I am Zosimus. When our young King died in battle all grieved. He left no son to succeed him, only a daughter. It was up to me to take care of the kingdom. My father was Oezalces who led the armies of Egypt on behalf of his brother the great Ptolemy (III) for many years. I did not expect to rule, but it was the will of the Gods. I had been the nomarch of Bithynia and Paphlagonia for many years, but when I heard the news I traveled to Alexandria and became the new Pharaoh as was my duty, the Gods be praised!
War still raged with Macedonia. I ordered Oxyntas to ship over his army from Lydia to Macedonia proper. As I am not a warrior, I ordered Horemakhet son to Leonidas, one of many loyal courtiers, to take command of the Royal Army. Zopyrus led the Macedonian army north, in a vain attempt to prevent Pella from falling. Oxyntas defeated his army, and it was only thanks to his large number of cavalry that some parts of the Macedonian army managed to escape.
Argolis was retaken by the Royal army, and Pella fell. The Romans came and offered an alliance. But as those barbarians oppress the Greeks of Magna Graecia, and I, the Greatest of all Kings, who is beloved by the Gods, can't allow that. So I declined their offer. The war raged and Zopyrus again tried to defeat my army in Macedonia, and the result was the same as before.
Thessaly was soon taken by my troops but king Phocas still refused peace. But as he was all but crushed, I ordered Oxyntas to march against the barbaric realm of Tylis. Eventually Phocas agreed to my demands, lest he lose more, and shortly thereafter Iamphorynna fell to my troops and the ruler of Tylis agreed to sign a peace as well, giving the province of Maedi to me.
Then came the matter of Crete, my predecessors had not acted, but I did. War was declared, and Crete would no longer be a haven for pirates! The King of Pontus called in his allies, the Seleucid King and the King of the Bosporos. I asked the King of Osroene to send men to the war and he agreed. While I sent men to Crete, the generals Oxyntas, both brothers, met the foes on each front. In Syria the Seleucid army was defeated near Damascus and near Palmyra. In the north the Seleucids marched into Pamphylia and Cilicia while my army met and defeated the army of Pontus in Paphlagonia and Pontus and Bosporan Kingdom near the Pontic capital of Amasya which was put under siege.
I called the Galatians to arms, but they refused, but I would deal with them later. Crete was taken and after a few months, the Pontic King rather then see his capital fall to my men agreed to give up his rule there. But the Seleucids and the Bosporans were still in the war. My army led and the army of Osroene led by Artabazus met the united army of the Bosporans and Seleucids in Cappadocia. The Gods was on my side, and the Seleucids and Bosporans fled.
I could then deal with the potential risk posed by having two armies led by two brothers not of the Royal family. Oxyntas in Syria was replaced as commander by Manetho, while the other Oxyntas was allowed to continue to lead the Asian Army for the time being. The war soon ended, and the newly crowned Seleucid King Athineos signed peace, acknowledging my rule in Pisidia.
A quick war was conducted against Galatia. They lasted not even a month. After that, peace. I thanked the Gods. A civil war erupted in Osroene, but this time the rebels were swiftly crushed. I looked to the west. The Romans fought foolish wars in the wild north over lands of little value. However they also did expand into Illyria, which was slightly worrying. And Carthage was fighting in Iberia and had taken almost the entire eastern coast. Time was coming to liberate the Greek cities in southern Italy, free them from the barbarian yoke. But the king of Pontus was causing trouble. And I pondered wether I would have to do something about them first.