Foreign Relations

[Pontifex Maximus]

Germanic Tribes

Cimbrii

Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Teutones Rivals: Chief:Boiorix The Cimbri were a tribe from Northern Europe, who, together with the Teutones and the Ambrones threatened the Roman Republic in the late 2nd century BC. The Cimbri were probably Germanic, though some believe them to be of Celtic origin. The ancient sources located their original home in Jutland, in present-day Denmark, which was referred to as the Cimbrian peninsula throughout antiquity.

Teutones

Relationship Status: Hostile Allies: Cimbri Rivals: Chief: Teutobod The Teutons or Teutones were mentioned as a Germanic tribe by Greek and Roman authors, notably Strabo and Marcus Velleius Paterculus and normally in close connection with the Cimbri, whose ethnicity is contested between Gauls and Germani. According to Ptolemy's map, they lived in Jutland, in agreement with Pomponius Mela, who placed them in Scandinavia.

Suebi

Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Rivals: Aedui, Sequani King: Ariovistus the Blood Shorn The Suebi are an extremely warlike German tribe bordering Gaul. Although normally hemmed into the interior of Germany by the Rhine River, groups of raiders are known to pillage Gaul from time to time. This has made the Gauls fearful of the German tribes who they consider to be nothing more than seasonal invaders.

Frisii

Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Rivals: Macromanii Chief: Gannascus The Frisii are a mysterious tribe hailing from the interior of Germany. Although almost constantly at war with neighbors, the Frisii are increasingly looking to find a new homeland with weaker neighbors, better land, and a better climate.

Marcomanni

Relationship Status: Hostile Allies: Rivals: Frisii King: Ballomar The Marcomanni are a tribe from the interior of Germany closely related to but enemies of the Frisii. Their main goal is t annex Frisii territory into their own and make the Frisii their slaves.

Quadi

Relationship Status: Hostile Allies: Rivals: Chief: Areogaesus A mysterious, uncontacted tribe from the German interior

Gothones

Relationship Status: Hostile Allies: Rivals: Chief: Athanaric The ancestors of the Goths that would one day sack Rome, they have slowly immigrated from their homeland in Scandanavia and populating all of Eastern Europe.

Gallic Tribes

Aedui

Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Rivals: Sequani Chief: Dumnorix Aedui, Haedui or Hedui , were a Gallic people of Gallia Lugdunensis, who inhabited the country between the Arar (Saône) and Liger (Loire), in today's France. They are the main power-brokers in Gaul after the defeat of the Arverni and Allobroges.

Arverni

Relationship Status: Guarded Allies: Rivals: Chief: Vercingetorix The Arverni were a Gallic tribe living in what is now the Auvergne region of France during the last centuries BC. One of the most powerful tribes in ancient Gaul, they opposed the Romans on several occasions. Their most important stronghold was Gergovia, near the present-day commune of Clermont-Ferrand. Before the Roman Conquest they were an extremely powerful tribe, perhaps the dominant tribe in all of Gaul. Their leader Vercingetorix may be planning a larger revolt...

Carnutes

Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Veneti Rivals: Belgae Chief: The Carnutes, a powerful Celtic people in the heart of independent Gaul, dwelled in a particularly extensive territory between the Sequana (Seine) and the Liger (Loire) rivers. Their lands later corresponded to the dioceses of Chartres, Orléans and Blois, that is, the greater part of the modern departments of Eure-et-Loir, Loiret and Loir-et-Cher. The territory of the Carnutes had the reputation among Roman observers of being the political and religious center of the Gaulish nations.

Sequani

Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Rivals: Suebi Chief: Casticus Sequani, in ancient geography, were a Gallic people who occupied the upper river basin of the Arar (Saône), the valley of the Doubs and the Jura Mountains, their territory corresponding to Franche-Comté and part of Burgundy. They are the main rivals to the Aedui and have relations with the Germanic Suebi.

Allobroges

Relationship Status: Assimilated Allies: Rome Rivals: Chief: The Allobroges were a Celtic tribe of ancient Gaul, located between the Rhône River and the Lake of Geneva in what later became Savoy, Dauphiné, and Vivarais. Their cities were in the areas of modern-day Annecy, Chambéry and Grenoble, the modern departement of Isère, and modern Switzerland. Their capital was today's Vienne. In 97 BC they raised a large army to invade Italy, and a State of Emergency was declared in Rome. After being defeated twice in battle by Maximus Attilus Regulus in 96 BC, the lands controlled by the Allobroges were annexed and and added to the newly created Proconsulate of Gallia. However, they remained hostile and in 95 BC they revolted against Roman rule, and were again put down by Regulus in 94 BC.

Belgae

Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Atrebates Rivals: Carnutes Chiefs: Divico The Belgae were a group of tribes living in northern Gaul, on the west bank of the Rhine, in the 3rd century BC, and later also in Britain. They gave their name to the Roman province of Gallia Belgica, and later, to the modern country of Belgium. They have a reputation for being ferocious warriors, some going naked into combat.

Veneti

Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Carnutes Rivals: Chiefs: Duratios The Veneti inhabited southern Armorica, along the Morbihan bay. They built their strongholds on coastal eminences, which were islands when the tide was in, and peninsulas when the tide was out. Their most notable city, and probably their capital, was Darioritum (now known as Gwened in Breton or Vannes in French), mentioned in Ptolemy's Geography. The Veneti built their ships of oak with large transoms fixed by iron nails of a thumb's thickness. They navigated and powered their ships through the use of leather sails. This made their ships strong, sturdy and structurally sound, capable of withstanding harsh condition of the Atlantic.

Aquitani

Relationship Status: Guarded Allies: Rivals: Chiefs: Brennus The Aquitani (Latin for Aquitanians) were a people living in what is now Aquitaine, France, in the region between the Pyrenees, the Atlantic ocean and the Garonne. Julius Cæsar, who defeated them in his campaign in Gaul, describes them as making up a distinct part of Gaul:

Helvetii

Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Rivals: Marcomanni Chief: Orgetorix The Helvetii were a Celtic tribe or tribal confederation[2] occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their contact with the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC. According to Julius Caesar, the Helvetians were divided into four subgroups or pagi. Of these Caesar only names the Verbigeni and the Tigurini. They are currently under heavy pressure by the Marcomanni and other Germanic tribes. There are rumors of a migration.

Spanish Tribes

Lusitania

Relationship Status: Suppressed Allies: Rome Rivals: Chief: Punicus The Lusitanians (or Lusitani in Latin) were an Indo-European people living in the Western Iberian Peninsula long before it became the Roman province of Lusitania (modern Portugal, Extremadura and a small part of Salamanca). They spoke the Lusitanian language, and were either of Celtic origin or else became Celticized over time. The modern Portuguese people see the Lusitanians living in the western Iberian peninsula as their ancestors. The most notable Lusitanian was Viriathus. From him, the Lusitani became adept guerilla fighters, troubling Rome for decades. Punicus, a powerful Lusitanian chief, led most of the armies of Spain to a close victory over Rome in the First Iberian War, which ended in 97 BC. Despite their leading role in resisting Rome, they were the only tribe not decimated by Consul Libanus during the Second Iberian War. Due to the confusion surrounding his demise, the Lusitanians settled on a peace treaty in 87 BC. Although much of their territory was annexed by Rome, they retained a fairly sizeable chunk of land in south western Hispania.

Celtiberi

Relationship Status: Destroyed/Assimilated Allies: Rivals: Chief: Caros The Celtiberians were Celtic-speaking people of the Iberian Peninsula in the final centuries BC. The group used the Celtic Celtiberian language. The Celtiberians were the most influential ethnic group in pre-Roman Iberia, but they had their largest impact on history during the Second Punic War, during which they became the (perhaps unwilling) allies of Carthage in its conflict with Rome, and crossed the Alps in the mixed forces under Hannibal's command. As a result of the defeat of Carthage, the Celtiberians first submitted to Rome in 195 BC; Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus spent the years 182 to 179 pacifying (as the Romans put it) the Celtiberians; however, conflicts between various semi-independent bands of Celtiberians continued. The Celtiberians were part of the Spanish alliance led by the Lusitanian warlord, Punicus. In 100 BC they attacked the Roman Client Kings, who requested aid from their protectors. An army was dispatched under the command of Consul Gnaeus Tranquillus, however a series of reverses forced the Romans to cede several territories to the Spanish in 97 BC. When Lucius Libanus invaded the lands of the Celt-Iberians in 91 BC, he crushed them utterly in a single battle, adding them to the quickly growing Proconsulate of Hispania.

Cantabri

Relationship Status: Destroyed/Assimilated Allies: Rivals: Chief: Corocotta The Celtiberians were Celtic-speaking people of the Iberian Peninsula in the final centuries BC. The group used the Celtic Celtiberian language. Like most ancient Spanish peoples, the exact origins of the Cantabri are obscure and subjected to debate since Antiquity. According to the Greek geographer Strabo, the Cantabrians were formerly called Lusitanians, whilst Julius Caesar states they were an indigenous people, whom he describes as being related (relatives) to the Aquitani people of southwestern Gaul, casting some doubt on the alleged Celticity of this nation. Curiously, the name ‘Cantabri’ is a word of Ligurian origin meaning ‘Mountaineers’ or ‘Highlanders’, and therefore this people may have been known by a different designation prior to the arrival of the Romans. They were clearly very mixed, and judging by their tribal names, included eleven or so tribes of Ligurian, Aquitanian, Indo-Aryan, Celtiberian and Gallic affiliation. Although they had stayed out of the previous war, the Cantabrians were the first tribal confederation to fall to the army of Lucius Libanus as it conquered it's way through Hispania.

Spanish Client Kings

Relationship Status: Assimilated Allies: Rivals: The Client Kings are willing to give up their titles for Roman citizenship and military aid against their rivals, but will just as easily abandon Rome should she prove to be an untrustworthy ally. The Client Kings were either destroyed or totally annexed in the Iberian Wars of 100-87 BC.

Balkans

Dacia

Relationship Status: Divided (Strained with Pro-Roman factions, Hostile with Anti-Roman factions) Allies: Rivals: Scythia King: Dazius The meteoric rise of Dacia is due to its King Burebista. Burebista led a policy of conquest of new territories: in 60/59 BC, he attacked and vanquished the Celtic tribes of Boii and Taurisci, who dwelt along the Middle Danube and in what is now Slovakia. After 55 BC and probably before 48 BC, Burebista conquers the Black Sea shore, subjugating the Greek fortresses from Olbia to Apollonia, as well as the Danubian Plain all the way to the Balkans. Strabo also mentions the expeditions against a group of Celts who lived among the Thracians and Illyrians (probably the Scordisci). The only Greek polis with which Burebista had good relations was Dionysopolis. According to an inscription found in this city, Akornion, a citizen of the city was a chief adviser of Burebista. At its peak of power, the empire of Burebista streched from modern Slovakian Carpathians to the Balkans and from the Middle Danube to the Black Sea. Strabo claims that the Getae could raise up to 200,000 soldiers in wartime, a rather improbable number, but which could represent the total number of able males, not the number of any army. Burebista was a worthy adversary for the Romans, as his army would cross the Danube and plunder the Roman towns as far as in Thrace, Macedonia and Illyria. In 48 BC, Burebista sided with Pompey during his struggle against Julius Caesar in the Roman civil war, sending Akornion as an ambassador and a military adviser. After Caesar emerged as victor, he planned on sending legions to punish Burebista, but he was assassinated in the Senate before he could do so, on March 15, 44 BC. In 85 BC, Dacia was overrun by an army of Scythian nomads from the Eurasian steppe. Much of the population and armed forces fled the nation, pouring into the Roman client state of Thrace. Consul Aquila arrived, at the head of an army, to drive them out of Thrace, but found a way to turn their plight to his advantage. It was soon agreed that Aquila would help the Dacians reclaim their country, if they would submit to annexation by Rome. Following a consultation with his advisors, King Burebista consented to Aquila's demands, and men of three nations marched into Dacia to fight the Scythina horde. On the eve of battle, however, Burebista was assassinated by anti-Roman elements in his camp. Dazius, a powerful chieftan, wrested the crown from Burebista's head and as the Dacian camp erupted into violence, Aquila ordered his legions to return to Roman lands, leaving Thrace, Dacia, and Scythia to destroy each other.

Dardani

Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Rivals: King: Bato Dardanians were Thraco-Illyrian barbarians and a constant threat to the Macedonian kingdom. When Philip V rose to the Macedonian throne skirmishing with Dardanians began in 220-219 BC and he managed to capture Bylazora from them in 217 BC. Skirmishes continued in 211 and in 209 when a force of Dardanians under Aeropus, probably a pretender to the Macedonian throne, captured Lychnidus and looted Macedonia taking 20.000 prisoners and retreating before Philip's forces could reach them. In 201 Bato of Dardania along with Pleuratus the Illyrian and Amynander king of Athamania, cooperated with Roman consul Sulpicius in his expedition against Philip V. Being always under the menace of Dardanian attacks on Macedonia, around 183 BC Philip V made an alliance with Bastarnae and invited them to settle in Polog, the region of Dardania closest to Macedonia. A joint campaign of Bastarnae and Macedonians against Dardanians was organized but Philip V died and Perseus of Macedon withdrew its forces from the campaign. Bastarnae crossed the Danube in huge numbers and although they didn't met the Macedonians, they continued the campaign. Some 30,000 Bastarnae under the command of Clondicus, seems to have defeated the Dardanians but eventually they returned home and the plan of Philip V failed. In 177 BC, Dardanians sent an report to Roman Senate, accusing Perseus of Macedon for being again in alliance with Bastarnae against Dardanians, but the Roman investigating commission failed to find support for such accusations. In 88 BC, they invaded the Roman province of Macedonia together with the Scordisci and the Maedi.

Dalmati

Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Pannoni Rivals: King: Teuta IV Archaeology and onomastic shows that the Delmatae were akin to eastern Illyrians and northern Pannonii. Delmatae were a younger nomadic[citation needed] tribe in ancient Illyria (West Balkans); they emerged there since 4th century BC, partly repulsing from their area the earlier peoples of Liburni westwards, Daorsi and Ardiaei (Vardaei) eastwards. They were formed as a tribal alliance[citation needed] of culturally similar communities in 4th-3rd century BC, like the Tariotes and the others. The tribe was subject to Celtic influences.[6][7].One of the Dalmatian tribes was called Baridustae that later was settled in Roman Dacia. The archeological remnants suggest their material culture was more primitive than this one of the surrounding ancient tribes, especially in comparison with the oldest Liburnians. Only their production of weapons was rather advanced. Their elite had the build stone houses only, but numerous Delmatic herdmen yet settled in natural caves, and a characteristic detail in their usual clothing was the fur cap. Their nomadic society had a strong patriarchal structure, consisting chiefly of shepherds, warriors and their chieftains. Their main jobs had been the extensive cattle breeding, and the iterative plundering of other surrounding tribes and of coastal towns at Adriatic. The early independent Delmatae had been completely illiterate, and the first inscriptions there appeared since the Roman conquest. There were some iterative Roman conflicts with the Delmatae lasting for 160 years. The main reason was the perpetual aggressiveness of nomadic Delmatae against all their neighbours and also towards the Issaean federation, Greek-led Roman allies in central Adriatic islands, and so their pacification appeared inevitable. Delmatae land was mostly a rocky calcareous country with many pathless mountains, ideal for infinite guerilla wars; thus Delmatae erected there about 400 stony fortresses and 50 major citadels against Romans.

Pannoni

Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Dalmati Rivals: King: Pinnes Pannonians was a common name for a group of culturally similar tribes cognate to Illyrians, who inhabited the southern part of what was later known as Roman province of Pannonia, south of the river Drava (Dravus), and the northern part of the future Roman province of Dalmatia. The Pannonian tribes appear to have been Celticized. Later a number of Pannonians settled in Dacia. In the 2nd century BC, the Segestani, one of the Pannonian tribes inhabiting the area around Segestica (modern Sisak in Croatia), were attacked without lasting success by consuls Lucius Aurelius Cotta and an unidentified Cornelius. In 35 BC, the Segestani were attacked by Augustus, who conquered and occupied Siscia (Sisak). The rest of the Pannonians were not, however, definitely subdued until 9 BC, when their lands were incorporated into the province of Illyricum after the Great Illyrian Revolt, conducted by the future emperor Tiberius.

Thrace

Relationship Status: Client State Allies: Rivals: Dacia King: Cotys I A loose confederation of Thracian tribes follows Coty I from his capital in Seuthopolis. Thrace is a backwater nation, its glory greatly diminished from the days of Lysamichus. Thracian warriors are however still of great renown and employ themselves throughout the known world. In 92 BC, Roman legions invaded Thrace. Following a period of confusion after the disappearance of Proconsul Lucullus, command in Thrace fell to the famed Gaius Marius Aquila, who ended the war in 89 BC, annexing two thirds of Thrace and turning the rest into a client state.

Eastern Kingdoms

Parthia

Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Rivals: Armenia King: Phraates III The Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD), also known as the Arsacid Empire, was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Persia.[2] Its latter name comes from Arsaces I of Parthia who, as leader of the Parni tribe, founded it in the mid-3rd century BC when he conquered the Parthia region[4] in Iran's northeast, then a satrapy (province) in rebellion against the Seleucid Empire. Mithridates I of Parthia (r. c. 171–138 BC) greatly expanded the empire by seizing Media and Mesopotamia from the Seleucids. At its height, the Parthian Empire stretched from the northern reaches of the Euphrates, in what is now south-eastern Turkey, to eastern Iran. The empire, located on the Silk Road trade route between the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean Basin and Han Empire of China, became a center of trade and commerce. The Parthians largely adopted the art, architecture, religious beliefs, and royal insignia of their culturally heterogeneous empire, which encompassed Persian, Hellenistic, and regional cultures. For about the first half of its existence, the Arsacid court adopted elements of Greek culture, though it eventually saw a gradual revival of Iranian traditions. The Arsacid rulers were titled the "King of Kings", as a claim to be the heirs to the Achaemenid Empire; indeed, they accepted many local kings as vassals where the Achaemenids would have had centrally appointed, albeit largely autonomous, satraps. The court did appoint a small number of satraps, largely outside Iran, but these satrapies were smaller and less powerful than the Achaemenid potentates. With the expansion of Arsacid power, the seat of central government shifted from Nisa, Turkmenistan to Ctesiphon along the Tigris (south of modern Baghdad, Iraq), although several other sites also served as capitals. The earliest enemies of the Parthians were the Seleucids in the west and the Scythians in the east. However, as Parthia expanded westward, they came into conflict with the Kingdom of Armenia, and eventually the late Roman Republic.

Armenia

Relationship Status: Hostile Allies: Rivals: Parthia King: Tigranes the Great The present high status of Armenia is solely due to its King. Tigranes the Great was emperor of Armenia under whom the country became, for a short time, the strongest state east of the Roman Republic. He was a member of the Artaxiad Royal House. Under his reign, the Armenian kingdom expanded beyond its traditional boundaries, allowing Tigranes to claim the title Great King, and involving Armenia in many battles against opponents such as the Parthian and Seleucid empires, and the Roman Republic. Armenia sent a small army to assist Pontus in the Mithridatic war.

Pontus

Relationship Status: At War Allies: Rivals: King: Mithradates VII The term did come to apply to a separate state after the establishment of the Kingdom of Pontus, beyond the Halys River (Kızıl river). The Persian dynasty which was to found this kingdom had during the fourth century BC ruled the Greek city of Cius (or Kios) in Mysia, with its first known member being Ariobarzanes I of Cius and the last ruler based in the city being Mithridates II of Cius. Mithridates II's son, also called Mithridates, would become Mithridates I Ktistes of Pontus ("Ktistes" meaning "The Founder"). During the troubled period following the death of Alexander the Great, Mithridates Ktistes was for a time in the service of Antigonus, one of Alexander's successors, and successfully maneuvering in this unsettled time managed, shortly after 302 BC, to create the Kingdom of Pontus which would be ruled by his descendants mostly bearing the same name, until 64 BC. Thus, this Persian dynasty managed to survive and prosper in the Hellenistic world while the main Persian Empire had fallen. As the greater part of this kingdom lay within the immense region of Cappadocia, which in early ages extended from the borders of Cilicia to the Euxine (Black Sea), the kingdom as a whole was at first called "Cappadocia towards the Pontus", but afterwards simply "Pontus," the name Cappadocia being henceforth restricted to the southern half of the region previously included under that title. This kingdom reached its greatest height under Mithridates VI or Mithradates Eupator, commonly called the Great, who for many years carried on war with the Romans. Under him, the realm of Pontus included not only Pontic Cappadocia but also the seaboard from the Bithynian frontier to Colchis, part of inland Paphlagonia, and Lesser Armenia. Following a diplomatic incident involving fleets of Roman and Pontic ships in 87 BC led to heightened tensions between the two nations, and war broke out in 85 BC. Quintus Valerius Vospicus was appointed to lead the Roman forces, however the actual war saw surprisingly little combat. While Pontic and Roman armies prevented each other from moving, another Roman army moved south, around Mithrades, eventually laying siege to Sinope.

The Hasmonean Kingdom of the Jews

The Hasmonean Kingdom of the Jews ממלכת החשמונאים Mamlekheth haHash'mona'im The Factions of the Hasmonean Kingdom Head of State: Hyrcanus II Religion: Judaism Capital: Jerusalem Relationship Status: Neutral Allies: Rivals: The Moderates The moderate faction comprises the majority of Jewish citizenry and society into its numbers. Its principle aims are to continue honoring its ancient and existing religious traditions, as well as to establish itself as an independent and sovereign state. Historically, the Jews appealed to the Roman Senate, first in the Maccabean Revolts against the Seleucids, and later, to Gnaeus Pompey Magnus, personally, for aid against the Nabateans besieging Jerusalem. Ideologies consistent with the Moderates are those of the Sadducees and the Essenes. The former are generally the aristocratic "Old Believers" of Judaism who reject the Pharisaic notion of the "Oral Torah" that is held by most Modern Jews, as well as the authority of scribes and sages, known as Rabbis. They prefer the established traditions of the priestly class that date back to Zadok, the High Priest appointed by King Solomon, circa 1000 BCE. The Essenes, on the other hand, are an ascetic sect that generally refuses to sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem. They feel that through Good Deeds, personal oaths, and ascetism, they can practice their mystical form of Judaism. The Essenes eschew voluntary poverty, chastity, and pacifism, and thus are largely apolitical, and congregate around the Dead Sea in the community of Qumran. Opinion: Warm Desires: Trade Alliance Good Relations No Opinion: Vassalization Hellenization Opposes: Annexation Enforcement of Religion The Hellenes Although small in number, this particular group has the potential to grow the most. Originally, under the rule of the Seleucids, many Jews sought to aid their chances of social mobility and economic prowess by adopting the simpler and more libertine life of a Greek. Many removed the marks of the infamous act of circumcision, while other shaved their beards and adopted Greek clothing. Many attended Gymnasiums, at Greek food, and even worshipped Greek gods. This vast influx of Greek culture was a contributing factor in the devastating Maccabean Revolt, and many Hellenic Jews were either expelled or killed by their zealous compatriots. However, as Roman dominance is beginning to emerge over the Eastern Mediterranean, it might be within Rome's best interests to encourage the Hellenization of Jews to further integrate them into the Empire. Opinion: Very Good Desires: Trade Annexation Good Relations Hellenization No Opinion: Vassalization Annexation Enforcement of Religion Opposes: The Zealots Although small in number, this particular group has the potential to flash out into a major revolt. While most Jews are generally moderates, it is well known that the largest religious group in the Jewish community, the Pharisees, were staunch supporters of the Maccabean revolt, with Judas Maccabeus likely being one himself. The Zealots often went to extreme lengths to fight Hellenization, to the point of destroying Hellenic structures and cities. Opinion: Poor Desires: Independence No Opinion: Alliance Trade Good Relations Opposes: Annexation Vassalization Enforcement of Religion

African and Mediterranean Factions

The Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt

Relationship Status: Friendly Treaties: Pharaoh: Ptolemy XIV and Cleopatra VII Allies: Rivals: The Ptolemaic Kingdom in and around Egypt began following Alexander the Great's conquest in 332 BC and ended with the death of Cleopatra VII and the Roman conquest in 30 BC. It was founded when Ptolemy I Soter declared himself Pharaoh of Egypt, creating a powerful Hellenistic state stretching from southern Syria to Cyrene and south to Nubia. Alexandria became the capital city and a center of Greek culture and trade. To gain recognition by the native Egyptian populace, they named themselves the successors to the Pharaohs. The later Ptolemies took on Egyptian traditions by marrying their siblings, had themselves portrayed on public monuments in Egyptian style and dress, and participated in Egyptian religious life. Hellenistic culture thrived in Egypt until the Muslim conquest. The Ptolemies had to fight native rebellions and were involved in foreign and civil wars that led to the decline of the kingdom and its annexation by the Roman Empire. It is a fabulously wealthy land. The Factions of Ptolemaic Egypt Hellenic Egyptians Ptolemy XIV Favored by the Greco-Egyptian Aristocracy and much of the nation, the young Ptolemy XIV enjoys a number of privileges. However, of late, he is still too young to rule, and relies primarily on the eunuch Pothinus, his regent, to help him maintain rule of his country. The Pro-Ptolemy party of Egypt is strongly disinclined to accept Cleopatra VII, Ptolemy's older sister and wife, as the legitimate ruler of Egypt. Furthermore, while in the past an alliance with Rome was viewed as being mutually beneficial against Macedon and the Seleucids, the current Ptolemaic dynasty has now begun to view Rome as a rival, and thus is relatively unwilling to accept their direct dominance over Egyptian and Eastern Affairs. Opinion: Ambivalent Desires: Independence Trade Good Relations No Opinion: Alliance Opposes: Annexation Vassalization Cleopatra VII In contrast to her younger brother and husband, Cleopatra is quite warm to Roman ambitions, though these are largely the result of a genuine rational self-interest rather than a desire to see Rome annex her Kingdom. Cleopatra is well aware that Ptolemy XIV's coming of age will render her privileges as superfluous. Moreover, considering that she is married to her brother, and that her only legal options for maintain a private and romantic life would be incestuous by nature, this further implies that her personal freedoms will be curtailed as well. Desperate for assistance, Cleopatra is likely to look for Roman benefactors, and even lovers. Opinion: Warm Desires: Alliance Trade Good Relations No Opinion: Independence Vassalization Opposes: Annexation [/FONT] Native Egyptians While generally irrelevant and immaterial to the inner workings of Royal intrigue, the Egyptian people were nevertheless still affected by the policies and decisions of the Pharoahs. By the end of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, popular support for the monarchy was beginning to deteriorate. Opinion: Neutral Desires: Independence Trade No Opinion: Alliance Good Relations Opposes: Annexation Vassalization

Carthage

Relationship Status: Hostile Allies: Numidia, Iberian tribes Rivals: Rome Leadership: Hasdrubal, Senate of Carthage

Numidia

Relationship Status: Allies: Rivals: King: Bocchus of Mauretania Numidia (202 BC – 46 BC) was an ancient Berber kingdom in part of present-day Algeria and Tunisia in North Africa. The kingdom began as a sovereign state and later alternated between being a Roman province and being a Roman client state. Its King, Jugurtha is known to be an ambitious man and considers Romans a greedy and corrupt people. When he succeeded the throne as a young man, it was with Roman aid, but only because he had bribed Roman officials. In 90 BC King Jugurtha led his army to the gates of Carthage and laid siege to the city. Rome quickly sent reinforcements, led by Sextus Tuccius Alexander. Forced into action, the Numidians assaulted the city before all of his forces had arrived, but were driven back with heavy losses. Pursued into the desert, Jugurtha fled to Rome to surrender. Although some vestiges of sovereignty were held up, for all intents and purposes Numidia was now a full territory of Rome. After the attack by Bocchus of Mauretania, the former lands of the Kingdom of Numidia were ceded to him by Proconsul Agricola. The territory was reconquered in the Second Mauretanian War

Mauretania

Relationship Status: Strained Allies: Rivals: Rome King: Bocchus II After the defeat of Carthage by the Roman Empire Mauretania became an ally of Rome. The Romans placed Juba II of Numidia as their client-king. When Juba died in 23 AD, his Roman-educated son Ptolemy of Mauretania succeeded him on the throne. Caligula killed Ptolemy in 40. Claudius annexed Mauretania directly as a Roman province in 44, under an imperial (not senatorial) governor. Not depriving the Mauri of their line of kings would have contributed to preserving loyalty and order, it appears: "The Mauri, indeed, manifestly worship kings, and do not conceal their name by any disguise," Cyprian observed in 247, likely quoting a geographer rather than personal observation, in his brief euhemerist exercise in deflating the gods entitled On the Vanity of Idols. In 84 BC the Mauretani invaded the Roman Proconsulate of Africa, inflicting a narrow defeat on Proconsul Agricola before illness and attrition forced him to cede the entire territory of Numidia to King Bocchus, who claimed it as Jugurtha was his grandson. In 80 BC, the Senate sent Consul Julius Caesonius and Proconsul Felix Tactitus Sicinius to crush all of Africa and bring it under the Roman yoke. Although Caesonius suffered several major defeats, losing two legions, Sicinus was able to subdue much of Numidia. However, he was not able to prevent the Mauretani from evading the combined Roman army and capturing Carthage. Following this defeat, Consul Gaius Marius Aquila was sent to take command of the legions in Africa and salvage the war effort. Aided by Numidicus, Aquila was able to retake the city and ensure the complete conquest of North Africa.

Cretan/Cilician Pirates

Relationship Status: Destroyed King: Seleukos the Great Ravager In the opening years of the first century BC, piracy swiftly intensified in the Eastern Mediterranean. Based on scattered islands around the Aegean and led by a savage warlord called Seleukos the Great Ravager, the pirates inflicted heavy losses on any merchant who dared to do business in their waters. Finally crushed in battle and pursued by Proconsul Lucullus in 99 and 98 BC, the pirates have since ceased to exist as a significant political entity.

Scythia

Relationship Status: Hostile, Aggressive Allies: Rivals: Rome, Thrace, Dacia, Pontus, Germanic Tribes King: Palakus IV Captured Roman Standards: 81 BCE, the standards of the following legions were captured: XXVIII Orientalis, XXV Minerva, XXIII Fulminatrix, XXI Maria, XX Aquilae The Scythians are a people out of legend. The Greeks feared them as imposing foes to the north, and even in Roman times they were regarded by the Dacians and Thracians as objects of fear. Their tactics are largely unknown and their reputation for military prowess large and without equal in the east, save for Parthia.