KnightofTempest
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Chapter 43
🕑 Added 2024-06-11 21:55:04 +0000 UTC"If Bolgios is going to attack into Macedon, he'll have to go through Thrace first. If the Thracians get invaded, it's likely that they'll lose everything North of Pantelimon before any response can even be mustered. I think we may have to get the Thracians to agree to withdraw south of the Istros River to Seuthopolis. If my Cousin can muster a force there, they may be able to hold out until I can arrive in time to reinforce them with my Army." I began.
"Seuthopolis was sacked and is in ruins, last I heard. Are you certain it will make a decent strongpoint?" Frowned Antiokos.
"My cousin rebuilt it to serve as a supply base during the Macedonian Intervention into the Thraco-Dardanian War. It should be at least moderately defensible as a result. If they can hold the enemy at Seuthopolis, I am certain I can march my army to reinforce them in a week or two. Given how poor a showing they've had with sieges so far, I'm confident that much can be done. The bigger issue is how you contribute to all this. It's a long way from Seleukia to Seuthopolis, after all." I explained.
"I can muster a small reaction force in Bithynia to march out, but it won't be much. Twenty thousand men, perhaps. More likely fifteen thousand. Anything more will take more time and effort to transport." Advised Antiokos.
"Which begs the question, why get involved at all?" I questioned.
"Do you doubt the sincerity of my oath of alliance that much?" Queried Antiokos.
"Not in quite the way you seem to be thinking. It simply does not seem like enough of an effort for you to bother with. I'd have expected more financial support, perhaps a naval contingent on the Istros River. You're talking about sending actual Phalangites into Thrace and Macedon, however. I do not mean to cast aspersions, nor am I trying to be ungrateful. I simply wish to know what you wish out of this endeavor." I explained.
"It is quite simple. Should Bolgios' Horde move into Thrace, the potential for them to cross the Hellespont into Bithynia increases dramatically. Even should you defeat them decisively, the potential for the Horde to splinter and have a fragment go east across the Hellespont remains. I simply wish to ensure that any potential splinters do not survive to cross into Bithynia." Answered Antiokos.
"I see. There is some truth to that. Bolgios' Empire is more of a Gallic Confederation of subjugated tribes than a true Empire. The various lords and commanders of his Empire and Army stay together out of Personal Loyalty to Bolgios. While some might follow Accomaros as his father's designated heir, Accomaros is still only just barely old enough to be a man. The potential for splinters to raid into Bithynia is there." I nodded.
"So you see, it is not wholly selfless reasons for which I send troops as well, yes?" Asked Antiokos.
"Indeed. I had worried that you might seek to do to Macedon and Thrace what you did to Phoenicia." I admitted.
"And if I were?" Questioned Antiokos.
"If you were, then I would have to offer you some other compromise." I answered.
"What compromise would you offer?" Queried Antiokos.
"Byzantion, Bizye, and Agathopolis. You could control access to the Euxine by anyone you do not wish to have it that way, plus the potential for tolls to transit the Hellespont is there." I offered.
"Tempting. Not as tempting as all of Thrace and Macedon, but then, my interests do lie elsewhere. I was planning an attack on the Nabateans to wrest them out of the Ptolemaic grip while the sons of Ptolemy still bicker before Bolgios made his play. Perhaps if you threw in a sweetener?" Shot Back Antiokos.
"How about High-Quality Iron and Steel weapons along with Stirrups at half the normal rate?" I tried.
"How about knowledge of the production of your miracle pastes? The ones that smell foul and sweet by turns but that prevent wounds from turning rotten?" Countered Antiokos.
"Planning another campaign in the Indus?" I grinned.
"Perhaps. Sandrocottus' Son is not the commander he was. The potential to reclaim another lost province is there. Besides, having a more effective way to keep wounds from turning foul can only be a good thing, no?" Shrugged Antiokos.
"Very well. If that will allow you to limit your gains in Macedon and Thrace to Byzantion, Bizye, and Agathopolis, then I will agree to give that knowledge." I agreed.
I knew what pastes he was talking about. They were alcohol-based antiseptic pastes that used the antibiotic properties of distilled alcohol, garlic, and honey to prevent infection from taking hold in wounds. They weren't as good as Penicillin back in my old life, but they were a damn sight better than a lot of what else was currently out there right now. Besides, Antiokos was right, having a way to keep more people from dying from infection could only benefit everyone, especially someone who might be fighting in India again.
With that agreed on, we set to strategizing and after an hour, we had come up with a workable plan for deployment to Seuthopolis in a reasonable time frame in the event of an invasion by Bolgios' Horde. Once that was done, both Antiokos and I had a drink of wine, toasting to the first step in our successful alliance before then heading to rejoin the wider party.
By now, more dignitaries had arrived in advance of the Wedding. Neither King Paerisades the Second of the Bosporan Kingdom nor his heir, Prince Spartikos were able to attend, owing to the ongoing Istrian War, but instead Paerisades the Second's queen, Drypetis of Cius who was the daughter to the ill-fated Mithradates the Second of Cius who had been slain by Antigonos Monophthalmus before Antigonos' defeat at the Battle of Ipsos had sealed his fate. Drypetis was a stately woman, whose peplos was dyed a soft blue with woad and who preferred simpler, bronze adornments in her coiffed hair and pinning her peplos closed.
At the same time, King Kartam of Colchis had arrived bedecked in a carmine and Tyrian purple-dyed, Sea Silk tunic, bedecked in gold jewelry, with his beard oiled and perfumed in ringlets. Kartam was clearly a bit of a fop, living large off the generosity of Paerisades the Second's patronage. He stood in stark contrast to Orontes of Armenia.
The son of a Satrap of the Achaemenid Empire, his father had pledged loyalty to Alexandros Megas fairly early on in the conquest and had been allowed to keep his Satrapy thanks to his military aid in further conquests east. His son, Orontes had become independent during the Diadochi Wars, becoming Orontes the First of Armenia and establishing his dynasty in the rugged hills of Armenia. As no one wished to commit forces to conquer such a defensible nation, Armenia remained independent, and Orontes was a skilled general and diplomat besides, playing the Diadochi off each other. He wore a scale thorax over a simple, soldier's tunic, with his crown and ring of gold the only concessions to his station on his person.
Of course, these Kings would only be the first of many dignitaries to arrive at the Wedding, though obviously, no one expected any of the Ptolemies to send anyone, nor would Rome or any of the Carthaginian Factions. Archidamus the Fourth of Sparta arrived shortly before Eteokles, the current frontrunner for the position of most powerful man in Athens did. The pair glared at each other and began sniping across the buffet that had been laid out. Fortuitously, Chlaeneas the Elder, Ambassador of the Aitolian League didn't deign to get involved when he arrived, which would have turned the sniping into a full-fledged brawl.
Dignitaries and Kings from as far west as Massalia on the coast of Gaul and as far east as the Saka Kingdom of Godana east of the Indus Mountains all came. Some, like Stryngaeus, the envoy of the Saka Kingdom of Godana barely spoke a smattering of Greek while others, such as Zenon, Archon of Massalia were native speakers. Others, such as Prince Obodas, nephew of the King of the Nabateans, required a translator.
It was into this milieu of dignitaries from half a hundred different lands and backgrounds that Antiokos and I emerged into. I looked over at Antiokos and cocked an eyebrow, only for him to grin back at me and make a gesture as if telling me to go on. When I cocked my head, Antiokos merely grinned wider.
"Don't tell me the famed Pyrrhus, King of Epirus is afraid of a few barbarian dignitaries?" He grinned.
"Perish the thought. I was simply caught off guard by how many there were and how varied their backgrounds are." I retorted.
Then, muttering a prayer to Athena for wisdom, I dove into the crowd, ready to begin making deals. Over the next few hours, I managed to get several deals from places as varied as Massalia and Colchis, bartering for goods that were rare in my lands in exchange for High-Quality Iron, Sea Silk, and Dyes. King Kartam of Colchis was less interested in the weapons than he was in the cloth and dyes, while Zenon of Massalia was hungry for weapons first, as the Barbarians were consistently on his Polis' doorstep.
All told, I made out if not like a bandit, then at least like a moderately wealthy merchant prince. Ultimately, however, language barriers and simple geography would keep me from truly making a ludicrous amount of money on trades. The Nabateans only had ports on the Erythraean Sea for instance, even if the Translator was able to make my words clear to Prince Obodas, while the Saka of Godana were just too far away to be worth trading with directly instead of going through Antiokos.
All in all, I felt satisfied with how things went this first day. Tomorrow would be Olympias' wedding proper. Then we'd have a feast and the day after would be our last day in Pergamon before heading back home to Ambracia.
I just hoped I wouldn't cry. . .
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AN: All right, so here we get a few things. First is a look at the potential strategy for fighting against any alternate Gallic Invasion of Greece, complete with a division of any potential Macedonian or Thracian Territories between Pyrrhus and Antiokos. Then there's a look at all the different places Pyrrhus is trading with beyond the norm.
We also get a hint at the next flashpoint, as Athens and Sparta can't even be civil at the wedding of Royals from two nations that could crush both of them like bugs. That's going to boil over and soon. When it does, Pyrrhus is going to be drawn into it by his alliance with Sparta.
At any rate, the next chapter will involve the actual wedding ceremony. Then we'll have one last chapter in Pergamon before going back to Ambracia.
Stay tuned. . .
