I'm sharing a dev diary written by the dev Hirdmann:

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Hi there, I’m Hirdmann, one of the advocates of the Greek world in the Imperium Universalis team, with the overview of new provinces and setup in Greece and Thrace. Keep in mind that each new province, discussed there, won a fight with 50 new provs for Korea and India that no one cares about. (no don’t hit me, Common, ouch)

And forgive me for grammar mistakes and raw scythian accent, I am not local here :)

Let's start from the south, and move to the north step by step.

Thanks to Pengu, Crete and Cyclades region now doubled in provinces, with a lot of independent polises, that will definitely fight each other for dominance.

Some of them have unique ideas, and new flags. Trade goods in that area were a bit revised too.

Phaselis was added to the South Anatolian coast, Cyprus got a few new tags and provinces, as well as completely remade trade goods, focused on opium, copper, and timber.

Peloponnese. Or \"glorious mess\", as I now call it.

Arcadia received a lot of new provinces and tags:

• Orchomenus, older and slightly richer than other neighbours, (Not the one in Boeotia, it is a different one);
• Stymphalos, where once Heracles defeated the Stymphalian birds;
• Heraia become independent, yet absolutely not an important tag, the only purpose of existence of which is rivalry to Elis.
• Mantineia is not formed yet, and remains a rural area briefly under nominal control of Stymphalos, as a stronger neighbour.

New tag Lepreos in Messenia, representing an important and fertile region Tryphilia on the edge of 2 regions. Was most of time a vassal of Elis, who was guarding that area tirelessly, and a subject of Spartan attacks. For one of them, that took place in times of Olympic games, Sparta even had to pay an unrealistically huge fine.

Achaia received Patras back as a new prov, an important polis, trade port, and in later times - one of founders of Achaean League.

Kythera seems wasn't spartan yet at the start of the game, but under control of Argos. Sparta received a claim on it, so AI still be willing to take it back someday.

Epidaurus was split, and Troizen appeared on the map. It was a rather quiet place, later a member of Peloponessian alliance, and their most notable accomplishment was founding Sybaris in Magna Graecia, that soon grew richer and more populous than its parent city.

Aegina doubled in development, and now is enterport (level 2 CoT) for trade in its trade node.

Aegina was a naval superpower of early age, first Greek polis to introduce coins (around 20 years after they first appeared in Lydia), its own standard of measures and weights, main enterport of grain import from Pontus and Thrace, and one of few Greek tags that were officially allowed to trade in Egypt.

But now its golden age starts to fade, as Megaris took Salamis from them (then Athenians under Solon will soon recapture).

Their dominance ended between Graeco-Persian wars, when their long-term rival Athens finally managed to defeat them on sea, and become the main trade center instead.Aegina also made Kydonia on Krete its own colony (conquered and forced vassal in that case), as it was a suitable harbour on their way to trade in Egypt

Attica received new provs too - Eleusis and Rhamnous.

Eleusis was a fertile border province with Megaris, once in the past belonging to Megara, and a place of famous Eleusis Mysteries, a pan-hellenic mystic festival dedicated to Demeter.

Attica trade goods were revised too, Athens received marble, and were reduced in dev, as they were not so powerful in that time, and were mostly backwater of Greek world at the starting date.

Also Attica received honey, as was famous for its export, olives, lead and ceramics, and kept their silver.

We also reintroduce Peloponnesian Alliance - huge link of states that were allied to Sparta. Later in times of Persian wars number of its members only increased, and included almost all of the peninsula except Argos.That allows Spartans to intervene if anyone here will start wars with each other, in that way keeping possible rivals under control. But...they are not allied between themselves…

And we all know that as soon Sparta will suffer at least 1 defeat, or some internal troubles, nothing will stop the shrewd conqueror from starting to unite Arcadia or Achaia.

Now let's move north, into Boeotia, Thessaly and Phocis.

https://preview.redd.it/2q77veaor4y61.png?width=1291&format=png&auto=webp&s=357f94e6f136acada52b256719444e5010ba1268

Tanagra and Plataea now have their proper places on map, both members of Boeotian league led by Thebes as start. However Plataea is also an Athenian ally, and in wars often sided with then. There major battle with Persia happened later in 479 BC, which marked Persian defeat on land. Thespiae remained unchanged. That was a major polis that captured many surrounding cities, and an important member of Boeotian league. Also it received a new flag.

Daulis returned on map, Orchomenos now have a second province - Koroneia, that also contains most of Chaeronea area too. There were several important battles too.

Ambrossos and Amphiclea are new provinces that are now parts of Phocis. Phocis is a brief league, formed to help its tribes and towns to access the holy Oracle of Delphi. Also Phocis allied with everything in Thessaly, Malis, Doris and Locris, to represent Delphic Amphictyony.

Delphi itself at the start of the first bookmark captured by Kirrha (renamed Delphi tag), fortified harbour town, that is now imposing taxes and tolls on pilgrims heading to Delphi.

Historically that lead to First Sacred war, in which Amphictyony members, together with Athens and Sicyon, besieged and completely annihilated Kirrha, teared its walls, poisoned its waters, sold all inhabitants to slavery, and survivors were forbidden to cultivate lands, that were deducted to Apollo. To push AI to repeat this, I gave Phocis cores on Delphi, so we probably should expect Sacred War in around 10 years after start too, when favours will accumulate for Phocis allies.

Locri now has all 3 branches of that tribe on map. Locris Opuntian was united with Epicnemidean in 1 tag for simplification reasons, they are allied to Locris Ozolian, their other branch.Opuntian Locris can enjoy their fertile lands, and initial peace, as most invaders tend to use Thermopylae pass and then turn to Elateian fortress, to control the passes to further Greece, leaving Locris untouched.

Amphissa tag and province appeared west of Delphi. That polis always tried to oppose Phocis attempts to control Delphi, and joined the opposite side of most wars Phocis was in.

Doris province and a tag appears between Parnassus and Lamis. There some dorians remained, that decided not to go further to Peloponnese in times of doric invasion. These people formed doric tetrapolis of 4 small towns.

Peparethos added to Ikos. Also Ikos tag now a vassal of Chalkis.

“Thessaly indeed changed much this summer” (c.)

Thessaly received new provinces, Thebai Phtiotis in south, Scotoussa with Pharsalos as capital for Thessaliotis, Perrhaebia got 2 - Azoros and Gonnoi, future birthplace of Antigonus Gonatus. Also Perrhaebia got a new flag.

Pherae finally got its home province. Tyrants of Pherae, in times before Macedonian conquest, almost united all Thessaly under their cruel rule and resisted Theban dominance.Captured region of Pasagai were the main source of their income - with its fertile lands and main trade port of Thessaly.

Epirus

Epirus got some changes too. Anakterion, a notable Korynthian colony was added to rival Ambracia.

Three main Epirus tribes got their lands rearranged again, Dodona now is land CoT of Macedonia trade node and got some more development, while Thesprotia received 1 more province, Eleia.Kraneia and Antipatreia received new epirote minor tags - Atamania and Parauaia.Orikos is now home of Amantes, where they resided, not near Macedon.

Not only mainland Greece got new provs.

Ionia was expanded too, many tags got second or third provs. The Ionian league now has new members - Priene, and Teos.

Aeolia got major setup changes too.

Lesbos is divided between 4 tags.

Methimna was a rival of Mytilene and colonised Assos on the opposite shore from them. Pyrrha and Antissa were less important and populated, but more friendly towards Mytilene, then Methymna.

Main Lesbos city was Mytilene - most important polis of this region. Mytilene colonized a big part of lands on the other side of strait, and created dependent colonies in the northern Aeolia part, such as Rhoteion, and also on Thracian coast.

Now Mytilene is at war with Athens at the start of 1st bookmark. Athenians send Olympic winner Phrynon to capture Sigeion and colonize it with ionic colonists.

Mytilenians, led by Pittacus of Mytilene, great commander, lawgiver, duelist, and one of Seven Sages of Greece, are resisting that attempt.

Adramyttion was a vassal polis under Lydia, and a place where Croesus of Lydia was archont, while he was still lydian heir. Was even more heavily hellenized later in the 5th century.

Speaking of Sigeion - this city divided old lands of Troy/Illium together with Rhoteion, and represented as a new tag, vassal of Athens. His lands were captured back by Mytilenians in times of Persian invasion into Asia Minor, and quite soon were lost to them.

North of Rhoteion is Abydos, gate to Asia. Alexander the Great crossed from Sestos to Abydos, having previously thrown his spear towards the city as a sign of the coming conquest of Asia. In 200 BC. e. Abydians glorified themselves with heroic resistance to Philip V of Macedon. That polis was colonized by milesians, and it sighs and end to Aeolia region.

Further east, Megarians now have more colonies in Southern Thrace, and Milesians on Asia Minor coast.

New tags of Selymbria and Kios added, Astakos in Bythinian lands seem to have been colonized by Athens and Megaris jointly.

Talking about the Macedon..oh boi.

That area now really changed. most of the tags were placed more correctly.Let's start from west to east:

• Western part of Macedonia...is not Macedonian. Those tribes are closer to Epirotes at the start of bookmarks, and are believed to become closer to Macedonians later in the course of history. Dassareti tribe in Lychidnos are on the rise, and pushing the weakening tribal kingdom of Encheleans in Uscana.
• Lynkestis got a new province - Heraclea Linkestis, and their own national ideas. It was ruled by the Bacchiadae dynasty that originally came from Korynthos and were descendants of Heracles. Rulers of Lynkestis were old, traditional rulers of Macedon, and rivals of Argeads.
• Bacchiadae of Lynkestis took part in some civil wars in Macedon, and their claim on Macedon ended only with the death of its house in times of Philippe II and Alexander the Great.

Other tribal Macedonian also received updated flags, to distinguish them and add more tribal flavour.

• North of Eordaia there is a new tag - Pelagonia. Pelagonians were believed to be more Greek, then Paeonian. It was a border land between two cultures, and was usually in dependence of one of them.
• Almopia now resides in Europos province, and surrounded by Barnous from almost all sides, preventing paeonian raids there.
• Emathia was once a name for central Macedonia, and now, as it is taken by Argeads, it is the name for a macedonian tribal tag between Argead tribal kingdom and Paeonia. They still claim Pella region, as once emathians were driven from there.
• North of Emathia, tribal kingdoms of Paeonia slowly united in one kingdom on the Axios river. Paeonia invaded Macedon few times, but in times of Philipp II they were defeated and vassalized, later hellenized, until the roman conquest of the region.
• Methone tag was added, Greek colony not far from core macedonian lands. After Persian invasion it joined the Delian league, and was a base, from where Athens could always treat Macedonian independence and easily land an army.

Macedonia itself now has many more provinces. On eastern side of it Edessa, Berroia and Aegai form the core of Macedonian lands. Other lands were conquered from other people in times of early Macedonian tribes expansion from Thracians, Paeonians and Phrygians. Pella was split in two by the Axios river, on Pella and Sindos provs. Sindos was covered in thick forests in ancient times, and was a home for a large number of lions and bears that attacked persian army, when they marched through.

Yes, yes, Phrygians. That is the region where they originally came from. Brygii tribe in western Illyria is what remained of those Phrygians, that have not moved to Asia Minor in ancient time, and were constantly pushed by other people from Chalkidiki, from Macedon, and from Pelagonia to where they reside now, near Dimalion.

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Another ancient people there are Mygdonians. They have their own independent culture, close to Phrygian, in Thraco-Phrygian group, and have their own tag. In later times they were conquered and hellenized by Macedonia.

Between Mygdonia and Macedon there is Thermae, Greek colony, founded by Euboean colonists, that was exporting Macedonian and Thracian wood.

In times of Diadochi its port was silting up, same as Pella one, so Kassander founded a new city in that province, named by his wife, Thessalonika, and made it the main Macedonia trade port.

South of Therma, Bottike region is occupied by Doric colonists from Krete, in contrast to the rest of Chalkidiki, colonized mostly by Ionians. That was not a polises, but rather a union of small towns and villages.

There, in Chalkidiki, we split many provinces, and added new tags such as Mende and Torone, to make forming a Chalcidian League even harder for Olynthus. However, now Chalkidiki is even richer in resources, including silver, copper, wood, and others, so conquering it is always worth it.

Bisaltia now is a Paeonian tag, not Macedonian. Odomantes too, and now reside north-east of them, and have their number of provs doubled.

South of them, Amphipolis, still inhabited by Pierians, pushed from their home lands by Macedonians, started trading in silver from nearby Pangaion mines. The Philippi area is still rich in gold, and we added a new coastal province called Oesyme, colonized from Thasos, to represent Greek coastal towns.

Further north and east lies Thracia, which will be reviewed in the next diary.