Interest Check: Rome RP universe

[Sanis Prent]

For a few weeks, s'Ilancy and I have been brainstorming over the possibility of creating a new RP universe here that takes place in ancient Rome. We're wanting to see if this is something that people would like to take part in, as we think that there's plenty of stuff for just about every kind of RPer in this kind of situation.

Here's the early premise:

The RP universe would differ from the actual history of Rome in one important and critical way:

The Ides of March assassination of Julius Caesar never takes place.

Now, fast forward this to a time period of approximately AD 60. In this alternate universe, the lineage of Caesar continues unbroken by an Octavian / Antony civil war. Caesar sires an heir through Cleopatra, which is used to ensure the (temporary) independence of Egypt. Imperial Rome continues to grow, and by the time the RP universe begins, there would have already been a few Caesars to pass down Julius's line.

Where does that leave us? We now have the ability to RP in the time of Rome, but do such in a way that all characters can be original. From the get-go, the only things that are constant are cultural references, and history pre-dating Caesar. The Empire would have plenty of territory, but also plenty to still conquer.

Any interest? Thoughts on the matter?

[Nathanial K'cansce]

I'd love to take part in this, as it would satisfy my current ancient Rome kick very nicely.

[Sanis Prent]

Anything in particular you're angling for, or interested in?

I know right off the top I'd probably want to make a Senator, a slave, and possibly a Centurion.

[Pierce Tondry]

I've been tossing about the notion of returning to RP, but science fiction and fantasy don't interest me as much as they used to. The notion of a historical fiction roleplay setting, however, is intriguing. I think I'd like to take part but I have no grand plans as of yet.

[Titus Aelius Malleolus]

(Charley here, in Roman disguise)

The beauty of this is that we really should be free to RP as we please, since from the time we start, we will be re-inventing history. There's nothing that we necessarily have to follow post-Caesar, so that will be easy.

The big deal will be gathering source information such as maps, mythological stuff, customs, and cultural references. I've already got a really good series of maps we can use to get started with. We can then make our own map tailor-suited for our needs:

http://intranet.dalton.org/groups/rome/RMap.html

This map, in particular, is an excellent resource. Though it is based in AD 120, we can realistically scale back the boundaries to our time period, as well as recognize the barbarian tribes that still need to be conquered. The provinces are clickable and link to VERY detailed historical pages on the culture, peoples, etc of each area. A treasure trove of info.

[Hera]

I think this is an interesting idea. Ive always liked ancient times.
The big question with any rping is always time vs want

One worry I have, though, is I dont want us to loose our Starwarsiness here. That probably would never happen - it hasnt with the WoD forums. But its just one aspect I wanted to mention.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

Anything in particular you're angling for, or interested in?

I know right off the top I'd probably want to make a Senator, a slave, and possibly a Centurion.

I know I'd love to be a senator, and possibly a centurion or a slave. Or some form of trade artisan (smithy, farmer, hell, a peasent would be fun too!)

[Katarina Gordislava]

It is to be noted that the Rome RPing 'verse would be taking place in the General RPing forum, we won't be adding a new forum for it.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I'm all for more scenarios in the General RPing forum :D I don't really know much about Roman history, but the whole mythology side - with the Gods and all - really interests me... so I'd probably get involved somewhere down the line.

[Kelly Perris]

Sweetness.

I really like this idea. Ancient rome is supremely awesome. I might consider getting in on it.

[Titus Aelius Malleolus]

I think this is an interesting idea. Ive always liked ancient times.
The big question with any rping is always time vs want

One worry I have, though, is I dont want us to loose our Starwarsiness here. That probably would never happen - it hasnt with the WoD forums. But its just one aspect I wanted to mention.

I don't think any of us are gonna be hanging up our Star Wars hats any time soon :)


I know I'd love to be a senator, and possibly a centurion or a slave. Or some form of trade artisan (smithy, farmer, hell, a peasent would be fun too!)

Yes, a tradesman would be a good calling. Even somebody who peddles wares across the empire, etc.


It is to be noted that the Rome RPing 'verse would be taking place in the General RPing forum, we won't be adding a new forum for it.

Thats cool.


I'm all for more scenarios in the General RPing forum :D I don't really know much about Roman history, but the whole mythology side - with the Gods and all - really interests me... so I'd probably get involved somewhere down the line.

The history of this period makes it easy to get into, since this is the time period most people can understand. Let me give you a run down:

This is the transition period of the early Roman empire. There was a Roman Republic that existed from about 400 BC until maybe 40ish BC. In a civil war, Julius Caesar defeated Pompey Magnus, both of which were co-ruling Consuls, which were the heads of the Senate. From there, he initially strong-armed the senate into declaring him dictator for ten years, and then for life. In the birth of the Empire, Rome is vast. It stretches from Gaul (France) to Judea (Israel), and occupies the fringes of Germania (Germany), Dacia (Romania), Thracia (Bulgaria), the northern part of Africa, and the whole of the Iberian peninsula.

During this time, the Senate's ruling demographic expanded so that it wasn't just the monied patrician families of Rome, but the influential people all across the empire. There's a sense of cosmopolitanism and exchange of ideas happening now.

One thing that is utterly important to understand about Rome is that as enlightened and advanced as the culture is, it is incredibly brutal. It is a state that survives on war, pillage, and slave labor. In fact, Rome's population is made up of perhaps as much as 70% slaves. Slaves are to the Romans as electronic devices are to us. They did everything. They were everywhere. If you're going to play a patrician, you don't even reach to a table to get a glass of wine. You call your slave to get it for you.

The hardest part about this is going to adapt to the culture, because while its very similar to our own, there's some incredibly alien stuff happening.


Sweetness.

I really like this idea. Ancient rome is supremely awesome. I might consider getting in on it.

Hope you do :)

[Tiberius Anar]

I knew taking Classical Civ past the third form would pay-off one day! What a truly splendid idea. I'm in.

[Titus Aelius Malleolus]

The Rome wiki is up. More will be added soon, so check frequently!

Rome Wiki (http://swfans.pbwiki.com/Rome)

[Razielle Alastor]

I'm there. ;) Of course. :)

[Dasquian Belargic]

Egypt here I come :cool

[Terran Starek]

Oooo, sounds fun.

I want to RP a philosopher-teacher type. That'd be cool. :)

[Miranda Tarkin]

I'd be willing to give it a go as I said :)

[Dasquian Belargic]

I'd be willing to give it a go as I said :)

You could carry on your trend of having an Angelina Jolie in every universe :p

http://sw-fans.net/vb3root/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=722&stc=1&d=1157565024

[Miranda Tarkin]

You know me so well ;) :lol

exactly! When Charley mentioned this I went OOOOOOO!!! I got the best pictures for Angie that I could use :D

[Lucius Valerius Lupus]

http://www.yuni.com/library/latin.html
^ Might interest some people.

It's a pretty extensive list of Latin phrases, including how to say handy things like "Life is too short to dance with ugly women."

[G'lyana]

:crack

I'm ready to go too! Subject to change but so far I see this lady as a wife to some high powered somebody :p

[Lucius Valerius Lupus]

I'm thinking my father might be a high-powered somebody, if you'd like a son.

[G'lyana]

That would be cool! And would make hubby happy giving him a son too :p

[Dasquian Belargic]

Just changed Lupus' nomen to Valerius, since they were apparently one of the leading families of Rome :cool:

[Fiona Devlin]

I'm gonna be one of the barbarian people fighting against roman rule. :P

[Dasquian Belargic]

Ha, you know, I said yesterday when we were having a chat about this, "Oh I bet Kitty will play a Celt or a Pict" :D

I can read you all like books! :mneh

[Fiona Devlin]

and yes, you know me very well!!! :lol

[Michele Hawkins]

get outta our heads!!!

[Kelly Perris]

Latine loqui coactus sum....Braccae tuae aperiuntur.

Luke sum ipse patrem te.

Tee hee.

Vah! Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur.....

Anyhow....

So, I'm assuming since Julius Caesar was never assasinated, and the Antony/Octavian battle never happened, the Roman domain is still called the Roman Republic rather than the Roman Empire? Or are we instituting something else as the factor that makes it change to an empire?

[Dasquian Belargic]

According to the SWFans Wiki (http://swfans.pbwiki.com/Rome), it's called the Roman Empire:


Some sixty years later, the bloodline of Julius Caesar continues to rule the Roman Empire as it ascends into its golden age.

[Kelly Perris]

Hm. Fair enough. Maybe I should read that wiki a few more times. Then I wouldn't have to ask questions, if any at all. I hate questions.

[Dasquian Belargic]

BTW Sanis, I took the liberty of starting the Characters page.

http://swfans.pbwiki.com/Rome%20Characters

:)

[Sanis Prent]

I may end up changing my character's nomenclature, so if I do I'll be sure to edit there as well. Many thanks!

As far as Empire / Republic, I think that matter would be settled upon succession from Gaius Julius Caesar to his son. I know that in historical contexts, he had only declared himself dictator for life, but we can assume that he further consolidated his position as time went on.

Of course, insistance upon "Republic" could be a really cool way for Senators and citizens to stick it in Caesar's eye, etc. After all, even Caesar isn't crazy enough to even think about disbanding the Senate, if only to keep the illusion of the Republic in place.

[Titus Aelius Malleolus]

Cohort! Rally on me and lock your shields! The line will hold! Roma Victor!

[Alana]

That's what the Ninth Legion said too. =^;^=

[Wyl Staedtler]

Oooh, shiny. I'll probably join in in a week or two, when things have been resolved at home. :)

[Titus Aelius Malleolus]

Okay, I'll go right out and ask it.

Who's going to step up to the plate and play Caesar?

[Mandy with an I]

Not me. I have an account that I'm not sure what I want to do with it, so...maybe I'll spend my non-busy moments researching for this. :)

Okay, I'm thinking of being a slave...but I'd want to be a semi-pampered one ^_^; lol.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I swore up and down I wasn't going to be involved, but then I went and made an account for this. ^_^; I have such will power!!!

[Kelly Perris]

Okay, I'll go right out and ask it.

Who's going to step up to the plate and play Caesar?


I've been heavily considering playing Caesar, if you really MUST know.

[Vigilante]

I also wrote up my bio, as I have it so far, into the wiki: http://swfans.pbwiki.com/Gaia%20Flavia%20Aquila

I couldn't find out how to name a woman though so I winged it. I don't know which name she's supposed to go by, either ^_^; I want her to go by Gaia.

[Miltiadis Lysimagos]

Strategoi Miltiadis "Kyaigos" Lysimagos (Miltiadis = one of the greatest generals of all time, kyaigos = the hunter, lysimagos = derived from a phrase meaning "let loose battle") at your service to lead a rebellion of the Greek city states against the tyranny of the Roman Empire :)

I will be assembling a small army (1,000 loyal men) from Pontus, traveling to Byzantium, and building a larger force (4,000-10,000 men hopefully).

Sometime after that I'll invade mainland Greece and attempt to throw out the Roman forces there :)

[Titus Aelius Malleolus]

I also wrote up my bio, as I have it so far, into the wiki: http://swfans.pbwiki.com/Gaia%20Flavia%20Aquila

I couldn't find out how to name a woman though so I winged it. I don't know which name she's supposed to go by, either ^_^; I want her to go by Gaia.

Traditionally, I think only your family and close acquaintances would refer to you as Gaia, although we really don't have to keep to the numbers on names. From what I've seen, the cognomen is usually the name of choice when speaking of your person in the public realm. This isn't latin class or anything, so its up to you either way :)


Strategoi Miltiadis "Kyaigos" Lysimagos (Miltiadis = one of the greatest generals of all time, kyaigos = the hunter, lysimagos = derived from a phrase meaning "let loose battle") at your service to lead a rebellion of the Greek city states against the tyranny of the Roman Empire :)

I will be assembling a small army (1,000 loyal men) from Pontus, traveling to Byzantium, and building a larger force (4,000-10,000 men hopefully).

Sometime after that I'll invade mainland Greece and attempt to throw out the Roman forces there :)

Interesting.

While anything is certainly possible in Rome, I'm curious as to what the motive would be for a Greek rebellion? Honestly, Greece is culturally one of the closest peoples to the Romans. Only the latin tribes would be closer. Romans and Greeks are both very Hellenistic cultures, and with the Greeks being incorporated into the Empire early, they've intermingled quite a bit and become very rich (indeed, Byzantium is vastly richer than Rome at the reign of Diocletian many years later)

Have you considered leading the fighters of Thracia? It's right on Greece's northern doorstep, and they've got a very long history of resisting Rome.

[Miltiadis Lysimagos]

While anything is certainly possible in Rome, I'm curious as to what the motive would be for a Greek rebellion? Honestly, Greece is culturally one of the closest peoples to the Romans. Only the latin tribes would be closer. Romans and Greeks are both very Hellenistic cultures, and with the Greeks being incorporated into the Empire early, they've intermingled quite a bit and become very rich (indeed, Byzantium is vastly richer than Rome at the reign of Diocletian many years later)

Have you considered leading the fighters of Thracia? It's right on Greece's northern doorstep, and they've got a very long history of resisting Rome.

In 88 BC King Mithridates the Great of Pontus lead a rebellion against Rome. Greek cities—the majority of Greece save for Rhodes—overthrew their Roman rulers and joined him. They hadn’t been living hard lives under the Romans at that time period, either.

The roman general Lucius Cornelius Sulla used tactics in Greece that weren’t favorable with the people of the time. The siege of Athens and Piraeus served to anger them. Famine swept the city. Eventually Lucius made it through the gates and sacked Athens and murdered a fair share of its populace.

The Roman civil wars were partially fought in Greece. This brought ruin to their states and caused depopulation and the debilitation of the economy and people.

As for Byzantium. They side against Rome and are sacked in 196 AD. I’m just fast forwarding the time table of their decision to overthrow the master.

The Greeks have classically not liked being under anyone’s control. This can be seen in their war of independence (1821-1831) against the Ottomans as well as the stiff resistance put up by freedom fighters in the German invasion of WWII.

Pontus would logically be a great place to start from for three reasons: (1) their affiliation with Mithridates, (2) their embarrassing loss to Caesar under Pharnaces, (3) the failures of the Roman’s to institute a stable government in the area, (4) their connection with the purge of 100,000 Romans in Asia (also under Mithridates).

[Titus Aelius Malleolus]

So would we be able to merge the Thracian campaign and the Greek insurrection in a cause & effect kind of thing, where the Greek cavalry is used to bolster the Legion's siege in Thrace, but the Greeks get a raw deal in the spoils?

[Miltiadis Lysimagos]

Sounds like a good plan to me :)

[Titus Aelius Malleolus]

Trouble in Greece fits very well in the East, actually. I hadn't thought about that, but if you realise that Ptolemeic Egypt is still around and influential, you've got a major player on Greece's doorstep that can peddle influence to the Greeks if they're willing to hear it. Combine that with a shaky Judea, and that's plenty of eastern trouble! There's also Dacia, but that's further away and we may want to keep to a single eastern european campaign in Thrace, for the here and now.

[Publius Cassius Capito]

The Senate convenes :cool

[Gaius Manlius Licinus]

IT HAS BEGUN!!!

The Triumph of Pannonia (http://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?t=15372)

[Marcus Marcius Philippus]

Well this is just too much fun already. This is the first new account that I have had in about 18 months if not more! (This is Anar by the way.)

I opted to plonk my man into a historical family to give me a starting point. I hope that is not objectionable. He's the grandson of a relation of Julius Caesar:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Marcius_Philippus

Obviously things did not happen that way this time around. The relationship was the same and so on and he still wound up being kept out of office but for a different reason. He got involved with a nasecent faction and made rather a fool of himself as well as annoying Caesar. He spent the rest of his life in retirement.

My guy's the eldest surviving son of the son from the first marriage. He is more active than his father who did only what was necessary to do his duty to Rome without upsetting anyone, but his still very cautious. He avoids joining any one faction and tends to do as he is told- anything for a quiet life and to preserve the family name and fortune. Unfortunately his own son is not nearly so cautious and is far more ambitious. Oh dear.

[Byl Laprovik]

I'm gonna start handing out scourgings, decimations, and crucifixions if you jerks don't post :mad

[Miranda Tarkin]

I dont know what I'm doing yet :p

[Fiona Devlin]

I'm gonna start handing out scourgings, decimations, and crucifixions if you jerks don't post :mad

Me either, so hush. Mister Tibodeaux =P

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Me either, so hush. Mister Tibodeaux =P

OOOH BURRRRN!!!!!

[Byl Laprovik]

I've offered to jump back into WoD but I really do need some kind of direction. I haven't a clue how to get back into things.

[Fiona Devlin]

No worries, we can do plotting for it, but not here. ;)

[Nebt Sheni]

^ I upped the Chicago thread so we can plot more with everyone involved (since I cant go into the chat on Meras :()


I will try to post to one of the threads soon. :)

[Tiberius Anar]

I demand to know what happened to Rome!

Well, ok, I don't really demand but I am wondering...

[Byl Laprovik]

Me too :(

Where did everybody go :cry

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I am no longer the slightest bit interested in it, so I stopped waiting on people to post.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I don't know, it just needed too much... knowledge for me to get into it. I felt like I had to be researching everything to make sure that I was being historically accurate.

[Byl Laprovik]

That's fair enough. We probably should've just made a historical fiction alternate universe