Seleukeia Megale (city)

Seleukeia Megale is the Seleukid capital in Mesopotamia. Founded by Seleukos I Nikator across the Tigris from the ancient Persian capital of Ktesiphon. It is renoiwed for the clean streets, beautiful gardens and marble palaces dotting the place.

Military history
During the Ktesiphon Rebellion the city was succesfully defended by Patrokles who, although losing the battle, managed to prevent the slaves from marching on the city.

During the Syrian Rebellion Antiochos' march into Assyria had left the city vulnerable to Ashushur-bêlshunu Orotonid's army. The citizens of the city resorted to hiring their own mercenaries to prevent the city from being besieged.

Seleukos II's Capital City
Seleukos II planned to make Seleukos II the city of all the world's desire, turning it into a grand and spacious city unrivalled anywhere in the world. With the wealth provided by the conquest of Phoenicia he announced that Seleukeia's doors were open to all able artisans masons and architects, and that no expense would be spared to embellish the city. Seleukos also lavishly sponsored games in his city.

The renovations of the city fundamentally reshaped the social stratifaction of the city. As part of the wider plans for the city, the slums were cleaned up and even the lowest of the lowest were assigned decent and spacious housing. While the elites of the empire constructed spacious villas of marble, with the Andromachid family working their way to the best plots closed to the royal palace.

A large academy was build by Seleukos during this period.

The quarring of the mass amount of stone and marble needed for the cities expansion lead to a serious accident at Sostrate killing a large number of slaves. The pleas for support were ignored by Seleukos II. The empire was overflowing with slaves from the Second Seleukid-Antigonid War who could easily replace the missing slaves and production.