Editing Roman Empire (section)

== Running a Game in the Roman Empire ==
The Roman Empire can make an excellent campaign setting. That being said, there are a few things that should be kept in mind when doing so.

* The Lex Iulia - The Lex Iulia was a very important law, and one of the things that allowed to Roman Empire to last so long. This law forbade normal citizens from owning martial weapons and armor unless you were serving in the military. While it allowed for things like bows and hunting knives, things like swords, spears, or actual armor were something reserved for the military. This means that unless your PCs are all members of the military or can loot something from one, they will have very little equipment.
* There was also a law that generals and governors from the provinces entering Rome lose all their authority.  If a military commander leads an army into the old boundaries of Rome, they're declared a public enemy (unless it's a declared Triumph, where a general and army parade into the city for awards and victory orgies).  This came up in the civil wars a lot, and basically meant that sorting out the corruption by going rogue was a win or die affair (and occasionally win AND THEN die).
* Another law required that businesses which set up shop alongside roads built by the army (ie, basically all the paved ones) had to post the prices for the services they offered, serve all paying customers if they can, and to give priority to military couriers.  Wherever the army built roads a sprawling network of stables and small inns would quickly spring up where couriers could rest and swap horses.  This was the origin of the modern legal concept of "the commons".  
* Criminals caught in the act usually faced death, even for thievery.  Otherwise, discretion on crime and punishment was basically up to the whims of the magistrate, who was typically interested in maintaining public order.  A spurious accusation against an upstanding citizen would likely be ignored (if not see the accuser kicked out of town), while a string of trivial grievances against a perceived malcontent might provoke some example-making (''"CRUCIFIXION?"  "Yeah, first offense.  Marvelous people the Romans."'').  In some cities, the condemned were sold as slaves or gladiators to be expended at the whims of their new owners; paradoxically a successful gladiatorial career was effectively a get-out-of-jail card for murder by being really good at murder.