700 BC. That is a SECOND barb city down there. At least it's in a fairly reasonable location, unlike Visigoth, which pretty much sucks, and since I MUST let it live, will end up being really bad, since I had earmarked that city for something like the Colossus if I could.

In 680 BC, Khan comes asking for Open Borders. I'm not really worried about him trying to settle my rear, so I go for it. Shortly thereafter, my settler comes in in Paris, and I found Rheims on red dot. This will be my last city for a time, because I desperately need to deal with those two barb cities first.

Of note, 4 cities this early has fairly quickly driven my tech rate down to 70%, because I can't afford the 7 gpt cost, and none of my cities really make money.

So, I have copper, sort of.

In 260 BC, almost 700 years after Judaism is founded, it FINALLY spreads to Paris. Meanwhile, it's turning into the World Buddhist Conspiracy. Because Judaism refuses to spread. And...oh. I totally forgot to convert to Organized Religion. Well...suck. I fix that the very next turn when my settler completes.

"Settler?" You ask?

Settler.

I never want to have to do that again, ever, and it REALLY made Khan angry, so much so that he cancels our borders deal, but I need that copper. Meanwhile, in all of that buildup to get the copper, I have time to get this:

I then start on the Parthenon, because I don't exactly have anything better to build just yet. That same turn, Moses pops in Paris, and immediately runs over to Orleans and constructs the Temple of Solomon, which gets me back up to 70% science.

I am, at this point, the most cultured civilization in the world, followed by Gandhi. And Judaism is now spreading like wildfire, to Tenochtitlan, and to enough of Khan's cities that he converts to Judaism and allows me to sign Open Borders with him again. Then Monty converts, and all of a sudden I'm raking in gold hand over fist.

Rather shortly later, he comes telling me to cancel my deals with Gandhi, which I am only too glad to do. It would make my day if I could keep Monty and Khan on my side for the game.

And after all that struggle, I decide to hold off for Iron Working. Ha.

By 380 AD, I have a half million people, and am one turn to Iron Working. When it comes in, it puts me in the Classical Era.

What's totally hilarious about all of this is, after all the trouble I went to to found Tours, I have iron at Paris. Go figure.

Rather shortly after that discovery, I finish the Parthenon in Paris:

I am now free to begin an army to destroy the barbarian threat. This I begin doing. Axemen now, Swords when my iron hooks up.

It so happens that I miss out on the Great Lighthouse to Alex by THREE turns. However, this converts to 276 gold, which is enough to fund some serious deficit research, which I happen to need.

In 500 AD or thereabouts, George Washington (who is Confucian, I might add), comes calling to demand that I cancel my deals with Khan. Being not a fool, I tell him where he can go with his offer, and he gets huffy, cancels our borders deal, and leaves.

In 540 AD, the time is at hand, and...

Our Raider II Axe goes up against a barb archer, and...dies.

Our Raider I Axe goes up against a barb archer, and...triumphs.

Our last Raider I Axe goes up against the last barb archer, and...

Screenshots fail if you try while capturing a city? Odd.

Take that, Conan. Yes, that worker was a captured barb. For the win, as the saying goes.

And, perhaps in celebration, and perhaps because it felt bad about somebody else getting Taoism...

Immediately wiping out my unhappiness issues, giving me a lot of money, and just generally winning.

In 630 AD, the Ever Victorious Armies arrive outside Visigoth, and...

Raider I Sword vs Archer, we win.

Raider II Sword vs Archer, we...lose?

Our Raider II Axe makes up for it, however, and Visigoth is autorazed for 38 gold and the anti-barbarian win. I rush over a settler that I had just providentially had on hand...and Marseilles is founded on Pink Dot in 690 AD, which handily corresponds to Homer being born in Paris. Well, I know right where THAT'S going. +6000 culture in Tours, and suddenly I have vast swathes of land.

About now I remember that, yes, I DID build the Pyramids way back in 200 AD. Representation becomes the order of the day. I imagine I'll stay there for quite some time to come.