The Great Egyptian Revolt
Breaks away: Egyptians from the Ptolemaic Empire
The native Egyptians of Upper Egypt rise against the Ptolemaic Empire and form their own faction, the Egyptians. In a normal campaign it can only happen after the first Ptolemaic reform. If you choose to play the Egyptians, the game plays forward until they rise and then hands them to you.
It can happen in any campaign once the Ptolemaic Empire has passed its first reform.
What sets it off
- Once the Ptolemaic Empire has passed its first reform, there is a 5% chance at the start of each Ptolemaic turn that the revolt breaks out, whether the Ptolemaic Empire is played by a human or the AI.
What happens
- In a normal campaign, Syene-Elephantine, Thebes-Megale Diospolis, Mikra Apollonos Polis, Panos Polis and Megale Apollonos Polis rebel at the start of the next turn, whoever owns them, and pass to the Egyptians.
- The towns that go over to the Egyptians receive strong garrisons of Egyptian Skirmishers, Egyptian Slingers, Machimoi Archers, Ptolemaic Machairophoroi, Egyptian Longspearmen, Machimoi Phalangites, Machimoi Cavalry and Machairophoroi Cavalry.
- When Thebes-Megale Diospolis goes over, the Egyptians receive 10,000 denarii.
- At the same time an army led by the general Ahmose appears near Thebes-Megale Diospolis: Machimoi Cavalry, two Machimoi Phalangites, two Egyptian Longspearmen, two Machimoi Swordsmen, two Egyptian Skirmishers, two Machimoi Archers and two Egyptian Slingers. It is placed on the first of 3 set spots that no character is standing on; if all 3 are occupied, no army appears.
- The Egyptians are always at war with the Ptolemaic Empire: if they are ever at peace, they declare war again at the start of their turn.
- The revolt happens only once per campaign.
Army raised when Thebes-Megale Diospolis revolts (general Ahmose):
| Unit | Number | Unit | Number | Unit | Number | Unit | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machimoi Cavalry | 1 | Machimoi Phalangites | 2 | Egyptian Longspearmen | 2 | Machimoi Swordsmen | 2 |
| Egyptian Skirmishers | 2 | Machimoi Archers | 2 | Egyptian Slingers | 2 |
Playing as the rebels
If a human is playing the Ptolemaic Empire when the revolt breaks out, a pop-up titled 'The Great Egyptian Revolt' asks whether they want to leave their campaign and play the Egyptians. Accepting switches the player to the Egyptians and adds a government building in Syene-Elephantine, Thebes-Megale Diospolis, Mikra Apollonos Polis, Megale Apollonos Polis and Panos Polis. The Egyptians can also be chosen at the start of a new campaign: the game plays forward until they rise, and you take over from there.
The in-game message: The Great Egyptian Revolt
Following Ptolemy IV’s recent unexpected victory at the Battle of Raphia, aided by his native Egyptian subjects, the latter’s pride knows no boundaries. War has erupted all over Egypt, the Nile running red with the blood of its victims. Now, only the gods know who the next pharaoh will be…
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The native Egyptians regularly rose up in rebellion against their Ptolemaic overlords. The most significant rebellion was the so called Great Revolt (205-186 BC), during which the Ptolemaic kings lost large parts of Upper Egypt in a gruelling guerilla war. Under the reign of pharaoh Hyrgonaphor (Haronnophris) and, later on, his successor Chaonnophris, the Egyptians aimed at establishing a new native dynasty that would end foreign rule, which had largely prevailed since the arrival of the Persians under Kambyses in the late 6th century BC. In the event, the Egyptians would eventually be overcome, but in RIS it is in your hands to change the course of history.
Do you want to discontinue your campaign and play as the newly emerged Egypt faction?
Comes after: Mobilization of the Machimoi.
Opens the way to: Amnesty & Restructuring of the Machimoi, The Ptolemaic Revolt.