Germanic warriors continued to loom on the Northern borders of the Empire for many centuries, and indeed when Rome finally fell in 476AD, it was Germanic people who became the new masters of Italy. The Germans are also comparable to the Gauls in that they were a fiercer but less organized people than the Romans. The Germans were able to dole out substantial punishment, the most obvious example being the battle of Teutobergwald (Teutoberg Forest) in AD 9, where three entire legions were wiped out in an ambush. GermansĪnother exciting adversary the Romans had a lot of fun with. Lorded over by first the Macedonians and then the Romans (as well as Mithridates of Pontus in between), they still nursed some dreams of glory – who says it’s too late for a Greek revival? Phalanxes will be the mainstay of these armies. The Greeks were a fading power by Roman times, but they still held a great deal of intellectual influence – not something that was much use in a war, unfortunately. The Romans may have often mocked the Greeks for their legalistic, treaty-based approach to war, but they knew that much of Roman culture came from here originally. The Gauls will also probably have some kind of Druidic unit. Celtic infantry dealt the Romans heavy losses on more than one occasion. They were nevertheless powerful albeit inconsistent warriors, able to whip themselves into savage frenzies before taking to the battlefield. The continental descendants of the Celts who spread westwards across Europe centuries over, the Gauls were sneered at by Romans as barbarians. The Numidians (one of the non-playable factions) were closely allied with them for a long time. Since the Carthaginians did not have a very large population, they had to make extensive use of mercenaries – which sometimes led to problems. Their armies were quite varied, with everything from slingers to heavy infantry to shock cavalry being represented. They were one of the few forces in the Mediterranean to use elephants in large numbers, and they have no less than three elephant units in Rome: Total War. Descendants of Phoenician traders from Tyre, and expert merchants in their own right. Possibly the greatest enemy Rome ever faced. Some sort of Druid-related thing is also probable with this faction. Their units include head hurlers (yes, they throw heads at people) and war hounds. The Romans in time managed to capture most of Britain, but never succeeded in defeating the Picts, who lived in modern-day Scotland – hence the building of Hadrian’s wall. They proved unexpectedly resistant to Roman invasion, being like their Gallic counterparts fearsome fighters. This one, Marcus Junius, was rumoured by some to be Caesar’s son, as his mother was a lifelong mistress of the dictator’s… BritonsĪlthough the term Britons is somewhat vague, there were multiple Celtic peoples inhabiting the British isles during the time period of Rome: Total War. The last king of Rome, Tarquinus Superbus, was overthrown by a Brutus, and one of the leaders of the plot to assassinate Caesar (who had ended the Republic) was also a Brutus. There is strongly associated with them, however, the idea of protecting the Republic. Located in Eastern Italy in Rome: Total War, the Brutii were perhaps not as politically powerful as the other two Roman families (historically speaking). The Scipii will be based in Southern Italy and Sicily. They were still around at the time of the Civil War, if less prominent, and one of them died fighting Caesar in North Africa. The Scipios were so powerful during the time just before the Second Punic War that almost half the consuls elected in that period were members of their family or relatives by marriage. These included Africanus’ father, his grandson Scipio Aemilianus, who razed Carthage to the ground, and his brother Scipio Asiaticus, who fought against Antiochus of Syria. Apart from the legendary Scipio Africanus (Publius Cornelius Scipio), who helped Rome win the Second Punic war, many other members of the family fought in Rome’s service. Without the Scipii, it is entirely possible that the Republic may never have lasted till Caesar’s time. In-game they will be based in Northern Italy/Gaul. Even after Caesar, the Julians still maintained considerable political power, as the Julio-Claudian dynasty continued to rule Rome for almost a century (the Emperors Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero were all members of the extended family). By far their most famous scion was Gaius Julius Caesar, probably the most famous Roman in history (although that is perhaps more a reflection on the way history is taught today than on Caesar himself). One of the oldest patrician families of Rome, the Julians claimed to be descended from Venus, the Goddess of Love. Ladder Playable Civilizations and Factions The Julii
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