Yes, especially when I suddenly get 20odd more badboy point and I still don't know how it happened.Ah, got it! Bad boy, bad boy, watcha gonna do when it comes for you!?
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Reign of Suffete Himilco Barca
Reign of Suffete Himilco Barca
(299 – 295 BCE)
Himilco Barca was not a particulary gifted individual.
(299 – 295 BCE)
Himilco Barca was not a particulary gifted individual.
The reign of Suffete Himilco Barca started at a time where the ongoing war in Sicily was at an all time low. The armies of Carthage, divided and cornered by armies twice their size, were sent packing and one was even totally obliterated by the time the Suffete took office. His first action was thus to start recruitment of a new, 18.000 men strong, army in the heartlands, and sending all available armies to converge on the port of Lilibaya in westernmost Sicily.
He also decided to let the enemy take the border provinces, while Carthage’s feudatories assembled from overseas. Then, when the Carthagian strength were at its largest, he ordered the armies to march eastwards. Soon, the enemy armies were pressed back, beaten and no longer a threat. The sieges now started, and the waiting game. Slowly, the enemy lost city after city. By 296 BCE the enemy had nowhere to go. All cities were under Carthagian control. Including the vast areas taken by Siculia from Syracuse while Carthage were licking their wounds earlier in the war. The peace treaty was harsh; total annexation.
With the treaty of Siculia, most of Sicily was under Carthagian control.
While success was plentiful on the military field, at home things were worse. The Suffete struggled with handling Ahirom Borona, the old co-Suffete from before the electoral reforms. Borona was an angry and spiteful man, talking down the Suffete, the Senate, The 104 and everyone in power. In itself, this was no danger – the man was making things difficult for himself with all the accusations, making enemies of many. However, he was a powerful man in his own right, owning much land and slaves and he was a rich man – one of the richest in the country. He also was not alone in his resentment, more people sympathized with the once popular ex-co-Suffete. Something needed to be done with him, for the best of Carthage.
The murder of the Suffete shook Carthage to the core.
However, the Suffete never got the chance to do anything with this internal problem. Shortly after the victory in Sicily, he was found dead in his bedroom, his head smashed with a hammer, and a note saying “Death to the traitors” pinned to his chest. Everyone suspected Ahirom Boroma’s involvement, but nothing could be proven. Boroma himself, is said to have uttered, while smiling smugly at his nemesis’ death, that he was innocent, but could sympathize with the sentiment. While outrageous and tasteless, nothing was done with the matter and Boroma would continue to be a thorn in the side of his peers for a long time yet.
Mm, twenty mysterious AE? Somehow I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't the fault of a guy called Cato
A great victory in the end, but at a cost - as you mentioned above, all that bad boy. And then an assassin’s hammer! Reminded me a bit of Trotsky’s end. Looks like tumultuous times ahead.
That's quite a big slice of Sicily to take over in one go. Perhaps a secure launchpad for future campaigns?
Hah, well whatever it was, it was mighty irritating.
Well yes. In the end I got a lot of BB. But only 10 BB/AE in this case, very much within what I can handle. The big AE jump I cannot account for came later.
Ah well, there is this juggernaut in the northeast...
At one point I will take them on, in the mean time it's who-can-take-the-most-land-first approach.By the way, I am disappointed in the missions. So much lost potential. Lots of missions which I cannot do and no indication except long province lists etc that can be hard to read to tell me how. Like the one I just started somewhere in the future, that requires, it turns out, that a large swathe of uncolonized land to be colonized? Numidia fwiw. I expected a war or some events to steer me! Or the requirement to build a city in a province to continue a mission; when conquering the city, it got depopulated and I cannot recolonize it as I lack pops and the right culture.
On that note, what is the best way to get a province to be your culture? It's not my religion or culture, been setting governor policy to assimilate to my culture and it takes forever. Do I need to convert to my religion first?
Reign of Suffete Tabnit Barca
Reign of Suffete Tabnit Barca
(295 – 290 BCE)
Tabnit Barca were a populist at heart, although a rather gifted populist by any account.
(295 – 290 BCE)
Tabnit Barca were a populist at heart, although a rather gifted populist by any account.
During the reign of Suffete Tabnit Barca – the second of a long list of Barcas in this office going forward – the focus of Carthage was strongly on Sicily. Syracuse and her allies had suffered greatly in the recent war against Siculia and her allies, and with these foes now under Carthagian control, Syracuse were weary. And rightly so. Syracuse were weak, and while Carthage had taken a beating early on in her war in Sicily, she was now quite strong.
Not only was the Carthagian navy quite strong, dominating the seas, but the previous Suffete’s new built army consisted of elite units of heavy infantry, archers and both light and heavy cavalry, giving the army a definitive punch in combat, especially compared to the old armies consisting mainly of light infantry, archers and the odd elephant unit.
Carthage could count on many allies in their feudatories.
Syracuse were allied to Locri, Rhegium, Gelas and Thrace and the latter were so far away that the Suffete did not count them as a likely opponent other than on paper. On their side, Carthage had several feudatories of smaller and middle size. There were few doubts where this were going. The war was mostly one sided and after the initial battles it was a question of sieging to victory. Two years went by, and at that point all of Sicily and the areas on the Magna Graecian mainland were under Carthagian control. Thracian forces were never seen. The war was, in short, over.
The whole of Sicily was now under Carthagian control.
Following the victory Sicily went into a golden age. The city of Beerot, the pride of Magna Graecia, was spared from looting and became a wealthy and important city in the Carthagian Empire. Punic migrants flooded the city, the Punic religion grew, and more and more inhabitants became naturalized inhabitants. Carthagian settlers and traders imported new farming methods, increasing the output of wine and grain manyfold. After many years of war, peace and prosperity now reigned the island.
Syracuse were quickly becoming Punic.
Back in the African heartland of Carthage, the Suffete started integration of the biggest feudatory of the Empire; Emporia. This was the first step in what would be a long running centralization movement for Carthage. One by one, the feudatories would be incorporated into Carthage proper. And Emporia was the first.
Suffete Tabnit Barca also ordered the contruction of the Academy of Carthago – which would later be renowned for its scholars. Starting small, and by the end of his term not yet finished, philosophers and scholars would soon flood the Academy, giving it a reputation that in time would rival even Plato’s. The finishing of the Academy’s first humble beginnings however would be done under Tabnit’s successor as Suffete and close relative, Metallo Barca.
That was a lot easier than the first Sicilian war. Is integrating the feudatories something that has to be done by war, or is there a peaceful way of doing it that does not involve more BB (AE) being accumulated?
Feudatories can be integrated peacefully. Not sure if I get BB from it, I do not think so. Tributaries cannot be integrated peacefully (at least not tribal tributaries). I have one of those, which have a mission for taking them down by war. I need them to be of almost max relations (+190/200) and some time IIRC as feudatories. Then the time to integrate depends on their size. Most tributaries are of slightly lower relations, so an embassy needs to be established first for some time.
Thanks. And I see you just had a Populist Suffete as well - not too big a problem? Not as bad as having one in the old EU Rome VV?
No not really. 33% less political influence, which I tend to be swimming in anyways.Thanks. And I see you just had a Populist Suffete as well - not too big a problem? Not as bad as having one in the old EU Rome VV?
It looks like those missions are almost a straight copy from EU4, even the arrows are in the exact same style. Interesting so far, especially the assassination, who doesn't like a political murder at 300 BCE here and there ?
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Quite possible, I stopped playing that train wreck before missions were a thing I think.It looks like those missions are almost a straight copy from EU4, even the arrows are in the exact same style. Interesting so far, especially the assassination, who doesn't like a political murder at 300 BCE here and there
And yes, murders are so in style. True. I even did a mission that should give me -50% cost. I'm quite sure I did it. But I see no -50% modifier, unfortunately, only the -25% I got from a military tradition. So I haven't actually used mercs at all so far. And I've played on another 60 odd years.
Reign of Suffete Metallo Barca
Reign of Suffete Metallo Barca
(290 – 285 BCE)
The new Suffete was a very religious man.
(290 – 285 BCE)
The new Suffete was a very religious man.
Suffete Metallo Barca was a contentious candidate for Suffete. A previous outspoken critic of the government, the Senate was quite cool to his candidature and few had many good words to say about him. But Metallo Barca were a popular man among the electorate, and just popular enough to get voted into office.
His first true test came quite early in his tenure as Suffete. Having united Sicily under the Carthagian banner, the Senate were divided on how to proceed. Some vocal voices wanted to unite the whole island under one, big feudatory subject to Carthage. But Metallo would have none of it. He argued that such a feudatory would be too powerful and prone to rebellion the moment Carthage was showing any sign of weakness.
With Sicily united under Carthage, a decision had to be made.
He instead argued for annexing the two small feudatories Carthage had on the island, uniting the whole island under direct Carthagian rule. In the end, his side won, and the Senate voted for direct rule. While the Suffete’s arguments were sound and direct control probably was wiser in the long run, the rebellions he warned against would prove to come anyways, and not too far in the future either.
With the Sicilian question settled, Metallo turned his focus to Africa proper. The Berbers in the interior Africa were a constant headache for Carthage, with even the tributary Musulamia making the occasional problem for the Empire. In 289 BCE, the Suffete and the Senate sent a declaration of war against Massylia, the neighbouring Berber country. Massylia were in no position to rebuff the Punic armies and two years later, in 287 BCE, they had to give up and sign their entire country over to Carthagian control.
The victory over Massylia was total.
With Massylia subjugated, the question of Musulamia came into the light. Nominally a tributary under Carthage and having been a boon in the recent war against Massylia, the Suffete and the Senate wanted the country under direct control. The Musulamian elite did not want to integrate however, and with the Senate’s support the Suffete revoked their tributary status and invaded quickly after the war against Massylia. Less than a year later, in 286 BCE, Musulamia was no more.
Good consolidation of both Sicily and the African hinterland. Need to have those all nailed down and more integrated/ pacified by the time war with the barbarian Romans comes. Plans in the foreseeable future for more colonisation of Hispania? Or still a way off?
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