The pre-AFSNES I.

[North King]

Orders submitted. Apologies for not getting them in earlier; quite a few things on my mind lately.

 

[Thlayli]

Daft, feel free to become a foederatus of the Parthenian Republic.

 

[Azale]

I am NOT an expert on Central Asia, I have really scrapped for information, so making a story would be difficult I DO plan on making a chronicles of the massive successes (or more likely, massive failures) of Eskander though, to add historical flavor

 

[LightFang]

Azale: I'm not an expert on Sardinia really! I just sort of made things up on the fly.

But my nation! It's sooo terribly unique! You guys will all tremble!

 

[Insane_Panda]

Das, were my orders up to par? Story in about an hour, probably.

 

[LittleBoots]

A Glimpse of the Past: A Brief Note on Athanid Religion

The Olympians were foreign conquerors. The Old Gods had lived in Hellas for much longer, the spirits and creatures that had dwelt in the land since the World began. When Athanoi left the Old Land, they brought the household gods of their ancestors. The Old Gods, driven underground by the invaders from the south, came out of hiding and went on the Exodus with them. Kherunos, Beastlord of the Wild; Trephonios, Bringer of Seasons; Meilikhios, Paupersfriend; Triptolemos, Many-Faced Warrior; these and many more lived among mortals, rather than ruled them, for while they had never known a mortal life, all respected the Mataimakhandros, the Futile Struggle of Man.

Above all these, however, there was the Infinite, the God of Many Names, and also called the Nameless. This god, most often called simply the Good God, was believed to be the highest form of Truth, Love Itself. This God was the only supernatural being that could create, the only God that could ever be said to rule the World. The Good God lived in the Ether, the World Above, and rarely dealt directly with Men. It is this god they love and fear, for His power is unknown, being entirely other, thinking unlike Men or the Mighty[1], this god could not be bargained with or fooled[2].

[1] - The Mighty were those supernatural beings who were not doomed to death and yet walked among men, albeit in mystical and mysterious ways.
[2] - The Mighty felt desires and had cravings, just like men, and as such, could be dealt with and tricked

 

[Insane_Panda]

TARTESSOS
AN OVERVIEW:
3000 - 1000 B.C.E.

The Tartessian Economy​

The Tartessian state, even by ancient sources contemporary to it, has been viewed as a state based upon mercantile exploitation and trade. However, far more important to the Tartessian economy, and the sole reason for which it branched out into the areas of mercantile commerce, was the abudant mineral wealth of the region. Along the banks of the Guadalquivir, recorded as early as the thirtieth century B.C, alluvial ores were reported to have flown downstream, carrying in them tin, which was easily accessible to the Tartessian people. Besides tin, Tartessos also sits upon abundant deposits of gold and silver, minerals which fueled the growth of the Tartessian state and attracted foreign merchants - Tin especially so due to its essentially in the production of copper. This influx of trade and minerals brought an unparalleled degree of wealth, wealth which was divested into the realms of maritime expansion and further mercantile adventures. Tartessos, imitating the foreign merchants which traveled frequently to the city's port, built a fleet of its own, securing a presence in the western Mediterranean and Atlantic, and indeed discovering and maintaining the route to the so called tin islands (Britain). Tartessos achieved, remarkably for a state in its era, an essential monopoly on the western trade of tin due to its position at a crossroads, giving it great wealth in a rather small amount of time, and allowing it to invest considerably in all areas of government. It was at this time, as Tartessos expanded its newfound wealth, that it began actively protecting its status as a center of trade, using its fleet to pressure other states into solely trading with itself, rather than seeking new routes or establishing independent colonies. Furthermore, Tartessos rabidly safeguarded the secrets of the route to Britain, merchant captains preferring to destroy their own ships rather than to let rivals discover the route themselves.

It was here in the economy of Tartessos, more so than anywhere else, that the foundations of empire were sown in the Iberian peninsula.

Tartessian Society and Government​

The Tartessian state was notable amongst the kingdoms and nations of the ancient western Mediterranean due to its relative egalitarianism. In this regard, it shared much more in common with the Parthenian state of the eastern Mediterranean than say the tribal kingdoms of chiefdoms which peppered the Iberian peninsula. However, unlike the Etruscan civilization of Northern/central Italy, the Tartessian government was relatively centralized due to the fact that all power naturally coalesced around the city of Tartessos - it being a bastion of mineral and commercial wealth. An executive, in the form of a King (called Regus), ruled the state since its beginnings, but rather than exercising complete control, the Tartessian monarch shares a great deal of power with the wealthy aristocracy - who, in the case of Tartessos, largely hailed from merchant and mining families. These aristocrats were organized into a Sophetor-Magus, or a council of elders, and generally it was their duty to advise, propose, and consent to the actions of the Monarch. Regionally, authority was in the hands of city or regional governments, organized much like the state in which power is concentrated in the Sophetor-Minas, or state/city assemblies. In regional government, there lacks any form of executive, and decisions are instead made through the voting of the 30 members of each assembly. The only possible form of executive in these lesser governments were the Sophets, members chosen by each of the regional governments to represent their areas in the Sophetor-Magus of Tartessos. As the Tartessian state expanded, so too did the amount of representation amongst the wealthy elite. The Regus, rather than descended through a line, was anointed by the Sophetor-Magus through a vote. Usually, the term of a Regus extended for his entire life.

In society, as said before, the Tartessian state is rather egalitarian. The roots of such egalitarianism are often debated, but the main cause has largely been determined as the influx of wealth which the Tartessian state experienced early in its history, and which generally flowed to all sectors of the state, due to its relatively small size. However, even with a relative sense of freedom within the strata of society, it was still organized into four key groups - a merchant aristocracy, composed of the wealthy elite; an intellectual aristocracy, composed of philosophers, educators, and religious officials; a military aristocracy, composed of army and naval commanders; and finally, everyone else. However, if one were Tartessian in origin, movement through the strata was relatively easy and based upon merit, rather than any other conditions.

Another interesting facet of Tartessian society is that though it was largely patriarchal, women historically played very important roles in society, serving primarily as the foundation of families yet also leading their own independent enterprises in many areas of Tartessos.

In general, Tartessian society and government was highly organized for its time, providing a strong foundation for the evolution and entrenchment of its culture.

The Cult of the Sacred Bull​

The Tartessian religion is unique in that, for the most part, it is centered upon one deity. There are a plethora of other gods and religious icons, to be sure, all handed down from generations of accumulation - but in a larger sense, there is one god which dominates the Tartessian religion, and that is the bull god Tigranus.

Traditionally, Tartessian legend would have it that Tigranus himself played an essential part in the foundation of the state. It is said that Tigranus, as the Tartessian people wandered through Iberia, in search of a home, they were followed by a great bull at the horizon, constantly watching them until they had found their home along the banks of the great river. Tigranus was said to have ensured the safety of the peoples of Tartessos, and to have lead them to their sacred homeland. Whether this is true or not, no one knows, but it is safe to assume that there is a good deal of myth attached - a more likely reason for the evolution of the cult is the essentiality of the cow and bull in Iberian culture.

However, as Tartessian society developed, the deity of Tigranus came to represent a number of key aspects in Tartessian life. Firstly, Tigranus was seen as an embodiment of strength and protection - a sort of warrior bull. Traditional representations of this aspect of Tigranus usually show a minotaur like figure - half bull, half man, and carrying a foreboding Iberian falcata. Secondly, Tigranus represents prosperity and plenty, the bull being an extension of the cow, and the cow providing milk, meat, and leather skins. Lastly, but not least, Tigranus represents something more vague, yet something equally important to the Tartessian people - Tigranus represents a certain blend of pride and spirituality, or in more general terms, Tigranus represents the soul. The bull, unlike the cow, is confident, individualistic, and strong. As such, it serves as an embodiment of what the Tartessian people saw themselves as - a people who stood at the edge of the known world and looked for more, a people confident in their ability to lead, conquer, and prosper. More fully, Tigranus could be articulated as a general representation of Tartessian culture - prosperous, strong, and soulful.

The Tartessian Military​

As a maritime state, Tartessos was primarily concerned with the maintenance of a strong navy, and indeed, naval traditions within Tartessos stretched back for quite some time. In the city's earliest days, Tartessian fishermen proliferated along the shores of southern Iberia and the peninsula's Atlantic coast. As the wealth and power of the city grew due to its mineral deposits and its geographic position uniquely suited to trade, so too did it's fleet. Foreign ship designs which visited Tartessos' ports were mimicked, and as early as the second millennium B.C.E, Tartessian galleys were beginning to sail in the Western Mediterranean, establishing trade contacts with the wider world, instead of simply waiting for merchants to come to Tartessos.

However, it was not until later that the Tartessian navy became more centralized and military in its purpose. Originally, it was merely a collection of merchant shipping and fishing boats. Yet as Tartessos expanded, the need for protection was clear, and thus the navy was permanently organized into two distinct branches - firstly, a merchant fleet, largely unorganized and run by individual merchants, yet all recorded, and secondly, a maritime fighting force, professionally organized and run directly by the Tartessian admiralty under the command of the Regus. The chief duties of the Tartessian navy in its earliest stages was the protection of trade routes and to act against piracy. As time passed and as rivals grew, however, the Tartessian navy would be increasingly used as an offensive weapon, indeed establishing the first instances of "gunboat" diplomacy in history. Yet the navy, though it was the most pre-eminent of the military branches, did not stock itself mainly with elite aristocrats. No, the large amount of men needed to man the ships meant that a large portion of sailors were recruited not from the rich, but instead from the lower-class citizenry, the navy offering a profession and financial security.

It was instead in the army where the warrior elite proliferated. Somewhat less important and practical than the fleet, the army was deemed more of the prestige institution, yet in characteristic Tartessian form, was still very utilitarian - it was merely manned and run by the upper echelons of society. In battle and in wartime, the army coalesced around a professional, yet smaller sized force of infantry citizen-soldiers. These men were usually heavily armed in bronze, adopting rigid formations similar to the Grecian phalanx yet somewhat more flexible and loosely organized, due to the roughness of the Iberian terrain. Reinforcing this core was a larger force of levies and mercenaries, recruited in the outlying Tartessian territories in exchange for pay or land. As the Tartessian state furthered its boundaries, however, it was slowly becoming apparent that the Army, much like the navy had already done, needed to adopt more inclusive policies with regards to its composition. Threats were proliferating, and a much wider base of manpower was needed to combat them.

 

[LightFang]

That's a "story"?

 

[Thlayli]

His-story.

 

[Insane_Panda]

Silence! I am not very good at writing character based stories. I much prefer essays and grand speeches.

It's worked well for me in the past

 

[Israelite9191]

Rudementary, rambling, and rushed orders sent. My apologies.

 

[JosefStalinator]

I have to agree with Panda; my character based stories all sound cheesey and just turn out overall crappy. I have to do them in the format he does them in as well (and was actually going to do them that way).

 

[Israelite9191]

Oh, and I would right a story now, but until the first BT is done the bible has pretty much done it for me.

 

[Azale]

Then quote some stuff from Revelations and be done with it

 

[JosefStalinator]

Yeah, most of its new to us anyway

 

[JosefStalinator]

Pax Celtica: Chapter 1
The Bull King​

by Morteach Ulnaid

It has been lost to history as to exactly why King Suesus I, eventual King of Arecomicia, chose the Isle of Arecome to make his home. One solid theory holds that the settlers, the King among them, were a splinter group from the nation of Tartessos, swept by chance to the rich little island to set up their fortresses. Others contend it was actually a different peoples which split into two; Tartessos and Arecomicia, probably from southern France. Regardless, the similarities between the two indicate a shared history, and, in all likelihood, a shared future.

It was at the capital of Suaria that the Arecome people first arrived on their promised land; sorrounded by strangers speaking an unknown language and practicing beliefs that only seemed to incur the wrath of Tigranus upon them. Though bulls were in short supply, those they found were not revered in any way, used purely for reproductive purposes with the cattle and otherwise discarded or slaughtered due to an abundance of males. Though the Arecome did feast upon the flesh of bulls, such was done only in the traditional, ceremonial manner, and the natives of the island professed ignorance to the knowledge that the celts knew had been bestowed upon all mankind in creation by Tigranus and his ruling brothers.

As an example of their future practices, King Suesus, seeing hubris sorrounding him, brought the full fury of Tigranus and the Celtic people upon the natives of the island, holding no mercy to those who refused to submit and assimilate to the celtic way of life. In contemporary times, we have come to view these practices as extreme, and even for some ancient socities, this would be viewed as harsh. As much as we can label this as cruel, it was by all means effective, and fairly soon the Arecome people had fully assimilated the island to worship of Tigranus and celtic blood ran through nearly all their veins.

The Arecome people, for better or for worse, abandoned much of the common sense trade attitude that any other people would evolve on the strategically placed island. Focus on agriculture and land expansion (especially onto southern Italy, where raids were regular and notorious) fostered a strong, somewhat isolated people with a strong sense of reverence for their tiny island. It was there they worshipped their bulls, their Bull King, who wore the crown of Tigranus, bearing the golden horns of heaven. Their ships did too become feared; the sights of the glimmering horns speeding toward the shore becoming symbolic for the terror which would soon engulf whichever community unfortunate enough to get in their way.

And so concludes the first chapter of the Pax Celtica. Knowledge of antiquity is so vague, it would not do justice to include any more than that.

OOC: I recognize this sucks. I just want a story bonus
​

 

[alex994]

Ah, the Cult of the Sacred Bull. Such lovely memories, by any chance, will the Sacred Bulls get a harem of cows to do his bidding as in the other nes?

 

[Israelite9191]

Then quote some stuff from Revelations and be done with it

Gah. Revelations is a scourge upon the nations.

Yeah, most of its new to us anyway

You should be recieving a minyan of Torah and Talmud waving Lubavitchers at your front door in 5...4...3...

 

[Daftpanzer]

Daft, feel free to become a foederatus of the Parthenian Republic.

That would be great, as long as you dont treat us too harsly

 

[Thlayli]

Not at all. You'd get autonomy, protection, and trade benefits, in return for accepting the supremacy of Taras and Parthenia, and providing levies. You can even maintain an independent foreign policy and military, as long as they don't clash with ours.