[OOC] Rome

[Whirlwind]

Crispus is indeed a prick, lol.

[RomanAria]

Lol indeed. The same could be said about Aemilia and Nona though. Also,semi plot twist, if I can get this post written.

[Lord Pie]

Aha, I'm glad that was cool putting that in - was getting carried away and didn't really think about it as taking control of one of your characters, so definitely my bad there!

Oooh plot twist!

[Whirlwind]

Oh anyone is free to use any of the ones I put up except Ateret, as long as it's in line with their personality :)

[RomanAria]

Plot twist done. Three guesses as to who the new gladiator is... Three guesses what's going to happen to him...

[Lord Pie]

Aha awesome. I will have to find a way for Tressa to be at the games. Maybe her owners (who I really need to come up with names for) go and want someone to hold an parasole thingy over them. That'll work...

[Whirlwind]

Is anyone going to be playing the gladiator?

[Lord Pie]

RomanAria said
Plot twist done. Three guesses as to who the new gladiator is... Three guesses what's going to happen to him...

Only two things can happen in the colosseum. Death or glory. What will the emperor decide I wonder. It could be a nice background subplot? Eventually fights his way to freedom? :p doubtful though. (Although realistically gladiator fights were hardly to the death. Only 1 in 5 matches ended in the death of a combatant - but where is the fun in that. Also, another historical fact, they also only occurred during a special commiserative event, which typically honoured the death of a powerful man - ie the emperor or a wealthy roman who's family could afford to host a game. During the period this is set though the games were entering their 'golden era', so it's safe to suffice hey would have been fairly common-place. Also there'd be lots of animal fights :) after 200 years or so they declined, especially with the adoption of Christianity. Though again we don't have to worry about that - in fact right now historically the first Roman-Jewish war was going on, the Romans would have sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the second temple two years ago. The guy in charge was Vespasian, who then returned to Rome some time the year this is set and became emperor - in dec 69 he defeated Vitellius and became emperor - just for anyone who is interested in such things :p

[Whirlwind]

Lord Pie said
just for anyone who is interested in such things :p

Always

[RomanAria]

Thanks, Pie. I'm sorry I'm so ignorant on the facts, but I'm trying to learn. It's a teeny bit confusing though (I'm currently doing a research project on Caesar... 50BC and 69 AD... I've mixed up my periods I'm sure.)

[Lord Pie]

Nah its all good. Roman history is a confusing cluster-fuck of shizz anyway - but yeah the period with Julius Caesar is cool, from Roman Republic to Roman Empire... good times. (Also another little fact - the Colosseum actually only started construction in 70AD under Vespasian, so in a few months from where we are - but again its much more fun with the Colosseum already built).

Shizz

The 500 year old republic which preceded it was severely destabilized in a series of civil wars and political conflict, during which Julius Caesar was appointed as perpetual dictator and then assassinated in 44 BC. Civil wars and executions continued, culminating in the victory of Octavian, Caesar's adopted son, over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC and the annexation of Egypt. Octavian's power was now unassailable and in 27 BC the Roman Senate formally granted him overarching power and the new title Augustus, effectively marking the end of the Roman Republic.

The imperial successor to the Republic endured for some 500 years. The first two centuries of the Empire's existence were a period of unprecedented political stability and prosperity known as the Pax Romana, or "Roman Peace". Following Octavian's victory, the size of the Empire was dramatically increased. After the assassination of Caligula in 41, the Senate briefly considered restoring the republic, but the Praetorian Guard proclaimed Claudius Emperor instead. Under Claudius, the Empire underwent its first major expansion since Augustus.

After Claudius' successor, Nero, committed suicide in 68, the Empire suffered a period of brief civil wars, as well as a concurrent major rebellion in Judea, during which four different legionary generals were proclaimed Emperor. Vespasian emerged triumphant in 69, establishing the Flavian dynasty, before being succeeded by his son Titus, who opened the Colosseum shortly after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. His short reign was followed by the long reign of his brother Domitian, who was eventually assassinated. The Senate then appointed the first of the Five Good Emperors. The Empire reached its greatest extent under Trajan, the second in this line.

After the fifth Emperor in that line it was Commodus (the guy who is the bad guy in that film Gladiator), he was pretty much a stupid wanna be Hercules, and he messed up the empire big time, which started a decline that eventually ended with the assassination of Alexander Severus in 235, which led to the Crisis of the Third Century in which 26 men were declared Emperor by the Roman Senate over a fifty year period. It was not until the reign of Diocletian that the Empire was successfully stabilized with the introduction of the Tetrarchy, which saw four Emperors rule the Empire at once. The division was ultimately unsuccessful, leading to a civil war that was finally ended by Constantine I, who defeated his rivals and became the sole ruler of east and west. Constantine subsequently shifted the capital of the east to Byzantium, which was renamed Constantinople in his honour.

[RomanAria]

hmm... Debating whether or not I want to make life worse yet for Aemiliana or no... On the one side I want to, but at the same time I don't want there to be too much drama too early... I have a post written, I just don't yet want to post it. Also because you all will probably laugh at my half-latin half-english dialogues.

[Whirlwind]

RomanAria said you all will probably laugh at my half-latin half-english dialogues.

Nope cause I know no Latin =P

[RomanAria]

Eeek. Anyone want to intervene...?

[DELETED324324]

Also when Brutus stabbed Caesar to death he shouted "Your salads been tossed!" True story bro.

[Whirlwind]

[RomanAria]

Enalais said
Also when Brutus stabbed Caesar to death he shouted "Your salads been tossed!" True story bro.

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What.
Just... What.

[RomanAria]

Off to band... see y'all in 8 hours...

[Whirlwind]

Hope you have fun! What do you play?

[RomanAria]

Uh, clarinet, but only for the last four weeks... Everyone else has been playing their instrument for 5 years...