Tweet
Loosely based on my current game. Enjoy.
---
“Sunt Iniqui… Caderunt.”
["They are weak... They will fall."]
The breaking surf was the only sound that reached Caesar’s ears. Marcus had doffed his rucksack and now sat upon it, staff in hand, and watched Caesar for his reaction. Behind him, the worker dared not set down his shovel, though his throat burned and the water flask was only just inside his pack.
“Here,” said Caesar, shading his eyes from the bright glare on the waves, his lips twisting upward in a self-satisfied grin. “We shall settle here.” He lifted his arm to indicate the brown plain, beach, valley, and seven rolling hills that lay before him.
Thus Rome was born.
---
Theirs was a small continent; it was not tiny, but neither was it mammoth. The perfect size, it was a veritable paradise for its inhabitants. In the southeast, the parched sand of desert gave way on all sides to the rich loam of floodplains. Crisscrossed by rivers, Italia was the perfect home for Rome, and later Veii, and Cumae, and Ravenna, as more and more people went out into Eden to be fruitful and multiply.
Caesar stood on his Palace balcony looking out along the Via Appia to Veii, and past it in the far distance he could see the great treeline that fueled its mills. But he also saw the softly sliding waves of the Tiber, the lifegiving water feeding the wheat and grapes and apples that were brought home by the barrel every night.
Whispering, half to himself, half to Marcus, Caesar crooned, “There is so much food here.” He gave a tiny shake of the head and his mouth came up in an amazed smile. “How can we not flourish?”
His most trusted advisor replied, “I do not know much about these things, Great One,” – but of course he did – “though I know that the people will always have their fill at a Roman table.”
“Indeed they will. Look there, Marcus,” his hand indicating the Forum below, “watch the children. Their innocence is so complete – their parents can take them anywhere, all over Italia, and they will play just the same.”
Marcus nodded gravely, as though some deep truth had been uttered. “Our people will soon fill this great island, but never will they lose sight of Rome. They will always remember why they work the fields, why their families have so much to eat – but even so, these borders will not hold our people forever.”
Caesar’s eyelid moved a hairbreadth. “You speak the truth, but if you are so wise, then tell me where else we can go. Your puny fishing rafts cannot brave the great waves beyond the harbor.”
Though he was expecting Caesar’s rebuke, Marcus had to suppress a groan. “I have told you before my friend,” he tried to keep his tone light, “our scientists can build great things if only you give them time.”
Caesar’s brown eyes flashed; he scoffed, “Time – and also money. They emptied my pockets just to learn how to form that cursed black rock into a blade. Now we need all our gold for our troops.” His eyes grew wider and he stood a bit taller as he thought of his troops.
Marcus knew of Caesar’s great devotion to the Legions, and he knew it was warranted (at least, Caesar considered it warranted) but he also knew that their potentially great civilization would founder without technological progress. However, he kept his silence.
“I will make my rounds at the barracks and retire. Good night, friend.” Caesar clasped his advisor’s wrist and shaded his eyes against the bright evening sun.
---
Fifty years later
The Archers snapped their bows to their sides and brought up their arms in the distinctive low salute that had become Rome’s military hallmark. Quivers brimming and strings taut, they began the march up the hill.
Caesar, in the lead, was first to set foot on the summit. Though the day was cloudy, he shaded his eyes from the sun and peered past the brush. What he saw made him laugh, half with gladness, half with astonishment
“One city,” he remarked to Cassius, his general. “Thebes, on a plain, with this beautiful hill right beside it. It is incredible.”
At once incredible and terrible, thought Cassius. “You can see their spearmen from here, Great One. They have no walls.”
With a chuckle, “No shield of theirs can stop your arrows. Not only that. but all their axe-carriers are in the plains beyond the city.”
Cassius could feel what was coming.
“You must strike at dusk. I’ve already taken their masons – they only wanted our pots. There is nothing more they can give us.”
He stroked the hilt of his longsword; his smile was mirthless.
“Sunt iniqui… caderunt.”
[“They are weak… They will fall.”]
---
To be continued.
---
“Sunt Iniqui… Caderunt.”
["They are weak... They will fall."]
The breaking surf was the only sound that reached Caesar’s ears. Marcus had doffed his rucksack and now sat upon it, staff in hand, and watched Caesar for his reaction. Behind him, the worker dared not set down his shovel, though his throat burned and the water flask was only just inside his pack.
“Here,” said Caesar, shading his eyes from the bright glare on the waves, his lips twisting upward in a self-satisfied grin. “We shall settle here.” He lifted his arm to indicate the brown plain, beach, valley, and seven rolling hills that lay before him.
Thus Rome was born.
---
Theirs was a small continent; it was not tiny, but neither was it mammoth. The perfect size, it was a veritable paradise for its inhabitants. In the southeast, the parched sand of desert gave way on all sides to the rich loam of floodplains. Crisscrossed by rivers, Italia was the perfect home for Rome, and later Veii, and Cumae, and Ravenna, as more and more people went out into Eden to be fruitful and multiply.
Caesar stood on his Palace balcony looking out along the Via Appia to Veii, and past it in the far distance he could see the great treeline that fueled its mills. But he also saw the softly sliding waves of the Tiber, the lifegiving water feeding the wheat and grapes and apples that were brought home by the barrel every night.
Whispering, half to himself, half to Marcus, Caesar crooned, “There is so much food here.” He gave a tiny shake of the head and his mouth came up in an amazed smile. “How can we not flourish?”
His most trusted advisor replied, “I do not know much about these things, Great One,” – but of course he did – “though I know that the people will always have their fill at a Roman table.”
“Indeed they will. Look there, Marcus,” his hand indicating the Forum below, “watch the children. Their innocence is so complete – their parents can take them anywhere, all over Italia, and they will play just the same.”
Marcus nodded gravely, as though some deep truth had been uttered. “Our people will soon fill this great island, but never will they lose sight of Rome. They will always remember why they work the fields, why their families have so much to eat – but even so, these borders will not hold our people forever.”
Caesar’s eyelid moved a hairbreadth. “You speak the truth, but if you are so wise, then tell me where else we can go. Your puny fishing rafts cannot brave the great waves beyond the harbor.”
Though he was expecting Caesar’s rebuke, Marcus had to suppress a groan. “I have told you before my friend,” he tried to keep his tone light, “our scientists can build great things if only you give them time.”
Caesar’s brown eyes flashed; he scoffed, “Time – and also money. They emptied my pockets just to learn how to form that cursed black rock into a blade. Now we need all our gold for our troops.” His eyes grew wider and he stood a bit taller as he thought of his troops.
Marcus knew of Caesar’s great devotion to the Legions, and he knew it was warranted (at least, Caesar considered it warranted) but he also knew that their potentially great civilization would founder without technological progress. However, he kept his silence.
“I will make my rounds at the barracks and retire. Good night, friend.” Caesar clasped his advisor’s wrist and shaded his eyes against the bright evening sun.
---
Fifty years later
The Archers snapped their bows to their sides and brought up their arms in the distinctive low salute that had become Rome’s military hallmark. Quivers brimming and strings taut, they began the march up the hill.
Caesar, in the lead, was first to set foot on the summit. Though the day was cloudy, he shaded his eyes from the sun and peered past the brush. What he saw made him laugh, half with gladness, half with astonishment
“One city,” he remarked to Cassius, his general. “Thebes, on a plain, with this beautiful hill right beside it. It is incredible.”
At once incredible and terrible, thought Cassius. “You can see their spearmen from here, Great One. They have no walls.”
With a chuckle, “No shield of theirs can stop your arrows. Not only that. but all their axe-carriers are in the plains beyond the city.”
Cassius could feel what was coming.
“You must strike at dusk. I’ve already taken their masons – they only wanted our pots. There is nothing more they can give us.”
He stroked the hilt of his longsword; his smile was mirthless.
“Sunt iniqui… caderunt.”
[“They are weak… They will fall.”]
---
To be continued.
Not bad. Not good either. You need a little something unexpected or whatever to give a fresh feeling to the same old civ experience.
"What?!?! I have your 101gp and Wines right here!" *whump*
I like this story, just how loosely is it based on a Civ game??? 
:
Comment