Campania

Campania is a small-medium Sabellic faction, located in the region of the same name.

Its starting neighbours are the Volsci, Samnites and Lucani.

In-game Description
"Comprised of the Osci, Aurunci, Ausones tribes, Campania occupies the coastal region south of Latium and west of Samnium."

Starting Cities

 * Neapolis:
 * Capua:
 * Pompeii:
 * Irna:

Strategy
At the start of the game, the Samnites are probably your most threatening neighbour as your border with them is the most exposed. It may be advisable to secure a truce with them through diplomacy if not planning to attack their territory immediately.

Expansion along the coast minimizes the amount of new land borders that are created and, as such, the Volsci and/or Lucani may be a good avenue of early expansion. In practice however, your best first target will probably be the weakest neighbouring faction that you can't get an affordable truce with, which will be determined by randomized factors such as AI vs AI conquest and scripted events pertaining to diplomacy.

Trivia & History

 * The political situation of Campania is significantly simplified in-game as the entire area is merged into a single Sabellic faction. In reality, Campania was also home to Greek and Etruscan colonies, but their cities are simply merged with the Sabellic Campania faction in-game. Presumably, this was done because Campania is already a smallish faction, and couldn't be split up further for balance reasons.
 * As referenced in the in-game description, Campania is historically mentioned as being home to tribes such as the Osci, Opici, Aurunci and Ausones. The exact situation is incredibly confusing, however, as their names were used in very inconsistent ways by the ancient sources and have been used with overlapping meanings. Some or all of them are used as synonymous with each other as alternate names for the same tribes in some sources, but are represented as separate distinct tribes in others. Their exact ethnic affiliation is also unclear, and it's sometimes suggested that some of the original tribes in the area may have been more closely related to the Latins originally, receiving Sabellic influences later on.
 * In the 9th and 8th Centuries BC, the Greeks and Etruscans started to found colonies in Campania. The Greeks colonized the coastal regions (mostly notably Neapolis and the city of Cumae which isn't featured in the game), while the Etruscans colonized the inland regions (most notably Capua). In the late 6th Century, Campania was located at the frontlines of the Greek-Etruscan conflict following the Battle of Alalia, and the Greeks of Cumae notably defeated an Etruscan invasion in 524 BC.
 * The Sabellic natives of Campania joined with the Samnites to drive out the Greek and Etruscan settlers in the late 5th Century BC. They succesfully conquered Cumae and Capua, though Neapolis remained in Greek hands. From this point on the Campanians or Campani are usually described as a seperate Sabellic tribe, now distinct from the Aurunci who lived further west in the area around the city of Minturnae (and are merged with the Volsci faction rather than Campania in-game), thus adding further confusion to the naming of Italic tribes in the area.
 * Campania came into contact with Rome in the 340s BC when they appealed to the Romans for help against the nearby Samnites. This prompted the First Samnite War which resulted in Campania becoming a part of Rome's sphere of influence. Roman ownership of Campania was cemented during the Second Samnite War of 326-304 BC which was kicked off when the Samnites conquered the Greeks of Neapolis.
 * Campania would again become a hotly contested area during the Second Punic War, especially because Capua (technically an independent ally of Rome and then the second largest city of Italy) defected to Hannibal of Carthage. The Romans eventually captured Capua in 211 BC, which was annexed and severely punished.
 * The faction's icon depicts an ear of barley, which may be a reference to the fact that Campania was the most fertile area in the Italian peninsula at the time. The exact design seems to be taken from ancient coins found in Campania and Lucania.