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Count dracula wrote:Perhaps, for a blood donation? :)

You want pelican blood? Weird

Hey guys! I am just wondering, how much does it take for my citizenshit to be accepted/declined.

Lukatonia

Post self-deleted by Necrozia.

Necrozia wrote:Hey guys! I am just wondering, how much does it take for my citizenshit to be accepted/declined.

It takes the time it takes time for officials to notice it.

Necrozia wrote:Hey guys! I am just wondering, how much does it take for my citizenshit to be accepted/declined.

Sorry about that! We're on it.

Anabelle i wrote:Sorry about that! We're on it.

Just posted one too

Lukatonia

Hello, Osiris!

Lukatonia wrote:Question of The Day

Do you like spicy food? Why or why not? What is the spiciest thing you have ever eaten?

I did not used to, but now I have Tikka Masala once a week.

Lukatonia

Question of the day!!

Do you wish there were more or less holidays? Why?

Lukatonia wrote:Question of the day!!

Do you wish there were more or less holidays? Why?

More! More free time!

Vivamuland, Lukatonia, and New pi-ramesses

Lukatonia wrote:Question of the day!!

Do you wish there were more or less holidays? Why?

I guess, to me, it depends on whether we have something worth celebrating that deserves a holiday, or not.

Lukatonia

Santa luisa

Lukatonia wrote:Question of the day!!

Do you wish there were more or less holidays? Why?

I hate holidays. They disrupt my daily routine and it's hard to get back on track afterwards.

Lukatonia

Lukatonia wrote:Question of the day!!

Do you wish there were more or less holidays? Why?

Depends. If you're talking food holidays, then we need LESS. GET RID OF THEM ALL. THEY'RE STUPID AND POINTLESS.

If you're talking Christmas, then h*ll yes, we need more.

Lukatonia wrote:Question of the day!!

Do you wish there were more or less holidays? Why?

I feel like we need less. However, it depends on the holiday, reasoning, and symbolism behind it.

Luna State and Lukatonia

Lukatonia wrote:Question of the day!!

Do you wish there were more or less holidays? Why?

Less, cause if you work minimum those are forced worked days without the holiday pay.

Lukatonia

Lukatonia wrote:Question of the day!!

Do you wish there were more or less holidays? Why?

I don't care I'm gonna do what I want no matter what.

Lukatonia

Lukatonia wrote:Question of the day!!

Do you wish there were more or less holidays? Why?

In theory every single day has a holiday. Now, whether or not they're actually recognized by any form of government is a different story. As such you can't add more holidays, but rather recognize them on a federal/international level and get the day off, or remove the time off from others. And in that scenario, it's fine the way it is

Luna State, Lukatonia, and Russia 2029

Nationstates addiction help

The East Pacific

Addiction is a serious matter. If you feel you play this game more than you should, please read the below:

Addiction Help Center

by Nationstates addiction help

NationStates is a fun game, but it can become very addicting. Addiction is no game. Sadly, over 80% of people who try to quit there NationStates addiction fail to do so. To see if you could be addicted to NationStates like I was, answer these four questions:

Do you log in NationStates numerous times a day?

Do you play this game very late at night?

Do you ever play during school or work hours?

Do you play over 1 hour a day?

If you have answered "yes" to 2 or more of these questions, you should read below.

What to do:
1. Try not to leave a goodbye note. If you do, leave a very simple "I'm leaving" in the RMB chat. The shorter the better. If you do not leave a goodbye message(which I highly recommend), you will not feel the urge to coe back to read other peoples comments about it.

2. Make sure no big event in NationStates is happening at the moment so you don't have the urge to come back to that.

3. It's now time to move on. After quitting NationStates, you will realize you will have a lot of empty time on your hands. Fill this time with something entertaining that will not remind you of NationStates, such as sports or reading books.

What NOT to do:

1. DO NOT ever leave a long goodbye message. This only makes you have a higher chance of coming back to this browser game.

2. DO NOT spend the time you have leftover from NationStates playing browser games. This will only remind you of this game.

3. After the moderators have deleted your nations, NEVER RETURN TO THIS GAME AGAIN!

Always remember: "Say N.A.H. to Addiction!

Note to moderators: Although this message may be anti-NationStates, what is more important, people's lives who are trapped here or losing a few users from this browser game. Thank you.

-Former Nation

Read factbook


Please share this to any nation you think needs help.

I've decided to relocate my other nation, Rome egypt and ariana to Osiris. Please meet my alter ego - Her Divine Majesty Julia Cleopatra Rhodogyne Caesar, Empress of Rome and Egypt, Queen of Kings of the Parthians and all Aryans, Great Queen of the Macedonians and all Hellens, Queen of Babylon and Assyria, Lady of Asia, She of the Sedge and Bee, Lady of the Two Lands, Qor and Candace of Kush, Daughter of Jupiter/Zeus/Ammon-Re :D

The Empress

by Rome egypt and ariana

The Divine Empire of Rome, Egypt and Ariana is currently ruled by Empress Julia Cleopatra Rhodogyne Caesar, formally styled as "Her Divine Majesty the Empress of Rome and Egypt; Queen of Kings of the Parthians and all Aryans; Great Queen of the Macedonians and all Hellens; Queen of Babylon and Assyria; Lady of Asia, Arabia and India; She of the Sedge and Bee; Lady of the Two Lands; Qor and Candace of Kush; Daughter of Jupiter/Zeus/Re". Born on 27 Mart. AUC 735 (birth name: Cleopatra Rhodogyne Julia Caesaris), she is the eldest child of the late Emperor LinkPtolemaeus Julius Caesar by his first wife Princess Rhodogyne of Parthia; her paternal grandfather is thus LinkGaius Julius Caesar, her paternal grandmother is LinkCleopatra VII of Egypt and her maternal grandfather is LinkPhraates (Frahāt) IV of Parthia.
 
 

Early Life

Her mother died in childbirth and, while her father was away campaigning in Suebia, her aunt Cleopatra Julia Caesaris, the Hegemoness of Hellas and Anatolia and Queen of Pontus, assumed care of the baby. She spent early years of her life at her aunt's courts in Thessalonike and Sinope and developed close sister-like relationship with her cousin Cleopatra Stateira (daughter of Cleopatra Julia and Mithridates VIII of Pontus) who was born only a few days before her. When the girls turned 6, they were sent to Alexandria in the care of their grandmother. The all-mighty Pharaoh Cleopatra made sure her granddaughters received the best possible education in arts, sciences, politics, military strategy and combat. She also saw that they learned to embrace not only their Hellenic, Roman and Egyptian, but also their Aryan heritage.

At the age of 15, Cleopatra Rhodogyne was engaged to be married to the heir of Parthian trone, her maternal uncle LinkPhraates (two years her junior) - the son of her grandfather Phraates IV by his Italian concubine LinkMusa. Phraates IV, however, died several years later and new teenage khshāhan khshāh ("king of kings") proved to be a meek puppet in his mother's hands; the engagement was broken so that Musa could marry her own son and install herself as co-regent.
 
 

Hegemoness of Egypt and Queen Consort of Parthia

After Cleopatra's death in AUC 753, Ptolemaeus Caesar (already Roman Emperor and Great King of Macedon) also inherited the crowns of Egypt and Kush, but the title of Candace of Kush (which could only be held by a female) was willed by the great pharaoh to her favorite granddaughter Cleopatra Rhodogyne, 20 years old at the time. Soon, she was also named by her father Hegemoness of Egypt and Ethiopia.

The incestous marriage of Phraates V and Musa, which was contrary to Aryan customs, caused considerable discontent among Parthian nobles who soon rebelled against the unpopular royal couple. The latter managed to escape the wrath of the angry mob in Ctesiphon by narrow margin fleeing across Tigris to Roman-held Seleucia and plead for Romano-Egyptian aid. Alexander Julius Caesar, the emperor's younger brother and Hegemon of Syria and Babylonia agreed to intervene and restore Phraates V to the throne, but only under condition that his unpopular marriage to his mother would be dissolved immediately and his engagement to Cleopatra Rhodogyne shall be honored. Musa was sent to exile to Taurica while Roman troops crossed Tigris and occupied Ctesiphon. Julia Cleopatra Rhodogyne soon arrived with four taxes of Egyptian toracites under her command and the royal wedding took place; through this marriage, she became Bānbishnān Bānbishn ("Queen of Queens") of the Parthians and assumed the throne name Yulyā Klēwpathrā Rozhgun Kēsar (יוליא כליופתרא רוצגן כיסר)

The Parthian capital city Ctesiphon was now controlled by Romano-Egyptian troops and, through both displays of military strength and diplomatic compromises, Alexander Caesar was able to convince heads of a several major noble houses to support restoration of Phraates V to the throne. But the rest of the vast Parthian Empire was still in turmoil and many nobles sided with the pretender Urūd (Orodes) - a protegé of the powerful House Surēn who held court in Ecbatana. The strong-willed and ambitious Romano-Egyptian princess quickly realized that her new husband was a weak and incompetent ruler and she had to take the matters into her own hands. The Parthian nobles first met the new queen with mistrust; but her familiarity with the Aryan culture, in-depth understanding of politics and military strategy combined with her martial skills and Arsacid descent soon earned her their respect.

It was time to move against Urūd and his supporters; while her uncle Alexander Julius had significant military strength in Babylonia, the queen understood that marching a Romano-Egyptian army on Ecbatana would make the royal couple look like foreign puppets in the eyes of the population - she insisted the bulk of the force should consist of native Aryan troops. She convinced the heads of houses Mithrān, Athrupat and Bāzrang to field some 40 thousand cataphracts and horse archers and only took with her a 20 thousand strong force of Egyptian heavy infantry under her own command.

The opposing forces met near the city of Nimāwand south of Ecbatana and it was the young queen who devised battle plans and had de facto command of the army. The encounter ended in humiliating defeat for Urūd and Artapān Surēn who had to flee to Sacastene with the remains of their forces while most of their former supporters switched their allegiance to Phraates V and Cleopatra Rhodogyne.
 
 

Rōzhgun Pērōz – Rhodogyne the Victorious

The throne of Parthia was now secure, but the royal couple did not get to enjoy the peace for too long – a month after Phraates and Cleopatra Rhodogyne took Ecbatana, news came that the Tocharian ruler of Bactria, LinkKuzhūl Kadfiz, believing that Parthian Empire was weakened by the civil war, invaded the eastern province of Aria. The royal army was on the move once again and, despite her pregnancy, the queen rode with her men. Once again, she was the one who devised the battle plans but Phraates convinced his wife that she should not lead the troops into battle in her condition. However, the cataphract charge on the right flank led by the king turned out to be a disaster – Parthian horsemen fell into a trap and were surrounded by the Tocharians. Seeing this, Cleopatra Rhodogyne could no longer stand by; she mounted her steed and rallied the remaining cavalry from the left flank, charging into the thick of the battle. This second cavalry charge broke the Tocharian flank, turning the enemies to flight; the surrounded Parthian knights were relieve, yet the king suffered a severe injury.

The queen sent to the Egyptian camp for a physician, but chose not to linger herself – she had to press her advantage. With the enemy left now bare, she was able to outflank the main Tocharian force at the center and assault them from the rear. Kuzhūl was now trapped himself between the impregnable line of Egyptian legionary infantry and heavily armored Parthian cataphracts, while Persian light infantry and Parthian horse archers advanced from both flanks; realizing that defeat was imminent, he chose to surrender. Cleopatra Rhodogyne accepted the surrender; Tocharian warriors were disarmed and taken under guard by Egyptian and Persian infantrymen; King Kuzhūl was also taken prisoner, but the queen ordered to treat him with respect befit of his royal rank.

This was a great victory for the Parthians. Yet, King Phraates was mortally injured and, despite best efforts of the Egyptian physicians, soon died from wounds. The throne of Parthia was now vacant and heads of the Great Houses assembled as the new khshāhan khshāh had to be elected. It was the Persian nobleman Artakhshatr Bāzrang, brother of the ruler of Stakhr, who proclaimed Cleopatra Rhodogyne "Khshāhān Bānbishn (Queen of Kings) of all Aryans". The Bāzrangs were not formally considered one of the Parthian Great Houses, yet they enjoyed considerable support among the lords of Persis who provided significant number of troops for the campaign. The queen's popularity was extremely high after the victory, yet most Parthian nobles were reluctant to back Arthakhshatr as a woman has never before reigned in Parthia in her own right. However, Daryahush Atrupat – the ruler of Media Atropatene and head of the most ancient of the Great Houses whose ancestors were related to the Achaemenids and received their titles from Alexander the Great himself – backed the motion. Everyone was now looking Mithradāt Mithrān – head of the second most powerful noble house of Parthia after the Surēns (who were still in open rebellion). But Mithradāt was still hesitating.

The tide was turned by the captive Tochari king Kuzhūl who unexpectedly declared his allegiance to Cleopatra Rhodogyne. Of course, vote of a defeated foreign ruler would not formally count, but there were some 20 thousand captive Tochari in the camp, guarded by Egyptian and Persian soldiers both of whom were loyal to the queen; Kuzhūl's oath of fealty meant that those men would fight on her side if she only gave orders to free and rearm them. Mithradāt did not fail to realize this; with the nobles of Persis and Atropatene on her side and the ruler of Bactria as her vassal, the queen's positions were stronger than ever; combined with her own extraordinary strategic talents and the fact that she also had the military might of her father, the Romano-Egyptian emperor behind her, this would rendered her undefeatable should it come to confrontation. "House Mithrān stands behind Rozhgun Perōz of the House Kēsar, the true heiress of Arsaces and Alexander the Great, the Queen of Kings of the Parthians and all Aryans," he finally declared. The rest of the nobles soon followed the suit.
 
 

Khshāhān Bānbishn – The Queen of Kings

Cleopatra Rhodogyne was now reigning the vast Parthian Empire in her own right with north-eastern regions of Bactria and Sogdia under her suzerainty. She received several marriage proposals from various noblemen, but made it clear to all her suitors that she had no intention of sharing her power with anyone and if she chose a new consort one day, she would demand nothing short of his complete obedience and submission. While preparing to give birth to her child, the Queen of Kings started planning a campaign against the Sacae Empire ruled by LinkGundapār Sarpidun (son of the illustrious King Gondophares, her distant cousin and a scion of House Surēn who ruled over the regions of Sacastene, Arachosia, Gandara, Panzhāb and Indus Valley) at whose court the pretender Urūd and his uncle Artapān Surēn have taken refuge.

On 6 Dec. AUC 759, the Julia Cleopatra Rhodogyne gave birth to a son who was named Julius Alexander Arsaces (Yuliy Alakhsindar Arshak). Three months later, a 80 thousand strong Partho-Tocharian force led by the Queen of Kings herself invaded Arachosia while Emperor Ptolemaeus Julius sailed from Cleopatrea on the Erythrean Sea and landed with 15 legions in the mouth of Indus. An embassy was sent to the Sacea court with an ultimatum, demanding immediate extradition of Urūd and Artapān and acknowledgement of Parthian suzerainty. King Sarpidun, a cautious and somewhat cowardly man was inclined to accept the ultimatum, but Artapān learned of his intentions and conspired with the king's cousin, the Viceroy of Taxila Abdagāsh; Sarpidun and Parthian ambassadors were murdered by Surēn men at arms and Abdagāsh was installed as new King of Kings of the Sacae.

Abdagāsh and Artapān managed to muster significant strength and gave battle to Cleopatra Rhodogyne. The numbers were almost evenly matched, yet the queen's forces were better armed and trained and none could match her strategic brilliance; Artapān was killed in battle and Abdagāsh fled the battlefield after losing nearly three quarters of his men. In an attempt to make amends to the victorious Queen of Parthia, he ordered Urūd to be seized and tied to a tree during his retreat. When Cleopatra Rhodogyne found him, Urūd who has spent many hours without water under relentless sun plead for mercy, promising that he would do anything she wished if she spared his life. "Anything, truely?" she asked with a slight note of amusement. "Yes, ANYTHING," he plead, "I swear by Ahura Mazda!" She ordered her attendants to untie him, but once he was free, she humiliated him by demanding to give fellatio to her stallion in front of the whole army. Then she had him castrated and made him her slave.

But Abdagāsh's hopes that this would earn him his cousin's favor were misplaced; when he sent an embassy to sue for peace, the Queen of Kings dismissed the ambassadors at once, telling them that she shall not treat with a man who betrays his friends. She pursued him all the way to Taxila and, once the city has fallen and the misfortunate king was captured, he was tied by each leg to a bent tree which ripped them in two once released. All former eastern provinces of the Achaemenid Empire were now back under Parthian control.
 
 

The Last Civil War of Rome

While western regions of the former Sacae Empire have fallen under Parthian rule, its former vassal states in India were in no hurry to acknowledge a new suzerain, but with her supply lines already stretched thin, Cleopatra Rhodogyne chose not to advance further into the subcontinent. Her father, Emperor Ptolemaeus Julius on the other hand, had a sizeable fleet in the Indian Ocean which allowed him to supply his forces from his ports in Egypt, Barbarica [Somalia] and Arabia Felix [Yemen]. Viewing himself as the heir of Alexander the Great he was determined to reclaim all lands once conquered by his illustrious ancestor; after securing control of the Indus Valley and Panzhāb [Punjab], Romano-Egyptian forces took the port of Barygaza [Bharuch] and moved against the Saca ruler of Ozene [Ujjain] Patiko Kozoulo. The campaign was, however, halted when the emperor was mortally injured in one of the engagements.

On his deathbed, Ptolemaeus Julius dictated his will. He was faced with a dilemma: according to Cleopatrine succession law the eldest child irrespective of sex inherited the throne and Ptolemaeus was expressly prohibited by his mother’s will from changing the order of succession; this made Cleopatra Rhodogyne the only eligible heir to the throne of Egypt. Roman constitution, on the other hand, did not allow women to participate in the government making Gaius Ptolemaeus, the emperor’s son by his second wife Octavia, the only possible choice. Dividing the empire between his two children would have been the most logical option, but this was not an option for the dying emperor; he named his daughter (who has already proven herself as a capable ruler and brilliant general) his sole heir. In his last moments, Ptolemaeus demanded his brother Alexander, whom he named the executor, to swear a solemn oath that he would see that this will is carried out.

Alexander Caesar realized very well the controversy of his brother’s will and did what he could to delay the news of the emperor’s death reaching western parts of the Empire as much as possible. He called off the Ozenaic campaign; General LinkJulus Antonius (second son of LinkMarcus Antonius Creticus) was named Hegemon of India and left behind with several legions to rule and defend the lands already captured while the bulk of the army was shipped to the port of Cleopatrea (former LinkAdulis) on the Erythraean coast of Egypt. Alexander himself sailed by a fast galley to Characene [Kuwait], and then up the Tigris to Ctesiphon where he delivered the news of her father’s death to the appointed heiress.

The coronation was hastily prepared and held in Babylon – the former capital of Alexander the Great rebuilt by the late emperor; the city was chosen not only for its historical significance, but also for its proximity to Ctesiphon as Alexander wanted the new Empress crowned before the news of her father’s death reached Rome and Western Provinces. After the coronation, the Cleopatra Rhodogyne and her entourage departed for LinkAntiochea ad Orontes from where she was planning to sail for Egypt in order to be formally crowned as Pharaoh. The news was now out and carried by pigeon post to all corners of the Empire.

LinkGaius Octavius Thurinus, consul of the Roman Senate and father in law of the late emperor (and thus the maternal grandfather of Prince Gaius Ptolemaeus) was infuriated as he wanted to see his own grandson on the Imperial Throne. He proclaimed that a woman could not rule over Rome and declared the coronation of Cleopatra Rhodogyne unlawful. The Senate supported him with majority of votes and named young Gaius Ptolemaeus Emperor. News of this reached Cleopatra Rhodoryne and Alexander Julius in LinkDura Europus. This meant civil war and birds flew to provincial rulers as both contenders to the throne were trying to secure their support.

Hegemoness Cleopatra Julia of Hellas and Anatolia, twin sister of Alexander Julius who raised Cleopatra Rhodogyne as her own daughter, immediately declared her support for the Empress and so did her husband King Mathradates VIII of Pontus. Her younger sister Berenice Julia, Hegemoness of Illyria and Dacia and Queen Consort of Thrace followed the suit of her siblings. The favorite granddaughter of Cleopatra the Great was well loved in Egypt and Kush (where she was still formally held the Hegemony) and she could count on the support of her Parthian subjects.

But the situation was different in the Western Provinces; Pharnaces Pedius, Hegemon of Gallia and Brittania declared his support for Gaius Ptolemaeus and so did the governors of Hispania and Africa. Only LinkMarcus Antonius Suebicus (the eldest son Marcus Antonius Creticus and childhood friend of the late emperor) who held the hegemony over the northern provinces of Germania, Suebia, Rhaetia, Cimbria and Venedia assumed neutral stance, politely replying to both sides that all his legions were engaged in skirmishes with the barbarians and he had no troops to spare.

The two sides were more or less equally matched in terms of legionary infantry, but Cleopatra Rhodogyne had a critical advantage in naval strength. As all coasts of Mare Interior [Mediterranean Sea] and Pontus Euxinus [Black Sea] were under Romano-Egyptian dominion, Ptolemaeus Julius saw no need to maintain a sizable navy there; nor was there any need for warships on the Atlantic coasts of Gallia and Brittania as the Empire had no adversaries at sea in those waters. The Classis Borea of the Borean [Baltic] Sea was under control of Antonius Suebicus and thus unavailable to either of the belligerent parties. The largest naval force of the Empire, however, was the Classis Rubra – based in Erythraean [Red] Sea ports of Egypt and, thanks to the Seawater Canal constructed during the reign of Cleopatra the Great, it could be easily deployed in Mare Interior. This was one of the first orders given by the Empress after she learned of her brother’s rebellion – Egyptian war dromons were to sail north through the Canal and blockade the coasts of Italy, so that no troops could be brought by sea from Hispania and Africa.

Then she sent message to her cousin Cleopatra Stateira (whom she left as her vicereine in Alexandria) with others to gather whatever troops that could be gathered quickly, sail to Nicaea and take the fortress of Albium Intemelium which guarded a narrow passage between the mountains and the sea – the only land route linking Italy with Gaul which was suitable for moving large armies. Other orders followed: Cleopatra Julia and Mithradates of Pontus were to seize Tarentum which the Empress was planning to use as the staging point for her invasion of Italy; Alexander Julius was to sail to Egypt, assume command of the legions that returned from India and also bring them to Tarentum; Berenice Julia and her husband Cotys of Thrace were to invade Cisalpine Gaul [Northern Italy]; the Empress herself would ride back to Ctesiphon and rally Parthian troops to her cause.

Thanks to Cleopatra Rhodogyne’s quick and decisive actions, Gaius Ptolemaeus and Octavius Thurinus soon found themselves cut off from their supporters as all maritime routes of Western Mediterranean were completely disrupted by the Egyptian naval blockade; the governor of Hispania Lucius Pinarius, who sailed to Italy with six legions, was forced to land on Corsica where his troops were now trapped while troop transports from Africa were unable to leave the harbor of Carthage. With only four legions in Italy to defend Rome, the rebels’ only hope were the Gallian legions of Pharnaces Pedius that were now on the march. But as Pedius approached Albium Intemelium, he found his way barred by a fortification wall built by the Egyptians across the entire width of the passage. Cleopatra Stateira only had a single taxis of toracites against her cousin’s 10 legions; but the passage between the sea and a steep mountain slope was barely wide enough for 100 men to march abreast and the defenders had the advantage of high ground and fortified positions. Pedius might have been able to overrun them with sheer numbers, but that would mean throwing cohort after cohort to a “slaughterhouse” until the defenders’ numbers dwindled to the point where they could no longer man the entire length of the wall; the legionaries knew this well enough and would have mutinied if their general gave them such orders.

He asked for parley and met with Cleopatra Stateira, who was his second cousin on his mother’s side and, although 20 years his junior, his third aunt on his father’s side. They both knew that Pharnaces could not break through without suffering prohibitive losses and risking a mutiny and they both knew that Stateira’s supplies would eventually run out. But her objective was merely to delay him long enough for the Empress to gather her full strength in Tarentum and she agreed to withdraw her troops peacefully after three months. The only alternative was to attempt crossing the Alps the way Hannibal once did, but everyone knew it took him months and cost him nearly two thirds of his army; Pharnaces and his men were not prepared for such acts of pointless heroism, so he accepted his cousin’s terms.

During those three months, the two generals were meeting regularly for a game of chatranzh [a form of chess]; both his conversation with cousin and the reports he was receiving made Pharnaces question more and more whether he was playing on the right side of the board. On the appointed day, Cleopatra Stateira withdrew all her troops to the fortress and allowed Pharnaces’ men to smash her wall and pass through. While marching through Cisalpine Gaul, the legionaries were harassed by small bands of Thracian horsemen, who however avoided an open engagement. He received orders from Gaius Ptolemaeus to march to Rome and prepare to defend the city, but he ignored those orders and continued his march south instead.

About half-way between Rome and Tarentum Pharnaces’ army met the Empress’ host and a single look at it convinced him that he was fighting a lost cause: her legionary infantry alone was more than an even match for his own numbers, but there were also thousands of Parthian cataphracts in their glittering scale armor covering both men and horses, Scythian horse arches with their short curved bows, Kushite war elephants carrying miniature fortresses on their backs, Arabian horsemen and dromedary riders with their curved swords, Egyptian phalangites with their long pikes. He also knew from scout reports that there was a second, Thraco-Illyrian army close on his heels; not nearly as impressive as the one he saw in front of him, he would still be trapped between a hammer and an anvil if he decided to give battle. Pharnaces Pedius had no Deathwish, no desire to remain on the sinking ship. He rode forward, motioning his retinue to remain behind.

He saw lone rider separating from the ranks of the opposing army, advancing to meet him. He was wearing gilded cataphract armor that was glittering brightly in the rays of the setting sun. SHE, he realized as the distance between them was closing – it was a woman. The Empress herself? He saw her last time when she was little more than a child, but there could be no doubt this was HER – she was everything Stateira told him about her and more. A goddess in flesh – no mere mortal woman could possible radiate so much authority and confidence. When the two riders were only a few paces away from each other, they halted their horses. Pharnaces dismounted and knelt in obeisance. “My Imperatrix,” he said, “my decision to support your brother was foolish and I can now see my error. I beg you for your forgiveness.”

“You have my forgiveness, Cousin,” Cleopatra Rhodogyne replied. “This one time only. But defy me again, and you shall know my wrath.”

With Gallian legions now on her side, the Empress’ army was over hundred thousand strong. The news of Pedius’ defection and the strength of the approaching enemy army soon reached Rome. Gaius Ptolemaeus, Octavius Thurinus and their partisans were still determined to defend the city, but discontent was growing among the troops who did not find the prospect of fighting against such overwhelming odds very appealing. A group of mid-level officers led by a young military tribune Decimus Haterius, concerned that Rome would be sacked if it offered resistance, instigated a mutiny; at night, the emperor and his supporters were ceased by the soldiers and Haterius was proclaimed dictator ad interim. A few days later, he peacefully surrendered the city to Cleopatra Rhodogyne.

As the Empress and her retinue entered Rome, they were led by Haterius to the Senate hall where leaders of the rebellion were held under guard. When Gaius Ptolemaeus saw his half-sister, he dropped oh his knees and plead her for forgiveness. Cleopatra Rhodogyne replied that as a sister she forgave him, but as an empress she must still punish those who defy her authority. With that, she drew her sword and beheaded him. Then she ordered that Octavius Thurinus and all senators who supported him were to be put on a cross. Alexander Caesar objected that crucifixion was the method of execution reserved for rebellious slaves, while those men were still Roman patrician and deserved an honorable death. “Those who rise against their rightful Imperatrix are no better than rebellious slaves and deserve to be treated as such,” the Empress replied.
By her first official decree, Cleopatra Rhodogyne dissolved the Senate and abolished all remaining institution of the Roman Republic. Rome retained the status of one of the imperial capitals (along with Alexandria, Ctesiphon and Thessalonice), but special status of Italy was also abolished, reducing it to another province. Vonones Atropates (Wanūn Athrupat), son of King Darius (Daryahush) of Atropatene and the Empress’ maternal aunt Ismene (Yāsaman), was named Hegemon of Italy, Hispania and Africa. Haterius was rewarded by being appointed as prefect of Latia.

Some of those acts caused discontent among many Romans, but with the city occupied by Egyptian, Parthian and Greek troops they were hardly in a position to do anything about it. An organization named Inquisitio Sacra with the task of uncovering and preventing potential conspiracies and rebellions was established; anyone voicing their discontent with the Empress’ policies too loudly was arrested and executed for treason with their property proscribed and gifted to officers who distinguished themselves during the civil war (most of whom were foreigners).

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Please note that Arsacid Parthian terms cited in this Factbook are often speculative due to the language being poorly attested and inherent deficiencies of the Pahlavi script which was used to write it. Many of those forms are reconstructed from much better attested Avestan, Middle Persian and/or Manichaean Parthian (and, in one instance, from Bactrian) forms based on my knowledge of phonological shifts in Old and Middle Iranian languages, but suggested UniPers transcriptions are by no means certain. Terms cited in original Arsacid Pahlavi (which is a form of Phoenicio-Aramaic script) are rendered using modern Hebrew typeface.

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Karelignia, Lukatonia, and New pi-ramesses

Question of The Day

What piece of technology would look like magic or a miracle to people in medieval Europe?

Lukatonia wrote:Question of The Day

What piece of technology would look like magic or a miracle to people in medieval Europe?

Google earth. You can see anywhere on the surface of the earth, to a peasant who's idea of geography extends to the nearest few villages it would be mind boggling.

Lukatonia

Vivamuland

Lukatonia wrote:Question of The Day

What piece of technology would look like magic or a miracle to people in medieval Europe?

Cars, planes, and tanks. Could get places much faster than, say, I dunno, walking? Also, tanks are effective at taking out enemies.

Malphe II and Lukatonia

Lukatonia wrote:Question of The Day

What piece of technology would look like magic or a miracle to people in medieval Europe?

Those water bottles with the flavor things on them. You put water in a bottle and it comes out blue and sweet? Mind boggling.

Vivamuland, Malphe II, and Lukatonia

New flag, boys!

Necrozia

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