Hail, citizen! Caesar commands that you create, rule and defend an Imperial Roman city of your own design. The 500,000 veterans of our Emperor's previous crop of governors (that is, the Class of Caesar II) will find that some of their old skills remain valuable. But much has changed in the Roman Empire, and Caesar now requires a whole new class of governors with a new range of talents.

When you arrive at the province that your Emperor has assigned, you draw upon your knowledge (with a little help from your advisors) to create a safe, pleasant city that will attract immigrants. Rome's Senate gives you enough money to build the structures you'll need to feed, house, protect and employ these pioneers. As your city grows and evolves, citizens come to expect entertainment, health care, religion and other comforts and luxuries. While your people continually want more out of life, your starting money dwindles, and your city must start to pay its own way. Citizens build more lavish housing, improving your tax base, and valuable trade routes absorb the surplus from your city's industries.