Cleopatra - Exit Caesar, Enter Antony! - Extra History - #3
Added 2020-10-09 17:30:00 +0000 UTCCleopatra has played Crusader Kings 3 and deeply understands the importance of heirs. (Also teaching them not to murder their mom)
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Comments
I disagree with the idea of Caesar's changes to the calendar as seizing control of it. He was already in change of the calendar as part of his role as pontifex maximus. His failure to control is part of why it was so in need of reform; at that point it was 80 days out of whack. In fact his reforms reduced his power over the calendar and made it more apolitical.
LunarChandelure
2020-10-09 18:44:55 +0000 UTCOk that's actually a little irrelevant but I might not get another chance to put it up here. This episode came when I played Assassin's Creed: Origins up to the bit where Bayek kills Flavius so I don't think I have long before that is complete. 650 BC In the Kingdom of Lydia, King Gyges of Lydia Introduces the World’s First Standardised Monetary System, in the Form of Electrum Coins Stamped with the King’s Seal. This Idea will Eventually Spread throughout the World, and Replace the Bartering Economies with Money Economies. 606 BC In the Egyptian Empire, Pharaoh Harsiese, in Temporary Control of Phoenicia, Hires Phoenician Shipwrights to Build a Fleet of Ships for the Purpose of Exploring the Coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. 603 BC In the Egyptian Empire, the Egyptian Exploratory Fleet, being Constructed at an Egyptian Port on the Mediterranean Sea by Phoenician Engineers on the Orders of Pharaoh Harsiese, sets Sail. The Fleet, Crewed by a Mix of Egyptian and Phoenician Sailors, Sails along the Mediterranean Coast. Every Autumn, they come Ashore and Plant the Land in whatever Part of the Coast they have reached, and there await the Harvest. Then, having Gathered the Crop, they Move on. And so, in this Manner, they are Able to Circumnavigate the Mediterranean Sea. 600 BC In the Egyptian Empire, the Rediscovery of Ophir Leads to a Reorientation of Egyptian Foreign Policy and Military Activity which will Last for the next Two Centuries. During this Period, Harsiese and his Successors will not Attempt any new Conquests in Asia but will Remain on the Defensive there. Instead, they will Focus on Expansion Southwards into Africa with their newly ~ Reorganised Army, which they Recognise as the Source of their Wealth. The Great March South has begun. 598 BC In the Kingdom of , King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon Invades Syria and Palestine once again, Seeking to bring his Rebellious Vassals to Heel. Jehoiakim of Appeals to Pharaoh Harsiese for Aid, but Harsiese is Distracted by the Great March South, so no Egyptian Aid is Forthcoming. 562 BC In the Babylonian Empire, King Nebuchadnezzar II Passes away at the Age of 72. His Death will be Remembered by Future Historians as Marking the End of what had been a Golden Age, when Babylon, at the Head of a Coalition of Middle Eastern States, at First Defeated and then Overthrew its Hated Assyrian Oppressors and their Egyptian Allies, with Nebuchadnezzar II as its most Competent King, who Lead Babylon into an Era of Hegemony over the Middle East. In the Christian Bible and in the Jewish Torah he will be Viewed more Negatively, as the King whose Army Burned and Plundered the Holy City of Jerusalem, bringing an End to the Royal Line of David and of the Kingdom of Israel, beginning the Period of Babylonian Captivity. 560 BC In the Republic of Ionia, King Croesus of Lydia Invades the Republic of Ionia, Seeking to Incorporate it into his Kingdom. 528 BC In the Kingdom of Magadha, Siddhartha Gautama sits down under the Shade of a Bodhi Tree near the Town of Bodh Gaya, , and begins to Meditate. He begins to Practice Mindfulness of Breath and Enters the same State of Concentrated Meditation he had Experienced as a Boy by Focusing his Mind upon a Single Object. Meditation Leads to more Refined , and, Gradually, Reveals to him a way of Leading the Mind to Enlightenment Called “the Noble Eightfold Path.” He has become “The Awakened One:” “The Buddha.” 500 BC In the Republic of Ionia, Pythagoras, a Greek Philosopher and “the Father of Numbers,” Preaches that a Vegetarian Diet is Healthier for the Body and the Spirit. Later Greek Philosophers will Learn from him and, in turn, will Extoll the Benefits of Vegetarianism. Vegetarians, though not a Majority, are still an Important and Sizable Minority. 400 BC In the Republic of Malla, Gautama Buddha Passes away at the Age of 80 in the Town of Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, from a Common Illness: Food Poisoning. He will be Remembered by Future Historians as the Founder of the Fourth largest Religion in the World: Buddhism, whose Teachings will come to be Followed by 520,000,000 People Worldwide, Adapting Different Forms wherever it takes Root. Some Buddhist Denominations will Preach that the Buddha was a Magical Being who Consorted with Gods and Performed Miracles. Others will Argue that he was no more than a Human Being, which, they say, will Add Power to his Message. 399 BC 15th February In the Athenian Republic, the Greek Philosopher Socrates is Sentenced to Death by the Athenian Authorities on Charges of Atheism and Corrupting the Youth of Athens. He Refuses to Flee into Exile and Instead Commits Suicide at the Age of 71 by Drinking Hemlock. He will be Remembered by Future Historians as One of the most Widely Known Figures in Traditional Western Philosophy, as well as being its Founding Father. His Teachings will continue to be Taught in Classrooms and in Law Schools well into the 24th Century. 336 BC In the Kingdom of Macedonia, Basileus Philip II is Assassinated by One of his Own Royal Bodyguards, Pausanias of Orestis, during the Celebrations of the Marriage of his Daughter, Cleopatra of Macedonia, and King Alexander of Epirus, at the City of Aigai, Emathia. He will be Remembered by for Gaining Dominion over a large Part of Greece [in the Form of the Hellenic League] through Conquest and Diplomatic Means, Restoring Internal Peace to his Country as well as laying the Foundations for its Expansion under his Son, Alexander the Great. Pausanias is Executed on the Spot while trying to Flee from the Assassination by Several of Philip’s Bodyguards. In the Kingdom of Macedonia, Prince Alexander Succeeds his Father, Philip II, as Basileus of Macedonia at the Age of 20. 326 BC In the Macedonian Empire, Basileus Alexander “the Great” Astonishes everyone by Announcing his Conversion to Buddhism, and Proclaims himself the next Buddha. This Surprise Conversion Shocks his closest Advisors, some of whom even Convert to Buddhism themselves. 323 BC 28th May In the Macedonian Empire, Basileus Alexander “the Great” Collapses during a Prolonged Night of Drinking with his Generals in the Palace of Nebuchadnezzar II in the City of Babylon, Satrapy of Mesopotamia. He Develops a Fever, which worsens, leaving him Bedridden and unable to Speak. 322 BC In the Macedonian Empire, having mostly Recovered from his Illness, Basileus Alexander III “the Great” Departs Babylon with an Army, Intending to Conquer the Arabian Peninsula. This Army is very Different from the One which he had Departed Macedonia with 12 Years before. The Core of the Army is Built around Macedonian Veterans of the Lydian and Persian Campaigns but were mostly Persian Horse Archers and Mercenaries in Order to quickly March through the largely Arid Peninsula. 311 BC 9th April In the Macedonian Empire, Basileus Alexander III “the Great” Passes away from a Fever inside the City of Rome, Province of Latium. He will be Remembered by Future Historians as One of Antiquity’s Greatest Generals, a Successful Military Commander who not only Completed his Father’s Conquest of the Greek City States [thus Unifying the Greeks as a Single Political Entity for the very First Time] but also Destroyed Greece’s most Hated Foes, the Persian Empire, as well as bringing the Arabian Peninsula and much of Southern Europe into the Greek Fold. His Battles and Tactics will be Required Courses at most Military Academies, and he will Remain a National Hero in Greece and in the Diadochi Kingdoms, the Roman Republic, and in both the Byzantine Empire and the Republic of Greater Italy. For Buddhists, as the First European King to Convert to Buddhism, Alexander will be a Revered Figure [almost as much as Siddhartha Buddha in some Denominations] ~ looked up to as the Ideal Buddhist King for having Turned a Tradition into an Official State Ideology ~ and his Tomb in the City of Pella, Macedonia, will become a Place of Buddhist Pilgrimage. Judeo-Christians will also Honour Alexander for Sparing the Holy City of Jerusalem and Granting their Religion his Patronage and Protection, although he never Actually Converts. Zoroastrians and Persians will Remember him in a more Negative Light, although Acknowledging him as a Famous Military Leader, for Destroying their Ancient Civilization, Burning their Holy Book [the Avesta] and Persecuting their Followers. Islam will Remember Alexander as Dhul-Qarnayn, who Travelled East and West and Built a Wall between Mankind and Gog and Magog, whose Release will Signal the beginning of the End of the World. In the Macedonian Empire, the Shock of Basileus Alexander’s Early Death and his Lack of a chosen Successor sends Shockwaves throughout the Hierarchy of Satraps and Generals who Attend him. Almost Immediately, the Various Generals begin to Squabble. None of Alexander’s Heirs are of Age. Some, such as Perdiccas, Support the Natural Succession of Macedonia, others, such as Cassander, Believe Nicarchides, to whom Alexander had Entrusted his Ring, is the True Heir of Alexander's Realm. In short, the Chaos begins even before Alexander the Great’s Body has gone Cold. 216 BC In the Roman Republic, Honouring their Treaty Commitments, the Egyptians send an Invasion Force to Italy by Sea. The Egyptian Fleet Escorting the Invasion Force is Intercepted by that of the Romans off Tarentum, and a Naval Battle Occurs. Egyptian Archers Rain Flaming Arrows down on the Roman Vessels, setting many of them Ablaze, and those that do Manage to get in close enough to drop their Corvuses find they do not Work due to the new Railings Installed on the Egyptian Vessels. The Romans Suffer a Bloody Defeat and the Egyptians are Able to Land on Italian Soil. 215 BC In the Roman Republic, Rome Finally Surrenders to the Combined Egyptian and Carthaginian Armies after the Egyptians Transport over a Siege Train and bring it up to the Gates of Rome. Hannibal wants to Burn Rome to the Ground, Kill all the Males and Sell the Women and Children into Slavery, however Pharaoh Necho III, Horrified by the Thought of Destroying an Entire City just for the Sake of Revenge, Persuades Hannibal to show Mercy to the Defeated Romans. Rome is, instead, Stripped of all her Territories outside of Italy, which are given to Carthage, and Crushing War Reparations, Shared between Carthage and Egypt, are Imposed. The Second Punic War is over and Carthage and Egypt are now the most Powerful States in the Mediterranean World. 100 BC In the Roman Republic, a Son, Gaius, is Born in Rome to Senator Gaius Julius Caesar III and his Wife, Aurelia. 78 BC In the Roman Republic, Learning of the Death of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Julius Caesar Feels Safe enough to Return to Rome. Lacking any Financial Means, he Acquires a Modest House in Suburra, One of Rome’s Lower ~ Class Districts. He Turns to Legal Advocacy and becomes Known for his Rousing Oratory Accompanied by Dramatic Hand Gestures.
Martin Verran
2020-10-09 17:55:02 +0000 UTCFriends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your EARS!!! I come to bury Caesar, not to Praise him! The evil that men do lives after them, the good is often interred with their bones. So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious; if it were so it was a grievous fault and grievously has Caesar answered for it. Here under leave of Brutus and the rest ~ for Brutus is an "honourable" man ~ so are they all "honourable" men ~ come I to speak in Caesar's funeral. He was my friend, faithul and just to me; but Brutus says he was ambitious and Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many Captives home to Rome whose Ransoms did the general coffers fill, in this did Caesar seem ambitious? When the poor hath cried, Caesar hath wept. Ambition should be made of sterner stuff yet Brutus says he was ambitious and Brutus is an honourable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented Caesar a Kingly crown which he did thrice refuse ~ was THIS ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious and sure he is an honourable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, but here I am to speak WHAT I DO KNOW! You all did love him once and not without cause; what cause withholds you then to mourn for him? O judgement! Thou art fled to brutish beasts and MEN HAVE LOST THEIR REASON! Bear with me...my heart is in the Coffin there with Caesar and I must pause till it comes back to me.
Martin Verran
2020-10-09 17:45:05 +0000 UTC
