Clevsin

Clevsin is a medium-large faction located in the inland regions of Etruria, just west of Umbria. It is one of only a few factions playable in multiple scenarios, being available in both the Unification of Italy sandbox and the Etruria-only sandbox.

Its starting neighbours are Veii, Velathri and the Umbri in the full Italy sandbox, and Veii and Velch in the Etruria-only sandbox with Velathri being somewhat more distant but still accessible.

In-game Description
"Clevsin, known to the Romans as Clusium, is an Etruscan city-state said to have been founded by Clusius, son of Tyrrhenus the founder of the Etruscans. It is most famous for its king, Lars Porsena, who led a siege against Rome to restore Tarquin the Proud to his throne."

Starting Cities

 * Clevsin:
 * Curtun:
 * Aritim:
 * Perusna:
 * Velzna***:
 * Saina+:

*** City belongs to Veii in the Etruria-only sandbox

+ City belongs to Velch in the Etruria-only sandbox

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
Clevsin, Curtun, Aritim and Perusna together sit in a defensible geographic pocket, so when uniting your starting territory it's recommended to gather these cities before moving to claim the more exposed cities of Velzna and Saina (if in the full map sandbox).

Early-game Etruscan units have better stats than their Sabellic counterparts, giving the player an advantage against the neighbouring Umbri in the full Italy sandbox and making them a potentially attractive target for early expansion. On the other hand, Clevsin's starting border with the Umbri is very defensible, so it can be a good idea to stabilize your other borders (through conquest or diplomacy) before crossing this boundary.

In the full map sandbox, Clevsin's starting border with Veii is the most exposed. It can be a viable strategy to focus on conquering Veii's territory first, which will allow you to have a more defensible southern border with the Tiber river as a natural barrier.

In the Etruria-only sandbox Veii is a viable first target as well since it allows you to expand along the edge of map, focusing your early expansion on Velch instead will cause you to have more borders to defend.

Trivia & History

 * Clevsin first occurs in recorded history in 508 BC during Rome's transition from kingdom to republic. After a failed attempt to reclaim the throne with the help of Veii and Tarchna, the expelled Roman king Tarquin the Proud appealed to the more distant city of Clevsin for help. The Clevsian king Lars Porsena besieged Rome, but was impressed by the bravery of the defenders and eventually decided to make peace and establish friendly relations instead of continuing to support Tarquin's cause.
 * Clevsin again occurs in history when it was besieged by Senone Gauls in the 390s BC. The city called upon Rome to intermediate in the conflict. However, the Romans botched the negotations and antagonized the Gauls so much that the latter decided to abandon the siege of Clevsin and march on Rome instead, leading to the disastrous sack of Rome by the Gallic chieftain Brennus.
 * Most of the cities belonging to the Clevsin faction in-game were likely independent historically, but were presumably assigned to Clevsin to simplify the faction roster. The exception is Aritim, which is known to have originated as a colony of Clevsin.
 * Historically, the Romans conquered Clevsin's starting area in the 290s and 280s BC, though several cities would continue to attempt revolts in the following decades.
 * The faction's icon depicts the god Culsans, the Etruscan equivalent of the Roman deity Janus. Culsans' worship is best attested in the city of Curtun, which belongs to the Clevsin faction in-game. The exact design seems to be taken from depictions of the god on coins found in northern Etruria.