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The Achaemenid Navy
SOME LETTERS FROM THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE
Μηδίζω! THE WORLD OF ACHAEMENID HELLAS
CHAPTER 7: DRAYA or THALASSA
KARNUTIKON BY C. RODHALM OF LEISKA(c.710-730 CE)
THE GREAT NAVY IS ANNOUNCED
CHAPTER 7: DRAYA or THALASSA
KARNUTIKON BY C. RODHALM OF LEISKA(c.710-730 CE)
THE GREAT NAVY IS ANNOUNCED
It was at that moment that King Congonnos declared his full intentions.
“The great kings of Old Parsha, gathering such great domains in their ordered state, were not content to let the world simply exist as unknowns. They had their great fleets, to carry their victorious arms over the seas, to protect their people from pirates and raiders, to bring to Babulon wealth unimaginable. They had their four great admirals, Sculax, Artamisha, Idobal, and Darios. They pushed the state of knowledge into the farthest seas, into the heart of India, into the depths of Scuthia, into the distantmost corners of Idon. It was only then that that they truly knew what threats lay outside their border, what impieties were visited upon other peoples, what disorder there yet remained to overcome. We shall not allow ourselves to be poorer than our forebears in this respect, now that we are come into our might and dignity. Our nation shall come to possess great fleets. Our kingdom shall have its own great admirals. Our knowledge and dominion shall extend into Africa, Brutania, the Amber Sea, and as far as the great ice that lies to the far north. Our peace shall reach all nations. So it shall be.”
All of his friends and great servants were amazed at the ambition that was being displayed, far beyond the aims of any king who had ruled among the Galetoi before, or those mighty kings that had forged the Carnuti into the paramount force of Iuropa. Those foreign ambassadors and petitioners who happened to be in attendance were astounded and fearful, having expected to find a crude barbarian. Instead, they found a ruler with the vision of the greatest conquerors that had existed to that point.
King Congonnos was already in possession of fine vessels under the command of Massala, Burdigal, and Darioriton, but these were insufficient for his goals. Most of these squadrons were tasked to protecting commerce from the rapaciousness of Sarmatic, Wangon, and Sardic pirates, and could not easily be spared for long voyages. Neither were all of these vessels suitable for the storm ravaged open sea. To achieve this goal Wentic, Tartic, and Hellenic shipbuilders were sent out to lesser ports and shipyards across the provinces. Great hosts of lumbermen were sent out to gather the timbers for these vessels, entire villages tasked to make the sailcloth, whole cities depleted of their smiths for the metal parts. The entirety of the Empire was at work on this great project, and it was three years before it was fully completed. When at last the fleet had been completed, however, it formed the greatest naval force the world had yet seen. Greater than Carthag, greater than Parsha, greater than the Hellenes at the very height of their own powers. And Congonnos looked upon this fleet, from a high window at Burgidal, and he was pleased.
“The great kings of Old Parsha, gathering such great domains in their ordered state, were not content to let the world simply exist as unknowns. They had their great fleets, to carry their victorious arms over the seas, to protect their people from pirates and raiders, to bring to Babulon wealth unimaginable. They had their four great admirals, Sculax, Artamisha, Idobal, and Darios. They pushed the state of knowledge into the farthest seas, into the heart of India, into the depths of Scuthia, into the distantmost corners of Idon. It was only then that that they truly knew what threats lay outside their border, what impieties were visited upon other peoples, what disorder there yet remained to overcome. We shall not allow ourselves to be poorer than our forebears in this respect, now that we are come into our might and dignity. Our nation shall come to possess great fleets. Our kingdom shall have its own great admirals. Our knowledge and dominion shall extend into Africa, Brutania, the Amber Sea, and as far as the great ice that lies to the far north. Our peace shall reach all nations. So it shall be.”
All of his friends and great servants were amazed at the ambition that was being displayed, far beyond the aims of any king who had ruled among the Galetoi before, or those mighty kings that had forged the Carnuti into the paramount force of Iuropa. Those foreign ambassadors and petitioners who happened to be in attendance were astounded and fearful, having expected to find a crude barbarian. Instead, they found a ruler with the vision of the greatest conquerors that had existed to that point.
King Congonnos was already in possession of fine vessels under the command of Massala, Burdigal, and Darioriton, but these were insufficient for his goals. Most of these squadrons were tasked to protecting commerce from the rapaciousness of Sarmatic, Wangon, and Sardic pirates, and could not easily be spared for long voyages. Neither were all of these vessels suitable for the storm ravaged open sea. To achieve this goal Wentic, Tartic, and Hellenic shipbuilders were sent out to lesser ports and shipyards across the provinces. Great hosts of lumbermen were sent out to gather the timbers for these vessels, entire villages tasked to make the sailcloth, whole cities depleted of their smiths for the metal parts. The entirety of the Empire was at work on this great project, and it was three years before it was fully completed. When at last the fleet had been completed, however, it formed the greatest naval force the world had yet seen. Greater than Carthag, greater than Parsha, greater than the Hellenes at the very height of their own powers. And Congonnos looked upon this fleet, from a high window at Burgidal, and he was pleased.
“Now, at last, we may begin.”
AN ACCOUNT OF NAVAL HISTORIES BY DAZETES OF BRENTESION (191 CE)
THE AKHAIMENIDAI
THE AKHAIMENIDAI
Now it must be said that, on the whole, the Akhaimenidai were not given over to intensive organisation of their naval affairs, being principally concerned with the governance of their existence territories in Asia proper, territories which could only be governed by vast armies, and also being in possession of districts home to well established maritime peoples who were more than capable of furnishing warships. Indeed, the Hellenes were the only foe in the west in the history of that imperial titan which necessitated the assembly of a truly potent armada, such was the plurality of islands and naval forces among the Hellenes, and though the Hellenes were for a time accorded a weak naval reputation due to their loss against the Persian fleet the many errors and inefficiencies of the Persian maritime doctrines suggests that the Hellenes had a clear chance of victory at Salamis.
The Akhaimenidai had no standing, royal war fleet of any kind. They were always reliant on the naval forces of their subjects, clients, and foreign allies in the event of a great need for naval activity, whether this was the poleis of the Phoinekes, the Egyptians, the Hellenes, the Araboi, or whomever else could be counted upon to provide battle-ready fleets at short notice. The Persian contribution to such activities was almost exclusively in the form of admirals and marines, and even a great number of their admirals were taken from their subjects, for example the famous Skylax or Artemisia, and this was necessary because lacking experience in military shipboard operations there would have been little point in appointing Persians to captain vessels.
This might seem strange given how many other of the important states of that time relied upon their navies to the point of practically doting upon them, but as we are all aware a properly constructed and maintained warship is worth a considerable amount of treasure, between the paint, the pitch, the flux, the wood, the canvas, the rope, not to mention the crew and military equipment. One would assume the annual cost of a warship of serviceable size and quality to be a talent per hull. If we take the size of Xerxes’ fleet at Salamis, a thousand warships all told, then we are to assume that the annual maintenance of a fleet of this size would have been equal to the entirety of Babylonia’s contribution to the treasuries of the Akhaimenidai. Then we must also take into consideration that a fleet based in the Great Sea could not also participate in activities and warfare in the Indian Sea, so that another thousand ships would have had to have been provided for by the royal treasury. The riches of the Empire might well have been able to accomodate all of this, but one can recognise an eminently grounded logic and practical mindset in deciding not to pay for the maintenance of permanent fleets in the eventuality of warfare with a nation that possessed a substantial fleet and who could not simply have been overcome with pitched battle and siege.
In addition, we can say that the Persians of the time possessed so much raw power that they had little need for the expense and time of organising fleets on a permanent basis. Yet we may say that they never felt able to extend their dominion to Karkhedon, or Italia, principally because of the strength of the navies of their potential opponents in these areas, despite the far smaller populations and resources of Sikelia, or Africa, or Italia, compared to the assembled might of Asia. Thus there were certainly limitations to what a haphazard naval strategy could achieve, particularly when we take into consideration how difficult it was for the Persian forces in Hellas to prevent piracy because of how many poleis tacitly supported such actions and because of how few attempts there were to police these waters effectively. The ineffectiveness of the satraps of Hellas to deal with this over time was certainly a factor in the rise of Amavadatos, who campaigned vigorously against Hellenic and Illyrian pirates that targeted shipping in the waters around Hellas. It is for these reasons that no grand Empire in possession of Asia, or with ambitions of controlling the Great Sea, has ever replicated such a light-handed strategy since those times, for although the expenses of maintaining well trained crews and top of the line warships are considerable their value is so important that they cannot be neglected in such a fashion.
The one notable exception to the general Persian pattern of naval profligacy was in their territories on the mighty Indos river. In the history of Akhaimenidai adventures into India, particularly those of Prince Bagadatos the son of King Kyros III, support of these expeditions by sea proved to be vital in any attempts to breach the frontier of the Indos. In addition to the standing royal fleet of the Indian Sea, the Indos was also the only significant river that formed a frontier of the imperial domains, so that a royal river fleet of some size and sophistication was maintained here, ensuring a swift movement of troops to respond to any Indian attempts to dislodge the Persians from the east bank of the river, and the ability to block any attempts at crossing the river from some sudden expedition of Indians. This proved an effective barrier to Indian incursions on the royal frontiers in this region, and this was only overcome with the overwhelming force of Agnimitre and his unparalleled cunning. The last admiral of this Persian fleet, Datemitra, is said to have travelled across the entirety of the Empire, from Samarkhand to Sardis, in order to serve King Amavadatos, and in turn helped to create the Istros fleet of King Vivana, though it is not truly known when Datemitra lived or, indeed, when he passed on.
The Akhaimenidai had no standing, royal war fleet of any kind. They were always reliant on the naval forces of their subjects, clients, and foreign allies in the event of a great need for naval activity, whether this was the poleis of the Phoinekes, the Egyptians, the Hellenes, the Araboi, or whomever else could be counted upon to provide battle-ready fleets at short notice. The Persian contribution to such activities was almost exclusively in the form of admirals and marines, and even a great number of their admirals were taken from their subjects, for example the famous Skylax or Artemisia, and this was necessary because lacking experience in military shipboard operations there would have been little point in appointing Persians to captain vessels.
This might seem strange given how many other of the important states of that time relied upon their navies to the point of practically doting upon them, but as we are all aware a properly constructed and maintained warship is worth a considerable amount of treasure, between the paint, the pitch, the flux, the wood, the canvas, the rope, not to mention the crew and military equipment. One would assume the annual cost of a warship of serviceable size and quality to be a talent per hull. If we take the size of Xerxes’ fleet at Salamis, a thousand warships all told, then we are to assume that the annual maintenance of a fleet of this size would have been equal to the entirety of Babylonia’s contribution to the treasuries of the Akhaimenidai. Then we must also take into consideration that a fleet based in the Great Sea could not also participate in activities and warfare in the Indian Sea, so that another thousand ships would have had to have been provided for by the royal treasury. The riches of the Empire might well have been able to accomodate all of this, but one can recognise an eminently grounded logic and practical mindset in deciding not to pay for the maintenance of permanent fleets in the eventuality of warfare with a nation that possessed a substantial fleet and who could not simply have been overcome with pitched battle and siege.
In addition, we can say that the Persians of the time possessed so much raw power that they had little need for the expense and time of organising fleets on a permanent basis. Yet we may say that they never felt able to extend their dominion to Karkhedon, or Italia, principally because of the strength of the navies of their potential opponents in these areas, despite the far smaller populations and resources of Sikelia, or Africa, or Italia, compared to the assembled might of Asia. Thus there were certainly limitations to what a haphazard naval strategy could achieve, particularly when we take into consideration how difficult it was for the Persian forces in Hellas to prevent piracy because of how many poleis tacitly supported such actions and because of how few attempts there were to police these waters effectively. The ineffectiveness of the satraps of Hellas to deal with this over time was certainly a factor in the rise of Amavadatos, who campaigned vigorously against Hellenic and Illyrian pirates that targeted shipping in the waters around Hellas. It is for these reasons that no grand Empire in possession of Asia, or with ambitions of controlling the Great Sea, has ever replicated such a light-handed strategy since those times, for although the expenses of maintaining well trained crews and top of the line warships are considerable their value is so important that they cannot be neglected in such a fashion.
The one notable exception to the general Persian pattern of naval profligacy was in their territories on the mighty Indos river. In the history of Akhaimenidai adventures into India, particularly those of Prince Bagadatos the son of King Kyros III, support of these expeditions by sea proved to be vital in any attempts to breach the frontier of the Indos. In addition to the standing royal fleet of the Indian Sea, the Indos was also the only significant river that formed a frontier of the imperial domains, so that a royal river fleet of some size and sophistication was maintained here, ensuring a swift movement of troops to respond to any Indian attempts to dislodge the Persians from the east bank of the river, and the ability to block any attempts at crossing the river from some sudden expedition of Indians. This proved an effective barrier to Indian incursions on the royal frontiers in this region, and this was only overcome with the overwhelming force of Agnimitre and his unparalleled cunning. The last admiral of this Persian fleet, Datemitra, is said to have travelled across the entirety of the Empire, from Samarkhand to Sardis, in order to serve King Amavadatos, and in turn helped to create the Istros fleet of King Vivana, though it is not truly known when Datemitra lived or, indeed, when he passed on.
THE WESTERN PURANA (c.500-700 CE)
KING ANNIMITTA CROSSES THE SINDHU
KING ANNIMITTA CROSSES THE SINDHU
The great host of King Annimitta was therefore drawn into three armies of his mighty warriors to affect the final crossing of the Sindhu, champion of torrents, against his enemies in Aparadesa, the milekkha peoples who sought to bring disharmony and barbarism to Jambudipa. The Army of Vata, led by King Vamaka of Sagala, was to grapple with the fierce men of the Balikas and Kandara, with their terrible lances. The Army of Ambha, led by King Rukkha of Soratt, was sent forth to challenge the unruly and wicked Kambojas and their horsemen. The Army of Bhumi was led by King Annimitta himself, arrayed for battle so finely that he was mistaken for a god, unwavering and noble, and they were to go against the mighty men of Parsa, under the King Koresh and his host of battle-tested warriors. To accomplish the crossing, the Armies of Ambha and Vata were to push across the fords of Salatura and Attak, whereas the Army of Ambha would first take the city of Patala, home to a thousand merchants, still occupied by the Parsa warriors of Koresh.
The walls of Patala were as tall as hills and as thick as palaces, built by the labour of the citizens over many years to withstand the depredations of Koresh, now turned against their countrymen by the machinations of the Parsa King. It was thought by the Parsa warriors under the apple banner that the city was invincible against any attempts to conquer it save treachery, and knew that they had prevented any such occurrence by the strength of their arms and the reputation of their might. Thus they were not troubled or disheartened by the approach of the army of Annimitta, both by account of the strength of their position but also the staunch bravery in their hearts. The siege was concluded within a single day. Tall ladders of strong wood had been carefully prepared by the artisans of Annimitta in advance of the assault against the great walls of Patala, and they were thus sent against the ramparts of Patala to bring regiments of the finely coated soldiers of dhrama against the foe. Then, as the walls were frought with battle between the many warriors assembled on the field, and with his own mighty blows, Annimitta smashed open the gates that were held fast against him with thick arjun timber, and no man could stand against this man wreathed in righteous glory, his crown shining like Jambu river gold. The city of Patala, with its magnificent ports, was at length overcome, and the crossings of the Sindhu won. Thereupon he and his armies came to the river fleet of Koresh, an assembly of tall masts and sharp bows. This had been intended to halt any crossing of the Sindhu, striking out from its thought-invincible harbour at Patala, but now it was overcome, and under the command of Annimitta.
SOME LETTERS FROM THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE
Good health to the King, my lord, from Nanna-Gugal. I am well.
As to what you wrote:
“In what state is the construction of the ships I ordered to be laid down?”
The labourers have been working well, under the supervision of the managers, and ten fine oceangoing ships have been completed. However, the wood shipment from Kislimu was late, which I am sure the King has heard from the foreman who received the shipment, and the last shipment of timber was not received at all. I have written to Dimashqa to see what has happened to the timber, and I am assured that the timber departed from the city at the appointed time. If the timber cannot be located, should I send for more from Dimashqa, or will it come from another location more swiftly?
As to what you wrote:
“Will these new ships be completed before the end of Shabatu?”
If the missing timber is replaced, the ships will still be completed by this date, the supplies of canvas, bitumen, nails, and other necessary elements are all correct and sufficient for the completion of the task. If the timber is not replaced swiftly, then the ships cannot be completed for this date.
The king’s word to Adad-Ibni: I am in good health, you may be glad.
What has happened to the logs that were to be sent to Nanna-Gugal for the construction of thirty new ships? Nanna-Gugal has said to me that the Kislimu shipment was tardy, and that he has still not received the next shipment. Did these logs leave Dimashqa speedily?
As to what you wrote:
“In what state is the construction of the ships I ordered to be laid down?”
The labourers have been working well, under the supervision of the managers, and ten fine oceangoing ships have been completed. However, the wood shipment from Kislimu was late, which I am sure the King has heard from the foreman who received the shipment, and the last shipment of timber was not received at all. I have written to Dimashqa to see what has happened to the timber, and I am assured that the timber departed from the city at the appointed time. If the timber cannot be located, should I send for more from Dimashqa, or will it come from another location more swiftly?
As to what you wrote:
“Will these new ships be completed before the end of Shabatu?”
If the missing timber is replaced, the ships will still be completed by this date, the supplies of canvas, bitumen, nails, and other necessary elements are all correct and sufficient for the completion of the task. If the timber is not replaced swiftly, then the ships cannot be completed for this date.
The king’s word to Adad-Ibni: I am in good health, you may be glad.
What has happened to the logs that were to be sent to Nanna-Gugal for the construction of thirty new ships? Nanna-Gugal has said to me that the Kislimu shipment was tardy, and that he has still not received the next shipment. Did these logs leave Dimashqa speedily?
Say this from Adad-Ibni at Dimashqa to the King Artakshartha. To the king, my lord, may Ahura Mazda and all the other gods keep you and Parsa in good health.
As to what you said:
“What has happened to the logs that were to be sent to Nanna-Gugal”
As I said to Nanna-Gugal previously, my lord, the logs were gathered and then sent on time, my own man and the King’s man were both there to witness the departure on the correct day. Perhaps Nanna-Gugal is just lazy and wishes to give excuses to my lord as to why the work has not completed. Or perhaps there has been some delay in another province involving the transportation of these logs, but I have not had anything reported to me about such things.
With this letter comes frankincense and Egyptian linen.
The king’s word to Phratarka: I am in good health, you may be glad.
Logs used for the construction of the Arabian Sea fleet have been delayed in reaching Nanna-Gugal and his labourers, have the logs been passing correctly through the lands you govern? If they have, have they been passing through speedily? Send your reply with this messenger!
As to what you said:
“What has happened to the logs that were to be sent to Nanna-Gugal”
As I said to Nanna-Gugal previously, my lord, the logs were gathered and then sent on time, my own man and the King’s man were both there to witness the departure on the correct day. Perhaps Nanna-Gugal is just lazy and wishes to give excuses to my lord as to why the work has not completed. Or perhaps there has been some delay in another province involving the transportation of these logs, but I have not had anything reported to me about such things.
With this letter comes frankincense and Egyptian linen.
The king’s word to Phratarka: I am in good health, you may be glad.
Logs used for the construction of the Arabian Sea fleet have been delayed in reaching Nanna-Gugal and his labourers, have the logs been passing correctly through the lands you govern? If they have, have they been passing through speedily? Send your reply with this messenger!
To the lord my king, from Phratarka. May all the Gods under heaven be watchful of your health and your majesty, I am well.
Regarding what you wrote to me:
“Have the logs been passing correctly through the lands you govern?”
I can also confirm the logs from Dimashqa have been passing along the roads here, there has been no trouble reported, no logs missing, nor have the attendants and their guards been lazy, their progress was swift and efficient. No whips were required. I did receive a request from Databazana at Tarqa for troops, however, because of some kind of disturbance. The troops have still not returned, but it was only a single detachment of local levies. What has transpired I do not know, but if there has been a problem that is where the route has been cut.
With this letter and messenger comes ten escaped prisoners from Uruk.
Regarding what you wrote to me:
“Have the logs been passing correctly through the lands you govern?”
I can also confirm the logs from Dimashqa have been passing along the roads here, there has been no trouble reported, no logs missing, nor have the attendants and their guards been lazy, their progress was swift and efficient. No whips were required. I did receive a request from Databazana at Tarqa for troops, however, because of some kind of disturbance. The troops have still not returned, but it was only a single detachment of local levies. What has transpired I do not know, but if there has been a problem that is where the route has been cut.
With this letter and messenger comes ten escaped prisoners from Uruk.
The king’s word to Databazana: What is occuring in your district? Phratarka has said that you have requested troops to deal with a disturbance, what disturbance is ongoing and why have you not informed me? Shipments of Dimashqa logs needed for the Arab fleet have been delayed passing through your lands, what has happened to them? Do you require assistance? Must I command the Gods to smite all of the men at Tarqa until somebody tells Artakshartha what is going on? Reply at once!
To the king of kings, my lord, who I am not worthy to trouble with my voice, may all the gods watch over your line eternally.
I regret to inform you, my king, that Databazana has but yesterday died, it may be that the swift messengers of the king have already informed you of this unfortunate event. I am Dagan-Bel-Ibli, the overseer of Tarqa, and it has fallen upon me to maintain the king’s order here until someone can be sent to take the governorship.
As to what the king my lord has said: “What is occurring in your district, what disturbance is ongoing?”
Starting in Kislimu, Arabs have been raiding the area for slaves, food, and good things, swiftly riding in to take these things and then making off. The governor Databazana attempted to bring these raids to a halt by paying off the Arabs, but he did so deceitfully, using counterfeited coins in order to affect the payment. The Arabs grew wise to the deception, and at the start of this month came back in large numbers. They have fought several times with the garrison and local forces here, and it was three days ago that they were repelled in battle, in which battle Databazana was fatally wounded.
As for what the king, my lord, has asked about the Dimashqa logs, these were seized by the Arabs during their plunder, but they did not take all of them, for soldiers of the king surprised them as they attempted to haul away the heavy logs. What they could not make off with we have kept in our stronghold, even though it is not the full shipment should I proceed to send it back en route now that the area has been pacified again?
To the king of kings, my lord, who I am not worthy to trouble with my voice, may all the gods watch over your line eternally.
I regret to inform you, my king, that Databazana has but yesterday died, it may be that the swift messengers of the king have already informed you of this unfortunate event. I am Dagan-Bel-Ibli, the overseer of Tarqa, and it has fallen upon me to maintain the king’s order here until someone can be sent to take the governorship.
As to what the king my lord has said: “What is occurring in your district, what disturbance is ongoing?”
Starting in Kislimu, Arabs have been raiding the area for slaves, food, and good things, swiftly riding in to take these things and then making off. The governor Databazana attempted to bring these raids to a halt by paying off the Arabs, but he did so deceitfully, using counterfeited coins in order to affect the payment. The Arabs grew wise to the deception, and at the start of this month came back in large numbers. They have fought several times with the garrison and local forces here, and it was three days ago that they were repelled in battle, in which battle Databazana was fatally wounded.
As for what the king, my lord, has asked about the Dimashqa logs, these were seized by the Arabs during their plunder, but they did not take all of them, for soldiers of the king surprised them as they attempted to haul away the heavy logs. What they could not make off with we have kept in our stronghold, even though it is not the full shipment should I proceed to send it back en route now that the area has been pacified again?
From the King’s Eye, Datapharna, to the king, my lord. I am well.
There has been attacks against the area by Arabs, those ruled by Ashila, worsened by the foolishness of Databazana. Few messages could be sent because of Arabs intercepting messengers, but they have now been defeated in battle, Databazana redeeming his foolishness by dying to protect the king’s lands. Dagan-Bel-Ibli has taken command in his absence, and has been effective in securing the King’s Peace. Before he took command he was able to save a number of my lord’s shipments from total capture by the Arabs. The situation is now likely remedied but the Arabs will likely need punishing to prevent a recurrence, particularly with such incompetent displays.
There has been attacks against the area by Arabs, those ruled by Ashila, worsened by the foolishness of Databazana. Few messages could be sent because of Arabs intercepting messengers, but they have now been defeated in battle, Databazana redeeming his foolishness by dying to protect the king’s lands. Dagan-Bel-Ibli has taken command in his absence, and has been effective in securing the King’s Peace. Before he took command he was able to save a number of my lord’s shipments from total capture by the Arabs. The situation is now likely remedied but the Arabs will likely need punishing to prevent a recurrence, particularly with such incompetent displays.
From the King to Dagan-Bel-Ibli say this: I am well, you may be glad.
As to what you asked me: “Should I proceed to send it back en route”.
Yes, send the remaining Dimashqa wood as quickly as you are able, so that the works for which they are destined is not delayed.
I will command the districts of Sirhi and Apadana and Shalbatu to send troops to your district. Take them, collect the necessary supplies from the quartermaster, and march against the Arabs so that they will not repeat a similar incident in the future. If they instead attempt to pay tribute or attempt to return things which they have stolen from the king, then message me without delay. When you have completed your expedition, message me immediately. Ensure that no further delays impact any shipments passing through your district.
As to what you asked me: “Should I proceed to send it back en route”.
Yes, send the remaining Dimashqa wood as quickly as you are able, so that the works for which they are destined is not delayed.
I will command the districts of Sirhi and Apadana and Shalbatu to send troops to your district. Take them, collect the necessary supplies from the quartermaster, and march against the Arabs so that they will not repeat a similar incident in the future. If they instead attempt to pay tribute or attempt to return things which they have stolen from the king, then message me without delay. When you have completed your expedition, message me immediately. Ensure that no further delays impact any shipments passing through your district.
TELEO or AKUNAVAM: END OF CHAPTER 7
- Daeres
- Word Count: 3.3k