Feeding My History Bug

MY latest great find in a charity shop is David Anthony's The Horse, The Wheel, And Language - How Bronze-Age Riders From The Eurasian Steppes Shaped The Modern World.

In it he investigates how roughly half of the Earth came to speak Indo-European (formerly called Aryan) languages.

Or, rather, he investigates the origins of the speakers of Proto-Indo-European, ie the language that eventually gave birth to German, Latin, Hindi, etc.

If that sounds somewhat dense or highbrow, you are not wrong 

There is no doubt, in my view, that Anthony, an anthropology professor, was writing for an academic audience, as the following sentence, literally taken at random, suggests.

During Tripolye B2, around 4000-3700 BCE, there was a significant migration out of the Prut-Seret forest-steppe uplands, the most densely settled part of the Tripolye B1 landscape, eastward into the South Bug and Dneiper Valleys.

There are many sentences that are more jargon-filled, and could seem even more opaque, but the book, published by Princeton University Press in 2007, won a 2010 award from the Society for American Archaeology.

And you really do not need to be an archaeologist - I certainly am not - to get a lot of enjoyment from it, and to learn a lot, even if you already know a fair bit more about ancient history than the average person in the street.

How many of the following points about chariots, all taken from a singe section of the book, do you know?

1. War chariots were probably developed and first used in the southern Urals, rather, than, Mesopotamia, Egypt or China.

2. Javelins thrown by charioteers had a significantly greater range than javelins thrown from horseback.

3. Chariot drivers often steered with the reins looped round their hips, to leave hands free for using bows.

4. Some war chariots had single-man crews.

5. Chariots were "incredibly difficult to build, a marvel of carpentry and bent-wood joinery," requiring "a specially trained team of fast, strong horses," and for men to learn to successfully use them took "a lot of time and resources, as well as courage and balance."

The book has given me much to think about, especially in connection with my biblical wargaming rules.

A label on the back shows it cost £15.95, when sold by Blackwell. I found it in a charity shop (I cannot recall where, but it might have been Oxfam in East London's Bethnal Green Road), marked down from a secondhand price of £10 to £5 - what a bargain!

Inevitably in a book this big (500+ pages) and complex, I found something to disagree with, or, perhaps, something I am unable to get my head around.

In this case it concerns the claim that language generally follows a rule known as elite dominance, which argues that people tend, over time, to adopt the language spoken by their rulers, even if the latter are in a small minority.

But examples of the opposite happening spring readily to mind, eg the Franks, a Germanic tribe, after whom Gaul was renamed France, ended up speaking French, the Romance language of the majority of its inhabitants.

Similarly, the Normans had elite dominance in England for centuries, but they gradually abandoned their French tongue for English, the Germanic language of the majority of the land's inhabitants.

Ah well, perhaps I am not meant to understand everything, but at least the book has supplied me with plenty of food for thought.

Dead Good

NIR Arielli's The Dead Sea - A 10,000-Year History taught me a lot of things I did not know about the famous salty water mass.

Some things I did know: it is below 'sea level', ie below the average level of the word's oceans, and it features prominently, or at least peoples whose lands bordered the Dead Sea feature prominently, in the Bible.

I would like to have been told more about the area's ancient history, and prehistory, certainly at the expense of the rather detailed accounts of modern projects in the area, many of which never get off the ground.

Nevertheless I found the book, which is about somewhere I have been to, albeit fleetingly, a good read

Interesting Discovery

A RECENT visit to Bad Neuenahr in Rhineland-Palatinate gave me the chance to do some walking-come-exploring, which led a modest but pleasing find.

I followed a mostly flat trail of 9.9 kilometres (6.2 miles), but that ended with a steepish ascent of 182 metres (597 feet) up a hill that used to be topped by a Roman watchtower

The surviving ruins at the summit are from a 13th-century castle, built to aid the Hohenstaufen cause in a conflict between rival kings of Germany

Impressive  views from the castle walls can be enjoyed of the surrounding countryside, which in medieval times included an important military road connecting Aachen (aka Aix-la-Chapelle) in the West to Frankfurt on the River Main 

How the castle may have looked

The castle seems to have had a fairly uneventful existence, before being abandoned and allowed to decay, but a nearby chapel, also from the 1200s, is in much better shape

Unfortunately I could not go in as I did not have a 50-cent coin for the door, and it would not accept my one-euro coin!

Slingshot Issue 365

THE Jul/Aug edition of Slingshot, the journal of the Society of Ancients, arrived last month, and turned out to make especially interesting reading, at least for me.

Striking cover ... great contents

Sometimes one article stands out from the rest - not that the rest are ever bad -  as being exceptionally good.

But this time that could be said of nearly every article, including Michael Fredholm von Essen's look at the mysterious Heruls, Jim Webber's discussion of Achaemenid logistics, and reports on refights of Cunaxa from the society's battleday.

A thoroughly entertaining read - even the book reviews seemed above average.

Summing Up Our 10th Game Of Empire

CARTHAGE'S victory at the 10th attempt means all four peoples have now won one of our four-handed games of Richard Sabin's Empire.

It was a very convincing triumph, but the final position, with Carthage on 24 victory points and Rome on 10, tells the story - the Romans never got fully going, even during the two decades in which they had Scipio as a great commander.

Meanwhile, in the East, the Macedonians and Persians/Parthians battled gamely, but neither succeeded in decisively gaining the upper hand, despite the latter re-emerging quickly after their homeland was lost in the initial Macedonian expansion.

Here are the updated standings (four points for a win, three for coming second, etc).

ANDY
Game One: 4pts (Macedonians)
Game Two: 3.5pts (Persians/Parthians)
Game Three: 3pts (Romans)
Game Four: 2.5pts (Carthaginians)

Game Five: 2pts (Romans)

Game Six: 4pts (Persians)

Game Seven: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Eight: 3pts (Carthaginians)

Game Nine: 1pt (Persians/Parthians)

Game 10: 4pts (Carthaginians
Total: 28pts

ME

Game One: 3pts (Carthaginians)
Game Two: 3.5pts (Romans)
Game Three: 4pts (Persians)
Game Four: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Five: 4pts (Persians/Parthians)

Game Six: 2pts (Carthaginians)

Game Seven: 3pts (Romans)

Game Eight: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Nine: 3pts (Romans)

Game 10: 3pts (Macedonians)
Total: 27.5pts

RICHARD JOHNSON
Game One: 2pts (Romans)
Game Two: 1pt (Macedonians)
Game Three: 2pts (Carthaginians)
Game Four: 2.5pts (Persians/Parthians)

Game Five: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Six: 3pts (Romans)

Game Seven: 2pts (Carthaginians)

Game Eight: 4pts (Persians/Parthians)

Game Nine: 4pts (Macedonians)

Game 10: (Persians/Parthians)
Total: 23.5pts

REG

Game One: 1pt (Persians/Parthians)
Game Two: 2pts (Carthaginians)
Game Three: 1pt (Macedonians)
Game Four: 4pts (Romans)

Game Five: 3pts (Carthaginians)

Game Six: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Seven: 4pts (Persians)

Game Eight: 2pts (Romans)

Game Nine: 2pts (Carthaginians)

Game 10: 1pt (Romans)
Total: 21pts

SCORES BY PEOPLES
Persians/Parthians: 30pts

Romans: 26.5pts
Carthaginians: 25.5pts
Macedonians: 18pts

The main takeaways:

*Andy has retaken the lead from me in our ding-dong fight for top spot.

*Although this was the first Carthaginian victory, they are overall comfortably ahead of the Macedonians, who have triumphed twice.

*With Rome coming last in our 10th game, the Carthaginians are now the only people never to have come worst than third.

Empire X - Turn 20 (160-150 BC)

Situation in 160 BC

The final victory points will be added at the end of this turn.

As it stands, Andy's Carthaginians have four provinces, including double-scoring IBERIA and 'AFRICA', so that is six points, bringing their total to 24.

Reg's Romans also have four provinces, including triple-scoring ITALIA, so that is also six points, bringing their total to 10.

My Macedonians have eight provinces, including double-scoring AEGYPTUS, so that is nine points, bringing their total to 18.

Richard's Parthians have three provinces, all scoring just a single point, so their total becomes 17.

First, the revolt dice land 5-3, meaning Magna Graecia becomes independent, reducing the Romans to nine victory points.

I am drawn first, and I easily conquer Pontus, taking the Macedonian total to 19 victory points.

Reg's Romans reconquer Magna Graecia, so returning to 10 victory points.

Andy's Carthaginians attack Cisalpina, rolling a 4. That is insufficient as there are -1 modifiers for attacking outside of the original Carthaginian empire and for attacking a controlled province.

Finally, Richard's Parthians unsuccessfully attack Bactria.

The final picture, showing a runaway victory, in game terms, for Carthage

Empire X - Turn 19 (170-160 BC)

Situation in 170 BC

The revolt dice land 6-5, meaning Thracia expels my Macedonians.

Andy is drawn first, and he continues the Carthaginian revival by crossing the Alps and taking Cisalpina.

I go for the easy option, and retake Thracia.

Richard's Parthians reconquer Persia, and Reg's Romans retake Cisalpina.

Carthage could end up with more provinces than either Rome or the Parthians

Empire X - Turn 18 (180-170 BC)

Situation in 180 BC

The revolt dice land 6-2, so the Gauls of Gallia add to Rome's woes by regaining their independence.

Andy's Carthaginians are drawn first, and he takes the opportunity to march into Gallia by rolling a 6.

Richard's Parthians attack Macedonian-controlled Persia, but narrowly fail to retake their lost province.

I similarly narrowly fail in an attempt to take the Persian/Parthian homeland.

Finally, Reg's Romans, despite enjoying two +1 modifiers, cannot recapture Gallia.

Carthage must be strongly favoured to win for the first time in our four-handed games of Empire

Empire X - Turn 17 (190-180 BC)

Situation in 190 BC

The revolt dice again land 2-5, but the province of Persia is already independent.

Andy is drawn first, regaining double-scoring IBERIA for his Carthaginians with a 4 (modifiers for attacking a controlled province and for Hannibal's legacy cancel each other out).

Richard's Parthians again fail to retake Persia.

Reg's Romans, who receive two +1 modifiers for the rest of the game (one for Scipio's legacy, and one for their normal boost on turns 11-20 when without a great captain), nevertheless fail to reconquer IBERIA.

Finally, my Macedonians occupy independent Persia.

Rome is struggling to assert its expected dominance

Empire X - Turn 16 (200-190 BC)

Situation in 200 BC

The revolt dice land 2-5, meaning Persia throws off Parthian rule!

Reg's Romans, with Scipio at the helm, take IBERIA easily, but require three campaigns to subdue Numidia. With their fifth campaign, they conquer Sicilia.

Richard fails to recapture Persia, but Andy's Carthaginians throw the Romans out of Numidia.

Finally, I take Mesopotamia from the Parthians.

The Persian/Parthian revival has stalled

Empire X - Turn 15 (210-200 BC)

This is the first of two turns in which the Romans enjoy the services of Scipio as a great captain 

The revolt dice land 5-4, meaning Magna Graecia successfully rebels against Carthaginian rule.

Reg's Romans have to start by reconsolidating control of ITALIA, which, with a great captain, requires 3+, which Reg duly rolls. They then take Magna Graecia, before switching north, conquering Cisalpina and Gallia, but the latter takes two campaigns.

Richard's Parthians end the independence of Armenia.

Andy's Carthaginians receive a +1 modifier for the next five turns as part of Hannibals' legacy, but it fails to help them retake Gallia.

Finally, my Macedonians reconquer Thracia.

Rome is on the rise

Empire X - Turn 14 (220-210 BC)

This is the turn in which Carthage is led by the great captain Hannibal

The revolt dice land 1-1, meaning AEGYPTUS again becomes independent.

Hannibal and the Carthaginians start by conquering Gallia and Cisalpina, then switch south to take Magna Graecia.

An attack on ITALIA also succeeds, meaning the Romans will need to reconsolidate their control of the province. But since ITALIA cannot be attacked when it contains only a single Roman counter, Andy's sole option for his fifth and final campaign of the turn is to attack Graecia, but the naval crossing fails (he rolls a 2, and there are never modifiers for naval crossings).

Reg is next, but he fails to roll the 5+ necessary to reconsolidate Roman control of ITALIA.

My Macedonians retake AEGYPTUS with a 6, but Richard's Parthians also roll a 6 when attacking Mesopotamia.

A dramatic decade in the West

Empire X - Turn 13 (230-220 BC)

Situation in 230 BC

The revolt dice land 6-5, meaning Thracia throws off Macedonian rule.

Reg's Romans are drawn first, and they conquer Gallia, thanks to the Roman +1 modifier in turns 11-20 when without a great captain.

My Macedonians fail to recapture Thracia, but Richard's Parthians also fail in an attack on Mesopotamia.

Finally, Andy's Carthaginians regain double-scoring IBERIA.

In quick succession the Romans have conquered the whole of the Italian mainland and expanded outside of Italy's borders

Empire X - Turn 12 (240-230 BC)

Situation in 240 BC

The revolt dice land 3-1, so AEGYPTUS expels my Macedonians.

I am drawn first, and I immediately reconquer the province after rolling a 5.

Reg's Romans take Cisaplina with a 6.

Andy's Carthaginians again fail to reconquer IBERIA, and Richard's Parthians narrowly fail to take Mesopotamia.

For the first time, the whole of the Italian mainland is under Roman control

Empire X - Turn 11 (250-240 BC)

Situation in 250 BC

Reg's Romans receive a +1 modifier for the rest of the game in every turn in which they do not have a great captain.

But first the revolt dice land 2-3, meaning IBERIA has again thrown off Carthaginian rule.

Richard's Parthians are drawn first, but he rolls a 4 in trying to conquer Mesopotamia, which is not enough as there is a -1 modifier for attacking a controlled province.

My Macedonians similarly fail in a counterattack against Persia, and Andy's Carthaginians unsuccessfully try to retake IBERIA.

Finally, Reg's Romans also fail when they launch an attack against Sicilia.

A relatively quiet decade

Empire X - Halfway Standings

IT is interesting to compare this game's victory points at the halfway stage with what happened in our nine previous four-handed games.

                                  Carthaginians...Persians/Parthians...Macedonians...Romans....Total

Current Game                      18                       14                            9                  4              44

Game Nine                          18                        12                          14*                4               48

Game Eight                          17                        15*                         10                 5              47

Game Seven                        17                        16*                           8                 7              48

Game Six                             18                        15*                         10                 5              48

Game Five                            18                        15*                         8                  4              45

Game Four                            17                        13                         11                 5*             46

Game Three                          14                        16*                         6                  5              41
Game Two                             17                        17*                         9                  7*             50
Game One                             17                        12                        11*                 5              45

*Eventual winner(s)

Andy's Carthaginians have matched their previous halfway high, but Carthage has never won one of our games.

Richard's Persians/Parthians have 14 victory points, one less than their minimum halfway score when winning, or sharing a win, in previous games.

The Macedonians' nine victory points is two below their halfway score when they won in game one, and five below their halfway score in their other win, in game nine.

Rome's four is also below their halfway score when they recorded their two wins (one shared).

So, no one is going to win game nine ... or, rather, since someone must win, something will have to give before this game is over.

Empire X - Turn 10 (260-250 BC)

Halfway victory points will be added to the starting totals at the end of this turn

The revolt dice land 5-5, meaning Syria overthrows Macedonian rule.

Andy's Carthaginians roll a 5 while invading Gallia, but there is a -1 modifier for attacking outside of the original Carthaginian empire, and another -1 modifier for Gallia being in tribal ferment during the first 10 turns, so the attack fails.

My Macedonians retake Syria, but Richard's Parhians fail in an attack on Mesopotamia.

Finally, Reg's Romans again attack Cisalpina, and a throw of 5 means they succeed, despite the Gauls of Cisalpina being, like their neighbours in Gallia, in tribal ferment.

Victory points are now added.

Andy's Carthaginians have six for controlling four provinces, two of which (IBERIA and 'AFRICA') score double points. That takes the Carthaginian score to 18.

Reg's Romans have four victory points, thanks to controlling Magna Graecia and triple-scoring ITALIA.

My Macedonians control eight provinces, including double-scoring AEGYPTUS, and so move on to nine victory points.

Richard's Persians/Parthians have two provinces, taking their total to 14.

No people is completely dominant

Empire X - Turn Nine (270-260 BC)

Situation in 270 BC

The revolt dice land 2-5, meaning Persia throws off Macedonian rule.

Richard's Parthians are drawn first, and he wastes no time in taking advantage of the power vacuum in Persia.

I counterattack, but fail, and Andy's Carthaginians similarly fail to recover Magna Graecia.

Finally, Reg's Romans head north in an attack on Cisalpina, but fail.

The Punic Wars are well underway, even if they are not Rome's sole concern

Empire X - Turn Eight (280-270 BC)

Situation in 280 BC

The revolt dice land 2-1, meaning Armenia follows neighbouring Pontus's example in throwing off Persian/Parthian rule.

Andy is drawn first, but his Carthaginians fail to conquer Gallia, and there is more bad news for Andy when Reg's Romans expel the Carthaginians from Magna Graecia.

This is the last turn in which my Macedonians receive a +1 modifier as part of Alexander's legacy, but that is not enough when I try to capture, for the second time, Parthia.

Finally, Richard also fails, in a counterattack against Macedonian-controlled Persia.

Rome has a long way to go to achieve greatness

Empire X - Turn Seven (290-280 BC)

Situation in 290 BC

The revolt dice land 3-6, which for the third time pinpoints Pontus, making the region's determination to escape dominance by either neighbouring great power all too plain.

Reg's Romans at last take Magna Graecia, meaning Rome and Carthage now have a common border.

Andy's Carthaginians are next, and he invades Magna Graecia. There is a -1 modifier for attacking outside of the original Carthaginian modifier, and a further -1 for attacking a controlled province, which means Andy needs to roll a 6, and that is what he does.

Richard's Parthians narrowly fail to take Mesopotamia, but my counterattack conquers Persia.

Carthage's rise has been sudden

Empire X - Turn Six (300-290 BC)

Situation in 300 BC

The revolt dice land 3-5, but that pinpoints independent Pontus.

Reg's Romans again fail to conquer Magna Graecia, and the Parthian revival falters when Richard launches an unsuccessful campaign against Mesopotamia.

I narrowly take AEGYPTUS, rolling a 4, which is enough, despite a -1 modifier for attacking a controlled province, as my Macedonians still enjoy a +1 modifier as part of Alexander the Great's legacy.

Finally, Andy's Carthaginians retake IBERIA.

For the first time the Carthaginians are looking quite powerful

Empire X - Turn Five (310-300 BC)

Situation in 310 BC

The revolt dice land 6-1, which has no effect as 6-1 pinpoints independent Gallia.

Richard's Parthians are drawn first, and he succeeds in taking Persia from my Macedonians.

Reg's Romans fail in an attack on Magna Graecia, and Andy's Carthaginians likewise fail to retake IBERIA.

Finally, I attack AEGYPTUS, but narrowly fail with a roll of 3 - my +1 modifier for having recently had a great captain was cancelled out by a -1 modifier for attacking a controlled province.

The Parthian comeback gathers pace

Empire X - Turn Four (320-310 BC)

Situation in 320 BC

The revolt dice land 3-5, meaning Pontus seizes its chance, now Persian rule has been drastically weakened, to become independent.

Andy's Carthaginians are drawn first, and, at the third attempt, he takes Sicilia, rolling a 5 for the naval crossing, and a resounding 6 for the land campaign (and sheepishly admitting afterwards that he had momentarily forgotten he lost IBERIA last turn - if he had remembered, he would have campaigned there!).

Richard is drawn next and he rolls a 6, thus freeing his homeland of Parthia, and so returning to the game as the Parthians.

Next it is my go, and I immediately attack Parthia, but fail, despite a +1 modifier for no longer having a great captain, but having had one no more than five turns ago (I roll a 1).

Finally, Reg consolidates Roman control of ITALIA, which is shown by adding a second Roman counter to the province, and is ready to start expanding next turn.

The Parthian revival bodes ill for my Macedonians

Empire X - Turn Three (330-320 BC)

Situation in 330 BC

The revolt dice land 2-3, meaning double-scoring IBERIA expels the Carthaginians.

This is the second, and last, turn in which my Macedonians have Alexander the Great, and I begin by attacking Persia, but it takes two campaigns to conquer the province after I first roll a 1.

However, I partially make up for this by taking the Persian homeland Parthia at the first attempt. But then it takes my final two campaigns with Alexander to capture Bactria.

Andy's Carthaginians retake rebellious IBERIA.

Richard narrowly fails to free his homeland (he rolls a 5 instead of the required 6).

Finally, Reg again fails to consolidate Roman control of ITALIA.

Macedonian expansion did not go without a hitch, but overall I am reasonably satisfied - the key surely being to conquer the Persian homeland

Empire X - Turn Two (340-330 BC)

Situation in 340 BC

The revolt dice land 6-3, meaning Mesopotamia throws off Persian rule.

This is the first of two turns in which my Macedonians are led by Alexander the Great, who can launch five campaigns, instead of the usual one, receives a +2 modifier, and ignores the usual -1 modifier for attacking a controlled province (unless it is a homeland).

I start by taking independent Thracia, then pick up 'Asia' and Syria, before cutting inland and taking Mesopotamia and Persia.

The latter is not the Persian homeland, but I am now well-placed to attack their real homeland - Parthia - next turn.

However, Richard hits back. He is drawn first of the remaining three peoples (great captains always start a turn), and immediately attacks Persia, regaining it despite a -1 modifier for attacking a controlled province (Richard rolls a 5).

Andy's Carthaginians again set sail for Sicilia. This time the naval crossing is not a problem, but the campaign proper fails when Andy rolls a 1.

Finally, Reg fails to consolidate Roman control of ITALIA - he needed to roll a 1 (one less than the turn number), but got a 5.

We have remembered to place the starting victory points on the tracker at the bottom of the map - they will be added to after turns 10 and 20

Empire X - Turn One (350-340 BC)

Map at the start

The revolt dice land 4-6, but that pinpoints Sicilia, which is already independent.

Andy's Carthaginians are drawn first, and he attacks Sicilia, but the naval crossing apparently runs into a storm, as the ships never reach the island (Andy rolled a 2, and you need 3+ to successfully make a naval crossing).

Reg's Romans are next, but there is nothing he can do this turn as the Romans' first task is to consolidate their control of ITALIA, and to do that they need to roll lower than the turn number,

Richard's Persians conquer double-point scoring AEGYPTUS with a 5 (4+ is needed, and there are no modifiers in this case).

My Macedonians attack Graecia, and also succeed with a 5.

Only Andy's Carthaginians can be unhappy at their start

Empire X

ONE thing I think we can all agree on is that games do not have to be complicated to be enjoyable, which is just as well when it comes to Richard Sabin's Empire.

It covers 200 years of ancient history around the Mediterranean in an era famous for what became known as the Macedonian and Punic Wars.

Four of us - myself, my regular miniatures opponent ('Reg') and two of our friends, who are mainly boardgamers, security consultant Richard Johnson and Andy, a serving officer in Britain's armed services - are about to play our 10th session of Empire
Here are the standings (four points for a win, three for coming second, etc) after the previous nine games.

ME

Game One: 3pts (Carthaginians)
Game Two: 3.5pts (Romans)
Game Three: 4pts (Persians)
Game Four: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Five: 4pts (Persians/Parthians)

Game Six: 2pts (Carthaginians)

Game Seven: 3pts (Romans)

Game Eight: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Nine: 3pts (Romans)
Total: 24.5pts

ANDY
Game One: 4pts (Macedonians)
Game Two: 3.5pts (Persians/Parthians)
Game Three: 3pts (Romans)
Game Four: 2.5pts (Carthaginians)

Game Five: 2pts (Romans)

Game Six: 4pts (Persians)

Game Seven: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Eight: 3pts (Carthaginians)

Game Nine: 1pt (Persians/Parthians)
Total: 24pts

RICHARD JOHNSON
Game One: 2pts (Romans)
Game Two: 1pt (Macedonians)
Game Three: 2pts (Carthaginians)
Game Four: 2.5pts (Persians/Parthians)

Game Five: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Six: 3pts (Romans)

Game Seven: 2pts (Carthaginians)

Game Eight: 4pts (Persians/Parthians)

Game Nine: 4pts (Macedonians)
Total: 21.5pts

REG

Game One: 1pt (Persians/Parthians)
Game Two: 2pts (Carthaginians)
Game Three: 1pt (Macedonians)
Game Four: 4pts (Romans)

Game Five: 3pts (Carthaginians)

Game Six: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Seven: 4pts (Persians)

Game Eight: 2pts (Romans)

Game Nine: 2pts (Carthaginians)
Total: 20pts

SCORES BY PEOPLES
Persians/Parthians: 28pts

Romans: 25.5pts
Carthaginians: 21.5pts
Macedonians: 15pts

Since there are four peoples, we take it in turn to command each people through a cycle of four games.

This is the second game of the third cycle, and we will draw for peoples as usual, but with the proviso that no one can have the same people as in the last game.

The draw has resulted in me getting the Macedonians (might as well get them out of the way relatively early in the cycle!), Andy the Carthaginians, Reg the Romans, and Richard the Persians, who, depending on how history unfolds, may become Parthians later.

The starting position - as usual I will write up the game as we go along