menaced by the League of Thebai! The Spartans under their two kings invade Attike but are harassed by Athenian cavalry, finely named the Hippeis Eskhata after our good city! The Athenians do our people great honour! The siege of Potidaea, Chalcidian revolting city of the Athenian, continues! Athenai punishes the city of Aegina and deports its population away, settling Athenians there!
News from the West! All is quiet in Syrakousai, with a new election of strategoi placing a new group in the pinnacle of power! Some strife in Leontini, between the people and the aristocrats, the former supported by the Sikeliotes! Kerkyra and Korinthos continue to do battle in the Ionian Sea, though no one is the winner! The Brutii have accomplished a mighty raid, and carried away fifty head of cattle from the city of Krotone! They grow ever more in strength! The esteemed Polis of Kymai complains of interior shepherds raiding far inside! They grow more confident! The Tarentines brawl among themselves for who shall be leader, after a ballot results in a tie! Perhaps they shall fall once more to stasis and civil strife!
News from the North! The merchant Isidoros asks any for the wherabouts of a Picentini slave run off during a trading mission, reward ample! The Illyrian pirates claim another ship bound for Eretria, caught ashore in Issa, now stolen with all its fine contents of wood! The Thracian King Sitalces aligns with Athenai and rallies his great clans together, according to rumors from Abdera!
The Augurs of the BallotIASON: Greetings, citizens! The Xenoparakletor speaks, buoyed by news carried by Demeter and Poseidon across land and sea. This shall be the last of my reports, for my term comes to an end, a term blessed by Apollon and Athene and the spirit of liberty! It is a good time for our city. Our cattle grow fat, our people prosperous. The wise men of the Demos Drakonia have delivered this to you, in service to the Gods. But elsewhere, others are not so blessed, and ever more the world turns, guided by the Fates that carry forth our lives. Let me speak now to the report of the world around, and let no man speak up during my speech, or may he be dragged from the assembly and beaten with sticks!
News from Hellas! The Peloponnesian conference has convened and concluded the error in Athenai's ways, that they have broken the sacred peace! War has begun! The Athenians have made a foray into the Megarid with a great many of their citizens, looting the countryside on the advice of strategos and notable of the city Perikles, son of Xanthippos! The city of Plataiai on the plain of Boeotia is menaced by the League of Thebai! The Spartans under their two kings invade Attike but are harassed by Athenian cavalry, finely named the Hippeis Eskhata after our good city! The Athenians do our people great honour! The siege of Potidaea, Chalcidian revolting city of the Athenian, continues! Athenai punishes the city of Aegina and deports its population away, settling Athenians there!
News from the West! All is quiet in Syrakousai, with a new election of strategoi placing a new group in the pinnacle of power! Some strife in Leontini, between the people and the aristocrats, the former supported by the Sikeliotes! Kerkyra and Korinthos continue to do battle in the Ionian Sea, though no one is the winner! The Brutii have accomplished a mighty raid, and carried away fifty head of cattle from the city of Krotone! They grow ever more in strength! The esteemed Polis of Kymai complains of interior shepherds raiding far inside! They grow more confident! The Tarentines brawl among themselves for who shall be leader, after a ballot results in a tie! Perhaps they shall fall once more to stasis and civil strife!
News from the North! The merchant Isidoros asks any for the wherabouts of a Picentini slave run off during a trading mission, reward ample! The Illyrian pirates claim another ship bound for Eretria, caught ashore in Issa, now stolen with all its fine contents of wood! The Thracian King Sitalces aligns with Athenai and rallies his great clans together, according to rumors from Abdera!
There is no more sacred time in Eretria than the time of the elections. Every four years the city explodes into a phantasm of ceremony, celebration, ostentatious displays and excessive display of painted boulders for the sake of public speaking. This is a fine time for elections; there are few disturbances to the normal procedure from within and without, and although there are great dramas playing out across the sea, none have reached the city. With peace at home and peace on the frontier, the time holds well for the full display of ceremony and theater that the elections truly deserve.
For sixteen years the Demos Drakonia have dominated affairs in the city. During that time the city has grown ever wealthier and more connected. The timber of Illyria and the pottery of Athenai flow through its ports. Merchant come to and fro, and the city's aristocrats find themselves better and better understanding the power of money, to their fortune and the city's. But all is not well; the city's supremacy in the Adriatic requires a constant presence to maintain, and the pirates have grown bold once more, stealing ships and raiding coasts. At home, the Metic assembly's wish for another hearing of grievances is resisted by two of the three factions, who say that the granting of an assembly was enough. Among many citizens, there is fear that between the lack of respect shown to the Gods and the concession of an assembly to the Metics, the city may soon find disfavor and unhappiness in its augurs, and all eagerly await them.
The Grand Mantis is the city's chief augur and manager of its temples and sacred places, such as the Grove of Bare Road to the west where the city brawled in the year of the landing. In an election year, before the ballots are placed, under the administration of pious and religious officials drawn by lot and led by the elected Proboulos, it is traditional that the city makes a great offering of a fat ox, well fed and white as snow, dedicated to the Divine Marriage. For Zeus, the feather of the Thunderbird, the city's great flightless bird, is plucked and offered for the fire, and for Poseidon and Demeter a mixed offering of meat and fish is given. From the ox the city is delivered an augur for its prosperity and the good health of its citizens; from Poseidon and Demeter an augur for trade and agriculture, and from Zeus the city is delivered a judgment for the state of its faith and the religious well-being of its people.
The augurs commence with the ox, which is slaughtered and its entrails read for the city's good health and wealth.
d100 (No modifiers) = 72.
The news is auspicious! The city will experience no great change, but its prosperity and good health will continue. This is much relief to the citizens, some of whom who fear that the growing wealth of the city may disappear if the Gods are not pleased.
The augurs then proceed to the mixed meat and fish, which is burned, the colors of the flame observed by the priests.
d100 (No Modifiers) = 46
The news is mixed! There will be no great disruptions, but unless the city acts to improve the security of its trade and the fertility of its farms, it may face a potential drought or fall in trade, warn the augurs! The citizens are concerned for the sake of their grains, and hope that there will be no great cessation of rainfall, as some remember stories of the starvation of the founding years.
The augurs then proceed to the final offering to Zeus of the feather of the Thunderbird. The feather is burned and the smoke huffed so that the augur may see the visions of the city offered by the Gods.
d100 (No Modifiers) = 5
The news is catastrophic! Through the augur Zeus speaks and tells the city he is displeased by their respect for the Gods. He demands that they make expansive offerings in the years forward and do not call to him from a feather! He also demands that the city better respect the Gods and acknowledge their role in the city's prosperity, or else great ills will befall the city!
With the end of the augurs, the citizens depart towards the final speeches. The time of the election is coming near, before harvest time, and now the citizens will have the opportunity to hear the suggestions of each of the three factions and what they wish to do for the city. Hastily, all three promise they will better respect the Gods in the coming years, but only the citizens can determine if this is the truth, or merely the lies of pandering demagogues!
Platforms for 345 OL-349 OL
The policies and missions that the various Demoi seek to promote are the extent of their program for the following four years. Electing a Proboulos from that faction will signal the Ekklesia's approval in that Demos' domestic program, and they will seek to implement it (meaning there will be no further votes on these options unless something goes awry), Electing a Xenoparakletor from that faction will signal the Ekklesia's approval in that Demos' foreign program, and they will seek to implement it (meaning there will again, be no further votes, except to appoint a strategos in case there is a military mission involved or something goes awry). In effect, this is the platform, or executive program, of this faction, and the ekklesia can only "mix and match" between different domestic and foreign programs by electing a proboulos and xenoparakletor from separate factions. It cannot pick out individual policies from each faction it would prefer, even with a user motion, unless it is an emergency.
These goals provide guidelines for what, with assembly approval, the executive will attempt to accomplish in the next four years. It is not the sum total of what will happen, and it is possible that these goals could be derailed by foreign events preventing them from being accomplished. These goals and mission can be implemented at any time during their four years, though changes to military composition or building construction will generally start as soon as the new officials take power.
The cost for great works is spread out over the years of construction; a 500 talent great work with five year construction time will cost 100 talents a turn for five years.
The policies and missions that the various Demoi seek to promote are the extent of their program for the following four years. Electing a Proboulos from that faction will signal the Ekklesia's approval in that Demos' domestic program, and they will seek to implement it (meaning there will be no further votes on these options unless something goes awry), Electing a Xenoparakletor from that faction will signal the Ekklesia's approval in that Demos' foreign program, and they will seek to implement it (meaning there will again, be no further votes, except to appoint a strategos in case there is a military mission involved or something goes awry). In effect, this is the platform, or executive program, of this faction, and the ekklesia can only "mix and match" between different domestic and foreign programs by electing a proboulos and xenoparakletor from separate factions. It cannot pick out individual policies from each faction it would prefer, even with a user motion, unless it is an emergency.
These goals provide guidelines for what, with assembly approval, the executive will attempt to accomplish in the next four years. It is not the sum total of what will happen, and it is possible that these goals could be derailed by foreign events preventing them from being accomplished. These goals and mission can be implemented at any time during their four years, though changes to military composition or building construction will generally start as soon as the new officials take power.
The cost for great works is spread out over the years of construction; a 500 talent great work with five year construction time will cost 100 talents a turn for five years.
Demos Drakonia
Current Goals at Home
- Military Policy: With a larger navy the city will be able to better project its power in multiple directions, and even small improvements can aid in this endeavor. Expand the city's number of Triremes to 25 and train the crews to row them [+450 Rowers, -450 Land Manpower, +3 Triremes, 10.2 extra talents a turn, -9 talents to build the Triremes].
- Commercial Policy: It is fast becoming outrageous that an Eretrian merchant departs the city in the third month of the year and arrives in Athenai in the first month of the festival year, third month of the State year, and the fifth month of the agricultural sidereal calendar, unable to know when he had departed and when he had arrived. Found a new Office of the Days and Months to keep track of the calendars of every major polis and Carthage. The Office of the Days and Months will be staffed by city mathematicians under the authority of the Agoranomoi to establish better standards for time and translations into different calendars [-2 talents per turn public salaries, +3% trade efficiency and other potential advantages].
- Great Work: The city is running up against the limits of what the small Harbor of the Fifty Masts is able to handle in terms of trade volume, but Byssos Harbor is not sheltered enough to provide protection for as many ships as it could. Extend Byssos Harbour to provide a grand new commercial port for ships, more capacity for marinas and warehouses along the shore, and making the harbor more defensible from a sea attack. [-550 talent cost over 5 years, when finished, +2 Trade Routes, +10 trade route capacity]
- Naval Mission: Wage war on Liburnian and Illyrian Pirates with a squadron of five triremes, take prisoners, and gain loot from raiding their coves and towns in order to cut their pirate activities down to a fraction of what it once was and bring terror to their families [Run a squadron of five triremes for one year and 52 talents in an attempt to purge the Adriatic of piracy for a ten year period with the potential for up to 30 talents in direct loot and slaves from the endeavor].
- Xenoparakletor Mission: Dispatch the Xenoparakletor on a trading mission to the head of the Adriatic to convince the Enetoi to open up the Amber Road to Eretrian trade and gain a monopoly on amber exports to the rest of the Mediterranean [Mission success dependent on Xenoparakletor. If successful, Eretria will be then be able to construct a trading colony in the Venetian lagoon and a new luxury trade route].
- Espionage Mission: Deploy emissaries to the Sikeliote League to receive special intelligence on the current situation in Syrakousai and whether the city is currently planning to attack the Sikeliote League; also use the opportunity to gauge the instability of the league cities [-10 talents for the mission, guaranteed success to gather information about Syrakousai and its current strength, allies, and plans].
Demos Antipatria
Current Goals at Home
- Demographic Policy: Pursue an immigration drive in the rest of Hellas by dispatching emissaries to smaller Greek cities and seeking colonists willing to come to Eretria as metics while using the opportunity to gauge the mood in Greece on the impending war [-10 talents, increase in city's population growth in next census dependent on how well mission succeeds, will lower citizen ratio dependent on mission success, potential espionage information].
- Metic Policy: The Metics are going restless as their assembly has not been called to present their grievances for almost seven years. Call the Metic Prytanis to present the assembled grievances of the Metics in order to review them and reform the current status of the Metics in the city [City will gain options to reform the current Metic situation and resolve tension that exists there, calming the Metics for some time].
- Great Work: Completely reconstruct the Hill of the Marriage in order to raise the height of the hill in relation to the rest of the city, repair and refurbish its temples, and beautify the temple complex, along with expanding the Arkadion and Temple of the Divine Marriage. This will also make the hill a more defensible position [-480 talent cost to build over five years, will unite the city and greatly please many citizens, will raise the cultural influence of Eretria in the region].
- Xenoparakletor Mission: Dispatch the Xenoparakletor on a special mission to Metapontion in order to try to flip the city's allegiances from neutral to a defensive alliance against the potential danger posed by Taras to Eretria. [Mission success dependent on Xenoparakletor, if mission successful, gain a new defensive alliance with the Metapontines and their friendship].
- Military Mission: The Brutii, a new Lucanian tribe that has emerged in the toe of Italia, have been raiding and attacking their Hellene neighbors for some time now. They are too populous and widespread to be dislodged, but a punitive expedition with Eretrian and Thuriian arms will build goodwill with the other Italiotes and reduce their raids for several years [51.3 talent upkeep to support an army of of approximately 3,000 in Italy for a four month raiding campaign with up to 15 talents in potential loot, a reduction in Brutii raiding and the goodwill of the Italiote cities of Krotone and Thurii].
- Diplomatic Mission: With the potential for war in Sicily within the next few years, it is necessary to once again build a coalition capable of withstanding the force of the Sicilian titan. Dispatch emissaries with gold to the cities of Selinous, Himera, and Rhegion to build a new coalition against the southern Sicilian states and maintain the fortunate peace [-15 talents, If mission successful, temporary coalition against Syrakousai aggression to prevent it from waging war].
Demos Exoria
Current Goals at Home
- Land Policy: In recent years citizens have been falling into debt and losing their lands to larger landholders, pushing them into paupery. Leverage some of the public land the city owns and grant it to poorer citizens so that they may become smallholders capable of affording a basic Hoplite panoply [Raise the hoplite ratio as part of the total levy to 43%, lose 4 talents a turn in revenue, resolve frustration in the city over the lack of land for citizens].
- Commercial Policy: For far too long the city has ignored the economic benefits that the Barbaroi could bring to the city with their herds of cattle. Create the Office of Barbarian Commerce under the command of the Proboulos in order to manage the Barbaroi as an economic unit, negotiating deals with chiefs to drive their herds towards the city in the spring and summer [-3 talent per turn cost for office salaries, +1 overland staple trade route after four years, better economic relations with the Barbaroi].
- Great Work: Create the city's first sewer system and secure a water supply by building underwater tunnels from the nearby Murgia plateau leading into the city, with pressurized running water and cisterns in the city to reduce the spread of miasmas [-500 talents, takes 5 turns to build, will raise living standards, happiness, and cleanliness in the city and secure the city's water supply during a siege].
- Tributary Mission: Tour the Epulian and Barbaroi tributary lands in order to review both the amount of tribute each pays, the Oscan frontier, and their current political and demographic situations [Depending on success, could raise the tribute provided by the Barbaroi and Epulians, the levies of the Peuketii, and uncover any potential dangers or plots against Eretria].
- Xenoparakletor Mission: Secure a defensive alliance with the Messapii in order to ward off a potential threat from Taras and to began preparations to slowly subsume the Messapii into the Eretrian sphere by gauging which cities would prefer more permanent arrangements [Dispatch Xenoparakletor to the Messapii cities. Depending on mission success, could gain a defensive alliance with the Messapii Confederacy and even special agreements with some cities to become tributaries if the confederacy collapses].
- Espionage Mission: Dispatch spies recruited from among loyal Illyrian metics in Eretria to the smaller Dauni cities to probe for areas of weakness in the Dauni confederacy, especially in Herdonia and Salapia in the hope of gathering information and either provoking a rebellion against King Ausculos' rule or creating the pretext for warfare [If mission successful, will have the opportunity to undermine the Dauni or at the least gain a casus belli against them, as well as gaining useful information].
Eretrian Elections of 345 OL
It has been tradition for some twenty years that the Proboulos is the younger of the two officials elected by the people. The proboulos is often a lieutenant or rising star in their faction who has been chosen by the leader to represent them in domestic affairs. They will be in charge of the domestic policies of the city, a relatively less high-stakes challenge, and will make their mark by the success of their administration.
See the front page under the section "Characters" for an explanation of how to interpret character stats. The character of a proboulos or xenoparakletor can be crucial in how they'll conduct their terms once elected. Promises and goals by factions are nice, but if the characters cannot accomplish them, it won't matter.
Pick one of three.
[] Proboulos: Isokrates Hypatos (Demos Drakonia)
Glory 2, Lawfulness 3, Friendliness 6, Courage 2, Magnificence 4, Wisdom 3
Prominent young merchant in the Eretrian carrying trade. A man of much friendliness and moderate magnificence, he provides fair portions of his wealth to the city. He is not known for his courage or glory as either a captain or a businessman, but may yet grow into a man of much renown and esteem.
[] Proboulos: Kyros Gennadios (Demos Antipatria)
Glory 2, Lawfulness 4, Friendliness 4, Courage 2, Magnificence 6, Wisdom 2
Son of Eretrian sea captains from Kymai who were granted citizenship in the early days of the city. Known for being one of few Antipatrids who are merchants, with an export of Byssos cloth, he is also a man of great magnificence, though some of his donations have been gaudy. moderate in lawfulness and friendly, he will surely seek to prove his worth in courage and glory as an orator and leader of men.
[] Proboulos: Theron Archippos (Demos Exoria)
Glory 4, Lawfulness 6, Friendliness 3, Courage 3, Magnificence 1, Wisdom 3
Descendant of Illyrian slaves granted citizenship by the city on landing, Theron Archippos is a cavalryman who served his time fighting the Dauni in cattle raids and gained some glory in that, but he is most known for his reputation for fairness and justice among his Peuketii serfs, dispensing both reward and discipline as was proper and good. Not known for his generosity for the city, victory in elections may improve that reputation.
The Xenoparakletor has, by a tradition formed some twenty years ago, the senior of the two positions, led by older men who are the most notable within their factions. Drawn from great factions or fine pedigress, the xenoparakletor has a much more difficult job, determining the city's policies with its neighbors in war and peace and implementing the goals of their faction abroad. The success of missions in which the Xenoparakletor is personally involved, dependent on their skill, can elevate them to the position of heroes or disgrace them utterly.
Pick one of three. Choice for Xenoparakletor does not have to be the same demos as proboulos.
[] Xenoparakletor: Athenagoras Symmachos (Demos Drakonia)
Glory 6, Lawfulness 4, Friendliness 2, Courage 3, Magnificence 7, Wisdom 3
Leader of the Demos Drakonia and member of the Drakonid family, called the "Golden Ram", a man of extraordinary magnificence who bestows his fantastic wealth to the city whenever possible, known for volunteering as a young man as a rower and once admiral of the city. Also known for his blunt speaking and propensity for strong statements, his practical and forthright way of speaking and thinking, and his moderate lawfulness and friendliness.
[] Xenoparakletor: Obander Eupraxis (Demos Antipatria)
Glory 5, Lawfulness 7, Friendliness 2, Courage 3, Magnificence 2, Wisdom 6
Leader of the Demos Antipatria and member of a branch of the Antipatrid Family, called the "Black Bull," a man of great lawfulness and wisdom who is known for his oratory on the nature of justice and the necessity of fairness. A modest smallholder, he has provided more words than wealth for the city but earned glory as a naval captain against Illyrian pirates. Known to give long and meandering speeches that sometimes provide great insight and other times bore.
[] Xenoparakletor: Mnemnon Keylonos (Demos Exoria)
Glory 2, Lawfulness 3, Friendliness 6, Courage 7, Magnificence 4, Wisdom 3
Leader of the Demos Exoria, called the "Young Stallion", for his youth compared to the other leaders. Lacking in the glory that the others have accrued due to limited opportunities as a cavalryman, Mnemnon is known for both the boldness of his ideas and statements and the friendly manner in which he comports himself. A frontiersman, he has devoted decent portions of his wealth to the city and is known to speak practically and in terms of strength and power.
Control of the non-elected offices (Metic Prytanis, Grand Mantis, Agoranomos, Chief of Public Lands, Elder Ekdromos, Assembly of the Mint) is dependent on how well each faction does in the Proboulos election. The higher its share of the overall vote for Proboulos, the higher the chance a faction will take control of a lower office, which can influence what issues come up in the following years. Voting is now open. Vote for a Proboulos and a Xenoparakletor, like this:
[] Proboulos: Name (Faction)
[] Xenoparakletor: Name (Faction)
with an X between the [] brackets.
[] Proboulos: Name (Faction)
[] Xenoparakletor: Name (Faction)
with an X between the [] brackets.
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- Location
- United Kingdom
Well we knew it was going to happen, but things have well and truly kicked off now. @Cetashwayo what has our relationship with Kerkyra been like over the last three decades? When did the defensive alliance dissolve? (not looking for massive detail here.)
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
When the defensive alliance expired Eretria simply did not renew it, feeling that they had grown secure enough to wash themselves of that dishonor, and with enough of a fleet to protect themselves. Although Eretria remains on cordial terms with Kerkrya for pragmatic reasons, they are no longer allies.
Satar
Xetares, Third Redeemer; World Drinker
- Location
- Sesh
The Athenians are dicks, seriously.
Anyways, I'm torn between the new sewers and the new temple complex, but leaning toward the temple complex. I'd like to shore up the internal unity of our faction before things go tits up. And they will go tits up, I'm sure, because there's like three major wars raging all around us and Syracuse in the south.
Since xenoparakletor is the senior position, does that mean that the Deme that gets it has the better part of its policies enacted? Or is it split foreign policy - domestic policy with the probolous?
Anyways, I'm torn between the new sewers and the new temple complex, but leaning toward the temple complex. I'd like to shore up the internal unity of our faction before things go tits up. And they will go tits up, I'm sure, because there's like three major wars raging all around us and Syracuse in the south.
Since xenoparakletor is the senior position, does that mean that the Deme that gets it has the better part of its policies enacted? Or is it split foreign policy - domestic policy with the probolous?
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- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
@Cetashwayo, what is the mechanism for influencing the contents of the platforms?
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
Although you cannot alter a platform already presented for an election, for the next election there are a number of things you could do:
1. Make suggestions as a citizen or out of character that I feel would make sense for that faction to pursue
2. That faction seriously loses an election and has to rethink its message, goals, and purpose
3. Make comments on what you feel are weak points of a faction combined with it losing an election
- Location
- Mists of Albion
[x] Proboulos: Kyros Gennadios (Demos Antipatria)
[x] Xenoparakletor: Mnemnon Keylonos (Demos Exoria)
Okay, so I want to take back our position of cultural influence and shore up the cracks in society, we don't have to give too much, since they've been ignored for a while, so we have a good range of things we can give the Metics, not only that the revenue from Trade has given us leeway on potential tax reform if we feel we're truly pressured.
On the Xenoprakletor, it makes sense to turn to the Messapii and start to hopefully draw them into our empire rather than let them stay an enemy to our south. They hate us at the moment, but so did the Peuketii, not only that, they hate Taras more, bringing them into our network to be assimilated as we also up culture is also a very good synergy.
[x] Xenoparakletor: Mnemnon Keylonos (Demos Exoria)
Okay, so I want to take back our position of cultural influence and shore up the cracks in society, we don't have to give too much, since they've been ignored for a while, so we have a good range of things we can give the Metics, not only that the revenue from Trade has given us leeway on potential tax reform if we feel we're truly pressured.
On the Xenoprakletor, it makes sense to turn to the Messapii and start to hopefully draw them into our empire rather than let them stay an enemy to our south. They hate us at the moment, but so did the Peuketii, not only that, they hate Taras more, bringing them into our network to be assimilated as we also up culture is also a very good synergy.
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Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
No, it's purely a division between domestic and foreign. A split executive can lead to some interesting political situations but theoretically the proboulos winning allows the demos to implement its home goals, while a xenoparakletor winning allows a faction to implement its foreign goals.
So if Antipatria won proboulos: it gets to pursue its domestic goals
If Drakonia won xenoparakletor: gets to pursue its foreign goals
[X] Proboulos: Kyros Gennadios (Demos Antipatria)
[X] Xenoparakletor: Athenagoras Symmachos (Demos Drakonia)
I really want that temple complex, making Eretria into a cultural center was one of my dreams in the previous installments that we were never truly able to accomplish and I hope to remedy that now. It also can't hurt to soothe the gods, priests and people after such a sign from Zeus and Kyros Gennadios seems like a man well suited for overseeing a project like that and keep the peace at home.
For foreign policy I went with the Demos Drakonia option both because I think the sooner we deal with the pirates the better (and access to more luxuries could be very nice) and due to the fact that he seems very well suited to open diplomatic relationships with the Enetoi.
Isn't that a famous complaint about Athenian slaves?
[X] Xenoparakletor: Athenagoras Symmachos (Demos Drakonia)
I really want that temple complex, making Eretria into a cultural center was one of my dreams in the previous installments that we were never truly able to accomplish and I hope to remedy that now. It also can't hurt to soothe the gods, priests and people after such a sign from Zeus and Kyros Gennadios seems like a man well suited for overseeing a project like that and keep the peace at home.
For foreign policy I went with the Demos Drakonia option both because I think the sooner we deal with the pirates the better (and access to more luxuries could be very nice) and due to the fact that he seems very well suited to open diplomatic relationships with the Enetoi.
Isn't that a famous complaint about Athenian slaves?
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- Location
- United Kingdom
Tough choices, as you'd expect everything is a great choice although I think we're safe to ignore Demos Drakonias domestic position for a while.
For the Proboulos I'm definitely leaning towards Demos Antipatria. My primary reason for not voting for Demos Antipatria in the previous vote was that I believe the Metic system needs reform prior to any kind of immigration drive, so it seems wise to get that done now. The final Augur roll being so awful certainly makes their Great Work appealing too.
For the Xenoparakletor I'm a bit more torn. Drakonia to clear the Adriatic, open another trade route and get a better idea of what's happening in Sicily could help us consolidate our naval position. But Exoria is also incredibly appealing to make sure we have our own back yard in order before everything goes truly to hell. Ensuring that the Dauni are unstable and therefore unable to take action against us should we have to send our men further afield, and that the Messapii are as well disposed towards us as we can manage is phenomenally important.
For the Proboulos I'm definitely leaning towards Demos Antipatria. My primary reason for not voting for Demos Antipatria in the previous vote was that I believe the Metic system needs reform prior to any kind of immigration drive, so it seems wise to get that done now. The final Augur roll being so awful certainly makes their Great Work appealing too.
For the Xenoparakletor I'm a bit more torn. Drakonia to clear the Adriatic, open another trade route and get a better idea of what's happening in Sicily could help us consolidate our naval position. But Exoria is also incredibly appealing to make sure we have our own back yard in order before everything goes truly to hell. Ensuring that the Dauni are unstable and therefore unable to take action against us should we have to send our men further afield, and that the Messapii are as well disposed towards us as we can manage is phenomenally important.
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Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
Satar
Xetares, Third Redeemer; World Drinker
- Location
- Sesh
Skantarios the Hoplite says:
The sons of Antipater have the right of it. None other than the great god Zeus has told us that our offerings have been paltry and few! That we risk disaster by the meanness with which we house the gods! In men, in gold, in ships and in tools we are not the lesser of any city in Hellas, but our streets are dirt paths and our homes squat hovels compared to those of Megara, of Korinth, of Athens! Only remaking the city will give the gods satisfaction. Only a temple for the divine marriage can ensure that our great heroes do not face mockery from the rest of the shades of Hades!
And in foreign affairs, the sons of Antipater have the right of it again! What use, to overthrow these Illyrian pirates, to grub after gold, when hegemonia awaits us in our own bosom lands? Perfidious Syracuse, that chained titan, must not be allowed to rise again to menace all Sicily! The chains that Herodian the Hero laid upon her with ambush and rout must be yearly renewed lest our dear Eretria face once again her unchecked might!
So say I, Skantarios of Eretria, smallholder, hoplite, kleft-lifter!
[X] Proboulos: Kyros Gennadios (Demos Antipatria)
Glory 2, Lawfulness 4, Friendliness 4, Courage 2, Magnificence 6, Wisdom 2
[X] Xenoparakletor: Obander Eupraxis (Demos Antipatria)
Glory 5, Lawfulness 7, Friendliness 2, Courage 3, Magnificence 2, Wisdom 6
The sons of Antipater have the right of it. None other than the great god Zeus has told us that our offerings have been paltry and few! That we risk disaster by the meanness with which we house the gods! In men, in gold, in ships and in tools we are not the lesser of any city in Hellas, but our streets are dirt paths and our homes squat hovels compared to those of Megara, of Korinth, of Athens! Only remaking the city will give the gods satisfaction. Only a temple for the divine marriage can ensure that our great heroes do not face mockery from the rest of the shades of Hades!
And in foreign affairs, the sons of Antipater have the right of it again! What use, to overthrow these Illyrian pirates, to grub after gold, when hegemonia awaits us in our own bosom lands? Perfidious Syracuse, that chained titan, must not be allowed to rise again to menace all Sicily! The chains that Herodian the Hero laid upon her with ambush and rout must be yearly renewed lest our dear Eretria face once again her unchecked might!
So say I, Skantarios of Eretria, smallholder, hoplite, kleft-lifter!
[X] Proboulos: Kyros Gennadios (Demos Antipatria)
Glory 2, Lawfulness 4, Friendliness 4, Courage 2, Magnificence 6, Wisdom 2
[X] Xenoparakletor: Obander Eupraxis (Demos Antipatria)
Glory 5, Lawfulness 7, Friendliness 2, Courage 3, Magnificence 2, Wisdom 6
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- Location
- Mists of Albion
I agree with your first point, fellow citizen and Hellene. I respect your admiration and devotion to the gods in the wake of the revelation of their discontent. But I just take issue with this!
You speak of Hegemony in our own lands, why then, turn to Sicily? Surely if we must seek Hegemony we must turn closer to home? Such as against Taras, who looms to our south west. Or maybe you have forgotten the waiting knives of the interior tribes, or the Northern Dauni or Southern Messapii. No, if we are to seek local Hegemony, we should not look to far off Sicily, but instead to Epulia, our homeland, which is still filled with enemies.
And if Syrakuse does arise, we will face them on the field, as we did before, for Herodion did not ambush such an unworthy enemy, he struck them down on the field!
And even if we were to discuss local Hegemony, surely the coin and power gained from monopoly, from gold and trade will enrich us further and aid in such an endeavour later? As it has done for nigh Thirty Years.
No. If we seek to secure ourselves, we must choose coin, or the sword, and the truth is The Exorians are the best option for this, with The Drakonians after them.
So speaks Ajax, of the Ekadromoi!
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Satar
Xetares, Third Redeemer; World Drinker
- Location
- Sesh
Fair Ajax, harken to the ways of your forefathers, who were Greeks, who knew the thrust of spear and sting of bow and the sweat of the Trojan sun! Know they did not busy themselves with making truce and alliance with barbaroi, as the Exoria would have us do. They did not seek alliance with the rough and the crude. They did not travel about with baskets on their heads seeking what others would freely give to them! They made alliance with fine men, with Greeks of proven nature and strength, and made war upon a great and terrible foe far distant, and in victory reaped a tale undying, unending.
Let us prevail in their footsteps and take in hand Metapontoin, a rival of Taras! Let us show our excellence by vanquishing the foul Brutii in battle, and demonstrate again why we are feared and followed! And let us take those strengths and bind up all the Greeks of Italia under one banner undying! Let Syracuse be the Troy of all Italia and let us be Odysseus born again! Let this war be our eternal Eretriad!
- Location
- Central Europe
Glad to see Obander is still around!
I agree with most that has been said, the Demos Antipatria have the right ideas when it comes to domestic issues.
[X] Proboulos: Kyros Gennadios (Demos Antipatria)
I'm a bit torn on foreign policy. Drakonia secures the north and test the waters on Sicily. It's candidate seems well suited for the proposed program.
Exorias's program seems also interesting, but also very ambitious. All three of its proposals depend on the skill and luck of its candidate. I remain unconvinced he will be successful in all three.
For now I will support Demos Drakonia, but I'm interested to hear what others have to say.
[X] Xenoparakletor: Athenagoras Symmachos (Demos Drakonia)
I agree with most that has been said, the Demos Antipatria have the right ideas when it comes to domestic issues.
[X] Proboulos: Kyros Gennadios (Demos Antipatria)
I'm a bit torn on foreign policy. Drakonia secures the north and test the waters on Sicily. It's candidate seems well suited for the proposed program.
Exorias's program seems also interesting, but also very ambitious. All three of its proposals depend on the skill and luck of its candidate. I remain unconvinced he will be successful in all three.
For now I will support Demos Drakonia, but I'm interested to hear what others have to say.
[X] Xenoparakletor: Athenagoras Symmachos (Demos Drakonia)