The Roman Empire is the most powerful force in the Frontier Universe. They have established jump gatesJump GatesMassive artificial structures enabling faster-than-light travel across the galaxy. Essential infrastructure for Roman interstellar expansion. across human-colonized space, extending Rome's influence throughout vast regions of the cosmos. The Romans view space as the realm of the gods and pursue two primary objectives there: resource extraction and the search for the divine zones where the gods are believed to exist.

Rome has developed numerous colonial planetsColonial PlanetsPlanets colonized by the Roman Empire for resource extraction and settlement. Major source of wealth through mining operations., building its wealth through large-scale resource mining. Because of its high profitability, many plebeiansPlebeiansThe common citizens of the Roman Empire. Many migrate to colonial planets seeking opportunities in the mining industry. and provincial settlers migrate to these colonies to work in the mining industry. Some planets, however, have harsh and dangerous environments. While such conditions discourage many, the risks also promise enormous rewards.

PatriciansThe noble class of the Roman Empire. They seek to maximize wealth by deploying slaves to monopolize resource extraction on dangerous worlds., seeking to maximize their wealth, deploy large numbers of slavesEnslaved individuals deployed by Patricians to work in dangerous mining operations on perilous colonial worlds. to monopolize resource extraction on these perilous worlds.

In the Frontier Universe, the Romans are driven by a powerful motivation for space exploration. They believe their advanced technological civilization was made possible by a message sent to humanity by PrometheusThe source of alien knowledge that enabled Roman technological advancement. Romans believe their civilization was made possible by a message from Prometheus.. To them, space is a sacred realm, and they see themselves as being invited into the world of the gods.

Yet despite this divine mission, Rome's aggressive expansion across the stars has created growing challenges. The ever-increasing number of colonies has made it difficult to maintain control. As the empire expands, social and political problems become more complex, weighing heavily on the Roman SenateThe governing body of the Roman Empire. Faces growing challenges as the empire expands and social problems become more complex.. Rome now faces a dilemma between pushing further into space and maintaining stability across its vast territories.