Rome

Romans have much to be proud about, for their Republic is more than mere words. The Senate and the People of Rome both have a stake in Rome’s successes. And Rome is an engine for greatness and conquest.

The man who conquers for Rome wins the respect of his countrymen and power in Rome, which are the only things that really matter to a Roman. Every part of the Roman state is geared towards this drive for greatness and glory: personal success is measured by successful service to the Republic. In serving the Republic’s needs and his own, a Roman brings more of the world under Rome’s control. The rest of the world, then, is there for Romans to conquer and win glory and power at home in so doing.

All this makes the Romans tremendously resilient against setbacks. A failure in war is the fault of the individual, not of Rome. A Roman army can be beaten , but under new commanders another army will triumph.

Historically, Romans have fought and triumphed against the odds. As well as beating Gallic invaders from across the Alps in 390-387BC, the Romans waged war against the Etruscans, the Samnites and Greeks in a series of wars that gave the city-state control of the whole Italian peninsular. Rome now faces some of these same forces to the north and east.

To the south stand the Carthaginians, the masters of the Mediterranean, and a trading empire with considerable military power. The Carthaginians are more than rivals for Rome. One power or the other will control the Mediterranean. For a true Roman, that can only mean one outcome…