The Roman world restored (eg re-creations of sites)

Source: Reddit, Ancient World

Johntindall wrote:

Source: Reddit, Ancient World

A race track, a Greek theatre, good solid walls to keep the Jewish rebels and Parthians out and access to the sea to stop them cutting it off.

Seems like a nice place.

Johntindall wrote:

Source: Reddit, Ancient World

Feel that putting up pictures of a race track and a theatre is really rubbing the salt into Iberian wounds.

Sept 819 and the first Iberian games was surposed to be Trajan, Otha & Glaba big political play to prove how nice and civilized the Iberian provinces are and convince the Emperor to grant us Latin rites without the civil war which was needed historically (Vaspasian purchased the support of the Iberian provinces with a political concession as cheaper than military campaign).

However day of our games dawns and:-

1) The Emperor is on the Danube getting ready to celebrate his Triumph over the Barbarians...........I thought a Thriumph had to be in Rome? Seems I was wrong.

2) The Parthians have invaded the East and Sept could easily see a major battle.

3) Judea looks like its going to explode in revolt

4) The Guard have revolted and seem to be marching on Rome, Sept 819 could well see start of an attack on Rome and attempt to force the Senate (or whats left of it after invasion of Rome) to appoint the Guard Commander as Emperor in Rome.

At this rate the Iberian Games are going to be lucky to get on page 5 of the paper

Someone is going to suffer for partly spoiling my games! Though they probably remain a big deal in the shrinking area of calm, civilized, peace in RIB.

An Eagle's eye view of Viminacium's “Amphitheatrum Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus”, named in honour of the Emperor, just in time for his triumph in Sirmium.

Read a interesting little article about a 4th century earthquake in the eastern med (see details below) which while well out of period for RIB does mention a early earthquake which hit same region in 66AD.

Does this mean that as well as the very dodgy Omen of a comet we are about to get a warning from the Gods in the shape of earthquakes and tidal waves as well ?????!!!!!

Did think it was a bit harsh of Agema to dismiss the Servian Walls and the Citadel of Rome which had defended the city against Hannibal etc as obsolete and of no use. Fact that they were extensively renovated and rebuilt in the 4th century is often seen as proof that they were neglected and had to be improved in face on a enhanced security risk in later period. However, I do wonder if the very large 365 AD earthquake played a roll in need for urgent building work?

This building work also came hundreds of years after our period and after many Roman Governments which lacked the resources and Rome focus of the early Empire. Based on experience of how modern civic building work/resources get handed out I strongly suspect that with a government partly made up up 600 ex military men and a Emperor who is head of Army someone would have noticed if a section of the walls near say X gate was falling into the ditch and would have kicked up a fuss in the Senate. Resulting in some of the various teams of city slaves employed to upkeep the drains, aqueducts and streets being diverted to re-point the walls and clean the ditches.

If these teams could keep 300 year old Aqueducts and the drains in good condition they could do same for the walls. Probably counted as a spot of light duty in the open air compared to work in the drains.

However, in RIB it seems that team Rome is now faced with city walls which have crumbled away to nothing and no Gladiators in the Imperial Ludas as well as bad Omens and rebels at the non existant gates of Rome.

A promise to provide work for poor by repairing the walls of Rome and to throw some decent games would seem like a election winner to get Trajan the Younger elected to the Senate........pity his dear old dad is about to be convicted of treason for putting a curse on the Guard and the possible new Emperor. Question is will Cordus catch up with Trajan before the curse catches up with him?

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The catastrophic earthquake of Crete of 365.
At dawn on July 21, 365 AD, many of the nations facing the Mediterranean Sea were about to be shaken by a catastrophic earthquake of magnitude estimated based on studies between 8.0 and 8.5 beginning in the air west of Crete, Greece, where the plaque africana plunges below the Aegean microplate. The 365 earthquake lasted over a minute and is considered the most intense seismic event to have occurred in the Mediterranean in historical era.
In very few seconds, the earthquake in question caused a rise of about 8-9 meters, an incredible value that in turn caused the formation of a tsunami that in a couple of hours reached all the coastal areas of the Southern and Western Greece, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta, Albania and Italy, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily. We’re talking about a tsunami that killed at least 50,000 people, many of whom mistakenly found shelter right along the coastal areas because of the receding of the waters before the abnormal wave came in. More than 5,000 people died in Egypt’s Alexandria alone, a particular area where water managed to penetrate inland for more than 2 kilometers.
One of the biggest signs that testify to the violence of that earthquake comes from the ancient Roman-era port city of Phalasarna, in the western area of Crete. The city pier that we can freely visit today is, in fact, between seven and nine meters above sea level, a quota that tells us how the coastal soil of the city suddenly rose due to the violence shook. This port had already been abandoned earlier due to another violent earthquake that hit the same area around 66 AD, a further indication confirming how the area of the Hellenic Arc is one of the most seismic areas of all the Mediterranean.
Such an event occurred at a historic moment when the Roman Empire was slowly falling into ruins due to wars and political conflicts. Most of the cities affected by the tsunami were part of the Empire, so much that the 365 earthquake is believed to have played a significant role in its division only thirty years later, in 395.

Hi Stuart! I have much less experience with Agema than others but I’ve come to accept the “alternate history” feel of the game. Collapsed or incomplete walls are but a small example of the less-historical challenges that can be thrown at us. I’m less stressed since I’ve accepted this.

Johntindall wrote:Hi Stuart! I have much less experience with Agema than others but I’ve come to accept the “alternate history” feel of the game. Collapsed or incomplete walls are but a small example of the less-historical challenges that can be thrown at us. I’m less stressed since I’ve accepted this.

Hi John,

As a player I like to think I take the slings and arrows of outragous fortune in fairly good spirit - though having my first ever character in Glori assassinated by Venice or the Janissary Corp and my character in LAOK wife murdered was a bit of a blow.

However I think starting a full blood feud or going full Cato/Senica/Victor Meldrew "This is a outrage" over the top is always a good laugh and gives the game a bit of shape and some spice.

Quite clearly the fact that the walls of Rome has been allowed to decay and fall into the ditch is an "outrage" to go alongside the lack of Latin rights for Iberia and the total lack of building and fire regulations in Rome and land rights for Roman settlers in Southern Italy and a true Roman Senator like Trajan the elder needs to nail his colours to the mast over such things.

If it gets him killed then the important thing is to make sure he dies a martyr and have plenty of heirs ready to take a bloody revenge. Even if burning down the Golden Temple, mass slaughter of the Janissary Corp and sewing the ruins of Venice with salt did lead to some small added complications.

Road construction!

https://youtu.be/z1aFWtBXHII

Gallic oppidum gatehouse and a Roman castra statica gatehouse

Thought some of you might find this of interest, something I helped build (20 years ago!!!!)

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c50c0077c93277e627b7374/t/5de117b0d36d6241f15f4824/1575032756758/Butser-Ancient-Farm-Roman-Area.pdf

Quite possible some of you saw it in its original form or its renovated version post-2019

That is just awesome. If I ever get that way, I'll defnitely go have a look! Thanks you Jason2!

A milecastle was a small rectangular fort built during the period of the Roman Empire.
They were placed at intervals of approximately one Roman mile along several major frontiers, for example Hadrian's Wall in Great Britain.
Along Hadrian's Wall, milecastles were initially constructed of stone in the eastern two thirds, and stacked turf with a wooden palisade in the western third, though the
turf milecastles were later rebuilt in stone.
Size varied, but in general they were about 15m by 18m internally, with stone walls as much as 3m thick and probably 5m to 6m high.
On Hadrian's Wall, a milecastle usually guarded a gateway through the Wall.
Photo by Andrew Smith
Reconstruction drawing by Philip Corke

Should you be interested in the argument, and with a little help from google translate, here are some sites I hope could be of any interest:

https://valeriacastiello.com/viaggi-antica-roma-realta-virtuale-aumentata/

first one is a tour operator that offers augmented reality tour on site in Rome. Quite nice if you happen to come visiting our capital town (do not forget to ask for hints over restaurants!)

https://www.capitolivm.it/esercito-romano/storia-delle-legioni-romane-2/

here you can find some nice info. For example, list and history of each roman legion.

https://www.altair4.com/it/modelli/roma-antica/

here some models.

If you feel this material could be of any interest but struggle with the language, feel free to drop me a pm, I'll be happy to help.

Cheers

Luca

Oddly the “Golden House” seems to be shrinking before our eyes from this huge bling laden cash sink sucking the financial life out of the Empire down to a tastefully furnished Urban Villa at first mention of melted down gold bath taps!

Still think return of land on the Oppian to original pre-fire owners or their heirs if they died in the fire is the correct thing to do but prospect of major recovery of funds from Agema to help pay for bequests,games and new walls is not looking good to me. Typical pay for solid gold baths get lead covered in gold leaf when its sold.

Wonder if we are missing a trick here and if he elected Nexuso6 Consul or something if his years of dealing with Roman Builders merchants will help the Senate get its full refund on fixtures and fittings?

With the rebel Guards rumoured to be heading for a port, this site was quite interesting: https://www.romanports.org/en/articles/human-interest/718-roman-military-ports.html

Johntindall wrote:With the rebel Guards rumoured to be heading for a port, this site was quite interesting: https://www.romanports.org/en/articles/human-interest/718-roman-military-ports.html

Very interesting article, though I would say that the high point of Roman Naval power was in the first Punic War rather than under during the later Republic/Augustus. At the Battle of Economus in 256 BC the Roman Fleet had 330 Galleys mostly Quinqueremes or "fives" plus transports. Thereafter and perhaps due to lack of first rate naval opponents the Roman Fleet declined both in numbers and size of vessels as smaller and faster ships of more use on rivers and hunting pirates plus a lot cheaper in both money and man power.

Use of river-ports in our period would indicate that the rebel Guard could use Cannae and the river River Aufidus to flee the country. But will they be able to gather up the 40 transports needed to flee or will they need to head further south to larger commercial ports like Brundisium or Tarentum to secure the shipping required? Since while a muti millionaire Senator can get a fair trial and evade treason charges before the voters in Rome rather lower social level ships captains may what some type of defence like a sword held to the throat before agreeing a charter to ship a bunch of traitors away from justice.

Though one option might be to use a rather lesser number of ships as a ferry service across the Mere Adriaticum. Though landing in the Balkans does rather dump them a long way from any friends and in the heartlands of people they have just rather upset. People send you a couple of their household messengers with what they no doubt think is a fair offer and you just cut them down does tend to have that effect. So they may want to take a rather longer trip by Sea. The question is where? East or do they vanish into the Northern Mists? Another Eagle for the Blue Boys collection.

Another question is what is the Roman Navy going to do? Since the Jannissary like Guard are probably protected by the Chaos Gods on Mount Agema and plot armour the answer is probably not a lot and the Guard will sail into the fog leaving frustrated players on the beach screaming out too sea.

Players should however note that just because NPC's with plot armour can march to Germany and back twice, fight a battle then march over more mountains in winter before slipping away south to meet up with transport captains who neatly evade the Roman Navy patrols and laugh about possible future legal problems. This is not something you should try at home or expect PC forces to achieve.

Jason can confirm that loading high sickness level troops onto ships rarely goes well - storm magnate. Troops get left behind or butchered by Cavalry pursuit on the beach and you will probably run into a hostile war ship of some type.

Just to let you know, afraid I have had to drop out of Rome. It's a combination of the "cost of living" crisis and a lack of real life time (due to work) to be able to devote to games. I have said to Richard if things improve I will try to return to the game but for now Caledonia at least will once more disappear into the mist beyond the Roman world...

We’ll miss your Celtic Charm, Jason2. Best wishes and safe travels!

Jason2 wrote:Just to let you know, afraid I have had to drop out of Rome.  It's a combination of the "cost of living" crisis and a lack of real life time (due to work) to be able to devote to games.  I have said to Richard if things improve I will try to return to the game but for now Caledonia at least will once more disappear into the mist beyond the Roman world...

Hope the Dolphins and Whales of the Western Isles appreciate your sacrifices for them and hope you continue to enjoy the new job.

Jason2 wrote:Just to let you know, afraid I have had to drop out of Rome.  It's a combination of the "cost of living" crisis and a lack of real life time (due to work) to be able to devote to games.  I have said to Richard if things improve I will try to return to the game but for now Caledonia at least will once more disappear into the mist beyond the Roman world...

Jason,

I’m sorry that you are having to let this one go. Feel free to keep that eagle (safe) We can negotiate its return annon! Stay safe and bon voyage. R