The Senate. This word would dominate the Post Sullistrian Era. A body compromised of elder statesmen from every corner of the expanding Maxum empire. It would shape the face of her people forever, and eventually the face of a continent

Under the leadership of Pallatius, after the defeat of the Sullists, all cities and villages sent for there wiset, most well spoken, well educated men to Maxus. Here they discussed what had gone wrong with giving over control of the empire to a few individuals. They discussed how best to handle trade, relations between cities and the Maxum empire and other lands. Most importantly they discussed how to manage a military force. The Regenro (rebirth) council (1 A.S) determined that power could no longer rest with one person or a few individuals. Only a group of individuals representing all areas and aspects of the empire could properly run it. This way no group could dominate. There would be built a meeting hall in Maxus, now the unofficial capitol of the empire, the Senate. Here members would debate issues dealing with the empire. As for the military it would be placed under control of the Senate, and thus the Maxum state as a whole, instead of a legion taking orders from their Legate only. This way they could not be used to vault one person or family above another. All commanding officers would have to be approved by the senate chamber. Finally the mandatory service term for the military was removed. Now the military would be a career and not forced employment. Many of the harsh taxes placed upon individuals and businesses were removed lifting the heavy burden off the peoples shoulders. However it was still expected that when called upon to donate goods for the military or other needs for Maxum as a whole, that citizens will comply.

As a final piece of business the council proclaimed that there should be an authoritative figure in the Senate, to keep memebers on task and from the danger of breaking apart into bickering. For this they propoosed the title of Consul, the head of the Senate. And for this position there was unanimous consent on who should hold the office: Pallatius.

Feeling that this was his highest calling Pallatius excepted. Under his guidence and even handedness the Senate chamber became a place of reform and the epitome of efficient government. The senators rebuilt the Maxum military, putting wise, virtuous commanders in charge of it. The Maxum empire flourished during the next 30 years. Its boundaries expanded with relatively little conflict. The levels of culture, technology, peace, all soared in this first golden era of Maxum.

It was in this time that the Senate saw it would be wise to implement a measurement for keeping records. All events would be recorded as Antea Senatus (A.S.) and Post Senatus (P.S.), before the Senate and after the Senate.

In the year 45 P.S. a dark shadow passed over the still relatively small empire. Pallatius, their great Consul died in his sleep at the age of 85. The entire empire mourned at their loss and nearly 100,000 came to his funeral in the Maxus square, thereafter called Pallatine square in his honor. His body was placed upon the traditional pyre and burnt as the people cried out and prayed to the gods that he be given a high place among the dead. The mourning continued for another week.

Now the Senate was left without a leader, who would fill the void of the great Pallatius? A little known senator from the small town of Sihermazitine, saw his opportunity. Proditus Lecerta was known among the senators for being a viscious politician, but nevertheless he had come through many times as a great diplomat and moderator. In there state of grief they elected Proditus as Consul, a title he would use to throw the empire into utter disarray.

Proditus first move was to destroy his political enemies. Over the years he had ruined many lives in his silent advancement in the senate. He had anonymity on his side. The people only knew that Proditus was to be a great compromiser and diplomat. Proditus began to spread treasonous lies against many of the highest ranking senators and other officials. So complete and deceptive was his work that within a few months his enemies were thrown into prison by the request of their constiuent people! The senate at that time was compromised of 200 members from the various cities and towns. He had managed to cut that number to 160, leaving open 40 senatorial seats in which new officials were elected, and strangely enough they were all very close friends with Proditus, unbeknownst to the people. Not even the senators knew for Proditus had kept so much of himself private.

With one fifth of the senate essentially under his control Proditus began his sweeping reform for the future glorification for the empire, and more importantly himself. His first move was to have Maxus declared capitol and renamed Palltio-Maxa, in honor of his dear departed "friend" Pallatius. In truth Pallatius had always been wary of Proditus. This move, while sending totaly military and political control directly to Maxima, eliminating home rule, was popular beeing seen more as a tribute to the fresh memory of Pallatius death in the minds of the senators and people. Proditus popularity began to surge.

One of his political enemies was a commanding Legate of the II and V legions, Inaus Psium. Inaus had charges leveled at him of conspiring with the troll nation as well as the barbarous peoples of the north to strategic weaknesses of the empire, in exchange for a vast sum of money, an escape into there territory and given a kingship in the far north. Psiums Tribune officers under him were all commanders that Proditus has silently helped gain in their rank, so they backed up the charges and Psium was publicly executed on grounds of treason. Using the hysteria of one of her generals being traitor, Proditus proposed that the Senate take a more direct approach as to the running of the military. While the senate already appointed the commanders, once outside of Pallatio-Maxa the commanders essentially ran the legions as they wished. His proposition was this. The legions commanders would be elected still by the Senate, but the Consul would hold direct control over there actions, thus eliminating all Legates. The consul would be the head Legate, and the legions ran by their Tribunes. Thus with multiple tribunes no one man can motivate his men to into traitorous acts without the help of the other tribunes or the knowledge of the Consul-Legate. And if such actions were rumored the Consul-Legate could act swiftly on the part of 'Maxa (as the empire was commonly called) to crush the insurgent commanders. And if the Consul was suspicious then he could easily be removed. The senators voted unanimously to this proposition, feeling that it indeed would prevent another incident like the one with Psium.

Over the next few years Proditus slowly thinned out nearly all of the commanders that had been elected under Pallatius rule, instead with those loyal to him. During this time Proditus bullied many tax increases through the senate for his "war efforts" in the north. While a majority of the money did go to funding the legions, which were effecutally his, the rest was used to slowly build his own estate.

In 57 P.S. Proditus ordered the IX legion to march upon the town of Sartus, a small village of 3000 south of Pallatio-Maxa. The legion attacked and razed the small town, destroying everything and everyone. Proditus justified this action by producing documents that the town was insurgent and had raised a local militia under the leadership of the well known senator Valarious Serpious, and were conspiring with the ogre tribes to begin a reign of terror. Of course Serpious could not defend the charges as he was in Sartus when the attack happened. Both the documents and the actions disturbed both the senators and the people, but no one could do anything, as the charges could no be disputed.

The next 5 years were anything less than disturbing. Proditus continued on with his treasonous claims and swift butchery of innocent lives. In 62 P.S. Proditus ordered that the IV and V legions were to be permenantly stationed in Pallatio-Maxa, now a thriving capitol city of 30,000. The legions were renamed the Proditian gaurd, and replaced the old city guard. This move angered many senators, and many found themselves in prison under charges of treason. Proditus now had control of the capitol, and essentially the empire. The next three years were maddening. Proditus bullied through tax after tax, and reform after reform more power to him. Yet people were angered at the senate not the Consul, for all laws had the Senates stamp of approval on them. Uprisings began sprouting out all over the empire, people calling for rebellion. As quickly as they rose, Proditus crushed them, not wishing to repeat the mistakes of the Sullists.

In 65 P.S., 20 years to the day after Pallatius's death, Proditus called for the senate to assemble along with all of Maxa outside the senate building. There from the jutting dias, with the protection of the Proditian guard, Proditus proclaimed himself Emperor and god on earth. The crowd was mortified, and began to go on a rampage, which Proditus well expected would happen. The guard quickly crushed the insurgents, arrested those who lived, along with all senators and had them summarily publicly executed to show his power for all of maxima.

For the next 5 years Proditus ruled his empire with an iron fist. Although he though he had quenched the rebellious spirit, his arrogance got the best of him, for the Maxums ruled their empire, not any one man. In the fall of 70 P.S. Proditus held a massive festival to the goddess Aurielus, who evidently had not been answering his "prayers". There was much merrymaking. Proditus had invited most of his closest friends and allies from all over the empire. As they all found themselves falling into wonderful drunkedness, a troupe of performing dancers was brought before them. This group of beautiful women were as deadly as they were beautiful. Those few senators who had still survived swore an oathe to faithfully serve Proditus, but when they had heard of this festival they saw there chance. They sought out the most beautiful young ladies, one each for every guest on Proditus's list. When they were all amply drunk the girls would dance and seduce them all off to their bedchambers. The plan worked excellently, for the next morning the dancing troupe had vanished and the house servents found Proditus and nearly every legion tribune, senator, or official loyal to him slaughtered in their beds, all having carved on their naked chests, Maxum Ispa Rectum, Maxum rules herself.

The news of the death of the tyrant sent waves of rebellion rocking through the empire. The Proditian guard attempted to take control of the empire by claiming the capitol as theirs. All the remaining legion commanders proclaimed themselves Legates. Thus began the great civil war for control of the Maxum Empire, the time of conflict, when Maxima would face not only dangers of internal turmoil, but the crippling blows of there ancient enemies.