Poul Anderson, "Among Thieves," see here.
Again we have compass points in space. See Galactic North And South etc.
"'...despite the fact that interstellar space is three-dimensional and enormous, Norstad guards the northern marches of Civilization.'" (p. 174)
Kolresh seizes a planet in the galactic west, raids one to the north, fights one to the south and allies with one to the east. However, if it by-passes Norstad, the latter will attack it in the rear.
Unduma lectures the Premier on the Terrestrial history of marchmen who guarded civilization against barbarians, then became barbarized and attacked the civilization:
Assyria and Mesopotamia;
Rome and Greece;
Welsh border lords and England;
the Transoxanian Tartars and Persia;
Prussia and western Europe.
Historical outcomes:
Assyria sacked Babylon;
Rome conquered Greece;
Percy rebelled and allied with Owen Glendower;
Tamerlane overthrew Bajazet;
Prussia attacked France;
Norstad-Ostarik will attack Earth.
In Anderson's Technic History, Dennitza nearly rebelled against Terra.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I might have included the Kingdom of Ch'in, in the late Chou and Warring States era of China. Ch'in began as a small marcher state of the Chou Dynasty, guarding the western reaches of China from the wild tribes. The state of Ch'in gradually grew in size and power, with a well earned reputation for ferocity. A process culminating with the First Emperor of Ch'in conquering his last rivals and unifying all China.
Sean
Sean,
Unduma did say that he "...could add a good many examples."
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Noted. I simply thought some examples were more clearly apt to the point Unduma was than others. Or at least better known.
Sean
Border states tend to regard the sheltered 'interior' ones as ungrateful softies; the ungrateful softies regard the bordermen as brutes. Both are right, but when it comes to a fight, put your money on the brutes.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I have to agree. With the caveat that not all softies will be pushovers. Then we had better hope not all the brutes will be ENTIRELY brutish, like Margrave Hans Rusch.
Sean
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