Mildgyth
Senior Moderator
Humata, Hukhta, Hvarshta
*History of Equestria, Part 4 – The Arshakian period*
Mithridad's conquests weren't the end of Yauna influence in Equestria, if anything because most of the states around them still were either ruled by Yaunas or influenced by them, and the attempts at balancing external cultural influence and the internal cultural revival marked the first few decades of Arhsakid rule.
The time was also marked by changes in the linguistical landscape, with the Earth pony and unicorn languages increasingly influencing each other, the introduction of theatre, advances in engineering, and Pegasus culture adopting Yauna influences and distinguishing itself even further from its Griffo-Equine matrix.
As the Seleukids found themselves in their death throes, Armina briefly became Equestria's greatest rival for proeminence in the area, but not too long after, Hrom stepped into the scene, setting up a rivalry that would last centuries.
Hrom had risen as a city-state in the middle of Ereb, and through continuous expansion, by 300 BSE it controlled most of Ereb and even the Yauna lands had been conquered by them. much like the Yauna queendoms, most of its population (_plebs_) consisted of earth ponies, but the ruling superstrate (_matricii_) consisted of pegasi instead of hippogriffs. however, by that time, even that racial division had been dissolving, with the formation of a aristocracy with members of both races.
Hrom had already estbalished a foothold in Asiya in 357 BC, when the queen of Pergamon, Attala III, bequeathed her queendom to them, and when in 298 BSE Nicomede IV of Bitina, with her queendom under pressure by the Mithridadids, bequeatherd hers to Hrom as well, a war was spakred between them, which ended with Hrom conquering the Mithridadid queendom, which had them involving themselves even further into the affairs of the region.
Eventually, in 278 BSE, Hrom launched an invasion, attempting to depose the then shah Worod II in favor of her sister Mithridad. The invasion force was soundly defeated at Harran, and the over 10,000 prisoners of that battle were sent to the far eastern borders of Equestria, where they eventually founded the nation of Crystallia.
However, after 15 years, Hrom still managed to drive Equestria out of Aram, and while the next 90 years were devoid of open conflict between them, Hrom, which by then had managed to conquer Mudraya and Aram, still attempted to intefere in Equestrian affairs. even then, the Arshakids still managed to install their relatives in the thrones of Aghvank, Armina and Kartli.
The conflicts started again in 166 BSE, and would spark periodically after that, usually over cities in Asoristan or the succession to the Arminan throne. However, Arshakid power was starting to decay at that time, and its military disorganization became more apparent as the later wars often ended with Equestrian defeats, In the east, other satrapies had fallen to the Kušan griffons, and finally, taking advantage of yet another dynastic struggle, the Frataraka of Pars, Shadokht, rebelled, and her sister and successor, Ardashir, deposed both of the Arshakian rival queens, Walagash VI and Artabana V, inauguring a new era of Equestrian history.
Mithridad's conquests weren't the end of Yauna influence in Equestria, if anything because most of the states around them still were either ruled by Yaunas or influenced by them, and the attempts at balancing external cultural influence and the internal cultural revival marked the first few decades of Arhsakid rule.
The time was also marked by changes in the linguistical landscape, with the Earth pony and unicorn languages increasingly influencing each other, the introduction of theatre, advances in engineering, and Pegasus culture adopting Yauna influences and distinguishing itself even further from its Griffo-Equine matrix.
As the Seleukids found themselves in their death throes, Armina briefly became Equestria's greatest rival for proeminence in the area, but not too long after, Hrom stepped into the scene, setting up a rivalry that would last centuries.
Hrom had risen as a city-state in the middle of Ereb, and through continuous expansion, by 300 BSE it controlled most of Ereb and even the Yauna lands had been conquered by them. much like the Yauna queendoms, most of its population (_plebs_) consisted of earth ponies, but the ruling superstrate (_matricii_) consisted of pegasi instead of hippogriffs. however, by that time, even that racial division had been dissolving, with the formation of a aristocracy with members of both races.
Hrom had already estbalished a foothold in Asiya in 357 BC, when the queen of Pergamon, Attala III, bequeathed her queendom to them, and when in 298 BSE Nicomede IV of Bitina, with her queendom under pressure by the Mithridadids, bequeatherd hers to Hrom as well, a war was spakred between them, which ended with Hrom conquering the Mithridadid queendom, which had them involving themselves even further into the affairs of the region.
Eventually, in 278 BSE, Hrom launched an invasion, attempting to depose the then shah Worod II in favor of her sister Mithridad. The invasion force was soundly defeated at Harran, and the over 10,000 prisoners of that battle were sent to the far eastern borders of Equestria, where they eventually founded the nation of Crystallia.
However, after 15 years, Hrom still managed to drive Equestria out of Aram, and while the next 90 years were devoid of open conflict between them, Hrom, which by then had managed to conquer Mudraya and Aram, still attempted to intefere in Equestrian affairs. even then, the Arshakids still managed to install their relatives in the thrones of Aghvank, Armina and Kartli.
The conflicts started again in 166 BSE, and would spark periodically after that, usually over cities in Asoristan or the succession to the Arminan throne. However, Arshakid power was starting to decay at that time, and its military disorganization became more apparent as the later wars often ended with Equestrian defeats, In the east, other satrapies had fallen to the Kušan griffons, and finally, taking advantage of yet another dynastic struggle, the Frataraka of Pars, Shadokht, rebelled, and her sister and successor, Ardashir, deposed both of the Arshakian rival queens, Walagash VI and Artabana V, inauguring a new era of Equestrian history.