Back to Peace - 680 BC to 560 BC

Theodora is asking too much from me - sorry but no!

Unfortunately you can't see it in the pic below but the creation of the Citadel, including the six hexes around it, has grabbed two of Ethiopia's Luxury resources - that's why Haile Selassie is peeved.

I shall chop down the Forest E. of Carthage in order to finish the Courthouse earlier and gain two badly needed Happiness Points or maybe three....

Below you can now see the land-grab around the Citadel NW of Harar - there is Coffee, Incense, Horses and the Inland Sea - a valuable commodity in the middle of a desert.

I'm purchasing this Sea hex to ensure that I have clear passage between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Others can only do that if we are at war or we have an Open Borders Agreement.

A Trireme has arrived in Rabat and I choose to build a Colosseum there next. I also renew the Trade Route to Harar. Ethiopia is still at war with th Zulus so I can't imagine Haile Selassie starting a conflict with me.

Now that the Forest has gone, and the Courthose will arrive 9 turns earlier, I start building a Road to Rabat. A second Worker NE of Rabat is already building the other two hexes. I add a Shrine to the Production Queue at Carthage.

Am I now a charity organization? Sorry, mate - no freebies!

Thebes is now functioning so I place emphasis on Production now - I want that Courthouse as soon as possible. In fact there are 5 occupied cities building Courthouses at the moment - when completed they'll give me at least a dozen Happiness points.

630 BC: My new Trireme is taking a sight-seeing tour around the Mediterranean - showing the flag and reminding everyone who is the new power is...

A great view of my ten cities Empire in 620 BC.

My Statistics and a table showing that I still have Salt and Gold available for Export...

So you had some Gold after all - that's the way to do business, Gustavus Adolphus :)

Egypt and I make Peace. I tried for more than just a Peace Treaty but Ramesses was adamant. In the end I seetled for a basic treaty - no extra booty...apart from two of his cities including his capital :)

610 BC: A Worker is now free to start improving the Coffee hex I grabbed from Ethiopia but first I must remove the Forest before I can build the Plantation 

I guess he has good reason to be upset with me, he he...

600 BC: Engineering has been researched so now I can begin on the Philosophy Technology.

My Courthouse has been completed in Oran - a Shrine is ordered next.

Another Forest is chopped down in the name of progress

580 BC: A Circus has been built in Gao, I now have 8 Happiness points so I don't have any worries there anymore. I place a Caravan followed by a Settler on order. Time to expand again. I see at least six places where a city could be built.

560 BC: The Shrine has been completed in Carthage - a Monument is missing. I renew my Trade Route to Lisbon.

I finish this post starting a Road eastwards towards Carthage. Things are looking a bit rosier now - at least no-one declared war on me :)

To the Nile (II) - 720 BC to 700 BC

Now Maria of Portugal is denouncing me - more will come when I capture Thebes.

A Warrior arrives in Gao and I immediately upgrade it to a Swordsman.

The second round of the siege begins.....

....from all sides

Then my Swordsman assaults but Thebes is still under Egyptian control.

To the North, Byzantine has dispatched a Settler to Africa. I've moved my Spearman from Benghasi to block ist passage deeper into "my" territory. In fact, I welcome a new city at the mouth of the Nile as a trading partner - it would also lie between Egyptian Memphis and my Empire.

710 BC: Ramesses sues for Peace offering his city Memphis but I refuse. I want Thebes and its resources not an isolated city surrounded by soon-to-be hostile neighbours.

The Egyptians have destroyed my weakened Catapult but my Swordsman has survived. I first target an enemy Warrior which is in the way

Then my two remaining Bowmen bombard Thebes....

....then both of my Catapults.

Finally my Swordsman, the same guys who took Heliopolis earlier, storm Thebes and it falls....and it costs only 8 Unhappiness Points so the Songhai Realm is still happy - and capture beaucoup Gold as well. I'm now considered a Major Warmonger - not good for my image....

I start building a Courthouse - the citizens need to be arranged for maximum growth!

The Byzantinian Settler has landed - hopefully a city will be founded there.

My captured surplus  resources are quickly exported.

700 BC: Now Gandhi denounces me  but I'm past caring - I have what I want :)

Mopping up - goodbye Warrior...

I hand out a couple of Promotions....

....then I purchase some land - you'll see why in the next post ;)

Finally a great view of my Eastern Territories. Until the next post....