Did the Followers of Surak Push the Romulans off the Planet Vulcan?
It has always been thought that the Romulan Star Empire was a radical offshoot of Vulcan civilization, a minority of Vulcans that denied the philosophy of Surak. In actuality, the events that led to the formation of these two separate societies were quite different. In the beginning, the Vulcans as a people were violent and emotional. When Surak appeared on the scene, his teachings were influential, but only to a small sect of the society. Around this time, the still-dominant warlike sect of Vulcan society decided to expand its reach (and indeed, create what is now known as the Empire) and mounted a task force to overtake the sister planets Romulus and Remus — they planned to gain territory for themselves, as well as conquer and enslave the indigenous species, the Remans. Their mission was successful, but at a price: while the warlike sect of Vulcan society was concerning itself with conquering the Remans, Surak’s followers had gained strength, and rebelled against them. Though the vio
