Sword of Orthodoxy: The Rise and Fall of Byzantium 420-1453 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Introduction
• 2.0 Components and Concepts
• 3.0 Setup
• 4.0 Tile Draw Phase
• 5.0 Turn Start Phase
• 6.0 Leadership Phase
• 7.0 Tax Phase
• 8.0 Chronicle Synopsis Phase
• 9.0 Barbarian Phase
• 10.0 Byzantine Action Phase
• 11.0 End of Turn Phase
• 12.0 Victory and Defeat
• Appendix: Tables
• Appendix A: Campaign Setup
• Appendix B: Counter Tray Inventory
• Appendix C: Sequence of Play
• Appendix D: Synopsis of Histories Table
• Appendix E: Millennium Scenario Setup
• Appendix F: Optional Round-letter Events (Rule 5.3.8)

1.0 Introduction

When the Roman Empire became too complex to administer effectively, it was peacefully divided into its western and eastern halves in 395 AD. The division was more than administrative: it reflected a real social fracture. The West spoke Latin and was populated mostly by Romans native to Italy and by "barbarians" who had been assimilated into Latin culture in Gaul, Hispania, and North Africa. The Eastern Empire, despite being ruled for centuries by Latin-speaking emperors, was largely the domain of the Greeks, whose language and culture had deeply influenced non-Greek peoples, such as the Semites and Jews of Syria or the Coptic Egyptians, since the time of Alexander the Great.

Sword of Orthodoxy is a solitaire strategy game about the rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire, simulating its saga from 421 AD to the end of the fifteenth century: an epic history of a thousand years of heroism, treason, intrigue, and spectacular cultural achievement. The game system is inspired by the brilliant Israeli Independence (2008) by Darin Leviloff and the "States of Siege" system that he began; its three Eastern theatres reflect that original design. The three Western theatres are based on my later reworking of that system, found in Kaiserkrieg! (2022) and Global War (2024) from White Dog Games.

Christianity was the dominant religion in both halves. It was legalized by Constantine I in 313 and made the official religion of the Empire in 380 by Theodosius I (the grandfather of Theodosius II, who is your Emperor at the start of the game in 421 AD). Here too language and culture had already produced divisions: the Latin Christians of the Western Empire looked to the Bishop of Rome as their guide, while the Greek Christians of the Eastern Empire were more decentralized and regarded the Ecumenical Councils of many bishops as the highest authority in the Church.

This game is a high-level strategic view of history. The details are ingeniously simplified to make it playable and to highlight "the most interesting" things about the period, such as religious conflicts, barbarian hordes, Byzantine politics, dynastic intrigues, conspiring empresses, Greek Fire, the Mongols, plagues, jihads, naval sieges, khans, caliphs, and crusaders. Sword of Orthodoxy aims to be a fun and challenging game about the most prominent themes of the real period, one that awakens in the player an appetite to learn more about this fascinating era. See the bibliography.

Narrow blue text, like this, illustrates examples of play.

Text in shaded boxes expresses the designer's voice on a concept or idea that is not actually a rule.

These rules are very procedural. Follow the Sequence of Play scrupulously and make sure to carry out each step carefully and in the correct order. It is a solitaire game, so you have no opponent to point out your mistakes!

[1.1] Die Roll Modifiers: These rules frequently use the term "DRM," which means "die roll modifier." A DRM of -1 means that when you roll a die, you subtract one from it (so a roll of 5 is treated as a 4). Conversely, a DRM of +1 turns a roll of 4 into a 5. All DRMs are cumulative.

Crucial: Regardless of DRMs, a natural (unmodified) roll of 1 or 6 is never modified by any DRM. Whatever the DRM, a 1 always counts as a 1 and a 6 always counts as a 6.

[1.2] Note on the Greek letters: The six Paths (2.2) are marked with Greek letters, Α, Β, Γ, Δ, Ε and Ζ, as follows:

Α = "Alpha" Β = "Beta" Γ = "Gamma" Δ = "Delta" Ε = "Epsilon" Ζ = "Zeta"

In addition, the letter Σ ("Sigma") is used as a symbol to signal the occurrence of a religious Schism (2.6). The letters Π ("Pi") and Χ ("Chi") are symbols that indicate real capabilities for influencing social conflict (11.9).

2.0 Components and Concepts

"Our kingdom is an imitation of yours, a copy of the one true Empire." – Theodoric the Ostrogoth to Emperor Anastasius I (508)

[2.1] Inventory of components:

• One 18 x 18" full-color map board.
• 176 full-color game pieces, called "Tiles" (double-sided).
• One 8½ x 11" Counter Tray sheet (black and white, 2 sides).
• One 8½ x 11" Campaign Setup sheet (black and white, 1 side).
• One 8½ x 11" "Synopsis" card (black and white, 2 sides).
• One 24-page full-color rulebook (the one you are reading).
• Two 6-sided dice ("2d6"), not included.

You will also need four Dunnigan Ceramic Randomizers (coffee mugs) to hold various Tiles that are drawn at random from them during play. One mug is used for the Turn Chits (2.3), the second holds the ruling Dynasty Tiles, the third is for the Basileus Tiles (ruler), and the last is for the Patriarch Tiles (6.0).

[2.2] The game map: It represents the areas of Europe, the Near East, and Africa under Byzantine rule. Key on the map are the six "Paths" that converge on your capital of Constantinople: the South, the West, the North, Iberia, Persia, and Syria.

[2.2.1] The map: Zones (ΑΒΓ) and Themas (ΔΕΖ). The six Paths are broadly divided into two types, which function under somewhat different rules. The Paths ΑΒΓ, in the west, are called "Zones"; the Paths ΔΕΖ, in the east, are divided into a series of smaller spaces called "Themas."

The Western Theatre consists of three Paths, each of which connects Constantinople with a single "Zone." The three Zones are labelled Α, Β, and Γ. The Path corresponding to each Zone is also designated with the same letter.

Each Zone of the Western Theatre has a corresponding space on the Counter Tray (3.1), called the Reserves. Moving hostile Armies from the Reserves to the Zone space on the map, and back, is a fundamental mechanic of the game (9.2).

The Eastern Theatre also consists of three Paths, but here each Path is segmented into several smaller spaces called "Themas" (the Byzantine term for a province). The three Paths are labelled Δ, Ε, and Ζ, and each individual Thema has its own geographic name ("Nicaea," "Paphlagonia," etc.). Each Eastern Path ends in a rectangular Homeland Box, far from Constantinople. Enemy forces may be pushed back as far as that Box, but they cannot be attacked while they are there (except if an enemy Stolos fleet is present; 10.6.5).

The Paths of the Eastern Theatre have no corresponding Reserve spaces on the Counter Tray, unlike the West.

[2.2.2] Constantinople: All the Paths lead to (New) Rome, in this case Constantinople. The Constantinople space holds the political Factions, your Basileus (Emperor), the University and, possibly, Riots and Latin Crusaders. It is under the threat of Sieges (12.1).

As demonstrated by the fact that it withstood almost every attack for more than a thousand years, the city of Constantinople occupies an almost perfect strategic location. An earlier Greek colony, Byzantion, had existed on the site since the seventh century BC, but the Roman Emperor Constantine rebuilt the city as "New Rome" between 324 and 330 AD. The "Old" Rome, in Italy, was already in decline, and "New Rome" was a better strategic and economic site, easy to defend against attacks by land and by sea, while standing at the crossroads of trade between Europe and Asia.

Less than a century after its founding, it had surpassed Rome in population. Popularly it was called Constantinople ("the City of Constantine"), and Theodosius II (408-450, the Emperor with whom you begin the game) made that its official name. The Greeks often called it simply "The City." The Greek phrase στην Πόλι ("in The City," pronounced Stimbóli) entered the jargon of its Turkish conquerors after 1453, who garbled it as İstanbul. That became its official name only in 1876. To this day, in Greek it is still called Constantinople! See The Mission (White Dog Games, 2020).

[2.3] Turn Chits: The 28 Turn Chits confront you with social, political, economic, and military challenges (5.3), which you must overcome by spending "solidus" (money; 10.0). Turn Chits are drawn at random and placed on the "Chronographia" to indicate what point in history you have reached.

Playing a single Turn Chit represents the passage of 40 years of "historical time." Note that there are 27 Turns but 28 Turn Chits. This is intentional: you never know for certain which will be the last Chit drawn in the game.

[2.4] "Tiles" (game pieces): The other square pieces ("Tiles") represent many things, from armies and outposts to political events and leaders.

When a rule tells you to discard a Tile, you remove it from the game forever. When it tells you to withdraw a Tile, this always means you move it from the map to its Reserve space or to the Counter Tray for future use.

The shields and ethnic names are merely decorative. Each Army has a number that indicates its combat strength (10.6).

[2.4.1] ΑΒΓ Tribe Tiles and Army strength: On the ΑΒΓ Paths, the "Tribe" Tile in the round space indicates the ethnic identity of the Barbarian Armies of that Zone. Whenever the Tribe Tile changes, check the icon of the new Tribe. It may be a "horse" (a strong enemy) or a "man" (a weaker enemy). You must flip all Barbarians on that Path, both in the Zone itself and in the corresponding Reserves on the Counter Tray, so that they match the new Tribe.

Example: Changing the Tribe of Path Α from "Vandals" (horse icon) to "Moors" (man icon) also means that you must change all Barbarians on Path Α, both on Path Α itself and in the "Α" Reserves on the Counter Tray, to their weaker "man" side.

[2.5] Basileus Tiles: The "Basileus" is you: the Roman Emperor who rules your Empire. The game uses two different Tiles for the Basileus and his abilities.

The grey Basileus: Each Turn you draw a grey Tile at random to see the name of your current Basileus (e.g., Alexios) and his military, religious, and economic abilities. This grey Tile is placed on the grey "Basileus" space on the upper edge of the map. The crown icon (top left) is merely decorative.

The golden Basileus: On the Constantinople space you will normally also have a golden "Basileus" Tile. This Tile is used to represent the Basileus personally committing himself to specific missions (10.7). This may remove the Tile from play for several Turns; this never has any effect on the grey Basileus.

The Greek word "Basileus" (Βασιλεύς) means "Ruler," but in Byzantium it always designated the Roman Emperor. In Greek, the boundary between "king" and "emperor" is blurry. Fun fact: the plural of Basileus is Basileis (Βασιλεῖς).

[2.6] The Schism Level: The "Schism" Tile on the Omnibus Track measures the current Schism Level (between 0 and 12). The Tile moves to the right, increasing the Schism Level, due to Ecumenical Councils (5.3.1), Heretical Patriarchs (6.3), and Abandoned Outposts (10.2). You may reduce the Schism Level by Imposing Orthodoxy (10.9) or by using the Basileus (10.7.7). And if the Schism Level ever exceeds 12, the game ends and you lose!

Disputes between the Pope of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople complicated efforts to impose religious unity, as did the minor schismatic churches and the rival theologies within the "Orthodox" state church. The Empire treated the Church as a department of government, and imposing Right Belief ("Orthodoxy") served to ensure that everyone was loyal to the State. The content of the beliefs was a matter of debate for theologians; all the Emperor wanted was for everyone to agree and stop fighting!

[2.7] Egyptian religion: At the start of the game, Egypt is a Christian country. Its native Coptic Christians may have become estranged from the Orthodox government in Constantinople, but they have their own sacred traditions and still speak Coptic, the modern form of the ancient Egyptian language. This is indicated by the grey "Egypt" Tile (with a cross) on the Egyptian Religion space of the map. If it is conquered by Muslims, Egypt may change its religion to Islam during the game (11.4).

[2.8] The rise of Islam: This dramatic plot twist may be triggered by two different events in the game: the random event War in the East (8.3) and the Special Rule "Islam" (5.2.3). Because either one can trigger it, it is described here in its own section. It can only happen once.

When the "Rise of Islam" occurs, check the Homeland spaces of Paths Ε and Ζ for "Pagan" or "Colonist" Tiles. If there is a Colonist Tile on Path Ε, replace the hostile Armies of Paths Δ and Ε with the "Saracen" (Arab) units of the corresponding colour. If there is a Colonist Tile on Path Ζ, replace the hostile Army of Path Ζ with its own "Saracen" unit. If there is no Colonist Tile on Path Ζ, replace the Persian Tile on Path Ζ with the "Nomads" Tile.

Next, consult the "Empires in Rubble" Tile on the Omnibus Track. The level of "Ruins" indicates the number of Saracen attacks after the appearance of Islam. Once all the hostile Saracen units have been deployed on the map (according to the preceding paragraph), the Saracens immediately gain a number of free attacks equal to the current level of Ruins. The first attack is on Path Ε, the second on Path Ζ, the third on Path Δ, the fourth on Path Ε, the fifth on Path Ζ, the sixth on Path Δ, the seventh on Path Ε, the eighth on Path Ζ, and the ninth on Path Δ. Reduce Ruins by -1 for each attack made. An attack only takes place if the Army on the Path is, in fact, Saracen! If it is not, skip that Path, reduce Ruins by -1, and continue with the next Path.

The Caliph: When Islam has successfully appeared in the game, place the "Caliph" Tile in Arabia (7.3).

3.0 Setup

"A new Rome, a Rome without wrinkles, an eternally young Rome, eternally renewed." – Constantine Manasses, Synopsis of Histories (1150)

[3.1] Counter Tray: Take all the Tiles out of the game box and sort them by type on the "Counter Tray." This will help you keep the great variety of Tiles distinct and will facilitate setting up the game. Then place the 28 Turn Chits in the Turn Chit Mug.

[3.2] Game setup: Consult the Setup Sheet and follow each of its instructions, moving Tiles from the Counter Tray to their starting positions on the map or to the Reserves (located at the top of the Counter Tray, but considered distinct from it). Tiles that are not "moved" by some instruction stay where they are, on the Counter Tray!

4.0 Tile Draw Phase

"If you were truly the strong man you claim to be, or if you had any guts, you would have crushed the gold-stealing Persian thieves in a brave defeat and brought their booty back to the Romans!" – A soldier rebuking Emperor Manuel I (c. 1176)

[4.1] Tile draw: The first step of a Turn is to draw a Turn Chit at random from the Turn Chit Mug. This announces the start of a new 40-year era in Byzantine history. Place it on the next Turn space of the Chronographia that does not have a Turn Chit. (On Turn 1, this will be the "I.") This becomes the new current Game Turn. Proceed to Rule 5.0.

Example: You have just finished the last steps of Turn I ("421-460"). So it is time to draw a Tile. You reach in and draw (drumroll)... Chit No. 12. Place it on the Turn 2 ("461-500") space of the Chronographia and proceed to Rule 5.0.

The Chit is always placed "face up," that is, on the side with its round identification number and several Greek letters.

5.0 Turn Start Phase

"Digenis fights for his life and the world shrinks in fear, the sky thunders and lightens. The whole upper world trembles as the underworld opens, cracking its foundations, and the idea of covering it fills the tomb slab with dread: the idea of the slab covering the eagle." – I Crossed Rivers at Night (epic poem, 11th or 12th century)

[5.1] Chronographia deployments: Any other Tile on the Chronographia space of the current Turn is now deployed:

Justinian and his Dynasty: If the Basileus Tile "Justinian" and the purple Dynasty Tile "Justinian" are on the current Turn space, "Justinian" becomes your new Basileus for this Turn. Place him on the Basileus space on the map (and return the existing Basileus to the Basileus mug). The existing Dynasty is discarded and the "Justinian" Dynasty is placed on the Dynasty space of the map. Do not select any other new Dynasty or new Basileus this Turn.

If you had just drawn a fantastic Dynasty, bad luck: Justinian and his family have just overthrown it. What can I say? They are Justinians. They are unstoppable.

On Turn 4 the normal rules apply: remove Justinian from the game and draw the next new Basileus at random. A normal roll is made to see whether his Dynasty survives.

Basileus: If the golden Basileus Tile (2.5) is on the current Turn space, return it to Constantinople. It is now available to go on missions (10.7).

If Egypt has "fallen" (11.5) or the "Egypt" Outpost has been Abandoned (10.2), and the Tribe of Path Ζ is Muslim (9.1.1), and Path Α is "Africa," you fight the Battle of Carthage.

[5.2] Chronographia Events: Now apply any Event of the Chronographia that is printed on the current Turn space of the map, from those listed below.

Roll one die and add the number of Thema spaces controlled by Muslims on Path Ζ, including Syria. Add +2 if Egypt has converted to Islam (11.4). On a 6 or more, replace the existing Tribe of Path Α with the Saracens (2.4.1). The Arabs have conquered Carthage!

[5.2.1] Ephesus and Chalcedon: This Turn 1 Event simulates the Ecumenical Councils of 431 and 451, which fractured the Church. Roll 1 die and increase the Schism Level (2.6) by that number; then roll a second die and reduce Schism by that number (zero is the lowest it can go).

The Council of Ephesus (431) ruled that the Nestorian side had underestimated how divine Jesus is. They fled to Persia, where their "Assyrian Church of the East" became one of the principal Christian factions of the Middle Ages, before being almost exterminated by Islamic genocides.

The Council of Chalcedon (451) ruled that the Monophysite side had overestimated how divine Jesus is. They entrenched themselves in Armenia, Egypt, and Ethiopia. Some 50 million of these "Oriental Orthodox" Christians survive today, despite 1,400 years of Islamic conquest, brutality, and genocide: the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by Turkey in the early twentieth century is the best-known of many examples. The victorious moderate side came to be known as the Chalcedonians. Nearly all Christians today (Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant) subscribe to the Christology defined at Chalcedon. The lasting influence of the two losing factions is the modifier described in rule 10.9.

[5.2.2] Magister Militum: A name in red on the Turn space, with a black "sword" icon, indicates that a historically great Byzantine general, the Magister Militum ("Master of the Soldiers"), is ready to take command of your armed forces. To use him, take his Tile from the Counter Tray and place him in Constantinople. He may be used during the Byzantine Action Phase to fight battles (10.8).

[5.2.3] Migration Events: Events in green on a Turn space are Migration Events. They are, in alphabetical order:

BUYIDS: If the Saracen Tile is on Path Ε, replace it with the Buyid Tile. It has no other effect. An Islamic dynasty has come to power in Persia for the first time.

CARTHAGE: This Event simulates the struggle over the North African city of Carthage (modern Tunisia) at the end of the seventh and beginning of the eighth centuries. The Event occurs each time it is drawn at random (8.4.1); in addition, it must occur on Turn 8.

If this causes the fall of Carthage, you must discard (not trade in!) the "Hispania" Outpost Tile.

EGYPT: This Event only occurs if there is a "Pagan" Tile in the Homeland of Path Ζ. The existing Tribes on Paths Α and Ζ are both replaced with the "Egypt" Tiles of the corresponding colour; discard (not trade in!) the "Egypt" Outpost Tile. Egypt is now an independent Christian empire and will be your main enemy on those Paths from here on.

The "Egypt" Event is rather fanciful. It can only occur if Path Ζ is still Pagan. It stands in for the point when the Muslim Fatimid Caliphate seized Egypt and made it a great power for the first time since the Roman conquest of 30 BC. The Fatimids showed that good leaders could make tenth-century Egypt a significant force. Without Arab colonialism, our Egypt would have remained Coptic-speaking and Christian, but ruled by Monophysites, who were no friends of Rome!

ISLAM (optional rule): The rise of Islam in this game is explained in the rules for "War in the East" (2.8, 8.3). However, this does not guarantee that Islam will ever appear as a factor in the game. If a world without Islam seems too sad, strange, or ahistorical to you, use this optional rule! And if the rise of Islam intrigues you, or you want to fight it, take a look at The First Jihad from White Dog Games.

If "War in the East" has occurred, but Islam has not appeared (2.8, 8.3) by this point of Turn 6, Islam now appears (2.8). If "War in the East" has not occurred, this Optional Rule does not trigger Islam.

MONGOLS: The Mongol hordes pour out of Central Asia and invade the Middle East and Europe. Place the Mongol Tiles on Paths Ε and Ζ (they replace the Barbarians on those Paths). Remove any Tile from the Kiev space; the space is closed from now on. Kiev has been conquered by the Mongols and plays no further role in Byzantine history.

NORMANS: If Path Β is "Italy," roll a die. If the roll is greater than the total number of Barbarians on Path Β, nothing happens. If the result is equal to or less, the Galo-Viking Normans expel the Byzantines from Italy: flip the "Italy" Tile to its "Balkans" side and reduce Zone Β to its single weakest unit (return any others to the Reserves). Replace the existing Tribe of Path Β with the "Normans" Tile (2.4.1). Any Tile of Ravenna or the Holy Roman Empire is discarded.

[5.3] Turn Chit-based events: Some random events are printed on the Turn Chits themselves.

[5.3.1] Ecumenical Councils: If a Patriarch symbol appears on the Turn Chit, roll a die and add the result to the Schism Level (2.6) on the Omnibus Track. Add a DRM of +1 if the Pope is currently "Hostile" (Mean). If the Schism Level exceeds 12, the game ends and you lose immediately!

[5.3.2] Crusader Shields may appear on a Turn Chit. Ignore it if the Crusades have already begun. If they have not begun, count the number of Turn Chits on the map with Crusader Shields. If the total is 6, the Crusades begin immediately; see 5.4.1.

[5.3.3] Schism of East and West: If this Event is drawn (Chit No. 16), the Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) Churches permanently separate. The only effect in the game is to discard the "Pope" Tile. The Pope of Rome remains where he is; he simply no longer has any influence over the policy of the Byzantine Church.

[5.3.4] Reforms – The red ID disc: If the ID number disc on the Turn Chit is red, it means the opportunity has come to enact "Reforms" to modernize the Byzantine Empire. Spend 1 $ (you must have saved that 1 $ from the previous Turn) and roll a die to move the Reforms Tile on the Omnibus Track to the right by as many spaces as the number rolled. When the Tile passes space 12 of the Track, you have achieved the Reforms; place the Tile on the space at the lower left of the map. Its four effects are:

❶ Greek language: You obtain $ from the "Greeks" (8.4.1). ❷ Greek Fire: You may start using Greek Fire whenever you like, if you control Lazica (10.5). ❸ Greek patriots: Any attack "from Constantinople" receives a +1 DRM to the attack (10.6.6.2). ❹ Kastra: You may now build the Kastron (6.6).

Often, and inaccurately, called the Reforms of Heraclius, the "Reforms" rule simulates various more or less unconnected social, political, and military changes that took place during the seventh century in response to the threats from Persia and the Saracens. Part of this reflects the new, more consciously "Greek" nature of the Eastern Roman Empire as it left its Latin origins behind.

[5.3.5] Civil War: A "crossed swords" icon on the Turn Chit means that you will fight a Civil War this Turn (6.1.1).

[5.3.6] Random Barbarians: If you draw Chit No. 28, its three white die icons require you to roll three dice. Each roll generates a random Barbarian Advance (Rule 9.2 on Path ΑΒΓ, or Rule 9.3 on Path ΔΕΖ). Each Advance is applied immediately.

Example: You roll ⚀, ⚁ and ⚁. You would therefore get one random Advance on Path Α and two random Advances on Path Β. Carry them out immediately.

RED die icons on the Tiles must be ignored. But if you think the game is too easy, treat them as white!

[5.3.7] Social events: If the Turn Chit has the "fire" icon (e.g., Turn Chit No. 2), generate a Social Event that involves some kind of social change later in the Turn (6.7).

[5.3.8] Round-letter Events (optional rule): If a Turn Chit has a "round" letter (e.g., Ⓐ), a random event occurs if you use this optional rule.

The corresponding list of events is on the Sword of Orthodoxy page of White Dog Games.

[5.4] The Crusades: The Crusades may have begun this Turn or on an earlier Turn.

[5.4.1] The Crusades begin: If the "Crusades" began this Turn, place the "Crusades" Tile on the "A" space of the Crusades Track (lower right of the map). This Turn marks the First Crusade. Put the "Holy Land" Outpost on its space next to Jerusalem. You immediately gain 2 "free" attacks, at no cost; they must be made against Muslims or, if there are none, against Persia. Ignore all DRMs on these free attacks!

[5.4.2] The Crusades continue: If the First Crusade began on an earlier Turn, advance the Crusade Tile to the next space (from A to B, from B to C, from C to D) and roll on the Crusade Table (Table 1, p. 24) to see what the Crusaders do this Turn. The results are explained below. If the Crusade Tile began the Turn on D, discard it; the Crusades have ended.

Constantinople betrayed: This result can only occur once. It simulates the Fourth Crusade, when the Latins (Catholics) decided to take and sack Constantinople instead of attacking the Muslims. Place a number of "Latins" in Constantinople equal to the Schism Level (maximum 6). See 10.6.4 for their effect. You may (and should!) attack these "Latins" to eliminate them; see 10.6.9.

After deploying the Latins, remove the "University" Tile if it is in Constantinople (it may be rebuilt). Any Riot Tile in Constantinople is now flipped to its "Latins" side.

Landing in Egypt: If the Egypt Outpost Tile has been withdrawn or is "Fallen," flip it to its "Egypt" side and place it, if necessary, on the "Egypt" space. You have a foothold in Egypt that you may Abandon for benefit whenever you like (10.2). Egypt remains in danger (11.5).

6.0 Leadership Phase

"I stood there, thinking about what would be the best way to address him. If I call him a Saracen, I fear he will kill me. If I call him lord, I will bring shame upon myself." – The Song of Armouris (c. 859)

Byzantine society was dominated by two institutions: the monarchy and the church. At the risk of oversimplifying, in the Catholic West the Papacy dominated the lives of kings and nations, while in the Orthodox East the church was relegated to a government office subject to the whims of the Emperor. There were always exceptions. It is debatable which of the two paths was more debilitating for Christianity.

Ignore this entire chapter (6.0) on Game Turn 1!

Purple versus black Dynasties: Begin by using the purple side of all Dynasty Tiles. If all the Dynasties run out, return them all to the Dynasty Mug and now use the black sides. The black Dynasties are fictitious, but their names allude to families who led Greek resistance to Turkish occupation of Greek lands after 1453.

[6.1] A new Dynasty? The ruling Dynasty on the map may or may not still be in power at this moment.

If the ruling Dynasty is "Anarchy," or if there is a Riot Tile in Constantinople at this moment, discard the ruling Dynasty and draw a Dynasty at random from the Mug; place it on the Dynasty space. This is your new ruling Dynasty. Return all Riots to the Omnibus Track, along with a Faction of your choice (they were the ones rioting!).

[Errata 2025]

Otherwise, roll a die. If the Niké Tile (10.6.1) is on space "3" or higher, add +1 to the Dynasty roll. If the (modified) roll is equal to or greater than the die icon on the Dynasty Tile, the current Dynasty remains in power; leave it on the Dynasty space and proceed to 6.2.

The Niké Tile shows the battles that the ruling Dynasty won in the last Turn. A glorious Dynasty is less likely to be deposed. Of course a dreadful Dynasty might also be lucky in war and cling to power against your wishes!

If the roll is less than the die icon on the Tile, the Dynasty has been overthrown. Discard the Tile and draw a new Dynasty at random from the Mug. This is your new Dynasty for the rest of the Turn. Note that if the Dynasty is "Anarchy," it provides no income.

[6.1.1] Civil War: A "Civil War" icon (crossed swords) drawn on Turn 1 or Turn 3 has no effect. Otherwise:

If the current Turn Chit has a Civil War icon (crossed swords), leave the existing Dynasty on its space and draw a second Dynasty Tile; the two fight it out for government of the Empire. You may choose to support either of the two and spend any amount of solidus you have to back it. Roll one die for each Dynasty; add the number of solidus you have just paid (if you paid any) to the roll of your preferred Dynasty. The higher (modified) roll wins. The winning Dynasty goes to the Dynasty space; the losing Dynasty returns to the Dynasty Mug (unless the loser was the existing Dynasty, in which case it is discarded). The money you spent is lost in any case. Any +1 modifier from Niké (10.6.1) applies to the "incumbent." A tie counts as a victory for the incumbent Dynasty.

If there is a Civil War but no incumbent Dynasty (due to Riots or Anarchy), choose two Dynasties at random from the Mug and pay to back your chosen one, if you wish, as indicated above.

Example: You are ruled by the glorious Palaiologan Dynasty, but you have just drawn a Turn Chit with a Civil War. So you decide you want to keep the Palaiologoi. You draw the rival Dynasty Tile... it is Anarchy! Now you really need the Palaiologoi to remain in power. Luckily you have 2 $ in your treasury, so you spend all of it on the incumbents. In addition you have a +1 Niké from the previous Turn, so all of this gives you a DRM of +3. You roll a die for Anarchy and get a 6. You roll for the Palaiologoi: you get a 2, but it rises to 5 with the +3 DRM. That is not enough! The Palaiologoi are overthrown and the Byzantine Empire sinks into 40 years of Anarchy.

[6.2] Draw a new Basileus: Remove the existing grey Basileus from the map and put it into the Basileus Mug.* Shake it and draw a Basileus at random; toss it into the air and let it fall on the table to show the new Basileus of this Turn. Place it on the "Basileus" space of the map.

* On Turn 2, the existing Basileus is Theodosius (who begins the game in that role). Do not put him in the mug. Flip his "Justinian" side and place "Justinian" on the Turn 3 space. Then choose a Basileus at random as indicated above to be your new ruler for this Turn. On Turn 3 your Basileus is Justinian; discard him on Turn 4, when you draw a new Basileus.

Each Turn of the game lasts 40 years, so your Basileus of "this Turn" is simply the most illustrious, famous, or notorious ruler of Byzantium among others during that 40-year period: the one whom history will always remember.

[6.2.1] Zoe and Theodora: If the Basileus you have just drawn is Zoe or Theodora, it means that your late Basileus died without an heir; his daughter, or his widow, has taken the reins of power. Place her on the Basileus space of the map and then draw another Basileus at random. You may use the abilities of both this Turn!

The term "Byzantine" is used today to describe political systems dominated by convoluted plots, scheming conspirators (often women), and complex behind-the-scenes power struggles. All of this is a faithful reflection of Empire politics, but for this rule we draw your attention to Zoe and Theodora. A Basileus without a male heir often meant that a daughter or widow inherited power, but she had to marry a man who could be Basileus in his own right. Her choice was always conditioned by political or religious factions seeking to put "their man" in the highest position. That is why we do not simply let you choose!

[6.2.2] Scheming Empress: If you have Zoe or Theodora and you do not like the Basileus who came up as her husband, you may spend 1 $ to flip his other side and use that husband instead. Love conquers all!

[6.2.3] Mutilation: After selecting your Basileus, you now have the option of mutilating him by cutting off his nose. What did I just say about Byzantine politics?

To be Roman Emperor, one had to have the stomach for it. It was not unusual for political rivals or deposed rulers to be physically mutilated: typically by cutting off, or tearing off, the nose, or by blinding them. Although more Byzantine rulers were deposed by outright murder, the colourful custom of mutilation merits a mention in this game.

If you do not like your new Basileus, mutilate him. You may not mutilate Zoe or Theodora, or any of their husbands. To mutilate a Basileus, add +3 (+4 if the Pope is Hostile) to the Schism Level. The Church dislikes this very much. Then take the existing grey Basileus and put it back into the mug; then draw a new one. You may choose which side of the Tile to use. Place it on the Basileus space.

If the new Basileus is Zoe or Theodora, stop here; she is your only ruler this Turn (she receives no husband: she is the one in charge!). However, if the new Basileus is male, you may also immediately return the golden Basileus from the Chronographia to Constantinople. This may be your best reason for committing these atrocities in the first place.

[6.3] New Patriarch: The Orthodox Church elects a new leader. The rules keep changing, so pay attention to this rule.

Heretic! Any new Patriarch drawn from the mug that bears the "Σ" symbol now adds +1 to the Schism Level (2.6). Nestorius, on Turn 1, does not add +1.

Turns 2-10: Discard the current Patriarch (do not put him in the Mug!) and shake the Patriarch Mug. Draw a new Patriarch and place him on the Patriarch space, next to Constantinople. On Turn 2, when "Nestorius" is discarded, flip his "University" side (see 10.7.12).

Turn 11: "Triumph of Orthodoxy." On Turn 11, unless you have done something wrong, there should be no Patriarch left in the Patriarch Mug. Recover the six numbered Patriarchs that were discarded and put all six into the Patriarch Mug. Shake the mug, draw a new Patriarch and place him on the Patriarch space.

The "Triumph of Orthodoxy" represents the events of 843 AD, when the iconoclast faction was finally defeated and the sacred icons were restored in Hagia Sophia. This ended the theological dispute over the veneration of Icons that had divided the Church for 117 years. It also ushered in a new era of stability for the leaders of Orthodoxy, none of whom would repeat the dreadful heretical nonsense of their predecessors (the late and unlamented "Σ" Patriarchs).

Turns 12-27: Return the current Patriarch to the Mug and shake it. Draw a new Patriarch and place him on the Patriarch space. It may be the same one you just put in the Mug. No problem: another guy, same name.

[6.4] New Pope: Roll one die. On 1-4, place the "Nice Pope" on the Pope space. On 5-6, flip the Tile to its "Mean Pope" side and place it on the Pope space.

"The Pope" is the Bishop of Rome. This is confusing, since other jurisdictions, such as Alexandria in Egypt, also had "Popes." This game adopts a Byzantine Orthodox perspective but, to keep things short, a "nice" Pope does not try to meddle in the faith of your empire as much as a "hostile" Pope. If this kind of thing interests you as much as it does me, take a look at The Mission: Early Christianity from the Crucifixion to the Crusades, from White Dog Games.

[6.5] Pay Tribute: Using $ saved from the previous Turn, you may spend 2 $ to pay a "Tribute" to a Barbarian on a Path and buy peace with it for this Turn. Place the Tribute Tile on a Homeland or Zone space (9.5.4).

[6.6] Build a Kastron: If the Reforms are in effect (5.3.4), you may use 1 $ saved from the previous Turn to build the "Kastron" Tile on a Path and defend it (9.5.5). Place the Kastron Tile on a Thema of the Path or on the Zone space.

The quintessentially Byzantine word "Kastron" means castle; the Greek κάστρον comes from the Latin castrum. A good example of the Byzantines still being Romans.

[6.7] Social Events: At this point in the Turn, social groups make themselves felt. Often this is bad for you, but sometimes it can be good! The Social Tiles ("Socials") are "Christians" on one side and "Dynatoi" (powerful men) on the other. If no Social is available on the Counter Tray, treat this as "No Event."

Look for "fire" icons on the active Turn Chit, Dynasty Tile, or Basileus. The number of "fires" is the number of Social Events this Turn. Roll for each one separately.

[6.7.1] To place a Social, roll a die to determine the affected Path, using the die icon on each Homeland or Zone. Thus, if you rolled a 3, the Social goes to Path Γ.

[6.7.2] "Winning and losing": Each Social Event affects one Path. To place the Social correctly, you must know whether you are "winning" or "losing" on that Path. On a ΑΒΓ Path, you are "winning" if there are 1 or 2 Armies on that Path, and "losing" if there are 4 or 5. On a ΔΕΖ Path, you are "winning" if the Barbarians control 1 or 2 Themas (including the Homeland), and "losing" if they control 4 or 5. If there are exactly 3 Armies on a ΑΒΓ Path, or the Barbarians control exactly 3 Themas on a ΔΕΖ Path, the two sides are tied and you roll a die to determine whether you are losing (1-3) or winning (4-6).

[6.7.3] On a Path where you are "winning," place a "-1" Dynatoi Tile; on a Path where you are "losing," place a "+1" Christians Tile (on the Zone of a ΑΒΓ Path, or in the Homeland of a ΔΕΖ Path).

"Justinian was always in need of money and, to procure an abundant supply, he fostered an abominable system of fiscal oppression that turned all classes of his subjects into mere wretched slaves of the Imperial Treasury. The provinces were bled to death, flourishing cities were impoverished, and millions of [people] were reduced to destitution." – F. Homes Dudden, Gregory the Great, vol. 1 (1905)

[6.7.3.1] If this puts two Tiles on the same Path:

If both Socials are +1, leave the existing +1 on the map and put the other on the Counter Tray. This also causes a defeat for any Barbarian on that Path: push the Barbarian back 1 space (ΔΕΖ), or withdraw the weakest to the Reserves (ΑΒΓ).

If both Socials are -1, leave the -1 on the map and put the other on the Counter Tray. This also causes a victory for any Barbarian on that Path: advance it one space (ΔΕΖ), or deploy the weakest Army from the Reserves into its Zone (ΑΒΓ). Immediately resolve any Siege (9.6) or Taurus (9.5.1) that this may cause.

If the two Socials contradict each other (one is +1 and the other -1), they cancel each other out; return both Socials to the Counter Tray.

Example: On Path Α there is a +1 Social. A Social Event occurs. Your Path roll is 1, which places the Social on Path Α, where there are three Armies. Your "tiebreaker" roll is 3, which places a -1 Social, but the +1 and -1 cancel each other out; remove both Socials from Path Α and put them on the Counter Tray.

The "Christian" Social Tiles represent Christian populations "behind enemy lines" that help you invade lands occupied by the enemy. The "Dynatoi" are Byzantine landowning magnates who take advantage of your good fortune by undermining the central government. The whole system is an exercise in "rubber banding," which levels the playing field by helping you where you are losing and hindering you where you are winning.

[6.7.4] Social Tile DRMs: A Social Tile that remains on a Path imposes a DRM of +1 or -1 on all of the Player's attack rolls on that entire Path (8.3, 10.6).

Example: On Path Ε, hostile Saracens are in Melitene, meaning the enemy controls 3 spaces (Melitene, Nisibis, and Persia). Since 3 spaces means a tie, roll a die: you get a 4, which means you are "winning" on that Path, so you place your -1 "Dynatoi" Tile in the Homeland of Path Ε.

[6.8] Resetting Niké: The last step of the Leadership Phase is to move the "Niké" Tile on the Omnibus Track to the zero space.

7.0 Tax Phase

[7.1] Now is the time to calculate your income for the current Game Turn. Your income is always the total money (solidus) provided by your ruling Dynasty, your Basileus, and your Patriarch. The numbers or coins on each Tile, if any, are added together to determine the total, and you move the Solidus Tile that many spaces on the Omnibus Track. Your total, including any solidus left over from the previous Turn, cannot exceed 12 (ignore any income that would take you above 12 $).

Example: Your ruling Dynasty is the Heraclids (value: 2), your current Basileus is Basil (the single coin on his Tile means his value is 1), and the reigning Patriarch has a value of 2. [Errata 2025] This means your total income is 5. You began the Turn with 1 $ on the Omnibus Track, so you advance the Solidus Tile +5 to space 6. You have 6 $ available to spend. Note that your new Dynasty, Basileus, and Patriarch income may be as little as zero or as much as ten.

[7.2] Kan Roll! If the "Kan!" Tile is on the map, roll a die. Place "Kan!" on the Homeland that matches the roll. It may influence that Path this Turn (9.4).

The reverse of "Kan!" is "Rex." You may place this side up where a "Kan" would be historically absurd, such as the "Kan of the Serbs." Apologies. A. William. Shatner. Khaaaan!

[7.3] Caliph Roll: If the "Caliph" Tile is on the map, roll a die. Place the Caliph on the Homeland that matches the roll. If it lands on a Path where the active Barbarian is not Muslim, flip its inert "Fitna" side; it has no effect. If it is on its Caliph side, it may influence that Muslim Path this Turn (9.4).

If the Caliph roll deploys a "Fitna" anywhere on the map, immediately gain 1 $ in your treasury. A Caliph in trouble has paid you tribute at some point during that 40-year Turn.

8.0 Chronicle Synopsis Phase

"I greatly enjoyed reading the works of the men mentioned above, and I hope that this summary will be of no little profit to those who love history. I removed everything I found there that tended toward fantasy; but I kept everything that seemed plausible and not beyond the limits of credibility. To this I added everything I learned from the mouths of wise elders." – John Skylitzes, Synopsis of Histories (11th century)

John Skylitzes compiled his Synopsis of Histories in the eleventh century, using earlier chronicles of Byzantium from 811 to 1057. It is the closest thing we have to an "official history" of the Empire. For game purposes, the "Synopsis of Histories" is a table of random events.

[8.1] Random events: Roll one die on the "Synopsis" Table and add the number of the current Turn to get a result. Most results will trigger a Military Event ■ (8.3); all will also trigger one or more Political Events (8.4).

Example: It is Turn 10 (781-820). You roll a 2 on the Synopsis Table and combine the two (10+2) to get a result: 12. This corresponds to the "11-12" row of the table. As you can see, this gives you the Military Event "Iconoclasm" and the Political Events Lombards, Slavs, Riots, Armenian Revolt, Plague, and Coptic Revolt.

[8.2] Two dice rolls (optional rule): To make the game less scripted, roll once (+ the Turn number) for the Military Event, and roll again (+ the Turn number) for the Political Events. This separates one result from the other and makes the game less predictable.

[8.3] Military Events ■: If the result produced a Military Event, the "Military Event ■" Tile is placed on the corresponding space of the "Strategikon" track. If the result had no Military Event, do not place a Tile.

Each Military Event may occur over several Turns, provided the correct combination of "roll + Turn number" is obtained. See 10.6.2 for its effects in combat.

Yihad: Whenever this result comes up, all Muslim Armies (underlined in green; 9.1.1) immediately gain 1 additional advance at this moment.

Example: It is Turn 25 and the Ottomans are on Paths ΒΓΔΕ and Ζ. You roll a "29" for the Military Event, so this Turn there is a "Yihad." That means the Ottomans on those five Paths now each gain 1 additional advance! Good luck!

War in the East (first time it appears): Persia attacks Byzantium! The first time it appears, it simulates the apocalyptic 26-year "Byzantine-Sasanian War" (602-628). Replace the "Nomads" on Path Ζ with the Persian Army of Path Ζ. Then roll 2d6 (two dice) and add the number of Mountain spaces you control on Paths ΔΕΖ (maximum: 3). See Table 2 on p. 24 for the result.

If you do not like the result you rolled, you may spend 4 $ from your treasury (if you have 4 $!) to make a single new "counterattack" roll. Spend the 4 $ and roll the dice again; you keep the new result.

Result: The result will indicate a number of "Ruins" from 1 to 9. Advance the "Empires in Rubble" Tile that many spaces on the Omnibus Track. The result also indicates whether all the Persians Advance ("PA") or Retreat ("PR"), and by how many spaces each. Advance or retreat them as indicated, using the normal rules (9.3).

Persian victory: This indicates that Persia has achieved a quick and decisive victory over Byzantium and is in a good position to defend itself if the Muslims pour out of Arabia, or when they do. All Persian Armies advance 3 spaces. Then take the two "Pagan" Tiles from the round "Arabia" space and place one on the Homeland Box of Path Ζ and the other on the Homeland Box of Path Ε. Flip the one on Path Ζ to "Colonist." (See 2.8 for why.)

Byzantine victory: This indicates that your Byzantines have achieved a quick and decisive victory over Persia and are in a good position to defend the Empire if the Muslims pour out of Arabia, or when they do. All Persian Armies retreat 3 spaces. Take the two "Pagan" Tiles from the round "Arabia" space and place one on the Homeland Box of Path Ζ and the other on the Homeland Box of Path Ε. Flip the one on Path Ε to "Colonist." (See 2.8 for why.)

No victory: If neither side achieved a "victory," both are exhausted and weakened by decades of war. Advance or retreat all Persians as indicated by the result. Flip both "Pagan" Tiles from Arabia to their "Colonist" side; place one on each Homeland of Paths Ε and Ζ.

Example: The Nomads are in Jerusalem, so you replace them with the Persians. Now the Persians are in Jerusalem, Amorion, and Lesser Armenia. This means you control only one Mountain (Cilicia), which gives you a DRM of +1.

Roll ⚂⚃, a total of 7, which rises to 8 with your +1 Mountain DRM. The result on the table is "8 Ruins, Persians Advance 1." (Perhaps you want to spend 4 $ to reroll?) Move the "Empires in Rubble" Tile from space zero of the Omnibus Track to space 8. Then advance each Persian Army 1 space, moving them to Paphlagonia, Constantinople, and Cilicia (roll for the Mountains). The move to Constantinople immediately triggers a Siege (9.3), which you must resolve at this moment before doing anything else. If you accept the result, neither side achieved a "Victory," so the Colonist Tiles go to the Homeland Boxes of Ε and Ζ.

War in the East (second time it appears): Islam drives the Saracens out of Arabia into a gigantic war of conquest against Persia and Byzantium! The second time "War in the East" appears, it triggers the Rise of Islam (unless Islam has already occurred). See 2.8 for the immediate effects.

Mathematically, the probability that "War in the East" comes up at all is around 91%; it comes up twice about 65% of the time. So the probability that Islam comes to appear, and with it the Saracens, Seljuks, and Ottomans, is about 65%. A third of the time, Byzantium will spend its days fighting Persians of strength 4, and Zoroastrianism will remain one of the great religions of the world.

For the Rashidun Caliphate (the first Islamic state) to triumph as it did, it was not enough for Muhammad to rise as a successful Arab chieftain: his exploits had to happen exactly when Byzantines and Persians had battered each other in a 26-year war that left both sides too exhausted to resist the desert raiding tribes that won the battles of Yarmuk and al-Qadisiyya, thereby changing the course of world history.

[8.4] Political Events: Each Political Event may occur more than once. However, events marked "✹" may only occur once, the first time they successfully come up. Ignore events with a circle ("Ⓞ"); they are an optional rule.

[8.4.1] List of Political Events:

ALEXANDRIA: If you control the Egypt Outpost, gain 1 $ from shipments of Egyptian grain to Constantinople.

ARMENIAN REVOLT: If the Saracens are on Path Δ when this result comes up, replace the Saracen Tile there with the Armenian Tile. Armenia has rebelled against the Arabs and has gained its independence.

BAPTISM OF THE RUS': If the Kiev space is "Pagan," Orthodox missionaries attempt to convert the Eastern Slavs. Pay as many solidus as you like and roll a die; subtract -1 if your Basileus has an Orthodox Cross icon. If the roll is less than what you paid, Kiev converts to Orthodoxy: flip the Kiev Tile to its "Orthodox" side.

BULGARS: If the Slavs, Ostrogoths, or Huns are active on Path Γ, replace the Tribe Tile there with the Bulgar Tile. The Bulgars are now your active enemy on Path Γ (2.4.1). In addition, the newly arrived Bulgars convert to Christianity. Spend as many solidus as you like and roll a die. If the roll is equal to or less than the number of $ you spent, place the "EO +1" (Eastern Orthodox) Tile on the Bulgarian Church space, near Zone Γ. The Bulgars are now Orthodox and you gain a permanent DRM of +1 in all your battles in Zone Γ. Otherwise, place the "RC -1" (Roman Catholic) Tile there. You will suffer a DRM of -1 in all your battles in Zone Γ, since the Bulgars reject your influence.

The ethnogenesis of the Bulgars (who began as Siberian Turks, reached the Balkans, and then merged with the Slavs to become the Slavic-speaking Bulgarians) is fascinatingly convoluted, while their adoption of Christianity was thoroughly Byzantine, full of political plots and intrigues as Catholics and Orthodox conspired against each other for influence. Orthodoxy prevailed in 870, when the Bulgarian knyaz (tsar) Boris I sided with Constantinople; but it was by a very narrow margin.

CARTHAGE: This random event simply refers you to the event of the same name in Rule 5.2.3.

CATHOLIC CHARITY: If the "East-West Schism" Event has not occurred, or if Schism is at zero, and the Pope is Nice, roll a die and gain that many $, since the Catholic powers of the West help you fight your enemies.

COPTIC REVOLT: If the Egypt Outpost Tile is "Fallen," "Egypt" is not active in the game (5.2.3 "Egypt") and the "Christian" Egypt Tile is still on the round Egyptian Religion space (11.4), the "Coptic Revolt" Event occurs. You may invest any amount of $ from your treasury and roll a die. If the roll is equal to or less than the number of $ you spent, the Revolt succeeds: flip the Egypt Outpost Tile from its "Fallen" side to its Outpost side (with the purple Roman flag). You again hold the Egypt Outpost, which allows you to Abandon it (10.2) and prevents its conversion to Islam (11.4). The Outpost remains threatened if the enemy controls Jerusalem (11.5).

DAVID ✹: "David the Builder," the most beloved king of Christian Georgia, unites the Georgian tribes and wrests Lazica (today's Abkhazia and Kutaisi) from Byzantium. Discard the Lazica Outpost Tile; it is lost forever along with the naphtha deposits vital to the manufacture of Greek Fire. You can no longer use Greek Fire!

FALL OF ROME ✹: Barbarians sack the Eternal City. Place the Outpost Tiles of Rome, Hispania, and Sicily on the Available Outposts space. They can now be "taken" (10.1).

GÖKTÜRKS: Immediately make two free attacks, one on Path Δ and one on Path Ε. Your enemies there are harassed by north-eastern Turkish raiders.

GREEKS: If the Reforms are in operation (5.3.4), gain 1 $ for each Thema with a blue "Greek Banner" icon that you control (Nicaea, Cappadocia, and Ephesus). If you control all three, gain 4 $.

HENOTIKON: Your Basileus attempts theology in an effort to reconcile the feuding factions of the Church. If the Pope is Nice, roll two dice. On a roll of 6-6 (only that), sanity prevails and a great compromise advance is achieved. Take the Schism Tile and put it into the Turn Chit Mug. Schism plays no role in the game until it is drawn at random on a future Turn (at which point you put it back on the Omnibus Track, on the "zero" space, and draw a Turn Chit).

KLEIDION ✹: If, at any point this Turn, only one "Bulgar" Army remains in Zone Γ, you may attack it. If you win, it stays on the map, but you win the Battle of Kleidion and reduce Zone Γ to vassalage. In that case, place the "Bulgar Thema" Tile in Zone Γ (10.6.6.1).

KIEV: If the Kiev space is "Pagan," Slavic pirates raid your territory. On an even-numbered Turn, the Army of Path Δ now advances one space. On an odd-numbered Turn, the Barbarians of Path Γ deploy an Army against you. If Kiev is Orthodox, you instead gain 1 $ from the lucrative trade with the Rus' of Kiev. An empty Kiev has no effect.

LOMBARDS: If the Barbarians of Zone Β are Goths, the "Lombard" Tile conquers them and replaces them (2.4.1).

MAGYAR PRINCESS: Your Basileus marries a Hungarian princess, strengthening ties with Catholic Hungary. Reduce Schism by -1, or gain 1 $.

MAGYARS: Hungarian crusaders, backed by the French, make war on the Ottomans. Place the Magyar Support Unit (Prop Unit) (9.5.3) on Path Β if the Ottomans are there.

OSTROGOTHS: Replace the Huns Tile on Path Γ with the Ostrogoth Tile (2.4.1).

OTTOMANS ✹: Here they come! If Path Δ is Muslim (Seljuk or Saracen) and Paths Ε and Ζ are both Il-Khan, the Ottoman Turks form a state in Anatolia with a strong army, control of trade routes, and a skilled monarchy. They burst onto the scene with Constantinople in their sights: the final act of the Byzantine drama. Roll one die on the Ottoman Table (p. 24) and apply all relevant DRMs:

-1 for each Taurus Mountain space you control -1 for each Zone (ΑΒΓ) with only one hostile Army +1 for each blue "Greek" Thema in Muslim hands (ΔΕΖ) +1 for each Zone (ΑΒΓ) with 3 or more hostile Armies

The modified result indicates the Paths that pass into Ottoman control. A takeover in ΑΒΓ converts any Army there (2.4.1). Note that Path Β only converts if the Path represents the Balkans, not if it is still "Italy"!

Example: It is Turn 22 (1261-1300) and the Ottomans have arrived. You control no Taurus Mountain spaces, but Zone Α has only one hostile Army (Venetian), so you get a DRM of -1. The Muslims, unfortunately, control both Ephesus and Cappadocia, which is a DRM of +2 against you. But you have reduced Paths Β and Γ to two Armies, so there is no advantage for the Ottomans there. And Path Β is still Italy. Therefore, the total DRM is +1. You roll a 5 (fantastic luck!) and the DRM turns it into a 6. Therefore the result is Β ΔΕ. Since Β is still Italy and not the Balkans, no Ottomans appear on Path Β. But they do appear on Paths Δ and Ε. It could have been much worse: historically they appeared on all five possible Paths!*

All Paths that have just become Ottoman now immediately gain one free advance.

PECHENEGS: Pagan Turks invade from the north. Discard any "Bulgarian Church" Tile from Path Γ. The Tribe of Γ gains 1 free advance; but you may immediately respond with a free attack there. You are calling on Cuman allies: another Turkic tribe rivalling the Pechenegs.

PLAGUE: If the golden Basileus Tile is in Constantinople, flip it to its "Plague" side. He is busy dealing with the effects of the plague, so you cannot assign him to a mission this Turn (10.7). If you wish, at this moment you may flip both Hospitals to their "Used" side and roll a die; on a roll of 4-5-6, return the Basileus to its golden side.

PORNOCRACY: Epic papal corruption! Flip the Pope to his "Mean" side.

RAVENNA ✹: Place the "Ravenna" Tile on Path Β. While it is there, you gain a DRM of +1 on all attacks there. From the next Turn on, if at any point there are 4 or 5 Barbarians on Path Β, flip "Ravenna" to "Holy Roman Empire" (a permanent DRM of -1 on all attacks there).

The Byzantines conquered Ravenna from the Ostrogoths in 540 and made it the capital of Byzantine Italy. It fell to the Lombards in 751, but soon passed to direct papal rule, and it was a pawn in the complex political game that led Pope Leo III to create a rival "Holy Roman Empire" in 800 in order to discredit the Orthodox Byzantines, when he crowned a German thug as "Emperor of the West." Of course we know him as Charlemagne. The -1 DRM is a sign of the annoying resurgence of the West.

RIOTS: If a "Riot" is available on the Counter Tray, place one in Constantinople (10.6.3; see 10.6.9.2 to suppress it).

ROTRUDE ✹: If the "East-West Schism" has not occurred, roll one die. On a 6, a Catholic Frankish princess marries your Basileus. Roll one die: gain that many solidus or, if the Pope is "Nice," reduce Schism by that many spaces.

ERUDITE EMPEROR: A line of astonishing philosopher-kings leads the "Byzantine Renaissance." If the University is in Constantinople (10.7.12), gain 1 $ for each Outpost Tile you control.

After 825, Byzantine scholars invented "minuscules" (that is, lower-case letters), which were more practical than the ancient uncial script. This produced a wave of manuscript copying and the rediscovery of many long-neglected works of classical Greek science and philosophy. Your distant Outposts provide ethnic diversity and foreign contacts, fuelling the exchange of ideas vital to Byzantine scholarship.

SELJUKS: If the Barbarian on Path Ε is the Buyids, replace the Muslim Army Tiles on Paths Δ, Ε, and Ζ with the Seljuks. Each Seljuk now gains an advance. Then move the Colonists on Paths Ε and Ζ to the spaces containing the Seljuks, provided this brings them closer to Constantinople. Islamically inspired Turks pour into Anatolia and settle there, stripping the land from the indigenous native peoples. In addition, if the Crusades (5.4) have not yet begun when the Seljuks appear, they begin immediately after the Colonists move, using rule 5.4.1.

SERBS! The Serbian "Caesar" Stefan Dušan demonstrates his love for Orthodox Christianity by stabbing the Roman Empire in the back and letting the Turks into Europe. If the Serbs are not on the map, reduce Zone Β to its single weakest Army (place the others in the Reserves). Replace the existing Tribe of Path Β with the "Serbs" Tile (2.4.1). If Path Β is "Italy," it changes to Balkans (you lose Ravenna/HRE; 12.2).

SICILY: Roll one die. On a 5 or 6, remove the Sicily Outpost Tile from the game. Sicily has fallen to the Barbarians.

THE SILKWORM THEFT ✹: Byzantine priests on a covert mission smuggle live silkworms out of China and start the lucrative Byzantine silk industry. Roll one die and gain that many solidus (3 = 3 $). This really happened.

SKANDERBEG ✹: Rebel Albanians, together with crusaders from Rome, ambush the Ottomans. Place the Skanderbeg Support Unit (9.5.3) on Path Β if the Ottomans are there.

SLAVS: Slavic tribes, pushed by the Avar invaders from Asia, begin to settle in the Balkans and overrun the native Greeks, Romans, Thracians, and Illyrians. On Path Γ, the Ostrogoths or the Huns become Slavs. Replace the existing Tribe with the Slavs (2.4.1).

STOLOS: Barbarians and pirates improvise a fleet to challenge your naval dominance, with a direct attack on Constantinople! Roll one die to select a Path and place the Stolos Tile on that Path. On a ΑΒΓ Path, place the Stolos on the hostile Army you choose (that is, the weakest!). On a ΔΕΖ Path, place the Stolos on the only hostile Army there. The Stolos ("Fleet") has no effect on any roll or on the movement or deployment of units. But if it is still there at the end of the Turn, it will seriously affect your morale (11.6). To defeat the Stolos, see 10.6.5.

TRICAMERON: If, at any point this Turn, only one Vandal Army remains in Zone Α, you may attack that Army. If you defeat it, it stays on the map, but you have won the Battle of Tricameron and crushed the Vandal Kingdom. In that case, remove the Vandal Tribe from Zone Α and replace it with the Moors (2.4.1).

UPRISING OF ASEN AND PETER: If the "Bulgar Thema" Tile is on Path Γ, discard it. The Christian Empire of Bulgaria, now Slavic, has reaffirmed its independence. Replace the Tribe there with the weaker "Bulgars" (2.4.1).

VENICE: If Path Α is Crete, replace any Tribe of Α with the "Venice" Tribe (2.4.1). If Path Α is Africa, roll one die; if the roll is greater than the total number of Barbarians in the Zone of Path Α, replace the Tribe of Α with "Venice" as indicated above, and flip "Africa" to "Crete"; otherwise, it has no effect.

WHITE HUNS: Immediately make two free attacks, one on Path Δ and one on Path Ε. Your enemies there are beset by Hunnic invasions from the north-east.

9.0 Barbarian Phase

"Get down off my horse, you maggoty cheese, you stinking peeled onion! You have fouled my clothes, rusted my sword, and filled the tail of my steed with lice!" – The Song of Digenes (Cypriot epic song)

This game divides the Byzantine world into two theatres, the West (Paths ΑΒΓ) and the East (Paths ΔΕΖ). The West represents a great variety of terrain and conflicts, characterized by small outposts, islands, isolated coastal enclaves, and a combination of amphibious and land warfare. At this scale, I simulated it with the "vertical" combat model I used in Kaiserkrieg! and Global War: World War II Worldwide 1939-45 from White Dog Games.

The East, by contrast, was characterized by more linear and positional warfare, essentially a single continuous "front" stretching from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and encompassing huge contiguous provinces. Here I used the classic point-to-point system of States of Siege™.

Conflict in the East revolves around defending a single forward position on each Path. In the West, the dynamic tension of the game system revolves around size: the more Barbarians there are in a Zone, the more pressure you suffer there. If a Zone has one Barbarian, it means the enemy of that Zone is far from its strategic objectives. But a Zone with five Barbarians means those armies are advancing in force, about to achieve a great breakthrough against you, threatening Constantinople, and soon!

[9.1] Barbarian Armies: The main function of a Turn Chit is to move "Barbarian" Armies against you. The game uses the terms "Barbarian" and "Army" interchangeably. Each Turn Chit has a game identification number (17 in the picture). Its spaces contain letters; each letter means that the Barbarians of the Path with that letter make an Advance. The letters (Greek, of course) are:

Α = Africa/Crete Δ = Iberia Β = Italy/Balkans Ε = Persia Γ = The North Ζ = Syria

An Advance on ΑΒΓ is considered "Western" (see 9.2), while an Advance on ΔΕΖ is "Eastern" (9.3).

Note that the illustration of the Chit above has no "Δ" or "Ζ"; so if you draw this Chit, you advance one Army in Africa, one in Italy, one in the North, and one in Persia, but none in Iberia or Syria.

[9.1.1] Muslim Armies: Muslim Tribes are distinguished by the green bars beneath their names (Saracens, Ottomans, Buyid Persians, Seljuks, etc.). They are a distinct class for historical reasons; see 8.3 (Yihads) and 9.4 (the Caliph).

[9.2] Advances in the West: A ΑΒΓ Path letter on the Turn Chit deploys a Barbarian from the Reserves to the Zone. If some Armies in the Reserves are stronger than others, the strongest Army — the one with the greatest strength — moves from the Reserves to the Zone. Leave the Siege Tile in the Reserves unless it is the only one remaining (9.6).

Example: The "Β" on the Tile orders you to deploy an Army from the "Path Β" Reserves to the Zone Β space. There are three Armies in the Β Reserves: one unit of strength 3 and two units of strength 1. Since the strength-3 unit is the strongest, move that unit from the Reserves to Zone Β on the map.

If there are already five Barbarian Tiles in a Zone, the only Tile left in the Reserves will be a "Siege." In this case, an Advance moves that Siege Tile from the Reserves to the Zone. See Rule 9.6. You are in danger of Defeat!

[9.3] Advances in the East: A ΔΕΖ Path letter on a Turn Chit means moving the Barbarian Tile of that Path "down," one space closer to Constantinople. If this would place the Tile in Constantinople, the Tile does not advance; but place a Siege Tile in the Thema closest to Constantinople! See Rule 9.6. You are in danger of Defeat!

Example: The "Δ" on the Tile orders you to advance the only Army of Path Δ. The hostile Army of Path Δ is in Lesser Armenia, so that Army advances to Paphlagonia, one space closer to Constantinople.

[9.4] Barbarian leaders: Kan and the Caliph: A Path may have the "Kan" Tile and/or the Caliph Tile. Their effect is to increase the number of Barbarian Advances on that Path, one for each of those Tiles, but only if the Turn Chit calls for some Advance there in the first place. If Kan and the Caliph are both on the same Muslim Path (9.1.1), they cause two additional movements!

Example: Path Α has Muslim Saracens as its hostile Barbarian Army. Both the Caliph and Kan are also present on the Zone space of Path Α. The current Turn Chit, luckily for you, is No. 3, which requires moving Barbarians on Paths Δ and Ζ, but not on Path Α. Had you drawn a Turn Chit that affected Path Α, you would have suffered one Advance from the Turn Chit, another from the Caliph, and a third Advance from Kan: a total of three Advances against you on that Path in a single Turn.

If a Path suffers more than one advance, it may also suffer more than one Siege (9.6). Simply resolve the first Siege and, if you survive, resolve the second Siege in the same way; and so on.

[9.5] Blocking Barbarian movement: Several factors may block Barbarian movement against you.

[9.5.1] Advances into the Taurus Mountains: When a Barbarian advances (never retreats!) into Greater Armenia, Melitene or Cilicia (ΔΕΖ), look at the "mountain" icon on each space it enters.

This reflects the mountain ranges that protect Anatolia from your eastern enemies. The moment the Army enters a Taurus Mountain space, roll a die. If the roll is greater than the Army's strength, the Army retreats to the space it just came from. If it makes several moves, an Army that retreated tries to enter the mountains again; you get another roll against it when it does.

We have called them "Taurus Mountains" for convenience. In reality there are several mountain ranges here, and the Taurus of Cilicia is the highest.

[9.5.2] Advances toward Hospitals: A Barbarian that enters a space containing a Hospital (10.3) suffers exactly the same as if it had entered a Taurus space (9.5.1). A Taurus space with a Hospital triggers two defensive rolls!

[9.5.3] Support Units: Zone Β may contain a Hungarian Magyar or Skanderbeg (Albanian) "Support Unit" (Prop Unit). If an Ottoman Army attempts to deploy into that Zone, you have a choice. You may sacrifice the Support Unit (remove it to the Counter Tray) to block the Ottoman deployment. Or you may pay 1 $ to "prop up" the Unit (hence the name, prop up). In this case, the Ottoman Army rolls a die and, with a roll greater than the value of the Support Unit, defeats the Support Unit (return the Support Unit to the Counter Tray and the Ottoman deploys successfully into the Zone). If the Ottoman fails to defeat the Support Unit, return the Ottoman to the Reserves and leave the Support Unit in the Zone for a future Turn.

If there are two Support Units in the Zone, you choose how to use them.

[9.5.4] Tribute: If you have "paid Tribute" on a Path (6.5), this may block the next hostile movement or deployment on that Path. Roll a die; on a 6, the Tribute fails (remove the Tribute Tile to the Counter Tray) and the movement takes place anyway. On any other roll, the Barbarian movement fails: leave it in the Reserves on ΑΒΓ; or do not advance it toward Constantinople on ΔΕΖ. The Tribute remains on the map. Each movement attempt rolls against the Tribute while it remains there.

[9.5.5] Kastron: If there is a "Kastron" (castle) unit on the Path, it may block the next Barbarian movement (just like Tribute, 9.5.4). Roll a die; on a 1-4, the Barbarian movement is blocked. On a 5, the movement succeeds but the Kastron is removed to the Counter Tray. On a 6, the movement succeeds but the Kastron remains on the map (and you may use it again if you later recover its space).

[9.6] "Siege" – Possible Defeat: If a Path has a Siege Tile, the Barbarians of that Path are besieging Constantinople. You must now check whether an immediate Byzantine Defeat occurs that could end the game (12.1).

The "Siege" Tiles are double-sided: one with the English word "SIEGE" and the other with its Greek equivalent "ΠΟΛΙΟΡΚΙΑ" ("Poliorkia"). Use whichever side you find more amusing; there is no difference.

[9.7] Isolated monasteries: If a Zone contains five Barbarians and a Monastery, flip the Monastery to its "Isolated" side. It is cut off from the rest of Byzantium and cannot perform its banking function (11.1).

10.0 Byzantine Action Phase

"Solomon, I have surpassed thee!" – The Emperor Justinian, on building Hagia Sophia (537)

General rule: By this point the game system has thrown everything at you. Now it is your turn to show who is in charge, using your army to defend the Emperor, the Greek Christian Civilization, Constantinople (below), and your Roman way of life.

Important: You may play the steps of this section in any order, even replaying steps you played before. The only limit is whether you can pay ($) for the actions.

[10.1] Taking Outposts: For 2 $, you may "take" (buy) any Outpost from the Available Outposts space. The cost is only 1 $ if your Basileus has a "sword" icon. This does not count as a "use" of his sword. If you buy an Outpost, place it on the corresponding space on the map (e.g., "Rome" goes on the "Rome" space, on the left side of the map).

Exception: If Greek Fire has been activated (10.5), you can no longer take Outposts.

Greek Fire was a "desperate gamble" that came after the Arabs began besieging Constantinople. Once you have entered this era of desperation, your empire is only trying to survive. You no longer have the capacity to launch great campaigns to take distant lands and revive the Roman Empire. Acquire all the Outposts you want before activating Greek Fire, if you can afford that luxury.

[10.2] Abandoning Outposts: If you control an Outpost, you may "abandon" it. You may Abandon an Outpost that you have taken this Turn (10.1); think of it as a gigantic "sack and plunder" operation. If you Abandon an Outpost, discard the Tile to the Counter Tray. You immediately gain the total solidus shown on the Outpost Tile (increase your total by that amount). But you also immediately suffer any penalty specified on the Tile.

The Tile will have a golden space with a Path letter and one or more "Σ" (Schism) symbols. Immediately carry out any Barbarian Advance (9.0) on the indicated Path, and then increase the Schism Level (2.6) by the total number of Σ symbols on the Tile.

Example: You are in desperate straits and decide to abandon Hispania. Remove the Hispania Outpost Tile from the map and discard it. You immediately gain 3 $ in your treasury, but notice the golden space with ΓΣ. The first symbol forces a Barbarian Advance on Path Γ, so move the strongest hostile Army from the Reserves of Γ to the Zone Γ space on the map. The second symbol, Σ, increases the Schism Level by +1; advance the Schism Tile one space on the Omnibus Track. Now continue your Turn with your 3 $ prize, but say goodbye to Hispania. The Byzantine Empire will never rule it again!

[10.3] Building Infrastructure: You may spend $ to build "Infrastructure" that improves the lives of your citizens: Hospitals, Monasteries, and Akritai. Each has 2 identical Tiles. Only one identical Infrastructure Tile may be built on the same Path.

• Monasteries allow you to "save in the bank" $ for future Turns (11.1). A Monastery costs 3 $ to build (only 2 $ if the grey Basileus has an Orthodox Cross icon). You may build only one Monastery in each of Zones Β and Γ. Because of the threat of Isolation (9.7), you may only build one if there are 4 Barbarians or fewer in the Zone.

• Hospitals mainly function as defensive points (9.5.2). Building a Hospital costs 2 $. Hospitals may be built in the West (ΑΒΓ) or in the East (ΔΕΖ).

Building in the West: Pay 2 $ and place the Hospital on the Zone space. A Hospital may not be built in a Zone that contains more than 4 hostile Barbarian Armies.

Building in the East: Pay 2 $ and place the Hospital in a Thema controlled by the player adjacent to the hostile Barbarian. (For example, Cappadocia, if the enemy is in Melitene.)

If an Eastern Hospital ends up "behind enemy lines," you may remove it from the map and rebuild it on a valid space, or reconquer it (which allows you to use it again). A Hospital in a Western Zone containing more than 4 Barbarians works the same way.

Although some eccentrics may have felt a duty to care for others in pagan times, it was Christian culture that created the Byzantine passion for public medicine and hospitals. The hospital as we know it was known to the Greeks as xenon. It first appeared in Byzantium and only later spread to the West.

• Akritai are autonomous military districts formed by soldier-peasants who live in border areas. They are used to modify die rolls (10.4.2). Building an Akritai costs 2 $, and it must be built on a ΔΕΖ Path (only one per Path) in a Thema adjacent to the Barbarians, exactly as for a Hospital (so, if the Barbarians are in Melitene, you would build your Akritai in Cappadocia). If an Akritai ends up "behind enemy lines," you may remove it from the map and rebuild it on a valid space, or reconquer it (which allows you to use it again).

The akritai were frontier people who lived for generations alongside the barbarians, along vaguely defined borders. Their surprisingly bawdy soldiers' songs about endless wars with Saracens and Turks survive in remote corners of the Hellenic world. Many celebrate the legendary Digenis Akritas, "the Border-Mestizo," a hero of Greek and Saracen blood but relentlessly Greek in his loyalty.

[10.4] Using Infrastructure: You may have Infrastructure on the map in the form of Hospitals, Monasteries, and Akritai. Each is used for a specific game function.

You may not "use" a Hospital or an Akritai if it is in a Thema controlled or occupied by the Barbarians, or if it is in a Zone containing five Barbarian Armies.

[10.4.1] Hospitals have a military function: they treat soldiers and civilians in wartime. An Eastern space containing a Hospital functions exactly like a Taurus space (9.5.1).

[10.4.2] Akritai have a military function. After any die roll that applies only to that Path (a battle, a Taurus roll, the placement of a Social Tile, etc.), you may use an Akritai on that Path to adjust the roll by one point (up or down). Flip it to its "used" side to indicate that it may not be used again this Turn.

Monasteries are used later in the Turn for banking (11.1).

[10.5] Activating Greek Fire: If the Reforms (5.3.4) are in effect, you control Lazica (10.1), and you have not yet activated Greek Fire, you have the option of doing so at this moment. If you do, move the Lazica Tile to the "Greek Fire" space as a reminder. Now that Greek Fire is active, you may use it in naval combat (10.6.5). However, once you activate Greek Fire, you permanently lose the ability to take Outposts (10.1); discard from the game any Outpost Tile not taken at the time of activation.

[10.5.1] Losing Lazica: If you lose the Lazica Outpost for any reason (e.g., you abandon it – 10.2 – or the Georgians occupy it – 8.4.1 "David"), you lose the ability to use Greek Fire for the rest of the game. You have lost access to the naphtha (crude oil), which seeps naturally to the surface in that region and was its main ingredient.

[10.6] Byzantine attacks against the Barbarians: This is the very heart of the game!

Procedure: Select any Barbarian Army, pay 1 $ for your Attack, and roll 1 die. If the roll is greater than (>) the strength of the target Army, the Attack succeeds! If the Army was on a ΑΒΓ Path, return the Army to the Reserves space of that Zone. If the Army was on a ΔΕΖ Path, push it back one Thema, away from Constantinople.

You may not attack the only Barbarian Army remaining in a Zone, unless that Army has a Stolos on it (10.6.5). Likewise, you may never attack a Barbarian Army on its own Homeland space (2.2.1) unless that Army has a Stolos on it (10.6.5). Exceptions are explained elsewhere.

Example: There are five Bulgarian Armies in Γ: a dangerous situation for Byzantium, since a sixth Army would generate a "Siege" crisis (9.6). So it is time to attack the Bulgarians. The Player wisely chooses the strength-2 Army, since it is the easiest to defeat. A roll of 3 or more is all you need to defeat it. So you pay your 1 $, roll the die, and the result is a 4: you have won the battle. The strength-2 Bulgarian Army retreats to the Reserves. Confident, you pay another 1 $ and aim at the strength-3 Bulgarian Army.

This time you roll a 3, but you needed at least a 4, so this attack fails!

Meanwhile, on Path Ζ, the powerful strength-4 Seljuks have marched to Ephesus and are also about to besiege Constantinople. So they must be dealt with. You have only 1 $ left in the treasury; you spend it and roll the only die, adding +1 to the roll thanks to your Greek patriots in the area (from your earlier Reforms – 5.3.4). You need a 4 or more to defeat the Seljuks, but you only roll a 2 (which is modified to a 3). You have failed; let us hope the Seljuks do not attack next Turn!

The presence of five Barbarians in a Zone means that those Barbarians are preparing to besiege Constantinople.

[10.6.1] Success! The Niké Tile: If you win any battle on any Path, move the Niké Tile one space to the right on the Omnibus Track. If the Niké Tile is on space 3 (or higher), the ruling Dynasty gains a prestige that will improve its chances of survival (6.1).

[10.6.2] DRMs from Military Events: If the "Military Event ■" Tile is on the Strategikon track, you will probably have a Die Roll Modifier (DRM) that helps or hinders you when fighting battles this Turn.

"Blue" Events (Excubitors, Tagmata Troops, Cataphracts, Varangian Guard, Latinikon, and Cannons) will give you a DRM of +1 on your attacks, depending on where the attack takes place. See the spaces of the Strategikon track on the map for more details.

By contrast, "red" Events (Donatists, Iconoclasm, Bagratids, Disloyal Mercenaries, Powerful Egypt, and the Black Death) impose a DRM of -1 that will hinder your attack efforts in certain zones.

The "Powerful Egypt" Event, in most games, simulates the rise of the Ayyubid Caliphate. In games where no Islamic states appear, it represents an Egyptian revival led by native Coptic Christian leaders.

For "Yihad" and "War in the East," see 8.3.

Example: It is Turn 14 (941-980). The Military Event Tile is on the "Cataphracts" space, meaning your armoured horse archers have arrived on the battlefield. It gives you a DRM of +1 on all your attacks in Zone Α. So if you want to attack a strength-3 Saracen Army there this Turn, you will need a 3 or more. A roll of 3, which would normally lose, rises to an effective 4 thanks to the +1 DRM.

[10.6.3] Latins and Riots, DRM of -1: If there is a "Latin" Tile in Constantinople (crusaders who sacked your capital instead of attacking the Muslims), or a "Riot" Tile there, you suffer a -1 on any Attack you make outside Constantinople. The DRM of -1 does not apply to attacks you make against the Latins or the Rioters.

[10.6.4] Social Tile DRMs: If there is a "Dynatoi" on a Path, you suffer a DRM of -1 on any attack you make on that Path. If there is a "Christian" on a Path, you gain a DRM of +1 on any attack you make on that Path.

[10.6.5] Attacking a Stolos (enemy fleet): A random event may place a Stolos ("Fleet") Tile on a hostile Army (8.4.1 "Stolos"). Attacking that Army costs 2 $ (not 1 $), but a successful attack not only defeats the Army in the normal way, it also defeats the Stolos (sending the Stolos back to the "Lurking" space). The Stolos has no effect on the battle. If the Stolos is on a Homeland space of a ΔΕΖ Path, or if it is on the only Barbarian of a Zone on a ΑΒΓ Path, the attack costs only 1 $ and the attack only defeats the Stolos.

If you have the Greek Fire capability (10.5), you add its DRM of +2 to your attack against any Army that has a Stolos on it.

If you fail to defeat the enemy, the Stolos remains on the enemy stack, with terrible effects for you later (11.6)!

For 2 $ you fight two battles, on land and at sea, with a single roll. The Stolos Tile has an English side and a Greek side; use whichever you find cooler.

[10.6.6] Miscellaneous DRMs: Several Tiles on the map indicate an attack DRM of ±. These include the Bulgarian Thema (+1, 10.6.6.1), the Bulgarian Church (±1, 8.4.1 "Bulgars"), Ravenna (+1, 8.4.1 "Ravenna"), the Holy Roman Empire (-1, 8.4.1 "Ravenna"), and the Patriots (10.6.6.2).

[10.6.6.1] Bulgarian Thema: If this Tile is in Zone Γ, you gain a DRM of +1 on all attacks in Zone Γ, as a sign of your political dominance. It does not block the arrival of enemy armies, but it always gives you the +1 DRM.

[10.6.6.2] Greek Patriots: If the Reforms (5.3.4) are in effect, your Empire is truly popular, and the citizens of Constantinople will rise to defend it. Any Attack from Constantinople against Barbarians in Nicaea, Amorion, or Ephesus (ΔΕΖ) automatically gains a DRM of +1. In addition, any Attack from Constantinople against Barbarians in ΑΒΓ Zones also automatically gains a DRM of +1 if there are five Barbarians in the Zone attacked.

[10.6.7] Muslim-colonized Zones: A Thema that contains the "Colonist" Tile, or any Thema lying "behind" that Tile on the way back to a Barbarian Homeland, has been populated and colonized by Arabs or Turks. Treat any such Thema as if it were a Homeland: you may not attack it (except to fight a Stolos – 10.6.5). The local population now supports the Muslim colonial authorities who settled there. (But see 10.7.11.)

Example: The Colonist Tile is on Cilicia (Path Ζ). This means that Cilicia, Jerusalem, and Damascus have been conquered, colonized, and settled by Muslim migrants, and the local indigenous inhabitants have been subjugated, expelled, or killed. Ephesus, however, has not been colonized, so you can still attack, and try to liberate, Ephesus.

[10.6.8] Soldier emperors: If your grey Basileus Tile has a sword on it, he may make one free Attack (no $) this Turn. The icon also helps when taking Outposts (10.1).

[10.6.9.1] Attacking the Latins in Constantinople: The Latins in Constantinople are attacked in the normal way (including with the use of the Magister Militum), but if they are defeated they return to the Counter Tray (not "retreat").

[10.6.9.2] Attacking Riots in Constantinople: You may pay 1 $ (or use the Magister Militum) to attack a Riot in the usual way. If it is defeated, it returns to the Counter Tray. If you defeat a Riot, you do not gain Niké (10.6.1), but you must also move a Faction from Constantinople to space "2" of the Omnibus Track (it may be rebuilt, 10.12). They were the ones rioting!

If the golden Basileus is there, you may move him to the "Hippodrome" space to make a free roll against the Riot. The victory is bloodless; you do not gain Niké, but you do not lose any Faction. Win or lose, he remains stuck there for the rest of the Turn.

Kaldellis (in The Byzantine Republic*) describes the strangely democratic relationship between the Byzantine Emperors and the people of Constantinople. Decisions were often presented to the "plebs" in the Hippodrome (the giant horse-racing track) to test their popularity, and the crowd's boos could bring about their modification or repeal.*

[10.7] Committing the Basileus: If your golden "Basileus" Tile is in Constantinople (and not on its Plague side), at this moment you may commit it (that Tile) to one of several special strategic missions. As a general rule (there are exceptions), an action will succeed with a 2, 3, 4, or 5 and fail with a 1 or 6; and the golden Basileus is placed in the Chronographia as many Turns ahead as the roll indicates. He will be "out of play" for those Turns. Each action may be seen as a short-term gain with a long-term cost. A "▼" symbol follows each option below, to remind you that you must always exile the golden Basileus to the Chronographia for a number of Turns equal to the roll.

[10.7.1] To battle (with Sword): If your Basileus has a sword icon, he is a great military leader. Commit him personally to battle in any Attack (10.6). Roll two dice; the higher roll is your "battle" roll, and the lower is the number of Turns that your Basileus is sent to the Chronographia (▼). The attack still costs 1 $.

[10.7.2] To battle (without Sword): If your Basileus has no sword icon, he does not have a great military reputation, but he might surprise you. Commit him personally to any Attack (10.6) and roll one die; he defeats the enemy (ignore the enemy's strength) with a 2, 3, 4, or 5. Afterwards he is sent to the Chronographia (▼). The attack still costs 1 $.

[10.7.3] Confronting the Kan (or the Caliph): Choose a Path where the Kan (or the Caliph) is present. If both are present, you choose which one you are obsessed with attacking. Roll the die. If the roll succeeds (2, 3, 4, or 5), the Kan (or the Caliph) is placed in the Chronographia that number of Turns. ▼

[10.7.4] Legendary orator: If a Faction (12.1) is on the Omnibus Track, roll the die. A success (2, 3, 4, or 5) moves it that many spaces to the left, or back to Constantinople if it reaches zero. You may not use this to build the Walls. ▼

[10.7.5] Naval reforms: Roll one die. A success (2, 3, 4, or 5) places the Stolos Tile (8.4.1) that many Turns later in the Chronographia, where it cannot harm you. Return it to the Counter Tray in the last Turn of its "exile." ▼

[10.7.6] Ruinous taxation: Roll one die. With a 2, 3, 4, or 5 you obtain that many $, but the Monarchy is dishonoured. ▼

[10.7.7] Ecclesiastical policy: If your Basileus has an Orthodox Greek Cross icon, roll one die. If successful, reduce the Schism Level by the number rolled (2, 3, 4, or 5). ▼

[10.7.8] Legislate: You may "attack" a Dynatoi Tile on the map. If the roll succeeds (2, 3, 4, or 5), place the Tile that many Turns later in the Chronographia; return it to the Counter Tray in the last Turn of its "exile." ▼

[10.7.9] Slavery: If it is Turn 1-11, you may attempt to build a Hospital or a Monastery for free using slave labour. Roll one die. If successful, place the chosen Infrastructure (10.3) in the desired location. ▼

"You condemn to slavery a person whose nature is free and independent, and you make laws contrary to God and opposed to His natural law. For you have subjected to the yoke of slavery one who was made precisely to be lord of the earth, and whom the Creator destined to be a ruler, in resistance to and rejection of His divine precept." – St. Gregory of Nyssa, Orthodox Bishop, c. 375

You may not choose "Slavery" after Turn 11. The Byzantine slave industry assigned prisoners of war to domestic and industrial work, but slaves were rare in agriculture. In Greek, "slave" and "servant" (δούλος) are the same word; and what is slavery, even, in a society where there is no true freedom and everyone, even the Emperor, is understood to be a slave of God? From Justinian (527-565) on, the restrictions on masters became more onerous and slaves became legal persons with rights; by the seventh century, Christian values had made slavery rare in the Empire. By the ninth century the trend was clear in Greek literature, which presented slaves as sympathetic characters. Black slavery appeared later in a Europe that was de-Christianizing after the fall of Byzantium, through contact with the Muslim slave economy during the overrated secular scientific Renaissance.

[10.7.10] Visionary reformer: Roll one die. A success (2, 3, 4, or 5) moves the "Reforms" Tile that many spaces to the right (5.3.4). ▼

[10.7.11] Expelling the Colonists: If you are adjacent to a Thema that contains the "Colonist" Tile, the Basileus may attempt to expel them. A success (2, 3, 4, or 5) moves the Colonist Tile one space farther from Constantinople. ▼

[10.7.12] Pandidakterion: From Turn 2 (once Nestorius has been removed, 6.3), the Basileus may attempt to build the University. A success (2, 3, 4, or 5) places the "Pandidakterion" in Constantinople. It allows you to benefit later from the "Erudite Emperor" Events (8.4.1). ▼

In 425, Theodosius II founded the Pandidakterion ("Where Everything Is Taught"), the world's first university. Its 31 chairs had a secular curriculum of public administration to teach Greek and Latin philosophy, law, and rhetoric.

[10.8] Using the Magister Militum: If the current Turn has given you a historically great general, the Magister Militum (5.2.2), he may make one free Attack (10.6) with a DRM of +1 on any Path. If he succeeds, you may use him again on any Path. If he ever loses a battle, remove him to the Counter Tray and (a) increase Schism (2.6) by the strength of the Army to which he lost, or (b) place a Riot in Constantinople, if possible. For 1 $ you may use him only against a Stolos, assisted by Greek Fire if you have it.

[10.9] Imposing Orthodoxy: A payment of 1 $ gives you two rolls of "Impose Orthodoxy" (three if it is an Ecumenical Council Turn: 5.3.1) Each successful roll reduces the total Schism by -1. A roll greater than 1 succeeds. Beware: you suffer a DRM of -1 if there is a Hostile Pope on the map, plus another DRM of -1 (each) for controlling Cilicia or Nisibis (but see 10.9.1). These are hostile religious centres.

[10.9.1] Saints: A Basileus with an Orthodox Cross icon on his Tile, and a Patriarch with a red cross ( ✚ ), are considered "Saints." If you have a Saint at this moment, you may ignore all DRMs of -1 on "Impose Orthodoxy" rolls (10.9) this Turn, or make one of those rolls for free (no $).

[10.10] Exploiting social divisions: If the grey Basileus has a "Π" or "Χ" symbol, the Basileus is skilled at exploiting social divisions. At this moment you may pay 2 $ to remove all Social Tiles from the map (6.7), or leave them all. You must remove them all, or none.

Note that this rule is essentially the same as 11.9, but if you want to "exploit the divisions" now, before combat, you have to pay to do it. Or you can simply wait until the end of the Turn and do it for free.

[10.11] Clearing the Ruins: If the "Empires in Rubble" Tile is on the Omnibus Track, at this moment you may spend 2 $ to reduce it by -1 (towards zero). You may do this as many times as you can pay. See 2.8 for its effects. If you reduce the Ruins Tile to space zero, discard it.

[10.12] Building Factions: The game begins with 2 "Faction" Tiles (Hagia Sophia and the Walls of Theodosius) on the Omnibus Track. Each 1 $ spent on "building" one moves it one space to the left, or places it in Constantinople if it reaches space zero. Hagia Sophia is a normal Faction in every respect; see 12.1 for the main effect of the Walls. Other lost Factions may be rebuilt in the same way.

Build these projects! There is a large mathematical difference between having 9 Factions and having 11. The Walls (finished around 402-450; see p. 1) proved so durable that they were never truly breached until the arrival of cannon in 1453. Hagia Sophia ("Divine Wisdom," built in 532-537, above) is the gigantic cathedral of Constantinople and a symbol of the identity and power of the Empire. It still stands, despite wars and earthquakes; it was looted and converted into a mosque in 1453.

[10.13] Shifting forces: You may "Withdraw" on one Path to gain a free Attack on another. Choose a Path for the Withdrawal; that Path immediately suffers a Barbarian Advance (9.0). This Advance meets no opposition and nothing stops or slows it (not even a Taurus roll if "withdrawing" from a Mountain).

Afterwards, you may make one ordinary Attack (10.6) on any other Path at no cost. If it succeeds, an attack from "Shifting forces" never gives you a point of Niké.

You may Shift forces in response to a Stolos (10.6.5). Each Path on which you "withdraw" is worth 1 $ toward the 2 $ cost of attacking a Stolos. You may "pay" the full 2 $ cost using a Withdrawal on two Paths, or twice on the same Path, or on one Path and by paying an additional 1 $ to attack the Stolos.

[10.14] Reopening Monasteries: If an "Isolated" Monastery is in a Zone containing fewer than 5 Barbarians, flip it for free to its active side (not "Isolated"). See 9.7.

[10.15] Spending Niké: If you have more than 3 "Niké" on the Omnibus Track, the first three must be saved (to be spent next Turn preserving your Dynasty; 6.1, 10.6.1). But any Niké above 3 may be "spent" now on other projects, taking advantage of your military prestige (or spending the loot). You may exchange Niké, gaining 1 $ for each Niké "spent."

11.0 End of Turn Phase

"Now let us lay down our arms and embrace peace. Let us put out the fire before it consumes everything." – The Emperor Heraclius to the defeated Persians (628)

Play each step below in order, when applicable.

[11.1] Banking: At the end of a Turn, the Player may choose to "save" one remaining solidus (maximum); leave the $ coin on "1" on the Omnibus Track. That 1 $ may be used the next Turn (see 5.3.4).

Additional banking: Monasteries increase your banking limits. If you have one Monastery on the map, you may save up to 3 $. If you have both Monasteries on the map, you may save up to 12 $. These limits are printed on the map. A Monastery that is currently on its "Isolated" side cannot be used for banking! See 9.7 and 10.14.

Any "unsavable" $ on the Omnibus Track is now lost; reduce solidus to zero (except for $ legally saved).

[11.2] Cancelling a Military Event ■: Move the Military Event Tile to its "waiting" space, below the Strategikon track.

[11.3] Muslim Colonists (clarification): [Errata 2025] The Muslim "Colonists" on the map may advance at this moment. If the next Thema closest to Constantinople is under Muslim control (that is, the Army of the Path is Muslim – 9.1.1), roll one die; on a 6, move the Tile one space closer to Constantinople (10.6.7). If the Army of the Path is the Seljuks, do not roll the die: simply advance the Colonist one space.

Example: The Colonists of Ε are in Melitene and those of Ζ are in Jerusalem. On Path Ε, the Seljuks are in Melitene, while on Ζ they are in Cilicia. This means that on Path Ε the space the Colonists want to advance to is Cappadocia; but it is under your control, so they cannot move. Do not roll for Path Ε. But on Path Ζ, the Colonists of Jerusalem could advance to Cilicia, since Cilicia is under Muslim political control. So roll one die for the Colonists of Path Ζ: luckily for you, a 4 keeps them stuck in Jerusalem.

Arab and Turkish colonialists waged violent wars of imperialism and settlement throughout Jordan, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Cyprus, Iraq, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Uzbek, Tajik, Turkmen, Kyrgyz, and Kazakh "-stans," Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Spain, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. Native peoples were subjected to genocide, uprooted, or assimilated in the Muslim wars.

[Designer's further commentary on the modern politics of colonialism, which is not a rule, has been omitted.]

[11.4] Egyptian apostasy: If Egypt has "fallen" (11.5), or there is no Egypt Outpost/Fallen Tile on the map, and the Barbarian on Path Ζ is Muslim (9.1.1), check whether the Christian Tile is still on the "Egyptian Religion" space. If so, roll a die. On a 6, flip it to its Muslim side; from now on Egypt is no longer Christian (see 2.7).

[11.5] Threat to Egypt: Control of Egypt may depend on control of Jerusalem for strategic reasons. If the Barbarians control Jerusalem at this moment, and the Egypt Outpost Tile is on its "Egypt" side (with the purple Roman flag), roll a die. On a 6, the Barbarians conquer Egypt and the Tile is flipped to its "Fallen Egypt" side.

"Fallen" Egypt cannot be Abandoned by you (10.2), and it may convert to Islam (11.4). It may have an effect on the events of North Africa (see "Carthage," 5.2.3).

However, if Egypt is on its "Fallen" side and you control Jerusalem, you may spend 1 $ and attempt to reconquer Egypt; roll a die. On a 6 you succeed, and you may flip it from its "Fallen" side to its side with the purple Roman flag. You now control it again for all purposes.

[11.6] Unsuccessful Stolos: If an enemy fleet "Stolos" unit remains on a Path, return the Stolos to the "Lurking" space [Errata 2025], and move a Faction Tile from Constantinople to space "4" of the Omnibus Track (it may be rebuilt; 10.12).

No enemy fleet will actually occupy your capital. But every fleet that comes close leaves a lasting impact on morale. Neutralizing enemy fleets is key to morale.

[11.7] Mongol withdrawal: If the "Mongol" Tiles are on the map, their Empire collapses. On Paths Ε and Ζ, replace the Mongol Tiles with the corresponding "Il-Khan" Tiles. Exception: If Path Ε has no Colonist, or the Colonist is on the Homeland of Ε, replace the Mongols of Ε with Persia. Likewise, on Path Ζ, replace the Mongols with Egypt (cinnamon colour) if the Colonist is absent or on the Homeland.

[11.8] Treaties expire: Remove from the map any "Tribute" Tile and return it to the Counter Tray.

[11.9] Basileus social skills: If the Basileus has a "Π" symbol, he is a shrewd politician who exploits social divisions. At this moment you may remove all Social Tiles from the map for free (6.7), or leave them all. You must remove them all, or none.

But if the Basileus has a "Χ" symbol, he is more impulsive: in this case, you must remove all Social Tiles from the map at this moment. There is no cost.

[11.10] Flipping Hospitals, Akritai, and Basileus: These units, if on their "used" side, now return to their front side for the next Turn. If the golden Basileus is on his "Plague" side, flip him back to his normal Basileus side. If the Basileus is in the Hippodrome, move him to Constantinople.

[11.11] End of Turn: The Turn is over. Return to the Sequence of Play and begin again by drawing a Tile (4.0). If it is the end of Turn 27, the game is over; go to 12.3 to determine your level of victory.

12.0 Victory and Defeat

"All the girls of Constantinople live in Istanbul, not in Constantinople; so if you have a date in Constantinople, she will be waiting for you in Istanbul." – Jimmy Kennedy, Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

[12.1] The fall of Constantinople: A Siege Tile on the map means that Constantinople is besieged and the Byzantine Empire is now in immediate danger of Defeat.

Roll two dice; add +3 if the Walls of Theodosius are not in Constantinople! If the total is greater than the number of Factions in Constantinople, Defeat occurs. Otherwise, the Defeat comes to nothing.

• If Defeat occurs, the game ends and you lose. The Byzantine civilization has collapsed, the Emperor has died, and the Greek nation may expect centuries of second-class citizenship in its own countries, subject to fines and executions for riding horses, ringing bells, or anything else that offends its new fanatical masters.

Constantinople fell on 29 May 1453 after a 53-day siege. Tens of thousands of Christians were enslaved for the "crime" of defending their homes. It is said that Constantine XI, the last Roman Emperor, tore off his insignia to lead a last charge, as a humble soldier, against the Turkish plunderers. He died in combat, but his body was never found. Legend has it that he was turned to marble and lies buried underground, awaiting the day when he will liberate the City.

• If the Defeat comes to nothing, return the Siege Tile to the Reserves (ΑΒΓ) or to the Counter Tray (ΔΕΖ). The Barbarians of the Zone, or of the Path, remain a threat to you. Furthermore (this is important!), remove one or more Factions of your choice from Constantinople to space "4" of the Omnibus Track, but gaining one free immediate Byzantine Attack for each Faction moved in this way. You choose how many Factions to move, but you must move at least one. You may use the Attack against any target, but the smart move is to use it against the greatest threat: the Path that had the Siege.

If a Defeat "comes to nothing," you have successfully avoided conquest this time; but the effort it cost to avert it has plunged one more Faction into discontent, greatly worsening your life. Your society is losing faith in your ability to save the Empire. For obvious reasons, never remove the Walls of Theodosius from Constantinople.

[12.2] Strategic retreat from Africa and Italy: If the blue Tile indicates that Zone Α is Africa (not Crete) or that Zone Β is Italy (not the Balkans), then a Siege Tile there may only be resolved by "retreating."

To retreat in the South (Zone Α), flip the blue Tile to show "Crete." You have abandoned North Africa and retreated to Crete. Reduce the number of hostile Armies in Zone Α to one (all others go to the Reserves of Path Α), and then return the Siege Tile of Path Α to the Reserves. The last African Outposts were abandoned between 706 and 711.

To retreat in the West (Zone Β), flip the blue Tile to show "Balkans." You have abandoned Italy and fled to the Balkans. Reduce the number of hostile Armies in the Zone Β space to 1 (all others go to the Reserves of Path Β). Change the Tribe of Zone Β to "Normans" (2.4.1) and move the Siege Tile to its Reserves. Discard any Ravenna or Holy Roman Empire Tile from Path Β. The fall of Bari in 1071 marked Byzantium's definitive withdrawal from Italy.

Obviously, each "strategic retreat" can only be carried out once. Once you have abandoned these vast zones, they are lost to the Byzantine Empire forever, and these two Paths can only resolve Sieges in the normal way (12.1).

[12.3] Deus ex Machina: If the Empire has not been Defeated when the game ends in 1500, you have won the game! Alliances with Western Europe and the growing power of Russia may preserve the Byzantine Empire into the twenty-first century and beyond. But what kind of victory is it? Now is the time to calculate your Victory Points (VP).

① Count the number of Barbarian Armies in the 3 Zone spaces and add the number of Themas in Barbarian hands (including the 3 Homelands). Subtract that number from 30 to obtain your number of Victory Points.

② Add +2 VP for each Outpost you still control.

③ Add +1 VP for each Faction Tile in Constantinople.

④ Add +1 VP for each solidus remaining in your treasury.

⑤ Add +3 VP for each Monastery, University, and Hospital on the map.

⑥ Add +5 for each of Italy and Africa that remains active.

⑦ Subtract -10 VP if the "Ruins" Tile is on the map.

Compare your final total with this list:

• 75+ VP – KING OF KINGS, SOVEREIGN OF SOVEREIGNS! The Middle East lies in ruins, and a divided West watches in astonishment as the Roman Empire imposes itself as the dominant superpower and the cultural engine of the Renaissance world.
• 65-74 – A powerful regional state with imperial ambitions, the Roman Empire remains a serious competitor against the emerging nations of Western Europe.
• 55-64 – Territorially the Empire remains impressive, but its internal social decay makes it a contender living off its reputation and past glories, like modern Russia.
• 45-54 – The Greek core is safe, and Byzantium remains a small, combative power able to defend itself in an increasingly chaotic regional neighbourhood.
• 35-44 – A small residual state of Greek ethnicity, with a declining economy and a withered culture, is all that remains of the Roman glories of the Byzantine Empire.
• 34 or fewer – The City of Constantinople governs only a few islands and coastal areas. What will become of it?

[The closing credits, the designer's bibliography, and the promotional note on page 24 are not reproduced here.]

Appendix: Tables

Table 1: Crusade Table (see 5.4.2)

Roll	Result
1-2	Sporadic warfare. No effect! Go to 6.0.
3-4	Constantinople betrayed! (5.4.2)
5-6	Landing in Egypt! (5.4.2)

Table 2: War in the East Table (see 8.3)

Roll (2d6 + Mountain DRM)	Result
4 or less	1 Ruin – Persian Victory – PA 3
5	3 Ruins – Persian Victory – PA 3
6	5 Ruins – Persian Advance 2
7	7 Ruins – Persian Advance 2
8	8 Ruins – Persian Advance 1
9	9 Ruins – DRAW (historical)
10	8 Ruins – Persian Retreat 1
11	7 Ruins – Persian Retreat 2
12	5 Ruins – Persian Retreat 2
13	3 Ruins – Byzantine Victory – PR 3
14 or more	1 Ruin – Byzantine Victory – PR 3

Table 3: Ottoman Empire Table (see 8.4.1 "Ottomans")

Modified roll	Paths entering Ottoman control
Zero or less	No Ottoman Empire
1	Δ
2	Δ Ε
3	Β* Δ Ε
4	Γ Δ Ε Ζ
5 or 6	Β* Γ Δ Ε Ζ

* Path Β is only affected if it represents the Balkans; it has no effect if it represents Italy.

Appendix A: Campaign Setup

From the Campaign Setup sheet, which the manual's rule 3.2 directs you to consult.

All the Tiles of the game should be on the Counter Tray, except the 28 Turn Chits, which start in the Turn Chit Mug. Now set up the game:

1. Two Factions, the Walls of Theodosius and Hagia Sophia, go on space "5" of the Omnibus Track. The other 9 Factions go on the Constantinople space.
2. Path Α units: Place the "Vandals" Tribe Tile on the round "Tribe" space of Path Α on the map, and flip all Armies of Path Α to their strong side ("horse"). Place the strength-4 Army on the Zone space of Path Α and the other 4 in the Reserves of Path Α.
3. Path Β units: Place the "Goths" Tribe Tile on the round "Tribe" space of Path Β on the map, and flip all Armies of Path Β to their weak side ("man"). Place the strength-3 Army on the Zone space of Path Β and the other 4 in the Reserves of Path Β.
4. Path Γ units: Place the "Huns" Tribe Tile on the round "Tribe" space of Path Γ on the map, and flip all Armies of Path Γ to their weak side ("man"). Place the strength-3 Army on the Zone space of Path Γ and the other 4 in the Reserves of Path Γ.
5. Path Δ units: Place the white "Persia" Army on the Homeland space of Iberia.
6. Path Ε units: Place the grey "Persia" Army on the Homeland space of Persia.
7. Path Ζ units: Place the cinnamon "Nomads" Army on the Homeland space of Syria.
8. Place the "Egypt" Outpost Tile on the Egypt space (you control it!) and the "Lazica" Outpost Tile on the Available Outposts space. The cinnamon "Egypt" Army of strength 2 goes on the Egyptian Religion space (it serves as a marker – rule 11.4).
9. The "Nice Pope" Tile goes on the Pope space of the map, and the blue "Kan!" Tile goes on the Turn 5 space of the Chronographia.
10. Place the purple Dynasty Tile "Theodosian" on the Dynasty space of the map, and the purple Dynasty Tile "Justinian" on the Turn 3 space of the Chronographia. All other Dynasty Tiles go in the Dynasty Mug. Place the Stolos on the "Lurking" space.
11. Place the light grey Basileus Tile "Theodosius" on the Basileus space of the map. The 6 dark grey Basileus Tiles go in the Basileus Mug. The golden "Basileus" Tile goes in Constantinople. The "Kiev" Tile goes on the Kiev space, on its "Pagan" side.
12. Place the Patriarch "Nestorius" on the Patriarch space of the map. The other 9 Patriarchs go in the Patriarch Mug.

Appendix B: Counter Tray Inventory

From the Counter Tray sheet. The piece counts are transcribed; the sheet's graphic layout is not reproduced.

• Place the 28 Turn Chits in the Turn Chit Mug.
• Reserves boxes for Zones Α, Β, and Γ.
• Patriarchs (10). Note: the University is on the reverse of "Nestorius."
• Factions (11). Place all in Constantinople except Hagia Sophia and the Walls of Theodosius.
• Path Α units: 5 Armies, 5 Tribes.
• Path Β units: 5 Armies, 5 Tribes, 1 Ravenna.
• Path Γ units: 5 Armies, 6 Tribes, 1 EO/RC, 1 Bulgar Thema.
• Path Δ units: 5 Armies.
• Path Ε units: 6 Armies.
• Path Ζ units: 7 Armies (including Egypt/Muslim).
• Basileus: 6 grey, 1 golden, 1 Theodosius/Justinian.
• Political markers: Reforms (1), Crusade (1), Pope (1), Caliph/Fitna (1), Kan!/Rex (1), Colonists/Pagan (2).
• Military markers: Mongols (2), Stolos (1), Tribute (1), Kastron (1).
• Dynasties (14). "Theodosian" is your Dynasty at the start. Put all the others in the Dynasty Mug.

Appendix C: Sequence of Play

From the Sequence of Play reference sheet. Where a sheet's short-form wording differs from the numbered rule above, the numbered rule governs; the sheet is transcribed as printed.

A. Tile Draw Phase (4.0, 4.1)

• Draw a Turn Chit at random and place it on the Chronographia (4.1).

B. Turn Start Phase (5.0)

• Deploy the units on the current Turn's space (5.1).
• Play the Chronographia Events (5.2):
  • Ephesus and Chalcedon on Turn 1 (5.2.1).
  • Magister Militum (black sword icon – 5.2.2).
  • Migration Events (events with names in green – 5.2.3).
• Play the Events based on Turn Chits (5.3):
  • Ecumenical Councils (5.3.1; DRM of +1 if the Pope is Hostile).
  • Crusader Shields (5.3.2; see Rule 5.4).
  • Schism of East and West – discard the Pope (5.3.3).
  • Invest 1 $ in Reforms if the Chit has a red disc (5.3.4).
  • Prepare for Civil War (5.3.5; see 6.1.1).
  • Suffer random Barbarian attacks by "die roll" (5.3.6).
  • Prepare for Social Events (5.3.7; see 6.7).
  • Face the optional round-letter Events (5.3.8).
• Carry out Crusader operations if applicable (5.4).

C. Leadership Phase (6.0) – ignore this Phase on Turn 1!

1. Roll to see whether the existing Dynasty continues (6.1). If the existing Dynasty is "Anarchy" or there is a "Riot," discard the existing Dynasty. If the existing Dynasty does not continue, discard it and draw a new Dynasty. For Civil War, see 6.1.1.
2. Draw a new grey Basileus at random (6.2). If "Theodora" or "Zoe" comes up, see Rules 6.2.1 and 6.2.2.
3. Mutilate your Basileus (6.2.3), if you wish.
4. Draw a new Patriarch (6.3). On Turns 1-10, draw a new Patriarch and discard the previous one. On Turn 11, apply the "Triumph of Orthodoxy" and then draw the new Patriarch. On Turns 12-27, return the existing Patriarch to the mug and then draw a new Patriarch.
5. Roll for the new Pope (6.4; Hostile Pope on ⚄ or ⚅). If the East-West Schism has occurred, there is no Pope.
6. Pay Tribute if you wish (2 $; 6.5).
7. Build a Kastron if you wish, using the Reforms (1 $; 6.6).
8. Apply any Social Event (fire icons; 6.7).
9. Set the Niké Tile to zero (6.8).

D. Tax Phase (7.0, 7.1) – Calculate the total income (if any) of the current Patriarch, Dynasty, and Basileus.

• Roll to place Kan! (7.2). Roll to place the Caliph/Fitna (7.3); gain 1 $ if a Fitna is placed.

E. Chronicle Synopsis Phase (8.0, 8.1)

• Roll one die and add the Turn number; resolve any Military Event ■ (8.3) or Political Event (8.4, 8.4.1). (Optional, two rolls: 8.2.)

F. Barbarian Phase (9.0, 9.1; see 9.1.1 for the definition of Muslim)

• Deploy Barbarians on Paths ΑΒΓ (9.2) and advance Barbarians on Paths ΔΕΖ (9.3); see 9.4 and 9.5.
• Add any additional movement from Kan! or the Caliph (9.4).
• Beware: some Barbarian movements may be blocked (9.5) by Taurus Mountains (9.5.1), Hospitals (9.5.2), Support Units (9.5.3), Tribute (9.5.4), and Kastron (9.5.5).
• Resolve any "Siege" (9.6). See 12.1 for the procedure; DRM of +3 if the Walls of Theodosius are not present! This may include surrender of Italy or Africa.
• Isolate Monasteries (9.7) if there are 5 Barbarians in the Zone.

G. Byzantine Action Phase (10.0) – in any order you choose!

• Take Outposts (2 $, or 1 $ with a Sword; 10.1).
• Abandon Outposts (10.2).
• Build Infrastructure (Hospitals, Monasteries, Akritai; 10.3):
  • Hospitals and Akritai: 2 $, in border Zones or Themas.
  • Monasteries: 3 $ (2 $ if the Basileus has the Cross icon) in Zones Β or Γ.
• Use Infrastructure (Hospitals and Akritai; 10.4).
• Activate Greek Fire if you control Lazica and have the Reforms (10.5).
• Attack Barbarian Armies, Latins, and Riots (1 $; 10.6).
• Commit the Basileus to a Mission (10.7):
  • Battle with Sword against the Barbarians (10.7.1).
  • Battle without Sword against the Barbarians (10.7.2).
  • Confront the Kan or the Caliph (10.7.3).
  • Legendary orator to recover a Faction (10.7.4).
  • Naval reforms to remove the Stolos (10.7.5).
  • Ruinous taxation to obtain solidus (10.7.6).
  • Ecclesiastical policy to reduce the Schism Level (10.7.7).
  • Legislate to remove a Dynatoi magnate Tile (10.7.8).
  • Slavery to build a Hospital/Monastery (up to Turn 12; 10.7.9).
  • Visionary reformer to advance the Reforms (10.7.10).
  • Expel the Colonists to push them back east (10.7.11).
  • Build the Pandidakterion University (10.7.12).
• Use the Magister Militum to attack Barbarian Armies (10.8).

H. End of Turn Phase (11.0)

• Banking with Monasteries (11.1; only 1 $ if there is no Monastery).
• Cancel the Military Event ■ (11.2).
• Roll for the "Muslim Colonists" (11.3).
• Resolve Egyptian apostasy (11.4).
• Resolve the Threats to Egypt (11.5).
• Unsuccessful Stolos = collapse of morale (11.6).
• Mongol withdrawal (11.7) if there are Mongols on the map.
• Remove the Treaty Tile (11.8).
• Remove the Social Tiles (11.9, if the Basileus has Π or Χ).
• Flip Hospitals, Akritai, and the plague-stricken Basileus (11.10).
• End of Turn (11.11) – return to Step "A."

If the game has ended (end of Turn 27), go to Rule 12.3.

Appendix D: Synopsis of Histories Table

From the Synopsis reference card. Roll one die, add the Turn number, and find the row (rule 8.1). Military Events are marked ■; the others are Political Events. Circled letters and circled numbers are the optional round-letter events (rule 5.3.8; see Appendix F); ignore them unless you use that optional rule.

Roll + Turn number, with Military and Political Events:

Roll + Turn	Military Event ■	Political Events
2	–	Alexandria, Stolos, Ⓑ
3-4	–	Fall of Rome, Greeks, Ostrogoths, White Huns, Ⓙ
5-6	Donatists	Alexandria, Fall of Rome, Henotikon, Ostrogoths, Plague, Ravenna, Tricameron, Ⓢ
7-8	Excubitors	Fall of Rome, Lombards, Ravenna, Riots, Silkworm Theft, Slavs, Stolos, Ⓣ
9-10	War in the East	Greeks, Göktürks, Lombards, Plague, Ravenna, Tricameron, Slavs, Stolos, Ⓤ
11-12	Iconoclasm	Armenian Revolt, Coptic Revolt, Lombards, Plague, Riots, Slavs, ①
13-14	Tagmata Troops	Alexandria, Armenian Revolt, Bulgars, Kiev, Plague, Rotrude, Stolos, ②
15-16

Optional rule 8.2 (two dice): roll two dice (for example, one black and one white) instead of one, adding the Turn number to each. The black die determines the Military Event of the Turn and the white die determines the Political Events of the Turn. This makes the game less scripted and more unpredictable.

Appendix E: Millennium Scenario Setup

From the Millennium Scenario sheet (Special and Optional Rules, March 2025 revision). This scenario starts on Turn 15, in the year 1000, during the reign of Emperor Basil II.

Place Turn Chits 15-28 in the Turn Chit Mug and discard all other Turn Chits. Now set up the game:

1. Factions: All Factions are placed in Constantinople.
2. Path Α units: Place the "Saracens" Tribe Tile on the round "Tribe" space of Path Α on the map, and flip all Armies of Path Α to their weak side ("man"). Place the two strongest Armies on the Zone space of Path Α and the other Armies in the Reserves of Path Α.
3. Path Β units: Place the "Normans" Tribe Tile on the round "Tribe" space of Path Β on the map, and flip all Armies of Path Β to their weak side ("man"). Place the three strongest Armies on the Zone space of Path Β and the rest in the Reserves of Path Β.
4. Path Γ units: Place the "Bulgars" Tribe Tile on the round "Tribe" space of Path Γ on the map, and flip all Armies of Path Γ to their weak side ("man"). Place the two strongest Armies on the Zone space of Path Γ and the rest in the Reserves of Path Γ. Place a Monastery on the Path Γ space.
5. Path Δ units: Place the white "Armenia" Army in Lesser Armenia.
6. Path Ε units: Place the grey "Buyids" Army in Melitene and an Akritai in Cappadocia.
7. Path Ζ units: Place the cinnamon "Saracens" Army in Cilicia and an Akritai in Ephesus.
8. Outpost Tiles: The "Sicily" Outpost Tile goes in its space near Italy. All other Outpost Tiles stay on the Counter Tray. The "Lazica" Outpost Tile goes on the "Greek Fire" space (northeast corner of the map). You have the ability to use Greek Fire! Place the "Muslim Egypt" Tile on the round Egyptian Religion space.
9. The "Hostile Pope" Tile goes on the Pope space of the map, "Kan!" goes on the Homeland space of Syria, and the Caliph goes on the Homeland space of Persia.
10. Place the purple Dynasty Tile "Macedonian" on the Dynasty space of the map, and place the Dynasties Comnenus, Laskaris, and Palaiologos in the Dynasty Mug. All other Dynasties stay on the Counter Tray. When all the purple Dynasties run out, remember to put all 14 Dynasty Tiles back in the Mug and use their black sides when drawn.

Special scenario rules:

1. Ignore the Leadership Phase (6.0) on Turn 15. All leaders start already placed.
2. Crusades: The first time a Crusader Shield is drawn, the Crusades begin (5.3.2).

Appendix F: Optional Round-letter Events (Rule 5.3.8)

From the optional random events sheet. Use these only if you use optional rule 5.3.8. Apply an event when its circled letter or circled number appears on the current Turn Chit or on the Synopsis result. The symbol "▮" marks events that also appear on the Synopsis. The other events are on Turn Chits. Some events are still "TBA" (To Be Announced) and are marked as such.

• Ⓐ – Earthquakes shake Constantinople! Roll one die and place the "Walls of Theodosius" Faction Tile on the corresponding space of the Omnibus Track. Rebuilding it costs that many $.
• Ⓑ ▮ – Justa Grata Honoria: The Basileus's cousin proposes marriage to Attila the Hun, causing a diplomatic chaos. If the Huns are currently on Path Γ, roll one die and reduce the number of Barbarian Armies on that Path by the number rolled (you must leave one). It can only happen once.
• Ⓒ – Fiscal reforms improve the economy. Roll one die and gain that many solidus.
• Ⓓ – Porphyrios the Whale: Rumours of sea monsters terrorize the fleets. No Stolos may be placed on the map this Turn. Return any that are there to the round "Lurking" space.
• Ⓔ – Pirates from Pisa: If the "Holy Land" Outpost is on the map, lose 2 $ from the treasury.
• Ⓕ – Khazar allies. If drawn between Turns 5 and 14, you gain 3 free attacks on Paths ΔΕΖ.
• Ⓖ – Dark Ages: If drawn between Turns 10 and 13, remove the University to the Counter Tray. The decline of urban life in the Empire causes the collapse of formal learning.
• Ⓗ – Christian refugees from the East help revive Byzantine scholarship. If the University is not on the map, you may build it for 3 $. If it is on the map, roll one die and gain that many solidus.
• Ⓘ – Cyril and Methodius: If Kiev is Pagan, roll one die; it becomes Orthodox on a 6.
• Ⓙ ▮ – To Be Announced.