What’s your best Roman meme?

Regor wrote:Gosh, how time flies! I have only just made a thorough study of the last return, the paper and the above thread.
OMG!!!
The Roman East is on the brink if not already into the abyss. There are troops Actually IN Rome and the bloody post has failed. TWO letters was all I got. Perhaps its something I said?
I never thought that chaos could arrive so quickly or divert me from the Iberian Games.
There is lots to consider!
Anyway  I wonder if the Gods will permit a battle in and around Rome. Will Nero lurk on the Danube or potter back to …. We’ll where?
Some thing has to give, whose patience - some deus ex machina or a power grab? And again, how does the Senate work? Honestly I have no idea.

Interesting that in Rome is Burning we how have 2.5 Emperor's:

1) Nero the original NPC who all the players owe their current lofty status too and who they have just spent past game year stressing how great he is and how loyal they are. But who is a bit mad and a nightmare too work for as well as being a bottomless hole for Roman finances. But perhaps oddly the in game Nero has been a lot less murderous than the historic character. Not sure if its lucky dice or player influence but Nero has not too date slaughtered Senator Piso and a load of players faction members, kicked his wife and unborn child to death or ordered Rome best general to kill himself for no reason other than he is a bit popular. Fairly sure that if any of the above had happened PC Senators esp the more popular ones would be reaching for their knife on basis that they were only a dice roll away from death, and would totally ignore factors like Roman fear of anarchy and civil war, dynastic loyalty etc. So its possible that Richard has toned down the tyranny to keep element of doubt in game about wisdom of doing away with Emperor.

2) Cordus, new Guard Commander and Gov of somewhere out east. NPC ? Parthian or someone elses Agent/influenced by? Or Agema stalking horse would be Emperor trying to flush players who think they will look good in purple out into the open? Interestingly with Cordus a in game foe of the mighty Gov of Syria gone west to command the Guard (who influenced that appointment????) his Eastern Province has just been over-run by the Parthians who tried to get the captive Roman Troops etc to declare for a Roman Emperor.......anyone you want other than Nero but oddly they went for Germanias rather than their absent boss. Should the King of Kings have been more specific? Or does he not care? Can not help thinking that having the backing of the King of Kings is a bit of a too edged sword for any would be Emperor. Gain gold and horse archers Gain total hostility of Gov's of Syria & Egypt plus old fashioned types mostly in Iberia and North Africa who think senior Roman magistrates should not be picked by Greco-Jewish bankers in Seleucia or Druids.

Cordus backing now seems to be down to the Infantry of the Guard (not its Cavalry) which is currently marching with Cordus on Rome probably to kill lots of people he does not like such as various magistrates and relatives of Nero. Which will probably send Nero totally over the edge mentally. And try out P30 in the rule book about the Senate electing as Emperor who ever the Guard told them too. At this point it should be noted that not all of the Senate is in Rome many of its members are in North Africa, Syria, and Iberia for the games and they are already screaming about being stabbed in the back when faced with Parthian Armies and Jewish rebels plus they do not care what P30 in some dodgy Britannic primier (probably written by a Druid!) says its against 700 years of Roman Law.

Meanwhile the General who Nero did not kill with about half as many regular troops as the Guard plus some marines from the Navy and the Roman Police force lead by Vespasian brother prepares to try and defend Rome, the Senate, Roman law, loyalty to the Julio-Claudian line, Door mice the way mum used to cook them etc, etc from the Rebel Guard and the evil influence of Parthian Gold.

Which gives the Commanders of the Armies of Rome an interesting problem. Do the react like Sulla when the Samnites marched on Rome in the social war and force-march their elite troops south in a desperate attempt to save the mother of cities from pillage and rapine at the hands of the Guard. Or do they just sit in camp and allow Cordus to put the Empress pretty head on a spike and dash her babies brains out on the temple steps in the hope that his sends Nero over the edge and he just tops himself. All Hail Cordus Emperor of Rome..........carry on as if nothing has happened.

3) And the 0.5 of an Emperor in Germanicus Gov of Dalmatia and one of the commander's of the Danube Legion who made the mistake of winning a victory over the Barbarians taking tens of thousands of slaves and loads of other plunder which resulted in lots of people having not enough water in their wine, getting a bit over happy and wanting him as Emperor. Too date Germanicus has carefully turned down all such flattering offers and has been stressing his loyalty to Nero, the Senate and People of Rome, Mums pickled door mice etc. Some mostly in Syria and on the Rhine might say "well he would say that" or even the "Blue eyed boy from the Balkans protests too much". But Iberia is happy to take his word as a man of honour and a sporting gentleman, since he did send a team to our games (pity they went to wrong location and are now having to dash across country).

Though if Chief Magistrate Nero was to pass away due to the worry and strain. Rome, the Empress, the Senate etc was saved from the Rebel dogs by a flying column of crack Danubian Cavalry crushing the rebels against the walls. Would anyone object if Germanicus then got his White Toga out and stood as Chief Magistrate of Rome? Perhaps on a program of Crushing Druids and Pathians for meddling in our affairs, sane building regulations and an extension of the franchise/latin rights and land reform. I think he would stand a pretty good chance of winning the election fair and square. Unless say the Easterners have done something truely special (Sacked Seleucia and drowned the voters in gold and games?).




Other Roman Generals have so far carefully avoided the danager of big show bizz style victoriesbig p

Stuart, really interesting isn't it?

Hope the games go well and divert people from the chaos that surrounds the Iberian peninsula.

Well you have certainly given a lot of food for thought.

All we need now is another barbarian trying their luck or the Praetorians winning. If they lose then Neros successor may be a shoo in?

Or not!

Bring back the republic....... Will the Senate ever get a grip?

Johntindall wrote:

Is that a picture of the Empress holding a bottle of extra virgin oil oil? With a new Egyptain/Eastern style hair style?

While Nero decides to spend two months paddling his toes in the Danube while the usurper and the rebel guard get ever closer to Rome what is a girl too do? Fight to the death to defend the immortal city in the hope that the brave men of the Rhine and Danube Legions will march south to protect Rome, The Senate and the Julio-Claudian cause?

Or take her babies and flee.......probably to somewhere warm, sunny and safe. Where man are men of honour, loyalty and principal and unlikely to say "Sorry......locked in bathhouse, caught a bit of a cold in a wet wood or too busy dealing with slave merchants, totally unable to do anything for next six months."

Well its certainly becoming very interesting…. Factions are arising.some make sense. Our Proconsuls are watching from the wings and the barbarians are revolting. Well revolting in the non-roman regular bathing sort of way.

Serious question - what use is the Senate in these interesting times? What power do they wield? I thought they were the rubber stamp to Nero but he’s off with the faeries (from the wings -Oi the Danube tribes are manly men!)

But the Guard - why did they decide to go feral? is there a senatorial faction that will welcome them plus who else gains from them attacking Rome?

Will anyone go to Romes assistance? And if Rome falls to them how will the err barbarians respond. Perhaps proper romans should gather and save the empire from chaos.

And an observation. The ‘Spanish’ games were excellent and full of interesting stuff. A genuine fan told me.

With his beloved Games over, surely Rome’s most glorious man Trajan Pater, will now lead one or more of his legions to Rome’s defence? Why has he not done so earlier since his legions aren’t actually facing any external threat? Unkind gossip in the Forum and tavernae is growing stronger that maybe he is all Games, no action…

Johntindall wrote:With his beloved Games over, surely Rome’s most glorious man Trajan Pater, will now lead one or more of his legions to Rome’s defence? Why has he not done so earlier since his legions aren’t actually facing any external threat? Unkind gossip in the Forum and tavernae is growing stronger that maybe he is all Games, no action…

A anon source has informed me that Trajan Pater would love to lead a Legion to help defend Rome........if he had one! However as Baetica is a Senatorial Province it does not have a legion stationed in the province. The only legion in Iberia is stationed in Hispania and is under the authority of Glaba who by age and experience is probably the "Father of the Senate".

Apart from the lack of actual legions in Iberia there is also the legal problem. It is illegal for any Governor to leave their province without authority of Emperor.......Gallas etc are all leading campaigns ordered by Emperor after attacks on Roman territory. Though I suspect that someone like Glaba, Trajan Pater or Otha probably have the standing and the lawyers to talk their way round minor legal problems.

While Iberia only has the single Legion actually stationed their, Iberia does provide about 20% of recruits for the Roman Army and Navy in this period plus a lot of its rations, horses and equipment. The Iberian raised Legions are scattered all round the Empire from the Eastern frontier to Britannia but are under the direct command of the Frontier generals not the Governors in Iberia like Otha, Trajan Pater, Glaba etc.

No one doubts the loyalty to the Emperor Nero, Rome and their generals of these fine Legions. But what happens and who do they listen too if the Senate in Rome has its arm twisted by a bunch of show ponies in the Guard and "appoints" a half caste Gaul as chief Magistrate of Rome. Esp if their generals want them to take oath of loyalty to new Emperor and their home provinces are saying NO CHANCE. Even worse what happens if a new Emperor wants to crush the Julio-Claudian loyalists in Iberia with fire and blood in the streets of Tarraco and in the Olive grooves.

The other problem with sending the Iberian based Legion to Rome is how? And how long will it take? Cool of October, Nov, Dec may be best time to march in Egypt but across the Pyrenees and the Alps? Or do you propose that they risk the winter storms of the Mare Cantabricum and sail? Surely the 14/15 Legions of the Rhine/Danube armies plus the Emperor and his horse guards are all a lot closer to Italia and the rebel Guard.

My feeling is that the Senior Commanders of the frontier legions either:-

a) Crush revolt of the Guard which may give them logistics problems, cause them too suffer losses fighting the Guard and reduce number of men they have guarding the frontier for a period

or

b) Sit on their hands and do nothing.

But if they take option B They run risk that rebel Guard kill Gallas and Trajan Senior old commander in the East and trample over the body of this bona-fida hero of the Eastern Legions in other to murder Vespasians brother, the Empress (love of Otha life) and her babies on the steps of the Senate and use terror to smash the laws of Rome and install their own Commander as Emperor and Chief Magistrate of Rome.

At which point what do they do about Nero? Guess he could have a hunting accident and they could just accept Cordus in Rome. But what do Legionary Commanders loyal to the Emperor Cordus do about fact that grain ships are no longer sailing from North Africa and Iberia and orders to extend his authority over "traitors" like Vaspasian, Otha, Trajan Senior and Junior, Senica ever the last great grand daughter of Augustus?

Anyone fancy a campaign for Cordus in North Africa or Iberia? These Senatorial provinces may lack actual legions but they do have a lot of Auxilia many trained and very well equiped at Legion base depots. Historically only the best of the best Roman Generals did well in Iberia and North Africa and normally had to make friends with at least some of the locals if they did not want their forage parties and supply troops butchered by the Numidians.

Could we see Vitellius dragged away from his beloved Rhine to fight for Cordus somewhere warm and sunny? Will Cordus ally with the Parthians v the military heir of General Corbula? Will Otha driven by grief over his slaughtered love be sent a white fawn by the Goddess Diana and turn into the new Sertorius? How will the Cavalry of the Rhine Legions who have only just got their fallen back from the Germans stand up to the massed charges of Spanish heavy Cavalry and Vespasians Elephants while the Numidians try and turn their flanks.

My current bet is that to avoid having to answer questions like that a lot of players are going to be even keener of killing Cordus than the Jacobites are on killing Martel in G7. They question is - is Cordus just a really successful agent of the Blue Boy or the King of Kings or is he a Agema NPC on a mission to totally screw up "Team Rome" equiped with multi layers of plot armour?

I’m going to go out on a limb here: I’d recommend Plan A to the Rhine and Danube commanders. If the proconsuls of Iberia and Macedonia will support the Generals.

Always assuming that Nero doesn’t do something stupid and cock-up the “adjustment” to Rome’s security. In non-historical terms I’d like to see the Guard disbanded one way or another and a return of the senates authority. However if that were to happen now some other folk (of a powerful caucus) might steer Rome elsewhere?

If only we could reintroduce two consuls and have all the current team Rome take a turn, limited by law for a year or two?

However with a not to the gods on Mount Agema what would the game turn of an Emperor look like? I’m guessing of course but with no military, a senate voted for income and a lot of politicking. No wonder Nero is MAD.

After getting a bit carried away with post of another thread.  Thought I better move a bit to this one:-

- Anyone fancy working out how much damage such an attack on Rome is going to cost to repair in bills from the Builders Guild?

"b) According to report from RIB Rome is lacking walls !!!!????? pained cries of who let those ***** from the builders guild take down the Servian Walls?

Actually while the Servian Walls do not cover the leafy parts of Rome round the Gardens of Sallust, Gardens of Pompey or the Voting ground or the Emporium.....so loads of loot for rebels outside walls. They do cover the seven hills and the heart of the city, apart from one fairly small gap along the banks of the Tiber south of the Flumenta gate to the Trimenial gate and the Aventine Hill. Assume builders did not see point of building defensive walls were you have a river and when later builders extended walls to include the Aventine Hill and its part of Tiber they did not close gap as it leads directly too the Forum Boarium and the Cattle Market. Not sure how many cattle arrive in Rome every day but you try getting them through a gate!

Also helping Roman Butchers and the cattle trade but not defensive position the Aemilian and Sublician bridges have been built across the Tiber direct to Cattle market. Accoringly Nottingham based Papers wrong to say Rome does not have walls.....it has very fine walls indeed. Just not were the rebel guard would seem to be about too attack.

Once across the Bridges and across the Forum Boarium and the Cattle Market probably looting the Temples of Portuna and Hercules, the rebel Guard will probably drive up the Clivus Victoriariae and through the Velabrum and the Temple of Happiness with the Palatine Hill and the current Imperial Palace and various shrines on the right.

This drive up the Clivus Victoriae will take the Guard to the main Forum (bang goes the Basilica, Temple of Castor and the Macellum). Will then leave them with the Grove of Vesta and the House of the Pontifex Maximus on their right, the Senate house directly ahead and the Capitoline Hill on their left at the bottom of which is the State Treasury. If this falls if not before team Rome is bankrupt!

At top of the Capitoline along with its most important Temples is the Arx or the Citadel of Rome which is as good as place as any for Senators to make a last stand or evacuate too with the contents of the treasury and start talks with the new masters of Rome. Perhaps will getting a note from their doctor to say Senator X was ill and in bed. He had nothing at all to do with the surrender of General Corbula, The Empress, her daughters and various other wounded magistrates including Vespasian brother to the executioners of the Guard or the "election" of Curdus to position of chief magistrate and Dirtator for Life (probably not a long job then).

Such Doctors notes may be very important since if the rump of the Senate surrenders and talks to the Guard I can see various crusty old Pro-consuls writing proscription list. If your character is too young to know what a prosciption list is......you may want to look it up."

Well I hope that if troops supporting the status quo arrive they will be welcomed by the senate and the people as well as her nibs (and the pre-bashed bonces) of her children.

Indeed if Nero was incapacitated wouldn’t it be right for one of his children to take up the mantle?

More random thoughts later….

Regor wrote:Well I hope that if troops supporting the status quo arrive they will be welcomed by the senate and the people as well as her nibs (and the pre-bashed bonces) of her children.

Indeed if Nero was incapacitated wouldn’t it be right for one of his children to take up the mantle?

More random thoughts later….

Think the answer ref one of Nero Children picking up the mantle is YES.......provided they are legitimate, male and adult. Currently one out of three is not too bad.

At very start of RIB some mention of a brother in Gaul but most of our characters attended his funeral which might make things a bit hard unless we and most of the population of Rome suffer a collective memory failure.

Which might be possible the way the population of Rome keeps shrinking and may shrink even more if the rebel guards storm the city and set fire too it again......typical we have just finished rebuilding our mother city after the great fire and the place risks burning again.

Can I propose passing some sane fire regulations in the Senate and a change of name for the game? Think calling it "Rome is Burning" is just asking for trouble and really, really big bills from the Builders Guild. At current rate once the Guard wipe out Legion XXIII, the Urbans, some Marines from the Fleet and cow the Senate it may come down too the Guard v the Builders Guild. Not 100% sure my money is on the 9 Cohorts and 27 Cavalry Units of the Guard since a hod load of bricks from top of a six storey building makes a hell of a mess and you know what they call a horse in some of the meaner alleys of Rome..........lunch.

In Nero does pass away in his sleep while visiting the Danube think the question is will any of his "loyal" Army commanders on the Rhine or Danube get back to Rome in time to grind the rebels into the dust, save and marry the grieving window and adopt her children and still make it too the Senate to win the Election to replace Nero in some or all of his many jobs. Hope they have a couple of clean white Toga's in their saddle bags or a house in Rome which has survived the fire.

“Calling it Rome is Burning is asking for trouble” made me chuckle

Hi everyone - I hope this won't be seen as collaboration, but in the skies above us, around about October 66AD, a comet appeared that was believed to have heralded the Judean Revolt (and other things). All our characters are going to be able to see it, so consult your sacred chickens or whatever, and see if you can make our GM smile with some creative interpretations of what it means! Just a bit of fun...


Source: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54694fa6e4b0eaec4530f99d/t/5acc0b5d8a922dc773000b7f/1523321695155/Halley%27s+Comet++and+Judaean+Revolts+Revisited.pdf

Did you know that our beloved Emperor had his own Olympic Games (sort of)? He added musical competitions and won all of these! He even won the chariot race despite crashing and having six more horses than the other competitors!

Maybe it was a good thing he missed the Iberian Games...

Source: http://ancientolympics.arts.kuleuven.be/eng/TB025EN.html

Johntindall wrote:Did you know that our beloved Emperor had his own Olympic Games (sort of)? He added musical competitions and won all of these! He even won the chariot race despite crashing and having six more horses than the other competitors!

Maybe it was a good thing he missed the Iberian Games...

Source: http://ancientolympics.arts.kuleuven.be/eng/TB025EN.html

Our beloved Emperor did pretty well at the Iberian games winning two musical events after the Judges decided no one could play better than Nero on his two favourites. Plus winning the 12 horse chariot race as prize for this event goes too the owner of the team in such events.

Next Iberian games not due to another four years but the Emperor can always order a change in the planned program if he decides to visit Iberia and give his loyal subjects their Latin rights after dealing with the Northern and Eastern Barbarians as planned......surely no longer than 1 to 2 years max?

Only slight concern will be if Nero decides to drive his own 12 horse chariot.....Otha course being infamous for having really tight bends.

On the bright side assume in event of a crash the Emperor will be protected by the Gods. Otha the solar powered sex machine is famous for his ability to cheer up widows and I believe olive oil is good for keeping a body fresh in case any need to be sent back too Rome if anyone else wants to give it a go and race with the Emperor.

Johntindall wrote:Hi everyone - I hope this won't be seen as collaboration, but in the skies above us, around about October 66AD, a comet appeared that was believed to have heralded the Judean Revolt (and other things). All our characters are going to be able to see it, so consult your sacred chickens or whatever, and see if you can make our GM smile with some creative interpretations of what it means! Just a bit of fun...


Source: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54694fa6e4b0eaec4530f99d/t/5acc0b5d8a922dc773000b7f/1523321695155/Halley%27s+Comet++and+Judaean+Revolts+Revisited.pdf

I am not saying the sacred chickens have gone off their food or anything like that.

But it probably should be noted that:-

I) Comets were often considered to be linked with disease and plagues

II) The rebels guards who have just shown up at the gates of Rome (actually not so much gates more the really large hole in the walls left to allow cattle into the city cattle market, not such a defensive problem when it was all river - pity about the two latter bridges). Have just marched through a a province in which the plague is raging. In fact since they are still on north side of Tiber they are still in plague hit province!

- Since some of the rebels at least may have picked up the infection it would seem to be even more important than ever for team Rome that they are kept out of the city. But if they do fight their way into the city as well as a diplomatic disaster will team Rome also be also be looking at plague in Rome???!!!!! Great first we get fire, then famine and we could get plague in our fair city !!!

Probably combined with looting, more fire and more famine when Vespasian either cuts the grain supply following murder of his brother or because North African captains decline to go near a city which has plague.

In game terms "Happy Saturnalia" to all Romans.

With in game terms a new year about to start it seems to me that team Rome is hitting a bit of an exitential crisis in AC 820.

Basically another month and another tin-pot Agema NPC (the Gov of the province of Asia) with a single legion thinks he would look good in purple and tries set up as the new Augustus. Bit like the equally tin-pot Guard Commander a couple of months before.

Quite clearly none of these NPC's or players for that matter have the status, reputation, wealth or military power to take over as the new Augustus and actually do the job without a civil war.

However, the greater question raised by these revolts would seem to be are they all down to Parthian gold and the evil influence of the King of Kings and his Greek and Jewish bankers plus his Druidic allies? Or is the problem Nero? Or rather Nero prestige being so low its just going to throw up one revolt after another and the Roman Army is in danger of being killed by itself one Legion at a time. First the Guard, then the Legion in Asia, which one next?

A related question for team Rome is can we get Nero’s prestige back up too a level were the revolt a month stops. The Triumph was a good attempt but has clearly not got us out of the danger zone as shown by events in Asa. Will more of the same work or has the rot now gone too far? Though turning the King of Kings into a foot stool and feeding the blue boy too the Lions for his terrible verse would seem to be good Roman deeds in themselves even if they do not achieve the larger objective of stopping endless revolts.

Johntindall wrote:

Seems a very suitable comment on team Rome and who the hell is giving orders to the Roman Army and on what basis ?!

Some NPC's seem to know but no one bothered to actually say if Nero our beloved Dictator for Life (and holder of about a dozen other top posts) is dead, badly burnt or is just minus his eye brows and in shock after being hit by lightning. He is still on list of people my character can influence so does hope still exist?

Personally I blame either the Blue Boy and his pet druid or the nest of Gods angering Christains located in the enternal city for this lightning strike, through some will no doubt look at a certain Roman Commander and his scientific establishment with its own Igor. A man (?) who seems to know much to much about lightning.

If a Roman Magistrate of Consul or Dictator rank dies during their term in office the normal process is for a provisional chief magistrate called a "Interrex" to do the dec'd filing, sort out their paper work and hold the consular election to deplaced the dec'd.

Which if our beloved Nero is no more raises some questions:-

a) Has Trajan been appointed as his "Interrex" by virtue of being current top of the prestige list?

b) How the hell can we arrange a proper funneral for Nero when all the Gladiators seem to have buggered off to Revenna.

c) Does anyone know where Nero keeps his paper-work/in tray is and how much paper work now needs to be rubber stamped, filed etc

d) Where is his will and what is Government property and which is family property which should go to his heirs (all females)? After 100 years the two seems to be a bit mixed up! Egypt for instance is it a province the same as the rest other than the fact that is looked after by a Knight rather than a Senator and no Senator is allowed to enter without permission. Or is it the personal property/estate of the Family ditto about a 1/5 of the land in the city of Rome, Nero's Slaves doing government jobs etc, etc

Interesting question for the local administration in Egypt are they loyal to the Senate and People of Rome or are they loyal to the Julio-Claudian family (now down to Poppaea, her baby daughters and Nero sister)? Not a issue in the past 100 years as they were pretty much one and the same but now what happens if things are split.

Why do I get a vision of Poppera loyal Knight and foreman springing to her side on his white horse or perhaps an Egyptain battle fleet to sweep her off her feet and down the Nile on a love barge. Think her first husband may have a few words to say about that!

e) Nero held a lot (lots and lots!) of posts most of which you need to be a Senator to stand for? But what has happened to all of our Senators? A month ago we had 599 and now its down to 420 something. Ok so two are currently leading rebellions against the Senate and People of Rome so have probably been crossed off list of eligible people. But what about the other 160 odd who seem to have gone missing?

Did Nero (as Censor) finally catch up with some at least of the paper work before his accident and note that various people were not attending the Senate not because they were on duty overseas but because they have been dead for the last eight months or so?

On subject of Nero replacement (if required) as Censor(s) certain junior magistrates in a certain southern Italian backwater better hope that Nero is in perfect health and Senator Piso never gets elected as a Censor or their social class is so downgraded! Plus their tax farming records etc are going to get so looked over.

I don't know...I pop into the forum to answer a message and I find Mr S is yet again slandering, YES SLANDERING, the peace-loving, friendly, cuddly and fuzzy Caledonians....

Despite the deranged imaginations of Mr S, the "Blue Boy and his pet Druid" (I really find that description of me offensive, if I wasn't so peace-loving, I'd bring the blood-eagle forward by a few hundred years and inflict it on Mr S' character) have noting to do with Nero being struck by lightning...now if he had been struck by an eagle ripping his heart out...

Jason2 wrote:I don't know...I pop into the forum to answer a message and I find Mr S is yet again slandering, YES SLANDERING, the peace-loving, friendly, cuddly and fuzzy Caledonians....

Despite the deranged imaginations of Mr S, the "Blue Boy and his pet Druid" (I really find that description of me offensive, if I wasn't so peace-loving, I'd bring the blood-eagle forward by a few hundred years and inflict it on Mr S' character) have noting to do with Nero being struck by lightning...now if he had been struck by an eagle ripping his heart out...

Can I just point out that following checks with Trajan's Lawyers:

- "Blue boy and his pet Druid" is fair comment as Jason Character in RIB does put on woad and keep members of the illegal sect known as Druids at his court. Druids are know to be hostile to Nero indeed all Romans and go in for curses and black magic rites so are perfectly reasonable suspects for the magical attack on our beloved Emperor.

- To bring a charge of "Slander" against a Roman Senator in a Roman Court you have to be a Roman Citizen at the very least.

- To obtain damages for Slander your reputation needs to have suffered material damage. As Jason Character is a woad wearing Barbarian who keeps Druids and has stolen a Roman Eagle it would be impossible to do damage to his reputation in Rome........basically it can not get any lower! As for his reputation in the Northern Bogs being considered as a possible suspect in a magical attack on Nero probably does it some good.

- As far as Trajan Lawyers can work out Jason defence of his character against being a suspect for the magical attack on Nero is "It can not be me as if it was one of my curses Nero would have been attacked by a large Eagle rather than a bolt of lightning".........a) No Roman Court is going to believe a Barbarian saying it was not him and b) Is it reasonable to expect a Roman Senator to understand differences bwtween magical attack's/curses used by different types of Barbarian? esp since Romans only accept two types of Barbarian - those on horses and the hairy ones painted blue.

Following recent lightning strike Ovid, Marcus and Guius better known as the OMG bookmakers are considering making some political issue books to run beside their odds on Gladiators and Chariots including:-

1) a) Evans on the Emperor being summoned to join Jupiter and the other Gods by a very urgent messenger (who looks like a lightning bolt to mere mortals)

b) 2/1 Emperor badly burnt so nothing at all gets done to general frustration.

c) 1/2 on......Its a big joke by the Chaos Gods of Mount Agema to flush out want to be Emperors and Nero will jump up only a little shocked and quite a lot madder. Claiming to be imortal and invincible.


2) If Emperor has joined the Gods:

a) 2/1 we fully restore the Republic with free and fair elections. With a bunch of writers and philosophers (mostly from Iberia) responding to the loss of Nero by going DONT PANIC, DONT PANIC and pulling out dusty old tomes and law books concerning the death of Magistrates in office.

b) Evens the Eastern Legions demand that we DO PANIC about revolting Asian provinces, barbarians raids and full blown war with Parthia and demand a new Dictator for Life (Emperor) to deal with crisis.

c) 1/2 on a bunch of powerful and influential Army Commanders form a 3rd Triumvirate to fix results of Elections because they a) Do not trust the voters (AKA The Mob) or dodgy Iberian Philosophers and b) They believe they do not believe that the East is the only crisis or budding crisis in town so some division of authority between Consuls may help with things like sorting out the bogged down invasion of Britannia, getting 24,000 captive Romans back from the Germans our liberation of gold mines from the Dacians while the other Consul leads Roman forces to victory in the East.