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Marius vs Sulla (88BC) 1.0

Ave Citizens of Rome

This is a historically accurate mod set in 88BC during the Roman Civil War fought between the Optimates under Felix Sulla and the Populares under the leadership of Gaius Marius.


Optimes:

Lucius Cornelius Felix Sulla commands the Optimates (conservative) faction of Rome. Sulla served with distinguishment in the campaigns against Jugurtha in Numidia and against the Cimbri and Tutones in Italia. As a conservative he opposed the Populares (popular faction of the Roman people) land reforms which redistributed land among Roman citizens in addition to opposing numerous other laws regarding the enfranchising of Rome's allies into Roman citizens, this was due to the Optimates opposition to the prospect of Rome's Italian allies having any form of political power in Rome at the expense of the Roman Senate.

Following the aggresive acts of war from the Pontic kingdom of Mithridates in Asia Minor, Sulla was given Consular command of Rome's legions and was sent east to deal with the crisis. However Sulla's rivalry with his arch opponent Gaius Marius has plunged the Roman Republic into civil war.

Populares:

Gaius Marius has made a great name in Rome for his leadership against Jugurtha in Numidia and against the Cimbri and Tutones in Italia. He is a great Roman general, of the like not seen since the age of Scipio Africanus who fought in the Second Punic War.

Gaius Marius has reformed Rome's military and allowed it to recover from the severe manpower shortages Rome's military experienced. The manpower shortages in Rome's military machine stemmed from the fact that the Republic recruited its military strength from land owning class, and as the Republic continued to embroil itself in great military conflicts such as the Second Punic War it sustained great military losses, with the rich aristocrats of Roman society buying up the land of its dead soldiers, thus leaving little in the way of recruitment potential for its military as Rome had traditionally recruited its citizen militia from the land owning class.

Garius Marius reformed the military of Rome, so that the state would pay its proloterian population wage for military service, in addition to providing equipment for them during military campaigns. Marius comes from the Populares faction of Roman politics, the Populares are the faction of the common people, and rivalry between the Optimates and the Populares has been intense ever since the murder of the Grachi brothers in 123 BC, follwing their successful implementation into law of land reforms which have redistributed land from the Senatorial elites to the common citizens as a method of payment for their military service.

The Populares under Marius' leadership and the Optimes and Sulla's leadership have split Rome in two. Civil war is now ongoing, who will emerge victorious ?

List of changes:

- Campaign starting positions reflect the world of 88BC
- Historically accurate family trees
- United Parthian Empire
- Playable factions: Sulla's Rome, Marius' Rome, Pontus, Armenia, Parthia, Seleucids and Egypt
- Many more changes to improve game play


Special thanks to Steam user Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina for paying me £200 to make this mod