ROMA — Discipline and Steel

History & Lore

The Eternal City

Rome is the eternal city, where discipline meets ambition. From a humble settlement on the banks of the Tiber, Rome has grown into the most feared republic in the Mediterranean. Its legions march with perfect discipline, its engineers build roads that connect an empire, and its senators debate the fate of nations. Every road leads to Roma — and soon, every land will bear its eagle standard.

The Roman Republic is not built on the genius of one man, but on the system itself. Where other civilizations rise and fall with their kings, Rome endures through its institutions — the Senate, the Legions, the Law. Roman soldiers are not mercenaries fighting for gold, nor tribal warriors fighting for honor. They are citizens fighting for Rome, and Rome fights for them. This mutual bond creates the most disciplined, most resilient fighting force the ancient world has ever seen.

Your legions are unmatched in siege warfare. Where others batter walls for months, Roman engineering reduces fortresses in weeks. The tortoise formation, the siege tower, the battering ram — these are not just weapons, they are expressions of Roman superiority. Build roads to move your armies faster. Build walls to hold what you conquer. Build an empire that will echo through eternity.

Historical Context · 264 BC

The First Punic War is about to begin. Rome controls most of the Italian peninsula and looks south toward Sicily — and the wealthy Carthaginian territories beyond. The Republic is at the cusp of becoming a Mediterranean superpower.

Empire Resources

Civilization Overview

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2,500

Starting Gold

🌾

1,000

Starting Food

🔬

Research Points

🎖 Civilization Bonus

Siege Master: Siege Duration -30%

Rome's engineers are the finest in the ancient world. Where other civilizations spend months battering at city walls, your legions reduce fortresses to rubble in weeks. This bonus applies to all siege actions — conquest, assault, and blockade. Combined with Siege Engines technology, Roma can conquer a fortified city faster than any other civilization. Time is the most precious resource in war, and Rome wastes none of it.

🔬 Unique Technology

Legion System: Siege Duration -20%, Defense +15%

Unlocked in the Classical Era. The Legion System represents the reorganization of Rome's military from a citizen militia into a professional fighting force. Your siege bonus stacks with your civilization bonus for an unmatched -50% siege duration. Additionally, +15% defense makes your conquered regions harder to take back. Once Roman, always Roman.

Military Forces

Unique Units

Three tiers of Roman military might — from nimble skirmishers to the legendary legionary infantry.

Light Infantry

⚔

Velites

⚔ 4

🛡 3

💨 7

"Young Roman citizens eager to prove their worth. Armed with javelins and small shields, the Velites screen the legion's advance, harass enemy formations, and withdraw before the heavy infantry arrives. Every Princeps was once a Velite — it is the crucible of Roman military service."

Medium Infantry

🛡

Hastati

⚔ 7

🛡 8

💨 5

"The front line of the Roman legion. Armed with the pilum javelin and the gladius short sword, the Hastati are versatile warriors who can throw, charge, and hold the line. Their iconic scutum shield and disciplined formations make them the standard by which all medium infantry is measured."

Heavy Infantry

🗡

Principes

⚔ 10

🛡 9

💨 3

"The elite veterans of the Roman legion. Experienced soldiers in the prime of their lives, armed with the finest equipment the Republic can provide. The Principes are the hammer blow — when the Hastati falter, the Principes step forward, and battles become routs. The highest combined ATK+DEF among all heavy units."

Historical Rulers

Leaders & Emperors

Ten historical leaders across ten eras, each with unique traits that shape your empire's destiny.

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Scipio Africanus

Hero of Zama · Era I (264–240 BC)

🎖 Siege -30%, Prestige +3/year

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The legendary commander who defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama, ending the Second Punic War and establishing Rome as the dominant Mediterranean power. His brilliant tactical mind and bold strategies — including the unprecedented invasion of Carthaginian Africa — earned him the title "Africanus." A general who proved that audacity, combined with Roman discipline, is unstoppable.

🦅

Cato the Elder

The Censor · Era II (240–215 BC)

🎖 Stability +4/season, Economy +15%, Diplo -10%

▾

The unyielding voice of Roman conservatism. Cato the Elder ended every Senate speech — regardless of topic — with "Carthago delenda est" (Carthage must be destroyed). His economic reforms stabilized Rome's finances and his censorship rooted out corruption. A man of iron principles in an age of compromise.

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Scipio Aemilianus

Destroyer of Carthage · Era III (215–195 BC)

🎖 Siege duration -40%, Enemy region loyalty -15%

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The adopted grandson of Scipio Africanus who finished what his grandfather started. Scipio Aemilianus besieged and utterly destroyed Carthage in 146 BC — burning the city, salting the earth, and selling its population into slavery. He then turned east and destroyed Numantia. The most devastating siege commander in Roman history.

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Gaius Marius

The People's General · Era IV (195–170 BC)

🎖 Army cost -30%, Military XP +25%, Noble loyalty -15%

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The man who reformed the Roman army and saved it from itself. Marius opened military service to the landless poor, creating a professional standing army loyal to its commander rather than the Senate. His reforms created the legions that would conquer the world — and the precedent for military strongmen that would eventually destroy the Republic.

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Sulla

The Dictator · Era V (170–150 BC)

🎖 Stability -5/s, Attack +20%, All admin +8

▾

Lucius Cornelius Sulla marched on Rome — twice. The first man to use the legions against the Republic itself, Sulla became dictator and rewrote Rome's constitution. His proscription lists condemned thousands. He proved that Roman power could be turned inward, a lesson Julius Caesar would learn well.

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Pompey Magnus PREMIUM

The Great · Era VI (150–130 BC)

🎖 Conquest speed +25%, Sea control +20%, Prestige +3

▾

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus — Pompey the Great — cleared the Mediterranean of pirates in forty days, conquered the East from Syria to Jerusalem, and was hailed as Alexander's equal. His triumphs were the grandest Rome had ever seen. But greatness attracts jealousy, and Pompey's rivalry with Caesar would tear the Republic apart.

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Julius Caesar PREMIUM

The Rubicon Crossing · Era VII (130–110 BC)

🎖 CB penalty zero, Conquest XP ×2, Prestige +5

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Conqueror of Gaul, dictator of Rome, and one of history's most influential figures. Caesar crossed the Rubicon and changed the course of civilization forever. His military genius is unquestioned — Alesia, Pharsalus, Zela. His political vision transformed the Republic into an empire. And his assassination on the Ides of March ensured his legend would never die.

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Mark Antony

The Soldier · Era VIII (110–85 BC)

🎖 Military +20%, Alliance loyalty +20%, Admin -10%

▾

Caesar's most loyal general and the man who avenged his assassination. Mark Antony was a brilliant soldier and a charismatic leader — but a poor politician. His alliance with Cleopatra was both his greatest love and his downfall. At Actium, he chose love over empire, and the ancient world changed forever.

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Augustus PREMIUM

The First Emperor · Era IX (85–60 BC)

🎖 All income +20%, Stability +5/s, Build cost -20%

▾

Born Octavian, he became Augustus — the first Roman Emperor. Where Caesar conquered with the sword, Augustus conquered with the pen. He transformed the Republic into an Empire so skillfully that Romans barely noticed. The Pax Romana — two centuries of peace and prosperity — was his greatest achievement. He found Rome a city of brick and left it a city of marble.

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Tiberius

The Reluctant Emperor · Era X (60–40 BC)

🎖 Defense +25%, Admin +6, Prestige -3/year, Diplo -15%

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Augustus' stepson and reluctant successor. Tiberius was a superb military commander — his Germanic campaigns were masterly — but he hated politics and trusted no one. He retreated to Capri and governed through letters, leaving Rome to its own devices. A capable ruler who never wanted the throne, proving that power given to the unwilling can still be wielded effectively.

Master the Empire

Strategy Guide

How to play Roma — the siege master's civilization.

⚔ Playstyle

Roma is the aggressive conqueror. Your siege bonus (-30%) combined with the Legion System tech (-20%) gives you an unprecedented -50% siege duration. You take cities faster than anyone, hold them stronger with +15% defense, and expand relentlessly. Roma does not negotiate — Roma dictates terms.

💪 Strengths

Fastest siege in the game (-50% with tech)
Principes: highest combined ATK+DEF heavy unit
Balanced starting resources (2,500 gold)
+15% defense makes conquered regions sticky
Strong leader pool across all eras

⚠ Weaknesses

No economic specialization — can't out-trade Carthago
Average RP (10) — tech advantage goes to Aegyptus
Aggressive expansion strains stability
Diplomacy penalties from frequent wars
Heavy infantry is slow (SPD 3)

🤝 Matchup Tips

vs Carthago: Strike early before their gold advantage snowballs
vs Achaia: Force battles — their diplomacy is useless against siege
vs Aegyptus: Rush before their tech advantage becomes overwhelming
vs Lusitania: Garrison borders — don't chase guerrillas into mountains

🏁 Recommended Opening (First 10 Moves)

Build a Barracks in your capital for faster military training
Train 2 Hastati — the backbone of your early army
Conquer nearest independent region (your siege bonus makes this fast)
Build a Farm for food security
Research Writing for RP generation
Train Velites for scouting and harassment
Conquer a second independent region
Build a Market for gold income
Research Legion System ASAP — this is your win condition
Evaluate: continue expansion or consolidate with defensive buildings

💡 Pro Tip

Roma's siege bonus is cumulative. With your civilization bonus (-30%), Legion System tech (-20%), and Siege Engines tech (-25%), you can reduce a standard 8-season siege to just 2 seasons. This means you can conquer two cities in the time it takes other civilizations to conquer one. Speed of conquest is Roma's true superpower — use it before your enemies research defensive technologies.