games-pc empire earth Manuel D’Utilisation
City building
92
C
HAPTER
VII
C
ITY
B
UILDING
Civil planning is an important consideration for an expanding empire. With a little work,
frontier settlements can be transformed into thriving, independent city-states. Such self-sus-
taining strongholds are capable of withstanding enemy attacks, natural disasters, and other
onslaughts… if developed properly. They might even surpass the grandeur of the towns from
which they arose.
frontier settlements can be transformed into thriving, independent city-states. Such self-sus-
taining strongholds are capable of withstanding enemy attacks, natural disasters, and other
onslaughts… if developed properly. They might even surpass the grandeur of the towns from
which they arose.
City-States
A classic example of the city is the “city-state.” A city-state is an independent and often self-
supporting sovereign territory dominated by a principal city. Ancient Greece was home to
many city-states, of which Athens and Sparta are certainly the two best remembered today.
supporting sovereign territory dominated by a principal city. Ancient Greece was home to
many city-states, of which Athens and Sparta are certainly the two best remembered today.
Sparta, over time, all but abandoned the humanities and arts in favour of developing a mili-
taristic culture. Eventually Sparta assembled the most powerful army in Ancient Greece.
Athens, meanwhile, founded a democratic society with a flourishing artistic culture. The
Athenians constructed fortifications to protect their lands and a strong Navy to defend their
ports. The Peloponnesian Wars of the 5th Century BC pit Athens and Sparta – along with
their respective allies – against one another. After many years of see-saw battles and a few
intervening truces, Sparta finally defeated Athens in 404 BC. Yet today, Athens is generally
better known than Sparta due to the relatively large number of surviving artistic artifacts,
philosophical texts, and other records.
taristic culture. Eventually Sparta assembled the most powerful army in Ancient Greece.
Athens, meanwhile, founded a democratic society with a flourishing artistic culture. The
Athenians constructed fortifications to protect their lands and a strong Navy to defend their
ports. The Peloponnesian Wars of the 5th Century BC pit Athens and Sparta – along with
their respective allies – against one another. After many years of see-saw battles and a few
intervening truces, Sparta finally defeated Athens in 404 BC. Yet today, Athens is generally
better known than Sparta due to the relatively large number of surviving artistic artifacts,
philosophical texts, and other records.
Vatican City in Rome is a city-state that still exists today. At just over 100 acres it is the
world’s smallest fully-independent state, physically separated from Italy by walls built in
Medieval times. Since the
16th Century, a contingent of
Swiss Guards has been on
hand to defend it. The
Vatican maintains its own
post office, bank, and tele-
phone system, though it relies
on external sources for most
other supplies and services.
world’s smallest fully-independent state, physically separated from Italy by walls built in
Medieval times. Since the
16th Century, a contingent of
Swiss Guards has been on
hand to defend it. The
Vatican maintains its own
post office, bank, and tele-
phone system, though it relies
on external sources for most
other supplies and services.