A historically-accurate Roman conquest timeline

[QuintusSertorius]

This is another exercise related to my Guide, ensuring people are taking settlements when they should be. I'd appreciate input and critique on dates, I've primarily used UNRV for specific dates, along with backing some of them up with The Fall of Carthage and Roman Warfare by Adrian Goldsworthy. I've only really gone as far as the Augustan Reforms.

A real question which could become a set of instructions all of it's own is how to deal with "independent, but allied" settlements, for example Massilia, Arse, Emporion, Syrakousai and Iuvovoaeta. Some were later conquered, but how could they best be represented? Taken and given a long string of type IV governments? The bigger question is whether each settlement needs a consideration of how they were historically Romanised. Some were immediately made provinces, others took much longer.

Here's the list in chronological order:

272: Taras
270: Rhegion, Bononia
264: Messana
258: Alalia
240: Lilibeo (by treaty)
238BC: Raid Segesta, hold until Polybian reforms
237: Karali
229/8: Segestica, Dalmanion, Epidamnos
224: Patavium
222: Mediolanium
221: Arse?
219: Lose Arse to Qarthadast
218: Segesta
217-203/191: Lose then regain Segesta, Mediolanium, Patavium
216-211: Lose then regain Capua
212-209: Lose then regain Tarentum
215: Regain Arse, Emporion?
211: Syrakousai
209: Mastia
206: Gader
204-202: Raid Kirtan, invade Africa
200: Bocchoris (by treaty)
200: Raid Pella
197-179: Baikor
188: Asia Minor ceded by Seleukids to Pergamum
181-179: Raid Numantia
167: Ambrakia, Epidamnos; Raid Pella; Makedonia made protectorate
157-5: Raid Vindobona
154: Segesta
154-139: Oxtraca (client state), Lusitania (client state)
147: Pella, Demetrius
146: Qart-Hadast (expel), Adrumento, Atiqa, Lepki; Raid Ippone and any other Qartadastim holdings
146: Korinthos (expel), Thermon, Chalkis, Athenai, Sparte
138: Sucum-Murgi
137: Tyde (client state), Galaecia (client state)
133: Numantia (siege), Pergamon, Sardis, Mytilene, Ipsos, Side (bequest)
129: Hallikarnassos
121: Tolosa, Viennos
105: Ippone, Siga, Lixus (all client kingdoms)
101: Tarsos
96: Kyrene (bequest)
91-88: Social War; possibly allow Italian settlements to rebel and re-take.
91-88: Lose Asia Province (Pergamaon, Sardis, Hallikarnassos, Mytilene, Ipsos, Side) and Greece (Athenai, Sparte, Korinthos) to Pontos
86: Regain Asia Province (but not Tarsos, Halikarnassos client kingdom) and Greece;
80: Mytilene revolts
75: Raid Singidunum, Serdike, Naissos
74 Bithynia-Pontus created and lost
71: Heraclea?
70: Amaseia, Sinope, Trapezous
68-63: Krete
67: Regain Tarsos
66: Antiocheia, Damaskos, Sidon (Syria province created)
64: Ankyra (client state), Hierosolymia (client state)
63: Trapezous, Mazaka (client state)
62: Nikaia regained
61: Lose then regain Oxtraca/Lusitana, Lose then regain Viennos
58: Salamis
51: Loss of Syria to Pahlava? Or just raided?
58-51: Gergovia, Viennos, Burgidala, Lemonum, Avaricum, Bibracte, Cenabum, Darioritum, Bratoporios, Vesontio, Bagacos
55-54: Raid Camulosadae
49: Massilia
30: Egypt annexed (Paraitonion, Alexandria, Memphis, Dispolis-Megale, Pselkis)
29-6AD: Singidunum, Serdike, Naissos, Tylis
25: Ankyra (province)
16: Iuvovoaeta
15: Veldideno
9: Vindobona
8: Vindelicoppolis, Mrog Arctegone, Gawjam-Heruskoz, Gawjam-Habukoz

9AD: Lose Vindelicoppolis, Mrog Arctegone, Gawjam-Heruskoz, Gawjam-Habukoz to Sweboz

There are question marks, because I'm not sure whether some settlements fall under the areas concerned. Furthermore, I may have made some mistakes or omissions along the way.

A completely ancillary issue is the Marian reforms as they're coded in the game, namely that I think the province requisite is too high if you're playing historically. You might have about 48 provinces in 110BC. I know it's been dropped from 50 to 45, but I still think that's a little high. The automatic one strikes me as a little pointless; at 90 provinces you're well beyond the scope of the historical empire and long after victory conditions. My own preference would be to raise the trigger to about 130BC, drop the province limit to around 35 and make it automatic at 90BC or something like that. But that really is a separate issue to this timeline, just something made clear by doing this.

Comments welcome.

[jtareb]

Nice job. The only issue I have is Vindibona being taken in 157bc. I thought the Romans did not advance to the danube until Augustus had come to power. It was either Agrippa or Tiberius who advanced the empire to the danube although a player might go ahead early and make them client states.

I agree about the marian reforms. As there was no clear clean cut date for the change historically i changed my script to make the reform unconditional about 155bc. Given the time it will take to completly overhaul my armies and barracks it will be about 130-120bc before i can field marian armies. I also changed the provincial limit to 35 as that will cover what the romans had historically by that time. A player might even change that to 100bc to reflect Marius coming to power and his utilization of head count soldiers as opposed to the old property-class units.

[QuintusSertorius]

Only reason I went with it is that there were major campaigns in Pannonia 157-55. While Segestica is also part of Pannonia, there's no real delineation between coastal and continental Pannonia, besides Vindibona being called simply "Pannonia".

Actually, UNRV has something to say on Pannionia:

In the early first century BCE, Roman penetration into Raetia, Noricum and Dalmatia moved towards the Danube and Pannonia. The Celtic Scordiscis and Dardanians posed an obstacle to this advance. A hard fought war with the Dardanians, lasting 3 years, enabled Gaiuss Scribonius Curio to be the first Roman general along with his Legion to see the Danube in 73 BC. Little else is heard of Pannonia until 35 BC, when its inhabitants took up arms in support of the Dalmatians who were at war with Rome. This led to an invasion by Augustus, who conquered and occupied Siscia (Sissek). The country was not, however, definitely subdued until 9 BC when it was incorporated with Illyria, the frontier of which was extended as far as the Danube.

Which suggests as you say not until the Prinicpate.

[QuintusSertorius]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the allied communities situation? Should I be taking them and putting in a type IV government? When should I take them?

[konny]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the allied communities situation? Should I be taking them and putting in a type IV government? When should I take them?

As soon as they are needed - or as soon as possible. One of the first things I do in every Roman campaign is to conquer Massilia and make it an allied town. Also after the First Punic I usually conquer Arse (if it has not been taken by someone else in the meantime) and make it a Level IV town. Attacks on these towns should always cause a war with Rome. Depending on the situation over there,I take one or two towns in Greece and make them allied to get into this business as well. The same would be with Nikeia and Pergamon.

Other are debatable. For example the situation of Karthago after the Second Punic War might as well be given as a Roman allied town in EB, that later rebelled and was destroyed on re-conquest.

[QuintusSertorius]

Ones in Asia Minor could be really painful to maintain against Pontos and the Seleukids, though. Although it could be fun to carve out Pergamon with local armies and mercenary generals in a way.

I may have to rush for Massilia in my current game, and later Emporion and Arse.

[IrishHitman]

Nice job. The only issue I have is Vindibona being taken in 157bc. I thought the Romans did not advance to the danube until Augustus had come to power. It was either Agrippa or Tiberius who advanced the empire to the danube although a player might go ahead early and make them client states.

I agree about the marian reforms. As there was no clear clean cut date for the change historically i changed my script to make the reform unconditional about 155bc. Given the time it will take to completly overhaul my armies and barracks it will be about 130-120bc before i can field marian armies. I also changed the provincial limit to 35 as that will cover what the romans had historically by that time. A player might even change that to 100bc to reflect Marius coming to power and his utilization of head count soldiers as opposed to the old property-class units.

Meh, I'd place the reforms on the date that property requirements were scrapped.

[etipac]

When should tolosa be taken people?

Etienne

[Macilrille]

You can argue for 118 BC when Narbo was founded and the Volcae-Tectosages of Tolosa became allies, but they rebelled when the Cimbrii turned up and was conquered by Caepio. Leading to his infamous theft of gold from their holy lakes/the treasury at Rome. Edited to add what I previously forgot; that it happened in 106 BC.

[AlexanderSextus]

Quintus: OK, i changed the Marian Reforms province requirement to 35 provinces, but now i need to know what the turn number for 130BC is, and i need to know what code to type so that the unconditional reforms start @ 90BC as opposed to owning 90 provinces. I'm really cautious when it comes to editing the script, I dont wanna kill my game.

[etipac]

Did anyone manage to do this timeline at the end? And till when?

I am always having difficulties in around 200bc
Etienne

[alatar]

Did anyone manage to do this timeline at the end? And till when?

I am always having difficulties in around 200bc
Etienne

No, Quint hit a bug in around 200 odd I think, I had a game like this till around the third Punic war, but it became fairly unstable and keeping the rest of the world in line was a bit of a pain.

It is a shame Quint is no longer around, I liked his AAR's.

[ZombiVoziKombi]

What's the source for taking Bononia in 270 BCE? I cannot find it in UNRV, and other sources all point to capture in 225, lose to Hannibal, retake in 198.

Thank you!