Rise of the Republic takes place in that period, serving as a bonafide prequel to Rome II’s Grand Campaign (and covering a similar period as that of the tutorial). Italy is full of Italians and Etruscans, with Greeks to the south in Syracuse and Gauls starting to make themselves comfy in the north, meaning the closest thing to a major power in the region was Carthage, all the way in Africa. It’s 399 BC, a century after Rome’s abolition of kingship in 509 BC. This time, instead of playing as or fighting against the full mighty of the world’s greatest republic, you get to witness its rise. Creative Assembly, ever aware of the staying power of Rome and its legacy, is back again with another expansion for Total War: Rome II.

The most important thing Italians gave the world, besides lasagne (and me).