Very good TL! Hannibal gets screwed, Macedonia rises, and the Hittites screw up in countering the "Spartan Revolution". Zeno was a famous philosopher BTW. Is there a growing centralized religion or main philosophy that the Hittites are growing fond of? Has Egypt been fully Hittitized? What do the Hittites call themselves as well as their Empire? Has inroads been made on making a unified legal code and language?
WI: A Third Hittite Empire is established.
- Thread starter Phaeton
- Start date
G.Bone said:
Well, the state religion is officially the old Hittite pantheon. But as explained in the timeline, they adopt all the other gods they encounter into their pantheon, thereby keeping the conquered peoples happy. They don't force the subject peoples to worship the Hittite gods, either. So there is no one, centralized religion as of yet, in the sense of a religion that would tend toward exclusivity of others.
G.Bone said:
No, not really. In OTL Egypt never really got "Persianized" or "Hellenized" or "Romanized" when ruled by outside powers, so I don't think that they would get "Hittitized" either, as long as the Great King of Hatti is supporting the Egyptian religion...which is the center of Egyptian culture.
G.Bone said:
They call themselves "The Hatti," and the Empire itself simply 'Hatti."
G.Bone said:
Legal code yes, language, no.
With regard to the legal code, there would need to be a relatively unified legal code and system of citizenship in order to effectively rule an empire the size of Hatti's. That's not to say there aren't local variations in different regions to meet specific cultural needs there. For example, the Hebrews have a set a religious crimes which are punishable by the Sanhedrin (or it's equivalent in this timeline). As long as the local lawcodes don't conflict with the Hittite code, the local authorities are allowed leeway. It helps that the Hittite law code was based on those of the old Mesopotamian civilizations (Babylonia and Assyria primarily). And variations of the Mesopotamian law codes had been used in Syria and Canaan for centuries. So it would not have taken much adaptation for most of the local codes to fit into the Hittite system anyway.
With regard to language, I would imagine that Hittite is probably the official language for governmental functions. I think also that the Aramaeans would have played the same role in history in this TL (merchants and traders across the near east) and that Aramaic is probably the lingua franca of commerce in the empire. But there have been no attempts to impose languages on the conquered peoples, so Hebrew is still commonly spoken in the former land of Israel, Akkadian is the common language of Mesopotamia, Egyptian in Egypt, etc. The one exception might be Anatolia, which the Hittites consider their "homeland" and where they might be making efforts to absorb speakers of Phrygian, Lydian, Carian, Cimmerian, etc. into the Hittite mainstream (Lydian, Carian, Mysian, and most of the other Anatolian languages...except Phrygian, perhaps, and Cimmerian definitely...are related to Hittite anyway, so it probably wouldn't be that hard for them to do). Of course, so far as common Hittite goes, it is doubtless VERY different from the Hittite spoken in the old Hittite Empire. I imagine the the old Hittite language of the Bronze Age imperial period is probably a religious language only (kind of like Sumerian became in Mesopotamia and Latin in Medieval Europe). The common Hittite speaks what could be considered a "vulgar Hittite," derived from the old Hittite tongue and from the related language of Luwian (which was actually the home language of most of the people of the original Neo-Hittite cities), but influenced over centuries by contact with the languages of the subject peoples and other neighbors of the empire....Phyrgian, Lydian, Carian, Canaanite, Hebrew, Aramaic, Persian, Greek, Egyptian, and so on, ad nauseum.
How has Roman warfare progressed? Have they made movements to the famous Legions as OTL?
How much has the pro-Hatti Greek cities become more like their ally?
How developed is the Empire? Does it rival Rome in OTL at it's height?
How much territory does Bhuddist religion cover?
When will the Nam Viets swap and make it Vietnam? What is their unit of progress to allow them to colonize the eastern coastline of China?
Has anyone invented the plow?
How much has the pro-Hatti Greek cities become more like their ally?
How developed is the Empire? Does it rival Rome in OTL at it's height?
How much territory does Bhuddist religion cover?
When will the Nam Viets swap and make it Vietnam? What is their unit of progress to allow them to colonize the eastern coastline of China?
Has anyone invented the plow?
G.Bone said:
Yes. Rome has, thus far, developed exactly as in OTL. At this stage they are using the Manipular Legion, with the Hastati and Princepes of the first 2 lines armed with pilum and Spanish Sword, and the Triari of the third line armed with thrusting spears.
G.Bone said:
The Hittites were not very innovative, culturally. They pretty much took what they thought was best from the cultures around them and adapted it to their own use. There may be some cross-fertilization of culture, but I doubt if the Greeks are being heavily influenced by Hittite culture. I think it has been more a case of the Hittites becoming more like the Greeks than the other way around.
G.Bone said:
To have survived this long, one has to assume that the Hittites have come up with an effective scheme of governing and integrating the conquered peoples into the empire. The basically feudal system which they inherited from the old Hittite Empire and which the Neo-Hittite Great Kings would have been operating with initially would have, over time, given way to a more structured system. Hereditary local vassal kings...who swear allegiance to the Great King but then pretty much rule their local areas as they please, so long as they contribute soldiers for the Great King's host in time of war...would have been replaced with viceroys appointed by the King and serving at his pleasure. This would prevent local rulers from establishing power bases from which they could challenge the authority of the Great King, or even contemplate rebellion. A system of citizenship for conquered peoples would have to have grown up, in order to inspire loyalty in the subject peoples. So, all in all, it probably would be something comparable to Roman practice by this date, and just about as stable.
G.Bone said:
Buddhism, because of the persecutions following the Great Indian Rebellion, is much weaker than it was at a comparable date in OTL. As of now, it is mainly in northern India. Ashoka sent out missionaries to the Tamil areas of southern India, and to southeast Asia and China. But they have not had great success there.
G.Bone said:
I don't think it was necessarily a great strength on the part of Nam Viet so much as weakness on the part of China. They happened to advance into the Chinese coastal area just as the Chin Empire was falling apart, and while the early Han dynasty is just establishing itself and fending off the Hsiung Nu. They won't be able to maintain themselves there long.
G.Bone said:
We can assume that agricultural development is the same as in OTL. Plows had been known since Neolithic times. Ox-drawn plows with iron plowshares date back at least to 1,000 BC in Palestine. The precursors to the mold-board plow were developed in China during the Warring States Period, and the actual mold-board plow will be developed in China during the 1st century BC. Nothing from the timeline should have impacted any of this at all.
When will the next Hittite installment come out?
How is life along the border regions with former Persia/Macedonia for the Hittitie states? Are they constantly at arms? Has Byzantium been founded?
Why are the Nam Viets named as such?
(BTW- very good TL and thanks for answering my questions)
How is life along the border regions with former Persia/Macedonia for the Hittitie states? Are they constantly at arms? Has Byzantium been founded?
Why are the Nam Viets named as such?
(BTW- very good TL and thanks for answering my questions)
G.Bone said:
Hopefully by the end of this weekend. Maybe sooner. We will have to see.
G.Bone said:
Well, it was pretty usual for there to be military garrisons along the border between states in the ancient world, and I would assume such would be the case here. Are they on a war footing at all times? Probably not...no state could stay on a war footing all the time and not wreck their economy. The border with Macedon is probably more active than the one with Persia/Parthia, since war with Macedon is a relatively recent memory.
G.Bone said:
Yes, several centuries ago. It was noted in the timeline.
G.Bone said:
Because historically this is what they were called in this period. The dynasty which rules the united tribes in that region was called the Nam Viet dynasty.
G.Bone said:
You're welcome. I actually find the questions from you and other posters quite helpful in giving me ideas how to proceed with the timeline.
I know that you like to keep the ripples of your POD as small as possible, but, have you considered messing around in China much? It'd be interesting if the Huns never really migrate west in much force, but screw things up in China, instead.
After rereading the last installment. I forsee The Hittite's warring with Numida and Carthage. It also would be smart for the Hittites to contiure to push eastward from Axumite territory to Arabia and conquer Sheba. Or they could also send expeditons south and on accident find the lands of 'Ophir'? Even if Robert, you don't decide to go with Hittite expansion in Africa...conside moving it northward into central Europe or northern Asia. Can't wait for the next installment and keep it comming.
Weaker Hellenism
Thinking this TL over some more it is obvious that there is going to be a weaker Hellenism. The Greak language is going to be heard less in the Eastern Mediterranean Quite possibly Greek scholars and artists are admired in the Hittite Empire but this is a weaker influence that occurred OTL.
I think you are wise to continue to keep the ripples moderate and avoid wild suggestions. I also think the Hitties are close to their maximum expansion, though they might be at the stage where they move into a new area only to abandon a decade later.
Thinking this TL over some more it is obvious that there is going to be a weaker Hellenism. The Greak language is going to be heard less in the Eastern Mediterranean Quite possibly Greek scholars and artists are admired in the Hittite Empire but this is a weaker influence that occurred OTL.
I think you are wise to continue to keep the ripples moderate and avoid wild suggestions. I also think the Hitties are close to their maximum expansion, though they might be at the stage where they move into a new area only to abandon a decade later.
THE THIRD HITTITE EMPIRE, 200-100 BC
232-187 BC--At the death of Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire in 232 BC,
disputes break out among his sons over the succession, and the empire begins to break
down. The final collapse does not occur until 187 BC, when the last Mauryan Emperor is
assassinated.
207 BC--King Trieu Da reigns over the Nam Viet kingdom (northern Vietnam) with his
capital at Fan-yu. In this year he subdues the Au Lac kingdom (southern Vietnam). The
Trieu dynasty will reign over Nam Viet from 207 to 111 BC.
c. 200 BC--The Buddhist missionaries sent out by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka are making
converts in Central Asia, China, and southeast Asia. They are not making much headway
in India itself, however, where Hindu extremism still prevents the growth of other
religions in the region. Also at about this time, Germanic tribes (which had entered
Scandinavia as early as 2,000 BC and had been living in northeastern Germany as early as
1,000 BC), begin moving to the south and west, where they come into conflict with the
Celtic peoples currently inhabiting those areas.
200 BC - Destruction of Roman town of Placentia by confederation of Gallic tribes
(Insubres, Cenomani and Boii). Also in this year, the Hsiung Nu lay siege to the Han
Chinese Emperor at Pincheng; he barely escapes.
200-197 BC--First Macedonian War. Rome has not forgotten that Phillip IV of Macedon
allied himself to Hannibal, and in 200 BC, they take their revenge. Roman armies invade
Macedon, and over a three year period, Macedon is defeated. Cumbersome Macedonian
Phalanxes are defeated repeatedly by flexible Roman legions, culminating in the battle of
Cynoscephalae in 197 BC. After this disaster, Phillip IV sues for peace, and the Romans
grant it, imposing harsh terms...Phillip’s empire is stripped from him, and he remains
king only in Macedon proper. He is required to pay 1000 gold talents to Rome, and
disband his navy as well as most of his army. Rome annexes the northern and eastern
provinces (Illyria, Istria, Thrace) and restores independence to Epirus.
197-133 BC--The Spanish Wars. In the aftermath of the Second Punic War, Rome
annexed the former Carthaginian provinces in the Iberian Peninsula. After the war Rome
divided Spain into two provinces, known as Hispania Citerior (Near Spain) and Hispania
Ulterior (Far Spain). Both of these provinces are rich in silver and other precious metals,
and their governors do not hesitate to extort extra wealth from the local inhabitants.
During the Second Punic War the native tribes (such as the Celtiberians, the Turdetani,
the Lusitanians, and others) had vacillated between supporting the Carthaginians and the
Romans. Now they turn fully against the Romans. Supported by cavalry and armed with
javelin, sling, and short stabbing sword and wearing light armor, these fierce and valiant
peoples prove a major threat to Roman power in Hispania. The result is an ongoing
campaign of attrition, atrocity and massacre that will be an like an ulcer, consuming a
major portion of Roman resources for over sixty years, until the Romans finally subdue
the last of the native tribes in 133 BC.
200-195 BC--In Carthage, Hannibal Barca becomes Suffete and proves a successful
political leader. He forces state reform, reducing corruption and introducing new methods
of election. He also initiates programs to improve agriculture and increase trade with
Greece, north Africa, and Hatti in an effort to increase state revenues. But Hannibal’s
reforms lead the Romans to suspect that he is planning a Carthaginian resurgence aimed
at Rome, and Hannibal is forced into exile in 195 BC.
198 BC--Death of King Suppiluliuma V of Hatti. He is succeeded by Anitta II.
198-134 BC--The Han Chinese Emperors give the Hsiung Nu gifts & princesses in
exchange for peace. It doesn’t always work.
188 BC--King Agesipolis III of Sparta concludes a treaty of alliance with Rome, aimed at
both Macedon and Hatti.
195 BC onward--The annexation of Macedon’s imperial territories means that Rome now
has a coastline on the Aegean and the Black Sea...directly opposite the Hittite coast. This
does not make the Great King of Hatti happy. Until now, Rome has been a distant
rumour on the horizon, but now it poses a clear and imminent threat. Furthermore, the
ease with which Rome’s flexible legions pummeled the Macedonian Phalanx in the
recent war serves notice to the Hittites that their own army...which organized around a
Macedonian-style infantry Phalanx...is in danger of being rendered obsolete. Therefore, in
195 BC King Anitta II of Hatti sends agents in search of Hannibal Barca, the former
Carthaginian general who gave Rome so much trouble during the Second Punic War.
Hannibal is now a fugitive, on the run from Roman vengeance, and he eagerly accepts the
Great King’s offer of protection and employment when he is located by the Hittite agents.
The agents bring him to Hatti, where King Anitta hires him to reorganize and retrain the
Hittite army to fight that of Rome. Hannibal is very familiar with the Roman legionary
system of organization (having observed it in action over so many years), and oversees
the reorganization, re-equipment, and re-training of the Hittite infantry according to that
system. Hannibal is very impressed with the Hittite cavalry...always the strongest part of
the Hittite army...and makes very few changes in it’s organization or equipment. He also
retains the corps of foot archers, recognizing the advantage of fire support they provide to
the heavy infantry. At Hannibal’s suggestion, Hittite warships are also modified so as to
be better able to meet Roman ships on even terms in battle. In order to prevent the
Roman Corvus from being deployed effectively against Hittite ships, the decks of Hittite
warships are covered with a thin plate of iron...this will prevent the iron spike of the
corvus from fixing itself into the deck, thus binding the ships together and allowing
boarding to occur. A complement of marines and archers is also added to the crews of
the Hittite vessels.
195 BC--In the aftermath of the recent war between Rome and Macedon and the news of
the signing of a treaty of alliance between Sparta and Rome, the independent city states of
the Greek mainland which are allied to Hatti begin to feel threatened by Roman power.
The Greek cities, lead by Athens, appeal to King Anitta II of Hatti for an amendment to
the treaty of alliance between them to extend Hittite protection against Rome and Sparta
as well as Macedon. King Anitta agrees, and a new treaty is signed before the end of this
year.
197 BC--The coalition of Gallic tribes who destroyed Placentia is defeated by two Roman
armies.
191 BC--Death of King Artabanus I of Parthia. He is succeeded by Priapatius. Also in
this year, the Boii (a Celtic tribe living in northern Italy) are defeated by a Roman army
under P. Cornelius Scipio Nasica, son of Gn. Scipio and cousin of Scipio Africanus. The
Boii drift north into the Danube regions, where one of their settlements will eventually be
known as Bohemia.
191-185 BC--The Ligurian Wars, in which Rome subdues the piratical Ligurians and
Celts of northwestern Italy and southeastern France, who had been raiding Roman towns
and shipping in the region.
189 BC--Death of King Agesipolis III of Sparta. He is succeeded by Leonidas III.
Leonidas has ambitions for expanding Spartan power in Greece, and the new alliance
between Sparta and Rome will give him the encouragement he needs to act...
187 BC--Death of King Anitta II of Hatti. He is succeeded by Huzziya III.
187 BC-320 AD--The collapse of the Mauryan Empire in India leads to a “Dark Ageâ€
from the point of view of rulers and politics. India breaks up into small, warring states,
whose rulers leave little record of themselves. However, the period is a golden age for
art, literature, and commerce. For example, the 1st century AD will be a period of active
sea trade with the West, with fleets sailing annually from the Red Sea and Persian Gulf
ports of the Hittite Empire to India.
185-175 BC--The War for Hellene Freedom. In late 185 BC, King Leonidas III of Sparta
declares war on Athens and invades Attica, laying siege to the city. The Athenians
immediately invoke their treaty with Hatti and the other independent Greek states, and
King Huzziya III of Hatti sends an army under the command of Hannibal Barca to the
succor of Athens. The Hittite army lands at Marathon in the spring of 184 BC, and is
attacked almost immediately by the Spartans under King Leonidas. At the battle of
Marathon, the Spartans are defeated, and King Leonidas is forced to abandon his siege of
Athens and retreat back to the Peloponnesus.
By this time, the forces of the other allied Greek cities have converged on Athens, and
together with the Hittite army, they now invade Spartan territory. The Spartans have
fortified the Isthmus of Corinth, however, and the allies find that they cannot force their
way into the Peloponnesus. Hannibal considers an amphibious operation, but the Spartan
navy defeats a Hittite fleet in 183 BC and puts an end to that idea. Hannibal instead
conducts siege operations, and in 181 BC manages to breach the Spartan isthmian
fortifications and enter the Peloponnesus, where he lays siege to the cities of Corinth and
Argos.
At this point, Spartan King Leonidas II invokes his treaty of alliance with Rome, and
the Roman Senate declares war on Hatti in 180 BC. Rome demands that King Phillip IV
of Macedon allow passage of Roman armies over Macedonian soil, which the old king,
not wanting another confrontation with Rome, agrees to do under protest. Roman armies
move south across Macedon and lay siege to the Hittite-allied cities in northern Greece,
another Roman army crosses from Italy to land in the Peloponnesus in support the forces
of Sparta, and a Roman fleet joins that of Sparta off Corinth.
In 179 BC, King Phillip IV of Macedon dies and is succeeded by Perseus. Perseus was
enraged by his father’s meek acquiescence to the Roman demand for free passage over
Macedonian territory, and upon taking the throne immediate abrogates the agreement and
declares war on Rome. King Huzziya III of Hatti quickly signs a treaty of alliance with
Perseus, and by the end of that year a second Hittite army has landed in Thessaly to
support the forces of Macedon. The Macedonians under King Perseus and the Hittite
northern army under Crown Prince Telepinu move to raise the sieges of the northern
Greek cities in 178 BC. They meet the northern Roman army outside the town of
Pharsalus and virtually annihilate it, and then move north to capture the Roman provinces
of Illyria and Thrace (recently taken by the Romans from Macedon). But do not get very
far before news comes of the truce agreed upon by Hannibal (see below) and they never
enter any of the Roman provinces.
Meanwhile, later that same year, Hannibal leads the southern Hittite and Greek allied
armies to a decisive victory over the combined Roman and Spartan armies at the Battle
of Mycenae. Hannibal marches straight on Sparta, and King Leonidas (over the protests
of the Roman commander in the Peloponnesus) sues for peace. Hannibal agrees to a
temporary truce, sends a fast galley to carry the peace proposal to King Huzziya of Hatti,
who agrees but with conditions... Sparta must abandon it’s alliance with Rome, give up
any claims it has to territory outside of the Peloponnesus, surrender it’s navy and
dismantle the fortifications on the Isthmus of Corinth.
King Leonidas, upon receiving these conditions in early 177 BC, rejects the demands
and decides to fight it out. He is encouraged in this decision by the landing near Sparta of
another Roman army, under the command of Lucius Aemilius Paullus, in the final month
of 178 BC, and together, the Spartans and Romans launch a counterattack. At the Battle
of Argos in March 176 BC, the Spartan and Roman army is victorious and in the battle,
Hannibal is severely wounded (putting him effectively out of action for the rest of the
war). The Hittites and allied Greek forces retreat from the Peloponnesus into Attica,
pursued by the Romans and Spartans, who once again lay siege to Athens in April of 176.
Meanwhile, in 177 BC, the Romans had decided to expand the war, and enticed King
Massinissa of Numidia to attack the Hittite provinces in Egypt. A Roman army is sent by
sea to join Massinissa near the city of Cyrene, but the Roman fleet is met by a Hittite fleet
off the Cyrenacian coast. The Roman naval flotilla escorting the transports is defeated,
with nearly all of the Roman warships being sunk or captured, and then the Hittites fall on
the defenseless transports. 60,000 Roman soldiers drown when their ships are rammed
and sent to the bottom. And on land, the Hittite army defending Egypt makes mincemeat
of Massinissa’s army and pursues the tattered remnants back into Numidian territory.
In 176 BC, Carthage (which has been suffering from Numidian aggression and raiding
since the end of the Second Punic War, and which has obvious reasons to desire bad
things to happen to Rome) and Hatti agree on an alliance, and Carthage declares war
against Rome and Numidia. Together, Carthaginian and Hittite forces conquer Numidia
(Massinissa is killed in August 176 in battle outside his capital city) before the end of the
year.
Meanwhile, back in Greece, Crown Prince Telepinu and King Perseus of Macedon
have come down to relieve the siege of Athens, which they accomplish in July 176 BC
after winning a battle outside of Thebes. They are also helped in this by a Graeco-Hittite
naval victory over the Roman and Spartan fleets off the island of Euboea in June 176,
which allows a seaborne route of supply for the city to be opened. Roman and Spartan
forces retreat back to the Isthmian fortifications.
In the aftermath of the Hittite and allied victories of 176 BC, King Huzziya of Hatti
(who can see that the escalating cost of the war is weakening his empire) consults with
his allies, and then sends out embassies to Rome and Sparta, seeking an end to the war.
The terms he offers are as follows...1) Sparta to agree to guarantee the freedom of the
Greek cities allied to Hatti, in exchange for recognition of Sparta’s claims to the cities in
the Peloponnesus. Sparta can retain it’s alliance with Rome and retain it’s navy and the
Isthmian fortifications; 2) Rome to withdraw from Greece; 3) Carthage to be freed from
the conditions of the treaty which ended the Second Punic War, and to be ceded the lands
of Numidia (which had belonged to Carthage before the Second Punic War). Carthage
renounces all claim to territory in Spain and Gaul, as well as Sicily, Sardinia, and
Corsica; 4)Rome guarantees the freedom and independence of the Greek states which are
allied to Hatti. After some negotiation, these terms are accepted in early 175 BC, ending
the war.
181 BC--The Sardinians revolt after the Romans end the piracy of the Ligurians, but it is
quickly put down by an expeditionary force sent to Sardinia. It is thought that they
revolted because they were a part of the piracy.
176 BC--The Hsiung-nu attack eastern China. Also in this year, King Priapatius of
Parthia dies, and is succeeded by Phraates I.
175 BC--In the aftermath of the War for Hellene Freedom, Hannibal Barca returns to
Carthage, where he tries to stage a political comeback. He is murdered by a jealous
political rival (possibly in collusion with agents of Rome) later that year.
175-170 BC--During the War for Hellene Freedom, the non-aligned Greek city states of
the Black Sea Coast had tacitly backed Rome, supplying Roman troops and contributing
some naval vessels to the Roman fleet. And Hatti is also being troubled at this time by
raiding Sarmatians coming down out of the Caucasus regions to pillage and loot in
northern Anatolia. Therefore, in 175 BC, King Huzziya III of Hatti launches a campaign
to resolve both of these problems. Hittite armies move north and conquer most of the
Caucasus region, pushing back the Sarmatians and bringing the Greek cities on the
eastern shore of the Black Sea under Hittite control.
172 BC--Death of King Leonidas III of Sparta. He is succeeded by Eudamidas IV.
Eudamidas and the other kings of this century will pursue peaceful policies, seeking
closer relations with neighboring Greek States, as well as with Hatti. Sparta expand it’s
foreign trade as a result, greatly increasing the wealth of the Spartan state.
171 BC--King Phraates I of Parthia dies, and is succeeded by Mithridates I.
170 BC--The unhappiest party to the treaty which ended the War for Hellene Freedom
was King Perseus of Macedon. Perseus had joined the Graeco-Hittite alliance in the hope
that he might recover his former provinces in Thrace and Illyria, but did not. In 170 BC,
therefore, he attempts to entice King Huzziya III of Hatti into a joint war of conquest
against Rome (offering Hatti part of Thrace in return for Hittite assistance in recovering
Thrace and Illyria). Huzziya flatly refuses, and Perseus, in anger, declares that the
alliance between Hatti and Macedon is void.
168-164 BC--Second Macedonian War. King Perseus of Macedon decides to take back
the provinces of Illyria and Thrace, which were taken from Macedon by Rome in the First
Macedonian War. Roman armies move southward, and Macedon is conquered. Perseus
is finally defeated and captured in 164 BC. He is taken to Rome, where he marches in
chains in the triumph of the victorious general, and then is ceremonially strangled.
Macedon becomes a province of the Roman Empire.
165-147 BC--Wars of King Mithridates I of Parthia against Hatti. In 165 BC, King
Mithridates I of Parthia invades the Hittite provinces in Mesopotamia. He defeats a
Hittite army near the town of Opis in 164 BC (killing King Huzziya III in the process)
and seizes all of Mesopotamia within a year. He then campaigns against Syria and
Armenia (the former lands of Urartu, which have, for some time, been inhabited by
Armenian tribes under the control of the Hittites), but is unable to defeat the Hittite
armies in those regions. And the Hittites, despite repeated attempts to re-take
Mesopotamia, are not able to do so (due largely to simultaneous involvements against
Rome). A treaty recognizing the Parthian annexation of Mesopotamia is finally signed in
147 BC, establishing the borders between the two empires.
164 BC--Death of King Huzziya III of Hatti in battle against the Parthians. He is
succeeded by Telepinu IV.
150-146 BC--Third Punic War. Rome was not happy when Carthage was freed from the
terms of the treaty which ended the Second Punic War as a result of Carthage’s
participation in the war for Hellene freedom. She has watched with growing alarm as
Carthage has rebuilt it’s navy, re-captured a major share of trade in the western
Mediterranean, and Rome strongly suspects (correctly, as it happens...although the
Romans have not been able to prove it yet) that Carthage is involved in the ongoing
rebellions against Roman authority in Hispania.
In 150 BC, the Roman Senate decides to “put an end to the Carthaginian menaceâ€
once and for all, and declares war. The Roman navy defeats that of Carthage in 149 BC,
and a Roman army is landed outside the city, which is placed under siege. Carthage
invokes it’s alliance with Hatti, and the Hittites honor their agreement by declaring war
on Rome (desirous to prevent the war from expanding, King Muwatalli V of Hatti advises
his Greek allies to remain neutral, so long as they are not attacked by Rome. The Greek
States follow this advice, and Sparta also remains neutral). A Hittite fleet moves against
the Roman fleet off Carthage, but the battle is essentially a draw, and both fleets retire to
repair and refit. Meanwhile, a Hittite army advances along the coast from Cyrene toward
Carthage. It arrives there in 148 BC, defeats the Roman army besieging the city, and lifts
the siege. But although defeated, the Roman army is not destroyed, and the Romans have
been negotiating with the tribes of Numidia (which have not reconciled themselves to
being ruled by Carthage again), and many of these have declared for Rome. And the sea
route from Rome to Africa is still open. So the war in Africa continues.
Meanwhile, another naval battle is fought in the Black Sea, and in this one, the
Romans prevail. Shortly afterward, in late 148 BC, two Roman armies are transported
over to Anatolia from Thrace. One army advances on Hattusas, which they place under
siege, while the other moves against Sardis and Gordium (Gordium falls, but Sardis
resists strongly and is placed under siege). A Hittite army commanded by King
Muwatalli V is defeated near Hattusas, and Muwatalli himself is killed. The new king,
Talmi Tesub III, quickly decides to sue for peace with King Mithridates I of Parthia,
ending the war between Hatti and Parthia and allowing Talmi Tesub to concentrate his
forces against Rome, and a treaty is signed in April 147 BC.
In June 147 BC, the Hittite Aegean fleet defeats the Roman fleet, severing the Roman
supply route from Thrace into Anatolia. Talmi Tesub leads a new Hittite army into
Anatolia, and in successive battles, defeats the Roman armies besieging Hattusas and
Sardis. Defeated, cut off from their source of supply, and in a hostile country, both
Roman armies in Anatolia surrender in early 146 BC.
But in the meantime, the war in Africa has not gone well for Carthage and Hatti. In
mid-147 BC, a second naval battle off Carthage has lead to a decisive defeat for the
Hittite fleet, which ends the last immediate hope of cutting the Roman supply line for
their army in Africa. A second Roman army has been landed, and the combined Roman
forces, with their Numidian allies, have defeated the Carthaginian and Hittite armies in
battle near the city of Utica. Carthage has, once again, been placed under siege, and in
146 BC, the city falls to the Romans. The Romans raze the city to the ground, sell the
population into slavery, and sow the ground with salt so that nothing will grow there
again. Upon hearing the news of the fall of Carthage, King Talmi Tesub III of Hatti sues
for peace. And, bearing in mind the fate of it’s armies in Anatolia, Rome agrees. The
Third Punic War ends.
150 BC--Death of King Telepinu IV of Hatti in battle against Parthia. He is succeeded by
Muwatalli V.
c. 150 BC--Metal coinage comes into use among the Celtic tribes of Britain; widespread
contact with continent.
148 BC--Death of King Muwatalli V of Hatti in battle against Rome. He is succeeded by
Talmi Tesub III.
147 BC--Death of King Eudamidas IV of Sparta. He is succeeded by Agesilaus III.
145 BC--Rome double-crosses it’s Numidian allies and annexes Carthage’s north African
territories.
141 BC--Wu Ti comes to the throne of the Han Chinese Empire. Wu Ti will be known as
“The Martial Emperor†because of his highly successful military campaigns.
140 BC--Han Chinese Emperor Wu Ti begins campaigning against the Hsiung Nu.
c. 140 BC onward--Political chaos in Rome. In the last hundred years, Rome has been
involved in numerous wars. Since legionaires are required to serve in a complete
campaign no matter how long it is, soldiers often are forced to leave their farms for long
periods in the hands of wives and children. As estates in this situation go steadily into
bankruptcy and are bought up by the wealthy upper class, latifundi (large estates) are
formed. When the soldiers return from the legions, therefore, they have nowhere to go, so
they end up in Rome, join the mob of thousands of unemployed who roam the city. As a
result, the number of men with enough assets to qualify for army duty is rapidly
shrinking, weakening the military power of Rome just as it’s empire is expanding,
requiring more troops to protect it. These unemployed men also occasionally riot in
Rome, and various demagogue politicians begin to see them as a potential base of power
to fuel their own rise to political dominance in Rome.
139 BC--Death of King Mithridates I of Parthia. He is succeeded by Phraates II.
138-125 BC--Zhang Qian, a diplomat during the Han dynasty, is sent from the capital city
of Chang'an (Xi'an) to create alliances with and develop a trading route to the West. His
success leads to the establishment of the first commercial land route between East and
West...the Silk Road. The Silk Road consists of several different branches that follow a
path of oasis towns around the edges of foreboding deserts and harsh mountain ranges,
and then reconnect in the city of Kashgar. Most trade is done over relatively short
distances by middlemen who receive a share of the profits; between Rome (the western
terminus) and China (the eastern terminus), goods are sold and bartered several times for
other objects as the traders make their way from one end of the route to the other. As
regional governments legally can tax foreign traders passing through their territories,
local factions periodically battle to gain control of commercial interests along their
portion of the Silk Road.
Although known as the "Silk" Road, the route transports and trades many other items
than the delicate and colorful silk. By these exchanges, across thousands of miles and
hundreds of cultures, the Silk Road opens up both East and West to new peoples, ideas,
and religions. At this same time, Buddhist and other missionaries and pilgrims begin
traveling on the Silk Road between India, Central Asia, and China. Musicians also travel
the route, which allows for a thorough, and at times surprising, dissemination of national
styles and cross-fertilization of instruments.
137-130 BC--Kushite revolts against Hatti. Encouraged by Roman agents, revolts break
out in Napata, Meroe, and Axum. The Hittite garrisons are temporarily thrown out, but
Hatti is able to re-establish control by 130 BC.
133 BC--Slave revolt in Sicily. Partly inspired by Hittite agents, the slaves of Sicily
revolt against Rome. Also in this year, Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus is elected Tribune
of the Plebs in Rome. Soon he starts to legislate on the matter of the homeless
legionaries. Tiberius manages to approve a law called “Lex Sempronia Agraria†saying
that the government will buy the land possessed by the owners of latifundi in excess of
500 acres. This land will then be distributed to soldiers upon completion of their service.
This will solve two problems: increase the number of men that can be levied for service
and also take care of homeless war veterans. The senate and its conservative elements
are strongly against the Sempronian agrarian reforms. They do not take much action
against them, because there is not enough money currently in the Treasury to reimburse
the landowners without disrupting other activities...so Tiberius is allowed to have it
approved but can not implement it.
132 BC--Death of King Talmi Tesub III of Hatti. He is succeeded by Zidanta V. Also,
with the new year, Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus is at the end of his term as tribune.
There is now no way he can protect his laws from being revoked (Tiberius still hopes to
somehow arrange funding for the land distribution, but if the laws are revoked, he knows
that will never happen). Therefore, Tiberius decides to run for election to an
unprecedented second term. The conservatives of the Senate are not pleased and soon the
situation becomes violent. Tiberius is beaten to death near the Capitol during an armed
confrontation with political enemies, led by Publius Cornelius Scipio Corculum, his own
cousin. Also in this year, the First Servile War breaks out in Sicily.
131 BC--Death of King Agesilaus III of Sparta. He is succeeded by Polydorus II. Also
in this year, a new set of laws, passed by the tribune G. Papirius Carbo, the leges
tabellariae, enacted secret balloting in Rome for the first time.
c. 130 BC onward--Pressure from the Yue-Chi (a tribe of Indo-Iranian or possibly Turkic
origins who had been defeated and forced to the south and west by the Hsiung-Nu back in
220 BC) forces the Saka tribes (tribes related to the Scythians who lived in the region
now called Uzbekistan) to migrate to the southwest. They fight the Parthians and conquer
the regions of Bactria, Gedrosia, and Arachosia, founding their own kingdom.
127 BC--Tibetan kingdom of Nyatri Tsenpo unifies the Tibetan tribes. Also in this year,
King Phraates II of Parthia is killed in battle against the Saka. He is succeeded by
Artabanus II.
124 BC--King Artabanus II of Parthia is killed in battle against the Saka. He is succeeded
by Mithridates II. Mithridates will enjoy a very long reign and be an aggressive king,
defeating the Saka and conducting wars with Hatti as well.
124-90 BC--Wars of King Mithridates of Parthia against the Saka. The Parthians under
King Mithridates engage in yearly campaigns against the Saka, gradually re-taking the
provinces which the Saka had wrested from the Parthians and forcing the Saka into
submission to the Parthian Empire.
123 BC--After a few years of political peace in Rome, Gaius Sempronius Gracchus
(brother of the murdered Tiberius) is elected Tribune of the Plebs. The conservatives in
the Senate soon understand that they should expect trouble from him. Gaius has similar
ideals as Tiberius, but he has had time to learn from his brother's mistakes. His program
includes not only agrarian laws, which state that lands should be taken from the rich and
given to the poor, but also laws that regulate the price of the grain. He also tries to limit
the number of years and campaigns a man is obliged to serve in the army. Other measures
he promotes include the creation of an extortion court to prosecute illegal appropriations
of money by members of the senate, and the awarding of Roman citizenship to several
Italian allied nations. All of this, of course, displeases the senate, which is very keen to
maintain it’s own privileges.
122 BC--Gaius Sempronius Gracchus runs for another term as Tribune of the Plebs--a
very unusual political procedure--and gets it, with the overwhelming support of Rome's
lower classes. During this year, he continues to pursue his reforms and to deal with
increasing opposition of the senate.
121 BC--The emperor Wu Ti of the Han dynasty defeats the Hsiung Nu after lengthy
campaigns. Hsiung Nu empire falls into civil war (it will collapse completely by 58 BC).
Also in this year, Gaius Sempronius Gracchus tries to run for a third term as Tribune of
the Plebs, with Marcus Fulvius Flaccus his colleague and partner. But in this year, they
lose and can do nothing but watch as all their laws are revoked by the new conservative
consuls (Quintus Fabius Maximus and Lucius Opimius). In order to prevent the loss of all
his work, Gaius Gracchus and Fulvius Flaccus resort to violent measures, inciting riots in
the streets of Rome. The Senate responds by tagging them as enemies of the Republic and
they eventually have to run. Fulvius Flaccus is murdered with his sons, but Gaius
manages to escape with Philocrates, his faithful slave. Pursued, Gaius commits suicide in
a cave where he is hiding. Following his death, about 1,000 men suspected of supporting
him are killed and their estates confiscated. The Conservatives in Rome think they have
rid themselves of the Gracchi and their revolutionary reforms forever...but they are
wrong. Also in this year, Rome annexes southern Gaul, which will now be known as the
province of Gallia Narbonesis.
121-101 BC--Campaigns leading to Han control of Hexi Corridor and victories as far
west as Fergana.
121-119 BC--The Great Wall of China is extended to the Jade Gate (near modern
Dunhuang, in northwestern China).
120-111 BC--War between Hatti and Parthia. In 120 BC, King Zidanta V of Hatti
decides to take advantage of the absorption of the Parthian Empire in it’s war with the
Saka to invade Mesopotamia. Thus begins a nine-year series of see-saw campaigns
which mostly brings neither side much advantage. But Hatti is able to re-occupy northern
Mesopotamia and hold onto it by 111 BC, when a treaty is finally agreed upon, ending the
war. Parthia retains southern Mesopotamia, however.
114-111 BC--The Scordici, a Thracian tribe, revolt against Rome, raiding as far south as
Delphi. They are finally defeated and forced north of the Ister (Danube) River.
113 BC - The migrating Germanic tribes of the Cimbri and Teutones make their first
contact with Rome. The Germans defeat a Roman army under the general Gn. Papirius
Carbo at the battle of Noreia.
112-105 BC--Jugurthine War. In 112 BC, Jurgurtha, chieftain of the Numidians, revolts
against Roman rule, beginning a war which will consume nearly a decade. The
Numidians are able to carry on somewhat longer than in OTL due partly to clandestine
Hittite support. But in the end, they are defeated, and Jugurtha is captured and executed.
111 BC--The armies of the Han Chinese Emperor Wu Ti destroy the Kingdom of Nam
Viet. China occupies northern Vietnam. The rest of Vietnam falls into chaos and splits
into competing city states.
109 BC--Death of King Polydorus II of Sparta. He is succeeded by Cleomenes IV. Also
in this year, the consul D. Junius Silanus of Rome marches with an army to face invading
Germanic tribes (Cimbri and Teutones). After diplomatic talks, the Germans make
requests for land and pay in order that they be enlisted as mercenaries to fight for Rome.
They are refused, and the Germans feel this was an insult. They attack and smash
through the Roman army, virtually annihilating about eight legions.
108 BC--Death of King Zidanta V of Hatti. He is succeded by Tuwanuwa V.
108-101 BC--Gaius Marius, as a result of his experiences in the Jugurthine War, makes
reforms in the army. He abolishes the old ranks of hastati, principes, triarii, replacing
them with the ordinary legionary. He also replaces the old hasta style long throwing spear
in favor of the new pilum. The cohort replaces the old tactical unit of the maniple, and the
old vexillium, or flag/banner, is replaced by the famous standard of the legions, the silver
eagle. This was done for those in the legions that are illiterate. He also renovates the pila
spears, using a wedge system so that the spear shaft would break after being thrown to
prevent them from being thrown back at the Romans. Most importantly, Marius decides
to ignore the property qualification altogether and to recruit with no inquiry into the
property of the potential soldier. From now on Rome's legions will largely consist of poor
citizens whose future after service can only be assured if their general can somehow bring
about a land distribution on their behalf. Thus the soldiers have a very strong personal
interest in supporting their general against the Senate and the "public interest" that is
often equated with the Senate. Marius will not avail himself of this potential source of
support, but in less than two decades Marius' ex-quaestor Sulla will use it against the
Senate and Marius.
107 BC--The battle of Burdigala pits Rome against invading Germanic tribes (Cimbri and
Teutones). It is a rout, and almost the entire Roman force under L. Cassius Longinus is
annihilated.
105 BC - The Roman armies of Q. Servilius Caepio and Gn. Mallius Maximus were
annihilated by invading Germanic tribes (Cimbri and Teutones) moving towards Italy.
104 BC - A new slave revolt breaks out in Sicily. It, like it’s predecessors, is crushed by
the Romans.
102-101 BC--With the newly revamped Roman army, Gaius Marius and Q. Lutatius
Catulus Caesar proceed to defeat the Germanic Cimbri and Teutones at the battles of
Aquae Sextiae and Vercellae, ending the Germanic threat to Rome...for now.
102-99 BC--Second Servile War in Sicily. Rome has a great deal more difficulty putting
down this slave revolt than it has the others (due partly to clandestine Hittite support of
the rebels), but is ultimately successful.
c. 100 BC--Rice and iron are imported into Japan by the migration of the Yayoi (related
to the Mongols), who also bring a new language and a new religion, which evolves into
Shintoism. Also at this time, India is mainly divided among the Sakas in the northwest,
the Andhras in the east and the Sungas in the south.
232-187 BC--At the death of Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire in 232 BC,
disputes break out among his sons over the succession, and the empire begins to break
down. The final collapse does not occur until 187 BC, when the last Mauryan Emperor is
assassinated.
207 BC--King Trieu Da reigns over the Nam Viet kingdom (northern Vietnam) with his
capital at Fan-yu. In this year he subdues the Au Lac kingdom (southern Vietnam). The
Trieu dynasty will reign over Nam Viet from 207 to 111 BC.
c. 200 BC--The Buddhist missionaries sent out by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka are making
converts in Central Asia, China, and southeast Asia. They are not making much headway
in India itself, however, where Hindu extremism still prevents the growth of other
religions in the region. Also at about this time, Germanic tribes (which had entered
Scandinavia as early as 2,000 BC and had been living in northeastern Germany as early as
1,000 BC), begin moving to the south and west, where they come into conflict with the
Celtic peoples currently inhabiting those areas.
200 BC - Destruction of Roman town of Placentia by confederation of Gallic tribes
(Insubres, Cenomani and Boii). Also in this year, the Hsiung Nu lay siege to the Han
Chinese Emperor at Pincheng; he barely escapes.
200-197 BC--First Macedonian War. Rome has not forgotten that Phillip IV of Macedon
allied himself to Hannibal, and in 200 BC, they take their revenge. Roman armies invade
Macedon, and over a three year period, Macedon is defeated. Cumbersome Macedonian
Phalanxes are defeated repeatedly by flexible Roman legions, culminating in the battle of
Cynoscephalae in 197 BC. After this disaster, Phillip IV sues for peace, and the Romans
grant it, imposing harsh terms...Phillip’s empire is stripped from him, and he remains
king only in Macedon proper. He is required to pay 1000 gold talents to Rome, and
disband his navy as well as most of his army. Rome annexes the northern and eastern
provinces (Illyria, Istria, Thrace) and restores independence to Epirus.
197-133 BC--The Spanish Wars. In the aftermath of the Second Punic War, Rome
annexed the former Carthaginian provinces in the Iberian Peninsula. After the war Rome
divided Spain into two provinces, known as Hispania Citerior (Near Spain) and Hispania
Ulterior (Far Spain). Both of these provinces are rich in silver and other precious metals,
and their governors do not hesitate to extort extra wealth from the local inhabitants.
During the Second Punic War the native tribes (such as the Celtiberians, the Turdetani,
the Lusitanians, and others) had vacillated between supporting the Carthaginians and the
Romans. Now they turn fully against the Romans. Supported by cavalry and armed with
javelin, sling, and short stabbing sword and wearing light armor, these fierce and valiant
peoples prove a major threat to Roman power in Hispania. The result is an ongoing
campaign of attrition, atrocity and massacre that will be an like an ulcer, consuming a
major portion of Roman resources for over sixty years, until the Romans finally subdue
the last of the native tribes in 133 BC.
200-195 BC--In Carthage, Hannibal Barca becomes Suffete and proves a successful
political leader. He forces state reform, reducing corruption and introducing new methods
of election. He also initiates programs to improve agriculture and increase trade with
Greece, north Africa, and Hatti in an effort to increase state revenues. But Hannibal’s
reforms lead the Romans to suspect that he is planning a Carthaginian resurgence aimed
at Rome, and Hannibal is forced into exile in 195 BC.
198 BC--Death of King Suppiluliuma V of Hatti. He is succeeded by Anitta II.
198-134 BC--The Han Chinese Emperors give the Hsiung Nu gifts & princesses in
exchange for peace. It doesn’t always work.
188 BC--King Agesipolis III of Sparta concludes a treaty of alliance with Rome, aimed at
both Macedon and Hatti.
195 BC onward--The annexation of Macedon’s imperial territories means that Rome now
has a coastline on the Aegean and the Black Sea...directly opposite the Hittite coast. This
does not make the Great King of Hatti happy. Until now, Rome has been a distant
rumour on the horizon, but now it poses a clear and imminent threat. Furthermore, the
ease with which Rome’s flexible legions pummeled the Macedonian Phalanx in the
recent war serves notice to the Hittites that their own army...which organized around a
Macedonian-style infantry Phalanx...is in danger of being rendered obsolete. Therefore, in
195 BC King Anitta II of Hatti sends agents in search of Hannibal Barca, the former
Carthaginian general who gave Rome so much trouble during the Second Punic War.
Hannibal is now a fugitive, on the run from Roman vengeance, and he eagerly accepts the
Great King’s offer of protection and employment when he is located by the Hittite agents.
The agents bring him to Hatti, where King Anitta hires him to reorganize and retrain the
Hittite army to fight that of Rome. Hannibal is very familiar with the Roman legionary
system of organization (having observed it in action over so many years), and oversees
the reorganization, re-equipment, and re-training of the Hittite infantry according to that
system. Hannibal is very impressed with the Hittite cavalry...always the strongest part of
the Hittite army...and makes very few changes in it’s organization or equipment. He also
retains the corps of foot archers, recognizing the advantage of fire support they provide to
the heavy infantry. At Hannibal’s suggestion, Hittite warships are also modified so as to
be better able to meet Roman ships on even terms in battle. In order to prevent the
Roman Corvus from being deployed effectively against Hittite ships, the decks of Hittite
warships are covered with a thin plate of iron...this will prevent the iron spike of the
corvus from fixing itself into the deck, thus binding the ships together and allowing
boarding to occur. A complement of marines and archers is also added to the crews of
the Hittite vessels.
195 BC--In the aftermath of the recent war between Rome and Macedon and the news of
the signing of a treaty of alliance between Sparta and Rome, the independent city states of
the Greek mainland which are allied to Hatti begin to feel threatened by Roman power.
The Greek cities, lead by Athens, appeal to King Anitta II of Hatti for an amendment to
the treaty of alliance between them to extend Hittite protection against Rome and Sparta
as well as Macedon. King Anitta agrees, and a new treaty is signed before the end of this
year.
197 BC--The coalition of Gallic tribes who destroyed Placentia is defeated by two Roman
armies.
191 BC--Death of King Artabanus I of Parthia. He is succeeded by Priapatius. Also in
this year, the Boii (a Celtic tribe living in northern Italy) are defeated by a Roman army
under P. Cornelius Scipio Nasica, son of Gn. Scipio and cousin of Scipio Africanus. The
Boii drift north into the Danube regions, where one of their settlements will eventually be
known as Bohemia.
191-185 BC--The Ligurian Wars, in which Rome subdues the piratical Ligurians and
Celts of northwestern Italy and southeastern France, who had been raiding Roman towns
and shipping in the region.
189 BC--Death of King Agesipolis III of Sparta. He is succeeded by Leonidas III.
Leonidas has ambitions for expanding Spartan power in Greece, and the new alliance
between Sparta and Rome will give him the encouragement he needs to act...
187 BC--Death of King Anitta II of Hatti. He is succeeded by Huzziya III.
187 BC-320 AD--The collapse of the Mauryan Empire in India leads to a “Dark Ageâ€
from the point of view of rulers and politics. India breaks up into small, warring states,
whose rulers leave little record of themselves. However, the period is a golden age for
art, literature, and commerce. For example, the 1st century AD will be a period of active
sea trade with the West, with fleets sailing annually from the Red Sea and Persian Gulf
ports of the Hittite Empire to India.
185-175 BC--The War for Hellene Freedom. In late 185 BC, King Leonidas III of Sparta
declares war on Athens and invades Attica, laying siege to the city. The Athenians
immediately invoke their treaty with Hatti and the other independent Greek states, and
King Huzziya III of Hatti sends an army under the command of Hannibal Barca to the
succor of Athens. The Hittite army lands at Marathon in the spring of 184 BC, and is
attacked almost immediately by the Spartans under King Leonidas. At the battle of
Marathon, the Spartans are defeated, and King Leonidas is forced to abandon his siege of
Athens and retreat back to the Peloponnesus.
By this time, the forces of the other allied Greek cities have converged on Athens, and
together with the Hittite army, they now invade Spartan territory. The Spartans have
fortified the Isthmus of Corinth, however, and the allies find that they cannot force their
way into the Peloponnesus. Hannibal considers an amphibious operation, but the Spartan
navy defeats a Hittite fleet in 183 BC and puts an end to that idea. Hannibal instead
conducts siege operations, and in 181 BC manages to breach the Spartan isthmian
fortifications and enter the Peloponnesus, where he lays siege to the cities of Corinth and
Argos.
At this point, Spartan King Leonidas II invokes his treaty of alliance with Rome, and
the Roman Senate declares war on Hatti in 180 BC. Rome demands that King Phillip IV
of Macedon allow passage of Roman armies over Macedonian soil, which the old king,
not wanting another confrontation with Rome, agrees to do under protest. Roman armies
move south across Macedon and lay siege to the Hittite-allied cities in northern Greece,
another Roman army crosses from Italy to land in the Peloponnesus in support the forces
of Sparta, and a Roman fleet joins that of Sparta off Corinth.
In 179 BC, King Phillip IV of Macedon dies and is succeeded by Perseus. Perseus was
enraged by his father’s meek acquiescence to the Roman demand for free passage over
Macedonian territory, and upon taking the throne immediate abrogates the agreement and
declares war on Rome. King Huzziya III of Hatti quickly signs a treaty of alliance with
Perseus, and by the end of that year a second Hittite army has landed in Thessaly to
support the forces of Macedon. The Macedonians under King Perseus and the Hittite
northern army under Crown Prince Telepinu move to raise the sieges of the northern
Greek cities in 178 BC. They meet the northern Roman army outside the town of
Pharsalus and virtually annihilate it, and then move north to capture the Roman provinces
of Illyria and Thrace (recently taken by the Romans from Macedon). But do not get very
far before news comes of the truce agreed upon by Hannibal (see below) and they never
enter any of the Roman provinces.
Meanwhile, later that same year, Hannibal leads the southern Hittite and Greek allied
armies to a decisive victory over the combined Roman and Spartan armies at the Battle
of Mycenae. Hannibal marches straight on Sparta, and King Leonidas (over the protests
of the Roman commander in the Peloponnesus) sues for peace. Hannibal agrees to a
temporary truce, sends a fast galley to carry the peace proposal to King Huzziya of Hatti,
who agrees but with conditions... Sparta must abandon it’s alliance with Rome, give up
any claims it has to territory outside of the Peloponnesus, surrender it’s navy and
dismantle the fortifications on the Isthmus of Corinth.
King Leonidas, upon receiving these conditions in early 177 BC, rejects the demands
and decides to fight it out. He is encouraged in this decision by the landing near Sparta of
another Roman army, under the command of Lucius Aemilius Paullus, in the final month
of 178 BC, and together, the Spartans and Romans launch a counterattack. At the Battle
of Argos in March 176 BC, the Spartan and Roman army is victorious and in the battle,
Hannibal is severely wounded (putting him effectively out of action for the rest of the
war). The Hittites and allied Greek forces retreat from the Peloponnesus into Attica,
pursued by the Romans and Spartans, who once again lay siege to Athens in April of 176.
Meanwhile, in 177 BC, the Romans had decided to expand the war, and enticed King
Massinissa of Numidia to attack the Hittite provinces in Egypt. A Roman army is sent by
sea to join Massinissa near the city of Cyrene, but the Roman fleet is met by a Hittite fleet
off the Cyrenacian coast. The Roman naval flotilla escorting the transports is defeated,
with nearly all of the Roman warships being sunk or captured, and then the Hittites fall on
the defenseless transports. 60,000 Roman soldiers drown when their ships are rammed
and sent to the bottom. And on land, the Hittite army defending Egypt makes mincemeat
of Massinissa’s army and pursues the tattered remnants back into Numidian territory.
In 176 BC, Carthage (which has been suffering from Numidian aggression and raiding
since the end of the Second Punic War, and which has obvious reasons to desire bad
things to happen to Rome) and Hatti agree on an alliance, and Carthage declares war
against Rome and Numidia. Together, Carthaginian and Hittite forces conquer Numidia
(Massinissa is killed in August 176 in battle outside his capital city) before the end of the
year.
Meanwhile, back in Greece, Crown Prince Telepinu and King Perseus of Macedon
have come down to relieve the siege of Athens, which they accomplish in July 176 BC
after winning a battle outside of Thebes. They are also helped in this by a Graeco-Hittite
naval victory over the Roman and Spartan fleets off the island of Euboea in June 176,
which allows a seaborne route of supply for the city to be opened. Roman and Spartan
forces retreat back to the Isthmian fortifications.
In the aftermath of the Hittite and allied victories of 176 BC, King Huzziya of Hatti
(who can see that the escalating cost of the war is weakening his empire) consults with
his allies, and then sends out embassies to Rome and Sparta, seeking an end to the war.
The terms he offers are as follows...1) Sparta to agree to guarantee the freedom of the
Greek cities allied to Hatti, in exchange for recognition of Sparta’s claims to the cities in
the Peloponnesus. Sparta can retain it’s alliance with Rome and retain it’s navy and the
Isthmian fortifications; 2) Rome to withdraw from Greece; 3) Carthage to be freed from
the conditions of the treaty which ended the Second Punic War, and to be ceded the lands
of Numidia (which had belonged to Carthage before the Second Punic War). Carthage
renounces all claim to territory in Spain and Gaul, as well as Sicily, Sardinia, and
Corsica; 4)Rome guarantees the freedom and independence of the Greek states which are
allied to Hatti. After some negotiation, these terms are accepted in early 175 BC, ending
the war.
181 BC--The Sardinians revolt after the Romans end the piracy of the Ligurians, but it is
quickly put down by an expeditionary force sent to Sardinia. It is thought that they
revolted because they were a part of the piracy.
176 BC--The Hsiung-nu attack eastern China. Also in this year, King Priapatius of
Parthia dies, and is succeeded by Phraates I.
175 BC--In the aftermath of the War for Hellene Freedom, Hannibal Barca returns to
Carthage, where he tries to stage a political comeback. He is murdered by a jealous
political rival (possibly in collusion with agents of Rome) later that year.
175-170 BC--During the War for Hellene Freedom, the non-aligned Greek city states of
the Black Sea Coast had tacitly backed Rome, supplying Roman troops and contributing
some naval vessels to the Roman fleet. And Hatti is also being troubled at this time by
raiding Sarmatians coming down out of the Caucasus regions to pillage and loot in
northern Anatolia. Therefore, in 175 BC, King Huzziya III of Hatti launches a campaign
to resolve both of these problems. Hittite armies move north and conquer most of the
Caucasus region, pushing back the Sarmatians and bringing the Greek cities on the
eastern shore of the Black Sea under Hittite control.
172 BC--Death of King Leonidas III of Sparta. He is succeeded by Eudamidas IV.
Eudamidas and the other kings of this century will pursue peaceful policies, seeking
closer relations with neighboring Greek States, as well as with Hatti. Sparta expand it’s
foreign trade as a result, greatly increasing the wealth of the Spartan state.
171 BC--King Phraates I of Parthia dies, and is succeeded by Mithridates I.
170 BC--The unhappiest party to the treaty which ended the War for Hellene Freedom
was King Perseus of Macedon. Perseus had joined the Graeco-Hittite alliance in the hope
that he might recover his former provinces in Thrace and Illyria, but did not. In 170 BC,
therefore, he attempts to entice King Huzziya III of Hatti into a joint war of conquest
against Rome (offering Hatti part of Thrace in return for Hittite assistance in recovering
Thrace and Illyria). Huzziya flatly refuses, and Perseus, in anger, declares that the
alliance between Hatti and Macedon is void.
168-164 BC--Second Macedonian War. King Perseus of Macedon decides to take back
the provinces of Illyria and Thrace, which were taken from Macedon by Rome in the First
Macedonian War. Roman armies move southward, and Macedon is conquered. Perseus
is finally defeated and captured in 164 BC. He is taken to Rome, where he marches in
chains in the triumph of the victorious general, and then is ceremonially strangled.
Macedon becomes a province of the Roman Empire.
165-147 BC--Wars of King Mithridates I of Parthia against Hatti. In 165 BC, King
Mithridates I of Parthia invades the Hittite provinces in Mesopotamia. He defeats a
Hittite army near the town of Opis in 164 BC (killing King Huzziya III in the process)
and seizes all of Mesopotamia within a year. He then campaigns against Syria and
Armenia (the former lands of Urartu, which have, for some time, been inhabited by
Armenian tribes under the control of the Hittites), but is unable to defeat the Hittite
armies in those regions. And the Hittites, despite repeated attempts to re-take
Mesopotamia, are not able to do so (due largely to simultaneous involvements against
Rome). A treaty recognizing the Parthian annexation of Mesopotamia is finally signed in
147 BC, establishing the borders between the two empires.
164 BC--Death of King Huzziya III of Hatti in battle against the Parthians. He is
succeeded by Telepinu IV.
150-146 BC--Third Punic War. Rome was not happy when Carthage was freed from the
terms of the treaty which ended the Second Punic War as a result of Carthage’s
participation in the war for Hellene freedom. She has watched with growing alarm as
Carthage has rebuilt it’s navy, re-captured a major share of trade in the western
Mediterranean, and Rome strongly suspects (correctly, as it happens...although the
Romans have not been able to prove it yet) that Carthage is involved in the ongoing
rebellions against Roman authority in Hispania.
In 150 BC, the Roman Senate decides to “put an end to the Carthaginian menaceâ€
once and for all, and declares war. The Roman navy defeats that of Carthage in 149 BC,
and a Roman army is landed outside the city, which is placed under siege. Carthage
invokes it’s alliance with Hatti, and the Hittites honor their agreement by declaring war
on Rome (desirous to prevent the war from expanding, King Muwatalli V of Hatti advises
his Greek allies to remain neutral, so long as they are not attacked by Rome. The Greek
States follow this advice, and Sparta also remains neutral). A Hittite fleet moves against
the Roman fleet off Carthage, but the battle is essentially a draw, and both fleets retire to
repair and refit. Meanwhile, a Hittite army advances along the coast from Cyrene toward
Carthage. It arrives there in 148 BC, defeats the Roman army besieging the city, and lifts
the siege. But although defeated, the Roman army is not destroyed, and the Romans have
been negotiating with the tribes of Numidia (which have not reconciled themselves to
being ruled by Carthage again), and many of these have declared for Rome. And the sea
route from Rome to Africa is still open. So the war in Africa continues.
Meanwhile, another naval battle is fought in the Black Sea, and in this one, the
Romans prevail. Shortly afterward, in late 148 BC, two Roman armies are transported
over to Anatolia from Thrace. One army advances on Hattusas, which they place under
siege, while the other moves against Sardis and Gordium (Gordium falls, but Sardis
resists strongly and is placed under siege). A Hittite army commanded by King
Muwatalli V is defeated near Hattusas, and Muwatalli himself is killed. The new king,
Talmi Tesub III, quickly decides to sue for peace with King Mithridates I of Parthia,
ending the war between Hatti and Parthia and allowing Talmi Tesub to concentrate his
forces against Rome, and a treaty is signed in April 147 BC.
In June 147 BC, the Hittite Aegean fleet defeats the Roman fleet, severing the Roman
supply route from Thrace into Anatolia. Talmi Tesub leads a new Hittite army into
Anatolia, and in successive battles, defeats the Roman armies besieging Hattusas and
Sardis. Defeated, cut off from their source of supply, and in a hostile country, both
Roman armies in Anatolia surrender in early 146 BC.
But in the meantime, the war in Africa has not gone well for Carthage and Hatti. In
mid-147 BC, a second naval battle off Carthage has lead to a decisive defeat for the
Hittite fleet, which ends the last immediate hope of cutting the Roman supply line for
their army in Africa. A second Roman army has been landed, and the combined Roman
forces, with their Numidian allies, have defeated the Carthaginian and Hittite armies in
battle near the city of Utica. Carthage has, once again, been placed under siege, and in
146 BC, the city falls to the Romans. The Romans raze the city to the ground, sell the
population into slavery, and sow the ground with salt so that nothing will grow there
again. Upon hearing the news of the fall of Carthage, King Talmi Tesub III of Hatti sues
for peace. And, bearing in mind the fate of it’s armies in Anatolia, Rome agrees. The
Third Punic War ends.
150 BC--Death of King Telepinu IV of Hatti in battle against Parthia. He is succeeded by
Muwatalli V.
c. 150 BC--Metal coinage comes into use among the Celtic tribes of Britain; widespread
contact with continent.
148 BC--Death of King Muwatalli V of Hatti in battle against Rome. He is succeeded by
Talmi Tesub III.
147 BC--Death of King Eudamidas IV of Sparta. He is succeeded by Agesilaus III.
145 BC--Rome double-crosses it’s Numidian allies and annexes Carthage’s north African
territories.
141 BC--Wu Ti comes to the throne of the Han Chinese Empire. Wu Ti will be known as
“The Martial Emperor†because of his highly successful military campaigns.
140 BC--Han Chinese Emperor Wu Ti begins campaigning against the Hsiung Nu.
c. 140 BC onward--Political chaos in Rome. In the last hundred years, Rome has been
involved in numerous wars. Since legionaires are required to serve in a complete
campaign no matter how long it is, soldiers often are forced to leave their farms for long
periods in the hands of wives and children. As estates in this situation go steadily into
bankruptcy and are bought up by the wealthy upper class, latifundi (large estates) are
formed. When the soldiers return from the legions, therefore, they have nowhere to go, so
they end up in Rome, join the mob of thousands of unemployed who roam the city. As a
result, the number of men with enough assets to qualify for army duty is rapidly
shrinking, weakening the military power of Rome just as it’s empire is expanding,
requiring more troops to protect it. These unemployed men also occasionally riot in
Rome, and various demagogue politicians begin to see them as a potential base of power
to fuel their own rise to political dominance in Rome.
139 BC--Death of King Mithridates I of Parthia. He is succeeded by Phraates II.
138-125 BC--Zhang Qian, a diplomat during the Han dynasty, is sent from the capital city
of Chang'an (Xi'an) to create alliances with and develop a trading route to the West. His
success leads to the establishment of the first commercial land route between East and
West...the Silk Road. The Silk Road consists of several different branches that follow a
path of oasis towns around the edges of foreboding deserts and harsh mountain ranges,
and then reconnect in the city of Kashgar. Most trade is done over relatively short
distances by middlemen who receive a share of the profits; between Rome (the western
terminus) and China (the eastern terminus), goods are sold and bartered several times for
other objects as the traders make their way from one end of the route to the other. As
regional governments legally can tax foreign traders passing through their territories,
local factions periodically battle to gain control of commercial interests along their
portion of the Silk Road.
Although known as the "Silk" Road, the route transports and trades many other items
than the delicate and colorful silk. By these exchanges, across thousands of miles and
hundreds of cultures, the Silk Road opens up both East and West to new peoples, ideas,
and religions. At this same time, Buddhist and other missionaries and pilgrims begin
traveling on the Silk Road between India, Central Asia, and China. Musicians also travel
the route, which allows for a thorough, and at times surprising, dissemination of national
styles and cross-fertilization of instruments.
137-130 BC--Kushite revolts against Hatti. Encouraged by Roman agents, revolts break
out in Napata, Meroe, and Axum. The Hittite garrisons are temporarily thrown out, but
Hatti is able to re-establish control by 130 BC.
133 BC--Slave revolt in Sicily. Partly inspired by Hittite agents, the slaves of Sicily
revolt against Rome. Also in this year, Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus is elected Tribune
of the Plebs in Rome. Soon he starts to legislate on the matter of the homeless
legionaries. Tiberius manages to approve a law called “Lex Sempronia Agraria†saying
that the government will buy the land possessed by the owners of latifundi in excess of
500 acres. This land will then be distributed to soldiers upon completion of their service.
This will solve two problems: increase the number of men that can be levied for service
and also take care of homeless war veterans. The senate and its conservative elements
are strongly against the Sempronian agrarian reforms. They do not take much action
against them, because there is not enough money currently in the Treasury to reimburse
the landowners without disrupting other activities...so Tiberius is allowed to have it
approved but can not implement it.
132 BC--Death of King Talmi Tesub III of Hatti. He is succeeded by Zidanta V. Also,
with the new year, Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus is at the end of his term as tribune.
There is now no way he can protect his laws from being revoked (Tiberius still hopes to
somehow arrange funding for the land distribution, but if the laws are revoked, he knows
that will never happen). Therefore, Tiberius decides to run for election to an
unprecedented second term. The conservatives of the Senate are not pleased and soon the
situation becomes violent. Tiberius is beaten to death near the Capitol during an armed
confrontation with political enemies, led by Publius Cornelius Scipio Corculum, his own
cousin. Also in this year, the First Servile War breaks out in Sicily.
131 BC--Death of King Agesilaus III of Sparta. He is succeeded by Polydorus II. Also
in this year, a new set of laws, passed by the tribune G. Papirius Carbo, the leges
tabellariae, enacted secret balloting in Rome for the first time.
c. 130 BC onward--Pressure from the Yue-Chi (a tribe of Indo-Iranian or possibly Turkic
origins who had been defeated and forced to the south and west by the Hsiung-Nu back in
220 BC) forces the Saka tribes (tribes related to the Scythians who lived in the region
now called Uzbekistan) to migrate to the southwest. They fight the Parthians and conquer
the regions of Bactria, Gedrosia, and Arachosia, founding their own kingdom.
127 BC--Tibetan kingdom of Nyatri Tsenpo unifies the Tibetan tribes. Also in this year,
King Phraates II of Parthia is killed in battle against the Saka. He is succeeded by
Artabanus II.
124 BC--King Artabanus II of Parthia is killed in battle against the Saka. He is succeeded
by Mithridates II. Mithridates will enjoy a very long reign and be an aggressive king,
defeating the Saka and conducting wars with Hatti as well.
124-90 BC--Wars of King Mithridates of Parthia against the Saka. The Parthians under
King Mithridates engage in yearly campaigns against the Saka, gradually re-taking the
provinces which the Saka had wrested from the Parthians and forcing the Saka into
submission to the Parthian Empire.
123 BC--After a few years of political peace in Rome, Gaius Sempronius Gracchus
(brother of the murdered Tiberius) is elected Tribune of the Plebs. The conservatives in
the Senate soon understand that they should expect trouble from him. Gaius has similar
ideals as Tiberius, but he has had time to learn from his brother's mistakes. His program
includes not only agrarian laws, which state that lands should be taken from the rich and
given to the poor, but also laws that regulate the price of the grain. He also tries to limit
the number of years and campaigns a man is obliged to serve in the army. Other measures
he promotes include the creation of an extortion court to prosecute illegal appropriations
of money by members of the senate, and the awarding of Roman citizenship to several
Italian allied nations. All of this, of course, displeases the senate, which is very keen to
maintain it’s own privileges.
122 BC--Gaius Sempronius Gracchus runs for another term as Tribune of the Plebs--a
very unusual political procedure--and gets it, with the overwhelming support of Rome's
lower classes. During this year, he continues to pursue his reforms and to deal with
increasing opposition of the senate.
121 BC--The emperor Wu Ti of the Han dynasty defeats the Hsiung Nu after lengthy
campaigns. Hsiung Nu empire falls into civil war (it will collapse completely by 58 BC).
Also in this year, Gaius Sempronius Gracchus tries to run for a third term as Tribune of
the Plebs, with Marcus Fulvius Flaccus his colleague and partner. But in this year, they
lose and can do nothing but watch as all their laws are revoked by the new conservative
consuls (Quintus Fabius Maximus and Lucius Opimius). In order to prevent the loss of all
his work, Gaius Gracchus and Fulvius Flaccus resort to violent measures, inciting riots in
the streets of Rome. The Senate responds by tagging them as enemies of the Republic and
they eventually have to run. Fulvius Flaccus is murdered with his sons, but Gaius
manages to escape with Philocrates, his faithful slave. Pursued, Gaius commits suicide in
a cave where he is hiding. Following his death, about 1,000 men suspected of supporting
him are killed and their estates confiscated. The Conservatives in Rome think they have
rid themselves of the Gracchi and their revolutionary reforms forever...but they are
wrong. Also in this year, Rome annexes southern Gaul, which will now be known as the
province of Gallia Narbonesis.
121-101 BC--Campaigns leading to Han control of Hexi Corridor and victories as far
west as Fergana.
121-119 BC--The Great Wall of China is extended to the Jade Gate (near modern
Dunhuang, in northwestern China).
120-111 BC--War between Hatti and Parthia. In 120 BC, King Zidanta V of Hatti
decides to take advantage of the absorption of the Parthian Empire in it’s war with the
Saka to invade Mesopotamia. Thus begins a nine-year series of see-saw campaigns
which mostly brings neither side much advantage. But Hatti is able to re-occupy northern
Mesopotamia and hold onto it by 111 BC, when a treaty is finally agreed upon, ending the
war. Parthia retains southern Mesopotamia, however.
114-111 BC--The Scordici, a Thracian tribe, revolt against Rome, raiding as far south as
Delphi. They are finally defeated and forced north of the Ister (Danube) River.
113 BC - The migrating Germanic tribes of the Cimbri and Teutones make their first
contact with Rome. The Germans defeat a Roman army under the general Gn. Papirius
Carbo at the battle of Noreia.
112-105 BC--Jugurthine War. In 112 BC, Jurgurtha, chieftain of the Numidians, revolts
against Roman rule, beginning a war which will consume nearly a decade. The
Numidians are able to carry on somewhat longer than in OTL due partly to clandestine
Hittite support. But in the end, they are defeated, and Jugurtha is captured and executed.
111 BC--The armies of the Han Chinese Emperor Wu Ti destroy the Kingdom of Nam
Viet. China occupies northern Vietnam. The rest of Vietnam falls into chaos and splits
into competing city states.
109 BC--Death of King Polydorus II of Sparta. He is succeeded by Cleomenes IV. Also
in this year, the consul D. Junius Silanus of Rome marches with an army to face invading
Germanic tribes (Cimbri and Teutones). After diplomatic talks, the Germans make
requests for land and pay in order that they be enlisted as mercenaries to fight for Rome.
They are refused, and the Germans feel this was an insult. They attack and smash
through the Roman army, virtually annihilating about eight legions.
108 BC--Death of King Zidanta V of Hatti. He is succeded by Tuwanuwa V.
108-101 BC--Gaius Marius, as a result of his experiences in the Jugurthine War, makes
reforms in the army. He abolishes the old ranks of hastati, principes, triarii, replacing
them with the ordinary legionary. He also replaces the old hasta style long throwing spear
in favor of the new pilum. The cohort replaces the old tactical unit of the maniple, and the
old vexillium, or flag/banner, is replaced by the famous standard of the legions, the silver
eagle. This was done for those in the legions that are illiterate. He also renovates the pila
spears, using a wedge system so that the spear shaft would break after being thrown to
prevent them from being thrown back at the Romans. Most importantly, Marius decides
to ignore the property qualification altogether and to recruit with no inquiry into the
property of the potential soldier. From now on Rome's legions will largely consist of poor
citizens whose future after service can only be assured if their general can somehow bring
about a land distribution on their behalf. Thus the soldiers have a very strong personal
interest in supporting their general against the Senate and the "public interest" that is
often equated with the Senate. Marius will not avail himself of this potential source of
support, but in less than two decades Marius' ex-quaestor Sulla will use it against the
Senate and Marius.
107 BC--The battle of Burdigala pits Rome against invading Germanic tribes (Cimbri and
Teutones). It is a rout, and almost the entire Roman force under L. Cassius Longinus is
annihilated.
105 BC - The Roman armies of Q. Servilius Caepio and Gn. Mallius Maximus were
annihilated by invading Germanic tribes (Cimbri and Teutones) moving towards Italy.
104 BC - A new slave revolt breaks out in Sicily. It, like it’s predecessors, is crushed by
the Romans.
102-101 BC--With the newly revamped Roman army, Gaius Marius and Q. Lutatius
Catulus Caesar proceed to defeat the Germanic Cimbri and Teutones at the battles of
Aquae Sextiae and Vercellae, ending the Germanic threat to Rome...for now.
102-99 BC--Second Servile War in Sicily. Rome has a great deal more difficulty putting
down this slave revolt than it has the others (due partly to clandestine Hittite support of
the rebels), but is ultimately successful.
c. 100 BC--Rice and iron are imported into Japan by the migration of the Yayoi (related
to the Mongols), who also bring a new language and a new religion, which evolves into
Shintoism. Also at this time, India is mainly divided among the Sakas in the northwest,
the Andhras in the east and the Sungas in the south.
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Still Wonderful
Again remarkable work continues. I see a period of instability for the Hatti with "control" of the more distant regions being a matter of interpretation. I would expect some retraction of their frontiers ere too long.
How you handle Jesus is going to be difficult. Could this be a TL where he is exiled instead of executed?
Still think the long term relgious effects of the Persian occupation of India would be a notch or two more. It would work both ways--the Zoroastrians would be impacted as well. Now there is a big historical debate about just how much of the Mithras cult derived from Persian religion. The most dominant opinion seems to be "some but not much". However in this TL Hatti is perched between Rome and Parthia. Could the Mithras Cult be butterflied into the Null Set OR take a different form perhaps a proselytzing offshoot of Zism?
Again remarkable work continues. I see a period of instability for the Hatti with "control" of the more distant regions being a matter of interpretation. I would expect some retraction of their frontiers ere too long.
How you handle Jesus is going to be difficult. Could this be a TL where he is exiled instead of executed?
Still think the long term relgious effects of the Persian occupation of India would be a notch or two more. It would work both ways--the Zoroastrians would be impacted as well. Now there is a big historical debate about just how much of the Mithras cult derived from Persian religion. The most dominant opinion seems to be "some but not much". However in this TL Hatti is perched between Rome and Parthia. Could the Mithras Cult be butterflied into the Null Set OR take a different form perhaps a proselytzing offshoot of Zism?
Another great Installment Robert, I too foresee an lot of internal and Rebllions in their further territories by the end of The Milenium. I can't wait to find out who the Hittite 'Pontious Pilate' and an relativley Hittinized culture in the Former U.H.K., How does Jesus grows up knowing that his Ancestors were kings know longer than Two hundred years ago? I'm still intrested in seeing an United Greek Ecuenme led either by Athens, Sparta or Epirus. Well that's all for know, Keep it comming.
Tom_B said:
Probably true...the Romans will probably be stirring the pot there, anyway, fostering revolts to weaken Hatti.
Tom_B said:
I don't see that. Jesus would be guilty of a "religious crime" (blasphemy) subject to jurisdiction of the Hebrew Sanhedrin. The penalty for blasphemy, without a doubt, would be death (probably by stoning...he certainly wouldn't be crucified). And, it should be remembered that the whole point of Jesus being sent to earth by God in the first place was that he be executed, to atone for mankind's sins. I don't see how the Hittites being in control of the province effects this at all.
Tom_B said:
Will have to look into that...sounds like a possibility...
G.Bone said:
Nam Viet was destroyed by the armies of the Emperor Wu Ti in 111 BC. After that, the various city states broke apart and the area was disunited for a good while.
[
G.Bone said:
They are members of the pro-Hittite Greek alliance, and took part in the War for Hellene Freedom on the Hittite side. They are much weakened from the time of Epirote greatness under Pyrrhus, however, so they are not very active.
G.Bone said:
Most of the allied Greek States have democratic governments. The cultural life is very lively. We can assume something like the earlier Golden Age period (Periclean Athens), on a smaller scale, but still vibrant. Of course, recently the investment the Hittites have been having to make on defense would have cut down on the amount of money available for patronizing Greek artists and philosophers. So probably there has been a decline over the past century.
G.Bone said:
Stiffening Sarmatian resistance as the Hittites moved out of the Caucasus into the open plains northward convinced them to halt their advance. The mountains are relatively defensible against horse nomads like the Sarmatians. But the nomads rule in the open plains.
Phaeton said:
Something like that is probably coming. I don't know if it will be one or two states...the idea of Athens accepting Spartan rule, or vice-verse, is difficult to accept. There is just too much bad blood between them. So maybe you end up with two states.
And of course, this assumes that Rome doesn't come down and swallow all of them up, which is a very real possibilty. Hatti is going to have a hard time staying independent itself in the next century, sandwiched as it is between Rome and Parthia...both hostile. It may not have the resources to continue playing the role of Greek protector...
Some more questions:
How's life in Mesopotania? (both in Hatti and Parthia)
Has Byzantium taken the aspect of a fortress town due to constant fighting?
Has many statues or academies been devoted in the memory of Hannibal?
Is there a ranking system in the Hattitian (or whatever they're called) Army along the Roman lines?
Has Hatti become more "militant" due to the series of wars it has fought? How has the civil infrastructure been affected by this? What about the massive amounts of widows and the idea of land ownership?
Ever thought to post this on google SHWI?
How's life in Mesopotania? (both in Hatti and Parthia)
Has Byzantium taken the aspect of a fortress town due to constant fighting?
Has many statues or academies been devoted in the memory of Hannibal?
Is there a ranking system in the Hattitian (or whatever they're called) Army along the Roman lines?
Has Hatti become more "militant" due to the series of wars it has fought? How has the civil infrastructure been affected by this? What about the massive amounts of widows and the idea of land ownership?
Ever thought to post this on google SHWI?