Is this Queen Tamar?

[Greywulf]

True, they considered themselves Phoenician; the Byzantines, Ottomans, and Russians all considered themselves Roman as well. Well for ethnic identity that might be fine, for sorting out historical cultures I think it's unhelpful. They may have still spoken a dialect of Phoenician and worshiped Phoenician gods, but culturally the Carthaginians were very different from their Canaanite forebears. I wouldn't call them Hellenized per se, but they were certainly influenced by Hellenic culture, as well as Berber and other cultures.

Russians considered themselves Roman? That's somehow worse than calling a Germanic Kingdom the "Holy Roman Empire" (A more accurate title would have been "The Not-Holy Not-Roman Not-Empire"). But in the case of the Carthaginians, it actually makes sense that they would think of themselves as Phoenicians. They kinda were.
As for being influenced by Hellenistic culture, no doubt Phoenicia was as well, long before they founded Carthage, being that they had long been trading with the Greeks, and would have had a lot of contact with them. Each Phoenician colony would likely be influenced by local peoples, so it's unsurprising that the Carthaginians were influenced by Berbers. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada...All of these were influenced by the indigenous peoples of their regions, but for a time I'm sure all the colonists (and convicts) considered themselves British/Irish. They all remained part of Greater Britain anyway for many years, and if they had have remained dependent colonies, they would still be to this day. It was independence from Britain that made them officially other countries. Otherwise they might have been like what Greenland is to Denmark...Culturally (and in most cases ethnically) very different, but still "Danes". Can you imagine Firaxis adding Greenland as a separate civ to Denmark? I can't.

Why not Dido? I went over this elsewhere, but I'll reiterate it here. She is of very dubious historicity. She's attested only in Greek and Roman sources. And she's hardly a big personality compared to the Magonids, Barcids, and other later rulers of Carthage.

That's true...fair enough. Somehow I imagine Firaxis will probably have her as the leader anyway, as she has appeared before, and she is rather iconic. I think that the main issue is that we don't no anything about her from non-Greco-Roman sources.

 

[Ondolindë]

To answer the original question and get back to topic: No, she isn’t.

 

[Zaarin]

@Greywulf Honestly, I can't imagine Firaxis adding Denmark again, either. But adding Greenland would make all the "give us the Inuit!" people happy. (And yes, Imperial Russia called itself Third Rome: the czars were descended matrilineally from the Byzantine emperors.)

 

[conorbebe]

Further evidence against Hannibal, should Carthage appear: we already know that no R&F civ has a leader UU.

Not to mention we know Hannibal is still a Great General.

 

[Greywulf]

@Greywulf Honestly, I can't imagine Firaxis adding Denmark again, either. But adding Greenland would make all the "give us the Inuit!" people happy. (And yes, Imperial Russia called itself Third Rome: the czars were descended matrilineally from the Byzantine emperors.)

Adding the Inuit would be much like adding the Cree. The Cree are not Canada just like the Inuit are not Canada, but both Nation's territories are mostly within Canada's borders. They are both unique cultures of their own, not exactly Canada, just like the Zulu would not exactly be South Africa (especially since they existed well before these colonial countries formed). Then again, they do like to bend the rules of history and culture, just like the Australian civ that combines modern Anglo-Australia with the pre-colonial continent made up of hundreds of different groups of indigenous peoples. The Inuit and related ethnic peoples, are from Canada, Greenland (Denmark), America (specifically Alaska), and East Russia, so it's not quite so straight forward as with Australia. Of course, the Inuit are most populous in Canada (Nunavut), which would mean that if another civ was to represent the Inuit, it would most likely be Canada anyway, rather than Greenland, however I doubt the Inuit people would be happy with such a decision (and who knows how they will feel about being included in the game at all, but they are more likely to like being represented as themselves, instead of another civ somehow representing them...Like modern Australia and the various Aboriginal peoples of the region ~ I'm a little surprised that it didn't cause more of an issue).
The Inuit and related ethnic groups do make a special case though. They really don't fit the criteria of what it means to be a civilization (which, by the way, doesn't seem to have stopped Firaxis before), and their territories are not ideal by any means for a civilization to develop, but despite all that, their addition would mean a new kind of play style we have yet seen in any of the game series, and would fill a niche that has never been filled before, and thus makes them a good candidate for something new for the game (and they have a lot of fans, apparently). I think we will actually get to see them sooner or later, which I'd be supportive of ~ mostly for the opportunity to play a completely different way of playing Civilization.

 

[Zaarin]

@Greywulf I would say the Inuit are very different from the Cree. They had no leaders, they had no organization above the band level, they had no political or economic influence. The Inuit were the quintessential stone age hunter-gatherers, and I wouldn't care to see them any more than Aboriginal Australians or Siberian hunter-gathers. (And I say that as someone who loves Inuit/Aleut and Siberian cultures.)

 

[Greywulf]

@Greywulf I would say the Inuit are very different from the Cree. They had no leaders, they had no organization above the band level, they had no political or economic influence. The Inuit were the quintessential stone age hunter-gatherers, and I wouldn't care to see them any more than Aboriginal Australians or Siberian hunter-gathers. (And I say that as someone who loves Inuit/Aleut and Siberian cultures.)

Like I said, they don't fit with the criteria of what it means to be a civilization. The comparison with the Cree was more-so situational, as they both occupy territory that has been taken over by a once-foreign power, and it wouldn't sit right with me (and I'm sure it wouldn't sit right with these respective peoples) if they were represented, not as themselves, but as that once-foreign power.
As for a lack of leadership, I do recall that fans were able to find one leader at least, who I looked up and found out that he was an important leader during a period called the "bow and arrow wars", or something like that. I can't remember how to spell his name, and from the sound of his description he was a combination of a real person mixed with the legendary...which does tend to happen when stories are passed down solely by word of mouth.
I do get your point about the Inuit, Aus Aboriginals, etc., however I am looking at this from a different viewpoint, I think. If the group in question can really add to the game, such as filling a niche, and providing something unique and interesting, then I see value in including them, especially if no other group could fill that role like they can. The Aus Aboriginal peoples do have a unique culture, and they do represent a region of the earth that not many actual civs represent (pre-colonial there were no civs at all representing the region), but what could they bring to the game? Could they fill a niche? Could they add something special game-play wise? I cannot think of anything, and until I become aware of some way they could effectively do this, I don't see a point in adding them as a full playable civilization. I remember as a kid watching my older brother play with his friend Civilization 2, and thinking about civ ideas I wanted to see (despite the fact that they wouldn't let me play it at the time, I was very much drawn to the game), and I recall thinking about an Aus Aboriginal civ. To me at the time it was a cool idea, and I would have happily played as them as a civ, but that was more culture-interest and perhaps emotionally-based a thought. Now I'm looking at things entirely differently, and I am keen for cool new ways to play the game. This is why I think that the Inuit are actually a reasonable choice, despite the realities of history.

 

[Inhalaattori]

I would say its pretty likely that the person in the photo is the Incan leader. It would be really weird if we had more than 30 Civs and Brazil would still be the only South-American Civ. If Incas are not in Rise & Fall they must be in some upcoming DLC.

 

[Greek Stud]

Firaxis rumored to only include Dido in the next expansion called Civilization 6: The Phoenix Saga. For Civs that fell and arose in their colonies lol You start as one Civ and change mid game.

1. Kokturks fall and arose as the Ottomans.
2. Phoenician falls and arises as Carthage.
3. Gran Colombia falls and arises as Colombia.
4. Rome falls and arises as Byzantium.
5. Ghana to Mali to Songhai.
6. Mongolia falls to Timirids
7. China partially falls to Vietnam.
8. Scotland splits with Ireland.
9. The Iroquois splits arising as the Cherokee.
10. Denmark splits makes Sweden and Norway.

Rumors float around about the Thule leading Greenland in their own DLC

 

[stealth_nsk]

Firaxis rumored to only include Dido in the next expansion called Civilization 6: The Phoenix Saga. For Civs that fell and arose in their colonies lol You start as one Civ and change mid game.

1. Kokturks fall and arose as the Ottomans.
2. Phoenician falls and arises as Carthage.
3. Gran Colombia falls and arises as Colombia.
4. Rome falls and arises as Byzantium.
5. Ghana to Mali to Songhai.
6. Mongolia falls to Timirids
7. China partially falls to Vietnam.
8. Scotland splits with Ireland.
9. The Iroquois splits arising as the Cherokee.

Rumors float around about the Thule leading Greenland in their own DLC

Britain falls and arises as America. Oh wait...

 

[Greywulf]

I would say its pretty likely that the person in the photo is the Incan leader. It would be really weird if we had more than 30 Civs and Brazil would still be the only South-American Civ. If Incas are not in Rise & Fall they must be in some upcoming DLC.

I still think the picture looks a bit feminine, but I suppose it's possible. I just don't think that crown fits with the Inca leader's crown.

 

[DJ_Tanner]

Russians considered themselves Roman?

Tsar comes from the Latin, Caesar. Moscow was the third Rome with the lineage being claimed from Byzantium (the second Rome).

 

[stealth_nsk]

Tsar comes from the Latin, Caesar. Moscow was the third Rome with the lineage being claimed from Byzantium (the second Rome).

Actually Tzars become Emperors since Peter (which further enforces lineage from Byzantium). However, the concept of the Third Rome wasn't popular before XIX century and some historians believe it didn't exist before that at all.

 

[DJ_Tanner]

Actually Tzars become Emperors since Peter (which further enforces lineage from Byzantium). However, the concept of the Third Rome wasn't popular before XIX century and some historians believe it didn't exist before that at all.

Well literally yes it Tsar is derived from emperor, but it was emperor in the same vein as a Roman emperor, or a Caesar. And Third Rome was a much later concept used for more political agendas, the lineage to Roman rule was claimed with the first Tsar Ivan the Terrible, which was all wrapped up in his extreme piety and title change from prince to Tsar.

 

[Metecury]

It looks like a Byzantine fella to me, at least form the crown.

I'm hoping we get Hannibal again. I miss him. Or somebody new entirely would also be nice. Zenobia (another potential portrait match) can take Dido's place in the Mediterranean.

Hannibal was spotted as a GG I think.

 

[Greywulf]

It looks like a Byzantine fella to me, at least form the crown.

Do you know a picture of a Byzantine leader who looks like that?

 

[Janskey]

I think it's a picture of a dev diary about adaptive AI
For reference: https://forums.galciv3.com/486585/galciv-dev-journal-youre-in-for-an-ai-treat

 

[Metecury]

Do you know a picture of a Byzantine leader who looks like that?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodosius_II

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadius

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justinian_I


similar crowns/head ware in the depictions of these emperors and others from Byzantium.

Then again, I could be way off the mark.

 

[Greywulf]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodosius_II

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadius

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justinian_I


similar crowns/head ware in the depictions of these emperors and others from Byzantium.

Then again, I could be way off the mark.

Could be, but I'm not convinced by that. To me, the blurred picture appears to have long, black hair too.

 

[Zaarin]

I'm fairly convinced we're looking at the Inca leader, who is hopefully Huayna Capac. I think Atahualpa would be fun, but even next to Monty Firaxis might shy away from being that...graphic. (For those who don't know what I'm referencing: Atahualpa had his brother's skull gilded and used it as a drinking vessel. )