Grand Theft Civilization

One of Antium's axemen regiments, travelling with the famous Leonum and the slightly less famous Antonii, had to rush back to Cumae to prevent an army of spearmen from pillaging the wealth of Cumae. While it was never explicitly said, it was clear that Cumae didn't trust its own garrison force, and Antium had a good laugh over this 'admission of inferiority' on Cumae's part.



A bar-bar fleet was sighted again, but no forces landed, nor was there any other bar-bar presence to see across the sea.





The bar-bar spearmen were swiftly dealt with as Cumae's philosophers and priests hid inside their homes. Mad Moxxi and An Jung-Geun were great spies in faraway lands that were irrelevant to the affairs of Rome.





The city garrison forces of Roma finally cleared the jungle from all dangers.





These feats were replicated under less dangerous circumstances in the tundra.



Though it actually turned out to be more dangerous.



And so Rome protected her borders from all that could oppose her might... Did that include a Gondorian ballista?



The exploring Antonii discovered what looked like an invasion force of Vice City, marching past Ocean Beach. The Antonii would stay in Ocean Beach to tend to their wounds.



And with that, Rome's leadership went off to invade dinner.
 
A few Mounted units would be quite useful in defending such a large territory from random bar-bar incursions. But for that the Romans need to figure out how to ride on the horses without falling off...

Also, congratulations on your bachelor's! What did you graduate in?
 
I'm counting on them not being needed, though I may run into some problems when barbarian axemen show up, but I'd like to go Mathematics > Alphabet > Currency > Code of Laws. And pick up Fishing, Sailing, and Metal Casting at some point. But we'll see how much of that will come true.

Thank you! The study 'Business IT & Management'. I believe it's a Bachelor of Science. If all goes well, I'll be doing the Master 'Business Information Management'.

On an unrelated note, I've been reading your story as well, but found it to be silly to comment on it while being only at page six or so - so here's my roundabout way of commenting on it. :p

Apparently, the bar-bar had copied the designs of the Gondorian ballistas.



On the other hand, maybe the dark forces of Mordor had recruited - or created? - the bar-bar.



A third option was soon considered as well; rumours reached Rome that a massive bar-bar uprising had taken place, somewhere, spearheaded by a people known as the Vandals. Minions of Mordor, or the great evil Rome's religious community warned all and sunder about?



However the case may be, no evil could stand against proper Roman spears.



No, for now, the bar-bars didn't throw a wrench in Rome's plans of world conquest - but a curious increase in work speed that saw both Crassus and Vergilius cut down the jungles before the proper way of doing so was revealed with mathematical models, that did throw a slight wrench in Rome's plans.



Yes, for some reason the game said that, for example, the rice farm would take two more turns, when it took only one. I'm waiting with chopping the jungle until I have Mathematics, so as to get the most production out of it. I even turned on the prechop options, but to no avail. We will blame it on Jerry Martinez.

Because what fun is there in a Hanging Garden, when it can be a Hanging Jungle?



Of course, to ensure the proper irrigation of such a channel, Rome would need to learn more about large-scale waterworks. Vergilius was already toying with the idea of an 'aqueduct' (it used to bother me that it wasn't an 'aquaduct' in English, until I learned about 'aquaeduct' ('acquae ductus') and how that was rendered into 'aqueduct'), and the citizens of Arretium were slowly learning more about water on their own. As Vergilius was in charge of developing the rice farms of Arretium anyway, he undertook frequent trips to Arretium to learn - and teach - what he could, and Roman water-knowledge boomed.



Four turns in total is such a short time, and it'd be nice to open up trade routes with others, plus to explore all of the map.

With the razing of Minas Anor by the bar-bars, it becomes clear that Gondor isn't responsible for this threat - or that if they were, they have lost control over the bar-bars - and it becomes a distinct possibility that the Vandals have in fact risen up against Gondor. Of course, this uprising could have happened on Sauron's command...



Despite the religious community's calls for action against the bar-bars and Sauron, most of Rome isn't overtly worried; what can these bar-bar do against our mighty spears and axes? No, better to clear out the jungle and make the north a habitable place free of any potential threats, bar-bar, wildlife, or otherwise.

However, soon after, news of another bar-bar uprising reaches Rome's shores; Atilla the Hun is apparently on a crusade against the very concept of civilisation.



At the same time, Antonii couriers were almost sent on their way to Antium to report about yet another bar-bar uprising - but then they realised the sails were dark grey, not black, and that the skull on these sails was quite different in both shape and colour.



And so first contact was made with the Anywhere people, under the leadership of Claude Speed.











However, despite the growing worries over bar-bars, and despite so-called civilised people who seem to thrive on imitating bar-bars, Rome continued its current policies. The citizens of Arretium and Vergilius cooperated to bring fish and rice into the city and all of Rome.



And Roma itself profited greatly from all the jungle wood brought into the city.



Sometimes, though, it seemed that as soon as they cut down the jungle in one place, it grew right back into another place.



As Pompeius completed the aluminium mines and started laying down infrastructure to support the large-scale extraction of iron, more bar-bar galleys were spotted.



Despite theoretically understanding how to build these galleys - despite even having made substantial improvements on the design, resulting in the conceptual trireme warships - Rome lacked any skilled sailors for now. Yet these bar-bars couldn't be allowed to keep bestriding the Roman seas.



The bar-bars also caused problems for Vice City, observed the Antonii.



But Antonius' main army observed bar-bars clearly heading for Rome. Luckily, they had moved a regiment of axemen up front, and moved a regiment of spearmen further back.



Finally, despite the growing naval threat of the bar-bars, Arretium had become the home of brave sailors knowing all about the winds and currents. Though most were of foreign origin as of yet, some few were willing to sail for Rome, and so, slowly, Rome's merchants ventured across the seas, and received exotic goods from across the seas as well. Marcus Licinius Crassus saw an opportunity to grow even richer.
 
The bar-bar archers were swiftly eliminated.





The massive deforestation of the jungles resulted in many Romans taking up jobs such as lumberjacks, architects, or construction workers. As all of Rome's infrastructure grew by leaps and bounds thanks to the influx of wood, certain architects came to be renown throughout the empire for their wooden constructions. One of them was Charles Babbage, the lead designer of the Hanging Jungle-Gardens of Roma.



He would end up migrating to Arretium, where he would become inspired by the symbolic message that cutting the jungles represented, in his eyes, but that is a story for later.

The exploring Antonii, meanwhile, were faced with a very interesting situation.



Well, for all the depravity of Tommy Vercetti, Vice City, like Rome, also stood up against the bar-bar threat.



Only flourishing flood plains full of Vice people were there, no bar-bars to be seen.



But there were bar-bars to be seen in Rome; bar-bars riding on strange contraptions pulled by horses. Marcus Antonius remembered Pompeius once describing a similar idea - or was it Gaius Marius? - but surely, the path of copper and iron was a better path for Rome's glorious military. Some of his soldiers, though, had different thoughts. To think that bar-bars could be so much more advanced than Romans, a people at the height of civilisation... No matter. They would be dealt with. They posed no threat.



That much was true. As Pompeius started working on establishing a massive network of tunnels and mines to extract precious iron ore, Rome's soldiers were confident once more of their might.





Gondor called for aid, but Rome didn't answer:



A few days later, an envoy from Mordor spoke the exact same words. Yet Rome had no soldiers to spare because of her war against the bar-bar threat - perhaps Sauron would now influence the bar-bars to go away, or perhaps Sauron was truly innocent in this matter.



Whatever the case, the bar-bar threat didn't abide. Perhaps Sauron was occupied by the matter of a great spy being born, somewhere, who went by the name of Frodo Baggins. Rome's sibyl prophesied that this descendant of Bilbo Baggins would bring about Sauron's downfall - but the Hobbits were all gone, weren't they? Had a bastard Baggins secretly fostered in Michel Delving? Perhaps using Arretium's ships to sail away?

Despite some minor worries over the bar-bar chariots, held by but a small minority of Rome's soldiers, by and large, Romans still perceived themselves as superior in all aspects of life. Herodotus shattered this belief.



A thug and a bar-bar, many unknowns, and no Roman at all mentioned! Later, it was revealed that the religious-military community, still clamouring for Rome to turn to a state of total war, had heavily influenced Herodotus. But that did little to quell Rome's growing unease. Confined as it was to but a small few Romans, it was growing even so. Had they truly fallen from grace?

Vice City looked a lot more populous, and richer too, didn't it? But of course, that was because of Tommy Vercetti's debaucherous reign - Romans were virtuous, upstanding, civilised in a world where the uncivilised ruled. That was it, yes; no wonder a thug and a bar-bar made the top of this list.



No, Rome would have to prove her worth on her own terms. By a heroic act that saved the citizens of Leaf Links from being preyed on by lions, for example.





But along with this new course of actions came a small split between the Triumvirate; redefining Rome's civilised nature as being found in strength of mind and spirit, instead of strength of arms, didn't sit well with Marcus Antonius. And he was precisely the one who defended all of Rome against the uncivilised; against the bar-bars.

But Marcus Antonius was also the one who had let his army plunder the lands and homes of the Hobbits, who had put cities such as Hobbiton, Westmarch, and Buckland to the torch, who had slaughtered and enslaved uncountable Hobbits, and who had crushed their entire culture and their very concept of being a different people. At a time where Rome distanced itself from the Enclave's own slavery programme, to show Rome's enlightened views, these unspoken thoughts all didn't sit well with any member and associate of the Triumvirate.



Marcus Antonius' star continued to fall, with bar-bar chariots harassing Roman soldiers, and with bar-bar archers making fun of Roman spears.



Marcus Antonius retaliation was swift and his wrath was mighty.





But even so, a synthesis needed to be found. Rome was a civilised nation, to be sure. Rome was advanced in philosophy and science, in the arts that set humans apart from animals. One only needed to look at the achievements of Vergilius, at the influence of the philosophers and priests of Cumae, or at the cunning of Crassus, to see the truth of this. Rome also fought against the uncivilised and actively worked towards spreading the benefits of civilisation, be it in relative peace to cut down the jungles, or in war at the front with the bar-bars.

But Rome was also proud of its militaristic nature, with Antium, the home of many fine military institutes and housing many great generals, being a second Rome for all intents and purposes. Marcus Antonius was a valued member of the Triumvirate, and worked tirelessly to keep the bar-bar threat at bay.

Rome couldn't discard her military power, just as Rome couldn't discard her higher learning - and yet, Rome had grown weak in military strength, and the pacifism, the spiritual enlightenment, and the even higher learning that Buddhism promoted was not for Rome either. But if neither of those two extremes, how could Rome rightfully call itself superior? Perhaps the synthesis of this lay in honour and virtue, recently promoted by the Antonii in Vice City. But this would be a question on the minds of Rome for some time to come - perhaps, perhaps they weren't superior? Could it be...?

On the other hand, the Antonii continued displaying Roman virtue, Roman bravery, Roman heroics and Roman chivalry - and, not to forget, Roman military prowess.



And the jungle continued to fall to Roman civilisation as well.



The gems of Arretium would eventually inspire Charles Babbage.



But the monument he dreamed of could only be built with a healthy supply of iron ore - and as luck would have it, the first few mines had just been established.



With iron quickly spreading through all of Rome, metal casting was soon turned into an art.



But that was for those Romans who hadn't found employment in Rome's ever-growing bureaucracy, now upheld as a key feature of Rome's enlightenment. Literacy programmes had far more success than any Roman could ever have expected, and this would have massive consequences.



For one, an empire-wide establishment of libraries, and the flourishing of science and philosophy even amongst the common craftsmen and rural farmers.



With the exponential expansion of knowledge the common Roman had now access to, a flurry of radical ideas took the empire by storm. However, between the many outlandish ideas, there were some quite brilliant ones. For one, making the military a voluntary institution that promised wealth and knowledge; seeing the world, experiencing cultures, attaining discipline. The military could be the glue holding all of Rome together, a place where men from Antium and Cumae thought and fought as one, where they wouldn't be seen as respectively barbaric brutes and weak-willed philosophers, but as men of Rome. The military wouldn't be an institution plucking away Roman sons from their families, but as a status symbol, as a job Roman men dreamed of.



And to prevent a schism in Rome's Triumvirate, why not let any such man, provided he was literate and of good stock, with a proper profession - demonstrating that he was indeed a proper Roman - have influence in Rome's government? This would further bring all of Rome together, for now, they were Rome, and their voice carried the weight to shape Rome in their image.

Of course, whether the Triumvirate listened was a secondary matter... Politics is about perception, and Cicero, for one, was ecstatic by this 'concession of the tyrannic Triumvirate to the good peoples of Rome'.



Rome's bureaucracy had entirely different benefits as well; by playing with the numbers, the mathematical illiterate Carl Johnson ended up securing this trade deal for his people:



 
Huh, the last part of the previous update was cut off. Well, here you go:

And as Rome was reformed again, as citizens all throughout the Imperium Romanum celebrated, few were aware of the horrifying disaster that waited for them in the jungles, cut away piece by piece...



Luckily, the gods smiled on this new Rome, as the disease and plague filled jungle had just given Rome a great boon.



Rome ushered into an age of literacy, chivalry, and health, under enlightened rulership and with the support of a noble and virtuous military - Rome, surrounded by barbarians, ushered into an age of civilisation.
 
With politics now being the business of the public - res publica - Rome declared itself to be Republic, and would uphold the republican ideal as the benchmark of any civilised people.



Vergilius took an odd detour, perhaps to admire the slowly shrinking jungle.



Rome's military also took detours, to accommodate its newfound importance; not only was it an instrument to be used against bar-bars, but now it was also a way for citizens to prosper as professional soldiers, and a way for all of Rome to prosper as one cohesive nation. As the military could no longer simply take sons away from fathers - or the reverse - Marcus Antonius spearheaded a recruitment campaign, and hosted parades in Roma and Cumae.

These campaigns would prove to be a great success, seeing many young men graduating from the military academy in Antium - young men trained in and equipped with iron weaponry. They would be the first of Rome's reformed military, the Princeps, mightier than ever before.



Marcus Antonius was, however, more than an armchair general throwing pretty parades and looking at recruitment numbers.



Marcus Antonius was vital to Rome's defence.



He had an instinctive grasp of the moods of his soldiers. He knew when to let his axemen rest and recharge.



And when to unleash his spears on unsuspecting bar-bars.



Who were butchered without any Roman suffering injuries.



Regardless, Marcus Antonius' parades did much to put the populace of Cumae at ease. A joint meeting with Galadriel promoted the new ideals and values of Rome's military, and even Cicero got roped in to support Rome's military as a beneficial occupation for Roman's youth.



Of course, the bar-bar threat was never far away.



But they couldn't stand against fine Roman axes - especially not when Marcus Antonius arrived just before battle was given, teaching these axemen the finer points of combat.



As this took place, a variety of great people were born, and San Andreas had apparently perfected the chariot and sought to trample any and all who opposed them with these war machines. Inevitably, rumours of Carl Johnson supplying the bar-bars with chariots emerged, but most people were coming around to the view that no actual civilisation - or what might pass for such - was responsible for the bar-bar threat.



In more important news, the first Princeps finished their training, their ranks largely filled with young men from Cumae spurned into action by Cicero's inspiring speech. To further Cumae's newfound favourable view of the military - however vaguely favourable it may be - and to further tie Cicero to the Triumvirate, these men would be known as the Ciceronis (much like the Pompeii and Antonii, but both Pompeius and Antonius end with -us, whereas Cicero ends with -o, hence it being Ciceronis and not Ciceri or somesuch). They would go to Roma to demonstrate Rome's glory to the elite there in person.



Though their glorious arrival was somewhat lessened in impact when Roma unveiled its Hanging Gardens, a wonder built with jungle wood, displaying many of the jungle's bright and vibrant flora. A beautiful testament to the ever-shrinking jungle and to the ever-spreading light of civilisation, to be sure. Much like how the Etemenanki had come to represent Rome's Triumvirate, the Hanging Gardens would represent Rome's new republican ideals.





Practically speaking, the influx of wood and Rome's growing knowledge of hydraulics saw the rapid construction of aqueducts in all of Rome's major cities. Aqueducts would forever be associated with Roman civilisation.



The Antonii were understandably eager to see Rome's new wonders, and headed back to proper Roman lands after having explored Tommy Vercetti's domain.



Alas, they would have to wait before they could head back, as the hour grows late and the screen fades to black.
 
As regiments of fresh Princeps marched out of Antium's barracks, the Roman military afield shifted its lines slightly forward, stumbling upon more bar-bars.





These bar-bars were no match for Roman axes, and Marcus Antonius proceeded to establish a Roman presence in the forested hills between the mountains.





As a regiment of Princeps broke camp on the outskirts of Michel Delving - the Bilbonis, so named to appease the Hobbit populace - word came from Dick Richardson's Enclave that one or more of his strongholds had seen an outbreak of violence.



What's more, these revolutionaries stylised themselves as Holy Romans, seeking to establish a Holy Roman Empire. The Triumvirate distanced itself from these revolutionaries, truthfully claiming to not having known of them before now, but the Enclave's envoys were suspicious. They proclaimed that now was the perfect time for Rome to unite with the Enclave under the wise leadership of Dick Richardson. Understandably, that was met with derision from any Roman who heard of this news - not many, as, equally understandably, all of this news was confined to the halls of the Etemenanki in Roma, lest the uppity Hobbits get any ideas.



The Bilbonis II were reinforced by the next Princeps regiment to finish training; the Bilbonis III. Oh, the lengths Rome goes to to placate the Hobbits.





It was at this time that a new civilisation made its presence known; Rhovanion, under the leadership of Brand, son of Bain, grandson of Bard, a bowman famous in Rhovanion history for slaying all the dragons that roamed the world in ancient times.



The Rhovanion explorers first sight of Rome were the mighty Princeps, stationed in Michel Delving, their iron shining in the sun and their banners proudly waving in the winds. Understandably, the Rhovanion were quick to ensure peace would be declared between the mighty legions of Rome and the ancient and frail bowmen of Rhovanion.











The Rhovanion people were familiar with the hazards of the wilderness and jungles, apparently, but they could only stare in wonder at Rome's astounding efforts of civilising even these lands.





They further stared in wonder at Rome's entirely different efforts of civilising the southern jungle-less lands.





Out of the fog, however, came a troupe of bar-bar charioteers poised to ambush - and quite possibly kill - Rome's axemen returning from battle.



But Mars, unwilling to see his chosen people suffer defeat with Rhovanion onlookers, intervened in Rome's favour. Ciryaher of Gondor was less amused.





Even with the favour of Mars, Marcus Antonius found it prudent to call upon reinforcements. The task fell to the Bilbonis of Michel Delving.



Their garrison duties would be taken over by the new regiment of Princeps, christened as Lux, for the light they would bring to the dark, the wild, and all those who opposed Rome.





The second Bilbonis regiment was also sent out immediately upon arriving in Michel Delving, but they would construct a proper Roman road as they marched, to make supplying and reinforcing the military a lesser strain on Rome's logistics.



This task began, right when the first Bilbonis regiment arrived in the entrenched camp of Rome's wounded axemen.



And they arrived just in time, too.



The first Lux regiment had also arrived, in Michel Delving, and the second Lux regiment was on its way there too.

 
Meanwhile, Charles Babbage saw the glitter and glamour of even more gems find its way into the coffers of Arretium, and all of Rome besides. He also heard of Mars' intervention against the bar-bars, and of the new Lux regiments, meant to spread the light of Rome far and wide.



No, not the light of sleeping volcanoes, nor the light of golden rings.





Not the lack of light of Anywhere's almost-but-not-quite bar-bar borders either, encroaching upon Roman lands.



No, Babbage would build a monument to the light of Rome, the light of civilisation. A monument dedicated to the god of sun, Sol Invictus, and the more ancient Helios, and also a monument to the light all of the gods shone down upon Rome, such as Mars and Artemis.





A monument - a statue - that actually held light in its hand, to guide sailors to and fro Arretium, to light up the seas in the dark. A monument that would see Vergilius invent the idea of a lighthouse, in due time, further increasing trade and commerce. And with increased international trade came a national currency, the conversion of international currencies - as far as they existed - and a large demand for goods foreign and exotic in Roman markets and fora. But that was for later.





The influx of iron with the construction of aqueducts had lead to the nascent science of metal casting. The influx of gems had lead to the art of metal casting. And now, with the construction of this mighty monument, this Colossus, Roman metalwork became respected all over the world.



Under the light of the Colossus of Arretium, the Bilbonis engaged their first real foes, and preformed admirably.





And the light of the Colossus also spread to the jungles.





But perhaps not to Gondor, where Minas Anor had apparently been razed. The Antonii preformed another deed of heroics worthy of Rome, protecting Gondor's workforce from the bar-bar charioteers - but whether they would survive...



That is a question that would be answered later.
 
The last - for now - Princeps regiment to finish training was named in honour of Charles Babbage; the Lux Caroli (I spent some time trying to find concrete rules regarding all the exceptions of the Latin genitive, as 'Charles' isn't an ordinary nominative (-a, -us-, -um), but in the end I just decided to Latinise 'Charles' to 'Carolus').



The Lux Caroli would be stationed in Cumae for now, as the Roman and Cumae garrisons would be sent to Roma for some time off - and to police the growing population, that more and more was clamouring for luxuries.



Soon smithies and jewellers would be established throughout Rome, and Romans clad with jewellery would soon become a common sight throughout the republic (yes, you may have noticed that resources give no health or happiness bonus anymore - that is why I've created buildings such as the Jeweller or the Clothier).



The Antonii knew little and less about jewellery, but their entrenchments had scared off the bar-bar charioteers. Or, perhaps, they were driven to raze Osgiliath, the capital of Gondor, and snuff out the light of one of the few decent civilisation.



The Antonii drew a hasty retreat, sighting ballistas and archers - clearly, the bar-bar were investing mightily in making Gondor fall.





As such, only a few scattered bands of bar-bars made their way to Rome.



Which still stood strong as an invincible colossus against the bar-bar tide.



The San Andreas merchants had stopped exporting pigs - and derived products - to Rome. Perhaps their herds had been slaughtered by bar-bars.



They certainly didn't have the protection of the Antonii, valiantly guarding Vice City, Gondor, and even themselves against an onslaught of archers.



Nor did they have Rome's excellent line of defence - though, admittedly, they were surrounded by bar-bar galleys with axemen approaching.



But then, this wasn't a situation the Roman military didn't know how to handle.



The Bilbonis were quickly proving the merits of Rome's iron industry - and the superior military training of Antium's academies of war.



Meanwhile, Rome's jungles were steadily turned into raw materials to help build Roman infrastructure.



Of course, this saw Roma greatly expand her industry, with the establishment of smithies and the increase in craftsman.



Antium would soon follow this example, and curiously, it was Michel Delving, having just established libraries to record the combined knowledge of Romans and Hobbits, that would also begin developing its industry.

As this happened, the Ciceronis - Rome's first Princeps - were recalled from Roma.



So, too, were the Lux Caroli from Cumae.



While the second Bilbonis regiment had finished their first road network to better supply the Roman military.



As Khand saw a massive change in government policies, Antium prepared to settle some of her soldier populace in the wilderness; restless soldiers camped in cities were never a good idea, and out there, they could live, fight, and perhaps even die, for glory and Rome.





The citizens of Neapolis, sister-city of Roma, had long been grumbling over Rome's new political system, over this 'res publica' and this 'privileged democracy'. Neapolis harboured many retired politicians and other upperclass citizens of Rome - and specifically, Roma - and as such, this resentment was to be expected.

They were further aggrieved by the fact that Michel Delving, of all places, had officially funded libraries well before Neapolis did; wasn't literacy and education a hallmark of the civilised man, studying ancient lore and newfangled notions, reading treatises and philosophic tenets, living out one's years like that?

Then there was the fact that they lacked a large industrial basis for the production of luxury goods, despite having a Rome's sole marble quarry under their jurisdiction.

Of course, such concerns were dismissed as the grumblings of an obsolete elitist class, and the Antonii were ordered to march from Roma to Neapolis to 'set things straight'.



This was a resounding success, according to the Antonii. Roma's leadership considered that it wasn't a bad idea to prevent these things from happening in Roma, in the near future. As such, Roma discretely set up a programme of initiatives and rewards to make it attractive for those disgruntled citizens to migrate; to govern their own city with likeminded people.

Neapolis faced a somewhat harsher treatment, what with the Antonii putting the greatest malcontents in chains and telling them to work in the fields if they couldn't behave in the city. As they said, a resounding success.



But Osgiliath faced the harshest treatment of all.



Alas, this wasn't the time for Roman valour; the ballistas' spears would pierce the Antonii, who wore but thin shirts and no shields.



Their light clothing did allow them to escape in time - just in time to catch sight of a mighty chariot duel.



In the end, they escaped to what looked like safety.



At Rome's front, the Lux Caroli had arrived to help the Bilbonis with their civil labour.



This would eventually make it far easier for Rome's soldiers to spend their coin. The formalisation of Rome's currency and the steadily growing wealth of the common citizen saw a national increase of commerce, with market stalls on the streets being replaced by official plazas permanently occupied by enterprising Romans. Businesses migrated to these plazas, as did public speakers and any and all who wanted something of the XYZ Romans in existence.



With such a stark increase in commerce between Rome's common citizens, a palace economy was now found to be unsustainable; Romans had grown far beyond living from day to day, tending to their own crops out of necessity. Indeed, this wasn't so much a revolution as an evolution; the desired goal of the palace economy had been for Romans to live free from worry of basic necessities, freeing them up to migrate to outlying cottages and pursue careers as artisans. That had been a resounding success; Romans didn't need to own a farm to acquire food, Romans didn't need to work at a lumbermill to acquire wood, because Romans had coin, increasingly more so, and hard Roman coin bought all that Roman might need.

This had paved the way for philosophy to disseminate to the lower classes, for example - for brilliant Romans to pursue their insights, be it in science, engineering, or other services. Some, of course, were upset at their loss of status and elitism - Neapolis being the first example - but the lower classes vastly outnumbered the higher class, and it was clear for all to see that this new merchant-based capitalist economy was for the good of Rome.



 
When, a month later, the Crassus found Rome's treasury to be earning approximately fifteen times as much as before, he hailed merchant capitalism as a resounding success, wept with joy, and could even be convinced to lower the tax rate by a fifth (the science slider moved from 60% to 80% - psh, Crassus just doesn't understand mathematics!).



But commerce wasn't for all people; some people wanted to fight, to feel the blood in their veins and the adrenaline of battle wash over them - some people left Antium to trek forth into the wilderness.





Other people already had the fights their hearts longed for.



And yet other people... They built roads as their brothers fought.



Of course, this was to keep their strength up, to tie all the Princeps - low- or high-born, from Roma or Michel Delving, Antium or Cumae - together by doing the same tasks, and this would further boost morale as trading wares and coins found their way into Rome's soldiers' pockets... But they still built roads. While others fought. Or so some whispered behind the Princeps' backs.



The Antonii spotted an entirely different people, but found no fortress or city of Mordor on these shores.



No, the Antonii found a far more wonderful sight; the sturdy military of Roma.



The Ciceronis had just arrived to join the Bilbonis and the Lux Caroli in laying down roads. Up north, this task was met with far, far more grumbling, as Neapolis' chain gang of dissidents was sent out to do their part for the not-yet existing city of Arpinum, to be founded by Roma's very own dissenters. Sure, it would be a hotbed of dissent, but better to have them all in one place than to have them spread across the whole republic.







Of course, Roman merchants didn't stick to one place - but then, under Rome's merchant capitalism, they thrived, and had no time at all for dissent between counting their coins and spending them. James Cook, for example, was just on his way back to Arretium, from a trading mission to Antium. He would stay in Arretium, and eventually become the overseer of all in- and outgoing trade there.





Arretium would become a city of worldwide note for merchants - and pirates - when the seas would be mapped out by Roman sailors. For now, however, merchants trekked more often south than north, what with the growing road network down there.



... Does Rome even need to defend itself against the bar-bar?



Well, it just goes to show that Rome remains the beacon of civilisation! And with libraries, smithies, and soon lighthouses and fora, all a common sight in Rome's cities, who could contest that?

 
Seems that Gondor needs some serious help against the bar-bars.
Should great Rome intervene and save its southern neighbour?
 
That's not a bad idea. I'll see if that can work without Rome coming under threat. :)
 
A delegation of civic-minded patriots from Neapolis requested a meeting with Marcus Antonius. They explained to him their proposal to make those pesky hobbits useful to Roma: after the Roman military will have graciously helped the Gondorians against the bar-bar scourge, it would be useful to give incentives for the hobbits to relocate and resettle the now empty Gondorian lands.
And if the Hobbits really want to be free from Roman enlightened governance, then they can join Gondor, and see how they fare without the protection of the best military in the world.



Gameplay: send some Bilbonis Principi south and kill the barbarians roaming in (former) Gondor lands, then send a couple settlers to whatever city sites seem best.
Finally, for bonus diplo points with Gondor ("you liberated our cities", +1.5 per city), Liberate the cities to them (note: this is the red fist icon from the F1 menu, because if you gift the cities via normal diplomacy you don't get the "liberation" diplo modifier)
(thanks to Kaitzilla for having explained the "gift cities" thing in his AAR)
 
The Anywhere Empire, much like the Enclave, faces nation-wide violent revolts as the self-proclaimed Vikings proclaim themselves to be (vi?) kings of the Anywhere. Their troubles are unknown to Rome, but Gondor's troubles are very much known; bar-bar sieges, for hundreds of years threatening their very capital. And Gondor does stand between the debauchery of Vice City and Rome, and does, small as it may be, project a light of civilisation into the dark of the wilds.

Marcus Antonius has started preparations to send out his Princeps regiments, but Marcus Licinius Crassus demands the road network to be finished first; for trade, commerce, and, to convince Antonius of the wisdom of it, for supplying the military.



A request for aid against Mordor was, as a result, denied.



Not that Crassus needed to fear for his commerce; Rome's jungles were almost all cleared, opening up the northern shore to trade and exploitation.



And trade opportunities abounded, as the magicks of the Glade spawned the vile Witch-King of Angmar to oppose Carl Johnson's San Andreas. Apparently, as is evident by the cities of Forgotten Forests and Shining Glade, San Andreas has been in a war with the Fairy Glade of Rayman. Perhaps Angmarim traders would be a welcome sight in Rome, one day.



For now, however, it caused a short bout of violence in Arretium; sailors, no matter where they hail from, are quick to anger and quicker to fistfights, it seems. It is understandable enough - some of the traders from San Andreas may now have lost their home, family, and even country - but the Antonii, by this time an actual business ranging from police officers to tavern bouncers, were called upon to restore order.



Ravenna's miners, meanwhile, tried to alleviate their food scarcity by producing a Smokery.



Though upon closer inspection, it was decided this would have little to no effect, and construction plans were cancelled. The construction workers were sent to university to prevent these silly mishaps from happening in the future (yes, this update is very short as university-related things called me away for a long time, and that also explains why I didn't play yesterday).
 
A delegation of civic-minded patriots from Neapolis requested a meeting with Marcus Antonius. They explained to him their proposal to make those pesky hobbits useful to Roma: after the Roman military will have graciously helped the Gondorians against the bar-bar scourge, it would be useful to give incentives for the hobbits to relocate and resettle the now empty Gondorian lands.
And if the Hobbits really want to be free from Roman enlightened governance, then they can join Gondor, and see how they fare without the protection of the best military in the world.



Gameplay: send some Bilbonis Principi south and kill the barbarians roaming in (former) Gondor lands, then send a couple settlers to whatever city sites seem best.
Finally, for bonus diplo points with Gondor ("you liberated our cities", +1.5 per city), Liberate the cities to them (note: this is the red fist icon from the F1 menu, because if you gift the cities via normal diplomacy you don't get the "liberation" diplo modifier)
(thanks to Kaitzilla for having explained the "gift cities" thing in his AAR)
Ha, I read that too - yes, that is an excellent idea, I will definitely try to do that!
 
The first of the Antonii were sent out to restore the peace in Arretium.



The second soon followed, passing by construction workers talking about Ravenna's stalled population growth.



And as Anywhere's borders infringed upon Roman lands, the very first of the Antonii finally left their comfortable camp to relieve one of the Lux Princeps regiments patrolling Michel Delving.



This was part of a larger plan to come to Gondor's aid, with stout Roman soldiers to fend off the assault on Osgiliath, but perhaps also with Roman civilisation; cities, houses, techniques for how best to work the land and how to best govern cities, Roman know-how and craftsmanship... Some of the more devout Romans saw this as their solemn duty towards the gods; to spread the light of Roman civilisation and to save Gondor from falling into darkness.



After the unrest in Arretium had subsided, Vice City merchants filled in the niches left open by the former San Andreas merchants; the export of pigs to Rome.







They filled in this niche with the same peculiarities displayed by San Andreas' merchants, essentially gifting pigs to Rome.

Meanwhile, Mediolanum's soldiers recognised the importance of foodstuffs, and organised themselves into a band of workers to harvest the nearby wheat during the harvest months - Mars, after all, is the god of war and agriculture, and the two concepts are intimately intertwined.



On the front, meanwhile, the Princeps regiments prepared to leave, to march to Gondor, to give battle against any bar-bar they may find.



And as this happened, Cumae's philosopher-priests declared the dawning of a new age. The previous age had been the so-called final age, of doom and gloom and worldwide apocalypse as the bar-bars arose, but fortunately for the world, this had turned out to be a vast exaggeration - for Rome, at least. Gondor suffered mightily, and so, in a history-defining moment, Rome would now undertake a concentrated effort to expunge any bar-bar from Rome's lands and the lands of Rome's friends.



This had theological implications as well; to be Roman was to be civilised, the republic's ideals were all closely tied to the concept of civilisation, and Rome was the very image of civilisation itself. This wasn't a fight for mere survival, this was a fight for the very concept of Rome and the very concept of civilisation; a fight of pure white good versus pitch black evil.



With such a stark contrast between good and evil, Rome's many gods, imported or not, couldn't be left out, of course. The time of gods doing as they please, as wild forces loosely defined, was at an end. The gods, surely, would be united behind Rome - and Rome would be united behind the gods.



Cicero, a fervent supporter of the republic's ideals, if not quite such a fervent supporter of the Triumvirate leading it, eagerly took upon preaching again, about his old treatise of how the gods were but aspects, faces, of one single deity that was embodied in all of Rome and all of light and good and holy in the world. This time, his ideas caught on, and jumped like wildfire from the halls of Cumae's colleges of philosophy to Antium's barracks, Roma's fora, and everywhere else besides.



It is said that, with the advent of this Christianity, as Cicero's collective treatises would come to be known, the sibyl of Cumae died at last, old and wrinkled and shrivelled, but with a smile on her face, knowing that all would be well. As for Cicero, he was invited to dine in Roma, and enlighten the Triumvirate and the entire Republic - those of the public who could attend, at least - to the ways of the gods. And, of course, how best to use this to further tie all Romans together, in their shared ideal of civilisation, in their shared governance system of the Res Publica, and now, in their shared beliefs of the ways of the gods.





The Republic itself would adopt this religion, for indeed, this religion was the spiritual manifestation of Rome and the Republic. A state church was installed to further tie the two together.





The Enclave, apparently, lacked the cohesion Rome had so painstakingly built up over the years; aside from Holy Romans, the Enclave was now also faced with Portuguese rebels, whomever they might be.

Mind, Rome wasn't entirely cohesive either. For one, Michel Delving's populace had never identified themselves as closely with the Republic and with Rome as others, and this new twist on religion was met with neutrality to disapproval. For two, Augustine was back, this time not to proclaim the uncultured savageness of all Rome, but the spendthrift and wastefulness of Rome's elite and the dire and destitute state of all other Romans. A blatant lie, of course; Rome's commerce had grown unprecedentedly, Roman merchants and traders were everywhere, and Roman coins found their way in the pockets of farmers, miners, and every other citizen too. Rome's merchant capitalism was quite good, thank you very much.



There were arguments of a far less violent nature, too; between Marcus Antonius and Cicero, the latter having suggested that it was perhaps wiser to acquire incense instead of building sturdy Roman houses, military encampments, forts, and even entire cities, on the border of Gondor.





Incense was to be found just beyond Morannon's shore, and there was a credible argument to be made that Sauron was a worse threat against civilisation than the bar-bars. This convinced Marcus Antonius - but Rome would have to hurry if it wanted to safeguard its shore.



Cicero continued doing good work on explaining the intricacies of the gods to both low- and highborn.





Michel Delving, though, was a breeding ground of ridiculous ideas. The Hobbits responsible for this upsetting of peace and order were promptly arrested - a good thing, for who know what the approaching Antonii would have done instead of mere imprisonment - but it was agreed that the Hobbits were free to build their own churches and temples, and have their own systems of belief with their own rituals.





Michel Delving enjoyed momentary fame - instead of infame - though, for giving birth to the idea of a divine cult centred around Marcus Antonius. This was a clear reference to how he had conquered the Hobbits, and how they were now supposed to worship him lest they face retribution. Satire, of course, but satire that was picked up by a local jester and, through this jester's songs, ridiculed forever.



In Roma, Cicero proved himself to be a very divisive man, often bluntly stating what were in his eyes obvious truths; how could anyone not know that, are you that stupid? Needless to say, this attitude quickly ticked off Roma's higher-ups, and despite Cicero being assigned a bodyguard, he ended up heading back to Cumae after having stayed but a week in Roma. His bodyguard outfit, under the command of Ray Machowski, would establish a firm specialising in seeing to the security details of clients, be it by providing them with bodyguards or by letting detectives and agents investigate matters.





As Rome's military marched onward, Rome itself marched away from the curious blackness that enveloped all and lay siege to her dinner of cauliflower.



Though not before this tragic outtake:

"Perusia was founded, named so for the Romans who had walked through the fields of wilderness - per rura (I'm really liking this site) - to bring a beacon of hope to waning Gondor."

For you see, Perusia - the next city - will now be founded in the middle of the desert, to let a beacon of light shine far and wide, even into Mordor's dark where the shadows lie. But that hasn't happened yet, and dinner doesn't wait for such important matters!
 
With the Antonii arriving in Michel Delving, a regiment of Lux Princeps starts on its long march to Gondor.





Two additional Antonii prepare to leave for Michel Delving, as whispers arrive that the Hobbits have grown bold; having faced the superiority of the Principes, what fear can a bunch of thugs with clubs inspire, they ask in pubs and taverns?







This matter became slightly more important as foreign envoys landed on the shores of Michel Delving.











I have never found a unit model that could pass for a Floating Fortress... But I never play games long enough to see any Floating Fortresses anyway.



They represented their dear leader Big Brother, and believed that Rome was merely a wayward province of their country; Oceania. This they had in common with the Enclave, and perhaps it was no surprise that some of the self-proclaimed Holy Romans finally managed to evade Enclave - and Mordorian? - patrols to contact Rome's warriors guarding the eastern shore.





Rome could do little but harbour the few Holy Roman refugees. No official diplomatic contact was made with Holy Rome - no borders opened - for it would greatly aggrieve the Enclave were Rome to provide refuge for these Holy Roman revolutionaries. Inquiries were made as to the origin of their name - wasn't it quite pretentious to claim Rome's name for themselves? - but as it turned out, they had fled Rome when the sibyl had been imprisoned.

They had been convinced that with this arrest, any hope for survival against the bar-bar threat was now gone, and so, they made their way to the Enclave, famous for its bunkers and fortifications. They sought safety, there, but only found grim Enclave soldiers entirely too willing to torture these Romans, to spill secrets of philosophy, politics, and anything else that came to mind - and it didn't really matter whether they spilled any secrets or not, as the torture went on regardless.

This laid bare a wholly new picture of Enclave society, one that made the Romans believe that the Enclave might be the power behind the bar-bar threat. After they escaped, they picked up the holy cause of their beloved sibyl, and, as Holy Romans now, promised to liberate the Enclave and the entire world from any who slipped into barbarism.

Rome could do nothing but to promise them support, eventually. A navy would first need to be established. And Gondor, under siege by the twin forces of the bar-bars and Mordor, was Rome's priority for now.

Still, while Roma had been gathering citizens willing to emigrate to Gondor - a long journey through hostile wilderness - these citizens would now be sent to Morannon, both to secure incense, to counteract Mordorian influence, and to establish a small but safe stronghold for any Holy Romans willing to flee to Rome. In truth, this had already been decided as part of Rome's new religious doctrine of spreading civilisation far and wide, but it pleased the Holy Romans. Perhaps, in time, their dated sibylist doctrine might be amended with proper Roman Christianity.



Further, Rome would redouble its efforts of bringing civilisation to even the farthest corners of the Republic.



In this, they were helped by Cicero's further studies; he now held intricate knowledge over the movements of heavens, of suns and stars, moons and clouds, and many more such divine forces. With these teachings, Romans all over the Republic could exploit the lands far more efficiently, accounting for the changes in weather and season and their effects on the lands.



This proved that Christianity was the one true path of civilisation; who else could boast of knowing how the gods made the waters ebb and flow, who else could claim to know how the gods moved the stars and skies? This intrigued Cicero, who pondered which secrets the stars still held for them.



Marcus Licinius Crassus was greatly pleased that he finally could have a proper sugar farm - a sugar plantation, even, one where young boys could come to harvest sugar for him... An abject corruption of an age-old Roman tradition, some few grumbled, but then, one couldn't please everyone.



With the arrival of the Antonii reinforcements, the final Lux Princeps regiment marched off to Gondor.



But in Gondor, things seemed to be quiet, free of any bar-bar threat.



Or not!



This military force of Vice City was worrying, though. And look at how far they have expanded! Could they have been sending the bar-bars into the wilderness, to cleanse the land from any human presence, so that this land could then be claimed by Vice City?

In Roma, meanwhile, Crassus had spared no expenses to construct and staff his sugar plantations, involving workers from places as diverse as Michel Delving and Neapolis - but not Roma's latest workforce, the Holy Roman Workers, made up of a few Holy Romans who had chosen to flee the Enclave, and many more Romans who had chosen to, in their own way, take a stand against the wicked Enclave and their bar-bar spawn.



Of course, the jury was still out on whether the Enclave, Mordor, or Vice City was responsible for the bar-bar threat. All three? None of them? Still, the city of Lux Perpetua should serve as a beacon of perpetual light against the forces of darkness.



That is to say... With a -15% production modifier, Lux Perpetua would... Never produce anything...



Well, Rome had already received reports from the Leonum that no ships would be built in this desert; no plants grew here, no wood was there to be found. The Leonum? Why, yes - they would guard the city for now, lest Sauron's spies sneak in.



Both the bar-bar and the Vice City forces retreated.



But Rome's forces pursued relentlessly.



And won, of course.



More bar-bars were on their way, and the possibility that Tommy Vercetti had bought off the bar-bars to attack Gondor - or perhaps had done something even more nefarious - was slowly discarded by many.



Of course, none could stand against the glory of Rome's Principes.

 
As this went on, the Triumvirate drew up new plans. Clearly, Gondor wasn't overly threatened anymore - unless Tommy Vercetti was cunning enough to orchestrate the bar-bar assaults against Gondor, in which case Vice City's presence on Gondor's border was a grave threat to Gondor's safety. This was a possibility - though admittedly a small one - and as such, Rome's Principes would garrison key cities of Gondor and Vice City. To defend them, of course. And to spy on them, gauge the moods, catch the whispers, and perhaps even teach the tenets of Christianity to the peoples of both lands, in the hope that they - that is to say, Vice City - would become a force of good, fighting by Rome's side.

Meanwhile, Rome would build up a navy capable of invading two proven enemies of civilisation; the Enclave and Mordor. Until Rome had such a navy, Rome's Principes would garrison Gondor and Vice City, but Rome was rapidly resolving this lack of a naval presence. It began with certain miners bringing lodestone to the attention of Vergilius, and from there, the field of magnetism was born.



Over time, compasses would become widespread amongst Roman sailors. But a military navy required more than a port merely meant for trading could handle; large harbour complexes would need to be constructed.



And, to make sure this work could go on uninterrupted, despite the grumblings of those who relied on Arretium's harbour for coin or goods - almost everyone - a nearby garrison regiment was called in. Yes, Arretium's port was being renovated and expanded, and yes, that did interrupt trade for now, but soon, Arretium would be producing war vessels, and a thousand ships of titanic sizes would all soon fit comfortably in Arretium's harbour.



At the same time, a squad of devout Romans made their way to Lux Perpetua. They had been deeply influenced by the story of the Holy Romans and wanted to personally contribute to strengthening the light of civilisation and Christianity.



Though they did observe a curious situation; an Enclave work boat on the run for a bar-bar fleet, with archers of Mordor nervously defending their shores. Of course, this was all a deception, a ploy to turn the devout Romans away from their certainty of the Enclave and Mordor somehow being tied to the bar-bar threat. And if it was not a deception, then it merely indicated that it is evil's inherent nature to cause division.



Of course, the bar-bar fleet parked itself in front of Lux Perpetua's shoreline, screaming insults at the Leonum, daring the Leonum to charge the bar-bar ships.



This only put more pressure on Arretium to finish its harbour complex. Luckily, there was a nice supply of jungle wood.



Bar-bars were also present down south. Osgiliath and Escobar had been garrisoned by Rome, and a regiment of Bilbonis Princeps on Vice City's border sighted savages with clubs - practically harmless to Roman soldiery.





Perhaps these offensive actions against the bar-bars invoked Sauron's ire, or perhaps he just spied an opportunity to put those Principes near Osgiliath to good use, but, of course, Rome declined rather pointedly. Perhaps if Mordorian archers would aid Lux Perpetua against the bar-bars, but no.



Another small group of citizens opted to travel to Lux Perpetua, to be at the front of the battle between good and evil - as they put it - but they would quickly run out of coin and end up working at a spice farm nearer to Ravenna than to Lux Perpetua.



All these citizens doing their part - or trying to do their part - prove one thing; Christianity was here to stay, Romans bought into it en masse, and it drove many a Roman to stand against the forces arranged against Rome and all of civilisation. The more devout would go on to found communities specifically dedicated to spreading Roman - Christian - values.



The influx of Christian teachings and culture in Lux Perpetua saw Mordor's archers lose grasp of plains that were a mite more fertile and productive than barren desert. The citizens of Lux Perpetua - and the workforce propping them up - would race to extract as many minerals as they could from this isle to support future construction projects.



Holy Romans in Enclave territory, hearing of Rome's accomplishments, were ever grateful and even escorted a few Portuguese revolutionaries to meet the Roman soldiers on the distant shores.





Could it be that the Enclave had conquered the native Portuguese people? Perhaps an exploration fleet from Arretium would find out more; the harbour's construction was progressing fast indeed, and with so much of it finished already, Arretium was raking in literal boatloads of foreign coin thanks to her trade routes.

 
Arretium prepared itself for the grand opening of its new harbour complex amidst growing rumours of Hobbit presence to the west; apparently, Bilbo Baggins still lived - or an imposter did, at least - and had convinced Claude Speed of Anywhere to set apart a small island for the Hobbits to live on in peace. This could spell trouble for Michel Delving.





No matter - they were on an island, and Rome would soon have a fleet of her own.



Besides, it is not as if these islands were all safe; ruins of what had once presumably been a Gondorian city had been sighted, and bar-bar archers patrolled the lands.



There was the small question of how to build this fleet, and some recommended establishing a proper industrial complex with smithies and craftsmen first, but Arretium's governor was pragmatic as ever and simply appropriated the woods of Arpinium. They were but troublemakers anyway, surely they didn't need the pristine timber.



Rome did, however, need incense, according to Roman priests. Burning it would be like lighting a beacon of great light, an undying flame, showing the path towards glory, and driving back the shadow that surrounded civilisation.

Though the Triumvirate wasn't quite this devout, they recognised the advantages of men and women being so devoted to the Republic - to Christianity - and if this devotion could be fuelled by incense, that could only ever be a good thing, not?



These devout Christians might be willing to die for the Republic, but so would Rome's soldiers if need be.



But with the blessings of Mars, be he but an aspect of one god or not, no Romans died that day.



Despite these fights to protect Vice City from threats, Vice City merchants claimed their livestock was scarce and under constant threat from raiders, and that it was simply too dangerous to export them to Rome.



The subtext was clear; Vice City had enough of Roman Principes stationed in its cities - that is to say, Vice City wanted their drugs and prostitutes and orgies without any outsiders looking down on them, without any preaching of a Republic and Christianity and civilisation.





And so it was done, the Principes promising to march back to Rome... Or to Holy Rome...





It would be a long and hard march, of course, though many a bar-bar had been killed and the wild lands between Rome and Vice City were mostly peaceful for now. But somewhere else, the civilisation of Eurasia had been extinguished forever. Perhaps the bar-bars were busy elsewhere, for now?



Perhaps Vice City wanted the Romans gone so that they could found a new den of debauchery in peace. Prawn Island. 'Prawn'. An obvious reference to 'porn'.



Rome didn't concern itself with such immoral nonsense. No, Rome was pure, and holy, and glorious - especially now that it had acquired more than enough incense.



But Rome was vulnerable, with but few fortifications and cities built on her shores. Who knew what threats could make landfall and slip into Rome's interior? As such, four cities would be established on Rome's shores in rapid succession, by Christian Romans compelled to do their part in the great war against barbarism and all those standing against civilisation.



Even if it was in the icy cold, as that would be a perfect landing place for bar-bars attempting to sneak up on unsuspecting Romans.



But a city would also be established by Hobbits, seeking to atone for their race's sins.



And by Roman soldiers, seeking to keep the renewed Hobbit menace out of Roman lands.



Word reached Rome of a great hero by the name of Mausollos, who had died and been buried in a magnificent mausoleum, but Rome had her own heroes in plenty.





More worrisome was the spreading of slavery throughout the world; Carolus Magnus, of the Holy Romans, had apparently decreed that slavery was not the mark of uncivilisation and barbarism, and now even Gondor had fallen sway to the peculiar institution. Perhaps Rome truly was the sole light of civilisation.
 
In that case, the light of civilisation would be drastically expanded, with Rome's very first naval unit, dubbed 'Colossus' and leading to iconic paintings such as the one below.



The Colossus was not a sleek warship; it was a colossal ship designed to house four regiments of Princeps.



As if knowing what was to come, the Portuguese supplied Rome with information regarding the Enclave's placement of cities and soldiers, and offered to serve as guides for the Romans and show them secret pathways.





Rome even sought contact with Bilbo Baggins, to book safe passage for Rome's navy.





Luckily, Rome could point at its new city; Absolvum, established by Hobbits seeking to absolve their sins. This was upheld as proof of how Rome was tolerant and open to anyone, proof of how Hobbits and Romans worked together in harmony, and so, Bilbo Baggins was contented.







Curiously enough, this was almost immediately followed by the pronouncement of Rome as the worst enemy of all Hobbitkind. Perhaps Bilbo hoped his own citizens would plunder the Roman fleet sailing through Hobbit waters? Or perhaps Bilbo hoped the citizens of Michel Delving and Absolvum would rise up against Rome...



That was, after all, not without precedent, not even in foreign lands. In sight of Holy Roman and Portuguese revolutionaries, yearning for their freedom, the Roman city of Libertas was established. Soon, these brave warriors standing up against the Enclave would have their liberty.



Considering Bilbo's machinations, the city of Aequalitas was also established here; there would be equality between all the people that would come to live underneath Rome's banners, in Rome's light, because all the people within Rome were people of Rome, Romans, and nothing else mattered.



With the establishment of these cities, the Antonii and one of the many garrison forces of Roma could finally live a civilised life, in a city, not needing to camp in the wilderness. Of course, over the years, their encampment had grown into a semblance of a city, but it's the thought that counted.

Later, the city of Fraternitas would be built, too; officially to build bonds of friendship and fraternity with the Hobbits, as proven by the city's close proximity to the borders of the Anywhere-Hobbit city of Funabashi and the Roman city of Michel Delving. Of course, Fraternitas was a city established by Antium's soldiers...



The citizens of Roma flocked towards Rome's first monastery, where some would take up jobs copying books, studying philosophy, or learning all they could about Christianity - at times from Cicero himself in person! - so that they could spread the ideals of Rome far and wide.





While this would undoubtedly have a positive effect on Rome's cohesion, to break up pub brawls amongst rowdy sailors, Antonii were needed, not Christian missionaries or prophets. As a precaution, Antium would also send out a group of Antonii to Arpinum.



Still, the first missionaries and prophets were sent forth from Roma, to preach throughout the whole country about the greatness and glory of Christianity. This would strengthen the Republic, for the Republic was inherently tied to Christianity.



They would arrive just in time to provide support - moral or otherwise - for the construction workers in Arretium, which would soon start working on a modest industrial basis from which to launch mighty warships such as the galleass.



But all over Rome, industry came to be associated with Christianity, for there was virtue in hard labour.



Ingenious devices such as windmills - and soon, watermills - would become more and more common. Lux Perpetua would especially profit from this machinery.



Romans all over the Republic were happy, with their faith in Christianity and the Republic, eagerly participating in matters of religion and politics - even if it was just voting - and eagerly working to strengthen the Republic at every turn. Most unlike the Enclave, which had now also caved in to a third group of revolutionaries; the English. Perhaps the tenets of Taoism could save them, but who knows where this faith had been founded? No, the Enclave was doomed. They just didn't know it yet.

But Rome's Principes did, and soon, the dawning sun would be reflected upon Enclave fortresses by the countless iron swords of Rome. And revolutionaries all over the world would forever take up the call: "Libertas, aequalitas, fraternitas!"
 
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