RomeW
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| Flag of RomeW | |
| Motto: "Strong But Free" | |
| Region | The New Roman Empire |
|---|---|
| Capital | Rome |
| Official Language(s) | Latin, English |
| Leader | Emperor Rodin Hartian |
| Population | 501.656 million (based on RL figures) |
| Currency | coin (Symbol: C. Exchange Rate: usually US$10=C1) |
| NS Sunset XML | |
Contents
Rome (West)
Full Name: The Democratic Federated Empire of Rome
Traditional Name: The Roman Empire
Capital: Rome
Leader: Emperor Rodin Hartian
Population: 501.656 million (NS Earth)
GDP Per Capita (US$): $14,588
Overview
"RomeW" stands for "Rome West", and is the continuation of the RL Roman Empire to this day. It is situated on the NS Earth and covers some 10.12M sq. mi. of territory all over the globe. The Empire is one of the oldest states in the world, with the city of Rome founded in 753 BC, although archaeological records indicate that Rome may have existed much earlier. Roman territory has fluctuated over the years, but for more or less its entire history the city of Rome and the territory of Italy have belonged to the Empire and continue to serve as the centre of rule.
(For a more detailed history, see History of Rome)
Governmental System
The Roman Empire is officially a federation of four "Client" Empires, all ruled over by a "junior" Emperor ("imperator"), all of which are goverened by the head Emperor ("imperator Caesar"). Each Client Empire is then made up into Republics, giving the Empire a three-tiered system of government, with the higher the tier, the less centralized the government. Here is a rundown of the Roman system.
The Empires
The Client Empires of Rome:
- Imperium Flumen (OOC: "River Empire", RL Venezeula, Guyana, Surinam, the Eastern Carribbean. Capital: Castries)
- Novum Imperium Romanum (OOC: "New Roman Empire", provinces: Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Sanibel Island, New Mexico, S Nevada, N/C Arizona, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, Baja California, Soanora coast, Coahuila, Chihuihuia. Capital: New Rome (RL Houston))
- Imperium Pacificum (OOC: E Australia, New Guinea, New Britain, Solomon Islands, Kermandec Island, W Polynesia. Capital: Rapuul (RL Rabul))
- Imperium Romanum (OOC: Aquitaine, Aaragon, NE Spain, Narbon, C Piedemont, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Latium, Abruzzo (or, as the Romans called it, "Samnium"), Cyrene, Bosnia, W/C Yugoslavia, Thessaly, W, C, and S Turkey, Syria, Israel, Egypt). Capital: Rome)
The main Client Empire- the Imperium Romanum- also serves as the capital of the Empire as a whole, and holds the following colonies:
- Suez (the Sinai Peninsula)
- East Africa (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, S/C Arabia)
- Caucasus
- Hibernia (Ireland)
- "Territory of Oil" (E Siberia)
Officially, the role of the Client Empire is to provide a more localized form of government over a large area of Roman land, though not nearly as local as that of the Republics. The Client Empires were insituted by Tiberius VI when Rome gained its first overseas colony- the Imperium Pacificum- arguing that the Empire simply grew too large for the Emperor to lead himself. Thus, this "mini Empire" was seen as a compromise, although its role has been controversial, simply because it has never been properly defined. They function much like autonomous regions in other countries, although the extent of their autonomy has been a source of contention in recent years. The current Emperor, Rodin Hartian, is attempting to rectify the issue and should have legislation soon.
Junior Emperors are elected every six years, with elections held every other year. Except for the Imperium Romanum- whose Junior Emperor also serves as the overall Emperor- the Junior Emperors are only allowed to be elected by the citizens of the Client Empire, whereas all citizens elect the overall Emperor and thus the Junior Emperor for the Imperium Romanum.
There is also free trade across the Client Empires.
The Republics
Every Client Empire is further divided into Republics, which are the most localized form of government. Each Republic has a Senate with 99 seats, except Rome which has 151. Each Republic has their own set of political parties, and the party that gains a majority of the seats is the Senate's ruling party. The majority party leader also serves as President, who then gets to serve on the Client Empire's Imperial Council with the other Presidents. In the event of a minority government, the party with the most seats has one month to set up a coalition government - if that party cannot do that then the party with the next largest total of seats gets one month to set up a coalition of their own. Failing that, the Imperial Council and the Emperor rule on the matter, and may decide to dissolve the Senate of that Republic and run a re-election. Such an event has rarely happened, however.
The Republics' powers lay primarily on an internal level, dealing only with matters that pertain to that particular Republic, like education, health care, and the police. Relations between other Republics are also dealt with on the Republican level, with disputes that grow too large going to the Imperial Council. There is free trade amongst the Republics. Overall, the Republics enjoy a sense of autonomy, with their powers usually respected by the Emperor.
The Imperial Council
The main Imperial Council is made up of the four client Emperors, the members of the Cabinet and representatives of the leaders of the Roman protectorates. The Council's duty is to act as the Emperor's advisors, although the Emperor does not have to follow what they advise. The Council is also responsibile for handling Rome's national affairs through its Cabinet, and, upon the election of a new Emperor, the Council also selects the Cabinet with the Emperor. Technically speaking, the role of the Council appears minor but it has in fact played a very large role in Roman politics. It keeps the Emperor directly informed of affairs across the Empire, runs a lot of the state's infrastructure and the Council is responsible for resolving any disputes within Client Empires that have grown out of hand.
Each Client Empire has a mirror Council, only this time it deals with Republican matters.
The Emperor
The Emperor is elected every six years directly by the citizens. The elections for the Emperor can have candidates ranging in the thousands, and can (and do) come from all across the Empire. However, in most cases, there are really only two or three serious bids for the throne, as most candidates are rarely lucky enough to garner more than a single vote. The format of the elections are runoffs, with two usually occurring - the first to weed out the non-serious bids and the second to name the Emperor. Men or women are allowed to become Emperor, but they must be of the age of majority and full Roman citizens for over 10 years.
The Emperor may unilaterally make decisions regarding national interests only (such as in foreign affairs, national law, the military, national government spending and national government programs), but usually does so on the recommendations of the Imperial Council. The Council and the Emperor meet every week on conference call and once a month in person, with the location rotating among the Republics.
Occasionally, the Emperor may rule on subjects that pertain only to Client Empire or Republican affairs, but these rulings are only done if the Client Empire or Republic in question cannot resolve the issue on their own.
There is no limit to the amount of times an Emperor can run for office, and this sets up some interesting occurances regarding Imperial power. Since the Empire was amended to allow for the direct voting of the Emperor in 1914, there have only been three Emperors elected - Keylusus II (1912-92), Paul XII (1992-2004) and Rodin Hartian (recently elected). The reign of Keylusus became especially significant: Keylusus - a supporter of overall Roman suffrage and representation in the government - gained power at 20 years old, but ran for an unimaginable 13 terms - winning each by at least 71%. A frail man of unfortunately deterorating health today, Keylusus is still alive at 112 years old, having been retired from the political scene since 1992. His long reign earned him the title of "The Eternal Emperor", leaving a long and lasting legacy on Roman life, and it was during his reign that many of Rome's current infrastructure and civil code were "modernized", including the construction of the Roman Superhighawy system starting in 1950. As his successor Paul once said, "The Eternal Emperor may not be ruling right now, but he will always be with us."
Protectorates
Rome has three protectorates - the Prefect of Earth II, where it holds territory on Earth II, Romanus Eropidus on the continent of Manium and the Prefect of Volaris, on the continent of Volaris. The protectorates enjoy autonomy from Rome, with the Romans only deciding upon issues of foreign relations (outside of relations between the Protectorates) and the military (run by Rome), although the Protectorates have mandated free trade with each other and Rome. The Protectorates are free to establish their own set of national laws and may run their nation however way they like, however, their citizens cannot vote for the Emperor directly (although there have been movements towards this). Representatives of the Protectorate leaders sit on the Imperial Council, where they can call upon the Emperor to act in their Protectorate if need be. Officially, the Emperor has the right to veto any decision made by the Protectorate and may rule unilaterally in the Protectorate, but this has rarely been the case, only springing up when the Protectorate is in turmoil.
Alliances
The Roman Empire created the extensive international alliance of the Roman Confederacy, a Confederacy designed to bring back the old territories of the Roman Empire into an alliance with each other. The alliance is cheifly a peaceful military and economic alliance, and is designed as an alliance of equals. Rome serves as the Confederacy's capital and the Emperor as its Head of State, but the Emperor's title is nothing more than a figurehead. The Romans do serve as the alliance's Speaker and mediator, but cannot run for the actual leadership of the Confederacy in the name of fairness.
The Empire is also a part of The New Roman Empire alliance, as well as the North Pacific Treaty Organization started by Squrnoshelous.
Government Officials
The following is the list of top ministers in the Roman Government:
Office Of The Emperor (elected)
- 1. Emperor Rodin Hartian
- 2. Consul Princeps (Prime Minister, can also be simply referred to as "consul") Valerius Maderia
The Imperial Cabinet (appointed by the Imperial Government Council)
- 3. Praetor Extraterritorialis (Foreign Affairs Minister) Jomo Marea
- 4. Aedile (Minister of Commerce and Public Works) Videllia Catrania
- 5. Consul Extraterritorialis (United Nations Delegate) Furitina Millenia
- 6. Consul Legatus (Minister of Defence) Fidellus Giormani
- 7. Praetor Legatus (General) Udius Emitrius
- 8. Quaestor (Minister of Finance) Widella Compisi
- 9. Minister Of Health Odema Othello
- 10. Minister Of The Environment Brutus Carius
- 11. Transit Minister Filipina Emidio
- 12. Praetor Urbanus (Urban Issues Minister) Philip Catria
- 13. Censor (Official Historian and Census Tracker) Udia Tifosi
- 14. Education Minster Emenden Farelli
Economy
The Roman Economy is an extremely diversified and self-sustaining economy, so much so that Rome does not need to import any food or water. The GDP per capita is C1,458.83, making it one of the more successful economies of the world, with its workers employed in many sectors. Also, ever since the election of Rodin Hartian, analysts are predicting even more economic growth, something forshadowed when Hartian drastically reduced the tax rate across the Empire.
For a more complete statistical breakdown of the economy of the Roman Empire in each of its territories, go here: Economic Factbook
Economic Law
Unlike many traditional economies, the Roman economic work schedule does not follow the normal 40-hour, five-out-of-seven-days-a-week. Rather, the typical work schedule is determined over the entire month, with the average Roman working anywhere between 150 and 170 hours a month (which equates to roughly 35 to 40 hours a week in traditional economies), with no Roman being allowed to work for more than six straight days, 10 hours in a day or more than 175 hours in a month (unless the worker themselves explicitly say so, upon which they must be provided overtime at triple time and a half).
The reason for this economic system is due to the scheduling Roman festivals, or Ludi. Since the Ludi do not traditionally fall on the same day (or days) of the week, the government has mandated that the days the Ludis do fall on be declared as "periods of leisure", or "otium", which in other societies would be referred to as the "weekend". The periods of otium vary depending on the territory- along the countryside, where Ludis are less common, oti only get declared when a Ludi takes place, meaning some workers get free time without a Ludi to attend. In the major cities, where Ludis are more common, only the most popular of the Ludis get a otium, with the average time varying between two or three days. In Rome itself, an otium is declared for a full week during the Ludi Romani, the only state-sponsored festival left (the other festivals are covered privately, although the state does provide subsidies). Roman Law also dictates that each worker is allowed at least a month off for vacation, to be divided at the worker's discretion only, with vacationing workers getting special "credits" allowing them to attend Ludis across the Empire.
Geography
The geography of the Empire is extremely varied. Siberia is bitterly cold and mostly tundra, while most of the Imperium Romanum is mostly Mediterranean, and Arabia and Ethiopia are mainly desert. Most of the Empire, however, is spared of winter's wraith, with temperatures ranging from moderately warm along the Mediterranean to extremely hot in the desert regions. Precipitation ranges from moderate in the Mediterranean to rare in the desert, thus making the Empire a preferrable place for tourism.
Legal
The Roman Empire's legal system has changed considerably over the years, being widely regarded as a leader in liberal politics. It is, more or less, based on the same principles of Roman Law from the Early Republic period - that the law is applied on the exact word, not on intention - as well as on Rome's original set of codified Laws, the Twelve Tables and the Justinian Code. The laws have been modernized and amended after 482 (when Julius Nepos ended the Christian theocracy and initiated a series of reforms that re-established the old Roman order of the Augustan period) and more rapidly after 1650, when a Revolution overthrew an overzealous Emperor Mattiaus and demanded a more liberal Empire, but more or less the essence is the same. What has set the Romans apart from the rest of the world is a continued sense of the need to adapt to the times - Rome understood (especially after its near collapse in the 5th century) - that change was necessary for the contiunation of the Roman state, thus allowing for a continual evolution of Roman Law. Thus, the Roman people are more willing to accept change, creating a long culture of Roman lawyers seeking to change the current system.
The age of majority in Rome is 18, although there is no drinking age.
Education
In Rome, eductaion is free and compulsory up to age 18, with school divided into elementary (ages 4-14) and high school (14-18). After age 18, Romans have the option of going to college, university or to the world of work. Post-secondary education is not paid for in the Empire, but Rome has a system of subsidies where people can apply for yearly grants to fund completely for post-secondary education, with grants given out to those who need it (mainly the lower and middle classes).
The largest Universities in the Empire is the University of Rome and the University of Damascus.
Culture
Because of its enormous size, the Roman Empire boasts a multitude of cultures and peoples, though a few common threads exist. The Flavian Amphitheatre, in continual service since AD 80, serves as the centrepiece for the city of Rome's sporting community, being the stadium of choice for the city's two major soccer teams, AS Roma and Lazio. The Amphitheatre also serves as Rome's biggest tourist attraction and the most sought-after venue for popular entertainment acts. Current seating ranges from 100,000 for sports to 500,000 for concerts.
Also, several of Old Rome's sporting traditions remained through the ages - the chariot races, beast hunts and gladiatorial combats still take place across the Empire today. This was not continuous, however - for a period of almost 100 years, gladiatorial combat was banned in Rome when the Empire was a Christian theocracy. It was restored in 482 during Nepos' reformation program and has run continuously since then but not without controversy - although Rome has officially banned the death penalty (in effect since 1956) and the more barbaric entertainment once found at the Amphitheatre (where people convicted of the death penalty perished in "creative" ways), there are voices with the Empire that see the gladiators as nothing more than "modern barbarianism" and a stain on the Roman image, especially since they harken back to the period "creative deaths" at the Amphitheatre. However, the dissenters have quieted over the years with the "civilization" of the gladitorial process.
The Empire also boasts many festivals - or "Ludi" - throughout the year commemorating many individuals, with the biggest being the Ludi Romani (the grand showcase of all the Empire's cultures) in mid-September. The Romans - fierce traditionalists in this area - have not allowed a single Ludi to discontinue. Rather, Ludi get added to the calendar through the years, reaching the point it is currently with Ludis occurring on the same day. The dates and some of the events in the Ludis have been amended to fit with the times, however - for example, the Ludi Romani happens now for a whole week instead of on the 12-14 as originally scheduled during the days of the Old Republic, and any human rights violations that occurred previously during Ludi were scrapped.
Another main thread within the Roman Empire is soccer. Each Republic has their own domestic league, with the victors of each league entering a seven-team round robin tournament at the end of the year. The top two finishers at the end of the round robin go onto a final game where the winner wins the overall Roman title. The most successful clubs have been Inter Milan (15 titles), Barcelona (9), FC Damascus (7), Cruzeiro (Caracas) (6), and AS Roma and Lazio (5 each). The Republics also play against each other and the Protectorates for the title of "best in Rome", and each Republic and Protectorate has their own Football Associtation. The current Emperor, Rodin Hartian, says that he wants to establish a Confederacy-wide competition, opening up the Roman competition to the international community.
The Roman nation boasts a myriad of religions, but the two major ones are Christianity (in Europe) and Islam (in the Asian and African territories). The Romans allow the freedom of all religions except those that blatantly disregard human rights, such as religions that call for murdering innocent civilians.
Technology, Science & Transportation
Technology
The Romans have been technological marvels for millenia, with their buildings and building codes unmatched throughout the world. Many of their buildings have survived for over 1,000 years relatively unscathed, and each new building innovated and improved on the last one. Stone is still the predominant building material used today for its immense lasting power.
The Romans were also the first to industrialize, doing so in the 1600s, and since then it has also enjoyed the leadership position with regards to technology. Today, the Roman Space Initiative (RSI) is building intergalactic ships, with a launch time within 5-10 years.
Science
The Romans have also taken a large initiative on medical and natural science, and are working vigorously at finding the cures for many of humanity's most notorious illnesses and conditions. However, because of this there have been many "false alarms" and con artists claiming to provide "false cures", but despite this the Roman medical field remains extremely trusted. Also, because of the high standards placed on Roman medicine, any drug - before it goes to market - is vigorously tested, and because of Rome's subsidization program, drug prices are fixed at 2 coins.
Transportation
The Superhighways
Ever since its foundation, the Romans have been infatuated with roads, building extensive road systems throughout its history. The current system boasts a series of Superhighways that see extensive traffic. The Superhighways were started in 1950 when Keylusus determined the Empire would be better unified with a connected road system, and ordered that Roman Republic Highway 42 be extended throughout the Empire. Since then, 29 Superhighways (labelled officially as "Roman Highways") have been built (or are projected to be built) and maintained, connecting the entire Empire and even into parts of the Confederation. Since 1976, when Roman Highway 1 was built, the Superhighway system has followed its own irregular numbering system, although the current Emperor Hartian is rectifying this situation. Roman Highway 42 - the Via Romana - is the longest and most travelled of the highways.
The structure of the Superhighway is as follows: a ten-lane road with two bullet train lines built in the middle. Train stations are found at every major city, with the Superhighways passing directly overhead.
Some of the Superhighways are also named:
- Highway 42 - Via Romana
- Highway 10 - Via Romanopolis
- Highway 31 - Via Ora ("The Coastal Express")
- Highway 11 - Via Texorum
- Highway 12 - Via Mexicana
- Highway 2 - Via Arkansorum
The Republican Highways
Each Republic also has its own set of Highways, each with its own numbering system. They are allowed to change their highways or download them as they see fit, but under Roman national law no highway - Superhighway or Republican - can be broken up (i.e., they must all be continuous). The Roman Republic was the first Republic to establish these Highways in 1926, and it is from these Highways (which have been reorganized following the establishment of a seperate Superhighway numbering system in 1976) that the Superhighways originated.
