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Western Civilization · Chapter 3

The Constitutional Magic Trick

You are Octavian in 27 BCE. You hold everything, and you have watched your adoptive father get stabbed to death for looking like a king. Assemble your powers below. The trick is to push real control as high as it will go while keeping the second meter — how much you look like a monarch — low enough that the Senate lets you live.

Choose your powers

Where it leaves you

Assassination risk gaugeA dial showing how likely the senatorial class is to kill you, based on your current choices.
Real control of the Roman state
How much you look like a king
Senatorial dignity left intact
Verdict

How long you last

Years in powerA timeline from 31 BCE showing how many years your settlement survives, with the milestones of the historical reign marked.