The Empire of Alexander, forged by Sparta.
I started this Sparta campaign around six months ago, aiming to restore its former glory, and only now decided to finally bring the campaign to a close. Ahead still lie centuries of peaceful development and the end of expansion - perhaps with the exception of Numidia and Morocco, which could still be conquered in order to gain access to the Atlantic Ocean and prepare for the future discovery of America in a later mega-campaign.
From the very beginning, Sparta chose the most cautious and pragmatic path of expansion possible. First came the conquest of Crete, strengthening the economic and demographic foundation of the state. Then followed the Peloponnese, the Balkans, Asia Minor, Italy, Syria, and later the conquest of Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia. Having reached the borders of the Byzantine Empire of 476 AD in Asia, the Spartan Empire, while preparing for its Asian campaign, conquered the Caucasus, Crimea, and Dacia, fully securing control over the Black Sea. This was meant to secure the rear.
Having gathered the full might of the Empire on the eastern frontier in 727 AUC, Sparta declared a war of annihilation against the Seleucids, the Mauryas, and numerous other states. The "Imperial Challenge" was proclaimed, its goal being the restoration - and even expansion - of Alexander's Empire. Half a million soldiers began their 18-year campaign, one that would not stop until they reached the Indus River and the Hindu Kush. The entire East was crushed in the course of one endless war that did not cease for a single day during those 18 years, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of soldiers.
In 745 AUC, the great Asian campaign finally came to an end. The exhausted armies, after 18 years of endless marches and battles, managed to return home. "Pax Hellenica" was proclaimed. The Empire had expanded to such an extent that launching further major conquests would now be extremely difficult due to its sheer size and underdeveloped communications. Therefore, determined not to repeat Alexander's mistakes, the great conqueror of the East, Stratonikos II - who had retraced Alexander's path - chose to focus on peaceful development instead.
Every single border of the Empire was fortified through the construction of fortresses and other defensive structures. The gradual assimilation of the population began. The economy started actively recovering and growing after the decline caused by the endless great war. Sparta itself became the greatest city on Earth, transforming into a vast metropolis with an enormous population, highly developed trade, and thriving industry. Piracy was eradicated, and stability within the state was restored.
The next objectives planned for the coming three centuries are as follows:
- To consider the possible conquest of Numidia and Morocco. Arabia and East Africa remain possible secondary objectives, though a peaceful trade-oriented policy is preferred toward them.
- To establish 25 elite professional armies, each numbering 25,000 men, equipped with the latest weaponry and stationed across the Empire in specially constructed military bases. These armies are intended to remain in their provinces for centuries.
- To raise both cultural and religious assimilation to at least 99%.
- To construct a vast imperial road network connecting every city of the Empire - linking Tunisia with the distant cities of India, and southern Italy with the lands of Bactria. This should improve migration and strengthen imperial control.
- To carry out a complete manual reorganization of every province in the Empire. Provincial capitals will be actively relocated. Each province will contain a single major city, while all others will be demolished.
- To create three massive fleets, each consisting of 500 ships and including every class of vessel, including the newest and largest designs. They will be stationed in the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean, and the Black Sea. Their purpose will be to maintain order and stability at sea, protect trade routes from piracy, and project imperial naval power.
- To fill the Empire with every available Wonder of the World.
- To fully develop all rural territories of the Empire, followed by a complete manual reconstruction of cities according to specific templates. There will not be a single city or settlement in the Empire whose potential remains unrealized. According to calculations, this construction effort will require nearly one million talents, while the treasury currently holds only 88,000. This means the development plan will take centuries to complete.
- To eventually carry out reforms intended to save the Empire from the Crisis of the Third Century. A "Constantinian Reform" will be introduced, separating military and civil authority, alongside an economic reform inspired by Aurelian. However, these reforms are intended to be delayed until the very last possible moment.
This is only part of the grand design of Stratonikos II, who intends to formalize this plan into an official state doctrine that his descendants must follow. All of this is meant to ensure the survival of the Empire through the disasters that await it in the centuries to come.