Pontus

Pontus is a rugged, tough country facing the Black Sea, its people a vibrant mix of Greek and Persian settlers. It controls much of the trade in the Black Sea, and has trade connections across the world, and clever rulers have used these, and their agents, to gather information on potential rivals everywhere.

Both the navy and army are reliable and adequate forces. Pontic warships are second to none while the only weakness in the army is possibly in cavalry: the terrain of Pontus is not ideal for raising horses. The rest of the army shows both Greek and Persian influences, and should give any sensible opponent pause.

Pontus was part of the Persian satrapy of Cappadocia until Alexander the Great destroyed Darius’ empire. It was then a Macedonian vassal state under Antigonus, Alexander’s Phrygian governor. After Alexander’s death and during the turmoil of the Successor Wars, Pontus became an independent state in 302 BC ruled by Mithridates Ktistes, or Mithridates “the Founder”. It has retained its independence and a Greco-Persian Hellenistic character under an ethnic Persian dynasty.

Now, having beaten back an invasion by Ptolemy of Egypt, Pontus is in a position to expand its possessions across Asia Minor, into mainland Greece and, possibly, to the lands beyond. Empires have had more unlikely starting points…