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Thread: How to use historically accurate government types as Rome?

  1. #1

    Default How to use historically accurate government types as Rome?

    what i'm wondering is what kind of government types best represent how Rome did things historically.

    Is it realistic to start by making a region a provincia right away, or should it be preceeded by an allied government? in which case, did the romans prefer democratic or oligarchic, or was that dependent on the tradition of the region in question? For how long would it be left as an ally before becomming a provincia? And when to use civitas libera rather than provincia or allied government? Of course for italy it's more straight forward, build socii (possibly preceeded by allied gov). The romans probably treated greeks, punics and "barbarians" differently, right? Did this mean for example that they were more likely to give autonomy to more civilized people, but more often ruled barbarians directly via provincia? or maybe vice versa? and finally, in gameplay terms provincia offers more economic benefits, but allied and civitas libera offer more troops, so it makes sense to build them in regions where you have more need for troops, to defend against external enemies or keep public order. Did romans do this irl, id est, did they give autonomy in exchange for troops first, but then converted it to a provincia when the region and it's neighborhood had become more secure?

    To be clear, I know about the gameplay aspects of government types. What i'm asking for is not a gameplay guide, but a historical guide to governments.

  2. #2

    Default Re: How to use historically accurate government types as Rome?

    Roma construct a complex mix of cities and colonies with roman, latín, allied or other rights. Until much later, roman citizenship was scarcely given. This was the strategy of "divide et impera" divide and rule. Is imposible to represent 100% except in Roma-Latium itself. But, for the game, the provinces in the peninsula south of the Rubicon river were the first to receive full rights, then Africa (after the reconstruction of a roman Carthage), Greece and the greeks colonies in Sicily, Massalia and Iberia. Some regions like Numidia and Armenia were client for long time. In the imperial age most o western Europe, North Africa, Siria, the Balkans and near east Asia were imperial or senatorial provinces.

  3. #3

    Default Re: How to use historically accurate government types as Rome?

    Just a note on the Provinciae: they give no recruitment until the Marian era.

    In Italy, it's pretty straightfoward (though there are advantages to making Tarentum an Allied Government first - a ready supply). For places with a particularly divergent culture, you're not going to get very far with anything other than an Allied Government anyway. I'd say leave a client state thus at least as long as the life of the Client Ruler.

  4. #4

    Default Re: How to use historically accurate government types as Rome?

    As far as I know Romans tended to give newly conquered or controlled people certain liberties and rights depending on how much resistence they put up. Fierce resistence resulted in harsh terms, open cooperation and surrender without a fight resulted in very liberal terms. As an example: in the first punic war Rome could win Syracuse as an ally, resulting in nearly full autonomy for its king until he died, as long as he supported the roman cause.

    In game terms one could vary and role play this according to his own experience with the province. Up from just tributary state (democracy or oligarchy would most likely depend on the kind of government it had before) with low taxes and little recruitment other then garrison. Here I would normally put the mark of transition either when a client ruler dies or something like unrest/riots/revolt happens.
    The other side would be direct factional government with high taxes and lots of recruitment for the auxiliaries.

    That way one can play with the mindset of the Romans and decide how to handle new territory by the way the game went.

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