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You have been transported to the 50 BC Roman empire. You have all your knowledge but can not take anything with you. Can you take over the world ?

Hm, let me think. NO.

The known world at the time, or the entire globe?

Hrm... my latin is extremely poor and I've got nothing but the clothes on my back. I'd say probably not, no.

Seggybop wrote:The known world at the time, or the entire globe?

Yes the entire planet.

Errr no. If I had an M16A2 I might be able to squeeze my way into getting everyone to think I was some sort of god, but otherwise no.

evilcat4000 wrote:You have been transported to the 50 BC Roman empire. You have all your knowledge but can not take anything with you. Can you take over the world ?

Would dynastic continuity be a legitimate way to answer yes?

JediNeophyte wrote:Errr no. If I had an M16A2 I might be able to squeeze my way into getting everyone to think I was some sort of god, but otherwise no.

But you have all your 21st century knowledge. Claim you are a divine emissary to get many followers and take your people to africa. Build up a
base there and start building weapons using your 21st century knowledge. You should be able to build things like simple guns and steam powered warships and tanks. They would be awkward but will be absolutely devastating against the Romans. Keep on building more things with your knowledge from the future and you will have an army that could beat anything in the world at that time.

But none of us are super genuises, I mean, I understand the principles of most things, but building one from scratch? With no money? And convincing people that I'm not crazy before I can perform a 'miracle'? I think not...

Hmm 'A Conneticut Yankee in the Roman Senate' so the speak, hmm?

Provided I can communicate with them and pry myself away from those Roman orgies.. I do not think I can usurp Caesar. Outside of maybe some scientific knowledge I bring, I must figure out a way to convince the Roman legions to follow me and not throw me to the lions. So.. hmmm, no.

Egypt is a better place to be in 50 BC--Cleopatra has been on the throne for a year, then, and there's more room for eccentrics hanging around palaces inventing things than around the Roman Forum, royal patronage and all that--but total world conquest is simply impractical.

It's an impossible task. Take over one Empire on earth? Just maybe that could be done, heck maybe even you could dominate the world as it was known to that Empire. But the whole earth? No way.

If I had full Fifth Imperium physical upgrades and implants, as well as a full download of detailed information about the history of the time and the weapons that could be made using 50BC technology and/or technology that can be made using 50BC technology into the said implants, then perhaps...

... Otherwise, not a chance in hell.

How about just palling around with Caeser? Or better yet, flirting with the last Macedonian queen

Trytostaydead wrote:Hmm 'A Conneticut Yankee in the Roman Senate' so the speak, hmm? .

I loved "A connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs court" by Mark Twain. If you can not think of a way of taking over the world of 50 BC then read this. It clearly shows how an american from 1870s rose to power in sixth century England using nothing but his knowledge.

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:Egypt is a better place to be in 50 BC--Cleopatra has been on the throne for a year, then, and there's more room for eccentrics hanging around palaces inventing things than around the Roman Forum, royal patronage and all that--but total world conquest is simply impractical.

Egypt was also a wealthy and productive part of the Empire, with Roman bread being made with Egyptian grain and large education centers there as well. I don't think the scholars and philosophers of Alexandria would turn you out if you showed up with a head full of really advanced ideas. Of course, my timeline of the Roman Empire says that Caeser won't be showing up for 3 years so that would give you time to settle in before Egypt is annexed. I imagine you can be there and ready when Caeser decides he really needs a month named after himself and hires an Egyptian astronomer to work out a 12 month calendar for him.

If all goes well, by the time that Cleopatra gets bit and Egypt formally is annexed into the Empire (in 30 BCE), you can be in a very favorable position.

Knowledge is power.
If you can communicate with the people, you can impress them with your "predictions" of future events, or with some funky little chmistry/physics trick.
And once you found patronage, you can work from there, and use it to your advantage.

Even if I could speak all the languages of the main powers in the world during that time, the chances of me being able to convince them of me having invaluable knowledge and leadership ability is highly doubtful.

Gil Hamilton wrote: Egypt was also a wealthy and productive part of the Empire, with Roman bread being made with Egyptian grain and large education centers there as well. I don't think the scholars and philosophers of Alexandria would turn you out if you showed up with a head full of really advanced ideas. Of course, my timeline of the Roman Empire says that Caeser won't be showing up for 3 years so that would give you time to settle in before Egypt is annexed. I imagine you can be there and ready when Caeser decides he really needs a month named after himself and hires an Egyptian astronomer to work out a 12 month calendar for him.

If all goes well, by the time that Cleopatra gets bit and Egypt formally is annexed into the Empire (in 30 BCE), you can be in a very favorable position.

I'm slightly more ambitious than that--how hard do you think it would be to fit the Egyptian squadron at Actium with Greek Fire? W.L. Rodgers, suggesting that Cleopatra was an intelligent and capable ruler and commander, proposed that the so-called "flight" of the Egyptian squadron was actually a last-ditch attempt to win: using their sails, normally not used in naval warfare of the time, to gather sufficient momentum with the heavier ships for a series of decisive ramming actions against the lighter Roman ships. The wind, however, was not with them, and they couldn't bring the more nimble Romans to action with their rams.

Byzantine tactics with Greek fire, though, consisted of just that--sweeping through the enemy formation while engaging with the Greek Fire. Oftentimes they would succeed in scattering much larger fleets. A simple innovation like that would lend much weight to Antony's cause. And Actium wasn't until 31 B.C... How many other subtle little things like that could be introduced in nineteen years? For instance, a military engagement against Augustus might go much better if Antony's eastern cavalry had the further advantage of, say, stirrups.

Hah, you intend to make a seperate Egyptian nation independant of the Empire under Antony. Might as well throw in armored Parthian style knights if you've got the stirrup. Introducing artillery in the form of simple cannons would also put a bee in the Roman's galea as well if you could secure the resources for it.

Good luck with that. Me, I'd much rather go north of where Hadrian's wall will be to hang out with my little blue brothers who may well be ancestors of mine. I doubt I could civilize the Picts very well, but on the plus side I can paint myself with woad and yell alot.

evilcat4000 wrote:

JediNeophyte wrote:Errr no. If I had an M16A2 I might be able to squeeze my way into getting everyone to think I was some sort of god, but otherwise no.

But you have all your 21st century knowledge. Claim you are a divine emissary to get many followers and take your people to africa. Build up a
base there and start building weapons using your 21st century knowledge. You should be able to build things like simple guns and steam powered warships and tanks. They would be awkward but will be absolutely devastating against the Romans. Keep on building more things with your knowledge from the future and you will have an army that could beat anything in the world at that time.

21st century knowledge? Almost no one would know how to make a gun out of scratch much less a steam powered warship and tanks.

Even if the person happens to, he needs the materials, and certain parts and stuff.

They had steam engines in ancient times...too bad the fools used them for
toys like opening temple doors

I personally would probably be killed quickly by a random person on suspect of being rich on account of being big and healthy and clean, and therefore worth robbing.

Now change your story slightly. Say that I go back with no items of value except the clothes on my back, but that I get to bring a small team of engineers, sociologists, and professional soldiers with me. That might make a difference.

The closest thing I could come to communicating in ancient times would be my knowledge of Modern Greek, which basically brakes down to me being able to meet one of my ancenstors, point to a tree and say 'δέντρο' and them replying 'δέντρο', but if you are actually asking me to string some kind of sentence together and make some sense, they would probably piss themselves laughing. Modern and Ancient Greek use similar words, but in terms of gramma, I'm fucked!

Quite frankly you're fucked in this scenario for the simple reason that most of us cannot speak any language in use at the time, so with all the knowledge in my head (and frankly how many of us can build ANYTHING from scratch, particularly with the technology and material available at the time) it would be useless because it cannot be communicated and considering how we live now, the sanitary conditions would most likely make me sick or kill me within a few weeks as our bodies are not conditioned to the filth and squalor of the time. All in all I'm glad to be in the here and now.