Life of a Roman: An AAR

[I of the Storm]

That's a very ambivalent character you made up there. But an excellent reading nevertheless, sir.

[johnhughthom]

Made up? He's real I tells you, real!!

I'm going to try to get an update up tonight, should really be doing my Christmas shopping...

If anybody is interested in the save a link is in the EB 1.2 Savegames thread. It's 240 BC just after the "Gallic Disaster" with Polybian barracks being built in the five starting cities. Greek allies can be recruited in the south a few Gallic allies in the north. The only units you have are seven FMs, five Ligurians in forts, a load of client rulers and three fleets. For all the snobs like me the Plebeian line has died out.

[Aemilius Paulus]

You mean you have no Plebeians? Really? Wow! I am quite pleased!

Also, how about turning anti-initialising on? Can your computer take it? Or maybe editing the screenshots if you have time and don't mind. Its just that your screenshots focus on a relatively small object, and the jagged lines are painfully noticeable.

Anyway, keep up the great work; I love your AAR, the perspective, and the fact that it is Romani!!! Its also nice that you now have three pages, whereas 90% of AARs are abandoned after the first page, and 5% more are done by the second page!

[johnhughthom]

Yeah I know the screenshots aren't great but I like to focus on my character rather than the battle as a whole. I only have anti-aliasing off as having it on makes my shots come out black. To be honest there is a lot of work goes into an AAR (how MAA has kept his going for so long I'll never know ) and I really hate the whole screenshots bit, as it takes ages. If I was to put even more effort into it I would probably lose interest.
I do have one plebeian left, Caius Aerelius Cotta, but his line all perished in the disaster so no more plebeians when he's gone. Which should leave me room for some nice RPing later...

edit:I'm having one of those frustrations with RTW mechanics I'm sure we all go through. I'm going to take a break for a while and come back to this in a few weeks.

[Obelics]

the screenshots for me were very nice, this particulary was great:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

very plastic positions et all, hope you will continue it as you will feel (from my side i have just started the 1.2 campaign, and i have only conquered reghion and taras and bononia, but im enjoying it thanks to this aar too)

[Roka]

i definately think you have stolen my idea for an AAR

oh well, good luck with the AAR, consider me hooked

[johnhughthom]

Life of a Roman: An AAR Chapter 3

Illyria

Gauls and Germans threaten our northern borders so where do we go? We go east, to Illyria. The Senate has had many reports recently of the wealth in the region from mines and wanted a piece for Rome. So that is what drives Rome. Profit. Our thousands of dead in Gaul are not as important as making money. Showing the Germans what happens if you attack Rome is not as important as Senators buying another bronze statue. How did Rome deal with her German and Gallic foes? With diplomacy, playing tribes off against each other rather than force. What must the other powers in the world think of Rome? We came out of the Punic War as the dominant force in the western Mediterranean, after the Gallic Disaster she is seen as hesitant and fearful, unable to deal decisively with barbarians.

How do I know all this you ask? The Nuraghi are hardly likely to have inside information on the goings on in the Senate. The Legate in charge of the allied ala had selected us to guard the Principia each night when we camped. They assumed we had no knowledge of Latin and we were allowed inside during the officers meetings. Cotta was present at a number of these meetings and I was able to gain a measure of the opinions of the higher ranking officers of the Legions. Most were unhappy at not being able to take on the Gauls or Germans but the opportunity for massive profit in Illyria was a slight compensation. Cotta gave me a curious glance one time as he left, perhaps I had made it obvious I could understand what they were saying so I was more careful to appear bored from then on.

Our first target in Illyria was the city of Segestica, we seiged the city for a few weeks before assaulting. The tribal leader was supposedly one of the most important men in the region, though his army was poorly trained if numerous.



Cotta who led our legions needs no introduction. He led two legions and one allied ala, the other ala was a few miles forward of our position to guard against relief armies coming to aid the city.



Letters from my father often mentioned the triplex acies formation the Legions used, and even though this was not a field battle Cotta lined his army up in this fashion.


Rams battered down the gates, while our archers peppered the defenders to stop them from harrasing the men pushing the rams. We fired over the walls with little idea if we were actually hitting anyone.

My unit was the first ordered through the gates and it was a race to be the first man into the city, as we were only allies we had no chance of a reward other than bragging rights. Of course I was first, a true Roman would hardly be beaten by a barbarian.


Inside the city the fighting was brutal and cramped. We stood side by side with Samnite spearmen wearing down the enemy before the legionaries came in and slaughtered the exhausted Illyrians.

[Chaotix]

Wow, great AAR! This is the first time I have noticed it, but it is truly excellent. Keep up the good work!

[johnhughthom]

Life of a Roman: An AAR Chapter 4

Chieftan

I haven't told you much about my "colleagues" the Nuraghi. There's not much to tell, they are ignorant barbarians and it makes my blood boil to think I am thought of as one of them. There is one slightly interesting thing about the tribe I am with, they practice a primitive form of democracy. basically once the chieftan dies a new one is voted in with every man in the tribe having an equal say. The chieftan then has the power of life and death over every member of the tribe. I guess it's ok to have somebody condemn you to death so long as you voted for them...

Obviously the chieftan died recently otherwise why would I be telling you this? And no, I didn't kill him. He died after an arrow wound received in the battle for Segestica became infected. As a boy I had often practiced my oratory skills with Herion, it was a dream of mine, of every Roman, to enter the Senate and run for office. I had spent many hours practicing speeches to win people over to vote for me. Of course none of these savages understands Latin so I would have to use their foul utterances, what is the old saying? There are three important things in oratory, delivery, delivery and delivery. So as a great orator the language I used was immaterial. There was one slight problem though, they thought I was mute. I simply told them one of their Gods had visited me and given me the power of speech, telling me I would become chieftan. The idiots saw it as some sort of miracle, my stuttering efforts at their tongue was seen as difficulty to speak after a lifetime being unable to. So they voted for me, no rousing speeches needed, no bribes, threats or cajoling. Sometimes mans strange need to believe in a higher power can be useful.

I remembered from letters from my father that allies were entitled to free grain, we had never received any in my time with the Legion, we had foraged for our own food. So I went to see the Legates clerks to see why we hadn't received any. It seems our esteemed former chieftan had ripped off his own people, all our grain allowance had been given back to the legionaries in return for a small monthly stipend. Which was now mine. It was a pitiful amount, but it was the first money I had had in almost eight years. I decided to ask for half our grain allowance and to recieve half the money each month. The grain would not go around the whole unit, but I would be seen as a hero for getting it anyway and I would still be making money. Everyone would be happy.

We are heading back to Italian soil now. The Germans have been making constant attacks on our Alpine forts, they haven't broken through yet but the Senate has decided to be proactive in our defense. In other words it has started to cost too much to deal with them "diplomatically." We now hold most of Illyria, last year the legate in charge of the other allied ala marched south, without orders, to attack the town of Dalminion. Cotta was enraged when he heard and took off south, with only his bodyguard, to take charge of the assault. He got there the day of the assault and took command, resulting in a resounding success. Roman heroes truly don't like others stealing the limelight.

I sit in camp now looking at the Alps to the north west. I cannot wait until they are to my south and I am in German lands, killing Germans.

[johnhughthom]

Extract from "The Roman Republic 272-240BC" by Prof. John Doggart.

The year 230 saw the start of the Germanic Expedition. A three legion force, under the command of Caius Aurelius Cotta, went across the alps into german lands. There is much debate amongst scholars as to the original aims of the expedition, some say it was simply to have been a show of strength, crush the enemy then return home leaving only the memory of the results of Roman anger. Others feel most Romans wanted to conquer permanently, believing this was the only way to permanently pacify the region. It is most likely profit was the deciding factor, however, and the area was seen as having little to gain.

It had been ten years since the Gallic Disaster and it was only now the Legions had the confidence to attempt such a campaign. Cotta had conquered Illyria with little difficulty and a Roman army had annhilated a germanic horde only the previous year, Romes greatest victory for a generation. The Scipio/Cottan reforms had led to a more adaptable force and Cotta knew it's strengths and weaknesses intimately. He knew Scipio had been the true hero of the Punic War and wanted a legacy for himself. The story of how he had raced after his impetuous legate in the Illyrian campaign shows his desire for glory and honour. He was almost sixty and this was his last opportunity to gain fame.

Gaul and Germany had been wracked with plague for almost five years previous to the Expedition and this may have been part of the reasoning for the timing as the Legions would have been unwilling to attack plague ridden cities. Some of our sources suggest the Romans were behind the spreading of the plague across Gallic and Germanic cities but this seems highly unlikely. The previous tactics of playing tribes off against each other was becoming too expensive and some were taking the bribes and sharing it with the tribe they had been paid to attack. Gaul was embroiled in a bloody civil war and the policy of delicately maintaining the status quo through diplomacy was proving highly succesful, Roman revenge would be served cold it seemed. The focus was Germany.

So it was with this background the largest Roman army ever assembled (the four legions who disappeared in the Gallic Disaster had been divided into two armies) crossed the Alps to take the fight to the enemy.

[Olaf Blackeyes]

*Grabs axes ,spears and a shield. Preapares to fight the Roman invaders*

Great Chapter BTW

[johnhughthom]

*Grabs axes ,spears and a shield. Preapares to fight the Roman invaders*

Great Chapter BTW

We are not invaders, it is merely an aggresive form of defence.

[johnhughthom]

I am curious to hear how others make up their Polybian Legion (or a Scipio/Cottan Legion in my case ). I have been using one Velites, one Hastati and one Principes with an Accensii and a Triarii shared between two legion, I use FMs for my cavalry. This however leaves a dilemma when dividing Legions and I end up with the "junior" Legion having only three units. I was thinking of going one Accensii, two Velites, two Hastati, two Principes and one Triarii but feel that would make the game far too easy, and I like to be able to get two Legions and at least one ala in one stack. I guess I could have fewer Legions, but four already seems a small number for my empire.
How does everyone else make up their Polybians?

[johnhughthom]

Life of a Roman: An AAR Chapter 5

Back into the fold

Well it has been a very interesting year for me, I have regained my status as a Roman citizen (I never really lost it but you know what I mean), I march with the Hastati and I am wealthier than my father ever was. I also learned some truths about the "great Roman" I thought my father was, but haven't killed any Germans yet. I suppose it is churlish to complain, but it feels like a lifetime ago since I killed somebody up close and personal. You aren't truly alive until you experience the warmth of a man's blood spurt against your face, to feel his last breath on your skin as you pull you spear out of his guts and tell him how you are going to sell his children as slaves and use his wife as your... ahem, sorry I got a bit carried away there.

Where to begin? The Germanic Expedition goes well, unfortunately Cotta has not been winning the victories thus far. He sent the Third Legion ahead to scout the region and try to locate the main German force, locate but not engage unless unavoidable. So what did the Consul in command of the Legion do? March east, conquer the tribes in the area and install a Gallic tribe loyal to Rome in charge. Cotta was enraged, this was supposed to be his moment of glory and somebody else was overshadowing him. He was in command of the expedition but couldn't reprimand the Consul in any way as he was legally the same rank as Cotta. To make matters worse the Consul gained two more crushing victories over Germanic foes on his way back to report, the stories of each victory becoming more and more heroic. There was already a clamour in Rome to award him a triumphus for his achievements, you would have thought Cotta, the triumpher over Carthage, would not have begrudged his colleague this honour but no, the news enraged him further.

It was in this mood he recognised me. Well remembered who I reminded him of. I was standing guard in the legates tent when he came to discuss the expedition with him. After the meeting he left the tent, stopped outside and looked me full in the face. In rapid Latin he ordered me to tell him my name and place of birth. Taken utterly by surprise I answered and he laughed. "You're no ****ing Sardinian, who the hell are you and why do you look familiar?" I told him my story, who my father was, why I was with the Nuraghi, everything. He gave me a strange look, "Does this man you killed have any family?" "No" I replied. "And you're mother was your only family?" "Yes" I replied. "So why in the name of Minerva's nipples did you run away? Who on earth was going to try to prosecute you?" It slowly dawned on me that there was actually nobody who would care that I had killed my mother and her lover. The farm and flats in Arpi had probably been taken over by somebody else and any attempt to reclaim them would lead to the owner prosecuting me, but otherwise I had nothing to worry about. I had been a complete idiot to imagine there would have been a huge manhunt for me.

"It's strange how fate works, you seem to have been destined to follow the same path as your father." I must have shown my confusion because he laughed again and said "I bet your father never told you about his time with the irregulars, how he was too poor to even equip himself as a Hastati. Ha, you needn't feel shame at your fall from grace, only if you fail to regain your lost status." I asked him if he would confirm I was a citizen to the legates clerks and he told me he would. It was like something from a dream, the most famous Roman alive bringing me back into the fold. The last thing he said to me was "I have my eye on you now, don't disappoint me."

Now all there is to explain is how I became rich. The Nuraghi had agreed to fight for a eight years which was now up, they were free to go home. Well actually they were free to go where their chieftan told them. And I was their chieftan. So I took them to Mediolanium and sold them all as slaves. All six hundred of them. Six hundred young men in the prime of life attracted a huge sum and the slave traders fell over themselves to buy them. I immediately used the money to buy some property in the city, some farmland outside and slaves to work it (no not the Nuraghi, I couldn't bear to hear that accursed language every time I came home). I also bought myself a full panoply of arms and armour before returning to the Legion camped just south of the Alps. We are to travel north within the day, Cotta has lost patience and wants to regain the limelight, it seems I will be killing Germans soon

[desert]

I have some in-character questions for you:

So the Nuraghi just let themselves be sold off as slaves?
With the profit from 600 slaves, couldn't you afford the armor of a full triarius? I'd imagine that you could even buy a mansion in Roma with that kind of money!

[gamegeek2]

2000th viewer!

And nice move, Sardinian dude.

[V.T. Marvin]

I am curious to hear how others make up their Polybian Legion (or a Scipio/Cottan Legion in my case ). (...) How does everyone else make up their Polybians?

Hello, great AAR! Good luck and stamina with it!

As to your question: my polybian legion is: 1 velites, 1 accensi, 2 hastati, 2 principes, 1 triarii, 1 general (usually just commands, rarely fights), 1 junior family member as cavalry. This the roman core, which coud be divided in half between the two family members, as "senior" having the velites and triarii (usually the passive part), and "junior" having accensi and no triarii commanded by the youngster to relieve him of his "green" trait.
The allied part has usually 3-5 units of regional troops, for example 2 geamilae liguriae + 1 liguriae epos, or 2 celtic spearmen + 2 celtic archers, or 2 iberi caetrati + 2 milites illergetum + 1 balearic slingers (or gaesamica - iberian javelinners).
Overall I think it is rather ballanced, has the proper "roman" feel and is not too overpowered nor unreasonably weak.

[johnhughthom]

I have some in-character questions for you:

So the Nuraghi just let themselves be sold off as slaves?
With the profit from 600 slaves, couldn't you afford the armor of a full triarius? I'd imagine that you could even buy a mansion in Roma with that kind of money!

Like I said earlier in the AAR the tribes chieftan has life or death power over everyone else. The tribesmen weren't told they were being sold as slaves, they were told "those wagons will transport you to the docks where you will set sail for home." Then the gates were locked.
He is probably too young to be one of the Triarii (early twenties) and he hasn't spent all his money yet...

[johnhughthom]

Life of a Roman: An AAR Chapter 6

Life as a Hastatus

Ye Gods, what a few years it has been. I almost wish I had my simple life with the Nuraghi back. The Germanic Expedition was a success, well it achieved it's objectives anyway. Our northern border is controlled by Gallic tribes loyal to Rome, it cost many Roman lives but we should not have to worry about hordes of Germans coming over the Alps for the next few years. The campaign petered out after we took Aventicos as Cotta was killed in the assault for that city, a German arrow took him in the throat and the campaign was left without an obvious leader as the Consul second in command had left for Rome hoping to secure a Triumphus. So basically we installed a Gallic tribe in the region and returned south. Unfortunately another Gallic tribe wanted to take over from the Germans we conquered and took us by surprise as we travelled south, this would never had happened had Cotta still been alive, the Legate hadn't even bothered to post scouts ahead of us.

They outnumbered us by a large margin, we had taken a battering assaulting Aventicos and a lot of our heavy infantry had been killed. We lost almost half our Hastati alone which was why the army had been unwilling to fight on without somebody like Cotta to lead us. The battle lasted all day and it seemed we would manage to hold on before the Gallic cavalry joined the battle, they had cleverly held on until we were almost exhausted. They brushed our cavalry aside as if they weren't there and charged straight into the fray. We never stood a chance, seconds after they charged the entirity of two Legions turned and ran. We made it back to camp battered and bruised, virtually the entire chain of command had been obliterated. I was the only one of my Conturbenium to survive, indeed virtually the whole of the Hastati and Principes had been annihillated. There was only one thing to do, head south and hope they didn't follow. I was too drained to even worry about my holdings in Mediolanium being taken if the Gauls followed, I just wanted to live.

Luckily the Consul had heard he would have to wait for his triumphus and was on his way back, for a horrible moment we thought his army was more Gauls attacking us in a pincer movement. He joined us with his Legion, we were supposed to be two Legions yet they outnumbered us two to one which shows how decimated we had been, and we marched north to regain our lost honour. The Gauls had the cheek to take the camp we had fled and entrench themselves within, I suppose they knew we would be back. We surrounded the camp and began to starve them out, they had no hope of reinforcements as the area was loyal to Rome. After six months they came out to attack us, they threw their spearmen against our lines repeatedly but could make no breakthrough. Eventually they brought their heavy cavalry into the battle, there was a difference this time however. The Consul had not commited the Triarii to battle even though there were a number of times we were in serious trouble of being broken. The instant he saw the cavalry ready themselves to join the battle the Triarii were ordered forward, the formed the frontline with their spear thrust forward. The rest of the heavy infantry moved to the flanks, the cavalry didn't move we hadn't forgotten how they had fared last time. The Triarii held against repeated Gallic charges while we dealt with the rest of the enemy spears, eventually we were able to charge the flanks of the cavalry and the battle was over. We didn't even bother taking the captives to the slave markets, they were all beheaded.

While all this was happening our old foe the Carthagians attacked our fort protecting Massalia. They were beaten by a loyal Gallic tribe and returned to Hispania, the talk in camp is that we will sail to Hispania within the year. Supposedly the Carthaginians have managed to subdue the whole country and the land is overflowing with silver and gold, so of course those great men in the Senate will want it. Of course they will say we are going to defend Roman honour, to show what happens when you annoy your betters etc etc. It seems my life really is destined to mimic my fathers, I should thank the Gods my own experience of defeat didn't end my life.

[gamegeek2]

[johnhughthom]

I wouldn't advise anyone to follow my raise a Legion for sixteen years then disband houserule, I just spent an hour raising five legions and allies and it has given me a headache getting it all together. I may try to stagger when I raise them from now on.
I have decided to increase the size of my Legions, each one will be 1 Accensii, 2 Velites, 2 Hastati, 2 Principes and 1 Triarii with 6 units of allies. I will keep two legions in Italy at all times unless there is an emergency.
I'm not too sure where to go now. The barbarians to the north are fighting a three way war which is pretty even, if someone gets on top I'll intervene, until then I'll just defend their random attacks. The Carthies hold almost all of Spain and a load in Africa, I wonder if I can somehow start a Carthie/Ptoly war as they are both behemoths. There is a rather nifty Parthian Empire and hopefully they can take a chunk of Ptolemaic holdings. Makedonia just broke our alliance with one of those completely pointless port blockades so I may just attack them twenty or so years early.
I know the last couple of chapters have been pretty poor, I keep forgetting I'm writing an AAR and don't take screenshots...

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Its ok dude. U dont gotta post screens in EVERY chapter. Just post a current map every so often and write like CRAZY, and ull have a good AAR.

Keep it up.

[julius_caesar_the_first]

I almost didn't notice you weren't using screenshots. The story easily compensated. Keep up the good work.

[johnhughthom]

Life of a Roman: An AAR Chapter 7

The Iberian Conflict

I hate boats almost as much as I hate Carthaginains, Gauls, Germans, Greeks and any other funny foreigner you can think of. If the Gods wanted us to take to the seas they would have given us fins. I have almost gotten over the cramped two week trip to Bochorria, now I have another trip to look forward to. This time to Iberia, the fabled land overflowing with silver and gold that the Carthagians have been raping for the last fifty years. Another Legion is already there, beseiging the Punic capital of the country. When we get there the fighting better be a hell of a lot better than the battle for Bochorria, less than a thousand Punic citizens donned their armour to challenge us in the city and were slaughtered. Most of the populace were happy to be liberated so the city has been left pretty much as we found it. A puppet regime loyal to Rome will be established then we leave for Iberia proper.

I march as a Princeps, as a Roman citizen I have to devote sixteen years of my life to the army and my time with the Nuraghi doesn't count. I spent six years as a Hastatus so ten years as a Princeps it is, actually I could afford the panoply of a Triarius but I'm too young-another six years service before I'm eligible. If I live that long that is, gives me something to look forward to I guess.

I was able to spend two years at home in Mediolanium, I actually live in a small mansion in the city and leave the farming to my slaves. I made the acquaintance of another citizen in one of the local whorehouses, he was a fomer Quaestor who had stayed in the city after his term there had come up. He had no desire for further political offices and his farms there made him rich. He only returned to Rome a few times each year to show his face in the Senate. After we had double teamed an exotic Persian whore he mentioned to me that he had an unmarried daughter, would I like to meet her? So things went from there and now I am married to the daughter of a Senator. She is flat as a German's shield with a nose like a bent arrow, but I didn't marry her for her looks, that's what slaves and whores are for. She doesn't have a clue how to run a household or a farm, but again that's what slaves are for. As long as she can bear me healthy Roman sons thats all that matters. I already have one son and she was pregnant again when I left, she would be due to have the baby any day now. I have sent letters back to her, but by the time she replies I will not be here. I may not know if I have a son or a daughter until my ten years are up.

I should be in Iberia by the end of the year, surely the stories on putting a pan in a river and bringing up nuggets of gold can't be true? Every man in the Legion from the lowliest Accensii to the richest Equite dreams of coming home from Iberia loaded with riches. To be honest I am already rich enough for my liking, I could actually join the Equites if I wanted. A true Roman doesn't fight from horseback though. Of course a succesful time in Iberia could leave me rich enough to join the Senate...

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Nice chapter show those Carthie morons whose boss. (although im still pissed that u beat the ***** outta my Germans)

[gamegeek2]

The single of "Principes" is "Princeps," not "Principe." But good reading.

[johnhughthom]

The single of "Principes" is "Princeps," not "Principe." But good reading.

Perhaps in the Polybian Legions it was, but in my Scipio/Cottan Legions it's Principe.

Only kidding, thanks for the info. I'll edit that now.

[johnhughthom]

Life of a Roman: An AAR Chapter 8

Peace?

Iberian Conflict my ass. Three simple victories over rag-tag Carthaginian armies and suddenly the war is over. Where is all the loot we were supposed to gain? We have taken one mining operation which takes a year to give what we get from Illyria in a month and two "cities" which remind me of some of those barbarian hovels over the Alps which weren't worth the bother of keeping. Of course the Senate doesn't trust the Carthaginians so we can't even go back home to fight in the war against the descendants of that over-rated bum bandit Alexandros!

Well at least I managed to "see the elephant." Quite literally, in the battle for Arse (named after Alexandros favourite pastime perchance?) they sent one elephant against us. It didn't even reach the battle lines and was brought down by a volley of Velite javelins. The rest of the army was bits and pieces of other units, obviously the Carthaginians haven't gained as much from Iberia as we thought. Legio III took the Carthaginian capital to our south and we hold most of the eastern coastline though the rest of the peninsula is in Punic hands. A sole tribe holds out in the northeast, perhaps we will use them to fight a proxy war, sounds like just the thing for our brave, bold Senate.

It seems the fates have conspired against me, I thought I had lucked out joining Legio IV and being sent to Iberia. I had thanked the Gods for not sending me back to Illyria with Legio II but I guess they are the guys who will see the action.

Why did we agree peace with Carthage you ask? A truly unroman thing to do you say. You know the answer to that don't you? Yes, money. A delegation from Egypt supposedly offered huge bribes and free grain for every citizen in Rome for an alliance. Of course since they are allied to Carthage we would have to cease hostilities. We will probably never know who got bribed or even if the money came from Egypt or Carthage, all we know is we are now at peace and the three greatest powers in the world are friends.

I wonder do those in charge in Carthage and Alexandreia really understand the Roman mind? If they did they would realise their money won't buy them peace. Romans have never accepted a rival. Someone equal in power to us. And we never will. Carthage and the Ptolemies will be destroyed, maybe not in my lifetime, but they will be destroyed.

[I of the Storm]

I wonder do those in charge in Carthage and Alexandreia really understand the Roman mind? If they did they would realise their money won't buy them peace. Romans have never accepted a rival. Someone equal in power to us. And we never will. Carthage and the Ptolemies will be destroyed, maybe not in my lifetime, but they will be destroyed.

Woohoooo! Priceless!!!

Great update. Do go on, please!

[julius_caesar_the_first]

Great update