TheAssassin’s Creedseries is no stranger to exploringRoman history.BrotherhoodandValhallaboth allowed the player to traverse ancient Roman architecture, andOriginsdepicts the empire’s beginning; but there has never been a game with Ancient Rome as the central focus. Two of the aforementioned examples take place centuries after the Roman Empire fell, leaving the player to explore its ruins, while the third is primarily focused on the war between Ptolemy and Cleopatra. This leaves anextensive period of history that has remained largely untouchedso far.
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Rome has a history spanning over a thousand years, a history full of injustices. Rome, especially as an Empire, was a such world of such corruption and tyranny that the emperor being murdered was practically an everyday occurrence, once even burning through four emperors in a single year. And that’s not even getting into their imperialism, misogyny, bigotry toward non-Romans, and an economy with slavery at its core. Although Rome is no stranger to video games,Assassin’s Creedcould offer a unique depiction of the infamous civilization, and there are several eras to choose from. It should be clarified that this article is talking aboutAncient Rome, which is not to be confused with theHoly Roman Empire, adifferent regime which came much later.
5Third Servile War
Even before Rome became an Empire, it ran heavily on slave labor. Slaves were put to work everywhere, usually in abhorrent conditions. But in 73 CE, a slave by the name of Spartacus decided enough was enough. He started an uprising with the goal of escaping his Roman oppressors, which was joined by a growing number of slaves from everywhere he went. The Roman senate began to panic, and one Marcus Crassus went to great lengths to crush the rebellion. He eventually succeeded, and the slaves were crucified. Admittedlyhistorians debate Spartacus’s motives, some arguing he would have owned slaves of his own had he successfully escaped. But the story of a man who stood up to an empire sounds quite fitting forAssassin’s Creed.
The obvious historical figure to include would be Spartacus, who would probably be an ally to the player, but there are a few others of note. This would be set at least 24 years beforeOrigins, which would make it possible to include a younger Julius Caesar and dive into his connections with the Order of the Ancients. Marcus Crassus, the man who eventually defeated Spartacus, would also be a logical antagonist.
4Caligula
Rome had a lot of morally dubious leaders, but Caligula was downright psychotic. There is some dispute over exactly how deranged he was and what caused his questionable behavior. Some of the stories about his crimes might have been exaggerations, but he was known to be delusional at best. He once tried to “declare war” on the sea after forgetting to tell his troops to invade Britain, and “won” by having his soldiers stab the water with their spears and collect shells from the coast.
At worst, he was a deranged psychopath who’d kill anyone at the slightest provocation, or just because he thought it would be funny. His tyranny got so bad that Caligula’s own guards decided enough was enough and put an end to him. He only ruled for four years, but remains one of the most infamous emperors. A man with Caligula’s reputation, corrupt and brutal even by Roman standards, sounds exactly like the kind of person the Assassins would want to put a stop to. He sounds like the kind of man who would fit right in with the Order of the Ancients.
3Boudica’s Rebellion
As fascinating as Rome would be for a setting, there would almost certainly be room for exploring the many regions it conquered and those who tried to resist its encroachment. One such location would be Britannia, home of the legendary warrior Queen Boudica. Ironically, she was at one time quite fond of the Romans, until her husband died, and they tried to take everything from her. She did not take kindly to this and started a rebellion against the invading Roman forces. Her armies were eventually defeated, but only after coming dangerously close to kicking out the Romans.
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Boudicahas been referenced in otherAssassin’s Creedgames, withValhallaproviding evidence of her being supported by the Hidden Ones. Although it would not be the firstAssassin’s Creedto have a British setting (afterSyndicateandValhalla), it would present a very different era. The player could be a follower of Boudica, or the developers could take advantage of the ambiguity surrounding what happened after her defeat. This could translate into Boudica herself joining the hidden ones in place of her (possibly fictitious) suicide, or the player character being one of her daughters, whose fates also remain unknown, seeking vengeance. Boudica would also provide an in for visiting one of Rome’s most notoriously corrupt emperors, the legendary Emperor Nero.
2Elagabalus
Another one of Rome’s scummiest emperors, though perhaps not as iconic as Caligula or Nero, Elagabalus is usually described as a messed up leader with a twisted sense of humor. He was first crowned emperor at age fourteen and quickly became infamous for some bizarre and questionable deeds. Some of these reportedly included releasing lions on his house guests and sacrificing children. He was also said to have a habit of running “lotteries” that included prizes like dead dogs, tickets for which were mixed with venomous snakes and catapulted into crowded streets.
He was so widely disliked that after only four years of ruling, his own grandmother could no longer stand him and turned his bodyguards against him. As was often the fate of Roman emperors, Elagabalus was murdered. Much like Caligula, Elagabalus seems like a prime target for the Hidden Ones. It also seems easy to imagine him being a puppet of the Order of the Ancients, similar to Ptolemy inOrigins.
1The Fall OF The Roman Empire
Technically it is hard to trace the Roman Empire’s decline to any one particular cause. It was more like a combination of several different factors, and it was never overthrown in the most conventional sense so much as it got too big and collapsed under its own weight. Still,Originsdepicted the empire’s rise, so it would be fitting to also see its downfall over a thousand years later - at least part of it. The Hidden Oneshave been established as a longstanding enemy of the Roman Empire from the beginning. A game set at its downfall would essentially be the culmination of centuries of efforts by the Hidden Ones to break it up.
There is an easy entry point for the story - the Hidden Ones (now perhaps closer to assassins) see an opportunity to destabilize Rome- and with it, the Order of the Ancients. A lot of gameplay would presumably consist of tasks that disrupt the Romans' already crumbling might until they’re weakened enough to destroy permanently. If not outright destroying the empire, the player would at the very least be causing enough trouble to set its collapse into motion.
