Imperial Historical Bureau – State-Approved Lecture

Professor Marcus Valens, University of Roma

Imperial Year 2085 (Julian System)

“Fifty years ago today marked the defining moment that truly tested the foundations of our great Empire—and proved, beyond all doubt, that Rome endures.

But let us go further back, to a time when Rome was not strong. A time when we stood on the edge of oblivion—not by the hands of our enemies, but by our own failures. The vast empire of antiquity, stretching from Britannia to Egypt, crumbled under the weight of its own excess. Senators squabbled among themselves, the provinces drifted apart, and Rome…shrank.

The map of the known world changed, and Rome became a shadow of its former self. After our ancient conquests faded into memory, we fell behind as new powers rose: the French, British, Ottomans, and the Americans on the far continent. All left Rome clinging to its heritage, yet lacking true power. For centuries, Rome remained—too proud to fall but too weak to rule as it once did. And yet, history moves in cycles, does it not? Other great empires, like the Sericans and Mongolians, crumbled as we once did, but Rome…Rome endured.”

(He pauses a moment, letting his gaze sweep across the lecture hall. Young students watch him intently, his eyes still sharp despite his years.)

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“And from the ashes, the Romans found a newly lit spark. Spurred by generations desperate to reclaim dignity, Rome began to modernize. Our industries rose like a phoenix, forging steel, machinery, and eventually the advanced technologies that underpin today’s world. Yet industry alone was not enough. We needed a catalyst to unite us—something that would reignite the flame of the legions.”

“That catalyst came in the mid-20th century: the War of Restoration. While many other European powers fractured, we formed alliances. Sometimes we fought alongside these allies, and other times alone, marching across volatile regions. In that crucible, the Empire found its moment. Victories abroad spurred much-needed confidence at home. The Senate reasserted control over lost territories and proclaimed a New Era. For the first time in centuries, people again looked to Rome as their guiding star.”

“Over the next half-century, Rome consolidated its position. With Europe firmly under our rule and Russia entangled in conflict with the Mongolians, our gaze turned west—across the vast ocean to the fractured lands of North America, a continent weakened by civil war, unrest, and economic collapse. It fell swiftly to our legions. By the 21st century, Rome stood as the world’s sole superpower, with only the Sericans and the Mongolians posing any real challenge. The Sericans control much of the Pacific and Asia, while the Mongolians—though a shadow of their ancient empire—hold sway over the deserts of the Middle East and the Ural Mountains.”

“Yet even after our triumphant 20th-century campaigns, a far greater storm gathered on our horizon—one that reached beyond our borders and even beyond this planet. A war not of nations, nor of politics, but survival itself. The first half of the 21st century became our greatest test, a trial that would define the fate of the Empire. This was a war that tested not only our might, but our very identity. A war that changed everything.”