Europa Universalis: Rome will cover the time period from the first Punic War to the start of the true Empire. Players will have thousand of gameplay choices ranging from country, culture, provincial and character options to name but a few, making each and every game infinitely customizable and truly unique.

The detailed strategy game offers more than 50 playable nations raging from Rome itself to smaller Gallic tribes and although the outcome of Europa Universalis: Rome is completely dependent on players' strategic and tactical choices, 5 nations are more likely to be successful than the others…

Egypt – The great survivors

Ptolemaic Egypt was he 3rd and longest surviving of the major successor states of the Alexander’s Empire. The kingdom was founded by the Diadochi Ptolemy. Ptolemy was a childhood friend and constant companion of Alexander the Great and one of his most trusted bodyguards. At the death of Alexander, Ptolemy was one of those who believed that the empire would not hold together and planned accordingly.

At the settlement of Babylon Ptolemy manoeuvred himself into the role of satrap of Egypt, a rich and easily defensible it was the perfect place to carve out an Independent kingdom. However Ptolemy was also aware that if any of the warring generals could hold the Empire together then his plans of an independent kingdom would be at an end. His first move was to size the body of Alexander the Great as it returned to Macedonia; under the Macedonian rules of Kingship the heir to the throne was the one who buried the predecessor. By taking the body to Egypt Ptolemy sought to block anyone else claiming to be the legitimate heir of Alexander. The set off the wars of Diadochi to determine how the inheritance of Alexander was to be divided. Ptolemy being a senior general and holding rich territory was a key player in these wars and was even offered the regency of the Kingdom in the name Alexander’s infant son. However Ptolemy was never distracted from his goal of securing an independent Egypt and would never succumb to the temptation of the ultimate prize. He would also freely switch sides according to what best suited him.

When the dust finally settled Ptolemy held Egypt, Cyprus a string of cities along the south coast of Asia Minor and the southern part of Syria. The Ptolemaic claim to Syria was particularly problematic as due to Ptolemy’s constant side switching the province had been promised to Seleucus. This would lead to regular warfare between the two kingdoms. With the death of Ptolemy (283BC), who became know as king Ptolemy I Soter (or saviour), his successors would continue to try and hold the lands he held with various degrees of success. He frontier in Syria would shift backwards and forwards between the two empires for the next 100 years. Determined in part by the abilities of the particularly monarchs the two Kingdoms had at the moment. This cycle was finally broken by Antiochus the Great who carved up much of the Egyptian Empire with Phillip of Macedonia. Egypt would be reduced to a rump kingdom of Egypt and Cyprus

Endemic weakness set in, as various claimants to the throne would vie for power, whoever Egypt was a rich prize and Rome was determined to ensure that it did not fall into the wrong hands. The most famous of these was when Antiochus IV of Seleucid Empire invaded Egypt In 168BC. The consular Gaius Popillius Laenus, was sent by the Roman senate to find out what was happening. Gaius ordered Antiochus to go home, who replied that he would consider the request. So the Roman drew a circle around Antiochus and told him “Before you step out of that circle give me a reply to lay before the senate", Antiochus went home.

Egypt would continue to remian unstable but with its new neighbour Rome being happy to leave things that way as long as they did not spill over into Roman politics. However the war between Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great would start the chain that would end the Kingdom. Pompey fled to Egypt after his defeat in Greece, with Caesar and his loyal legions in hot pursuit. At the time Ptolomey XIII and Cleopatra VII were fighting a civil war, and both wanted Rome’s support. Ptolomey had Pompey executed believing that Caesar would be pleased to have his rival removed. Caesar reacted in exacly the opposite manner, (reasons for this differ, some claim that Caesar could never stand to see a true Roman executed by eastern barabrains, others say that he wanted to show Pompey mercy). The end result was that Cleopatra would win and a rather famous love affair would happen. Eh result of this union was the only know natural son of Julius Caesar , Caesarion, or to be more accurate Julius Caesar would never deny that Caesarion was his son. Although her attempt to have Caesarion named Julius Caesar official heir failed, the child seems to have been enough to persuade Caesar not to annex Egypt.

The assassination of Julius Caesar removed the certainties that Cleopatra built her power on. The fall out lead to the Roman world divided between Octavian in West and Mark Anthony in the East. In this contest Cleopatra chose Mark Anthony. Being in close proximity made the choice easier for Cleopatra, but Mark Anthony was also the more experienced of the two men and looked the better bet.

However it would be the younger Octavian who would win the war and become master of the Mediterranean. The wealth of Egypt was needed to pay the costs of the civil war, and so the last of the Kingdoms of the Diadochi was annexed to now Roman Empire in 30BC. The young Caesarion was killed, probably on the orders of Octavian, as "Two Caesars is one too many".

Egypt was a wealthy but static kingdom, there was no least line of Resistance to expand into that Carthage (Spain) or Rome (Cisapline Gaul) had. The Ptolomaic Kingdom needed to wait for its enemies to be weak, but these oportunities never came at the right time.

Key Features

• Fully 3D map with integrated graphics and detailed topography
• Start at any date between 280 B.C. and 27 B.C.
• Choose between 10 different cultures, including the Roman, Celtic, Greek and Egyptian civilizations, with more than 53 playable factions on a map spanning hundreds of provinces.
• Watch your characters develop new traits through political intrigue and various interactions with thousands of other characters.
• Trade, negotiate or fight with your neighbours and advance your technologies to unite the Mediterranean World.
• Robust multiplayer allows you to challenge up to 32 players either competitively or in co-op mode.

Europa Universalis: Rome is schedule for a worldwide release during Q2, 2008.

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