Roman Empire

Post Reply
User avatar
Czernobog
Posts: 1315
Joined: Thu May 22, 2008 9:27 am
Location: Holy Terra

Roman Empire

Post by Czernobog »

The Roman Empire
From one of the foremost philosophers of the Academy, Aristagones.

The Roman Empire is one of the largest powers in the world, challenged only by the State of Han in the far east. Roman scholars have mapped the world, and it has a presence in every continent. Even the cold wastes of Austrinus Terra, that icy land around the South Pole of the world, have a Roman presence, though it is little more than a small military garrison.

Government

As obvious in its name, the Roman Empire is ruled by an emperor. Called the Princeps, or Imperator, he has absolute power over the state. No word is stronger than his, and his rule is unquestioned by all. If the Emperor says anything, his word is law. To refuse his orders is counted as Treason, so strong is his power.

The Emperor commands the Legions and all other military assets of the Empire, though he does this in name only and command is usually given to a trusted General or Admiral. He also has the power to command extravagant projects, such as the construction of whole cities or massive palaces, and essentially to do anything he wishes. Such power does not come without corruption, and some of the more well-known Emperors, such as Americus II, were, to put it bluntly, completely insane.

In ancient days the Emperor wore only a toga and a crown of laurels - today he wears golden jewellery, a crown festooned with diamonds and rubies and long red robes trimmed with gold and silver.

Territories

The Empire is divided into provinces. From the far-flung lands of Americus across the Mare Oceanus, to the Mare Caspianus that marks the edge of Europa, citizens of the Empire dwell. Beyond this place, the eastern border of the Empire, a great, uncivilised land of deserts and horse-riding savages lies, until a a semblance of order is reached in the State of Han. The Empire's only border with the people of Han lies in the province of Persia Superior, which is also the area of the border of the Empire of India (a protectorate of Han), and is continually disputed, with cross-border raids being common. Occasionally a fort or village is taken by one power, and is held until the other side musters troops, at which the power which took the fort or village retreats once again to its side of the border, which is sometimes marked by little more than a cairn of stones.

There are many provinces in the Empire, but the most far-flung is that of Americus. Only the east coast is inhabited, with the great city of Roma Nova and the great port of Ultima Cathargo. The mainland has been mapped by satellites, but much about it is unknown, though it is nominally under Roman rule. Rumours still persist of cities of gold, of a great confederacy of barbarians that has a government in the style of ancient Athens, but these are dismissed as the fancies of storytellers, although there are reports of strange barbarians occasionally attacking small towns (these reports are often dismissed).

Language

Latin is the official language of the Roman Empire, though the "pure" version, known as the Lingua Palatinus, is only spoken by priests and the Emperor's court. The other dialect, known as the Lingua Vulgaris, has had such a great amount of loanwords and grammatical rules entering it from various languages that it barely resembles latin anymore. The people of Americus have their own dialect of the Lingua Vulgaris that is almost incomprehensible to someone for Europa. There are, of course, other languages, often depending from location to location - from Germanic to Aramaic.

Military

The Roman military is divided into a great series of Legions. While in ancient days a Legion's size was 4200 up to 6000, today it can be as small as 2000 or as large as 100,000.

The navy is another of the oldest forces of the Empire. It has evolved greatly in its existence, from triremes to missile cruisers and from wood to steel.


The air force, also known as the Agema Aerius, is the youngest of the Roman military institutions, only existing after the invention of powered flight, and often the most ignored. Yet it has a pertinent role, from surveillance to transport to, when all else fails, bombing runs.

History

The history of Rome before the first emperor is lost in the mists of time. Little records survive, lost in the Great Wars, and thousands of legends have sprung up around it. Most concern the man who laid the foundations for the Empire - Ceasar. Little is known of him save the name, but he is most reknowned in that great myth-cycle, the Liber Ceasarus.

The Empire, from its founding, steadily grew and prospered, with little threats from enemies, until the Great Wars. These wars are:

The Christian Uprising
A war that started at Jerusalem and engulfed much of the eastern Empire, until the Seventh Battle of Sidon, at which the uprising was destroyed forever. It began as a massive spree of riots; mobs of Christians would burn temples and kill priests, for example, and ended as a series of huge battles which ripped across the Empire and burned in the people's memory forever.

The Seccession of Byzantium
Another war, shortly after the Christian Uprising, in which Byzantium and Asia Minor declared their independence from the rest of the Empire. This war ended in the famous Burning of Byzantium, in which the entire city was destroyed in fire and its armies utterly wiped out.

The Hun War
In which the Huns invaded the Empire, penetrating deep into Italy and almost reaching Rome until they were stopped by Flavius Aurelius. After this war, the Empire began to reach a semblance of stability, which it would retain until the Arabian Rebellion.

The Arabian Rebellion
This war was started by the self-proclaimed Prophet Muhammad, who attempted to set up his own state and called for holy war against the Empire. This finally ended with the crucifixion of this false prophet, however, some believe that the religion he started survived in hiding. Such rumours are obviously false.

After the Great Wars, the Empire began a long period of cautious rebuilding and expansion that lasted about 800 years. This period ended with the discovery of the lands of Americus, known after the Emperor in whose reign they were discovered. Rome began a technological explosion, as well as a period of rapid expansion that lasted for about 500 years. Then began the Han War, lasting for 30 years. Rome lost the lands around the Mare Caspianus, as tides of Han soldiers clashed with superiorly-equipped Roman Legionaries, until the war ended with the Peace of Rome, which neither side seeks to violate. For the moment...

Population

At a conservative estimate, the Roman Empire is home to eight hundred million souls. However, higher (and more likely) estimates place it as one billion and one hundred million. This estimate is derived by calculating the size of the large amount of children, as the censuses only count adults.

Religion

The great majority of the Empire worships the Ancient Gods - Jupiter, Minerva, Neptune and such. Below these gods are set a vast amount of spirits, guardians, household spirits and such, though these are not officially venerated, and many people do not make oblations to them. These gods are often associated with other, foreign gods - for example, Jupiter is associated with the Greek Zeus. The philosophers of the Academy have argued that this is evidence for a single religion which the ancient progenitor-tribe followed, and have attempted to prove this thesis with studies in language, as well as the afore-mentioned associations. There are also the mystery religions - for example the cults of Isis and Mithras. Then, there are Christianity and Judaism, which are barely tolerated, though followers of these religions have all the rights requisite of all other citizens. Lastly, there is Islam, which is utterly forbidden, in such a complete manner that all copies of its holy book have been (hopefully) burned.
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

And we shall do so again.
User avatar
Heretic
Posts: 1750
Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 4:45 pm
Location: IN AMERICA

Re: Roman Empire

Post by Heretic »

Lol, hopefully the Koran is burned? You are more hardcore than I was :P.

Keep up the good word, though. Now, give me the Han Empire, or I shall dine on your intestines!
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
-Joseph Campbell
User avatar
Czernobog
Posts: 1315
Joined: Thu May 22, 2008 9:27 am
Location: Holy Terra

Re: Roman Empire

Post by Czernobog »

I'm still brainstorming it.
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

And we shall do so again.
User avatar
Artemis
Global Mod
Posts: 392
Joined: Thu May 22, 2008 3:31 am
Location: Savannah, Georgia
Contact:

Re: Roman Empire

Post by Artemis »

For the apparent technology level, the population and land ownership seems proportionally quite small. Is there something keeping the birth rate down in the Roman Empire, and likewise is there something keeping them from expanding deeper inland on Americus?
"The universe's most essential beauty is its endlessness. There is room and resources enough for all of us. Whether there is room for all of our passions is the question, and the problem that we work tirelessly to find a solution to."

-Qhameio Allir Nlafahn, Commonwealth ambassador, during the signing of the Kriolon Treaty.
calanoria
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:48 pm

Re: Roman Empire

Post by calanoria »

Brainstorming!!
User avatar
Heretic
Posts: 1750
Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 4:45 pm
Location: IN AMERICA

Re: Roman Empire

Post by Heretic »

?? Hello Calanoria.
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
-Joseph Campbell
Post Reply