Breaks away: Cilician Pirates from whoever holds Nagidos and Korakesion (at the start, the Ptolemaic Empire)

The Cilician coast rises and Nagidos and Korakesion become the Cilician Pirates. Both cities start the campaign in the hands of the Ptolemaic Empire. The revolt can break out early when one of the two rebels on its own, and it happens by itself at turn 102 (245 BC) at the latest.

It can happen in any campaign, whether the two cities are held by a human or by the AI.

• Nagidos or Korakesion rebels on its own: the revolt then breaks out on a 25% chance, or for certain if Nagidos or Korakesion is already held by the Free Peoples.
• If it has not happened before, the revolt breaks out automatically at the start of turn 102 (245 BC).

• Nagidos and Korakesion both rebel, whoever owns them, unless a city already belongs to the Cilician Pirates.
• Both pass to the Cilician Pirates, a faction that does not exist at the start of the campaign.
• Each city gets a garrison at 0.01 times normal strength, drawn from Cilician Brigands, Kietaian Hillmen, Cilician Neocretan Archers, Cilician Pirates, Cilician Spearmen, Cilician Renowned Pirates and Cilician Cavalry.
• The Cilician Pirates receive 10,000 denarii when Nagidos joins them.
• The revolt happens only once per campaign.

The settlements that revolt (2):

Settlement	Held at the campaign start by
Nagidos	Ptolemaic Empire
Korakesion	Ptolemaic Empire

At the start of the turn after the revolt breaks out, by either route, the message 'Cilician Pirates Ravage Trade Routes!' offers the human player the chance to take over the Cilician Pirates, provided the player is playing the Seleucid Empire or the Ptolemaic Empire, or held Nagidos or Korakesion during the turn the revolt broke out. Accepting switches the player to the Cilician Pirates and adds a government building in Nagidos and Korakesion; declining changes nothing. Otherwise no offer is made. The Cilician Pirates are a playable faction.

The in-game message: Cilician Pirates Ravage Trade Routes!

Kings and emperors can send ships and bumble around Cilicia all they want; those fools will never tame the fiery Cilician spirit! The sea belongs to them, and no matter who you are and what you do, you best fear the mightiest pirates of the Mediterranean!

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Kilikia Traxeia was a rough and mountainous land in southeastern Anatolia, characterised by a narrow coast with many small natural harbours (Strab. 14.5.1). It was home to the most fearsome bandits of the Mediterranean, the Cilician pirates. All were welcome to join the pirate gangs, not only the locals. Romans blamed the incompetence of the Hellenic kings for their rise to power. However, they too share the blame (Strab. 14.5.2). The pirates grew in power over the first century BC. Beyond attacking ships, they would raid and pillage undefended settlements and sanctuaries, even taking people for ransom (Plut. Mithr. 14.92, Plut. Pomp. 24.5). Their most notable catch was Julius Caesar himself. He had the culprits crucified (Plut. Caes. 2.7). Cilician pirates also participated in slave trade, which grew ever more lucrative as Rome became more powerful (Strab. 14.5.2). By 67 BC, they had become such a problem that Pompey the Great was granted exceptional powers to tackle the issue. That he did, and in only three months, utilizing violence but also forgiving those who surrendered and resettling them (Plut. Pomp. 24.4, 27.4).

Do you want to discontinue your campaign and play as the newly emerged Cilician faction?

Opens the way to: Cilician Thureophoroi Reforms.