Hellenic Conference at Plataea

[Ace_General]

Upon hearing of the news of the death of Alexander and the fracturing of his empire, a Conference of all the Hellenes is called for by the Athenian Confederacy at the city of Plataea, the site in which the armies of Darius were destroyed in the Persian wars.

[Lucius Malfoy]

Out those who were invited, only representatives from city-states in Rhodes and Thessaly join. There had been no answers from either Sparta nor Rhodes. Ahkaia and an Ionian province declared their neutrality. Two other Ionian locations refused to various reasons. While Epirus declared its Pro-Macedonian intents.

[Ace_General]

Demothenes, a rather unimposing man in his late 50's of average height, a slim build, stooping shoulders, and a perpetually sad exprsion, but with eyes that betray a quick mind shuffles to the Podium and begins

My Thesslian and Rhodian brothers, I am most pleased this momentous time that you stand with Athens and Hellas at this momentous time. Shame upon the Achaeans and Ionians for having fear the the tyrannical arms of the Northern barbarians to not even attend this conference.

My Fellow Greeks, the would be Darius of the north, "Megas Alexandros" as the Macedonians, and certain sniviling and servile greeks call him is dead, done in either by one of his jealous and scheming Generals, or by his drunkenness and impropriety, it makes no difference.

Now, Alexanders generals and retainers, like craven vultures carve up the Empire of the Spawn of the Tyrant Phillip and the bulk of the Macedonian army remains in Asia engaged in Intercine struggles. Once more, the Thracians, despite being barbarians, have taken the opportunity to rise up and throw off their Macedonian chains

The voice of the Normally meek Desmothenes rises and he throws his fist in the air.

My Fellow Greeks, shall we not be outdone in love of Independence, valor, and courage by Barbarians??! I suggest this brothers, that we withdraw from the Sham Hellenic League of the Macedonians and form our own league. That we levy our armies and give the Macedonian Garrisons in our cities the option to either leave or face the sword, and send a declaration of our independence to the Macedonian kings. We shall state that our intention is not to harm them, but that we simply wish to be left alone and if they wish to challenge Greek Freedom, we shall fight them to the bloody end, like our forefathers did so in the Persian wars.
The Orator takes a breath and a drink of water and says in a somewhat more relaxed manner

So what say you my Rhodian and Thessalian brothers, and speak freely, for we are all free men here, and all the spies and agents of the Macedonian have been removed from here


OCC: I wouldn't mind this being a give and take of speeches, like the Melian Dialogues or The Symposium, and also set out a constitution and command structure for the yet as to be determined anti-Macedonian league.

[Lucius Malfoy]

Rhodians delegates seemed rather taken by this speech and clapped their approval. However, Thessalians are hesitant, remembering how easily they were defeated by Alexander the Great and how Thebes was razed to the ground by a second invasion at the hands of Alexander the Great and his armies. There were some murmurs of agreement with the speech, but the memories of the veteran and trained arms of Macedon were still fresh in the minds of the Thessalians. In their minds, if they join the League, they were on the frontlines while Athens and Rhodes were more safe from the Macedonians. It appeared that the delegation from Thessaly was at an impasse, divided on what they should do.

[Ace_General]

Demosthenes nods and walks to the Thessalian delegation and says

To show our commitment to the league, once formed, we shall march the Athenian army, along with a large contigent from the Agaean and Rhodian Slingers, and I shall accompany this force. Remember, There is no Alexander, there is no Phillip, and the Veteran armies of alexander are spread out across Asia minor. The Macedonians we are facing are untried youths, overage veterans, and men who have been sitting on their rears for 15 years growing old and fat.

Also, my Thessalian brothers, 30,000 of the most Vicious Thracians are moving south into Macedonia as we speak. And there are unconfrimed reports of a similar sized horde of a unknown type of even more foul and unwashed barbarians moving south from the Karpates oros mountains. With such forces bearing down upon them, I think the Macedonians would be fools not to reach some kind of favorable agreement with us, or they shall be smashed by the anvil of Barbarian flesh and Hellene steel.

[Lucius Malfoy]

The Thessalians are even more frightened by this news. One of them stands up.

If this is truly the case, we should not help these unwashed Barbarians at all, we should be helping the Macedonians. By helping them, they would owe us favorable treaties for our aid!

By suggesting that Macedonians be smashed by not only the Barbarians, but us, how could you, the Athenians, even think of aiding these backward people! Thessaly would be defenseless against these two greater threats with Macedon gone while you Rhodians and Athenians rest easy farther south!

An uproar began from the Thessalians who agreed with the words of the one who spoke. They were the ones most in danger here compared to the Rhodians who had a sea surrounding them and the Athenians who were protected by water as well as Epirus and Thessaly. This crowd seemed to have gone from divided opinion to unified panic and anger. If things progressed any further as they are now, Thessalians may just leave the conference and seek help elsewhere.

OOC: If they do decide to leave, I will have a neutral mod roll their changed opinion either to neutrality or pro-Macedonian. Since it would be wrong of me, an involved moderator and Macedonian ruler, to do it.

[Ace_General]

OOC: Im going to say you are getting dangerously close to meta-gamming and some other stuff that is dangerously close to breaking the rules. Even if you tried to be neutral, there is no way you would of been able to allow pro-Greek Thessalians............. The thessalians in history were strong supporters of greek freedom and it was their cav that fought the hardest against the macedonians and killed Leonatus himself, I would very very strongly contest what you are doing unless you have another mod contintue the debate. It was very un-greek to just walk out Not to mentin this will be used as leverage to get me to submit to the macedonians overlordship

[Jokern]

OOC: Ace, whatever the opinions of the Thessalians were in real life, it does not matter the slightest here. Trying to factor in that into the rp will not work. End of discussion.

I can vouch for LM not being a meta-gamer, and there's still time for you to fix this. Yes, the Thessalians are angry, but they haven't left yet. Try to work this out IC and not bring this to an OOC debate, ok?

[Lucius Malfoy]

OOC: Ace, there is a difference between Roleplay and History. History are facts, Roleplay makes History subject to change. You are not convincing the Thessalians very well and I am having them react as such. They, like Epirus, are the frontlines of Greece and possibly your League. They need more reassurance of they will read, regardless of their historical tendencies. It is not my fault that your character isn't giving enough reassurance to them.

You mention two greater threats that would be poised to just smash us, greater in number than the Macedonians. You mention defeating the Macedonians with Hellen arms and Barbarian flesh, yet that isn't assuring the Thessalians who would bore the brunt if the Thracians and the Celts came bearing down upon Greece. To the Thessalians who are on the frontlines compared to Athens or Rhodes they feel they are getting a bad bargain by joining the League.

[Ace_General]

OOCK Fair enough, as long as I have an opportunity to keep working in game and there is oversight of LM, I am happy

WIP post

[Lucius Malfoy]

OOCK Fair enough, as long as I have an opportunity to keep working in game and there is oversight of LM, I am happy

WIP post

OOC: An oversight? I didn't do an oversight. I stated in the IC post that if they aren't reassured they would leave, meaning you still had an opportunity, but it was lessening due to the previous post. I still made it clear that you had an opportunity. I did not do a mistake at all.

[Ace_General]

Demothenes listens to the pleas of the Thessalians and nods and says

I am of the view that going to war with the Macedonians would only be an extreme option of last resort, and unless they march on our cities, to be held until after the Thracians and Celtoi are destroyed, or directed away from Europa.

Now, this is a draft of an agreement I would send to the Macedonians, which given the circumstances I would believe to be reasonable:

First, we send the reports we have received from our trade contacts in the black sea and spies in the region on the Celtoi advance to the Macedonians,

Then the agreement:
1. A mutual non-aggression pact for a term of 5 years.
2. Mutual non-interference of Macedonia in Greek Affairs and vice versa(Eprius can decide by its leaders weather to be neutral or under macedonian sway)
3. A pact of Mutal defense against the Celtoi if they come into Macedonian lands
4. The Hellenistic league is to be disbanded, replaced by the League of Plataea for states that wish to join Athens, and a League of Armed Neutrality for the states taht wish to remain independent. The league of armed neutrality is not to be under Macedonian sway, and would be bound to the same Anti-barbarian defense pact terms as the other

Now my Thessalian brothers, I would ask you if you were part of this new league of Plataea, what would you wish to put in such a treaty?

And also, it is to be written in the new laws of the League of Plataea that an attack against one member of the league shall be an attack against all, and that no power can make a separate peace with an opposing power, along with an army of observation, gods willing, to be stationed in thrace consisting of the entire ground forces of the Platean league and perhaps that of the armed Neutrals and we shall endeavor to assist the Macedonians to defeat the Celts and also to safeguard greek independence.

[Lucius Malfoy]

The Thessalians listen to the words of the orator then begin to murmur among themselves. The once evident sign of anger and panic was replaced with more relaxed faces and assured tones. The one who spoke up before turned to Demothenses.

At first, you appeared to be a Greek, who aimed to make a belligerent league that may have spelled doom for all of Greece. Yet, with this new treaty, that will hopefully appease the Macedonians, then Thessaly will gladly offer its hand as a member of the League. For if there are threats greater than the Macedonians, they will be a threat to us as well.

Claps rose from the Thessalian delegation after the man spoke.

OOC: Excellent turn around there!

[Ace_General]

The Thessalians listen to the words of the orator then begin to murmur among themselves. The once evident sign of anger and panic was replaced with more relaxed faces and assured tones. The one who spoke up before turned to Demothenses.

At first, you appeared to be a Greek, who aimed to make a belligerent league that may have spelled doom for all of Greece. Yet, with this new treaty, that will hopefully appease the Macedonians, then Thessaly will gladly offer its hand as a member of the League. For if there are threats greater than the Macedonians, they will be a threat to us as well.

Claps rose from the Thessalian delegation after the man spoke.

OOC: Excellent turn around there!

Demothenes continues

This reminds me of something my grandfather once told me:

Respect all, fear none.

With this, I say we shall draw up the League of Plataea, of Athens, the Aegean, Rhodes, and Thessaly.

And I ask you, my Thessalian and Rhodian comrades, to make the short ride with me to Corinith, to convince the Achaean League to join our confederacy.

[Lucius Malfoy]

We shall defer to your skills, Athenians.

Indeed, Demothenses. We have to head home to prepare our states for integration into this new League. If you do need help convincing Achaea however, please contact us and we will send letters urging the Ahkaians to join.

With that, the Thessalian and Rhodian delegations departed for their homes.

[Ace_General]

The New Plataean League documents are drawn up and letters of support for the mission to the Acheans are requested and delivered and the closing ceremonies take place

OOC: Please close out the thread