[RFC DoC] Rhye's of the Phoenicians

[Moshe Dayan]

The Rhye's and fall of Civilization modmod "Dawn of Civilization" is fairly similar to the original mod, but with a few key differences. One is the removal of the Carthagian empire and the addition of a newer, slightly more historically accurate one: The Phoenicians!

IRL, the Phoenicians had numerous colonies all throughout the Mediterranean. But what if they had gone further, and united the entire fing Mediterranean under Greater Phoenicia? This (very) alternate history will explore that very possibility.

Part 1: Rebellion

Spoiler :

Around 1600BC, a mass rebellion of the Canaanite people occurred, spearheaded by the legendary military general, Hannibal Dayan []. The rebels were quickly ousted from the Kingdom of Yerushalayim, but not before establishing a firm presence in the Kingdom's Northern Region, in the city of Sur.

Part 2: Establishment

Spoiler :

Over the years, the ancient kingdom of Yerushalayim began to lose control over the countryside, which began to fall under Sur's jurisdiction. Meanwhile, the earlier Caanite exiles moved northwest and founded a city in resource-rich Utica, just outside the borders of the mighty Greek and Babylonian empires.

Part 3: Growth

Spoiler :

The early years of the Phoenician Empire marked a time of peace, as General Hannibal grew feeble with old age. Negotiations and open borders kept the burgeoning empire on good terms with its neighbors, and save for a minor barbarian assault, the Phoenician empire invested little into its military and instead developed its infrastructure during this time period.

Part 4: The First Greco-Phoenician War

Spoiler :

After a few centuries of peaceful coexistence, the Greek Emperor built a city on the Bosphorus Strait, which he proudly named Byzantion. In an attempt to prove himself in the eyes of his people, the new Phoenician Emperor, Hannibal II, ordered the defenseless city burned to the ground. This sparked a war with the Greek Empire that would last for decades.

Part 5: The First Indo-Phoenician War

Spoiler :

Unbeknown to Hannibal II, the Greeks had close trading ties to the distant Indian empire, which quickly came to their aid upon hearing of the destruction of Alexander's shiny new city by the treacherous Phoenicians. Fortunately, Emperor Hannibal proved an able negotiator, and negotiated a truce before any bloodshed could occur.

Part 6: Peace

Spoiler :

Pericles was less willing to accept peace, but at the urging of the Indian Emperor Asoka, agreed to end the war.

Part 7: The Battle of Hattusas

Spoiler :

Several years after the end of the First Greco-Phoenician War, the ancient Babylonian Empire collapsed. The reason for the collapse is hotly debated by historians today, but Phoenician texts indicate that Hannibal II wasted no time in capitalizing on the instability of the region. He mobilized a small military force in Utica and subsequently ordered all troops eastward, towards Hattusas. The city's warriors provided little challenge for the Phoenician military, which razed the city upon its capture. The capture apparently sparked a diaspora as Phoenician citizens expanded northward from Sur to take advantage of the newly available land.


...and that concludes the first chapter of this Alternate History. Will the Phoenicians expand westward, and pwn everyone, or will they go the way of the Babylonians and disappear altogether? Stay tuned...

 

[W|M]

Resettle Babylon, but one tile North

 

[Leoreth]

Always nice to see someone playing this

The Phoenicians are far from balanced currently, so I'll give this story extra addition to see what still has to be changed. If you find anything that doesn't explicitly show up in this story, just report it!

 

[Moshe Dayan]

[Short] update time.

Part 8: Persia

Spoiler :

Some of Phoenicia's early explorers took the opportunity to travel east through the newly independent lands. They brought back with them stories of a massive empire to the east, the likes of which Phoenicia had never seen before. They also brought with them a new religion, which was rapidly embraced by the Phoenician people. The emperor himself began to follow the teachings of Zoroastrianism, and ordered his entire empire converted to the new faith.

Spoiler :

Within a few short years, trading began with this powerful empire, and the Phoeniciain emperor developed a close friendship with the Persian emperor, Cyrus.

Part 9: The first Roman-Phoenician War

Spoiler :

After a couple of decades contacts with Persia ceased as Emperor Hannibal died of heart failure. Mere days after his death, a roman fleet appeared off the coast of Utica and immediately declared war. This is widely considered by historians to be one of the biggest military gaffes in Roman history, as the Roman fleet had no active troops on board its vessels at the time. For the time being, the Phoenicians were safe from Roman assault, and instead decided to focus their energy on one of Rome's common enemies: Greece.


...thus concludes this chapter. It was short and I know nothing really happened, but I'll try to include a more in-depth one tomorrow. Nite~

 

[W|M]

Shouldn't you try to invade Jerusalem, which is much closer?

 

[Moshe Dayan]

Shouldn't you try to invade Jerusalem, which is much closer?

That's exactly why I'm not invading them. They're close by, and they're independent, so as long as I take them out before the Arabs show up, there won't be any problems. On the other hand, Greece is only going to get stronger, and I'm worried about them trying to found Byzantion again. Looking back, I'm wondering why I didn't settle it myself

Anyway, here's the next chapter, covering The Second Greco-Phoenician war.

Part 10: Neo-Byzantion

Spoiler :

The emperor's worst fears were recognized when to his dismay Greece re-founded Byzantion, this time with Archers guarding it. However, fortune soon smiled upon the Phoenicians, as Rome agreed to a truce and the Greeks offered to teach the Phoenicians the secrets of Iron Working--the very secrets that would lead to Greece's ultimate downfall.

Spoiler :

Mere decades later, the Phoenician emperor received another miraculous gift: the population of Byzantion, which had become almost completely Phoenician over the years, decided to join their motherland. There was much rejoicing as the new Phoenician King, Hannibal Khan, signed the city into his empire, while a grumbling Greek Emperor signed his name to the terms. This is thought to have been one of the largest altercations that led to the eventual war.

Part 11: Jerusalem

Spoiler :

In the year 294 BC, the dying kingdom of Jerusalem finally fell to the Egyptians. This spurred a flurry of trade exchanges between the Egyptians and the Phoenicians, which resulted in Phoenician adoption of the Egyptian alphabet in the same year.

Spoiler :

However, the Egyptians soon found the city to have an overwhelming Ca'anite populace, and, fearing a revolt similar to that of Byzantion years earlier, signed the city over to the ever-expanding Phoenician empire.


Part 12: The Second Greco-Phoenician War

Spoiler :

Tensions which had heated for decades between the rival empires finally boiled over when the Phoenician Empire closed its trade routes to Greece and instead opened trade with Greece's archenemy, the Roman Empire. This was followed by a surprise declaration of war from Hannibal Khan in the year 54BC. The Greek emperor pleaded for help, and the Egyptian Old Empire declared war on the Phoenicians the following year.

Spoiler :

The Phoenician military was personally outfitted by Hannibal Khan for the assault on Athens. Without warning, a horde of swordsmen, axe warriors and siege weaponry landed just outside of Athens, as Phoenician Biremes shut off much of Greece's maritime trade.

Spoiler :

The onslaught of the Phoenician army proved too much for Athens's defenses, and in early 39BC the city finally fell.

Spoiler :

After the immensely successful siege of Athens, Emperor Khan ordered a final fatal blow to the Greek Empire, and commanded several veteran troops to burn neighboring Greek city Sparta to the ground. On the eve of the Phoenician assault, the Greek Emperor abdicated the throne in 9 BC. The ensuing power struggle caused Greece to dissolve into a civil war, leaving Phoenicia the overwhelming victor in The Second Greco-Phoenician War.

 

[Moshe Dayan]

Doublepost yay. Since no one else is commenting >.>

Chapter four, covering the Phoenician Empire's newfound prosperity after its successful conquest of Greece, as well as the beginning of its decline.

Part 13: Dido's Carthage

Spoiler :

Fear no danger to ensue, the hero loves as well as youuuuu!
(^First person to name what this is from gets an internet cupcake^)

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

The end of the war ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity for the Phoenician Empire. The old lands of Greece were soon occupied as Phoenician territories, and for the first time in decades, the Phoenician military was relieved of its active duties. Numerous advances in technology were made during this time, and many great works of art were built during this time period. Her husband having been assassinated by an angry Greek rebel, the charismatic and beloved Phoenician queen Dido assumed the throne, and gave the Phoenician empire a new name: Carthage.

Part 14: The First Persian-Phoenician War

Spoiler :

However, Phoenician prosperity and Carthage's close friendship with Persia both ended tragically in 481 AD, when the Persian Shah Darius I declared war on the Phoenician Empire in a fit of drunken rage, forcing the Persian Satraphies of Egypt and Ethiopia to follow suit.

...im kinda at a loss of where to go from here. I'll continue later I guess

 

[W|M]

Darius's DOW is extremely surprising, doing it at Friendly? That's the kind of thing people like Cathy do...

 

[Moshe Dayan]

I've done a horrible job of managing my empire so far, so let's see if I can survive before I even think about conquering the Mediterranean

Part 15: The Great Revolution

Spoiler :

By the year 546 AD, Carthage was in serious trouble. Dido, now 94 years old, had seen her approval rating drop by 60% over the years. During the main Persian assault in the war, Persian troops had approached within miles of Sur, only to be finally beat back by a meager force of Phoenician pikemen. Although Queen Dido successfully negotiated a Truce with Persia after the Battle of Sur, Barbarian attacks on Epidamnos and Byzantion continued in the North, contributing to the Empire's overall instability. Additionally, an economic recession followed the end of the war, causing riots and fermenting opposition to the ineffective and weak Phoenician government. Many people believed that a rebellion was inevitable.

Spoiler :

Opposition to Dido's rule became overwhelming near the end of 546 AD, and a massive military coup occurred. Dido was overthrown and replaced by her grandson, Hannibal XV. As part of his new reform plans, Hannibal introduced "The Three R's:"

1. Republic
2. Reconstruction
3. RAEP!

Upon entering office on his first day, Hannibal completely abolished the Phoenician Monarchy which had remained in place for over a millennium. In its place he introduced a completely new form of government, one based on the ideals of the Greeks years before; Hannibal removed the "Carthage" monkier and created the Phoenician Republic, the first modern republic in the history of the world. For the first time in recorded history, the idea of human rights was widely circulated, and in most cases, men and women enjoyed equal rights. However, it is notable that some racism persisted against native Greeks and immigrants from Persia and its Satraphies.

Spoiler :

However, Hannibal's lofty reforms came too late, and eventually the residents of the powerful city of Byzantion became incensed with the Phoenician government to the degree that they agreed to secede from the empire entirely, reinstating a monarchical system and establishing the Grand Kingdom of Byzantion.

Spoiler :

This act was considered treason by most of the empire, and the Phoenician Master's Council unanimously voted to use military force to recapture Byzantion. Immediately, troops were summoned from all over the empire for an assault on the city. In 620 AD, an estimated 20,000 troops were gathered on both sides of the city, preparing to immediately invade. However, nothing prepared the fledgling democracy for what turn of events was about to occur...


In the next episode: The First Arab-Phoenician war! to be continued...

 

[W|M]

You better hope you can get pikes to Jerusalem soon!

 

[Moshe Dayan]

Bleh still unstable...well we'll see what happens.

Part 16: The First Arab-Phoenician War

Spoiler :

In the year 628 AD, the Bedouin peoples of the massive Arabian desert to the Southeast of the Phoenician became unified under one leader, Abu Bakr. After successfully conquering his neighbors, Bakr established a new city on the coast of the Arabian peninsula, called Mekkah. With this city came a new religion, that of Islam, which became the Arabian Caliphate's state religion. Turning his gaze north, Bakr set his sights on the Phoenician city of Jerusalem. Historians generally agree that Bakr was unaware that Jerusalem was part of the Phoenician Republic, and that he expected the city to be easily assimilated just as others had before it, with few repercussions. He declared war immediately, and only after sending a horde of camel archers north to sack the city did he learn that it was actually part of the much larger Phoenician Republic. Upon hearing the news, he demanded that Hannibal cede the city to him.
This put Hannibal in a difficult position. Nearly all of Jerusalem's troops had been called up to Anatolia for the raid on Byzantion. Nevertheless, Hannibal knew that he couldn't afford to lose another city after Byzantion's rebellion, and flatly refused Abu Bakr's proposal. Praying that Jerusalem's token force of pikemen would protect them, the city prepared to surrender to the incoming Arab troops, in the hopes that this would cause Jerusalem to be spared. Unofficial accounts indicate that some of Jerusalem's troops went awol and ordered the city's surrender, however these arguments are disputed by historians.

Part 17: Reinforcements

Spoiler :

Hannibal XV prepared for the worst as Arabian troops stormed over the Phoenician border, coming perilously close to the city of Jerusalem. However, before any attack occurred, the Phoenicians received aid from one of the most unexpected of sources: Persia.

Spoiler :

Arabian texts from this time period indicate that Abu Bakr foolishly declared war on Persia at about the same time as his DoW against the Phoenician Republic. Although he realized that Persia was larger than just a single state, he did not realize that his neighbors to the west, Egypt and Ethiopia, were in fact Persian satraphies. He also failed to account for the re-established alliance that developed between Persia and Phoenicia following the Phoenician Revolution, an alliance that was further strengthened when Persia adopted its neighbor's political system, becoming the world's second modern democracy. Unaware of the strength of their alliance, and of Perisa's war with Arabia, Hannibal XV was surprised at the accounts he received from Jerusalem following the war; several battalions of the Persian military "came out of fing nowhere" in defense of the meager Phoenician force protecting Jerusalem.

Spoiler :

Realizing the enormity of his error, Bakr contacted Hannibal XV and offered to end the war on the condition that Hannibal send some of his personal military files to Mecca. He agreed, and in 636 AD a truce was signed. Although Abu Bakr claims in his journal to have "mercifully spared his enemy a humiliating defeat," most historians agree that Bakr was shocked by the power of the Persian Republic, and wanted to divert all of his military to that threat instead. Nonetheless, much of the Phoenician Republic hailed Hannibal XV as a diplomatic hero, and rallied behind him, as he returned his focus to his military assault on the comparatively weak Grand Kingdom of Byzantion.

Part 18: The Battle of Byzantion

Spoiler :

Immediately after the end of the war, Pheonician soldiers marched on Byzantion. The attack on Byzantion came from both sides, as the Phoenician military executed a deadly flanking maneuver. The western platoon, consisting of a fleet of catapults lead by legendary swordsmen-general Vercingetorix, moved east from Phoenician territory into Anatolia. Simultaneously, the Eastern Phoenician platoon, a ragtag gang of soldiers hastily summoned from nearby Phoenician cities, moved northwest towards the city, where they were met by a Roman strike force who had been sent in to assist the Phoenicians.

Spoiler :

Within mere hours the city fell to the Phoenicians for the third time as over 9000 troops stormed Byzantion.

Part 19: The Protectorate of the Vikings

Spoiler :

Upon their return home, the Romans relayed news of the heroic recapturing of the city of Byzantion by the Phoenician troops, and it spread quickly to their trading partners. Hearing of the glory of the Phoenician empire, Scandanavian traders brought exaggerated tales of greatness home to the Viking Empire. This is what many historians consider to be the main cause of the Viking emperor's admiration of the Phoenicians, and explains why he was so eager to vassalize. The aging Hannibal XV agreed to the terms, and the Protectorate of the Vikings was established in 660 AD.

Part 20: The New Capital

Spoiler :

Several decades later, the Phoenician Master's Council voted to move the Capital to Utica, which was in a much more defensible position than Sur, and was closer to the center of what they hoped would one day be a huge nation.* This also marked the first time in nearly a century that the Phoenician Republic was able to maintain a level of stability.


*J/K I actually did it to troll the Turks and mess up their spawn
More soon to come!

 

[jokoneli]

I though't that squatting is impossible in the new updates, or is it allowed in Dawn?


Edit: Sorry, didn't notice that it was a joke

 

[BurnEmDown]

Cool update, but some of the pictures aren't working.

Weird though how the Vikings offered themselves as vassals just a few turns after they spawned, that doesn't usually happen.

 

[MrBanana]

Wait a second... doesn't Turkey spawn there? You sly dog.

 

[Moshe Dayan]

I though't that squatting is impossible in the new updates, or is it allowed in Dawn?


Edit: Sorry, didn't notice that it was a joke

...it wasn't a joke. And the last time I squatted in England as the Vikings it worked. The same thing when I squatted in Mexico as the Maya. Maybe I wasn't playing the newest patch? We'll see what happens I guess

Cool update, but some of the pictures aren't working.

Yeah I realized that, apparently ImageShack's mass uploader thing doesnt work that well. It should be fixed now =/

 

[Moshe Dayan]

MAF FFFFFFFFFF-
Oh well. Also, I'm unstable again. Lets see if we can't fix that

Part 21: The Protectorate of Spain

Spoiler :

Phoenician texts from this period indicate that the Egyptian Empire, the oldest empire in the world up to this point, collapsed sometime around the beginning of the 8th century AD. However, as one story ends another begins, and historians believe that this time period marks the beginning of the explosion of Western European cultures that began with the unification of the Iberian Peninsula around 720 AD. The ferocious Princess Isabella intimidated the neighboring city states around Madrid into joining her jurisdiction, and named her new kingdom The Kingdom of Spain. She immediately began to send scouting parties east into the Mediterranean, where they were met by Phoenician sailors. Realizing the values of having a close ally in the west, the Master's Council, led by Chairman Honeybal, approached Queen Isabella with articles proposing the establishment of the Protectorate of Spain. Recognizing the values of such an alliance, Isabella agreed to the terms, and Spain was vassalized by the Phoenicians in 740 AD.

Part 22: The Second Arab-Phoenician War

Spoiler :

However, the Council was unaware of a key factor in the signing of the vassalization papers: Spain's war with the Arabian Caliphate, which had begun shortly after the Kingdom of Spain was founded. Enraged at what he considered a betrayal by the Phoenicians, Abu Bakr IV declared war on the Phoenician empire just as his great-grandfather had done almost a century ago. A fleet of Phoenician troops, many descendants of the army that marched on Byzantion, was immediately ordered over the Arabian border in a march towards the Arabian capital of Makkah. Still led by the military general Vercingetorix, who many historians argue had to have been over 100 years old at this point, the Phoenician army reached the outskirts of Makkah in a matter of months.

Part 23: The Makkah Massacre

Spoiler :

In contrast with the last Phoenician assault, the Battle of Byzantion, the attack on Makkah was a bloody mess. The Phoenician troops were operating deep inside enemy territory, and were virtually unable to receive reinforcements from their country. The few hundred siege weapons employed by the Phoenicians in the attack (a considerably smaller amount than those used in Byzantion) were completely obliterated by Arabian longbowmen, as were the entire force of axemen that were sent in after the weak bombardment had ended. In the end, the Arabian defenders were finally overwhelmed by the reserve force of Phoenician pikemen, which had been sent in to protect the attackers led by General Vercingetorix. Other than the pikemen, the only Phoenician troops who lived to see the Phoenician flag rise above the city were the elder general himself, and a few dozen mounted units. Nonetheless, after the bloodiest battle in the history of the middle east thus far, Phoenicians finally occupied the capital, although the war itself had yet to end.

Spoiler :

Despite the lack of battles that occurred after the siege, it would be more than two decades before the Arabian government finally agreed to a peace. Although the Phoenicians had won the war, it was apparent that the Phoenician Republic's military was not an unstoppable juggernaut as many had believed it to be a hundred years prior. Nonetheless, the Phoenicians had expanded their borders yet again, and it seemed that a new era of peace was on its way.


Also I got Viceroyality a few turns later. Will it be enough to finally make this fing empire stable again? Stay tuned...

 

[jokoneli]

Ok sorry, didn't notice that it wasn't a joke.
I just thought that J/K stands for a joke as you can in see in the following smiley

As you can see, all my knowledge is based on smilies

 

[W|M]

After the revolution, you should go for Egypt.

 

[MrBanana]

What does the Phoenicians' stability map look like?

 

[Moshe Dayan]

After the revolution, you should go for Egypt.

I intend to, just as soon as I get my military back together

What does the Phoenicians' stability map look like?

No idea. I'm just hoping its different from the Carthaginian one