Volsci

Attributes: | +10% Missile Damage, +10% Speed

The **Volsci** are a medium-sized Sabellic faction located in southeastern Latium.

Its starting neighbours are Rome, the Marsi, the Samnites and Campania.

### In-game Description

"The Volsci are a Sabellic tribe living in the fertile marshlands south of Rome. Myths of the Volscan princess Camilla describe her as a javelineer and archer from her first steps, saying she ran so quickly she could sprint over wheat without disturbing the plants or across the seas without getting her feet wet. The Volsci would enter a near-constant state of war with the Romans following the first war started by Roman king Taquin the Proud, coming close to subjugating Rome entirely in 492 BCE during a war led by Volscan king Attius Tullus Aufidus and Roman traitor Gaius Marcius Coriolanus. This attack would fall apart when conflict arose with allied tribes, giving the Romans an advantage that they manage to press over the next few centuries of war."

### Starting Cities

* **Antium**: Antium is the most powerful city of the Volsci and serves as their capital. It has many beaches nearby, making it an excellent place for seaside villas or as a landing site.
* **Tarracina**: Possibly named after the Tarquinii family when the city was briefly part of the Etruscan League, the city was also known as Anxur to the Volscii after the name given to the god Jupiter as a youth. Occupying the whole territory between the coast and the Volscii mountains, Livy described it as "a city flat in the marshes" because of its control over the Western access to the Pontine Marshes.
* **Sora**: Sora is an inland town of the Volsci set along the Liri River. On the rocks above, overlooking the Liri valley, lie the remnant of walls thought to date back to Volscan times.
* **Casinum**: Casinum, in modern times known as Cassino, is a city of the Volsci founded on a hill, the ruins of its massive limestone walls still existing today.
* **Minturnae**: A town of the Ausones tribe, Minturnae was home to a great temple and sacred-grove dedicated to the nymph Marica, diety of water and swamps, and protector of infants and fertility.

### Historic Starting General

When playing this faction in a sandbox setting, the player may choose to start with the following pre-defined historic general instead of a generic one. These characters usually have far better bonuses than can be obtained with the generic starting generals.

### Strategy

Your starting city of Antium is located somewhat awkwardly, as it lies on the western fringe of your native cities and is exposed to attacks from Rome. It may be unavoidable to have military or diplomatic dealings with the Romans while you are still in the process of uniting your starting cities.

Your border with Rome is the least defensible, so it may be advisable to conquer this faction first, giving you a more secure northern border along the Tiber river. Your early-game brigades also have a minor stat advantage against those of the Romans, and your missile damage bonus can be leveraged by remembering to include some Leves in your army.

Early-game Sabellic units aren't as strong as those of the Etruscans or Greeks, but your initial neighbours all have similar rosters to your own. The military skill tree shouldn't be neglected entirely however, as you will inevitably run into the Etruscans after dealing with Rome, and the neighbouring Campanians, Marsi and the nearby Sabines arguably have superior combat bonuses to your own.

### Trivia & History

* The Volsci were originally an inland tribe with no coastal territory. They invaded a coastal area to the southwest of their homeland (represented by the cities of Antium and Tarracina in-game) in the late 6th Century BC, assimilating the Latins and Aurunci who inhabited the area previously.
* The Volsci were one of Rome's most dangerous enemies in the early days of the Roman Republic, and according to legend came very close to conquering Rome with the help of the Roman turncoat Coriolanus in the 480s BC. The Volsci (allied with the Aequi) and Rome (allied with the Hernici and other Latins) would continue to wage intermittent war for most of the next 2 centuries. As Rome's power grew, the other Latins eventually allied with the Volsci against Rome during the Latin War of 340-338 BC which resulted in a decisive victory for the Romans. It did not take long for the Volsci to be entirely pacified and assimilated by Rome afterwards.
* Minturnae was historically a city of the Aurunci or Ausones rather than of the Volsci. The Aurunci (insofar as they weren't assimilated by the Campanians) were presumably merged with the Volsci to buff their starting position and simplify the faction roster.
* The faction's icon depicts a man with a sceptre, sitting on a curule chair. The exact pose was commonly used to depict Roman emperors on the engravings on ancient coins, and may be a reference to Rome's first emperor Augustus, who was of Volscian descent.