A History of Rome (200 BC - 0) - By Tanner Bates/Taniciusfox
Lesson nine!
Now, in the year 198 BC the Monarch passed a new law. Titled the Edict of Chichen Itza, this called for Rome to focus it's efforts on the economy of the Mayan lands. Workers were commissioned to build roads, irrigate the fields and mine hills and mountains. Markets and Banks were expected to sprout up as well. It was the time to turn the Mayan country into a province worth holding. The Edict also wanted to rename the major cities of the empire. So three northwestern cities, Calakmul, Yaxchilan and Lagartero were renamed Mayanium, Tigrisium, and Lagarteria.
Incan attempts to rally us against our de facto ally, America, angered the Monarch. But it mattered not, they would pay for their insolence soon enough. With the discovery of economics, our system improved as banks could be built and more wealth generated. The economy was growing all over. The military sector as well. With the tapping into of the saltpeter of the north African deserts, we could build cavalry across the empire. Carthage was about to suffer a much greater foe, that would blow their Numidian soldiers to pieces. 30 Cavalry divisions replaced 30 Knight divisions, which probably made Hannibal, the leader of the Carthaginians, sweat like crazy.
The Indian and Balkan pikemen garrisons were disbanded, replaced with new musketmen garrisons, Rome had rejuvenated it's military.
The year 181 BC brought odd news. Greece had chosen to attack the Hittites for no obvious reason. But no matter, we would soon expand onto Carthage's republic soon enough.
Zululand also declared war on us, probably hoping to contain a growing Roman threat. We soon brought Persia into the war on the Zulu, shortly after capturing the border town of Ispezi on the Indus. The Zulu had made their biggest mistake.
Two decades later, the Hittites joined the war on Rome. Ah well, not much they could do from their island far away. We would consider taking their African colony though! The good news was we had mastered navigation, and could now travel all the waters of the world! As well, foreigners were willing to let their grubby hands off of their maps now.
Germany revealed to us the many peoples of the New World. We would have to establish a colony their sometime in the future. But the time was now, so we focused on vanquishing the peoples of the old world. Our maps soon revealed much of the world's lands, many of which were barren due to no human settlement. But we did discover the Zulu's homelands, however. We could doom them even easier then Carthage. When the Inca rallied against our ally Persia, we were starting to have our doubts about them. We considered declaring war on the Inca, but the trek from Central Africa would be filled with peril.
But, back to the Punic War. Our forces continued to ravage Carthage, decimating mercenary after mercenary as we headed north for the city of Carthage itself. The people panicked when the Roman army could be seen at the gates, all trying to flee. After 3 major battles, Carthage fell to our hands, signifying their decline. Hannibal was unable to escape in the chaos, and was captured and brought before the King of Rome and the Mayans, and promptly the Monarch slit Hannibal's throat personally.
Hippo fell a month later, near the Caucasus range. When Cadiz to the west of Carthage collapsed and fell into Roman hands, it showed that the rapid moving, fast firing, powerful Cavalry were going to tear the empire apart. Utica to the north also fell soon enough. Finally, cavalry assaulted Gades, hoping to take the last central city. Gades fell, and then Sabratha, the new Carthaginian capital! Surely the Carthaginians realised they were doomed?
On the Eastern Front, we destroyed more of the Zulu impi. In fact, our forces concluded that the Zulu had been driven from the American-Roman frontier! Many troops celebrated that night, along with American troops. Scandinavia declared war on us shortly after, but it mattered not. Soon the war would be won, with the crippling of the Zulu and Carthaginians!
With the fall of Saldae and another city in the Carthaginian southeast, all of Southern Carthage was ours. Their precious Republic wasn't nearly as good as they had hoped. Only an absolutist ruler could have helped them then!
A glorious age arrived shortly after 100 BC, with the arrival of the Industrial Age! We knew the future would be incredible for our country, maybe not so much for others...
The Copernican Institute for Science was built by the great scientist Copernicus shortly after as well. It came complete with a massive observatory that overshadowed most of the building.
With the arrival of the Industrial Age, we learned how to use steam power right off the bat, and the proposal for something called a train and traintracks struck the domestic and science advisors. The Monarch said that if they could get their hands on the resources required, they could construct such useful devices.
We soon launched a small attack on the Hittite empire, taking their mainland Europe colony of Tyrana. That would teach the fools to mess with the Roman Army. Cirta and Rusucade of the Carthaginian Empire fell shortly after. With Cirta came our first Baltic port and possibly an invasion route to their capital, which was just across the narrow strait at the Eastern end of the Baltic. Mpondo of the Zulu fell to us as well, signaling the first conquest in the Zulu homeland.
In a temporary resurgence in 90 BC, Carthage re-took Tingis and stole 2 million. Ah well, a few executions upon re-capture would discourage future attempts to re-patriate. After they took the city, the Zulu brought Korea into a war against us. Perhaps they were hoping to also have a resurgence of power? India followed suit, the whole New World seemed to want to destroy us. Ah well, perhaps we could use this to our advantage.
Tingis was recaptured, Zulu invaders were repelled, and our forces amassed outside the new Carthaginian capital of Oea. After capturing it, their leader and his forces fled to Rusaddir. From there, they built defenses and fortifications like never before. Many of the best cavalry divisions were defeated here. Many Carthaginians hoped that the Roman advance had finally been halted and could be reversed.
An allegiance forced Egypt to declare war on India, and we worked on getting them into a war with Korea as well, only to discover they were already at war!
Of course, again in the year 67 BC, a city was re-taken by Carthage, this time Theveste, the city on the far east of the strait of the eastern Baltic. The Mongols joined in the war against us shortly after. But no matter, not much they coudl do. When we learned that a great cathedral known as the Sistine Chapel had been completed in Persopolis, we were furious. But it mattered not, we would take Persia in the grand scheme of time.
When our attempts to build a new naval academy were thwarted by the Iroquois, the Monarch was even more infuriated! A mass campaign of xenophobia was promoted upon the discovery of nationalism. The citizens of the Roman empire were united behind their Emperor, who claimed that citizenship in the Roman Empire was synonymous with racial superiority. He said they would crush Carthage, then move to decimate all who questioned Roman domination. Nationalism encouraged our people to be stronger, as well. New Riflemen units were commissioned to replace musketmen. They had far greater defensive ability and a faster rate of fire. No more would we lose our cities.
More great news in 50 BC was that Theveste was re-taken and that the once great fortress of Rusaddir, crumbled before our hordes of cavalry. Their leader fled to the backwoods town of Al-Kaf, in the forbidding tundra to the east. The town was captured soon, and once again their leader was executed. In a fit of insanity, the new leader declared himself Hanniba'al, combining the name of a great general with their greatest God. Many did not know whether this might envoke good fortune or bad luck. But we couldn't blame him, they were down to their last city, Iol. (Notice the pun there. ;p)
Good news came around 30 BC, with the entry of Spain into the war by joining the Quintuple Alliance(Rome, Persia, Greece, Germany, America) by declaring war on the Zulu in agreement with Persia. America and Persia conspired in their own war on Portugal, which the others so far would have no part in. They also declared war on the Vikings, but we had no intention to continue our current war with them. The Zulu retaliated by making France join the war on Persia. Which would be quite a hazard, East Asia was divided between France and Persia, and my our estimates, France was stronger. The Zulu also made Japan declare war on America, but the two weak nations were too far apart. Useless wars flew in the air like many dud bullets.
But there was promise amongst all the warfare of 30 BC. Iol was captured, and the self-proclaimed God King was executed in front of all his subjects. Strangely enough, they applauded.
The Plebian Council underwent another expansion. Many self-identified Mayans had died out, their children becoming more and more Roman. Carthage lived on as a minority in the empire's northern region. The Council was expanded to have 1 Zulu, 4 Mayans, 10 Carthaginians, and 15 Romans.
With the destruction of the Carthaginian Republic, the Zulu found themselves surrounded. To the north lay Rome and Spain. To the East lie Persia. To the South was Rome and America. Only in the west were they remotely safe thanks to the Caspian Sea's presence, though Rome lay right across it.
Many more wars came to be in the next few years, with the Hittites and Persia working together to destroy Zululand AND Scandinavia. Germany and Persia also signed an agreement against Babylon.
The feared assault began in the year 10 BC. The Inca finally signed an agreement for war against the Roman Empire and it's people. They had large amounts of troops tucked within our borders, so the war would be tough for a while. But 9 BC brought excellent news! We captured the Zulu capital of Zimbabwe, but 2/3 of the populace resisted our rule for some time. But regardless, we had conquered the capital of the Zulu lands.
We also began to strengthen our ties to China. We began to give them technology, as in the long run, we intended to sign a mutual protection agreement with them, as well as Egypt. If we did so, we would have the strongest nations in the New World, and the second and third strongest nations in the WHOLE world aligned to us.
In 0 AD, a man named Jesus Christ was born. We'll talk more about him later and his significance to politics.
10 years later, we finally took the Zulu port of Tugela. Finally, supplies were able to pour into the conquered lands. But, until the new capital of Ulundi fell, the roads between the southeast and the western conquests would not be complete. Ulundi fell less then a year later. Roman victory over the Zulu was assured, with all their major cities in our hands. The economy of Zululand toppled as we plundered their banks, burned their towns, executed citizens. Their suprisingly organised federal reserves became more and more depleted, their tax base also shrinking
Following. 
