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BC
550
O Logos "The Word." SPECIAL EDITION
The World in Which We Live Greece: The Center of the World Greece thrives. Every year, it seems, brings more glad news to the people of the Greek city-states. Greek workers are paid at least three times as much, in terms of grain, than their close, and rich, neighbors in Egypt. The old monarchies have been slowly replaced, some with aristocracies, others by populist tyrranoi, and many argue that this trend should be extended even further. The Greeks have spread into Ionia and up into Thrace, founding city-states all along the coast. Remarkably, in Athens the Great Solon abolished the old ways altogether and introduced a new constitution, dividing the people up into distinct classes and granting even the poorest the power to vote in the Ecclesia. Life is not perfect, of course. Entire polis have vanished from Greece thanks to the wars of rivalry between the great city-states of Sparta (Lakedaemonia), Athens (Attika), Thebes (Boeotia) and Corinth. Old hatreds run deep, and the differences in philosophy between the different city-states seem, to many outside eyes, to be insurmountable. To the Greeks themselves, of course, this is all business as usual. The polis is where the loyalty of the various Greek factions lies, not with some nebulous Greek nation. A fellow Greek is better than an Egyptian or a Mede, but barely so. Some city-states, like Corinth, have largely withdrawn from the race for power and don't bother with any recognition of any over-arching Greek world. In Sparta, one of the world's strangest governments continues to prosper. Combining elements of enfranchisement with monarchy- a system founded by the wise Lycurgus - the Spartans live under a dual monarchy, where there are two kings of roughly equal power. These kings also serve as generals to lead the Spartans in time of war, which is often. The Spartans are the most militarized of the Greek states, relying on a unique warrior code to guide them in all things. The Spartiate hoplites have never been defeated since the conception of modern Sparta, a fact that their rivals would be wise to remember. Athens, one of Sparta's chief rivals, is the richest of the Greek states. They hold unparalleled wealth and influence in Greece, assured by their mighty navy. However, the constitution established by Solon has fallen into disarray in recent years. Class conflict has rocked the powerful city-state, with frequent riots and protests crippling the Athenian ability to act. Solon's constitution remains in effect, but many have begun to whisper of the establishment of a populist tyranny to quell dissent. In Boeotia, the city-state of Thebes waits for their chance at revenge. The Thebans view themselves as being stymied at every turn by the powerful Athenians and envisage a Greece where Thebes stands triumphant as the largest and most powerful of the city-states. Coveting the wealth of their Athenian neighbors and the military acumen of the Spartans, Thebes is characterized most by its ambition. The other Greek city-states have wronged Thebes before, seizing land and property. The Athenians have removed entire villages and regions from Theban influence in the past. And while the Boeotians are forced to wait for their time in the sun, they have pledged to never, ever forget. In Thessalia, the Greco-Thracians stand somewhat apart from their Greek cousins. Isolated by geography, and forced to deal with the barbarians of the north on a near daily basis, the Thessalians seldom concern themselves with the warfare of the Greek city-states. Despite this, their mighty horse-archers are renowned as some of the finest warriors on horseback the world has ever seen. Amongst themselves, the Thessalian clans consider their polis and surrounding environs as a sort of protector of Greece, shielding them from the barbarous hordes to the north. This supposedly aloof stance, however, hasn't stopped them from occasionally deciding that their interest lies in interference in the affairs of their southern neighbors. Across the Aegean Sea, the former colonies of Greece stand as new rivals to the power of the older city-states. Mighty Ionia, a coalition of the famous cities of Miletus and Ephesus as well as others, stands with wealth comparable to Athens. Yet the city-states are divided against each other, with local leaders refusing to surrender their autonomy and all proposals of a stronger constitution binding the various cities together being rejected. Still, Ionia stands as, arguably, the oldest of the Greek colonies and their people are immensely proud of their heritage. Neighboring Ionia to the east is the mighty state of Lydia. Ruled by the famous King Croesus, storied as the richest man in the world, Lydia is a prosperous, bustling place. Largely through the wisdom of Croesus, the Lydians have gained a reputation for grandeur and success. The Lydian people often take the view that it is their god-granted destiny to expand and grow to dominate all challengers. Still, under Croesus the Mermnad dynasty has adopted a friendly approach to their Greek neighbors, and the Lydian state is an interesting combination of a variety of different cultures. Bordering Ionia to the south lies the smaller state of Caria. The mighty city of Halicarnassus stands as the seat of Carian power. The land of Caria is a mix of Greek colonists, older Phoenician colonists, Hittites, and according to some a branch of the people of Troy. The Carians play a delicate game of balance. They are more centralized than the Ionians, and have a well-respected military, but they are bordered closely by two larger states. Perhaps by necessity, the Carians have gained a certain reputation for wisdom and compromise. Still, in the past the Carians have beat back all challengers who abandoned the ways of diplomacy, so it can be said that the Carians have earned their neutral status with blood. The Far West: The Edge of the World The two great nations of the west are Tyrrhenia, composed of Greek colonies mixed with Phoenicians and the remnants of the great people of Troy, and Carthage, a former colony of the Phoenicians and now an independent and great power in its own right. Set apart from the rest of the world by the tumultuous seas of the great ocean, these two powers are more isolated than their counterparts. Still, many are attracted to these distant nations simply because of the breathing room. There is room for a man to be free, and for heroes to push back the boundaries of civilization. So far the two western powers have maintained an uneasy peace between them as well, which has led to a steady flow of colonists from the eastern powers. In Carthage, an ancient Phoenician colony has come into its own. Carthage has spread its influence up and down the surrounding coasts, maintaining trading colonies as far away as the sand-swept and barren lands of Libya. They have recently occupied and settled Sicily as well, increasing the lands under the sway of the powerful urban center of Carthage itself. Many in the streets of Carthage whisper the word Empire, envisioning their nation as the rising Babylon of the West. Why shouldn't Carthage, clearly blessed by the Gods above, seek an Empire? Why shouldn't they stand triumphant over the peoples of the world? So far, these sentiments have been contained by the level heads of those in power. You cannot trade with the slaughtered enemy dead. Yet Carthage is beginning to wake up, and it remains to be seen what the young state will do with its growing power. The Near Shores: The Old World The ancient states of Phoenicia and Egypt still stand, living proof of their ancient heritages and the refusal of their people to surrender to the passing of time. The two nations both stand at something of a low point, their once great empires somewhat diminished, but they are still the powers of the eastern ocean. The wisened people are unbothered by any idea of decline; empires come and go, Memphis and Tyre remain. The mighty and ancient nation of Egypt, straddling the banks of the mighty Nile, is a truly old state. The pyramids still stand over the sands of the great people of Egypt, and the ships used for time immemorial still ply the waves and protect the shores. The great cities of Memphis and Thebes, both rivals to Mighty Babylon, bustle and thrive with the trade of all nations from every corner of the world. Egypt is the crossroad for every major trading expedition going to Greece, Phoenicia, Carthage, or Tyrrhenia. The Egyptians maintain loose control over Cyprus, using it as a base for further trading expeditions as well as a port for their navy. The Egyptian Marines, famous for their skills as warriors, are known the world over. Still, Egypt, once the dominant power in the world, has been caught up and some say eclipsed by other, younger powers. It remains to be seen whether that decline will be reversed, or continue. In Phoenicia, the ancient people of Tyre have maintained their independence against all challengers. Preferring the pursuit of wealth to other ideals, the Phoenicians still maintain a navy of the finest ships the world has ever seen. The Phoenicians are the gatekeepers to the ocean for the Babylonian Empire and the new risen state of Persia and control access to these massive states from the other powers of the ocean. If Egypt is the crossroads of trade, Phoenicia is the toll booth. This suits the proud Phoenician people just fine. Still, many remember the days of history past where Phoenician colonies stretched across the entire ocean and the Empire's ships sailed the waves at will. Many resent these younger states, impudently arisen and challenging the authority of their elders and betters. Still, nothing buys bygones like gold and silver, and the Phoenicians have proven adept at procuring both. The Far East: The Cradle of the World The half-Mede, half Persian Cyrus, already called The Great by his people, has finally conquered the remainder of the Mede Empire. The Persian people, long subjugated by the Mede minority, have risen up and under the inspired leadership of their heroic King, they have forged themselves a place in the sun faster than any thought possible. Persia is strong, rich, and ambitious in its youth. Yet she has few friends. Persia's neighbors eye their new neighbor with suspicion. In the west, Babylon fears this new player on the world stage who could, potentially, threaten their hegemony. To the north-west, the Greek influenced states of Lydia, Caria, and Ionia view Persia with derision. To the far north, the vicious Scythians plan for invasion of the disrupted land that used to be in the hands of the Medes, and to the east leis the forbidding lands of the Indus, where travellers claim dark men ride huge beasts of war into battle that could crush an ordinary soldier like an insect. Persia is beset by foes and troubles, yet the peoples' confidence runs high. Where, they think, has Persia to go but up? |
