Originally Posted by Quillan
Play the Bruti, Duck, and you will understand. I had 1 million in the bank by 230 BC as the Bruti. There's a screenshot somewhere in this forum someone else posted of the Aegean, and the amount of money he was making. I've got one of my own at home I can post if you're interested. Even big cities there make tons of money. If you own Rhodes, you will have a sea trade route with Halicarnassus in all probability. That one trade route alone generates well over 1000 per turn. Athens will turn a profit of 5-6000 every turn, even with a high population. It will go down if it's your biggest city, but it makes FAR more money than Patavium could ever think of doing. Add the fact that the Bruti have the Mercury temple (increases trade goods) to the fact that the Aegean sea trade is the biggest cash cow in the game and you will be able to make money faster than you can spend it. If you want to spend down, you nearly always have to dump cash on another faction by a diplomat once you get going.