0. component changes
  1. introduction
  2. diplomatic phase
  3. operations phase
  4. movement
  5. combat
  6. political phase
  7. economic phase
  8. leaders
  9. peloponnesian war scenario

6. Political Phase

In the political phase, popular sentiment and support for continued warfare changes according to the fortunes of war. It consists of five segments.

• In the plague segment, plague can break out in an overcrowded city.
• In the bellicosity segment, the people become more or less committed to the war.
• In the surrender segment, city-states which have become too demoralized to fight on surrender to their enemies.
• In the rebellion segment, rebellions can spread or be put down.
• In the armistice segment, city-states conclude peace treaties.

6.1 Plague Segment

Commercial city-states (Athens and Corinth) are vulnerable to an outbreak of the plague. If the city-state's home space has been ravaged this turn, roll a die and add the number of friendly hoplite SPs in the space. If the total is 10 or more, plague sweeps across the city. Two hoplite SPs are removed. The treasury is reduced by 500 talents, but cannot be reduced below 1000 talents in this way. The plague can occur only once per game in each city.

6.2 Bellicosity Segment

Bellicosity represents a city-state's willingness to fight. Each major city-state records its bellicosity level on a track. Bellicosity can never fall below 0 or rise above 12. When a city-state's bellicosity drops to 0, it will surrender to any dominant city-state (6.3). The adjustments to a city-state's bellicosity level are summarized on the status cards.

During the bellicosity segment, a city-state's bellicosity is affected by the condition of its home area.

• If the city-state's home space has been ravaged, bellicosity is decreased by one.
• If any other spaces in the home area which were friendly at the start of the turn have been captured or ravaged, bellicosity is decreased by one. Bellicosity can be decreased by two if the home space has been ravaged as well.
• If no friendly spaces in the home area have been captured or ravaged this turn, bellicosity is increased by one.
• If all spaces in the home area are controlled and unravaged, bellicosity is increased by an additional one, for a total increase of two.

6.3 Surrender Segment

If, during the surrender segment, a major city-state's bellicosity is zero, and another city-state is dominant, it surrenders to the dominant city-state. If more than one other city-state is dominant, it surrenders to the dominant city-state with the most SPs in the surrendering city-state's home area (resolve ties randomly).

Some scenarios end when certain major city-states surrender. If the scenario does not end, surrender has the following effects.

The city-state may retain one SP of each type, which are placed in the city-state's home space (or port space, for any naval SP). The city-state's other SPs and all garrisons are removed from the map. Any SPs of other city-states in the surrendering city-state's home and port spaces are returned home; any garrisons are removed.

The victor may tear down the walls of the home space and port space (if any); they cease to be fortresses. In the case of Athens, the Long Walls are torn down as well, and rule 5.4.1 no longer applies.

If a major city-state is defeated, it signs a peace treaty with the victor. If the victor is dominant, the defeated city-state becomes an ally; otherwise, it becomes neutral. All allies and tributaries of the defeated city-state become neutral.

If a minor city-state is defeated, it becomes the victor's ally. Any rebellion in the home space is suppressed. If the victor is dominant, it may force the minor to become a tributary.

6.4 Rebellion Segment

If a tributary is in rebellion against its original controller, the rebellion can spread to the original controller's other spaces in the tributary's home area. For each space which does not contain one of the controller's SPs or a garrison, roll a die. Some neighboring Kingdoms modify the roll. On a modified roll of 6 or more, the space joins the rebellion.

If a tributary is not in rebellion, rebellion in spaces in its home area can be put down. Roll a die for each space in rebellion; there are no modifiers. On a 1, the rebellion fizzles out.

6.5 Armistice Segment

When two major city-states are unfriendly to each other, either one may propose a peace in the armistice segment. The other city-state may voluntarily accept, but must accept if its bellicosity is 5 or less. Athens must also accept if its treasury is below 500 (1500 if the Athenian emergency fund rule is still in effect).

If one city-state is dominant and the other is independent, move the independent city-state's status marker to the Neutral box. Otherwise, the city-state that proposed the peace must relinquish any dominant city-state or junior coalition partner status, with the attendant effects and penalties (2.2.2).

The peace lasts for thirty years (ten turns), unless broken by either side (2.2.8); make note of the turn on which the peace starts. Neither party may perform any diplomatic action which would cause them to become unfriendly to each other. However, this does not prevent sympathetic minor operations and expeditionary forces (3.1.3). Additionally, Sparta may contribute leaders to operations against city-states with whom it is at peace.

Example: If Athens is at peace with Corinth and Sparta, Corinth may still send an expeditionary force led by a Spartan leader to help Syracuse against Athens.

Hostages of one city-state held by the other are released when the peace is signed. City-states may negotiate terms of the peace (such as removal of garrisons at a later time), but these terms are never binding.

ppw@mountford.net (discussion group)

brian@mountford.net (me)