Coalitions

Byzantium

De Jure Mapmode. Since time immemorial, all the lands of Asia Minor and of the Hellenes have been recognized as core territories of the Eastern Roman Empire. But our scouts and diplomats have discovered other states staking claims to our rightful clay.

1. REEEEEEEEEMOVE BARBAROI! [Name at least one civilization or city-state. Warning: May lead to glorious conquest!]

2. Quick! We must stake our claim to the land around our current holdings, to prevent encroachment!

3. Quick! We must stake our claim to the land far across Asia Minor, to prevent encroachment!

4. Quick! We must stake our claim to the land all around the Aegean Sea, to prevent encroachment!

Egypt

Culinary Advances. The capture of the Phoenician fraudster and spy known as "Senshi Denshi" has created a culinary boom, of a magnitude unseen since that caused by the cutting off of AQ's left earlobe. Tis new dish, cleverly named "Sushi Denshi" is quickly becoming the rage all over the Middle East.

1. Omnomnom. De-licious!

2. Quality food sells for quality prices. Cha-ching!

3. We should not idly rest on our culinary laurels. We must remain the worldwide leader in fine cuisine, by innovation!

4. This icky "Sushi Denshi" is an unwholesome foreign influence, one that's degrading the moral fabric of our society. It must be outlawed!

Phoenicia

The Tri-Cities. The great Phoenician empire, and its magnificent wealth and naval prowess, is centred upon three, ancient urban metropoles. Despite the proud heritage of those three great cities, and the long tradition of Phoenician economic dominance based out of them, there are some who judge your empire based on its lack of more cities.

1. Fake news! Sad! We have the most cities; tremendous cities! Yuuge quantities of cities!

2. These claims have no merit! Maintaining a fewer number of cities allows us to focus on those cities more intensely than a sprawling, overextended empire can.

3. Hmm... maybe the critics do have some point.

4. Why waste time building cities ourselves, when our neighbours' cities work just as well. To arms! [Name at least one civilization or city-state. Warning: May lead to glorious conquest!]

Persia

The Silk Road. Goods from the Orient flow from the Far East into your lands. Your empire is awash in such goods as Voluminous Robes^TM from Japan, Himalayan salt from the Tibetan salt mines, and exotic chemical substances from the Tocharians.

1. The spice must flow! Persia shall be a centre of trade between the east and the west, and all the goods of the Orient and the Occident shall travel through our great realm!

2. Why let our western rivals get access to our exclusive Oriental products? Goods may flow into Persia, but never through it!

3. Unpatriotic foreign goods from the far east? Ban them all! Persia numbah one!

4. Psh, trade. Wake me up when these easterners are selling anything to blow up fortifications, or to propell projectiles at our enemies with great speed. Back to the training yard, conscripts!

Oman

O man, remove Bahrain! A puny city-state to our north has snatched our loyal working crews, and initiated an all out war against us. Such an attempt would otherwise be laughable, except that they seem to be doing some serious harm to our fledgling empire.

1. O man, to war! Raise the levies, conscript the peasants, hire the mercenaries!

2. O man, their pathetic antics are beneath our notice. They're just a dumb city-state, after all.

3. O man, don't worry about war, worry about our lack of workers!

4. O man, I don't suppose Bahrain wants to sue for peace? [Warning: May lead to idyllic peace!]

Georgia

Deus Vult! God the Father has blessed your great people! His faith, the first of its kind in the Middle East, has taken your people's hearts and souls like a wildfire.

1. Spread the good word! All must know the word of the Lord, lest their immortal soul face eternal damnation in hell!

2. Spread the good word! The heathens and heretics will convert to the one true faith, or DIE! [Warning: May lead to glorious conquest!]

3. Spread the good word! Faithful citizens are faithful in their tithes, and a tithe is just a fancy for for tax.

4. Sounds pretty questionable to me. Surely our most learned sages and philosophers can determine conclusively whether our people truly worship God, or whether this whole thing is a sham.

Babylon

The Centre of the World. The Georgians sit to your north. The Eastern Romans to your northwest. The Phoenicians to your west, and the Egyptians to your southeast. The Omani to your southwest, and the Persians to your east round the gang out.

1. With that many rivals nearby, we must remain vigilant against treachery and subversion from within, lest any internal strife lead us open to external invasion.

2. With that many rivals nearby, we must seize the initiative. Our enemies can't conquer us if we've conquered them first, after all. [Name at least one civilization or city-state. Warning: May lead to glorious conquest!]

3. With that many rivals nearby, we must maintain our competitive edge! The weapons of today will be useless against the weapons of tomorrow.

4. With that many rivals nearby, we must out-compete them in the economic arena! Armies run on gold, as do diplomats and spies.

City States

Jerusalem

Three Wise Men. Three old men who claim to posses great wisdom and magical talent visit the slums of your great city, and serenade some rando farmkid with lavish gifts. The current gossip in your palace in on which of the magi's three gifts was most impressive.

1. Gold!

2. Frankincense!

3. Myrrh!

Trebizond

Extortion-ception. Your diplomats have, through careful study, managed to learn the art of strong-arming money and fealty out of the lesser powers.

1. Sweet! Now we must ensure that we have the military means to support any such demands we may make, just to be sure.

2. Sweet! Our state institutions shall focus on giving our diplomats their full support in their bullying of other city-states.

3. Sweet! Regardless, we must ensure that our economic situation is fine at home, before we reclessly go off adventuring abroad.

Bahrain

O man, remove Oman! Your glorious armies have engaged the cowardly forces of the much larger state of Oman.

1. Death or glory! All troops advance!

2. Uh, I don't suppose Oman wants to sue for peace? They can have their workers back, I swear! [Warning: May lead to idyllic peace!]

3. Uh, I don't suppose Oman wants to sue for peace? They can have tribute from our treasury, I swear! [Warning: May lead to idyllic peace!]