Massalia

*Nike, carrying the Scorpion Zodiac, under the Morning Star*

## Culture and Religion

### Culture

Ionic (Hellenic) (*before Koine Greek Event*)Massaliote (Hellenic) (*after Koine Greek Event*)

## Government

### Government Rank

City (I)

**Massalia** is an Ionic Olympioi Hellenic Polis situated in Narbonensis, specifically the Massalia Area. It is located to the South-East of Saluvii and South-West of Vedianzi. It was the most westernmost colony of the Oikoumenos, founded by Phokaia, which in game is represented by both Polis being allied at the start of the game.

## Traditions

Accepted Cultures +2

Infantry Combat Ability +10%

## Ideas

The Far OccidentGlobal Trade Power Modifier +10%

Jewel of Southern GaulGlobal Institution Spread +15%

The Ligurian ConflictsDiscipline +5%

Excellent GovernmentStability Cost Modifier -5%

Yearly Corruption -0.05

Settle the CoastsColonist(s) +1

The Roman AllianceDiplomatic Reputation +2.00

Legacy of PytheasYearly Prestige +1.00

# Background

Massalia was a colony of the Greek Ionian city-state of Phokaia founded somewhere around 600 BC (~140-150 AUC) as a commercial trade post whose function it was at first to bypass the Phoenicians and Etruscans' traditional trade routes through Cisalpine Gaul, Italy and North Africa. For gameplay's sake, Imperium universalis considers Massalia as already autonomous by its start date of 145 AUC.

Massalia was first and foremost a sea-bound colony, and its population reflected this history with their hardy sailors and colonists; Massalia had a reputation for birthing famous explorers such as Pytheas (b. 350BC, d. ~310BC) and Euthymenes (lived ~600BC), who explored, respectively, Northwestern Europe and Africa. Massalia also established colonies of its own like Nikaia and Antipolis.

Massalia quickly made ties with hellenes and hellenophiles states in the area, like Rome. Massalia stayed loyal to Rome even after the disasters of the Second Punic War such as the Battle of Cannae and stayed independant for their loyalty during most of the Republican Era until it sided with the Senate during the Civil War between Gaius Julius Ceasar and the Senatorial Government. The city was sieged in 49 BC, abdicated most of their territories after they lost the war, and became an autonomous city in the last day of Ceasar's dictature and the Principate. Officially, Massalia (by then, mostly known by its latinized name *Massilia*) wasn't annexed until 300AD when it became a *civitas*, but it had by then lost most if not all autonomy whatsoever from the Roman State.

# Gameplay

Massalia starts in an incredibly isolated location from its cultural and religious kin and surrounded by Ligurian Tribes seeking their vastly superior provincial potential as both a trade center, an urban area with upper class population, and later on the Tin Port of Europe granting a +5.00 trade value to their already valuable Glass Trade Good.

Massalia's ideas, starting government type and position in the Ligurian Sea trade node all point toward it building either a naval and diplomatic trade Empire by rushing the Oligarchic government type, or expanding in Gaul and control the flow of trade into Northwestern Europe. If one builds a navy and seek to challenge Carthage as the dominant mediterranean trade power, one should seek to NoCB Carthage's neighbors and either annex or vassalize it outright, and vassalize the nearby trade nodes either with border conquests or NoCB (Recommended Ideas : [Government Ideas, Naval Supremacy ideas, Naval Warfare ideas, Raiding Ideas, Diplomatic Ideas, Naval Trade Ideas]).

If instead Massalia should expand in Gaul, Massalia is best played as a syncretic inland trade economic powerhouse. One should take control of the trade nodes of the Ligurian Sea, Iberian Sea, Gaul and Raetia as to redirect the maximum amount of trade power straigth to your home node and accumulate most of Northern Europe's trickle (Recommended Ideas : [Infantry Ideas, Leadership Ideas, Syncretic Ideas, Religious Ideas, Inland Trade Ideas, Agriculture Ideas]).