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The Unofficial S.P.Q.R.Tm Walkthrough
for CyberSites' "S.P.Q.R.TM: The Empire's Darkest Hour" on CD-ROM
by Venusta
Introduction
Game Start
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Endgame
Things Not to Bother With (Semi-spoilers)
Acknowledgments
Links to Roman Citizens' Sites
New! Each section contains a "Just Hints" area for those who don't
want to be totally "spoiled." Just go to the section you want help
with, and view "Just Hints" for subtle hints or view "Spoilers"
for a complete walkthrough for that section's puzzles.
Introduction
It is 205 A.D., and Septimius Severus reigns over the vast Roman
Empire. But an oracle has predicted disaster: the Calamitus, a
clever saboteur whose mission is to destroy Rome. The ingenious
inventor Cornelius has summoned you to identify and foil the
Calamitus. He has put at your disposal his Navitor, a prototype
device allowing you to travel about the city at will, find the
necessary clues, and save Rome from destruction. (See Game Start -
The Navitor for the workings of this technological marvel.) You
must accomplish this task within the space of a year. But the
Calamitus is very slippery, and there will be various acts of
sabotage throughout the year that you must investigate. There are
five suspects, whose notebooks and journals you will find and read
along the way; one of them is the Calamitus. This Walkthrough will
help you get the clues you need, zero in on the correct suspect,
and stop the Calamitus in time to preserve the Empire.
Saving your game and quitting:
Remember that you can save your game at any time by pressing ESC,
pointing your cursor at an empty space on the list to highlight
it, and clicking Save. The saved game will indicate the location
and date at the point you saved. To load a saved game, press ESC,
highlight it, and click Load. You can overwrite an old saved game
by highlighting its entry and clicking Save; you'll be asked to
confirm that you want to overwrite it. "Exitus" exits this window
and returns you to the game at the point you saved it; "Quit"
quits the game.
Game Start
Just Hints
Sewer: Examine the machinery.
First room: If it's broke, fix it!
Second room: Reading is fundamental.
Spoilers
Sewer: You are in a sewer; ahead of you is a gate with a ladder
behind it. To open the gate, click over to the crank. Pick up the
little handle and place it in the hole on the top of the crank.
Then click to turn the crank until the boat rises; continue until
it stops. The gate should now be open; go up the ladder and turn
the door handle.
Useless things to play with: the brazier to the left of the crank
(pick up the coal on the floor, put it in the brazier, and watch
the flame flare up); the skeleton on the wall (running the cursor
over the missing thighbone area produces a "click" -- but remember
this for the Endgame).
Cornelius's Office: At the model city, click on the fallen
buildings to pick them up; a scroll pops up; read it, and click on
the picture to run the little mini-video that shows you where
Cornelius's desk is. Picking up the little buildings also opens
the door to the next room, where Cornelius's desk is. Go to the
desk, read all the scrolls and the note, click on the box to open
it (you can't open the box until after you've clicked on the
note), and get the crank. It will fly over to the Navitor. You
might also want to play with the four machines a bit; each one is
associated with a season. Ver=Spring; Aestas=Summer; Autumnus
=Autumn; Hiems=Winter. Notice that there are also doors marked
"Ver" and "Autumnus". This will give you an idea of what to do and
where to go when you need to restart the Navitor after its
seasonal breakdowns in March, June, September, and November.
The Navitor
Start the Navitor by pulling the crank to the right. Here's how it
works:
Time. The crank can be manipulated to slow down or speed up the
passage of time; slower to the left, faster to the right. All the
way to the left brings you back to Cornelius's study; pull to the
right to restart. All the way to the right will go extra fast if
you hold it there; very useful for advancing to the next date that
something will be open if you don't feel like wandering around
waiting for time to pass automatically. Keep it at a
slow-to-moderate pace at the beginning, until you've familiarized
yourself with the Forum and done everything you need to do the
first month. You cannot go backward in time, unless you reload a
saved game (see below). The center of the timebar indicates
today's date in ancient Roman reckoning: "a.d." stands for "ante
diem," or days before; "Kal." stands for Kalends, the first day of
the month; "Non." stands for Nones, the 5th or 7th day of the
month; and "Id." stands for Ides, the 13th or 15th day of the
month. "Pridie" stands for the day before, i.e., the "eve" of the
Kalends, Nones, or Ides of the month. Thus, for example, "a.d. XII
Kal. Aug." is 12 days before the 1st of August -- in other words,
you're in July, but past the Ides (or middle) of July. Nearly all
of the places you have to visit to solve the puzzles will have
specific opening dates (e.g., the Regia sign says "Apertus XIV
Kal. Nov.", which is in October). Some dates will be indicated in
the scrolls or Acta. You cannot get inside the place to solve the
puzzle until on or after the specified date.
Calendar: The scroll just above the timebar brings up a visual
clue to where you'll need to solve that month's puzzle. There is
one major puzzle each month (in addition to many minor ones).
Press the button to the right to go forward and get a preview; the
one to the left moves backward.
Info. The nameplates contain the characters' notebooks, containing
useful historical information about all aspects of ancient Rome,
as well as clues to some of the puzzles you'll encounter as you go
along. To get a table of contents, click on the initial on the
bottom left of the notebook scroll. To move forward in the
scrolls, click on the right; backward, to the left. The "Exitus"
button exits the notebook. When a name is lit, click to read the
notebook entry; it may contain clues. You can read the notebooks
any time, even when the name isn't lit.
Storage: Most of the non-scroll items you pick up (i.e., those not
to be used immediately) will be stored in one of the two cabinets
at the bottom left and right of the Navitor. The doors move down
to open and up to close.
Maps: The storage doors, when closed, have two maps. The one on
the left is architectural, and allows you to click on individual
buildings to see their layout. The one on the right is of the city
itself. The places you visit are marked with circles; a flashing
circle is where you're at now. You can hyperjump from one place to
another by clicking on a circle near where you want to be. The
names of the places are indicated at the bottom of the map as your
cursor moves over them. Look for the turned-down edges indicating
that you can turn the page to see more maps. "Exitus" exits.
Compass: Bottom right. For use in conjunction with the city map.
Shows you which way you're facing.
Acta Diurna: Bottom left. Dated official mouthpiece of the
Emperor; flashes when there's a new one. Can contain clues and
indications as to when an important festival will be or when and
where a crime you need to "investigate" was committed. Can be read
anytime, even when not flashing, and you can go backward and
forward (click "Retro" for backward; click on the right to go
forward) but you cannot go into the future. Some Acta go beyond
one page -- look for a "Cont." button. "Exitus" to exit.
Scrolls: Each character's dated scrolls are stored on the
five-slot shelf below the viewer. (See January for where to find
all five.) A new scroll is indicated when it unfurls; click on it
to read it. You can read scrolls even when they're furled; click,
and the most recent one appears. Like the Acta, you can go
backward or forward (look for the furled edges), but not beyond
the date you're at. Scrolls contain textual and visual clues to
minor and major puzzles, as well as giving an idea of each
character's history and personality, and his or her possible
motives for being the Calamitus.
January
Just Hints
Where are the scrolls? Ask someone with a map.
Getting the scrolls:
Verania: Under your nose.
Lucius: Drinking and boating DO go together -- count on it!
Gordian: Pick one from column A, one from column B, etc. -- but
get it right from the ground up. (See Lucius's notebook.)
Xanthus: A stone is a many-sided thing. (See Gordian's notebook.)
Sibyl: Mirror mirror on the wall . . . . Monkey see, monkey do.
(See Sibyl's notebook.)
The strongbox:
The twins have the key, and the box.
In Gordian's journal, between a nag and an inconvenience lies a
security precaution, especially on January 22nd.
Trust Gordian -- he knows all the angles.
Spoilers
You'll find yourself in the Forum, behind the Arch of Severus, on
the first day of the year, Kal. Jan.
1. Get all five scrolls:
Locations are marked on one of the maps in Gordian's notebook.
Verania - under the Arch of Severus -- you'll see it as soon as
you get to the Forum from Cornelius's study. Verania is the
Vestalis Maxima, or head of the Vestal Virgins.
Lucius - upstairs at the Wineshop (just west of the Senate House).
Go to the cabinet with the two levers and set both at VII. (The
clue to this is at the bottom of the stairs -- if you click on the
tree in the boat picture, grapes appear; click on the grapes, and
dolphins appear. There are 7.) The cabinet opens, revealing
Lucius's scroll. Lucius is the drunken son of a Senator, now a
sort of private eye. Notice the wooden soldiers on his desk.
Useless things to play with: the box by the stairs (which opens to
reveal an animated helmet); the items on his desk; the other
pictures in the wineshop downstairs.
Gordian - up the Stair of Sighs in the Tabularium (next to the
Tullian Jail), left, straight twice, and through the door to the
right. Pick up the compass, which draws a circle and opens a door
to the center office (Gordian's). Behind his desk is a picture of
four columns with four boxes. Click to see the names of the column
types; then click and drag to put them in the boxes in the right
order from the ground up: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Composite.
(Clue in Lucius's notebook entry on the Colosseum.) A gate to the
right of the desk will open; go into that room and get Gordian's
scroll. Gordian is the Curator Fori (curator of the Forum) and a
prominent engineer. Useless things to play with: the other
pictures on the walls.
Xanthus - the third of the offices in the Tabularium. At the desk,
place the stones in the numbered grooves according to the number
for CyberSites' "S.P.Q.R.TM: The Empire's Darkest Hour" on CD-ROM
by Venusta
Introduction
Game Start
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Endgame
Things Not to Bother With (Semi-spoilers)
Acknowledgments
Links to Roman Citizens' Sites
New! Each section contains a "Just Hints" area for those who don't
want to be totally "spoiled." Just go to the section you want help
with, and view "Just Hints" for subtle hints or view "Spoilers"
for a complete walkthrough for that section's puzzles.
Introduction
It is 205 A.D., and Septimius Severus reigns over the vast Roman
Empire. But an oracle has predicted disaster: the Calamitus, a
clever saboteur whose mission is to destroy Rome. The ingenious
inventor Cornelius has summoned you to identify and foil the
Calamitus. He has put at your disposal his Navitor, a prototype
device allowing you to travel about the city at will, find the
necessary clues, and save Rome from destruction. (See Game Start -
The Navitor for the workings of this technological marvel.) You
must accomplish this task within the space of a year. But the
Calamitus is very slippery, and there will be various acts of
sabotage throughout the year that you must investigate. There are
five suspects, whose notebooks and journals you will find and read
along the way; one of them is the Calamitus. This Walkthrough will
help you get the clues you need, zero in on the correct suspect,
and stop the Calamitus in time to preserve the Empire.
Saving your game and quitting:
Remember that you can save your game at any time by pressing ESC,
pointing your cursor at an empty space on the list to highlight
it, and clicking Save. The saved game will indicate the location
and date at the point you saved. To load a saved game, press ESC,
highlight it, and click Load. You can overwrite an old saved game
by highlighting its entry and clicking Save; you'll be asked to
confirm that you want to overwrite it. "Exitus" exits this window
and returns you to the game at the point you saved it; "Quit"
quits the game.
Game Start
Just Hints
Sewer: Examine the machinery.
First room: If it's broke, fix it!
Second room: Reading is fundamental.
Spoilers
Sewer: You are in a sewer; ahead of you is a gate with a ladder
behind it. To open the gate, click over to the crank. Pick up the
little handle and place it in the hole on the top of the crank.
Then click to turn the crank until the boat rises; continue until
it stops. The gate should now be open; go up the ladder and turn
the door handle.
Useless things to play with: the brazier to the left of the crank
(pick up the coal on the floor, put it in the brazier, and watch
the flame flare up); the skeleton on the wall (running the cursor
over the missing thighbone area produces a "click" -- but remember
this for the Endgame).
Cornelius's Office: At the model city, click on the fallen
buildings to pick them up; a scroll pops up; read it, and click on
the picture to run the little mini-video that shows you where
Cornelius's desk is. Picking up the little buildings also opens
the door to the next room, where Cornelius's desk is. Go to the
desk, read all the scrolls and the note, click on the box to open
it (you can't open the box until after you've clicked on the
note), and get the crank. It will fly over to the Navitor. You
might also want to play with the four machines a bit; each one is
associated with a season. Ver=Spring; Aestas=Summer; Autumnus
=Autumn; Hiems=Winter. Notice that there are also doors marked
"Ver" and "Autumnus". This will give you an idea of what to do and
where to go when you need to restart the Navitor after its
seasonal breakdowns in March, June, September, and November.
The Navitor
Start the Navitor by pulling the crank to the right. Here's how it
works:
Time. The crank can be manipulated to slow down or speed up the
passage of time; slower to the left, faster to the right. All the
way to the left brings you back to Cornelius's study; pull to the
right to restart. All the way to the right will go extra fast if
you hold it there; very useful for advancing to the next date that
something will be open if you don't feel like wandering around
waiting for time to pass automatically. Keep it at a
slow-to-moderate pace at the beginning, until you've familiarized
yourself with the Forum and done everything you need to do the
first month. You cannot go backward in time, unless you reload a
saved game (see below). The center of the timebar indicates
today's date in ancient Roman reckoning: "a.d." stands for "ante
diem," or days before; "Kal." stands for Kalends, the first day of
the month; "Non." stands for Nones, the 5th or 7th day of the
month; and "Id." stands for Ides, the 13th or 15th day of the
month. "Pridie" stands for the day before, i.e., the "eve" of the
Kalends, Nones, or Ides of the month. Thus, for example, "a.d. XII
Kal. Aug." is 12 days before the 1st of August -- in other words,
you're in July, but past the Ides (or middle) of July. Nearly all
of the places you have to visit to solve the puzzles will have
specific opening dates (e.g., the Regia sign says "Apertus XIV
Kal. Nov.", which is in October). Some dates will be indicated in
the scrolls or Acta. You cannot get inside the place to solve the
puzzle until on or after the specified date.
Calendar: The scroll just above the timebar brings up a visual
clue to where you'll need to solve that month's puzzle. There is
one major puzzle each month (in addition to many minor ones).
Press the button to the right to go forward and get a preview; the
one to the left moves backward.
Info. The nameplates contain the characters' notebooks, containing
useful historical information about all aspects of ancient Rome,
as well as clues to some of the puzzles you'll encounter as you go
along. To get a table of contents, click on the initial on the
bottom left of the notebook scroll. To move forward in the
scrolls, click on the right; backward, to the left. The "Exitus"
button exits the notebook. When a name is lit, click to read the
notebook entry; it may contain clues. You can read the notebooks
any time, even when the name isn't lit.
Storage: Most of the non-scroll items you pick up (i.e., those not
to be used immediately) will be stored in one of the two cabinets
at the bottom left and right of the Navitor. The doors move down
to open and up to close.
Maps: The storage doors, when closed, have two maps. The one on
the left is architectural, and allows you to click on individual
buildings to see their layout. The one on the right is of the city
itself. The places you visit are marked with circles; a flashing
circle is where you're at now. You can hyperjump from one place to
another by clicking on a circle near where you want to be. The
names of the places are indicated at the bottom of the map as your
cursor moves over them. Look for the turned-down edges indicating
that you can turn the page to see more maps. "Exitus" exits.
Compass: Bottom right. For use in conjunction with the city map.
Shows you which way you're facing.
Acta Diurna: Bottom left. Dated official mouthpiece of the
Emperor; flashes when there's a new one. Can contain clues and
indications as to when an important festival will be or when and
where a crime you need to "investigate" was committed. Can be read
anytime, even when not flashing, and you can go backward and
forward (click "Retro" for backward; click on the right to go
forward) but you cannot go into the future. Some Acta go beyond
one page -- look for a "Cont." button. "Exitus" to exit.
Scrolls: Each character's dated scrolls are stored on the
five-slot shelf below the viewer. (See January for where to find
all five.) A new scroll is indicated when it unfurls; click on it
to read it. You can read scrolls even when they're furled; click,
and the most recent one appears. Like the Acta, you can go
backward or forward (look for the furled edges), but not beyond
the date you're at. Scrolls contain textual and visual clues to
minor and major puzzles, as well as giving an idea of each
character's history and personality, and his or her possible
motives for being the Calamitus.
January
Just Hints
Where are the scrolls? Ask someone with a map.
Getting the scrolls:
Verania: Under your nose.
Lucius: Drinking and boating DO go together -- count on it!
Gordian: Pick one from column A, one from column B, etc. -- but
get it right from the ground up. (See Lucius's notebook.)
Xanthus: A stone is a many-sided thing. (See Gordian's notebook.)
Sibyl: Mirror mirror on the wall . . . . Monkey see, monkey do.
(See Sibyl's notebook.)
The strongbox:
The twins have the key, and the box.
In Gordian's journal, between a nag and an inconvenience lies a
security precaution, especially on January 22nd.
Trust Gordian -- he knows all the angles.
Spoilers
You'll find yourself in the Forum, behind the Arch of Severus, on
the first day of the year, Kal. Jan.
1. Get all five scrolls:
Locations are marked on one of the maps in Gordian's notebook.
Verania - under the Arch of Severus -- you'll see it as soon as
you get to the Forum from Cornelius's study. Verania is the
Vestalis Maxima, or head of the Vestal Virgins.
Lucius - upstairs at the Wineshop (just west of the Senate House).
Go to the cabinet with the two levers and set both at VII. (The
clue to this is at the bottom of the stairs -- if you click on the
tree in the boat picture, grapes appear; click on the grapes, and
dolphins appear. There are 7.) The cabinet opens, revealing
Lucius's scroll. Lucius is the drunken son of a Senator, now a
sort of private eye. Notice the wooden soldiers on his desk.
Useless things to play with: the box by the stairs (which opens to
reveal an animated helmet); the items on his desk; the other
pictures in the wineshop downstairs.
Gordian - up the Stair of Sighs in the Tabularium (next to the
Tullian Jail), left, straight twice, and through the door to the
right. Pick up the compass, which draws a circle and opens a door
to the center office (Gordian's). Behind his desk is a picture of
four columns with four boxes. Click to see the names of the column
types; then click and drag to put them in the boxes in the right
order from the ground up: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Composite.
(Clue in Lucius's notebook entry on the Colosseum.) A gate to the
right of the desk will open; go into that room and get Gordian's
scroll. Gordian is the Curator Fori (curator of the Forum) and a
prominent engineer. Useless things to play with: the other
pictures on the walls.
Xanthus - the third of the offices in the Tabularium. At the desk,
place the stones in the numbered grooves according to the number
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