Street Lights

[King Faticus]

I wanted to suggest street lights for the higher quality city streets, since the game cycles from day to night. They would be good asthetically as well as strategically, warding off crime or aiding prefects. There is archaologically evidence of street lights on the larger city streets of wealthy towns such as Palmyra.

Your thoughts?

[Nero Would]

I wanted to suggest street lights for the higher quality city streets, since the game cycles from day to night. They would be good asthetically as well as strategically, warding off crime or aiding prefects. There is archaologically evidence of street lights on the larger city streets of wealthy towns such as Palmyra.

Your thoughts?
I had never heard of that. What kind of lights were they?

[Thucydides]

Hi King Faticus and welcome to the Forum.

I think this idea has merit... burning biers on posts perhaps? If my memory stands me correctly there are two such enormous ceremonial light biers on the Neva in Saint Petersburg, they may be lit by natural gas however.

The Romans knew about pitch and this could have possibly fuelled such a system, although I am not sure how much light pitch throws off. Tallow, beeswax and olive oil would also work, although these products would have been relatively expensive for use as public lighting. Wood would presumably be too bulky for ready use as street lighting, and coal wasn't mined until the post-Roman-era. And then there is peat... did the Romans use peat?

[Keith]

I wanted to suggest street lights for the higher quality city streets, since the game cycles from day to night. They would be good asthetically as well as strategically, warding off crime or aiding prefects. There is archaologically evidence of street lights on the larger city streets of wealthy towns such as Palmyra.

Your thoughts?

Interesting. I've never heard of street lights in Roman cities before.

Palmyra was a independent kingdom on the Silk Road between warring empires Rome and Persia, but sided with Rome when the nearby Persian Empire was threatening its trade by taking command of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. It was later declared a colony by Emperor Caracalla.

Palmyra was located near Damascus and it might have been more of a characteristic of cities in that area. I'm not so sure Roman cities, founded by Rome, had street lights, especially with their propensity to burn down.

[arcan]

I agree Keith. I remember seeing a documentary on babylon mentionning that there was light in some streets.
But an old memory of one about rome was that a reason rome was so insecure was no light. They carried torches to move around or had slaves to do so.

[Keith]

Rather than street lights have the vigils and people out at night in the streets carry torches. That would be interesting to see during a night period of the city assuming that there will be people moving about in the streets at night or if it will be more like CotN.

[Thucydides]

Rather than street lights have the vigils and people out at night in the streets carry torches.

This is a good idea as well. Why not have both? Monumental size "street lights" like the biers in modern dary Sainkt Peterburg, and vigils and servants with torches. :)

[arcan]

I love the idea of vigils with torches (even other walkers, with torches even...)

[wodinoneeye]

I wanted to suggest street lights for the higher quality city streets, since the game cycles from day to night. They would be good asthetically as well as strategically, warding off crime or aiding prefects. There is archaologically evidence of street lights on the larger city streets of wealthy towns such as Palmyra.

Your thoughts?


They didnt have them on the ordinary streets of Rome (streets that were more like our alleys). You could hire people to go with you carrying torches or lanterns. You were likely to trip and hurt yourself wandering the streets without a light (or get mugged, light or no light).

Might be interesting if TM has people moving about at night with little torches illuminating the walkers (effects for the high end graphic cards....)

[maucat]

They didnt have them on the ordinary streets of Rome (streets that were more like our alleys). You could hire people to go with you carrying torches or lanterns. You were likely to trip and hurt yourself wandering the streets without a light (or get mugged, light or no light).

Might be interesting if TM has people moving about at night with little torches illuminating the walkers (effects for the high end graphic cards....)

Good idea! Don't fancy crucified and burning bodies providing lighting along the Appian Way though, which is something I read about somewhere :eek:

[King Faticus]

I am extreamly shy so i got my brother to write the firstthread for me
because he makes things sound more fluid, But he left out imformation so now i need to clerify what i was really suggesting

I wanted there to be some prebuilt near eastern cities such as Palmyra
to be included in the campaign like in caesar III (Caesaria and Carthage)and maybe these cities could have street lights (but only on their most important roads)
I have 12 thick books on the roman empire and i have read most of them so
know that most roman cities including Roma didn't have these My bro just skipped out on imformation sorry for the mix-up

Anyways I wanted these lights to deter crime but also increase the risk of fire
and aid the prefects when there on those streets

[maucat]

I am extreamly shy so i got my brother to write the firstthread for me
because he makes things sound more fluid, But he left out imformation so now i need to clerify what i was really suggesting

Hey,don't be shy King Faticus. Everyone's really nice round here. Just feel free to ask away, someone will have an answer for you, not necessarily me though. Welcome to this forum :D

[King Faticus]

Well I suppose it doesn't matter what I say since none of you know me.....
so there isn't any reason for me to be shy (I figured that out already) but thank you

[prof786]

you could have mini beacons lighted up by city guards for the street lights.

[Thucydides]

Well I suppose it doesn't matter what I say since none of you know me.....
so there isn't any reason for me to be shy (I figured that out already) but thank you

It was a good idea King Faticus... just go for it! I for one always welcome fresh ideas :)

[hexagonian]

Nero was reported to have Christians dipped in pitch and burned at his parties for ambient lighting.

Not that I am suggesting that kind of 'street lighting'...

[King Faticus]

Nero was reported to have Christians dipped in pitch and burned at his parties for ambient lighting.

Not that I am suggesting that kind of 'street lighting'...

I read that nero really only wanted to be a famous actor and musician
In fact throughout his entire reign he treated his "role" as emperor like a drama
"he always loved dramas....and he also was very crazy..."
some examples are how he reportedly stood on one of the towers and watched the city burn as if it were a specticle and he played a song called "the sack of troy.... or somthing like that" on his lyre another example was when he commited suicied he dramaticaly stated "Oh what an artist dies in me". he saw the world as a play.... thats really sick

Although nero was the kind of person only a mother could love, it would seem even she feared and hated him. When the soldiers surrounded her she reportedly screamed "Strike my womb first... This bore Nero!"
Which coming from a mother "especially in those times" was and still is powerful

But this is kind of off topic isn't it

[Mr_Cheese]

I'm not entirely sure what Roman street lighting would be like... I suppose some large houses might have torches/burning braiziers outside their doors but I think people would mainly have to carry their own torches. As was suggested above I think this would be a great feature to see at nightfall. This also led me to wondering what nighttime ambient sounds would be like - I think it would be nice (in Mediterranean provinces at least) to have soft cricket sounds, maybe a dog barking and, in built-up areas, the muted sound of people inside moving around/having dinner before going to bed...

Cheers :)