Cruuxius Tiberius Carico (Ætas ab Brian)
From Alternative History
History of Rome-After Ætas ab Brian
*These biographic facts in the table are ATL assumptions due to lack of archival evidence.
| Gender: | Male |
| Born: | 716, March 10th* |
| Died: | 803, March 12th |
| Aged | 87* |
| Place of birth: | Vicus Elbii* |
| Known relatives: | Jeff Brian; Titvs Carico Vaspasianvs, adopted sons |
| Legal status: | Citizen of the Roman Empire |
| Occupation: | 2nd Cæsar |
| Ruled: | 772(19)-803(50) |
Carico's Vaposcurr were a revolutionary leap forward for the empire. The success of the vaposcurr helped serve as an example the process of matching scientific discovery with technological exploitation. His designs were so finely tuned that virtually no improvements on them were conceived for centuries, but this was also a result of paranoid secrecy from Carico and later the Senate. Both feared the more advanced barbarian nations gaining the capability of the steamwheel, the Nihonians would later be the prime example. In the 19th century the eventual release of vapscurr designs to Sinica in exchange for support for Roman rule in India was a very controversial decision.
Among his more controversial actions was the movement of both the greater and lesser Libraries of Alexandria.
Upon the conquest of Ægyptus Carico personnaly presented the new territory to Augustus as a gift.
Throughout his rule Carico made a very systematic and law bounded taxation system, likely influenced from his exposure in Ægyptus. He enforced the city of Rome as the sole capital of the Empire. Having a mobile capital had political and military benefits and kept things flexible, but Carico insisted that a centralised authority was critical for the logistics of coordinating the massive amounts of resources needed for the empire. By doing this however, the empire's capital would become more vulnerable, leading to Roma being among the only central cities to have a substantial permanent garrison
In 797(44) Carico annexed the Kingdom of Mauretania (a Roman ally and client since the Punic Wars) after it's Roman-appointed king Petronax Thalamus died. Carico divided the kingdom into Mauretanias Caesariensis and Tingitana as Caesarian provinces.
Carico throughout his reign also put focus on encouraging cooperation between the Optimates and Populares, and to also build some form of sincere concern for the people rather than the simple aim of personal aggrandizement.
He made an effort to control population growth of the city of Rome, while encouraging growth elsewhere and the construction of more Latin colony cities in order to build the empire's base of loyalty, tax revenue, and recruitment pools. The growth of the city of Rome could not be controlled however, and it wouldn't be until Zeno and the later Project Zeno before it's structure was properly improved.
It was under Carico and his immediate successors that the last voices of isolationism were silenced one way or another. As Carico saw it and regularly proclaimed, ever since the Macedonian Wars the world was clearly no longer content with leaving Rome be, and that Rome had to go out of its way to set the rules if it didn't want to be imposed upon.
Carico was an enthusiast for history, and offered his patronage to many studying or writing history.
In his memoirs Carico described his vision of creating an 'imperial federation' with all the benefits of both empire and republic. This was regarded as partly idealist, partly ridiculous by most people.
