Welcome to the 5th century B.C., in which the poleis (city states of ancient Greece, centres of cultural and political life) blossom into new splendour. Progress and destruction, blood and glory are cornerstones of this unique historical period, in which the ambitions of Athens and Sparta clash in a long struggle for hegemony.

Only a few years before, the Greek poleis came very close to being defeated by the Persian Empire - a fate that would have resulted in their loss of identity and autonomy. Threatened with such devastating consequence, a strong Pan-Hellenic spirit emerged. Under the leadership of the two largest poleis, Athens and Sparta, the united poleis fiercely fought for their own survival, their iron will and determination securing them victory over the powerful enemy.

With the Persian threat eliminated, the viewpoints of Athens and Sparta regarding government, economy, the military and other aspects of society, clash violently. A fierce struggle for power and influence begins, which will culminate in the Peloponnesian Wars.

It is also a period of great beauty and progress in which philosophy, culture, and art prosper and flourish - especially in Athens, under the reign of Pericles. But the continuous struggle between the two poleis repeatedly results in violent confrontations, and by the end of the Second Peloponnesian War both city-states have suffered vast losses. When Athens finally surrenders, both poleis have been seriously weakened by the war.

In Polis: Fight for the Hegemony, each player will take on the role of either Athens or Sparta, striving to expand his power and influence (either by diplomatic means or by force). But the growing alliance must be managed sensibly, and neither trade or expansion, nor scarce resources or military strength can be ignored. The poleis (plural of polis) need to flourish, and prestige must increase in order to achieve victory in this struggle for hegemony. Have fun!

1 game board: Containing the map with the various territories, a chart showing the market value of different goods, 12 Tribute Boxes, the round track, and spaces for the placement of current projects. To keep the load time small, the game board is displayed with a low resolution image. A higher resolution image, which shows more details when using the browser zoom, can be requested by clicking the HD icon in the upper right corner. 40 Event cards: To be drawn at the beginning of each round (its back matching the current round – 3, 4, 5α or 5β) 18 Polis Tiles: To represent the different poleis (neutral, or affiliated with one player), with their Base Population (and Fortification value), Maximum Growth and Population Maximum. 14 Project Tiles: The different projects (erecting buildings, hosting events or hiring personalities) a polis can undertake. 24 Combat Cards: used in land and sea battles. 1 four-sided die: To determine changing market values and the outcome of a siege.

Wooden cubes in blue and red (45 each): To represent Population, hoplites, and galleys. 7 are used to mark the current amount of resources and Prestige on the player boards. Wooden cubes in black (5): Four are needed to indicate the current value of tradeable goods, and one to mark the current round. Wooden discs in blue and red (25 each): To represent ownership of a specific polis on the game board and to indicate when tribute has been collected in a territory. Wooden ships in blue and red (8 each): The merchants of both players. 1 blue and 1 red pawn: Representing the Proxenos of each player. 2 player boards: To keep track of a player's resources in storage and his Prestige. On yucata the player boards are not used. The players' resources are displayed on the left and the right of the game board. 2 player aids: These give a short summary of the game rules. On yucata the player aid can be opened via the icon.

Population and Prestige are the two most important aspects of Polis: Fight for the Hegemony. A player’s final score, at the end of the 4th round, is based on the sum of both values. Therefore, a player should keep a close eye on these two aspects, as well as the various other facets of the game.

The key to success is the ability to correctly assess situations on the board: when to expand without taxing one’s own resources too much, and when to forgo expansion without being too passive.

The Population lives in the poleis. Throughout the game, both players will compete for control over these 18 possible allies, and try to bring more of them (ideally the more valuable ones) to their league than their opponent. However, if unable to supply their poleis with enough food at the end of each round, the players suffer Prestige loss or may even lose some of their allies.

Every polis is represented by a circle on the game board. The number inside the circle indicates the Base Population of the city (as long as it is neutral, i.e. not owned by a player), as well as its Fortification value. The higher the number, the harder it is to successfully besiege it, and add it to your city league.

Once a polis is controlled by a player, its current Population can vary between 1 and its Maximum Population (the right number on the polis tile). Every round, the Population can be increased, up to its Maximum Growth (the number in the middle).

The Population of a player’s polis is represented by a matching amount of his wooden cubes, placed next to the tile on his side of the table. These cubes can later be converted to hoplites, galleys, or merchants, if the player has enough resources to pay for it.

On yucata the tiles can be inspected via the icon. Additionally, the current population is displayed directly on the polis, together with its base population value. A Polis with a population of 4 and a base population of 3 will be labeled with 4/3.

In doing so a player will decrease his Population (and thereby reduce his victory points). However, all three unit types are necessary to perform important actions, such as Collecting Tribute, Trading, or Besieging a Polis.

Hoplites are military land units represented by a player’s cubes in the different land territories. If a player has more hoplites in a territory than his opponent, he controls it. Controlling a land territory blocks the opponent’s hoplite movement through it.

Galleys are military sea units represented by a player’s cubes in the different sea territories. If one player has more galleys in a territory, he controls it, blocking movement of his opponent’s hoplites, galleys, or merchants through it.

Merchants enable a player to procure the two most valuable resources: silver (which can be acquired by trading metal, wood, wine or oil), and wheat (which can either be acquired by trading, or can be bought with silver). A player may not trade with a Foreign Market if the trade route is blocked.

After his turn a player must check for any territories with a total of 8 or more units (hoplites or galleys). In these territories, a battle will take place, and the Combat Cards will be needed. Both players play 2 cards each round, alternating as attacker and defender. The battle lasts until either the Combat deck runs out, one player has less than two units in the territory, or one player withdraws.

Additionally, each player controls a Proxenos - an influential diplomat who will attempt to reach his goals through bribery and manipulation rather than violence. Even blocked territories cannot obstruct his movement.

Prestige points are not only important for undertaking winning - they are essential for undertaking any military action. They can be gained for successful sieges, completing a project, conducting impressive manoeuvres in battle, or controlling prospering poleis.

The image depicts the two parts of the game board. In the column to the left is the Market Value Chart for the four tradeable goods, the Tribute Boxes (indicating the resources produced in the different territories), three spaces where the currently available project tiles are placed, and the round track. The map to the right shows the 12 land and 5 sea territories, the 18 poleis, the 5 Foreign Markets, the 2 Trade Ports, and the various trade routes.

The game is played over the course of 4 rounds (marked 3, 4, 5α and 5β on the round track), which represent the historical period between the foundation of the Delian League (478 BC) and the ultimate defeat of Athens at the end of the Second Peloponnesian War (404 BC):

• The first round (3) marks a period of expanding Athenian influence, beginning with the final victory over the Persian fleet, which still lingers at the south-eastern coast of the Sporades. At the same time, Sparta suffers from the scandalous trials of their king Leotychidas II and his general Pausanias.

• The start of the second round (4) corresponds roughly to the year 460 BC. The enmities between Athens and Sparta lead to military skirmishes, which then result in the First Peloponnesian War. However, it is also the period in which Pericles leads Athens to new cultural splendour.

• During the period represented by the third round (5α), hostilities once again erupt, beginning the Archidamian War. Sparta repeatedly pillages Attika and the population takes refuge behind Athens’ walls, where they suffer and die from the plague. One of the victims was the Athenian ruler Pericles. Nevertheless, Athens recovers, and a temporary truce (the Peace of Nikias) is declared.

• The hostilities culminate in the fourth round (5β) in which the fickle military genius Alcibiades manages to change sides twice. A disastrous Athenian campaign into Sicily enables Sparta, after several victorious naval battles, to erect a successful blockade. Athens, suffering under insufficient food supplies, is finally defeated during the Spartan siege.

The numbers on the 4 spaces of the round track (3, 4, 5α and 5β) define the maximum of hoplites or galleys that each player is allowed to have in a territory (land or sea) at any time in the corresponding round (even during movement). Therefore, no battles can take place before the second round of the game. Additionally, the numbers indicate the maximum size of shiploads available in the Foreign Markets. The symbols (α and β) are only needed to distinguish the last two game rounds - for the purpose of drawing event cards.

Example: During the first round (3), each player can have a maximum of 3 hoplites or galleys in any territory (a total maximum of 6 units). This maximum increases to 4 units each during the second (and 5 in the third/fourth) round, giving a total maximum of 8 (or 10) units. After the first round, battles can take place (minimum of 8 units necessary in a territory). In the foreign markets, only shiploads of 3 wheat will be available during the first round. Shiploads of 4 (wheat or silver) will become available in the second, and those of 5 in the third round.

To begin the game, set up the play area as shown here. Then shuffle the Project Tiles and place the stack face down next to the game board. The 4 different Event Card decks (see the back of the cards) are shuffled separately and placed next to the board (also face down).

Draw 3 Project Tiles and put them, face up, onto the corresponding spaces on the game board. Afterwards, draw an Event Card of the first round (3) and place it between the two players. These actions are repeated at the beginning of every consecutive round.

The player with more Prestige (in case of a tie the Athenian player) now reads out the Event Card, and applies all effects relating to himself. His opponent then does the same. For the sake of distinction, effects that only apply to the Athenian player have a blue background, while those only applying to the Spartan player have a red background. Additionally, some cards will have effects that will need to be applied during or at the end of the round. Both players must take care these effects are not forgotten.

Events which do not require a player decision are applied automatically on yucata. In the move history they may appear below the opponent's moves. They are displayed with colored background, which makes it possible to relate them to the correct player.

After applying the Event Card, the player with less Prestige begins with his turn (in case of a tie, the Spartan player). He can now perform two of the 12 actions available, but cannot perform the same action twice. Then, he must check whether battles occur in any territory. If so, they are resolved in the order chosen by the active player. Afterwards, the other player takes his turn (performing two actions), and so on.

A game round has no fixed number of turns - it ends when both players have passed. Turns are performed alternately, until one player decides to pass on one or both of his actions. His opponent may then perform as many actions as he wants (even the same action multiple times) until he also decides to pass. However, each of these actions will cost an additional resource from the player’s stock (metal, wood, wine, oil, silver or wheat), which must be paid before the action is carried out.

It is also important to note that all components of the game are limited. If a player runs out of cubes or ships, he cannot perform any action that would require additional material, until this situation changes.

The following pages explain the 12 different actions (Development, Military and Political Actions) a player can choose from during his turn. Keep in mind that the two actions a player performs in a regular turn must always be different!

This action can only be performed in a single polis during the player’s turn. For each hoplite he wants to recruit, the player must pay 1 metal (or 1 silver) for their equipment. He then takes one Population Cube from the polis tile and places it in the surrounding land territory. Hoplites can only be placed in a territory as long as the maximum of hoplites in that territory (depending on the round: 3, 4 or 5) has not been reached. Additionally, the last Population Cube of a polis can never be used to create hoplites!

The number of units in different territories is likely to increase during the game (for logistical reasons, or in order to establish a blockade).

The poleis of Epidamnos and Abdera are not situated in any regular territory (the colour of the surrounding area and of the Polis Tile is neutral). In these poleis, hoplites can neither be produced nor can hoplites be moved into the surrounding area.

Example: The following image shows that Pylos (a polis owned by the Spartan player) has reached its Population Maximum of 3. He decides to create hoplites in the polis, and since it is the first round of the game he can only place two more units in Messenia (maximum of 3 units per territory). Paying 2 metal, he takes 2 Population Cubes from Pylos and places them in Messenia.

This action can only be performed in a single polis during the player’s turn. For each galley he wants to build in his wharf, the player has to pay 1 wood (or 1 silver) for the hull of the ship. He then takes one Population Cube from the polis and places it in the sea territory where the arrow next to the polis on the board is pointing. Galleys can only be placed in a territory as long as the maximum of galleys in that territory (depending on the round: 3, 4 or 5) has not been reached. Additionally, the last Population Cube of a polis can never be used to create galleys!

With the exception of Sparta and Thebai (poleis without a harbour - they do not have an arrow on the board), galleys can be built in every polis. Korinthos, on the other hand, has two arrows on the board. For each galley built there the player can choose which of the two sea territories he wants to put it in.

Example: The polis of Chalkis is owned by the Athenian player, and has a Population of 2 (its maximum). It is the second round, and the player wants to build a galley. He pays 1 wood, takes 1 Population Cube and places the cube in the Kyklades sea territory (where the maximum of 4 units is then reached).

This action can only be performed in the three Commercial Cities, identified by the anchor symbol on the Polis Tile. Additionally, only the player to whom the polis is loyal (matching symbol colour) may build merchants there: the Spartan player in Gytheion and Pylos, and the Athenian player in Athens. Even if the opponent seizes the polis, he can never build a merchant there.

For each merchant a player wants to build, the player has to pay 1 wood (or 1 silver) for the hull of the ship. He then removes one Population Cube and places a merchant ship in his Trade Port. The Spartan Trade Port (red area) is situated between Ionio Pelagos and Myrtöo Pelagos, and the location of the Athenian Trade Port (blue area) is in the Kyklades territory. For the creation of merchants the last Population Cube of a polis can also never be used.

Projects may be undertaken in roughly two thirds of all poleis. The project types available for a poleis are indicated on the edges of the corresponding Polis Tile. In Abdera, for example, statues can be erected, while Samos can organise festivals. Each polis can only work on one project at a time until it is completed.

In order to start a project in a poleis, a player must pay the resources depicted on the lower left part of the Project Tile. Each type of resource can also be completely substituted by an equal amount of silver. When the cost is paid, the player takes the tile and places it on top of the polis tile (turned so that the relevant project type can be read at the bottom edge). It is now no longer available for the opponent. However, if the opponent manages to seize a polis (e.g. due to a successful siege), he also seizes all of its projects.

Example: The Athenian player decides to begin a project in Athenai. Two projects are still available this round, but only the philosopher Socrates can be hired by the polis!

He pays the cost of the project (6 silver, in this case), takes the Project Tile, and places it on the already turned polis tile (see image).

Every project that is begun in a polis will be completed at the end of the round. The player who then controls the polis will get the amount of Prestige depicted in the lower right of the Project Tile (those not in brackets). The number in brackets is Prestige for Posterity and will be awarded only at the end of the game.

Following the example above, when the polis of Athenai completes its project, Socrates will award an immediate 4 Prestige at the end of the round and another 2 Prestige for Posterity at the end of the game.

Whenever a polis changes its owner, the player seizing it also takes all corresponding projects regardless of whether or not they have already been completed. If a polis becomes neutral again (due to a siege or insufficient food supply), it retains all its projects even if seized again later in the game.

There are 14 unique Project Tiles, 3 of which are available each round. Therefore, 2 of the 14 tiles will not be used in a game. It might be possible that this time Socrates decides to study butterflies rather than focus on philosophy.

The 14 projects are divided into 7 different types (displayed in the middle of the tile):

• Philosophers (3x): These tiles each have a cost in silver in the lower left corner which must be paid in order to for the philosopher in question to be hired. Syrakousai and Athenai can employ philosophers.
• Artist (1x): Phidias will create beautiful sculptures and design marvelous buildings if he is sufficiently paid in silver (similar to a philosopher). He can only be hired in Athenai, but the Athenian player has to take into account that the Prestige he provides at the end of the round depends on the size of the city. The amount of Prestige is equal to half the current Population of the polis (rounded up).
• Temples (2x): These impressive buildings are quite expensive due to the inordinate amount of wood and metal that are needed to create them, as well as the wages that have to be paid to the workers. However, they also award a substantial amount of Prestige to any player who constructs them in Syrakousai or Sparta.
• Theatres (2x): More affordable, but also less prestigious, these buildings are erected in the nearby hills of a polis. They can be built in Korinthos, Athenai or Thebai.
• Statues (2x): As the sculptors only need a bit of wood, and maybe some metal for the scaffolding, these are the easiest and cheapest projects. On the other hand, the Prestige awarded is equally low. Statues can be erected in Abdera, Gela, Epidamnos, and Sparta.
• Festivals (2x): During these celebrations in honour of the gods, inordinate amounts of wine are usually consumed (and must be paid for). They can be organised in Sparta, Poteidaia and Samos.
• Games (2x): Apart from the Olympic Games, other minor games took place in several different poleis in Greece. The winners were bestowed with oil, and sometimes even with wine or silver. Games can be hosted in Pydna, Argos or Korinthos.

Every Military Action always costs 1 Prestige Point.

Using this action, a player can move a number of hoplites depending on the destination territory of the movement. Neither the distance (number of territories crossed) nor the route taken is important by itself, but a few rules have to be followed:

- Hoplites that are moved can start in different territories, but all units moved must end their movement in the same territory. Therefore, the capacity of the destination territory defines how many hoplites can be moved there. It is not allowed to move hoplites to more than one destination with one action.

- Hoplites can cross either land territories or sea territories, but a combination of both is not possible!

- A hoplite moved through one or more sea territories always has to begin by moving to a sea territory adjacent to the starting land territory. Also, the movement has to end by moving from a sea territory to a land territory directly adjacent to it. It is, for example, not possible to start movement of a hoplite in Makedonia, then move through Thrakiko Pelagos and Kyklades, land in Attika, and then move to Megaris.

In this case, the destination has to be Attika. However, it is not necessary for the moving player to have merchants or galleys in any sea territory crossed.

- Hoplites can never cross a territory (land or sea) that is controlled by the opponent. A territory is controlled if it contains more units from one player than from his opponent (e.g., 3 Athenian hoplites but only 1 Spartan hoplite). It is, however, allowed to start or end the movement of a hoplite in territories controlled by the opponent.

- Hoplites can never move through land territories whose capacity (of the current round) has already been reached. For example, a hoplite could (in the fourth round) not move from Megaris through Thessalia to Makedonia if the player already had 5 units in Thessalia. The number of a player’s own galleys in sea territories, however, is inconsequential for moving hoplites through it.

- Hoplites are never moved as groups, but always one after the other! It is vital to carefully consider the order in which hoplites are moved. By moving hoplites away from a territory, the opponent could gain control over it, thereby blocking all further movement through the territory.

- A player who owns the polis of Korinthos has the option of moving hoplites directly from Kyklades to Ionio Pelagos - or vice versa. In doing so, he moves through the isthmus by using the diolkos (a paved track-way which allowed ships to be transported over land).

- Areas not distinguished by background colour (around Epidamnos and Abdera, as well as the Persian market) may never be entered by hoplites. Additionally, Sikelia and Ionia can only be reached by movement via sea territories.

Example: The image showing the movement of 5 hoplites during one of the last two rounds is a perfect example of why it is important to carefully consider the order in which hoplites are moved. Since the destination territory has to be the same for all hoplites, the Athenian player chooses Thessalia, where he does not have any hoplites yet. The units he wants to move are located in three different starting territories.

A) He begins by moving the hoplite in Ionia (1). He first has to cross Nóties Sporades, which is possible since it is not controlled by anyone. The hoplite is then moved through Kyklades (controlled by the Athenian player himself) and disembarks in Thessalia.

B) Two other hoplites (2 and 3) are then moved from Attika via Boiotia (not controlled by anyone) to Thessalia, one after the other.

C) Finally, the last two hoplites (4 and 5) are moved from Boiotia to the directly adjacent Thessalia. After the first of these two hoplites has left Boiotia, the Spartan player gains control over the territory. However, hoplite 5 can still be moved since he starts his movement in the territory, and does not cross it.

It is irrelevant at which point hoplite 1 would have been moved. However, had the Athenian player chosen to move even one of the hoplites 4 or 5 before he moved hoplites 2 and 3, he would have had to look for another way to get them to Thessalia (e.g. via Kyklades).

Movement of galleys follows the same principles as movement of hoplites. The number of galleys that can be moved is determined by the capacity of the destination territory (3, 4 or 5, depending on the current round); galleys can start in different territories; they have to be moved one after the other; and territories which have reached the capacity of the current round cannot be crossed!

It is also not allowed to cross territories controlled by the opponent, but it is possible to start or end movement in such territories.

A player controlling the polis of Korinthos is allowed to move galleys directly from Kyklades to Ionio Pelagos (and vice versa). The only difference is, of course, that galleys can move only on the 5 different sea territories!

This action can only be chosen if the player already has enough of his own hoplites in the territory in which the polis is located.

In order to besiege a polis (neutral or owned by the opponent) the active player must control the territory in which the polis is located (have more hoplites than opponent), and the number of hoplites in the territory must be at least equal to the Fortification of the polis (the current Population is irrelevant). The Fortification value of a polis is written on both the game board, as well as on the Polis Tile.

One consequence of this rule is that the poleis of Korinthos and Syrakousai cannot be besieged during the first round, as it is not possible to move enough hoplites into their territories. Also, Epidamnos and Abdera may never be besieged, as there is no surrounding territory to which hoplites could be moved. Finally, the capitals of both players, Athenai and Sparta, may not be sieged at any time!

If all conditions are met, the player rolls the four-sided die. If the result is equal to, or higher than, the Fortification of the polis, the siege was successful. This also means that a Fortification of 1 does not necessitate a roll of the die.

If the siege is not successful (the result was lower than the Fortification), the besieging player loses one of his besieging units. And if the besieged polis is owned by the opponent, he now loses 1 of the polis’ Population Cubes. A polis which loses its last remaining Population Cube in this manner will revolt against their ruler. As a result, the polis will become neutral (i.e., it is taken from the player, including all projects, and placed next to the other neutral poleis). Poleis which are neutral do not face any consequences of an unsuccessful siege.

An unsuccessful siege can be repeated in subsequent turns (once per turn) if the player still fulfils all necessary conditions.

If the siege is successful, the player takes control of the Polis Tile (with all of its projects, completed or not). He is then awarded an amount of Prestige equal to the Fortification of the polis he seized. If the opponent’s Proxenos was present in the polis, he is taken captive (is removed from the board), but can later be redeemed by the opponent.

The player who seized the polis then takes a number of his cubes and places them next to the Polis Tile as its Population. If the polis had been neutral, the number of cubes is equal to the polis’ Base Population.

If the polis is taken from his opponent, he replaces his opponent’s Population Cubes with an equal amount of his own. These cubes are not taken from the hoplites in the territory (they stay on the board).

Finally, the player takes one of his wooden discs and places it on the polis location on the game board (replacing the disc of his opponent, if necessary).

Example 1: The Athenian player wants to seize control of the neutral polis of Naupaktos in the first round of the game (capacity of 3). Two Spartan hoplites are already in Thessalia and he decides to move three of his own hoplites to the territory (he has to control it). Movement costs 1 Prestige, and for another point he besieges the polis, which is automatically successful due to its Fortification of 1. The Athenian player now takes the Naupaktos tile and gains 1 Prestige (= Fortification value).

Example 2: Let us assume that the Athenian player wants to besiege the neutral Polis of Thebai during the second round (capacity of 4). There are no Spartan hoplites in Boiotia and the Fortification of the polis is 3. The player now moves three of his hoplites (minimum necessary) into the territory (-1 Prestige) and besieges the polis (again -1 Prestige). However, the result is too low (2) and the siege is unsuccessful. He therefore loses one of his hoplites in Boiotia.

During his next turn, the Athenian player decides to move 2 more hoplites to Boiotia, in order to try besieging the polis once again (another -2 Prestige). This time he is in luck - the die shows a 3. He takes the Polis Tile and receives 3 Prestige (= Fortification value). However, had he successfully besieged the polis during his first try, or had he moved a total of 4 hoplites to Boiotia in his previous turn, the difference between Prestige won (+3) and Prestige lost (-2 or -3, depending on the die roll) would have been more favourable (either +1, or at least 0)!

Example 3: During the last round (capacity of 5) the Spartan player wants to take the polis of Thebai from his opponent. The polis (Fortification 3) has a current population of 2 (which is not important at the beginning of the siege), and there are also 2 Athenian hoplites in Boiotia (see image below). He decides to move 4 hoplites into the territory and besieges the polis, costing him 2 prestige points in total. The die is rolled and shows a 4 - the siege is successful. The Spartan player takes the Polis Tile from his opponent (including all projects) and replaces the two Population Cubes with two of his own. He also receives 3 Prestige.

Had the siege been unsuccessful, the Spartan player would have lost one hoplite and the Athenian player would have lost one Population Cube. During his next turn, the Spartan player could have besieged the polis again - he still would have had enough hoplites in the territory, and still would have controlled it (if the Athenian player would not have moved more units to Boiotia). However, regardless of whether the siege would have been successful or not in this subsequent turn, the Athenian player would inevitably have lost his polis (due to another Population loss of 1, which would result in the polis becoming neutral).

A player who owns at least one polis in a territory in which he also has hoplites can demand that the peasants provide him with some of the resources produced there. The resources produced in the different territories are shown in the corresponding Tribute Box. A resource is produced in a territory, if there is at least one numbered space next to the resource symbol.

To collect tribute, a player takes any number of his hoplites from the specified territory and places them onto the numbered spaces in the corresponding Tribute Box. He can choose into which (and how many) rows he wants to place the cubes, but they always have to be placed consecutively, from left to right. How many of the different resources the player now collects, depends on the number of the leftmost occupied space in each row. For example, if he sent 1/2/3/4/5 hoplites to collect wine in Sikelia, he could collect 1/3/6/10 or 15 wine.

If any player collects tribute in his home region (Attika for the Athenian player and Lakedaimon for the Spartan player), he does not have to pay Prestige to perform the action. The peasants will gladly provide him with the needed resources. To remind the players of this exception, both tribute boxes have a darker background colour. However, this exception does not take effect if the opposing player collects tribute in this territory!

After the resources have been collected, all hoplites are returned to the territory they came from. The player then places one of his wooden discs in the Tribute Box used, to signify that no further tribute can be demanded in this territory for the remainder of the round.

The territory of Achaia does not have a polis. Therefore, any player who has hoplites in the territory, and is the first to do so during this round, can collect tribute there!

Example: Up to 15 wine or oil and up to 6 wheat can be collected in Sikelia (see image above). The Spartan player decides to collect tribute in Sikelia during the third round (capacity of 5). He uses three of his 5 hoplites to take 6 wine, and the two others to get 3 oil (A). Alternatively, he could also have taken 15 oil, had he used all 5 hoplites to do so (B).

Silver and wheat are the two most valuable resources in the game, but also the scarcest. The different territories do not produce enough and only by trading can players ensure sufficient supplies for their poleis.

In order to trade with one of the five Foreign Markets (Euxeinos Pontos, Persis, Illyria, Thraki, and Aigyptos), a player needs a free trade route from his Trade Port to the chosen market space. A trade route is free if none of the sea territories are controlled (and therefore blocked) by the opponent’s galleys!

The first sea territory the Athenian player has to cross is always Kyklades. The Spartan player, on the other hand, can always decide if his trade route starts in Ionio Pelagos or Myrtöo Pelagos due to his Trade Port being situated between both areas. If these territories (Kyklades, or both Ionio and Myrtöo Pelagos) are blocked by the opponent, the player is cut off from maritime trade as long as his merchants cannot leave his Trade Port. Additionally, the Spartan player has to be careful not to lose both of his commercial cities (Pylos and Gytheion), or he would be unable to trade at all!

Merchants usually move along the trade routes (the dashed lines), but a player controlling Korinthos is, once again, allowed to directly move his merchants from Kyklades to Ionio Pelagos, and vice versa.

The shiploads a Foreign Market has to offer, and which goods they demand in trade, is depicted in columns in the different Foreign Market areas. Every column shows the goods that are offered (wheat or silver, determined by the colour of the lower space), the size of the shipload (the number in the lower space), and the goods that are in demand (depicted by the symbol in the upper space - metal, wood, wine or oil). However, a player can always decide to purchase a shipload of wheat instead of exchanging it for the goods in demand.

The Persian market offers three different trades - 3 wheat in exchange for wine, 4 wheat in exchange for oil, or 5 silver in exchange for wine.

To conduct a trade (only one is allowed per action), a player moves one of his merchants along the lines of a free trade route from his Trade Port directly to the chosen Foreign Market (moving it only part of the way is not allowed). He then places his merchant on any space that is still free and available in the current round. Shiploads of 4 goods are only available from the second round on, and those of 5 goods only in the last two rounds.

During the first round (3), the Persian market only offers the left shipload. The middle shipload will be available from the second round on, and the right shipload from the third round on.

Any shipload available in the current round and not yet occupied by another merchant can be chosen by a player (they do not have to be occupied left to right). However, it is not possible to block a shipment in order to deny it to the opposing player. A player choosing the Trade Action has to be able to trade at the chosen market, and has to trade!

If a player wants to procure an available shipload of wheat, he can decide whether to exchange it for goods, or to purchase it with silver. A shipload of silver, however, may never be purchased! The amount of goods that have to be exchanged for a shipload depends on the market value of the goods in demand, which are shown on the Market Value Chart on the game board. The intersection space of the appropriate column (in which the marker of the appropriate resource is located) and row (corresponding to the size of the shipload) shows the number of goods that have to be delivered in order to procure the shipload.

Example: During the second round the Athenian player decides to exchange some of his oil for a shipload of 4 wheat in Persia. The space is still free, available in this round, and the trade routes are free. Neither Kyklades nor Nóties Sporádes are controlled (i.e., blocked) by the Spartan player (see image below).

The player now places his merchant on the middle shipload space and determines how much oil he has to deliver (since the player is exchanging goods, as opposed to purchasing the shipload).

Due to limited space, the used shipload space is marked in the player's color instead of placing the merchant on it.

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