Loosely inspired on SPI’s “The Conquerors”, First Man in Rome is an operational simulation covering the civil war between Caesar and the Optimates, initially led by Pompey the Great and later by Scipio, Cato, and the sons of Pompey.
The basic rules are the same used by the Charles Roberts Award winner The Fate of All. The final goal is to give a realistic representation of ancient warfare, without godly interventions, auguries, and Homeric duels. Moving and feeding an army of 50,000 men will require planning, and in the end players will find that the problems faced are similar to those encountered during the Napoleonic era or the American Civil War.
The three maps cover the whole Mediterranean, from the Pillars of Hercules to Parthia, and from Britannia to Aegyptus. The scale is 60 km per hex with monthly turns.
Counters are 5/8″, each one representing a formation, from two Roman cohorts (450 – 500 legionaries each) to cavalry Alae (200 – 300 mounted soldiers), or groups of 20 warships. Client States like Iudaea and Cappadocia have their distinct forces, as foreign kingdoms and tribes like Parthia, Bosporus, and the Germanic Suebi.
All the relevant historical leaders are represented and are a key element for the final victory, as their abilities (or lack thereof) have a heavy impact on almost every action.
And never forget, this is a civil war where political connections and money are of the utmost importance. Client kings and free cities must be persuaded to support your faction, veteran legionaries must be convinced to enlist again under the promise of money or loot, the Roman plebs must be fed, enemy kingdoms and tribes must be kept under control… And no matter what, the unexpected always happens, and everybody could abandon you should the tide turn.
Battles can be fought using Strategic Combat, still realistic but quicker, or to their full extent using the Tactical Rules and Map – probably the best choice for a decisive battle.
All the primary classical accounts, together with a range of modern military studies, were consulted during development. In particular, De Bello Civili by Julius Caesar has been treated as the primary ancient source, since it recounts the events from direct experience — albeit through a perspective that is, at times, unmistakably partisan.
Components
- 3x 80×60 cm matte plasticized Maps, covering the Mediterranean, Gaul, and near East.
- 1x 80×60 cm matte plasticized Battle Map
- 9x matte plasticized counter sheets
- 30x Event Cards
- Rules Booklet
- Scenarios & Designers’ Notes Booklet
- Strategikon Booklet, containing examples and suggestions for the Consuls
- 2x Charts & Tables booklets
- 14x Player Aid Charts
- 2x 10-sided dice
- 1x poster to be displayed at the entrance to the Senate
- 10x zipbags
Game Highlights
- 60 km per hex, one month per turn
- Units representing various formations, from Legionary Cohorts to Elephants
- Order of battle and commanders based on primary sources and the most recent historical research
- Realistic supply problems with realistic and possibly violent solutions
- Cavalry Reconnaissance, Foraging and Raiding
- Reaction Movement, not so easy retreats and catastrophic routs
- Attrition and Army Morale, your first problems in the morning
- Naval Warfare
- Client States, Free Cities, enemy Kingdoms, hostile barbarians
- Clementia, Revolts, Treachery and worse
Scenarios
SENATUS CONSULTUM ULTIMUM
The Italian Campaign, 49 BCE
After months of escalating tension and incendiary speeches by Marcus Porcius Cato, the Roman Senate passed a Senatus Consultum Ultimum on 7 January 49 BC, calling upon “the consuls, praetors, tribunes, and all proconsuls near the city to ensure that the Republic comes to no harm”. No explicit threat was named, but the intent of the decree was unmistakable: to compel Caius Iulius Caesar to disband his army and submit himself to trial.
Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus was not mentioned either, yet no one in the Senate doubted that only he possessed the prestige, wealth, and military backing required to confront Caesar. Pompey himself had recently boasted that, by merely stomping his foot, armies would spring up across Italy.
Now, the time has come to test that claim.
VOLUNTAS ET FORTUNA
The First Campaign in Hispania, 49 BCE
In April 49 BC, after securing Rome and Italy in a lightning-fast campaign, Caesar faces a stark strategic dilemma. To the east, the Optimates had fled to Macedonia, where Pompeius is raising a formidable army through his deep ties with the eastern provinces and client states. To the west, seven Pompeian legions in Spain threaten Caesar’s power base in Gallia.
Matters are further complicated by the defection of the free city of Massilia. Situated astride the main route through Gallia Transalpina, the city declared for Pompeius and began stockpiling troops and supplies in preparation for a siege.
Not a man to waste time, Caesar acts once again amazingly fast. After ordering Caius Fabius to move into Spain with three legions and keep the Pompeian forces there under control, in early May he is already at Massilia to organise the siege of the city; The following week, he crosses the Pyrenees escorted by his Germanic cavalry, and followed by three additional legions.
AD COLLISIONEM
The Clash in Macedonia, 48 BCE
During the opening months of the war, Caesar has swiftly crushed opposition in Italia and Hispania through two rapid and decisive campaigns. Rome and most of the western Mediterranean now lie firmly under his control, and his momentum appears unstoppable.
Yet the struggle is far from settled. Pompeius and the Optimates have regrouped in Macedonia, where they have assembled a formidable army drawn from the eastern provinces and Rome’s allied kingdoms. More importantly, they retain near-total command of the sea, allowing them to control supply routes and troop movements across the Mediterranean.
As winter closes in, both sides face a critical strategic dilemma. The Adriatic Sea divides the two armies, but it also presents opportunity and danger in equal measure: Remain in place waiting for the safer season, or gamble on a winter crossing in the hope of catching the enemy unprepared?
The decision taken in these harsh months may determine the fate of the Republic.
NILUS LETALIS
The Alexandrian War and Pharnaces, 48 – 47 BCE
In hot pursuit of Pompeius, Caesar arrives in Alexandria a few days after his rival, only to discover that Pompeius had been assassinated on the orders of Pothinus and Achillas, two of the most powerful figures at the Egyptian court. Undeterred by the dangers and determined to settle the problematic Egyptian dynastic dispute, Caesar proclaims that the two children of the deceased Ptolemy XII, Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII, would rule Egypt jointly.
Viewing this decision as the end of their ambitions and relying on the support of the army, Ptolemy XIII and his advisers foments a general uprising, trapping Caesar and his small force inside the royal palace at Alexandria.
Meanwhile, further complicating the situation, Pharnaces II, King of the Bosporus and son of the legendary Mithridates VI Eupator, seizes upon the Roman civil war as an opportunity to recover his father’s lost territories and launches an invasion of Anatolia.
DE BELLO CIVILI
The Roman Civil War, 49 – 45 BCE
In 60 BC, a relatively young Caius Iulius Caesar forged a political alliance with Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus, widely regarded as the foremost Roman general of the age, and Marcus Licinius Crassus, the wealthiest man in Rome and an experienced commander in his own right.
The pact of the First Triumvirate defused the simmering rivalry between Pompeius and Crassus. More importantly, it allowed the three men to dominate the machinery of the Res Publica, distributing offices, commands, and legislation to suit their shared interests.
Ten years later, Caesar had won a string of spectacular victories in Gaul, amassing enormous wealth and securing the fierce loyalty of hardened veterans. Crassus, meanwhile, had perished at Carrhae during a disastrous campaign against the Parthians.
With Crassus gone, the uneasy balance of the alliance vanishes. Fearing political eclipse in the face of Caesar’s growing prestige, Pompeius turns toward the Senate and allows himself to become its champion. Caesar is ordered to surrender his proconsular command, disband his legions, and return to Rome as a private citizen, where prosecution almost certainly awaits him.
The conqueror of Gaul is unlikely to submit without a fight.
Price and Availability
Still to be determined, but probably similar to The Fate of All (155 Euros), VAT included where applied.
The Legions will probably start marching in May, 2026. You may enlist and ensure your place in the ranks by sending a tablet to the Censor, at info@TRLGames.com .