(font: "Times New Roman") [The year is 49 BCE. Reflecting on your dire situation, you stand on the bank of the //Rubicon River// facing Rome, returning from nearly ten years of military service against the Gauls. Your faithful army stands behind you, awaiting your command, as they have done many times before. You stand on the brink of war with your homeland for desiring a second consulship: the river is the only remaining boundary between war and peace in Rome. You, ''Julius Caesar'', have made many political enemies over your career who would like to see you pay for manipulating the political system with Pompey and Crassus and securing your extraordinarily long post as general in Gaul as well as prevent your second year as consul. You fear for your life if you return to Rome since your former political ally **Pompey** has stopped offering you his aid, leaving you vulnerable to attacks from many powerful senators once you arrive in Rome. You must choose to either [[bring your army with you across the Rubicon->fight]], implicitly declaring war against The Roman Republic, but giving you greater protection, or to [[surrender your army before crossing->surrender]], maintaining peace in the Republic, but leaving you open to attacks from your enemies in the period between your arrival and the upcoming elections.]By crossing The Rubicon river you have plunged the Roman Republic into civil war. Fortunately, Pompey knew your army would easily overpower the small forces protecting Rome, and fled with his supporters *the optimates* to the eastern coastal city of Brundisium. You can either [[pursue Pompey to Brundisium->Brundisium]] or [[stay in Rome and levy a larger force->rally1]], with the hope that Pompey's retreat to the coast indicates an intention to leave the[[ ->easter egg]]Italian Peninsula in favor of another region of the Mediterranean coast.You have surrendered your army, averting civil war, but you must be wary of your enemies, as politics in Rome have often ended in bloodshed. Once in Rome you must try to ensure your continued safety. You can [[attempt to secure the consulship->consul race]] and earn the protection of *lictors*, [[flee Rome and head to the countryside->refuge]] and escape the potential reach of your foes, or [[bide your time in Rome->wait]], hoping to gain more political sway and persuade more people to your cause before running for consul once more.You have brought your army to within striking distance of Pompey's camp. He is quickly making preparations to flee from the harbor and into the Mediterranean. You must choose to either [[offer peace->duplicate]] and attempt to make amends with Pompey, [[attempt to prevent his escape->siege]] and start a siege against his camp, or [[force an attack against his camp->rush]], engaging in a pitched battle against his army, which is slightly larger than yours.You offer peace by way of messenger, but Pompey refuses, claiming that he is defending the Roman Republic by continuing to fight you and claiming that he is, by law, stll your superior. Your options remain the same. You can [[block Pompey's escape->siege]], initiating something of a siege against his camp, or [[force a battle against his camp->rush]], engaging in a full-force assault of his army.You block Pompey's escape temporarily with a dam across the bay, preventing his ships from escaping into the Mediterranean, but he destroys the obstruction from a distance, putting an end to your siege and allowing his forces to escape without incident. You must [[return to Rome to ensure your continued political power->win Brundisium]] before making any further decisions about Pompey.Your army, although not terribly outmanned by Pompey's, has a far inferior position compared to his entrenched camp. Your army suffers more losses than it can sustain, forcing a retreat. Luckily, Pompey did not take his chances and pursue, but instead seized the opportunity to flee into the Mediterranean, heading for Greece. You must [[return to Rome->win Brundisium]] before making any furhter decisions.The consulship of 48 BCE is hotly contested, but your military experience and *gloria* earned in service to The Roman Republic and her expansion has made you the people's choice of the patrician candidates. Unfortunately for you, after one of your more persuasive speeches on the *rostra*, your adversaries and their slaves attack you for your ravenous pursuit of power, killing you before you could establish your name as one to be remembered for the ages.
The End.You settle in the Roman countryside in a large estate outside the reach of Roman politics. You live a comfortable life of relative luxury without concern of legal repurcussions for your past, and spend your days as a wealthy plantation owner until you die of old age.
The End.You meet mixed reactions in Rome. Some citizens herald you as a hero of war and an idol. Others believe your prior actions to be illegal and want to see you pay. Perhaps most importantly, many senators and politicians side with the latter and believe your earlier conspiracies with Crassus and Pompey to have been against the Roman tradition. Fortunately, they do not attack you, and you are added to the senatorial class in the next censorhsip. you live out your days as a powerful senator and holding the consulship one more time, distinguishing you as the elite or the elite. Your days come to an end as a respected senator with a life idolized by many, but perhaps you could have done more.
The End.You are pronounced dictator of Rome for eleven days until you secure the consulship of 48 BCE without significant political resistance as nearly all of the *optimates* fled alongside Pompey. In this time, you have made arrangements to increase the size of your army, preparing to fight against Pompey's forces. You [[set sail for Greece->hunt]]. finally free from other military obligations you can focus entirely on fighting Pompey.You pursue Pompey across the Mediterranean to Greece and find his army in Dyrrachium where they stand entrenched and ready to fight. Before you engage you receive a message from your *co-consul* that Pompey's Spanish armies have marched on Rome in your absence. They have reclaimed political and military power. You can either [[offer peace with Pompey->peace]] and try to negotiate a treaty, [[continue with your plan->fight pompey]] and attack Pompey's army in the hopes of decisively finishing this conflict, or [[sail back to Rome->fight for Rome]] and attempt to secure your homefront, leaving Pompey unchecked in Greece.Your army marches to Spain in a record time of 27 days and tracks Pompey's loyalists to Ilerda. Your far larger army kills nearly 200 of the loyalists, while only losing 70 before the enemy surrenders and swears themselves to your cause. You now have secured the military safety of Rome, and must now [[secure your own political power->dictator]] before making any further decisions.Pompey, seeing that he has the advantage in this battle, and knowing that you will face combat in Italy if you run, refuses your offer of peace. You must choose between [[returning to Italy->fight for Rome]] and attempting to resecure your homefront, or [[attacking Pompey->fight pompey]] and ignoring the conflict in Italy for the moment.Your army suffers immense casualties, but so does the enemy. Knowing you have no other option, you urge your men onward. In one final push, your men break the enemy lines and force Pompey's men to surrender. You personally execute Pompey, finishing your conflict with him, but his men in Italy remain loyal. Thankfully you are able to replenish some of your army with the remainder of Pompey's before you [[set sail back to Rome->fight for Rome]]Your all-too-well-traveled army arrives on the Italian coast to be warmly greeted by enemy spears, swords, and cavalry charges. Pompey's generals anticipated your return and prepared an ambush. Your ships have been destroyed, and your army is clearly the on the losing side, but all is not lost. You can [[continue the fight->coastal ambush]] in an effort to overcome the enemy, [[lead a mounted suicide charge->devotio]], throwing yourself into the enemy lines as a sacrifice to the gods so they might favor your soldiers, [[flee the fight alone->no honor]], leaving your army to be defeated and your future uncertain, or [[surrender to Pompey's generals->surrender2]] and put yourself at their mercy.You press the attack, but you cannot break enemy lines. Within the hour your army is pushed back to the ocean. With nowhere to run and no hope for victory, you can [[surrender->surrender2]] and leave yourself at the loyalists' mercy or [[commit suicice->suicide]] and retain your honor.As you flee, your army surrenders to the ambushing force since they had taken far too many casualties to continue. One of the enemy *equites* sees you fleeing in the distance, and charges after you, enraged by such a lack of honor in a soldier. Without checking to see who you are, he raises his sword and cuts you down from behind.
The End.Pompey's loyalist armies capture your men and swear them into service of the Roman senate. One night after a day of marching toward Rome where the Roman government will decide your fate, you see a dagger on the ground, forgotten by one of Pompey's soldiers. you pick it up and weigh your options. You can [[attempt to sneak into the general's quarters and kill them->assassin]], giving you the chance to take your army back, [[use the dagger to claim your own life->suicide]], guaranteeing a quick and honorable death by your own hands, [[free yourself and run->run]], ensuring you live your life as a nameless vagabond, forever on the run from the Roman law, or [[do nothing->court]], leaving your fate to be decided by the Roman senate.You cut the bindings around your wrists and sneak your way to the general's tent. The guards appear to have fallen asleep. You slowly open the tent and see the generals sleeping. You approach the first of the two with your dagger poised. Just as you begin the downstroke, your legs give way from under you, and your vision goes black for the last time before you can see the guard that stabbed you.
The End.Knowing that your other options will only bring your demise at the hands of another, you fix your hands around the handle of the dagger, point it inwards, close your eyes and enter the unknown before fear and instinct can stop you.
The End.You cut the bindings around your wrists ever so carefully so as to not make a noise. Once the ropes are cut, you sneak your way toward freedom, stealthily avoiding any guard's watchful eye. Just before you are clear of the camp entirely, a guard notices that you are missing and raises the alarm. You can [[run deep into the woods->chase]] and try to get away from your captors, or [[hide in a nearby ditch->hide]] and attempt to evade their inevitable search.The Roman senate calls for your execution without hesitation. Your crimes against the state warrant more executions than would kill a dozen men, but alas they can only kill you once.
The End.You throw caution to the wind and run. You run through the forest as fast as your legs can carry you. Just as you exit the forest and enter a plain, thinking you have cleared the camp's search area, you hear the rhythmic pounding of a horse's hooves. Without anywhere to hide, you run. The hoofbeats grow louder until they sound as though inches from your heels. You hear the whistle of a sword cleaving through the air before the ground rises to your face.
The End.You dive into the ditch and do your best to cover yourself, but you are far too close to the camp. The soldiers do not notice you the first or second times they walk by, but as the cold of the night sets in, you begin to shiver. Two infantrymen notice the movement and investigate. Knowing they will discover your position, you seize your only available option and lunge toward them at the last second, dagger in hand. You claim the life of one last soldier before his brother in arms claims your own.
The End.Having dealt with Pompey for the moment, you must now make the decision to push the attack or defend Italy. You can [[chase Pompey to Greece->Greece]], or [[deal with Pompey's fragmented forces in Spain->Spain]].You land in Greece and hear reports of Pompey's army near Dyrrhachium. You bring your army within striking distance of Pompey's and assess the situation. Your army, although slightly smaller than that of Pompey, is far more experienced. However, Pompey has once again fortified his position. It appears as though this will be quite an even battle. You can either [[stage a full assault->Dyrrhachium real]] and put your faith in your more experienced men, [[briefly skirmish with Pompey's army then retreat and set a trap->set trap]] and hope Pompey takes the bait, or [[attempt to wait out Pompey->standoff]] and enter a standoff.At first, the battle seems to be turning in your favor, but as it drags on and your men fatigue, Pompey's army begins to turn the tables. Soon you see some of your best legionaries begin to fall beneath the enemy's swords, and know you must retreat. You give the order to fall back, knowing that if Pompey gives chase your army will fall, and you will go with it. Fortunately, Pompey ran as well, afraid of an ambush if he were to follow. You regroup and note that you have lost nearly 1,000 men. You can [[push into Pharsalus->pharsalus real]] where Pompey has stationed his men and make one last attempt to put down Pompey's army, or [[call for more men and supplies from Rome->supplies]] replenishing your army but giving Pompey more time as well.The skirmish captures the attention of Pompey's men, and you retreat without incident, but they do not pursue. You must [[make a decision soon->pharsal wait]]Your supplies wain, your men grow uneasy, and Pompey's forces show no signs of weakness. His supply lines will win him this war of attrition if you do not [[act soon->pharsal wait]]After a few days of marching, you reach Pharsalus and spot Pompey's army atop a hill next to the Enipeus River. Their position on the high ground makes any immediate assault unfavorable, and he is far better supplied than you are, rendering a war of attrition impossible. His defensive lines are positioned near the top of the hill, but refuse to advance unless attacked. You can [[wait for a better opportunity->pharsalus real2]] and risk running out of time before your army depletes its food, or [[force the attack->pharsal fake]], forcing your army into a disadvantageous fight.You wait for supplies and more men to bolster your ranks, but Pompey senses your hesitation and sends his army down the hill towards your own, hoping to catch your forces by surprise. You can [[lure his forces to a nearby plain->plain]] and fight on equal footing or [[face his army where you stand->getrekt]].You wait day after day, frequently moving from one side of the hill to the other, hoping to lure Pompey's forces farther down the hill, but to no avail. Your army is nearly out of resources when Pompey's front line descends nearly to the foot of the hill, against all tactical logic. You can [[seize the opportunity->pharsal real3]] and take the slightly less disadvantageous fight in the hopes of luring the enemy to a nearby plain, or [[wait for a better opportunity->pharsal wait]] and hope for a better opportunity while your supplies wain.Your legions advance and engage Pompey's from the low ground. Without hesitation, Pompey's forces descend upon your own and crush your army with ease. You are captured and [[tried in Greece->trial]] by Pompey and some of his senators. Your prepare your army for the decisive battle of this campaign. To win is to crush the last of Pompey's armies. To lose is to lose any chance of defeating Pompey. You know from your last battle that Pompey's cavalry far outnumber your own, giving Pompey a crushing advantage if he manages to get them to your flanks. You can [[reduce the size of your front line and protect your flanks->pharsal victory]], or [[keep your men in their formation->pharsal defeat]] and trust your cavalry to hold their ground.Your supplies continue to deplete and morale descends as your men realize they will soon be out of food. You fear a mutiny is close, and Pompey seems to see it as well: his troops refuse to come farther down from their encampment, as though waiting fo your men to turn on you or starve. You can [[order an attack->pharsalfight]] and pray to the gods for a miracle, [[surrender to Pompey's much advantaged forces->pharsalsurrender]] knowing your fate will be determined by the man you have fought relentlessly for the last year, or [[flee Pharsalus->fleephrasal]] leaving Pompey to his own devices in Greece.You station six *cohorts* of your finest men at the back of your ranks. Armed with spears and shields, they know that the fate of their brothers lies in their hands. Your men engage Pompey's, and your prediction is realized. Pompey's massive cavalry force charges past your own and pushes directly for your flank. Your six *cohorts* stand firm against the tide of Pompey's cavalry, rendering Pompey's strategy useless. Without fear of being attacked from behind, your men are able to advance with brutal efficiency through Pompey's army, crushing the enemy force that was once twice the size of your own. Pompey's army surrenders to you, [[but he himself is no where to be found.->fin]]Pompey's cavalry cuts through your own, and your men are nigh helpless against the oncoming rush of mounted soldiers. Within the hour your once powerful army is laid low, and your last chance to defeat Pompey is crushed. WIth your army all but defeated, you call for surrender and are [[taken prisoner->POW]]Pompey has disappeared into the Mediterranean with only a few of his most loyal men still at his side. He drifts from coast to coast, eventually striking a deal with King Ptolemy of Egypt, who has offered him safe harbor while he recuperates. Upon arriving at the Egyptian Coast, Pompey is assassinated by Ptolemy's men, and you end your conflict the victor. You, Julius Caesar, champion of the people, return to Rome and name yourself dictator. You are set to at last have the political career you dreamed of, but you become too power-hungry and name yourself dictator *in perpetua* only to be killed by your senators within the month.
The End.Your prediction was realized: Pompey fled the peninsula without incident. Now that Pompey is no longer an immediate threat, you are faced with two possible courses of action. You can [[challenge Pompey's remaining forces in Spain->Spain]] protecting Rome from the only remaining threat, or [[chase Pompey to Greece->Greece]] and attempt to reach a swift end to this conflict.You sail with Pompey's forces back to Italy and are marched in chains to Rome. Pompey reclaims the city and reinstates the senators that fled with him. Your trial is heard by the very men you attempted to kill. They find you guilty of crimes against the Republic and your fate is sealed. You never knew the power you could have held.
The End.The court finds you guilty of treasonous crimes against The Roman Republic and demands your execution. You die wondering if you could have escaped this tragic fate.
The End.You give the order to advance up the hill, but your men refuse. They all see their death in Pompey's position and know that victory is impossible. Instead, they turn on you. They demand you give over your power or they will take your head. You can [[give up power->pharsalgiveup]] and hope your men do not kill you, or [[order your personal guard of seven-hundred cavalry to fight your own men->pharsalmutiny]].You surrender and are taken prisoner by Pompey who decides you must face the court's justice in Rome, for all to see. You are brought back to the city you once ruled, and watch it fall to Pompey's forces before you [[stand trial->trial]] in a court comprised of Pompey's most faitfhul senators.As you flee Pharsalus your men realize that their chances of winning this war have fallen to zero and turn their swords on you. You attempt to talk them down, but their decision has already been made. They advance toward you, and you fall by the swords of your own men, wondering when your fate was sealed.
The End.Your men take you prisoner and surrender themselves to Pompey, who gladly accepts and claims you a prisoner of The Roman Republic. You are brought back to Rome, which Pompey wins back from your co-consul with ease. You are tried by a court of senators that remained loyal to Pompey. They find you guilty of treasonous crimes against the Republic and order your execution. You die wondering what led you to this pitiful fate.
The End.You give the order, yet your guard refuses your command as well. Knowing you are damned, they encircle you and descend upon you, *gladii* drawn. You draw your last breath as you are struck down by your most trusted men.
The End.Fearing Pompey's far superior cavalry, you position six cohorts of your best men in the rear flank of your army and engage in battle. Your fears are realized, and Pompey's cavalry quickly overwhelms your own, but your six cohorts stand strong and repel one cavalry charge after another, rendering them useless. Your front line has ample opportunity to fight and overcomes the larger numbers of Pompey's army, winning the battle. You return to Rome the victor and declare yourself dictator *in perpetua* before meeting your gruesome end at the hands of Roman senators.
The End.Pompey's forces quickly and efficiently overwhelm your men. You attempt to run as your army falls to Pompey, but are chased by his cavalry and cut down.
The End.[[Caesar and Pompey->Intro]] Interactive history
By SCS
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Goldsworthy, Adrian. Caesar: Life of a Colossus. N.p.: Yale University
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Holland, Tom. Rubicon. 31971st ed. N.p.: Anchor, 2005.
Petit, Paul, and Edrward Salmon. "Ancient Rome." Encyclopedia Britannica.
Last modified August 9, 2018. Accessed September 20, 2018.
https://www.britannica.com/place/ancient-Rome.
Tonynbee, Arnold. "Julius Caesar." Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified
January 12, 2000. Accessed September 20, 2018.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julius-Caesar-Roman-ruler. Wow. you found this. Congratulations, I guess. Finding easter eggs in a twine game made by a highschooler. I think you're supposed to get options so: you can [[shave your beard and fail no shave November->fight]] or you can [[resist the urge to shave and maintain a glorious beard worthy of Neptune's admiration->fight]]You don your armor and mount your horse for one final charge. You know you will not return. You spur your horse forward and raise your sword. You charge forward, cleaving into the enemy lines before you are dismounted by an enemy spear. Your valiant charge inspires your men and they fight with renewed strength, ultimately overcoming Pompey's forces. Your death is remembered by many, and your name becomes synonymous with courage, but perhaps you could have been something more.
The End.