In the Year 6 of the Era · Inscription 6 — Ancient Mediterranean
Sacred Oaths Forsworn: Carthage (GreenGlass) Strikes Rome (Jaxson301) in Baleares
An infamous stroke of deceit has delivered Baleares to Carthage (GreenGlass), which turned upon the allied detachments of Rome (Jaxson301) while ostensibly offering mutual aid. The routed survivors withdrew in bitter disarray, vowing unyielding vengeance. In the forum of Carthage, crowds cheered wildly as victorious wreaths of laurel were laid upon temple steps. 'The treasury will be heavy this winter,' predicted a tax farmer, rubbing his hands.
Frontier Proclamations & War Bulletins
Swift Primacy: Rome (Jaxson301) Holds the Widest Borders
Commanding a grand total of 9 provinces, Rome (Jaxson301) sets the standard against which all other empires are measured. The road to complete hegemony still requires 9 more cities, but few doubt the potency of its legions. 'The gods love a swift hand, and Rome has been swift,' observed a priest of Mars. Fortune-tellers at the crossroads are doing excellent trade; they predict victory for everybody, in turn.
Councils of the Great Powers
Blood on the Frontier: Carthage (GreenGlass) and Rome (Jaxson301) in Protracted War
Signal fires relayed along the mountain ridges confirm that the bitter struggle between Carthage (GreenGlass) and Rome (Jaxson301) has now raged for 5 years running, with neither sovereign willing to sue for peace. Frontier settlements have been burned and rebuilt until only ashes and stubborn pride remain. The poets, as is their habit, will compose odes for whoever pays the better fee. 'The ink on my map scrolls barely dries before another legion marches across the border,' sighed a Greek cartographer.
The Balance of Strongholds
The ledger of Rome (Jaxson301) remains steady, with the realm commanding 9 provinces once again.
Forum Gossip & Port Omens
Talk among the harbor stalls claims that Carthage offered to yield an entire coastal anchorage to Rome to settle private silver debts.
Ferrymen insist that a hooded rider of Carthage was ferried across the river by night to a meeting with the people of Persia.
Notices of the Rostra & Sundry Omens
A scorching heatwave bakes the southern plains; commanders pitch leather pavilions beneath olive groves and debate the omens.
Notices of the Rostra & Sundry Omens
REWARD OFFERED: A runaway horned goat with a notched ear strayed from the temple pastures. Deliver to the chief sacrificial priest.
