The first century BC would be a time of great shifts in the status quo. Our neighbors will face civil war, imperial collapse, as well as imperial growth. While for the Gallic League the century will be mostly peaceful – though two short wars would be fought, the Reclamation War and Boefus’ War. But this bloodshed also brings to us the patron of one of our greatest songs, “The Valor of Medbâ€.
The use of ring mail for the army comes into wide use at this time, both as protection for warriors and their horses. Chariots and cavalry continue to make up the bulk of the army, though through the continued efforts of the Order of Teutates there remains a core elite force of warrior foot soldiers.
The League’s first Forum (the Forum Brennus) is built in Alesia – it will become the template for all later models. We’ll also see the introduction of both the mechanical reaper and the water wheel (although, there is some evidence that both had been in at least limited use on farms for over a century now).
Bebinn III will undertake the first census of the Gallic League at the end of the century to implement tax reform. The other major event of social significance occurs almost completely unnoticed – the birth of a boy named Yeshua in the town of Nazareth, to some he will come to be called Christ or Messiah to others The Prophet.
100BC: Moskon died in 102BC, reportedly at the age of 98 – which was no easy task for a king in a culture whose length of reign was often determined on how long his sword arm remained strong. He had no son to crown and no daughter to marry off and continue his line. The two years of in fighting that ravaged Dacia after his death came to a close when an 18 year old warrior by the name of Duras (100-56) defeats all other rivals (under the guise of peace talks he had the other warriors and self named kings meet – the agreement was that no warriors but themselves would be allowed near the talks. Duras had agreed to this, but he didn’t need warriors when poisoned wine would work just as well).
98BC: Even with the defeat of his enemies, Duras’ political stability was not ensured. In two years alone, he escaped over a dozen assassination attempts – several of them narrowly. His solution to this problem was war. War with the League had always proven very costly, his chances were better with the new Syracuse colonies but the League could never be counted on to remain neutral. His only other option was the Scythians – which, on the first day of spring weather, he marched an army to subdue. A state of war would continue for nearly the whole of the century, breaking out into open combat whenever Duras felt his opposition growing in strength.
96BC: Duras’ army (which still heavily relied on foot soldiers – as with the Scythians) suffers a costly draw against a coalition of Scythian tribes. He will end his war this same year, rewarding some of his warriors with the conquered territories.
90BC: Theodosios, in ailing health for the last two years, dies. With no children and seeing the end, he named his chief military advisor, Julius Romani, as his successor (90-67) who takes the name Julius Romani Theodosios.
Alexander II Balas dies. He is said to have fathered over a 100 children – none of which he claimed as his own. Upon his death, nearly every one of those children and satrap Alexander II had allowed to slip from the Seleucid grasp began clamoring for the right to rule the empire – in essence, the Seleucid Empire ceases to exist.
87BC: Julius starts to aggressively settle Sarmatia. He will found a city a year for the next five years.
83BC: The Sarmatians, seeing an endless supply of colonists pouring into their territory, begin to war with the Kingdom of Syracuse. They fair well in raids and ambushes but a major defeat along the shores of the Sea of Azov proves they are no match for a pitched battle. (In order appease several members of the Oghma and the Order of Teutates Brennus III sent a letter to Julius strongly stressing the need for a quick end to his war in Sarmatia.)
War breaks out again between Duras of Dacia and the Scythian tribes. This time his army travels all the way up the Vistula to the coast. Unable to hold on to these lands, by the end of the year Duras withdraws his army back behind his secured borders.
82BC: Julius Romani Theodosios arrives in Sarmatia to take direct command of his armies (an independent empire Syracuse may be but their ties to and the influence of the Gallic League was not to be ignored). He offers small kinglets to those willing to be allies, lies and deceit to keep those wishing to remain neutral fighting with their neighbors, and outright bloodshed to those in opposition.
80BC: Brennus III dies in Aibrean. He names his eldest daughter as the next High Queen, although, formally, this had to be ratified by both the High Council and the Oghma. Which it was, allowing Epona to be crowned (80-53). Epona will increase the number of Vates to 6 in her first year as High Queen and commission the construction of the (Forum Brennus) in Alesia (the complex will eventually include a Pantheon Temple, a market place, an open air amphitheater, and a Grand Hall for Gatherings). Construction will continue for the next 10 years with only a brief halt during the Reclamation War.
Alexander II of Egypt dies. His younger brother, Ptolemy IX Soter II (80-50), is crowned King in Memphis. His coronation doubled as a marriage ceremony, on the same day he weds his sister, Cleopatra V. Their attempts to produce an heir would be unsuccessful – if the rumors are to be believed, not for a lack of trying.
79BC: Julius Romani Theorosios concludes his war in Sarmatia. It was written that those not put under the enforced truce were enslaved and those not enslaved were killed.
With Palestine and Syria in order once more many awaited the day Ptolemy IX would follow through with his brother’s wishes and proclaim the Kingdom of Judea. However, Ptolemy IX had spent many years in Alexandria where Alexander II plan was not enthusiastically embraced. Ptolemy IX shared these views and reversed his brother’s proclamation. Though Jewish cities would maintain a high level of autonomy, they would remain within the Egyptian Empire – to ensure this, Ptolemy IX sent an army of 12000. It was led by Jarha, a fellow Alexandrian who through an illegitimate bloodline was also a Ptolemy (he was a descendent of Ptolemy VII Euergetes II who ruled Alexandria from 176BC-164BC).
78BC-76BC: The Reclamation War
78BC: In the chaos that followed Alenader II Balas’ death Epona took the opportunity to reclaim the rest of the territory lost during the war with the Seleucids. She started out from Kelheim with 12000 warriors, when she arrived in Pessinus she commanded a force of 55,000. The war would have been far easier with an enemy that had but one face, but in the power vacuum of the disintegrating Seleucid Empire up every hill, around every sand dune, and within each town there was a king to be defeated. By Samhain of 76 Epona had conquered a wide swath of land that concluded with the shores of the Caspian Sea. The urge to continue the war down through what remained of our long time enemy must have weighed on the High Queen’s mind for she sent reconnaissance missions deep into the unclaimed territory. She even sought council from the 9 druids and the Oghma. By the time the Oghma had come to agreement on how to advise the High Queen (which was to fight on and finish off the long time enemy) she had already taken the word of the 9 druids – she halted her army and consolidated her gains.
It seems nearly simultaneously both in Italia and Gaul we see the development and use of a breakthrough farming device, the mechanical reaper. Via trade routes and diplomats the idea is spread to the other Empires and by the end of the century it is in use wherever grain is grown.
67BC: Julius Romani dies, the throne of Syracuse passes to his nephew Gaius Julius Romani (67-46). His reign is peaceful and will send an expedition east from his cities in Sarmatia to find the source of the trade that has continued to fill the coffers of Egypt and Suleucid Empires.
62BC: Duras again marches his army up the Vistula, this time with the intention of keeping the territory. He battles the local tribes for the next 3 years.
61BC: After six years with no word on his trade expedition, Gaius Julius Romani sends a second – this one with a detachment of his best warriors (no evidence was ever found in regards to the first expedition, although, given the treacherous territory they had to travel through death by barbarians is the most likely explanation).
59BC: What Duras wasn’t able to complete through bloodshed he now is able to finish with fear. The mere mention of his name and tribes send whatever tribute will keep the Dacians on their side of the border.
58BC: Gaius Julius Romani’s Eastern Expedition reaches the Han Empire. Emperor Xuan (74BC-49BC) welcomes them and for the next two years many goods and information are exchanged.
56BC: Duras dies. His son, Duras II (56-50) becomes king and faces immediate war with the Scythians. News of the feared Duras’ death inspires the subdued tribes to battle for their freedom. This proves to be a task worth the risk, Duras II is not as daring or tactically minded as his father and thusly the Scythian tribes are able to win several early victories and much of the conquered territory along the Vistula.
54BC: Epona sends her son, Boefus to Breton. The Gallic League had always traded heavily with our northern cousins but over the last several years that contact had continued to drop off.
Boefus is greeted by Commius, the leader of the Atrebates (a confederation of tribes). From him we learned that in 67BC war had erupted on the island between four of the major tribes, the Atrebates, the Trinovates, the Cantuvellauni, and the Icini. The war began after the son of the Trinovates king tried to usurp his father’s holdings and join with the Atrebates. This had failed but it was nonetheless the spark necessary to inflame many years worth of blood feuds. Commius was in a very strong position in the south but his closest rival Tasciovanus of the Cantuvellauni had an equally defensive hold on a much larger territory to Commius’ north. Boefus knew that if the war was to end he would have to get these two to a table. Boefus would spend the better part of the year trying to get the tribes to put down their weapons and meet.
Gaius Julius Romani’s Eastern Expedition returns with carts filled with silks, spies, clothing, and porcelain. Joining them is a representative from the Han Empire, Jing Wu, who will tour not only the Kingdom of Syracuse but also the Gallic League, and the Egyptian Empire (he will return to the Han Empire in 49BC).
53BC: Boefus is finally able to convince Commius to meet with his enemies and arranged a meeting with Tasciovanus but it wasn’t meant to be. As they made their way to the meeting place they were ambushed by warriors wearing Cantuvellauni colors. Boefus was wounded in the attack and later died of those wounds. Before word could reach the League, High Queen Epona would also die. Epona’s daughter, Medb – though, only 14 – is crowned High Queen of the Gallic League (Although, the Oghma was unsettled on the issue of placing one so young on the throne, the High Council approved of the measure and the issue was closed).
52BC: In IuiI Commius arrives in Alesia. He expresses his regret for Boefus’ death and asks for Gallic intervention in his fight for supremacy over the island. The League, however, is much more interested in Boefus’ killers. With the blood rage that overtook the League after Breoga’s murder (323BC) the Oghma cried out for revenge. For once the High Council was in agreement, though this may have been due to the fact that 3 of the 9 were now of the Order of Teutates and saw Boefus’ death as a great dishonor.
51BC-46BC: Boefus’ War
51BC: It took the League an entire year to gather the necessary supplies and ships to make the crossing. In the mean time, Commius kept the Cantuvellauni busy with skirmishes. The Gallic armada sailed from Boulogne (war chief Orleos in command) and landed in the east, sacking the Cantuvellauni capital of Camulodunum. The town fell quickly and with Tasciovanus’ army busy along his shared border with Commius there was nothing to stop the League (though the absence of documentation doesn’t mean the absence of fact, nonetheless, there seems to have been little pillaging, indeed, most of the conflict was directed towards Tasciovanus’ fortified camps). By the following Imbolc, Orleos’ was supplemented by a further 10,000, bringing the Gallic force in Breton to about 25,000.
Out numbered and fighting on two fronts, Tasciovanus would hold out until Samhain, when he was capture in an attempt to retake Camulodunum. During questioning the leader of the Cantuvellauni denounced any ambush that killed Boefus. Before anything further could be learned, though, Commius slit Tasciovanus’ throat. Outraged and now fearing that there was more to this than mere blood feuding, Orleos attempted to take Commius into custody (Orleos’ suspicions would prove to be correct – it was Commius own men, dressed in Cantuvellauni colors, who ambushed and killed Boefus in hopes of garnering Gallic help against Tasciovanus). Commius would not be caught and would instead retreat to his own lands. When news of this affront was given to the rest of the Cantuvellanuni they joined with Orleos. For the next two years they battled Commius and although his lands would eventually fall he would still elude capture.
50BC: Ptolemy IX dies childless (two years after his wife/sister Cleopatra V). A deathbed whisper proclaims his most trusted general as his successor. Jarha immediately returns to Alexandria to take up the crown. He proclaims himself Ptolemy X King of Egypt (50-45).
Duras II dies (reports tell us that his hands clutched his chest as if struck by some invisible bolt – modern scholars feel this is an accurate description of a heart attack). His younger brother, Burebista takes the crown (50-32).
Though the water wheel and the water screw (care of Archimedes of Syracuse) had been in use for over a century helping to draw water from deep mines it is only in this year that we start to see them make an appearance on farmsteads. In about 10 years the invention had spread through most of the League, within 20 years it was in common use throughout most of the known world.
49BC: To ensure the safety of travelers and trade Gauis Julius Romani builds fortified outposts all along the route to the Han Empire – each tower is lightly guarded (between 50 and 100 soldiers) but is also equipped with a signal fire incase of a massive assault.
Emperor Xuan dies. His son, Yuan takes over the Han throne (49-33). Yuan would face increasingly larger numbers of “Barbarians†spilling over his borders – to compensate for this he undertakes a massive military build up. He happily welcomed the good news and trade that Jing Wu’s return brought.
48BC: During Samhain and Imbolc Commius would take his stories of the evils of the conquesting Gauls to the Silures, the Cornovii, the Iceni, and even the Brigantes. By the start of Lughnasadh he had gathered a force nearly matching that of the Gallic League and marched south to meet them in battle. The two armies would meet on several occasions though two bear mentioning (the first would occur in 47BC and place High Queen Medb forever in the hearts of our people; the second a year later in 46BC and will end the war).
The citizens of Memphis refuse to recognize the new Alexandrian King as their own. They promote the garrison commander, a general by the name of Necho – a well respected and fair man – as the King of Egypt (48-25)
Before the end of the year, the people of Thebes name their own Harrab (a popular nobleman) as King of Egypt (48-35). His position is further solidified when messengers from Nefer (an army commander monitoring the border territories) arrive in Thebes to inquire about supplies. Harrab returns the messengers with news on the political situation and asks for the young commander’s support (to entice things, Harrab offered his only daughter, Mintaka). Nefer makes Harrab wait an entire year but does eventually accept the offer.
48BC-25BC: The Egyptian Civil War would be fought off and on between the rival Egyptian cities for the next 23 years.
47BC: In Marta (March) High Queen Medb came to Camulodunum to gain first hand knowledge on the war. During her visit Commius would attack the city, his forces would eventually be driven off. Orleos would pursue but when both the attacking and defending armies had dropped over the horizon a new army of Iceni attacked. Medb conducted the army in Orleos’ absence. She was with the archers as they picked off the enemy from the ramparts, at the breach in the wall once the enemy had broken through (before nearly 30 of her Algiz pulled her to safety), and rode with her warriors as they drove back the enemy from the city.
Ptolemy X attempts a major assault on Necho of Memphis. However, several minor uprising flare up in Palestine the instant he begins to withdraw his army from the region.
Burebista of Dacia, unlike his father and his brother, had learned from Dacia’s wars with the League – more to the point, their defeats under the hooves of the League’s cavalry. He began training a cavalry during his brother’s reign – now he felt prepared to use it. For the next two years he would war with the nomadic tribes along the Vistula and steppes.
46BC: Orleos, riding with an advance party, stopped to water his horses at the River Legro. An enemy scouting party happened to be stopped at the same river. When the two groups saw each other they lock in combat. Orleos sent for his army as did the enemy scouting party send for theirs – it was two days of advancing, retreating, and maneuvering before Commius’ army was defeated. Commius was found afterwards, his back against a tree, an arrow through his skull.
Medb would not keep the lands as conquered territories and instead invited them to join the Gallic League. At the New Year Gathering of the Oghma in 45BC Medb presided over the induction of 24 new representatives from Breton.
Gaius Julius Romani dies. His grandson, Titus Gauis Julius Romani, will take up the crown (46-7).
Ptolemy X is murdered by one of his generals a man by the name of Shufti who assumes the Alexandrian throne (46-45).
45BC: Shufti is murdered by his personal guards, the leader of which was a man named Basti who claims the Alexandrian throne (45-37).
44BC: High Queen Medb marries Orleos (ten years her elder).
37BC: Shufti, who became more and more a victim of his own paranoia, is killed by a young solider within his ranks. The boy, who took the name of Ptolemy XI Alexander III, was the great nephew of Ptolemy X, would be king from 37BC to 5AD. From what we know he favored the cult of Horus and may have seen Shufti as his very own Seth to be slain.
33BC: Emperor Yuan dies. His son, Cheng, will take the throne (33-7) and users in a period of great corruption in the Han Empire.
32BC: Burebista dies. His nephew, Duras III will succeed him (32BC-27AD) – he is the son of Jepsum (Burebista’s sister) who married a prominent Dacian warrior named Cotiso. Under Dacian law, the child born of a king’s sister, when there is no other legitimate heir, will be the heir apparent. Duras III is 12 when he assumes the throne and already an accomplished archer of the realm. He halts the wars with the Scythians and secures the borders then turns his attentions to gentler pursuits. Great hunts are orchestrated and games, the grand finale being the archery contest (he will eventually invite warriors from other realms to compete in these contests).
29BC: Ptolemy XI begins a major campaign against Necho of Memphis. The removal of necessary units from Palestine and Syria cause these territories to instantly rise up in revolt. For the next 7 years they will remain mostly out of Egyptian hands.
25BC: Memphis falls to Ptolemy XI forces. However, eager to gain control of the rebellious territories to the north he sends peace envoys instead of continuing on to attack Thebes.
22BC: An agreement is reached between Thebes and Alexandria. Ptolemy XI will rule Lower Egypt and Nefer would rule Upper Egypt.
Ptolemy XI immediately sets out for Palestine/Syria to join his armies already trying to regain control of the region. He will spend the remainder of his reign in this conquest.
Nefer, taking advantage of the peace after so many years of conflict, encourages trade and drastically overhauls his Egypt’s infrastructure.
13BC: Medb dies, her death is labeled as suspicious – she had made many enemies during her reign by seeking advice from neither the Oghma nor the High Council but only from her husband (who had died 16BC). Though many accusations are made the matter is eventually dropped. Bebinn III is crowned High Queen 4 months after the death of her mother (13BC-37AD).
10BC: Nefer dies, his son, Socco takes the throne at Thebes (10BC-18AD). He will continue with his father’s efforts and rebuild several sections of the city which had fallen into disrepair – greatly improving the standard of living for many of the lower class citizens of Thebes.
7BC: Titus Gauis Julius Romani dies. The Kingdom of Syracuse passes to his son, Pyrrhus Titus Romani (7BC-20AD), an overweight glutton, who single handedly destroyed the peace between the neighboring empires.
Emperor Cheng dies. His nephew, Ai – the son of prince Kang (the emperor’s half brother) – takes the throne (7BC-1AD).
2BC: Bebinn III begins the first census of the Gallic League.
There is no exact date but it was within these last years of the century that Yeshua of Nazareth was born, a carpenter’s son whose name will usher in a new era of theology.
The use of ring mail for the army comes into wide use at this time, both as protection for warriors and their horses. Chariots and cavalry continue to make up the bulk of the army, though through the continued efforts of the Order of Teutates there remains a core elite force of warrior foot soldiers.
The League’s first Forum (the Forum Brennus) is built in Alesia – it will become the template for all later models. We’ll also see the introduction of both the mechanical reaper and the water wheel (although, there is some evidence that both had been in at least limited use on farms for over a century now).
Bebinn III will undertake the first census of the Gallic League at the end of the century to implement tax reform. The other major event of social significance occurs almost completely unnoticed – the birth of a boy named Yeshua in the town of Nazareth, to some he will come to be called Christ or Messiah to others The Prophet.
100BC: Moskon died in 102BC, reportedly at the age of 98 – which was no easy task for a king in a culture whose length of reign was often determined on how long his sword arm remained strong. He had no son to crown and no daughter to marry off and continue his line. The two years of in fighting that ravaged Dacia after his death came to a close when an 18 year old warrior by the name of Duras (100-56) defeats all other rivals (under the guise of peace talks he had the other warriors and self named kings meet – the agreement was that no warriors but themselves would be allowed near the talks. Duras had agreed to this, but he didn’t need warriors when poisoned wine would work just as well).
98BC: Even with the defeat of his enemies, Duras’ political stability was not ensured. In two years alone, he escaped over a dozen assassination attempts – several of them narrowly. His solution to this problem was war. War with the League had always proven very costly, his chances were better with the new Syracuse colonies but the League could never be counted on to remain neutral. His only other option was the Scythians – which, on the first day of spring weather, he marched an army to subdue. A state of war would continue for nearly the whole of the century, breaking out into open combat whenever Duras felt his opposition growing in strength.
96BC: Duras’ army (which still heavily relied on foot soldiers – as with the Scythians) suffers a costly draw against a coalition of Scythian tribes. He will end his war this same year, rewarding some of his warriors with the conquered territories.
90BC: Theodosios, in ailing health for the last two years, dies. With no children and seeing the end, he named his chief military advisor, Julius Romani, as his successor (90-67) who takes the name Julius Romani Theodosios.
Alexander II Balas dies. He is said to have fathered over a 100 children – none of which he claimed as his own. Upon his death, nearly every one of those children and satrap Alexander II had allowed to slip from the Seleucid grasp began clamoring for the right to rule the empire – in essence, the Seleucid Empire ceases to exist.
87BC: Julius starts to aggressively settle Sarmatia. He will found a city a year for the next five years.
83BC: The Sarmatians, seeing an endless supply of colonists pouring into their territory, begin to war with the Kingdom of Syracuse. They fair well in raids and ambushes but a major defeat along the shores of the Sea of Azov proves they are no match for a pitched battle. (In order appease several members of the Oghma and the Order of Teutates Brennus III sent a letter to Julius strongly stressing the need for a quick end to his war in Sarmatia.)
War breaks out again between Duras of Dacia and the Scythian tribes. This time his army travels all the way up the Vistula to the coast. Unable to hold on to these lands, by the end of the year Duras withdraws his army back behind his secured borders.
82BC: Julius Romani Theodosios arrives in Sarmatia to take direct command of his armies (an independent empire Syracuse may be but their ties to and the influence of the Gallic League was not to be ignored). He offers small kinglets to those willing to be allies, lies and deceit to keep those wishing to remain neutral fighting with their neighbors, and outright bloodshed to those in opposition.
80BC: Brennus III dies in Aibrean. He names his eldest daughter as the next High Queen, although, formally, this had to be ratified by both the High Council and the Oghma. Which it was, allowing Epona to be crowned (80-53). Epona will increase the number of Vates to 6 in her first year as High Queen and commission the construction of the (Forum Brennus) in Alesia (the complex will eventually include a Pantheon Temple, a market place, an open air amphitheater, and a Grand Hall for Gatherings). Construction will continue for the next 10 years with only a brief halt during the Reclamation War.
Alexander II of Egypt dies. His younger brother, Ptolemy IX Soter II (80-50), is crowned King in Memphis. His coronation doubled as a marriage ceremony, on the same day he weds his sister, Cleopatra V. Their attempts to produce an heir would be unsuccessful – if the rumors are to be believed, not for a lack of trying.
79BC: Julius Romani Theorosios concludes his war in Sarmatia. It was written that those not put under the enforced truce were enslaved and those not enslaved were killed.
With Palestine and Syria in order once more many awaited the day Ptolemy IX would follow through with his brother’s wishes and proclaim the Kingdom of Judea. However, Ptolemy IX had spent many years in Alexandria where Alexander II plan was not enthusiastically embraced. Ptolemy IX shared these views and reversed his brother’s proclamation. Though Jewish cities would maintain a high level of autonomy, they would remain within the Egyptian Empire – to ensure this, Ptolemy IX sent an army of 12000. It was led by Jarha, a fellow Alexandrian who through an illegitimate bloodline was also a Ptolemy (he was a descendent of Ptolemy VII Euergetes II who ruled Alexandria from 176BC-164BC).
78BC-76BC: The Reclamation War
78BC: In the chaos that followed Alenader II Balas’ death Epona took the opportunity to reclaim the rest of the territory lost during the war with the Seleucids. She started out from Kelheim with 12000 warriors, when she arrived in Pessinus she commanded a force of 55,000. The war would have been far easier with an enemy that had but one face, but in the power vacuum of the disintegrating Seleucid Empire up every hill, around every sand dune, and within each town there was a king to be defeated. By Samhain of 76 Epona had conquered a wide swath of land that concluded with the shores of the Caspian Sea. The urge to continue the war down through what remained of our long time enemy must have weighed on the High Queen’s mind for she sent reconnaissance missions deep into the unclaimed territory. She even sought council from the 9 druids and the Oghma. By the time the Oghma had come to agreement on how to advise the High Queen (which was to fight on and finish off the long time enemy) she had already taken the word of the 9 druids – she halted her army and consolidated her gains.
It seems nearly simultaneously both in Italia and Gaul we see the development and use of a breakthrough farming device, the mechanical reaper. Via trade routes and diplomats the idea is spread to the other Empires and by the end of the century it is in use wherever grain is grown.
67BC: Julius Romani dies, the throne of Syracuse passes to his nephew Gaius Julius Romani (67-46). His reign is peaceful and will send an expedition east from his cities in Sarmatia to find the source of the trade that has continued to fill the coffers of Egypt and Suleucid Empires.
62BC: Duras again marches his army up the Vistula, this time with the intention of keeping the territory. He battles the local tribes for the next 3 years.
61BC: After six years with no word on his trade expedition, Gaius Julius Romani sends a second – this one with a detachment of his best warriors (no evidence was ever found in regards to the first expedition, although, given the treacherous territory they had to travel through death by barbarians is the most likely explanation).
59BC: What Duras wasn’t able to complete through bloodshed he now is able to finish with fear. The mere mention of his name and tribes send whatever tribute will keep the Dacians on their side of the border.
58BC: Gaius Julius Romani’s Eastern Expedition reaches the Han Empire. Emperor Xuan (74BC-49BC) welcomes them and for the next two years many goods and information are exchanged.
56BC: Duras dies. His son, Duras II (56-50) becomes king and faces immediate war with the Scythians. News of the feared Duras’ death inspires the subdued tribes to battle for their freedom. This proves to be a task worth the risk, Duras II is not as daring or tactically minded as his father and thusly the Scythian tribes are able to win several early victories and much of the conquered territory along the Vistula.
54BC: Epona sends her son, Boefus to Breton. The Gallic League had always traded heavily with our northern cousins but over the last several years that contact had continued to drop off.
Boefus is greeted by Commius, the leader of the Atrebates (a confederation of tribes). From him we learned that in 67BC war had erupted on the island between four of the major tribes, the Atrebates, the Trinovates, the Cantuvellauni, and the Icini. The war began after the son of the Trinovates king tried to usurp his father’s holdings and join with the Atrebates. This had failed but it was nonetheless the spark necessary to inflame many years worth of blood feuds. Commius was in a very strong position in the south but his closest rival Tasciovanus of the Cantuvellauni had an equally defensive hold on a much larger territory to Commius’ north. Boefus knew that if the war was to end he would have to get these two to a table. Boefus would spend the better part of the year trying to get the tribes to put down their weapons and meet.
Gaius Julius Romani’s Eastern Expedition returns with carts filled with silks, spies, clothing, and porcelain. Joining them is a representative from the Han Empire, Jing Wu, who will tour not only the Kingdom of Syracuse but also the Gallic League, and the Egyptian Empire (he will return to the Han Empire in 49BC).
53BC: Boefus is finally able to convince Commius to meet with his enemies and arranged a meeting with Tasciovanus but it wasn’t meant to be. As they made their way to the meeting place they were ambushed by warriors wearing Cantuvellauni colors. Boefus was wounded in the attack and later died of those wounds. Before word could reach the League, High Queen Epona would also die. Epona’s daughter, Medb – though, only 14 – is crowned High Queen of the Gallic League (Although, the Oghma was unsettled on the issue of placing one so young on the throne, the High Council approved of the measure and the issue was closed).
52BC: In IuiI Commius arrives in Alesia. He expresses his regret for Boefus’ death and asks for Gallic intervention in his fight for supremacy over the island. The League, however, is much more interested in Boefus’ killers. With the blood rage that overtook the League after Breoga’s murder (323BC) the Oghma cried out for revenge. For once the High Council was in agreement, though this may have been due to the fact that 3 of the 9 were now of the Order of Teutates and saw Boefus’ death as a great dishonor.
51BC-46BC: Boefus’ War
51BC: It took the League an entire year to gather the necessary supplies and ships to make the crossing. In the mean time, Commius kept the Cantuvellauni busy with skirmishes. The Gallic armada sailed from Boulogne (war chief Orleos in command) and landed in the east, sacking the Cantuvellauni capital of Camulodunum. The town fell quickly and with Tasciovanus’ army busy along his shared border with Commius there was nothing to stop the League (though the absence of documentation doesn’t mean the absence of fact, nonetheless, there seems to have been little pillaging, indeed, most of the conflict was directed towards Tasciovanus’ fortified camps). By the following Imbolc, Orleos’ was supplemented by a further 10,000, bringing the Gallic force in Breton to about 25,000.
Out numbered and fighting on two fronts, Tasciovanus would hold out until Samhain, when he was capture in an attempt to retake Camulodunum. During questioning the leader of the Cantuvellauni denounced any ambush that killed Boefus. Before anything further could be learned, though, Commius slit Tasciovanus’ throat. Outraged and now fearing that there was more to this than mere blood feuding, Orleos attempted to take Commius into custody (Orleos’ suspicions would prove to be correct – it was Commius own men, dressed in Cantuvellauni colors, who ambushed and killed Boefus in hopes of garnering Gallic help against Tasciovanus). Commius would not be caught and would instead retreat to his own lands. When news of this affront was given to the rest of the Cantuvellanuni they joined with Orleos. For the next two years they battled Commius and although his lands would eventually fall he would still elude capture.
50BC: Ptolemy IX dies childless (two years after his wife/sister Cleopatra V). A deathbed whisper proclaims his most trusted general as his successor. Jarha immediately returns to Alexandria to take up the crown. He proclaims himself Ptolemy X King of Egypt (50-45).
Duras II dies (reports tell us that his hands clutched his chest as if struck by some invisible bolt – modern scholars feel this is an accurate description of a heart attack). His younger brother, Burebista takes the crown (50-32).
Though the water wheel and the water screw (care of Archimedes of Syracuse) had been in use for over a century helping to draw water from deep mines it is only in this year that we start to see them make an appearance on farmsteads. In about 10 years the invention had spread through most of the League, within 20 years it was in common use throughout most of the known world.
49BC: To ensure the safety of travelers and trade Gauis Julius Romani builds fortified outposts all along the route to the Han Empire – each tower is lightly guarded (between 50 and 100 soldiers) but is also equipped with a signal fire incase of a massive assault.
Emperor Xuan dies. His son, Yuan takes over the Han throne (49-33). Yuan would face increasingly larger numbers of “Barbarians†spilling over his borders – to compensate for this he undertakes a massive military build up. He happily welcomed the good news and trade that Jing Wu’s return brought.
48BC: During Samhain and Imbolc Commius would take his stories of the evils of the conquesting Gauls to the Silures, the Cornovii, the Iceni, and even the Brigantes. By the start of Lughnasadh he had gathered a force nearly matching that of the Gallic League and marched south to meet them in battle. The two armies would meet on several occasions though two bear mentioning (the first would occur in 47BC and place High Queen Medb forever in the hearts of our people; the second a year later in 46BC and will end the war).
The citizens of Memphis refuse to recognize the new Alexandrian King as their own. They promote the garrison commander, a general by the name of Necho – a well respected and fair man – as the King of Egypt (48-25)
Before the end of the year, the people of Thebes name their own Harrab (a popular nobleman) as King of Egypt (48-35). His position is further solidified when messengers from Nefer (an army commander monitoring the border territories) arrive in Thebes to inquire about supplies. Harrab returns the messengers with news on the political situation and asks for the young commander’s support (to entice things, Harrab offered his only daughter, Mintaka). Nefer makes Harrab wait an entire year but does eventually accept the offer.
48BC-25BC: The Egyptian Civil War would be fought off and on between the rival Egyptian cities for the next 23 years.
47BC: In Marta (March) High Queen Medb came to Camulodunum to gain first hand knowledge on the war. During her visit Commius would attack the city, his forces would eventually be driven off. Orleos would pursue but when both the attacking and defending armies had dropped over the horizon a new army of Iceni attacked. Medb conducted the army in Orleos’ absence. She was with the archers as they picked off the enemy from the ramparts, at the breach in the wall once the enemy had broken through (before nearly 30 of her Algiz pulled her to safety), and rode with her warriors as they drove back the enemy from the city.
Ptolemy X attempts a major assault on Necho of Memphis. However, several minor uprising flare up in Palestine the instant he begins to withdraw his army from the region.
Burebista of Dacia, unlike his father and his brother, had learned from Dacia’s wars with the League – more to the point, their defeats under the hooves of the League’s cavalry. He began training a cavalry during his brother’s reign – now he felt prepared to use it. For the next two years he would war with the nomadic tribes along the Vistula and steppes.
46BC: Orleos, riding with an advance party, stopped to water his horses at the River Legro. An enemy scouting party happened to be stopped at the same river. When the two groups saw each other they lock in combat. Orleos sent for his army as did the enemy scouting party send for theirs – it was two days of advancing, retreating, and maneuvering before Commius’ army was defeated. Commius was found afterwards, his back against a tree, an arrow through his skull.
Medb would not keep the lands as conquered territories and instead invited them to join the Gallic League. At the New Year Gathering of the Oghma in 45BC Medb presided over the induction of 24 new representatives from Breton.
Gaius Julius Romani dies. His grandson, Titus Gauis Julius Romani, will take up the crown (46-7).
Ptolemy X is murdered by one of his generals a man by the name of Shufti who assumes the Alexandrian throne (46-45).
45BC: Shufti is murdered by his personal guards, the leader of which was a man named Basti who claims the Alexandrian throne (45-37).
44BC: High Queen Medb marries Orleos (ten years her elder).
37BC: Shufti, who became more and more a victim of his own paranoia, is killed by a young solider within his ranks. The boy, who took the name of Ptolemy XI Alexander III, was the great nephew of Ptolemy X, would be king from 37BC to 5AD. From what we know he favored the cult of Horus and may have seen Shufti as his very own Seth to be slain.
33BC: Emperor Yuan dies. His son, Cheng, will take the throne (33-7) and users in a period of great corruption in the Han Empire.
32BC: Burebista dies. His nephew, Duras III will succeed him (32BC-27AD) – he is the son of Jepsum (Burebista’s sister) who married a prominent Dacian warrior named Cotiso. Under Dacian law, the child born of a king’s sister, when there is no other legitimate heir, will be the heir apparent. Duras III is 12 when he assumes the throne and already an accomplished archer of the realm. He halts the wars with the Scythians and secures the borders then turns his attentions to gentler pursuits. Great hunts are orchestrated and games, the grand finale being the archery contest (he will eventually invite warriors from other realms to compete in these contests).
29BC: Ptolemy XI begins a major campaign against Necho of Memphis. The removal of necessary units from Palestine and Syria cause these territories to instantly rise up in revolt. For the next 7 years they will remain mostly out of Egyptian hands.
25BC: Memphis falls to Ptolemy XI forces. However, eager to gain control of the rebellious territories to the north he sends peace envoys instead of continuing on to attack Thebes.
22BC: An agreement is reached between Thebes and Alexandria. Ptolemy XI will rule Lower Egypt and Nefer would rule Upper Egypt.
Ptolemy XI immediately sets out for Palestine/Syria to join his armies already trying to regain control of the region. He will spend the remainder of his reign in this conquest.
Nefer, taking advantage of the peace after so many years of conflict, encourages trade and drastically overhauls his Egypt’s infrastructure.
13BC: Medb dies, her death is labeled as suspicious – she had made many enemies during her reign by seeking advice from neither the Oghma nor the High Council but only from her husband (who had died 16BC). Though many accusations are made the matter is eventually dropped. Bebinn III is crowned High Queen 4 months after the death of her mother (13BC-37AD).
10BC: Nefer dies, his son, Socco takes the throne at Thebes (10BC-18AD). He will continue with his father’s efforts and rebuild several sections of the city which had fallen into disrepair – greatly improving the standard of living for many of the lower class citizens of Thebes.
7BC: Titus Gauis Julius Romani dies. The Kingdom of Syracuse passes to his son, Pyrrhus Titus Romani (7BC-20AD), an overweight glutton, who single handedly destroyed the peace between the neighboring empires.
Emperor Cheng dies. His nephew, Ai – the son of prince Kang (the emperor’s half brother) – takes the throne (7BC-1AD).
2BC: Bebinn III begins the first census of the Gallic League.
There is no exact date but it was within these last years of the century that Yeshua of Nazareth was born, a carpenter’s son whose name will usher in a new era of theology.
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