Roman legions, knights and catapults poured into Egypt from the sea. The city of Giza fell to our mighty soldiers, then Heliopolis.
An Egyptian counter-attack by knights was beaten back, but at high-cost.
The Romans now marched on Thebes, nothing left in their way.
Once we arrived, we discovered a new source of saltpeter in the hills next to the Egyptian capitol. Thebes was guarded by musketmen! Our knights went into battle with great bravery and tenacity, but were no match for these gunpowder weapons.
A stalemate ensued. We bombarded their capitol with our lone catapult to no effect. Our elite legions and knights could only stand and watch. Something had to give.
It did. England declared war on Egypt! Hordes of cavalry began sweeping all Egyptian cities from the map! The speed with which the English conquered the rest of Egypt was astounding.
Our worst fear came to pass, English cavalry took Thebes as we stood and watched helpless! They took the saltpeter before we could get our new riflemen to Egypt!
Bastard English! Rome exists only due to the fact that England lets us. They are VERY powerful now. They beat us to Adam Smith's too!!! We built Magelan's Voyage instead.
Sensing our luck could run out with Egypt driven from the continent, Rome has entered into a Right of Passage treaty with England and hopes to remain in their good graces, until the day when armies much more powerful than mere cavalry are ours to command. Then England will pay!
Our domestic situation is turning around nicely! More workers were "hired". We have MANY more markets and banks, temples, libraries and universities, roads, mines and a new luxury, ivory. We are running a modest surplus, in hopes of aquiring 1000 gold to sit on and draw interest.
Rome is nearing completion of Newton's University, and should build another university IMMEADIATELY after. Wall Street is also near completion.
The new Prime Minister of the Roman Republic has options.
- Egypt has cities on an island. One of those cities has saltpeter. There are troops massed at Heliopolis with ships nearby. Do the math.
- Peace could be made with Egypt. Rome could get by without saltpeter, but would have to face the possibility of English cavalry coming into our lands and destroying us someday. We would exist at their mercy.
- Railroad will be available in one year, due to the invention of steam power and the discovery of coal in our jungles. A road is almost finished on the coal. A rail line from Rome to the English frontier would be of IMMENSE strategic value. *hint*
- Technology should be a NUMBER #1 priority! Lets reasearch electricity and scientific method next and build the ToE. Then bee-line for motorized transport.
We are almost ahead of England, they have democracy (bah!) and free artistry (ooh, so you have actors, were REAL impressed...). Everyone is building Shakespears except Rome, but we have steam power to ourselves for now. Industrialization is coming.
I wish you good luck, I sure didnt have any.
). I guess Cleopatra needs to learn how to get along, eh?
j/k
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