And so it came to be that in the Month of April, 2010, a new Emperor was elected by the people and the Senate of Rome. After having brilliantly administered his provinces, and with his glorious military success in Egypt, Claudius Antonius doned the Imperial Purple.
Claudius's Triumph as depicted in the Colonna Claudia
The other pretenders's fate was unequal. Lucius was too powerfull to be easily dissmissed. The Empire was sick of wars and bloodshed. True to the belief that one should keep his ennemies close, Claudius made him Tribune and he remained in Rome.
Brutus and Tamaris dressing the Emperor for his triumph.
Brutus and Tamaris became the personal slaves of Claudius. Here is must be said that the hand of Claudius was forced by the Roman plebeians. Were it not for Lucius supporters in the Forum, Tamaris would have taken Lucius's seat in the Senate. (Tamaris lost 10 victory point because of the amount of Civil Disorder she had, going from the second to the fourth seat).
Crassus was sent to the Galleys and his fate afterwards is not know. Some scholars pretend he managed to smuggle his siginal ring and some riches with him, all the way the Coromandel Coast, starting a new life away from Rome, as a textile trader.
Evidence from ancient wall paintings suggesting Crassus's final destiny.
The fate of Titus is decided...
The fate of Titus however is not shrouded in mistery. He was thrown to the lions and tigers on the very same day Claudius became emperor...
This gruesome fresco depicts Titus being eaten alive by a lion. Surprisingly, eyewitness chronicles mention that he was laughing all the time, even after the beasts had tore open his chest.
So this is it: we really had a blast. It is worth mentioning that Crassus prepared a meal, based on ancient roman recipes that was simply astonishing. Alas, we took no picture of the orgy... He prepared numidian chicken, lentil salad, and many other delicacies with honey whose name I can't remember. Thanks a ton! And thanks Velou, the painter who managed to get all the little soldiers ready in time. And of course, thanks to the players. It was a most memorable game and a great birthday party. Plus they let me win! Ain't that nice?
Mesopotamia, Claudius controls the city and the province. And Lucius managed to wrestle the second place out of Crassus's hands
Galatia, Tamaris controls the coast. Crassus's supporters are forced to hide in the mountains.
Asia. Tamaris is the Queen of the Pontus. The Aegan sea is secured by Claudius's fleets.
In Achaia, Brutus and his allies are tied with Crassus. But Brutus's popularity ensures he wins the prize...
Lucius in his retreat in Syracusa, where he reigns supreme.
Neapolis. Lucius is not there in person, but his legions convey the message...
Narbonensis. Tamaris's lost seat of power. It is now in the hands of Brutus, howing to his popularity.
Hispania. This is Claudius's craddle. Tamaris, escaped from Massilia, is treated as a guest of honor. She will not be allowed to come back to Rome though.
(oh oh, forgot a picture of Italy... Anyhow, Titus had 11 influence, Brutus, 7 and Tamaris 2)
In Rome, the plebeians shouting in the forum force Tamaris to loose 10 VP and Titus 5.
Aea Jacta Erat!
And the winner is...
...
By the way, if you were wondering, this was called the War of the Cities, for a simple reason. In all our games, we have never build so may cities: in Hispania, Narbonensis, Rome, Napoli, Sicilia and Mesopotamia...
This was the fourth year of the civil war. It would be the last, for there is a limit to the amount of bloodshed the empire could sustain without falling down. Everybody was aware of that, and the pretenders to the throne made their plans for the final push towards victory.
An alliance between Crassus, Lucius and Titus ensured Claudius would not have the initiative. Instead, Crassus obtained the favour of Jupiter's priest (who were by then dressed in golden silk and drank expensive wines in gold cups!).
The last year's triumvirats: Crassus, Tamaris and Claudius pitched against Titus, Brutus and Lucius.
Claiming revenge, Crassus sent his assassins to hunt down Claudius' general in Mesopotamia. This could have been crippling had it happened one year before. But by then, Claudius himself was in Asia, with his fleets to protect the Pontus.
A failed attempt to harm Claudius on his way to the Imperial Throne.
Crassus's second mistake was to personnaly set his foot in Numidia. He wanted to threaten Claudius's position there, which he did. But it also openend his flank for a glaring attack by Brutus who had never given the hopes of controlling Greece.In a bold and swift maneuver, Brutus signed an alliance with the greek cities, aggravated by Crassus's debauch. He moved enough of his legions from Rome and managed to gain the upper hand. While Crassus supporters were still many, Brutus popularity ensured he gained control of the province.
Brutus's legions drive Crassus out of Greece.
This was possible because Brutus and Titus, after having struggled for the control of Rome, massing troops and influence there, finally reached an agreement. And as Brutus sent his troops east, Titus started looking to the other side of the rubicon.
Power hungry Titus and BloodThristy Brutus struggle for Rome.
Tamaris had managed to secure and develop the province of Narbonensis. With a city and all the influence she could gather, she had a stong position at the door of Rome.
The City of Massilia and the heart of Tamaris's Empire.
She had her eyes set on Egypt, and stroke a deal with Claudius. While finishing securing her position in Galatia, she also mustered troops, ready to descend over to the Nile valley and its riches. Sensing her attention was elsewhere, Titus moved and threateded Massilia.
Claudius signed again the alliance with the pirates, and his fleet then sailed forth to Egypt, sinking Lucius's galleys off the port of Alexandria.
The purple galleys and their pirate allies swoop down on their prey
Worried about the developments in Egypt, Lucius sent there a newly recruited general.
Claudius's second move was to muster troops in Asia. He bled the countryside dry, demanding all firstborns to join his legions. He then sent small vexillia to impede the movement of his ennemis. He sent them to Gallia Cisalpina to protect the mountain passes of the Pyrenaeus, to Thracia, blocking the land route to Asia, and to the Columns of Hercules, isolating Numidia from Hispania. And in the same sweeping movement, he lead personnaly his troops across the Middle East, towards the land of the Pharaohs.
Lucius's general had Alba Carta to strenghten the garrison. He emptied the Lucius's treasury and put all his will to build the mightier fleet the seas had seen so far. But it was too late. Tamaris, forsaking Narbonenis, sent her asian army down south.
The final battle for Egypt. Tamaris (green) and Claudius (purple) allied against Lucius.
Tamaris ran point. Her trained legions, with full support from Claudius, engaged the frontline of Lucius's battleline, while the galleys fought over the shores of Egypt. After two days of sweat and blood, of murder and mayhem, alea was jactaed: Lucius's general fled through the Sinai, while his fleets retreated away from the coastline.
The aftermath of the battle.
But Lucius had still a mighty army in Neapolis and his fleet was unscanthed. Claudius and Tamaris had to take action before the message of the disaster reached Lucius' hears in Syracusa. Claudius steppen in, and using the powerfull rethorics Cicero had taught him (as well as some gold from the mines of Hispania), he totally overturned Lucius's clients and won Egypt to his cause.
Claudius speaks to his legions and converts Lucius allies to his cause.
Meanwhile, Titus and Brutus defeated the garrison in Massilia, wrestling the control of the province out of Tamaris's hand. Tamaris herself had to flee from the city, disguised as a merchant, and found refuge in Hispania among the purple garrison.
The war was over. Lucius expelled the last supporters of Claudius from Syracusa, and gained a foothold in Mesopotamia while Crassus took control of Numidia. The final act would be played in Rome in the Senate. Titus obtained once again a triumph in his name. And after Tamaris had used her influence to win over her side the lasts senators of Crassus, Claudius passed a senatorial vote to give her some influence in Rome. Then came the winter and the time to elect the new emperor.
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.
After the death of the Emperor, the six power hungry tribunes mustered their legions, and demanded allegiance from their clients.
Lucius had supporters in Egypt and Greece, but his base was Sicily. Crassus had clients in Neapolis, Greece, Asia and Egypt. Brutus could count on his allies in Neapolis, Greece, Galatia and Egypt. Titus had never wandered far from Rome, and his clients where in Narbonensis, Neapolis, Sicilia and Numidia. Tamaris was strong in Narbonensis, and had allies in Mesopotamia and Egypt. Finally, Claudius was alone in Hispania, was strong in Mesopotamia (on his mother's side) and had some leverage in Sicily.
The first year of conflict was perhaps the bloodiest. Everywhere, small skirmishes escalated in full scale wars, as each contendent tried to evict the others from what they claimed their territory. In Asia and Galatia, Crassus's legions persecuted their master's ennemies, and wiped them out. While Tamaris was busy quelling a rebellion in Armenia, Claudius Antonius converted her allies to his cause without a single drop of blood. In Egypt, nobody could gain the upper hand, Tamaris and Lucius starting a confrontation that would last four years. In Hispania, Claudius Antonius started the construction of Valentia Nova, and with economic support from Lucius, also founded a colony in Sicily. It was agreed that later on Lucius would take the control of this city. This was done, after a token resistance by Claudius legions, that managed however to drag in the conflict some of the men of Titus. In exchange, Claudius accepted to remain out of Italy for one year. In Greece, Crassus and Brutus waged war for the control of Athens, and Crassus had the upper had, for now. But the most critical movement was made by Titus. Learning before anybody of the demise of the Emperor, he move switly, and sent his legions to Rome, seizing the control of the Senate, building the harbour of Ostia and gaining control over the lucrative military contracts. With this, he had the strongest claim to the throne. Brutus also moved in, challenging him, but the control of the Senate remained in the hands of Titus. Meanwhile, Tamaris had secured her control over Narbonenis.
The second year started with furious bidding to know who would play first. Titus and Claudius escalated, and in the end, Titus bribed the priests of Jupiter the fabulous amount of 25 talents to ensure he would be first.
Lucius contemplates the high cost of the Jupiter's priests...
Rome and the much coveted allies of the old emperor (in pale yellow).
He moved swiftly again, eager to secure his hand around the throat of the senate. He sucked dry the merchants of Rome with new taxes, and bought for 40 Talents all the allies that the old emperor had left in Rome. With this, his claim on the immortal city was supreme. His control of the port of Ostia and the merchants of Rome made him so powerfull that the other, and specifically Crassus, Claudius and Brutus, agreed to join forces to bring him down.
Crassus instigated a slave revolt, but the walls of Ostia and the steel of the red legions defeated this threat easily. Brutus moved then, passing an alliance with the legions of the Senate and assaulting Titus's legions before he could call in reinforcements. The battle was bloody and no quarter was given. When the dust settled, the blue standard was raised on the walls of Ostia and Titus had to flee to neighbouring Narbonenis.
Brutus started then converting Titus's former allies to his cause, but he lacked the financial ressources to break the faboulous sway his opponent had gained over the city and the control of the Senate remained in Titus hand. Titus called a senate vote to recover his power base, but all the tribunes allied and Brutus was given the right to muster 6 more legions.
Crassus and Brutus strike a deal: Athens and its wineyards for Crassus, Rome and its senators for Brutus.
The balance of power had totally changed in a momentuous battle, and the true nature of Brutus was finally revealed. He engaged in a blood bath, killing the follower of Titus, ambushing the small contingent protecting his ennemy as they where making their way back to the capital. This series of military drawback were turning the plebeians against Titus. Rome does not have love for the looser. Sensing the danger, the other tribunes started distancing themselves from Brutus, and his troops were chased from elsewhere in the provinces.
The true nature of Brutus is revealed.
In Egypt, Lucius had managed to overpower Tamaris, through ruse and guile rather than force. With that, the construction of a colony on the slopes of the Vesuvio directed by the tribun in persone, and the control of the city in Sicily, he had established a solid economic basis to carry on the war. Likewise, Claudius, bound by his word to remain out of Rome, secured his positions in Hispania, Mesopotamia and Numidia, while Tamaris started challenging Crassus in Asia and Galatia, slowly but surely eroding his control over Asia Minor.
Claudius Antonius ponders his next move
Claudius then seized an opportunity and sent an ambush party to kill Lucius's general in Egypt, a man that had insulted one of his family members at a party in Alexandria. This unexpected blow caught Lucius unawares and switched his momentum to Neapolis and Sicily, where the tribune alone could now muster new troops. This was the begining of a long term strategy to seize control over Egypt, as the unfolding events would show.
Lucius learns of the untimely death of his trusted general.
The 24th April of the year 2010, after the demise of the emperor Quintillius, 6 tribunii launched a war that would once again tear apart the Roman world. Blood, fire and fury ensued and in the end, one of them became the glorius Imperator Romanus. This is the chronicle of that war...
The six candidates came all from old roman families.
Lucius was the first one. He was learned in the Greek traditions and had a noble appearance. The people of Rome liked him, but he was ruthless and evil.
Crassus was the second one. He composed music and poems, and was famous for the orgies he organised. But he was a slave to his apetites, and evil too.
Brutus was the third one, and led the blue armies. For a while, he managed to hide his black and evil heart behind a complascent smile. But as the war unfolded, his true nature became obvious for everybody...
The younger one was Titus. He was young, handsome, brash. But the demons of ambition were eating his entrails, and he was bad to the bone. He led the red armies. Blood red...
Tamaris was not one to lead the armies from the front. But she has been trained by her family to become a statewoman. She led the green faction with an iron hand in steel glove. And she was every bit as evil and scheming as her ennemies.
And the last one of them was Claudius Antonius of the Julii (seen here addressing the Forum). His family had settled in Hispania, in the colony of Valentium. From there, his elders had groomed him all the way through the cursus honorum, teaching him, above all, the Roman Virtus. He was a pupil of Cicero, and with him, asserted that virtus was a virtue particularly suited to the new man just as nobilitas was suited to the noble. He argued that virtus and not one’s family history should decide a man’s worthiness. Virtus is something that a man earns himself, not something that is given to him by his family, thus it is a better measure of a man’s ability. Through his early life, he embodied the concepts of valor, manliness, excellence, courage, character, and worth, and had only contempt for lies, double talk and treason. He was the epitome of the Roman Novus Homo.
Ok, we tried them yesterday night, and that was a big hit.
This, is (with poor latin, as befits the game), a small session report. There were four players fighting for the imperial toga. Quitillius, Domitius, Claudius (that would be me) and Lucius. Quitillius and Domitius were young tribunii laticlavii, having just completed their cursus honorum. Lucius and Claudius on the other hand were seasoned veterans, both tribunii angusticlavii with many campaigns with the former emperor under their belts. The four of them were, however, seized by a powerlust that would plunge the Empire in four years of terrible bloodshed.
Lucius calmly contemplates his options, while it seems obvious that Domitius has a cunning plan
Quintillius clients were strong in Hispania and Achaia. Domitius was a former Parthian prince, and his influence could be felt all over the Pontus Euxinus, down to Mesopotamia. Lucius was born from a greek family and had studied in Athens. He had also connexions with the Ptolemeians in Egypt. Claudius had been the only one close to the late Emperor, and was strong in Narbonensis and Sicilia.
As soon as the late emperor died, the four adversaries proceeded to anhilitate the client families of their rivals in their provinces of origin. A succesion of small skirmishes, and political assassinations ensued. Only Quintillus engaged in more constructive activities, starting a colony of the coast of Hispania, with financial support from Claudius. Claudius reinforced his naval superiority off the coast of Egypt, while Domitius claimed total control of the Pont Euxin. After one year of conflict, only Quintillius had dared cross the rubicon, and was timidly holding Italy. He had also managed to convince the senate to vote the mustering of 6 new legions to be put under his command. When the legions retired to their winter quarters, Quintillius and Claudius were slightly ahead of Domitius and Lucius.
However, the Roman plebeians started putting pressure on the senators. The constant infighting, the taxes and the mustering of new legions were sources of discontent. As a result, the senators were less willing to associate themselves with Quintillius faction.
The second year saw much action on the seas and on the benches of the Senate. To begin, many old Roman families finally decided to shed their allegiances to the old emperor. There was a lot of influence to be gained in the immortal city for a daring tribune. Quintillus was ideally placed, but lacked the ressources. Claudius accepted to finance, against a promise of support in the next senatorial election. Claudius also consolidated his sway over Sicily and Napolis, and even gained acess to Rome, happy to remain under the shade of Quintillius rising star. Off the coast of Alexandria, Lucius allied with the pirates managed to cripple Claudius's fleet, leaving only one galley unscanthed. But that galley was enough to block the channel of the Pont Euxin, preventing Domitius from entering in the fray of the battle for Rome. Lucius proceeded to expel Claudius from Egypt, but Domitius was able to snatch the victory from him, claiming the second place in Egypt. A three year long contest for the dominance of Egypte had just begun.
A turning point was reached when Claudio called for a triumph to be held in his honor. Lucius and Domitius objected on the ground that Claudius had just been kicked out of Egypt. In the end, it would be Quintillius decision. And the young and ambitious tribune showed his real mettle, betraying his elder allied and financer. From then, the co-habitation in Rome of Claudius and Quintillius became tense, each contendent reinforcing his position without daring launching a frontal attack. At the end of the year, most of the players decided to reduce their levels of civil unrest by neglecting their military ventures and focusing on their magistratures. The plebeians where being listened to, at last.
On the eve of the third year of conflict, Claudius was ahead of Quintillius, while Lucius and Domitius were struggling to keep the pace. But Lucius had placed his fleets poised to strike at the heart of Claudius's zone of influence. Opeing once more the purse, Claudius managed to broke a deal with Lucius, nullifying this menace and ensuring once more that Domitius would remain out of Europe. Lucius turned instead to Egypt, were Domitius had just built a new colony, and managed to expel him form the province, seizing control of the colony and of the province. Quintillius started to behave incontrollably, the young tribune throwing fits and having bouts of dellusion. He kept constantly a guard of praetorians besides him, in fear of assassination attempts, and would never agree to hear the messengers sent by Claudius, instead sending ludicrous appeals for alliances and begging for funds to Domitius and Lucius. He requested a vote from the senate for additional taxes, but that was thwarted by the senators allied to Domitius and Lucius. Despite this, he launched again a series of public works, and after a flood of the Tiber that destroyed half of Suburre, he ordred the construction of a new forum in Rome. That would give him the control of a second colony and ensure a safe, if late financial base. The plebeians approved of this, his level of unrest steadily reducing. Quintillus sway over Rome was increasing by the day. An attempt by Claudius to snatch the influence through a vote of the senate was once again rebuted through the conjunction of Quintillius control over the Senate and succesfull corruption attempts.
Despite these setbacks, Claudius' position was still the strongest, considering how he controlled all the provinces in the vicinity of Rome, with the exclusion of Achaia and Hispania. That is why, when the barbarians uprisings in Meosia and Panonia were left unchecked, the populus of Rome held him responsible, thereby increasing his unpopularity.
The fourth year saw once more an alliance of Lucius and Claudius brokered thourgh Claudius' gold. Every player tried to consolidate his position. Domitius regained a foothold in Egpyt, took over Numidia and even managed to gain some influence in Narbonensis and Sicily, the Pont Euxin no longer controlled by ennemy fleets. Lucius landed his legions in Galatia and wrestled its control out of Domitius' hands. Quintillius, his dellusions of persecution worsening, kept reinforcing his troops in Rome, while Claudius, finally managing to get the Senate to work for him, organised a series of games that went down in History as the first games ever organized in CoTEII this side of the Ganges. This dramatically improved his image with the plebeians. Quintilius managed to embark in a fast campaign over Hadrien's Wall. This, and his uncontested mastery of the Senate that enabled him to obtain another triumph in his honor, let him reduce the distance Claudius had managed to put between them.
In the last season, Claudius launched a desperate assault over the walls of the new colony in Rome, counting on the experience of his legions and on an alliance with the Senate. But however unprepared and poorely led, Quintillius's legions proved too many, and Claudius had to retire to Napolis. That was the closing chapter of the War of the four Emperors. Alea Jacta Erat.
In the end, thanks to his control over two colonies, the level of civil unrest of Quintillus was lower than that of Claudius, despite the seasoned magistrate attempts to ingratiate himself with Rome's populus. This reduced Claudius status, making it equal with that of Quintillius. And lo and behold, it was then the plebeians, the ungrateful @#§$**!, that came down the via sacra, flooded the forum and entered the senate, scanding Quintillus's name, that finally carried the decision. Quintillius was offered the imperial purple, as the first populist emperor!
The popular albeit treacherous, dellusional and selfcontemptuous emperor Quintillius in majesty:
Victory escaping from the grap of Claudius. An allegory.
This rare apocrypha is attributed to Suetonius. The manuscript has been fund in a closed jar of Herculanum, together with rare paintings depicting the major events of this obscure and ill documented period of Roman Imperial History call the War of the Fours. It is generally held that history is written by the victors. However, scholars have pointed out that elements in Suetonius's account may be partial and thus could have been written while in service with an unidentified patrician. Wild hypothesis circulate about how Claudius may have engaged in historiography to compensate for his defeat. This debate of specialist does not belong here, and more information may be found by those interested here:
