Seleukid Empire
Seleukid Empire
Primary culture
Capital territory
Government
State religion
| Military traditions |
Heritage of Seleukos
+6% Unintegrated culture group happiness
+0.04 Monthly ruler popularity gain
−15% Pop Assimilation Speed
The Seleukid Empire is a Major Power in the Middle East and one of the main Diadochi kingdoms that has emerged from the fall of the 
Argead Empire, centered in Mesopotamia and controlling all of the eastern Satrapies all the way to Bactria and Arachosia, encompassing about half of the former Argead Empire. With 3172 pops spread over 383 territories and a number of subject nations, including three large satrapies to the east, it is one of the wealthiest, most populous, and most powerful countries in the game, though one whose population is almost entirely of a different culture group and religion from the Macedonian ruling class. With the 
Antigonid Kingdom vulnerable and likely to end up at war with all of the other Diadochi soon after game start, the Seleukids are well positioned to destroy their Antigonid rivals and claim the rich territories of the west - though only if they can keep the rising 
Mauryans, restless populace, and Scythian tribes at bay. Historically the Seleukids would conquer much of Syria and Anatolia after the fall of the Antigonids and 
Thrace to control nearly all of the Asian part of the Argead Empire, but would be weakened by devastating civil wars and see most of their territory lost to 20px Parthia and 
Pergamon before their final rump state in Syria was annexed by 
Rome.
Name[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Country rename events
As a dynamically named country, the name of the Seleukid Empire can and usually will change at some point during the game. If the ruling dynasty changes or the country is no longer a monarchy, the former Seleukid Empire will receive an event to break with its dynastic traditions and naming, allowing the country to choose between renaming itself the Persian Empire if its capital is in Greater Persia (Persis, Media, Mesopotamia, or Ariana) or taking a more general name based on its capital region (e.g. Syrian Empire, Mesopotamian Empire, Assyrian Empire, etc.).
Apart from that event, the base name of the country will always use the name of the ruler's family and takes the form [RulerDynastyAdjective] Empire, defaulting to Persian Empire as a fallback if the country ceases to exist or has no ruler for whatever reason. This behaviour is also currently active if the country loses a 
civil war.
Missions[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Seleukid missions
With the Heirs of Alexander DLC, the Seleukid Empire has a unique set of 4 missions focusing on rebuilding and consolidating control over Babylonia, securing control over Syria to gain a Mediterranean port and capital, conquering the important parts of Anatolia and opening a path to the west, and wresting control over Palestine all the way to the Egyptian border. If both the Syrian Ambition and the To the Borders of Egypt missions are successfully completed, the Diadochi Empire mission tree will then become available, with a focus on restoring the Hellenistic Empire of Alexander the Great.
Additionally, regardless of DLC, the Seleukid Empire always has access to the generic missions.
Events[edit | edit source]
- Main articles: Diadochi events, Seleukid flavor events
The Wars of the Diadochi[edit | edit source]
At start, all the Diadochi states will receive an event that gives them claims on all of the western half of the former Argead Empire and access to the special Legacy of Alexander wargoal, allowing them to easily declare war and conquer much more territory from each other than would be possible in a normal war. For the Seleukid Empire, the claims and casus belli will go away on the death of the first ruler.
The Seleukid-Mauryan War[edit | edit source]
At the beginning of the game, the Seleukids must also decide how to resolve the ongoing war with Maurya, which has recently expanded into the former Indian satrapies of the Argead Empire. The Seleukids can choose to either sue for peace and cede control over some of their eastern provinces as well as the satrapy of 
Arachosia for an extended truce, some war elephant units, and a bonus to 
siege ability in order to focus on the upcoming war with the Antigonid Kingdom in the west, or refuse to concede defeat and renew the war against Maurya, which will also grant get claims on the lost Indian satrapies (the regions of Gandhara and Maru).
Fourth War of the Diadochi[edit | edit source]
Shortly after the game starts, the Antigonid Kingdom will receive an event to make an ultimatum against 
Macedon, demanding they retreat from their remaining holdings in Greece. If war breaks out, after a few months 
Egypt may join the fray and demand territorial concessions or go to war; afterwards the Seleukid Empire will also receive an event that will let them directly declare war on the Antigonids or present an ultimatum to cede most of Syria, including their capital of Antigoneia, in exchange for peace. Thrace will also receive a similar event to make demands or enter the war a few months afterwards. All of these wars use the Legacy of Alexander wargoal, which drastically increases the stakes of winning or losing the war.
The Antigonid Cause Wavers[edit | edit source]
- Main article: The Antigonid Cause Wavers
When Antigonos I Monophthalmos, the starting ruler of the Antigonid Kingdom, dies, their empire will disintegrate if they have not managed to conquer Korinthos (418) from Macedon or have failed to maintained control over a number of key cities scattered across their vast Asian territories. Any ongoing wars against the other Diadochi will end and governors and subjects across the Antigonid realm will begin to defect from the Antigonid cause, forcing the Antigonids to choose between retreating from Asia and maintaining control over their coastal subjects and possessions with their powerful fleet, or abandoning their pretensions to the west to save the Asian core of the kingdom.
If the Antigonids decide to abandon Asia as historically, the Seleukid Empire will annex all remaining Antigonid territories in Syria and Assyria (save for Tyros and the surrounding territories) and assume control over any Antigonid subjects in that region (usually 
Bambyce and 
Commagene). Any territories the Antigonids managed to take from Seleukid Mesopotamia, Persia, or Armenia will also be returned. If the Antigonids instead choose to stay in the east and try to hold on to Asia, the Seleukid Empire will still take Assyria, Mesopotamia, and a strip along the Euphrates rive, but the Antigonid Kingdom will retain over the rest of Syria. Depending on which choice is made, the other Diadochi will take over similarly large portions of their former empire as well.
Parthian hordes[edit | edit source]
If a new horde rises up in Central Asia - either from the unification of the Dahaea sometime after 480 AUC, or from the formation of 20px Yuezhi (usually some time after 580 AUC) - the nomadic horde will receive an event to launch a raid on a Seleukid border patrol led by the Basileus himself. If they choose to go ahead, they will immediately declare war, annex 
Parthia (if both Parthia and the horde are AI-controlled, and Parthia is still a satrapy), and kill the Seleukid leader, giving the Seleukids a significant malus to 
unintegrated culture group happiness and 
character loyalty to compound the instability from succession, which may quickly lead to civil war amidst the invasion.
Decisions[edit | edit source]
The 
Seleukid Empire has two country-specific decisions around moving the capital to the city of Antiocheia (the former Antigoneia, capital of the Antigonid Kingdom at start) and improving its nearby port of Seleukia Pieria. Both of them have since been superseded by tasks in the unique Seleukid mission trees, and will not appear if the Heirs of Alexander DLC is enabled. The decisions can be found in /ImperatorRome/game/decisions/seleucids.txt.
A Mediterranean Capital!
For too long the rightful heirs of Alexander's empire have been disconnected from the Macedonian heartland which bore the greatest conquest of history and all the fortunes of our people. Fertile Babylonia has served us well, but we must restore our ties with the lost lands to the west and establish a central point of governance on the Mediterranean if we are to succeed in re-claiming the lands of Megas Alexandros.
Potential requirements
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Allow
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Effects
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A port for Antioch!
With a new focus towards the Mediterranean and the moving of the Seleukid capital to Syria the need for a new great port in Syria has grown ever more urgent. Let us pool our resources to expand the port of Seleuika Pieria and work for the establishment of Seleukid hegemony in the west.
Potential requirements
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Allow
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Effects
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As one of the easternmost Hellenistic states, the Seleukid Empire can take the decision to move their centre of power to Northern India and embrace greater cultural syncretism if they make conquests in the region, representing the historical creation of the Indo-Greek kingdoms.
An Indo-Greek Kingdom
The lure of friends, empires, and riches to the East leads many of our people to the realization that fighting over the scraps of Alexander's Empire, may not be a goal worth pursuing. Greater glory lies in tying our destiny to the land beyond the Indus.
Potential requirements
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Allow
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Effects
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Finally, as a Hellenistic culture group monarchy, the Seleukid Empire also has access to the decision to form the Hellenistic Empire.
Reunite Alexander's Empire
That one power could not possibly come from any dynasty but our own. Only a family that respects the Argead traditions can legitimately claim its legacy.
Potential requirements
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Allow
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Effects
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Combined with the modifiers from Seleukid Empire's unique heritage (which gives among other things +6% Unintegrated Culture Group Happiness), if the Seleukid Empire manages to take both of these decisions it can accumulate one of the highest unintegrated culture group happiness modifiers in the game, making dealing with foreign conquests and low 
stability much easier.
Government[edit | edit source]
The Seleukid Empire starts off as an Aristocratic Monarchy that is ruled by Basileus Seleukos Nikator Seleukid (13 
Martial/14 
Finesse/8 
Charisma/6 
Zeal), of the Seleukid family. The Seleukid family have the Blood of Seleukos which grants +1 Finesse and +20 
Prominence to all characters and if the ruler has this trait then the state gets +0.05 
Provincial Loyalty and a −25% discount to 
Change Governor Policy Cost. This bloodline trait is quite useful for holding together a large, disparate, and discontent empire, as the Seleukids do at the start of the game.
Diplomacy[edit | edit source]
The Seleukid Empire has no allies, but six subjects, in 450 AUC. As long as they remain loyal they will provide a significant amount of military support, particularly with any wars in the east.
Additionally, the Seleukid Empire borders the Diadochi kingdom of the Antigonid Kingdom to the west (along with its subjects of Commagene and 
Cappadocia), 
Armenia and 
Atropatene to the north, Maurya to the east, and 
Gerrha and 
Maka to the south.
Pantheon[edit | edit source]
The Seleukid Empire starts with the following pantheon:
- War: Apollo (Hellenic)
- Economy: Nabû (Chaldean)
- Culture: Marduk (Chaldean)
- Fertility: Artemis (Hellenic)
Later on in their mission trees the Seleukids can unlock Apollo Didymaios, which is normally restricted to 
Syracusae.
Population[edit | edit source]
The Seleukid Empire has a 
population of 3165 at the beginning of the game, divided across 
380 territories. Most of the Iranian plateau is Zoroastrian and in the Iranian culture group, comprising the majority of the Seleukid population at start (about 56%). Pops in the Aramaic culture group, split between Assyrians in the north and Babylonians in the south, dominate in Mesopotamia and largely follow the Chaldean religion, making up some 28% of the population and most of the population of the capital region. Only about 11% of the population follows the state culture and religion, with Macedonian Hellenic pops concentrated in the some of the major cities and recently founded Alexandrian colonies. Smaller negligible minorities of Qedarite Arabic and Hebrew Jewish pops also exist scattered throughout Mesopotamia, as well as Armenians and Cappadocians along the northern borders.
Population Types:
37 Nobles (1.17%)
548 Citizens (17.31%)
908 Freemen (28.69%)
730 Tribesmen (23.05%)
942 Slaves (29.76%)
Cultural privileges[edit | edit source]
- Babylonian (Aramaic) -
Integrated culture, Citizen rights - Persian (Iranian) - Integrated culture, Citizen rights
- Median (Iranian) - Protected Inheritances
Strategy[edit | edit source]
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Please help with verifying or updating this section. It was last verified for version 1.3. |
At the beginning of the game, there is a decision for the Seleukid Empire: if they want to wage war against Maurya, or give them the eastern part of the empire for ten years of peace and five cohorts of war elephants. There is the possibility to go into war with Maurya and offer them peace immediately by giving up the subjects 
Bactria and 
Tylos. But it is recommended to give them the land and take the elephants like Seleukos did historically. Firstly, a war against Maurya is very difficult in the Seleukid Empire's situation in 450 A.U.C., as all your troops are at the other side of your country and the Mauryans have a much stronger army and economy at the start. Secondly, Bactria as a Subject will become very important, primarily due to the tribute they pay to you each month. Later in the game, you will not have too much trouble with Maurya, but especially in the beginning, they might be a problem. Thirdly, you can concentrate on gaining territory in the west, which is much easier and much more valuable at the start. You can occupy land in the Antigonid Kingdom pretty easily, as they are usually at war with all of the other Diadochi some years after the start. If you win against them, you can gain territory with Hellenic population, which affects the stability of your country in a positive way. The majority of your population at the start do not share the same culture and religion as your leader, and especially after you rack up some aggressive expansion, you have to be careful not to let a civil war break out.
Achievements[edit | edit source]
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