[BTS: RFC] The Hellenes - A Story of the Greeks

[trexeric]

The Hellenes - A Story of the Greeks

Well, here it is! My newest story. The Norsemen has been completed, so I introduce to you The Hellenes. My only goal is to wonder spam in my cities.


Chapter 1: From Humble Beginnings...

Life in the Balkans was hard. Independent states fought over many things. Land, resources, gold, and power just to name a few. It was rare a wife ever got to see her husband, and even more rare for a husband to return from the bloody wars. Athenai was the largest state, rising as a naval power. Athenians worship the Greek god Athena, god of strategy. In Athenai, a boat was built for Poseidon, god of the sea. This was the largest, and most powerful boat ever built. It's builder, a man named Hartikles, united the Athenians. The Athenians became one power, one empire, one more independent state to add to the list. It wasn't until Poseidon got into action that the Athenians really became distinct.

Meanwhile, in the city-state of Epidamnos, the king was dying. The king was King Lutiandor I. He had no sons, no daughters, just an empire holding its breath for him. Lutiandor looked to the seas. The Poseidon was passing by. Lutiandor told his assistant "We shall join those people. They can't be much worse than others we have faced, hm?" His assistant agreed to send an emissary.

Back in Athenai, two emissaries arrived. The first one, from Epidamnos, asked for Hartikles to become Lutiandor's successor. Hartikles agreed, only if Athenai would unite with Epidamnos. In the next week, the Athenians agreed to become more than just another city-state. The second emissary came in soon after the first one. This emissary greeted Hartikles hastily. He was from the Sumerian city-state of Uruk. Their leader, Gilgamesh, was a stubborn man, but his empire was proud and strong. Refugees acted as emissaries and scouts to get away from their ruler.

Now that Athenai and Epidamnos had united as one, the first 'Greek' civilization had begun! However, to outmatch the other states, the Greeks have to build temples and spread influence farther than ever. Hartikles himself wrote about how children were learning to build instead of war tactics at this point in time.

 

[Mosher]

No Byzantion?

 

[trexeric]

No - that provokes the Turks. Plus, Epidamnos is a really good production city once it gets going.

 

[Mosher]

The Turks are easy to get rid of. Just go DOH style, settle an unhistorical, undefended city shortly before they spawn, gift it to them, then attack the undefended city, capturing it; they're wiped out.

 

[mbkkbm]

subbed! good story...keep it going!

 

[SouthernKing]

Sub post. KILL THE ENGLISH WHEN THEY SPAWN

 

[christos200]

very good story. i think you should recreate Alexanders the great empire.

 

[christos200]

also, παν μη ελλήν εστί βάρβαρος, which means that all non-greeks are barbarians, so declare war to every civ.

 

[MoreEpicThanYou]

Yea, after a while Byzantion can hold its own against the Turks. You'll see in the next Eternal Empire update. Anyway, good story so far.

 

[Yoshiegg737]

The Turks are easy to get rid of. Just go DOH style, settle an unhistorical, undefended city shortly before they spawn, gift it to them, then attack the undefended city, capturing it; they're wiped out.

 

[Tambien]

Will be watching this....

 

[Optical]

I've been waiting for this.

Bring on the Greece!

 

[mbkkbm]

If were going on bad Greece jokes then:

Greece, Greece, Greece, Greece Lightning!

 

[trexeric]

Well, Epidamnos is a better city, okay?

Chapter 2: The Oracle

Hartikles died trying to reach immortality at the top of Mt. Olympus. His son, Theseus, was voted head of Athenai and was appointed to the throne of Epidamnos. Under Theseus, Athenians were encouraged to migrate to the city-state of Sparte. This expanded Greek borders, which engulfed the Spartans. Same thing happened with the city-states between Epidamnos and Athenai. The children also started learning to become priests now that masons were common. The number of masons led to the founding of the first quarry, south of Athenai. Also, emissaries from across the sea meet with Theseus. These emissaries where 'Egyptians'. Most Egyptians were pagan, including their ruler, Djet. However, Egypt was also the Jewish holy land, so many Egyptians were Jewish.

Theseus' life came to an end. His young adviser, Perseus, was voted head of Athenai. Except Theseus' son, Theseus II, took to the Epidamnos throne. Perseus persuaded Theseus II to give the throne to him. Theseus accepted, as long as he could be the High Athenian General and have his son, not Perseus' son, be king of Epidamnos. Perseus agreed, only to reunite the Greeks.

Perseus' reign was a great one. Many priests were trained, so Perseus ordered a temple be built in Epidamnos to worship Apollo, the god of prophecy, and to house the 'Oracle', who was a skilled priestess who could predict the future. The arts were now being implanted in children's minds. Teachers called these arts 'Aesthetics'. Perseus' reign stops when he ordered the new artists and masons to build a grand temple for Athena in Athenai.

Theseus II's son, Theseus III, became king of Epidamnos and ruler of Athenai. In Athenai, he was treated more like a dictator. Theseus III ordered books about previous rulers to be edited so that Perseus' name appeared no where in public temples and buildings. Children were trained to write new books, books mostly on Theseus I, II, and III. Also, people from the east came to greet the Greeks. These 'Indians' were ruled by Asoka. The Indians were a mainly Hindu people.

Theseus III was mysteriously assassinated at some point in his 50s. He had no sons, so Perseus' grandson, Perseus III, took to the throne of Epidamnos and was formally elected head of Athenai. The books on Perseus I were rewritten, and the great 'Book Revolution' ended as Perseus III himself told young Greeks about how the monarchy government in Epidamnos works. However, he told the Athenians that he would never adopt that system for them. Also, Perseus III had completed the Oracle in Epidamnos. He found the right woman to become the priestess, and she told him about the near-future technology of Drama. Perseus III told all of the Greeks about this entertaining technology. Afterwards, Apollo was credited for the arts as well as prophecies. A harbor began to build in Epidamnos. However, Perseus III wanted to build more, so with copper from the north, Perseus III ordered the building of a colossal statue of Helios, the sun god. This statue would dominate the sea and bring good fortune to the Greeks. This statue would be called The Colossus.

 

[SouthernKing]

Good update

Epidamnos actually is a better city that Byzantion. I usually found both though.

 

[trexeric]

Epidamnos is were I build most of my wonders.

 

[inohotep]

he died trying to reach immortality... irony much

 

[Red_Spy]

Looks good.

 

[christos200]

very good update.

 

[trexeric]

Thank you, everybody! Now, thanks to your comments, it's a three-in-one deal!

Chapter 3: The Colossus

Perseus III was drowned when his son, Aegus, gave him stone shoes to wear when swimming in the Athenian Sea (which Aegus renamed the Aegean Sea). Aegus became king of Epidamnos and dictator of Athenai. When Aegus became the leader of Greece, a number of Greeks fled, and bonded with the Etruscans on the 'Italian Peninsula'. These people called themselves the Romans. The Romans sent emissaries, and with a few negotiations, an alphabet was adopted from Rome for a few art lessons. Another group of people, these fleeing from the Near East city of Sur, called themselves the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians gave the arts of Animal Husbandry and Archery for art lessons. The Carthaginians were led by a man named Hamilcar Barka. The Romans were led by the dictator Julius Caesar.

The temple for Helios, the Colossus, was built somewhere around this time. Built with engineers from Epidamnos, the Colossus was the largest man-made man ever made. The temple brought in pilgrims from all over the Hellenistic world. This brought commerce to the coast. This also brought enemies - ready to pillage and rob every single pilgrim. In fact, one group - called the Huns - invaded from the north. At least 5,000 horse archers rode in toward Epidamnos. Aegus ordered a defensive position for all forces stationed in Epidamnos. Aegus also ordered reinforcements from Athenai to arrive. The Huns were eventually destroyed - even though the Greeks were outnumbered.

Chapter 4: The Parthenon

People in Athenai were not building as fast as those from Epidamnos. Athenians felt they needed more of a choice of leadership. The elderly Aegus was overthrown and killed by a group of Athenians that called themselves "The Argonauts". The Argonauts were led by a man named Jason. Jason became king of Epidamnos and elected ruler of Athenai. This started the Argonautical Era in Greek political history. This also started the Argonaut Party - running against monarchies, dictatorships, and any other type of government. Epdamnos became a republic, and now was controlled completely by Athenian voting.

Jason was a great leader. A man named St. John was born in Epidamnos. Jason sent him to Athenai to work with the builders and merchants there. This brought slightly better production and wealth to the Argonaut leadership. Also, Egyptians gave Greeks secrets to Judaism (what they called Monotheism) for a couple of priest's advice on what a priest should be. Also, many Greeks were pleased when wine became more common in an everyday life. Also, Jason ordered a temple to Artemis, goddess of the hunt, to be built in Epidamnos. Blacksmiths in Athenai also discovered iron near Athenai itself. This new metal revolutionized building and speeded up production of the temple for Athena, called the Parthenon, tenfold! Jason died before the Parthenon was built, but it surely was built!

Chapter 5: The Temple of Artemis

Jason's successor, his son named Orpheus, was a true artist. He oversaw the production of the new temple being built in Epidamnos. He also ordered a major food mission to increase population. Orpheus ordered the construction of a harbor in Athenai. After the harbor was built, many boats would be built to catch clams and fish. Orpheus also noticed games being held in Epidamnos yearly. These were called the Olympics. Orpheus loved art, so he sponsored the games. He invited foreigners to come, which improved relations with other civilizations. Also, Orpheus begins to teach others of the wonders of music.

When the Temple of Artemis was built, Orpheus gave the throne to Heracles, Orpheus' friend's grandson. Heracles ordered a granary to be built in Epidamnos to support Orpheus' food mission. Heracles allowed, for the first time ever, a single god. He would not make the entire country convert - in fact, most stuck to the pagan ways - except some converted. Jesus Christ was born somewhere in the near east. After he died, Mohammed Shah told of Jesus' teachings to the Greeks in Epidamnos. This founded 'Christianity'. Christianity spread into Athenai, and also the city of Rome, capital of the Jewish Roman Empire (now ruled under Augustus Caesar). However, there is no doubt Greeks will keep building pagan temples, just like the Temple of Artemis.