The War of the Cities (Part II)

After two years of bloody conflict, it was impossible to say who would be the next emperor. All six pretenders where closely packed, Claudius and Lucius having maybe a little more support than the others, and Titus lagging behind, but not far. The plebeians on the other had knew very well how they wanted. Titus, Crassus and Claudius were not popular, because of the taxes they were raising and the military downfalls they had had. Claudius however managed to placate the plebeians thanks to his control over the colonies in Hispania and Mesopotamia, whereas Titus and Crassus had to throw expensive games to regain the favors of the roman populus.

With the money flowing off the cities of Valentia Nova and Babylon, Claudius managed to gain the initiative this time. And he launched a second ambush against Crassus's general that was based in Numidia and threatened to enter the fray in Egypt.


Crassus joins Lucius in his mourning...

Brutus and Titus, unable to get to an agreement, were raising armies and gathering allies and influence in Rome. Titus managed to force the Senate to vote a Triumph in his name, recovering the ground he had lost in the struggle for the Imperial throne. Brutus secured the control of the wheat market in Rome, paving the way of his legions with gold.

The weapon trade controlled by Titus and the wheat merchants controlled by Brutus. Riches and opulence for the seasons to come...

Crassus tried to ingratiate himself with Claudius, proposing to share the power in Asia, Galatia and Mesopotamia. His galleys had been controlling the straits of Messina and the Pontus for the first two years. Secure in Asia, he moved his tribune to Greece to fight Brutus. Claudius seized the occasion, and after striking a deal with the pirates, sent his galley to the Pontus and sank the black fleet. Crassus was shut from Asia, and he would never come back.

Lucius in the meantime seized control of the southern tip of Italy. With the cities of Napolis and Syracuse, he had also a strong economic base. He was trying to get his options open, either to pounce on Rome should Brutus or Titus show signs of weakness, or secure his hold on Egypt, that Tamaris was increasingly threatening.

With the Pontus secured by the purple galleys, Tamaris proceeded to invade Galatia. But before that, she personnally quelled a rebellion in Germany, while Claudius took his legions to Britania, in search of Glory.

Crassus oblivious to the danger menacing his possessions on the Pontus region invested in Greece, controlling the wineyards and the wine merchants. The wine is the blood of the empire, and he was decided to turn it into a gold river.

In late autumn, again surprising everybody, Claudius Antonius made good of his fleets in the Pontus to land directly in Asia from Britannia, with four legions of veterans at his command. With that, he used his influence to turn over the last allies of Crassus. Asia was now controlled by Tamaris and Claudius


Fresh from their victory in Britannia, Claudius's legions disembark in Asia and get rid of Crassus's influence.