The Seleucid Empire was a Hellenistic state ruled by the Seleucid dynasty founded by Seleucus I Nicator following the division of the Macedonian empire following the death of Alexander the Great.
Seleucus received Babylonia and, from there, expanded his dominions to include much of Alexander's near eastern territories.
At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Kuwait, Persia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and northwest parts of India.
As a Diadochi faction, or successor faction of the Macedonians they share many common technologies, units and structures with them while also being Hellenistic.
The Seleucid Empire became a major center of Hellenistic culture – it maintained the preeminence of Greek customs where a Greek political elite dominated, mostly in the urban areas.
The Greek population of the cities who formed the dominant elite were reinforced by immigration from Greece.
Seleucid expansion into Anatolia and Greece halted abruptly in the early 2nd century BC after decisive defeats at the hands of the Roman army.
Seleucid attempts to defeat their old enemy Ptolemaic Egypt were frustrated by Roman demands. Having come into conflict in the East (305 BC) with Chandragupta Maurya of the Maurya Empire, Seleucus I entered into an agreement with Chandragupta whereby he ceded vast territory west of the Indus, including the Hindu Kush, modern-day Afghanistan, and the Balochistan province of Pakistan and offered his daughter in marriage to the Maurya Emperor to formalize the alliance.
Civilization.
To be expanded, since this civilization is under development.
History: The Seleucid kings invited Greeks, Macedonians, Galatians (Gauls), Cretans, and Thracians alike to settle in within the vast territories of the empire. They settled in military colonies called cleruchies (klēroukhia).
Effect: This unlocks the Seleucid expansion building, similar to Civic Centers for other factions. It is weaker and carries a smaller territory influence, but is cheaper and built faster.
Train settler-soldiers of various nationalities.
Min. distance from other Military Colonies: 100 meters.
History: Seleucid and indeed Successor warfare evolved over the course of the 3rd and 2nd centuries. Contact with Eastern upstarts such as the Parthians and constant revolts of peripheral satrapies such as Bactria caused the Seleucids to reform their military and change their tactics, specifically in the cavalry arm.
Effect.
At the City Phase, the Seleucids are given the choice of unlocking one of two sets of Champions: Traditional Army and Reform Army.
Traditional Army.
Silver Shield Pikeman
Scythe Chariot
Reform Army
Romanized Swordsman
Seleucid Cataphract
Name: Syrian Tetrapolis.
History: The political core of the Seleucid Empire consisted of four 'sister' cities: Antioch (the capital), Seleucia Pieria, Apamea, and Laodicea.
Effect: Allied Civic Centers are 20% cheaper.
Hellenistic Metropolises.
History: Beginning with Alexander, the Hellenistic monarchs founded many cities throughout their empires, where Greek culture and art blended with local customs to create the motley Hellenistic civilization.
Effect: Civic Centers gain double Health and double default arrows.
Marriage Alliance (Epigamia)
History: Seleucus I Nicator invaded the Punjab region region of India in 305 BC, confronting Chandragupta Maurya (Sandrokottos), founder of the Mauryan empire. It is said that Chandragupta fielded an army of 600,000 men and 9,000 war elephants (Pliny, Natural History VI, 22.4). Seleucus met with no success and to establish peace between the two great powers and to formalize their alliance, he married his daughter to Chandragupta.
In return, Chandragupta gifted Seleucus a corps of 500 war elephants, which would prove a decisive military asset for Seleucus as he fought the rest of Alexander's successors.
Effect: A one-time purchase of 20 Indian War Elephants from the Mauryan Empire.
Seleucid Empire.
Seleucids Emblem.
The Seleucid Empire was a Hellenistic state ruled by the Seleucid dynasty founded by Seleucus I Nicator following the division of the Macedonian empire following the death of Alexander the Great.
Seleucus received Babylonia and, from there, expanded his dominions to include much of Alexander's near eastern territories.
At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Kuwait, Persia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and northwest parts of India.
As a Diadochi faction, or successor faction of the Macedonians they share many common technologies, units and structures with them while also being Hellenistic.
Seleucus received Babylonia and, from there, expanded his dominions to include much of Alexander's near eastern territories.
At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Kuwait, Persia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and northwest parts of India.
As a Diadochi faction, or successor faction of the Macedonians they share many common technologies, units and structures with them while also being Hellenistic.
 |
| The Seleucid Empire became a major center of Hellenistic culture. |
The Seleucid Empire.
The Seleucid Empire became a major center of Hellenistic culture – it maintained the preeminence of Greek customs where a Greek political elite dominated, mostly in the urban areas.
The Greek population of the cities who formed the dominant elite were reinforced by immigration from Greece.
Seleucid expansion into Anatolia and Greece halted abruptly in the early 2nd century BC after decisive defeats at the hands of the Roman army.
Seleucid attempts to defeat their old enemy Ptolemaic Egypt were frustrated by Roman demands. Having come into conflict in the East (305 BC) with Chandragupta Maurya of the Maurya Empire, Seleucus I entered into an agreement with Chandragupta whereby he ceded vast territory west of the Indus, including the Hindu Kush, modern-day Afghanistan, and the Balochistan province of Pakistan and offered his daughter in marriage to the Maurya Emperor to formalize the alliance.
Civilization.
 |
| The empire at its greatest extent prior to the Seleucid-Mauryan war. |
Cleruchy. (Klēroukhia).
To be expanded, since this civilization is under development.
History: The Seleucid kings invited Greeks, Macedonians, Galatians (Gauls), Cretans, and Thracians alike to settle in within the vast territories of the empire. They settled in military colonies called cleruchies (klēroukhia).
A.D. Is A Free, Open-Source, Historical Real Time Strategy (RTS) Game: The Seleucid Empire.Click to Tweet
Under this arrangement, the settlers were given a plot of land, or a kleros, and in return were required to serve in the great king's army when called to duty. This created a upper-middle class of military settlers who owed their livelihoods and fortunes to the Syrian kings and helped grow the available manpower for the imperial Seleucid army. A side effect of this system was that it drained the Greek homeland of military-aged men, a contributing factor to Greece's eventual conquest by Rome.Effect: This unlocks the Seleucid expansion building, similar to Civic Centers for other factions. It is weaker and carries a smaller territory influence, but is cheaper and built faster.
Train settler-soldiers of various nationalities.
Min. distance from other Military Colonies: 100 meters.
Military Reforms (Stratiotikés Metarrythmíseis).
History: Seleucid and indeed Successor warfare evolved over the course of the 3rd and 2nd centuries. Contact with Eastern upstarts such as the Parthians and constant revolts of peripheral satrapies such as Bactria caused the Seleucids to reform their military and change their tactics, specifically in the cavalry arm.
Read also: A.D. Is A Free, Open-Source, Historical Real Time Strategy (RTS) Game: Romans (Republican).War with the Romans from the West and invasions from the Galatians also forced the Seleucids to evolve their infantry regiments to be more flexible.
Effect.
At the City Phase, the Seleucids are given the choice of unlocking one of two sets of Champions: Traditional Army and Reform Army.
 |
| War with the Romans from the West and invasions from the Galatians also forced the Seleucids to evolve their infantry regiments to be more flexible. |
Traditional Army.
Silver Shield Pikeman
Scythe Chariot
Reform Army
Romanized Swordsman
Seleucid Cataphract
Team Bonus.
Name: Syrian Tetrapolis.
History: The political core of the Seleucid Empire consisted of four 'sister' cities: Antioch (the capital), Seleucia Pieria, Apamea, and Laodicea.
Effect: Allied Civic Centers are 20% cheaper.
Unique Technologies.
Hellenistic Metropolises.
History: Beginning with Alexander, the Hellenistic monarchs founded many cities throughout their empires, where Greek culture and art blended with local customs to create the motley Hellenistic civilization.
Effect: Civic Centers gain double Health and double default arrows.
Marriage Alliance (Epigamia)
History: Seleucus I Nicator invaded the Punjab region region of India in 305 BC, confronting Chandragupta Maurya (Sandrokottos), founder of the Mauryan empire. It is said that Chandragupta fielded an army of 600,000 men and 9,000 war elephants (Pliny, Natural History VI, 22.4). Seleucus met with no success and to establish peace between the two great powers and to formalize their alliance, he married his daughter to Chandragupta.
In return, Chandragupta gifted Seleucus a corps of 500 war elephants, which would prove a decisive military asset for Seleucus as he fought the rest of Alexander's successors.
Effect: A one-time purchase of 20 Indian War Elephants from the Mauryan Empire.
 |
| Tetradrachm of Seleucus I - the horned horse, the elephant and the anchor all served as symbols of the Seleucid monarchy. |
Seleucid Empire.
Seleucids Emblem.
The Seleucid Empire was a Hellenistic state ruled by the Seleucid dynasty founded by Seleucus I Nicator following the division of the Macedonian empire following the death of Alexander the Great.
Seleucus received Babylonia and, from there, expanded his dominions to include much of Alexander's near eastern territories.
At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Kuwait, Persia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and northwest parts of India.
As a Diadochi faction, or successor faction of the Macedonians they share many common technologies, units and structures with them while also being Hellenistic.
If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:
About Giampaolo Rossi.
Excellent summary of a great game that does not envy anything to the best commercial strategy games. Regards.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting and participating in the blog Maia, greetings
Delete