Things you learned from playing vanilla RTW

I learned that the Gauls, Ibeians, Germans, and Britons were all unified states
I learned that no matter what nation, Rome is the most important city in the world and must be taken to "win"
I learned that Egypt kicked out the Greek rulers the second they took over

Even more tellingly I found out that in 270 BC the Romans were deeply divided into three different mini-empires led by one of three ruling families who lived in fear of the Senate and their invincible armies.

What was an even bigger revelation however was that the Parthians fought in pink pajamas.

lol, nice thread.
I learnt that throwing heads was actually quite a lethal business

I learned that all mercenaries no matter if they were from Egypt or from Gaul wore green clothes and that most of the Seleucid empire had been taken by the Parthians in 270 but the Parthians could not control those conquered lands becaise they were too far away from Rome.

Also I learned that 68 berserkers could kill 1500 enemys and that the Britons had a colony in Gaul.

Weeeelll, I have learned that all of the Egyptians were touched by King Midas.
I have learned that the Japanese were not the ones who invented ninjas.
I have learned that the Gladiators were actually the front-line soldiers and the true legionaries of Rome.
I have learned that chariot riding Amazons and huge elephants resided in modern-day Russia, my homeland.
I have learned that the Roman Empire was forged in 50 years.
I have learned that all soldiers in the Ancient World were cowards who routed in seconds
I have learned that cavalry was more important and stronger in the Roman Army than the infantry.
I have learned that the police and fire-fighting force of the city of Rome was the most elite and the best unit in the whole wide world.
I have learned that the tiny weaklings called Seleucids invented the legionaries and lorica segmentata way before the Romans even came up with their Marian units.
I have learned that the Goths appeared in Germania even before Rome conquered the Gauls and that the Germans had phalanxes wielding sarissas just like the Makedonians, who by the way stole the Spartan mascot.

I learned that all Calvary are gods.

I learnt that the Germans and Celts fought without shirts even during the winter.

Aemilius Paulus: "I have learned that the Germans had phalanxes wielding sarissas just like the Makedonians, who by the way stole the Spartan mascot."

I think that there's actually some historical fact behind that; even EB has got a Germanic pike unit.

I learnt that the Germans and Celts fought without shirts even during the winter.

Gaesatae.

Originally Posted by Hax

Gaesatae.

Hmm... Good point.

I learnt that the Romans used burning pigs in the heat of battle to scare elephants and that war dogs were a common sight on the battlefield.

Originally Posted by Zeibek

Hmm... Good point.

I learnt that the Romans used burning pigs in the heat of battle to scare elephants and that war dogs were a common sight on the battlefield.

Burning pigs could have been used historically - it was mentioned on QI, any accuracy behind this?

It looks like you dont like vanilla rome. Not in this thread only, but everywhere. I really looks like you all really hate it. Yes i know it is very bad historicaly, but remember it is just a game. And it is good someone make a mod like this. But it is the best game in the world, i think. Even if it is very much historicly inaccurate. I really bellieved that gaul was a unified country, and so was germania and all others. I believed that for long time, but i found out, and got very intrested in history. You act like you hate it, but dont forget that noone else would make a game like that.

I learnt that the Senate Army remained the same( Princepes, Hastati), even after the Marian Reforms.

I'm sorry, but all those questions that you guys came up with I don't think ten percent of the population anywhere in the world be able to answer those.

I think more basic questions like these would be more along the lines of answerable queries.

"What is your name?"
"How old are you?"
"Do you like ice cream?"


I kid. But I'm serious, some questions are extremely specific. The first two, about Hannibal and Carthage seem decent enough, but asking about Baktria and the development of Roman military tactics would be too much for people who don't even know where Iraq is.

I'm not even being a elitist snob.

Questions maybe like this could be acceptable:

Who were the Romans?
Who was murdered by his fellow senators, uttering the famous lines "Et tu, Brutus?"
Who were the Celts? Where did they live?
Who was Hannibal, and where did he come from?
Describe Pre-Dark Ages history of the British Isles.

I have to admit that I myeslf never heard too much about the Seleucid Empire before I bought Rome
And I also learned a lot from it - I hadn't known about the kind of warfare the romans had before the Marian Reforms.
I had never heard of a Ptolemaic Dynasty before (actually only the name Cleoptar seeemd fermiliar).
I had hardly heard of Phyruss before (I guess EB depicts him more accuratly but Rome also mentioned him)
I also got some insight on how ancient warfare worked - before that I couldn't even Imagine it - movies were to predetermined for me

It was the spark which started my interest for Ancient history - till then I was only interested about the history of the 20. century.

And a few more guestions to the people:

Who was Attila??
Name atleast two theories about his death... (I'm not really expectig an answer)
Who was the first Emperor of the Rome Empire?
Which Roman emperor ordered the consturction of the Wall (or boder defense) in Northern England?
(and a funny one: Was the Seldjuk Empire the direct heir to the Seleucid empire?

Originally Posted by HunGeneral

Name atleast two theories about his death:

He banged a Goth chick too vigorously and drowned in his own blood.

Do we even need a second theory?

I learned that Berserkers existed 1000 years before the Vikings.
I learned that lines of succession were always simple and uncontested.
I learned that revolting peasants fought with nothing but small knives.
I learned that it's possible to "train" peasants, and yet after enlisted in the army they are still referred to as "peasants."
I learned that peasants always fight in a perfect circle.
I learned that a single trireme can hold an army of 2000, including 20 elephants, 160 horses, and 3 catapults.

Originally Posted by kekailoa

I'm sorry, but all those questions that you guys came up with I don't think ten percent of the population anywhere in the world be able to answer those.

I think more basic questions like these would be more along the lines of answerable queries.

"What is your name?"
"How old are you?"
"Do you like ice cream?"


I kid. But I'm serious, some questions are extremely specific. The first two, about Hannibal and Carthage seem decent enough, but asking about Baktria and the development of Roman military tactics would be too much for people who don't even know where Iraq is.

I'm not even being a elitist snob.

Questions maybe like this could be acceptable:

Who were the Romans?
Who was murdered by his fellow senators, uttering the famous lines "Et tu, Brutus?"
Who were the Celts? Where did they live?
Who was Hannibal, and where did he come from?
Describe Pre-Dark Ages history of the British Isles.

If Caesar really spoke out these legendary words, It would be: Et tu Brute.
Vocative, Vocative!!

I always thought he said "και συ, τεκνον?"

yeah some say he said it in greek....

Originally Posted by Hax

I always thought he said "και συ, τεκνον?"

either suetonius or Tacitus, just can't remember.

Originally Posted by Hax

I always thought he said "και συ, τεκνον?"

Actually Hax, that would be "καὶ σὺ τέκνον".
Diacritics, Diacritics!!

Which of course is far from "You too, Brutus?", more like "You too, my child?". Personally I prefer the version were Ceasar says "You too my son", not as a question, but in reference to a well-known Greek sentence "You too my son, will have a taste of power.", foreshadowing Brutus own violent (though slightly less involuntary) death.

Of course, most likely he didn´t say nothing, just like Plutarch and Suetonius reports.

Originally Posted by Skullheadhq

If Caesar really spoke out these legendary words, It would be: Et tu Brute.
Vocative, Vocative!!

I apologize.

Latin has never been my strong suit. In fact, I know all my latin from this forum and EB.

That's pretty bad.

1) I learned that Scipio,Scipionis was actually a second declension noun
2)I learned that the Romans had to build the Pantheon in order to learn how to construct the Covus
3)I learned that militia hoplites were so poor that they couldn't even afford shirts
4)I learned that Parthia was clearly the richest Empire at the time because all of them, even the peasants, could afford to dye all their clothes purple
5)I learned that nobody lived north of Hadrian's Wall. In fact, the only reason the Romans didn't expand north of their British provinces was because there was nothing there, it was literally the edge of the world.

Actually, it's where the term "Black hole" stems from.

I learned that if you have two units of Praetorian units of Cavalry nothing can beat you, no matter the quality of your infantry.
I also learned that America was even more influenced by Romans than I previously thought, even our accents are similar!