(ATL stands for Alternate Timeline and OTL is Our Timeline ;) )
Prelude:
April 396 A.D.
Shortly before the invasions of the Western Roman Empire, the new emperors of Rome, Flavius Arcadius and Flavius Honorius had just recently acquired the thrones as infants with co-rule by their father Theodosius I. The scholars in the capital of Mediolanum were distraught over the continuing rule of the Theodosius I. The taxes were raised daily on the poor, the economy was suffering, and the population could not match the necessary number of armies. The high classes and the nobility felt none of this, living in such luxurious conditions, but even the little educated knew something needed to change.
Scholars in the capital advised against the crowning of these two, knowing their guidance would be futile in the long run. They knew the empire was torn in two, but seeing two different leaders of the empire crowned only increased the tensions. Some argued for the need of a single, strong leader who would protect the country from the suspicious Visigoths in the West and any future wars. If a single foreign force attacked the empire, all was lost.
It was clear that any weak leaders in a fast declining empire would lead to the crumbling of the 500 year empire. All seemed hopeless until the mysterious, untimely deaths of the children emperors.
Varengellius
The Conspirator
380 A.D. to 396 A.D.
The Florentia Scholasticus Congregatio: a high scholar society in Florentia founded by a rejected adviser to Octavius during the spring of his second year as emperor. This adviser fled to Florentia, the then-soldier housing complex, and began planning the future of the Roman Empire. He was a wanted man for providing false information regarding the death of Julius Caesar years earlier. He created this "society" as a parallel to the noble authorities in Rome in a rebellious fashion. He hoped for a bright future for the Empire and for the capital. To fulfill this want, he sent out invitations to the greatest scholars of Rome. The exact motive of this man was a mystery, but it would prove to be the empire's shadowed turning point.
Descendants of this man lived in Florentia for hundreds of years, carefully watching as the empire steadily moved towards destruction. They watched the horrors of the Nero and Domitian administrations transition to the prosperous Aurelias ones. But it was not until Diocletian did the congregation contribute any actual changes to Rome. The congregation constructed of a council system based off the old Roman Republic which managed internal affairs, but was widely ignored into the 4th century.
The elected leader of the council on the heated morning of August 23rd, 380 A.D. was clear to be Appius Varengellius. He was a stubborn man who had some clear mental disturbance within him, reminiscent of Caligula. The second in command, Titus Sergius, was in a constant nervous state whilst confronting Varengellius for any minuscule purpose. Varengellius was an imposing man who legends say made "Lions Tremble at his Feet." The council leader held immense power over the other members of the council, but he could not force them to vote for resolutions. Varengellius was a conspirator, waking up every morning to write in his tiny, brown diary plausible battle plans and drafts of maps. He despised the current emperors Theodosius I and Valentinian II, and constantly drafted assassination plans to dispose of the leaders. The plans were well-made and well thought out (For someone with mental disorders, that is). However, each plan had a major flaw that prevented any successful assassinations: no one could breach the emperor's chambers. He waited and waited for an idea to come to resolute this conundrum, and after half a decade, after a long stare into his washroom's mirror, he announced the answer.
-October 3rd, 391 A.D.
Walking up the gold-plated stairs to address the council, Varengellius announced in his booming voice, "Attention fellow council members! The solution to Rome's depreciation has been unveiled to me. I will need the help of Titus for this important task. The sleeping lion will awaken soon!"
He stepped down to thunderous applause.
The last line in his to-be-famous statement sparked hope throughout Florentia. For the first time in years, hope was more prevalent than despair.
Varengellius walked with Titus in the long hallways to his inner chambers, discussing future plans. His words echoed throughout the halls as he began to explain to Titus that while looking in his mirror that morning, he realized the similarity between himself and emperor Valentinian II. Titus shook with fear, hardly remembering any words coming from the tall man. Varengellius ignored Titus' usual nervousness and continued to explain his plan.
"...so do you understand, young Titus? Theodosius and his children are planning on attending a dinner event in Rome on May 15th. I plan to dress as Valentinian to make a surprise appearance while you and Lucius kill the real emperor in his home in Vienne, Gaul."
Titus answered, "Oh...okay sir. Um..."
"The security in the Western Empire is much lesser than that of the East. It'd odd, you'd think because of the West's power, it would have tighter security, but nobody knows how to operate this place anymore. But that's about to change. Hahaha!"
"Very good, s-s-sir."
"Indeed. Remember to make it look like a suicide. Leave no traces or chaos would ensue. Anyway, being dressed as Valentinian, I will enter the party, convince Theodosius to write the letter allowing my son to become heir, and finally poison him and his children."
"Alright, then," replied Titus, writing down every detail of the plan. "But, why not make yourself emperor? Constanus is just a child, he won't last a day as emperor!"
"I do not plan on returning here, Titus. I plan on being killed shortly after poisoning the emperor. There is no way for this to be done discreetly. And that's why he's named Tiberius Constanus and not Varengellius. When my true identity is discovered, my name must disappear from this earth. Constanus will ring out to Europe as the new Roman Emperor if all works out."
Titus just gazed at Varengellius, no longer able to hide his thoughts, he spoke. "You're nuts, old man! Constanus is a boy of 10 years! This will never w-"
Interrupting, "HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME!", while pushing Titus to the floor. "Don't make me have you executed. You know I have the authority. The plan will work."
Titus stood up slowly and begrudgingly followed Titus. "I trust your judgment."
-May 15th, 392 A.D.
Months followed, and the plan did not go over exactly as planned...
Titus fulfilled his role and successfully killed Valentinian in his home in Vienne. He made it look as though Valentinian committed suicide. In fact, his job was so successful that no one ever figured out if Valentinian really killed himself or not. Titus returned to Florentia and was given the role of council electorate, inheritable from Varengellius.
Meanwhile, the plan in Rome was not nearly as successful. The first part of the plan went over splendidly, though. Dressed as the co-ruler of the Roman Empire, Varengellius was able to persuade Theodosius into believing the possibility of a disaster in the empires, resulting in the deaths of his entire population. Gullible and fearful, Theodosius listened, and was eventually convinced into signing the letter allowing "Constanus of Western Rome heir to the Roman throne in the case of a disaster." The disaster was later defined as, "an event ending the lives of Flavius Theodosius, Flavius Arcadius, Flavius Honorius, and the Eastern Emperor, Flavius Valentinianus." The guards oversaw this act with disdain, but could do nothing to stop the emperors.
While the first part went well, the second...not so well. Contrary to Varengellius' opinion, the security was a touch more powerful than expected. Varengellius was spotted with a oblong shaped bottle shortly after leaving Theodosius' table, and after being immediately questioned by servants, was revealed to have been a fake and was sentenced to death.
Word eventually got back to Florentia that the plan failed and Theodosius had survived...or did he?
While not realized for another four years, Varengellius has slipped the poison into the bowls of the emperor and his children before being caught. Theodosius was away from the table at the time and the guards were too distracted to warn Theodosius of his infected meal. Theodosius and his two children, Honorius and Arcadius, had finished their meals within a half hour of the arrest. But when no other affects occurred besides slight muscle aches, it was widely believed that the poison either somehow expired or was never actually poison in the first place. The latter was true.
The muscle aches in Theodosius and his children never left and only progressed into worse and worse symptoms. The public was unaware of this problem, as well as Valentinian's death, as it would 'plummet the empires into chaos and anarchy' the officials thought. The sickness worsened into a severe case of edema. The guards finally realized that the poison was not immediate kind, but the slow and painful kind. They suspected that could be the case, but four years was unexpected.
On his deathbed, Theodosius handed the guards the letter with his signature. They read it, nodded, and served their emperor in his final hours. Honorius and Arcadius died a few days after Theodosius.
-March 5th, 396 A.D.
The emperor's guard walked on the golden pedestal, turned to the populous crowd, and proudly stated, "We have found Tiberius Constanus!"
The crowd cheered an enormous cheer. Finally knowing the empire would once again be under one ruler. Women cried tears of joy that trickled onto the hard pavement below. Children covered their ears, trying to escape the screams.
Through the door walked a young man at 5' 10''. He had dirty blond hair, a short, stubby nose, and not the fittest physique. He carefully walked over to the guard dressed in sparkling jewels and gold. "My father told me I would one day be great, but I never expected this."
The guard turned to him and responded, "What is meant to be, is meant to be."
The young man, no older than 16, walked up the pedestal and waited.
"I now present to you, the people of Rome, your new emperor!" Placing the spectacular ruby and sapphire encrusted crown upon the boy's head. The guard stepped down and let Constanus to step on the pedestal.
The guard shouted, "Long live Constanus! Emperor of the Roman Empire!"
The crowd mimicked the guards in unison, "Long live Constanus!!"
Constanus I of Rome.
The Wise
396 A.D. to 446 A.D.
April 6th, 402 A.D.
Midnight.
A shadowy figure stepped slowly forward. "My son...Am I crazy for putting myself through this? To save a broken empire? Who's to say it won't crumble with or without my help? If I wait, it will crumble and I will be blamed. But if I act too fast, the same will happen. I just don't know anymore." He walked over to the wine cabinet, grabbed a bottle and poured the purple liquid into a tall glass. "The people no longer wait to see my face every morning as they did years ago. At least they've grown inspired enough to keep fighting in the Gothic War. They've even pushed them back to Adrianople, back to a battle we lost years ago...against those demon barbarians." He lifted up the glass. "How could have emperors before me have misjudged these people? They walked into our lands illegally and we make them farmers? Sometimes I wonder what would've happened if my father's mission failed." He took a sip of the wine."Tomorrow I will enact legislation that will finally end this war. I have to. We'll lose a damned lot of empire territory through this...but it just might save this land."
He walked up to the gleaming window, the moonlight peered through revealing the gray hairs peeking through his dark blond mane. "I have to go with them. They cannot do it alone. I'll come back for you Servius. I will not let you grow up without your father as I did."
Servius answered with unintelligible babble. Constanus walked near the golden crib and picked up his son. "You will be emperor one day, Servius." The infant smiled as he was set back down.
-7:32 am, Rome
Walked up the golden pedestal, he spoke, "Subjects, good morning to you!"
The audience applauded this welcome.
"I, Constanus I of these great empires hereby decree new acts which will once again let the Roman Empire flourish into the great land it once was!"
The audience roared with cheering and excitement.
"This will be hard to take in, but with the following rules being implemented into Roman law immediately, we will save the wondrous culture of this fair land. First, I plan to end this horrific Gothic War which eats up our economy and resources every day."
All was silent. The audience was stunned by this proclamation.
"You may have heard that we have recently gained the upper hand in this war and that we could win. This is true, but it would leave us wide open in the West, and Rome could very well be attacked in the upcoming years. The Visigoths are temporarily pushed back to Adrianople, but even though we wish to push them North, entirely out of our lands, that is just plain impossible. Our armies are weakened, and we have no choice but to retreat."
This late line was greeted with multiple boos and hisses.
"My people, listen please! This retreat will lead to a prosperous Rome, lower taxes, and less deaths. But it will all take some careful planning. I hereby demand that Titus Sergius of Florentia be placed before me in one week's time. I have heard of this man's influence in the city of Florentia and it has been confirmed that he has become one of this empire's great military advisers. Now onto other affairs...
"As many of you know, Christianity has grown to be the majority religion in Rome and the empires alike. This type of unity is exactly what we need here and I will continue to applaud such efforts. However, we must not discriminate anyone based on religion, and therefore, any religious crimes between upon anyone of Christian or Paganism beliefs will be dealt with harshly. We will forever have no national religion in order to respect all religious beliefs here."
The crowd cheered, some feeling that the old Republic is beginning to return.
"Thirdly, and many of you will not like this decree, we will decrease the size of the empire. The specifics are not made yet, but my royal advisers and I will draft a map of the new empire shortly. The reason for this: outside of the peninsula, there is not a large Roman population. In other words, not too many live outside of the direct empire any longer. We are decreasing the size for security reasons, but anything can change."
Once again, the crowd was silent. Waiting further news.
"One last thing I would like to address. It seems with all of these barbaric tribes about, that every foreign group out there is out to get us. Do not fear any longer, for we have a new ally! After a long, strenuous war history, the Celtic people of the North have agreed to be our economic and military ally. They have forgiven us for invasions centuries ago, and we now both realize that these barbarians will destroy both of us if they takeover Europe. So, my people, remember that we are not alone in this fight!"
The crowd thunderously applauded their emperor.
"Thank you all for listening. I will let you all know when further decisions have been made."
He stepped down and returned to his offices.
April 14th, 402 A.D.
Titus finally arrived in Rome and walked into Constanus' chambers. He walked up to the emperor and gave him an expected hug.
Titus had been a friend of Varengellius up to his death. Even though the latter had multiple issues, Titus always stood by him through his decisions. He was aging as everyone does, but was still fit as a fiddle at 43 years. Constanus was the only one who knew his family secret, thanks to a certain diary he keeps with him, and since Titus was never found to be Valentinian's killer, nobody had heard his name before.
Together they discussed how to end the Gothic War and more importantly, how to save Rome from destruction. Titus advised Constanus to abandon Constantinople and only fortify Rome, but Constanus rejected that idea as quickly as it came. Constantinople, he believed, was as essential to the empire as Rome was. The only solution was to find a separate ruler to govern Constantinople and, effectively, the Eastern part of the Roman Empire.
"My son is heir to both thrones at the moment," Constanus told Titus, "but because we need to split this empire, I suggest we make you the Eastern's emperor!"
Taken agast, "But sire, I am only an adviser! There's no way I can govern a whole emperor! Who would have been the emperor if Valentinian didn't...erm...die?"
"Theodosius' child, Arcadius. But he died before I became emperor."
"Right...right..."
"Well there's got to be someone. There's no way I can govern both sides of the empire...wait! I got it! It might be disputed, but what if we give the throne to Aelia Eudoxia?"
"Who?" answered Titus with a perplexed look on his face.
"Aelia Eudoxia! She's the daughter of Rufinius, one of the old consuls during Theodosius' rule. I would have chosen him...but he's deceased."
"Well that answers that. A Roman Empress has never ruled by herself before, but desperate times call for desperate measures."
"Appoint her to the throne immediately and make sure she produces an heir as soon as possible. You can help her with that." Constanus stated, grinning.
"Risky move, sir. But if you say so..." Titus said while starting to walk off.
"Hold it!" yelled Constanus. Titus immediately froze. "About the war, Titus. Are you sure shortening the Western Empire will work?"
"Your father did the same thing. Always unsure of things." Titus turned to Constanus. "As long as you're careful, it will. Do not do anything to hastily or we'll lose you as we lost your father."
Aelia (pictured above, in the window) was crowned, to the chagrin of the Eastern populous, as the first Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire. Titus had the opportunity to be crowned emperor, but opposed to doing so, he refused. She proved to be an excellent ruler, cutting off supply lines used by the Visigoths, successfully ending all chances of a Visigothic Kingdoms in the East. She only ruled for a few years, but her administration was strong. When she became Empress, she bore Titus' child, who would be named Sergius I, named after Titus (who died in 410 A.D.), of the Eastern Roman Empire.
From 404 A.D. to 445 A.D., Constanus spent his administration ending the Gothic War and trading with the Celts. Because of his careful thinking, he was able to finally fortify the Western Roman Empire's borders with over 50,000 Celtic army members. For the next fifty years, the WRE would be in debt to the Celtic Kingdom, but that will be explained in more depth later.
The Western Roman Empire's borders were now much smaller than they were in 380, but defense was now manageable. The Alps kept invading forces at bay now that the Romans had newer technology. The Vandals witnessed many of the battles during the Gothic War and decided to traverse Iberia and set up a small kingdom in North Africa.
Constanus was given the Caesar surname for bringing honor and stability back to the empire. Statues were constructed, but he never let it go to his head. He knew such a thing was what emperors before him had done and it only hurt the empires.
Constanus I Caesar was seen by many as a hero who sacrificed in order to keep stability. He lowered taxes due to a smaller army required to fortify borders. There were little assassination attempts only being contracted by those related to Theodosius I. The capital was officially moved to Rome, with Florentia, Ravenna, and Aquileia remaining the largest cities in the WRE.
Throughout Constanus' reign of fifty years, no barbarian army breached the now-small borders of the empire. The Ostrogoths attempted to set up a kingdom, but it lasted a mere 2 months before it fell. The Visigothic invasion ultimately failed and they retreated East only to be vanquished by Sergius I's forces. Some of the remaining Visigoths escaped into Iberia where they set up a small kingdom. The Vandals were hardly a threat in the South, knowing that what happened to the Visigoths could happen to them. The Franks marched into Gaul as planned and set up their kingdom. Constanus drew up a fast treaty with the Franks forging an alliance. Gaul had not been a part of the empire for years, so they did not care if the Franks had it. The alliance was a security.
Constanus died in his sleep the morning of March 5th, 446 A.D. He died the most successful emperor of the Roman Empire in centuries. His son was already in his 30s, so he passed on the throne. Constanus' grandson would gain the throne as Constanus II at the age of 9. A brown diary was inherited to him the day he was crowned. An adviser reported saying that he saw among other things, an advanced map of Europe in the diary with plausible battle plans for the next hundred years.
Constanus II
The Protector
409 A.D. to 511 A.D.
During the crisis of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, bartering had returned through panic. Constanus realized that a return to the monetary system would facilitate the empire's method of collecting taxes evenly. He implemented a permanent coining system with help from numerous mathematics scholars. Before long, bartering had started to die down and was replaced steadily with the monetary system. By 500 A.D., over 94% of the empire used the same currency system. This type of unification kept the empire strong and under one culture.
He also revived the lost Mediterranean trading system through a slight tax increase. More ships were constructed at a faster rate, allowing faster trade to the Eastern Roman Empire, the Celtic Kingdom, as well as India and China. Some critics of the emperor saw this tax increase as a return to the days of Theodosius, but advisers knew it would be successful in the long run.
The barbarian attacks from the Visigoths had disappeared. The Visigothic Kingdom deteriorated in Iberia, allowing the Suevic and Frankish Kingdoms to invade and conquer. The Frankish armies were well equipped and well numbered while the Visigoths were weakened from failed invasions into the WRE. By 460 A.D., the Visigoths had fallen off the map.
Hearing this news, the people of Rome rejoiced, hoping this would mean an end to barbarian war. However, a new threat had emerged. The Huns.
The Huns had evolved into a humongous empire in eastern Europe. Calling themselves the "Hunnic Empire", they destroyed many old Celtic cities long forgotten in the East. His 100,000 man army seemed impervious to any other Germanic tribe. But he had not encountered the Romans yet.
Constanus had heard of the Huns before and their leader, Attila. They had already attacked Roman allies, the Celts. Constanus was a young and naive leader when Attila arrived, but his grandfather's diary described this exact event. That diary had been owned by generations at this point and had input from Varengellius, Constanus I, Titus, and some others. Through using this aged book, Constanus was able to devise a plan to eliminate the Huns.
-June 2nd, 451 A.D.
He formed a 120,000 man army, composed entirely of patriotic, devoted members of the WRE. Led by a teenage Constanus, the army headed to the Celtic city of Namur. They trudged across the Alps, muddy waters, and some heated days, but before long, they arrived.
Constanus greeted the Celtic king with a handshake and with the help of a translator, they were able to devise a plan to demolish the Huns. The combined armies totaled 200,000. They outnumbered and even doubled the supposed 100,000 Hunnic army.
When Attila finally entered Namur territory, Constanus and his partner were shocked. His army was no more than 60,000. Within days, the Huns were defeated in The Battle of Namur, ending any Hunnic invasions into Celtic or WRE territory. Attila was cornered and beheaded by Constanus himself. The Hun threat was over for Constanus. But he wondered...'What happened to the other 40,000 soldiers? Unless...no way. Sergius! Damn!"
Across the continent, the 40,000 Huns led by Attila's son, Ellac, ran straight toward Constantinople. "We will bury you Roman scum! This will be Hun territory by nightfall!!"
Attack on Constantinople
(February, 452)
(February, 452)
The son of famed Empress Eudoxia I and Grand Adviser Titus Sergius, Sergius I had some big shoes to fill when he was first made emperor of the ERE in 413. Titus had died of old age by the time Sergius was a year old and likewise, Eudoxia died of typhus in 413.
Sergius I co-ruled with high-influence advisers until he was about 13, in which he took and control and changed a number of things in the empire. He helped to establish a greater urban environment, mostly in Constantinople, Adrianople, and Athens.
Under his administration, Sergius constructed intricate roads made from old military dirt roads. These roads connected the ERE to the WRE and allowed faster travel to Anatolia and Egypt. With this faster connection, financial resources were discovered in places like Alexandria. The money gained from these excavations was utilized in expanding the road system and in fortifying Constantinople.
However, the city was only partly protected when the Hunnic army, led by Ellac (son of Attila), attacked. 40,000 rushed on horseback with carved bows and spears. Constantinople's Grand Army only had 25,000 members of the military as many of ERE's armies were in the North under Constanus II.
The fighting raged on for days until Sergius came to the realization that his army was losing fast. The Huns had them outnumbered and Constantiniple would only stand against them for so long.
Sergius ordered a ceasefire in order to desperately contact Ellac. The Huns were largely unwilling to listen to foreign orders, but Ellac told them to stand down. Sergius asked Ellac what he wanted to which the reply was vaguely, "We will not rest until your army and your capital are destroyed. We want little from you." Sergius then questioned why they stopped fighting to talk. Ellac stepped off his black-haired horse as he questioned, "We thought you were surrendering. Are you not, you piece of scum?!"
"We will never surrender, sir. But maybe we can work out a trade?"
Ellac's army roared with anger and confusion and demanded further battle, some even beginning to fight again. Ellac paid them no attention as he kept his sight on the Roman emperor. His eyes narrowed. "I'm listening..."
"If you leave this place at once, I will step down as emperor and give you over seven hundred pounds of gold."
"Hmm...alright. We will hold off the attacks for now. But I know your kind. You'll be back in your throne by tomorrow morning. We will only accept your pitiful offer and leave in exchange for your own life. No one else." Ellac thought that in having a Roman emperor submit to an execution, it would prove the Germanic tribes superior to all of the Roman Empire. (Ellac was much more educated and diplomatic that most other Huns.)
"I accept," replied Sergius. His army gasped as they watched the horrific precedings.
Sergius begrudgingly walked over to Ellac's side and bowed down low. Ellac raised his axe high above Sergius' head. "Long live Attila!" he screamed as his axe came plummeting down upon Sergius, detaching his head from his body.The Huns cheered as Sergius' lifeless corpse fell to the ground like a a bag of stones.
The Hunnic army surprisingly stood by their word, terrified of consequences Ellac would have for them. They thought they have won the war. They left with their gold and the satisfaction of killing the emperor. But little did they know the fate of Attila in the North.
Luckily for the Eastern Empire, Sergius had a son. He was named Manius Lanatus in honor of Sergius' uncle of the same name. He would have to restore the ERE to the state it was decades ago to gain popularity with the public.
The Hun threat was gone, Constantinople and Rome still stood, and Europe had finally reached a momentary peace.
Constanus III of Rome
The Maintainer
Life: 497 to 568
Reign: 511 to 568
Reign: 511 to 568
Constanus II was forced into a loveless marriage in order to generate an heir. He was in his late 50s by the time his son, Aulus, was conceived.
Aulus Constanus Camilus, otherwise known as Camilus I, was a bit more liberal than his father, but still kept most of the same policies. The borders stayed strictly controlled and maintained, but allowing all visitors and settlers in. A paranoia of invasion loomed in the air even though no threat existed. The Suevics possessed no real power, the Lombards were quickly dissipating, and the Vandal Kingdom had nearly collapsed.
To take advantage of this moment of dominance, Camilus slightly expanded the stagnant empire. He needed to be extremely careful in case of attacks in the future, but he was a responsible ruler. He sent in a small army of 8,000 and easily conquered Carthage and some parts of North Africa. The Natives did not exactly enjoy the Romans, but they were mostly left alone. Very little amounts of people were taken as slaves, giving the Africans hope that slavery was nearing its end.
Meanwhile, Lanatus I (449 to 511) in the ERE was expanding his empire. He struggled with the new Bulgar Khanate for territory in a war that would last decades. It would end with ERE victory, however. His empire was also at war with the Sasanian Persians. Through all of this Lanatus was still able to cut taxes and keep his citizens content. It was clear through Lanatus' reign that the ERE needed to find its own identity as a separate state from the WRE.
ERE's culture was becoming different from Rome's. The Eastern empire was much more religious than the West. While the Western emperors believed in a strict, religious toleration theory, the Easterners were converting completely to Orthodox Christian. This greatly affected art and architecture.
Comparison:
Western Roman art:
Eastern Roman art:
Western architecture:
Eastern architecture:
Western Roman art:
Eastern Roman art:
Western architecture:
Eastern architecture:
There was no longer a 'Roman Empire'. There were two different states with Roman heritage that would dominate European affairs for centuries.
Camilus II
Camilus II
One Step Foward, Two Steps Back
Life: 540 to 614
Reign: 543 to 614
Decimus Camilus (II) was the son of Aulus Camilus (I). And while his father was very liberal in thought but conservative in action, Camilus was seen as a "true" conservative. He prided himself as an "emperor from years past", which was meant to reference Constanus II's reign, where the empire was small but recovering. Aulus Camilus expanded the empire slightly while keeping it safe, but Decimus did not see it the same way.
Instead of expanding the empire further, or even improving the infrastructure in North Africa, Camilus kept very much to improving cities within direct Roman influence. Rome improved it's walls, buildings, and markets. Aquileia had a population growth and a growing economy. Florentia continued it's steady rise.
The first forty years of Camilus' administration contained no foreign threat. He only watched as the Franks began to improve their kingdom from a group of barbarians to a complex sequence of generational successions. The Merovingian dynasty was in power and it was very cozy with the WRE. The Franks as well as the Celts expanded their influences thanks to the WRE investments. Camilus was able to support this investment during his role of emperor as the WRE was slowly recovering from all economic woes.
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The ERE was now controlled by Lanatus II (500 to 565) who attempted to morph his country into something not seen before by Europe. He possessed a full treasury from the taxes inherited from his father and had planned a number of immense changes to his country. Some of which included the invasions of Cyrene, Northeast Africa, and attacks aimed to finish off the Bulgars.
However, these expansions were interrupted by an invasion coming from the East. The Sasanian Persians had infiltrated the ERE and for almost 20 years, they would occupy Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Damascus. This war stained Lanatus' administration, keeping any real provisions from taking place.
To make matters worse, in the 560s, the Avar nomads had arrived in Europe. The Avars were in a century-long war with the Huns for Eastern Europe territory, again distracting Lanatus from the issues at hand.
His son, Lanatus III, as it was hoped, would bring the revisions much needed and required to the Eastern Empire.
Camilus III
The Short-lived Inner-Expansion Era
Life: 599 to 649
Reign: 614 to 649
The Short-lived Inner-Expansion Era
Life: 599 to 649
Reign: 614 to 649
Decimus' son, Gaius, took over the throne shortly after the former's extraneous death. Decimus' health deteriorated greatly near the end of his rule, and thus he voluntary left the throne a number of months before his death. He was believed to have contracted a newfound Indian disease known as 'smallpox'. Nonetheless, Decimus left the country strong, with mighty capital cities. The debt to the Celts was finally paid off completely after tireless financial work and the WRE was now in a state of economic growth.
Gaius Camilus (III) during the first ten or so years of his reign enacted numerous changes to the WRE's military. He steadily decreased the number of armies guarding the border as the invasions ceased. The culture, art, and language continued to grow and evolve, though at a slower rate than the glorious pre-Diocletian years. The WRE was slowly recovering, but it was clear that they would never catch up to where they were centuries ago.
Further pottery and tool factories were constructed, lowering the amount of citizens dedicated to agriculture by 10%. As the WRE economy relied less and less on agriculture, the need for slaves also grew less and less. Slavery had been accepted into the culture for centuries, but as the necessity for slaves began to diminish, the subject of slavery began to transition from an acceptation to a controversy.
The remainder of Gaius Camilus' rule was stained with military and financial issues. The Eastern Empire was now in a state of crisis with long-running foreign wars and had now required Western assistance. An overthrow of pro-war leader Lanatus III was very possible. Camilus provided a large army for Lanatus to control as well as hundreds of pounds of gold.
----
Lanatus III (565 to 626) was a satisfactory leader for the rich land of the Eastern Roman Empire to have at any other moment, but this was arguably the worst time to have a pro-war leader.
For years, the ERE was in an extensive war with the Sasanians and they were neither winning nor losing. There was basically a standoff in the strip of land between the two empires. Jerusalem was a near destroyed war-torn city, with almost all artifacts demolished (including the 'True Cross'). These artifacts would be discovered in pieces about a thousand years later.
In addition to this horror-fest, the ERE was also locked in another war in the North. They were fighting the Avars. The weak Avar Khanate could have been easily defeated if it was fully concentrated upon, but the Sasanians kept many of ERE's armies occupied. They were so occupied, in fact, that the Bulgars survived to create a small kingdom shortly north of the ERE.
Lanatus was despised by the general public as he kept them in a constant fear of foreign attacks. The WRE support was a godsend, but foolishly, Lanatus sent the new army to join his own in the Sasanian Empire. Now little stood between the northern Khanates and the ERE.
One of the longest-surviving emperors would meet a gruesome end when on March, 5th 626, he was assassinated by a rogue Avar soldier. The soldier was captured and executed, but there was absolutely no heir. The Lanatus line was notorious for its high infertility rates. There were also no high-ranked generals in the ERE to temporarily take over. All the military personnel were stationed in Antiochia, defending Anatolia. A panic filled the nation through March, deeply wounding the economy, until finally someone was found to take the throne.
He was related to royalty through a bizarre chain of family members, going back to Aelia Eudoxia. It was discovered that Aelia had another child, it seemed. This child would go on to have another child, then another, then another. This was astoundingly traced back successfully.
The new ruler was the great-great grandson of Aelia Eudoxia, the only Empress of the ERE, and the rare savior of the Eastern Roman Empire. His name, was Titanus Sabbatius Justinianus (Or, Titan Justinian). He would be crowned speedily as Justinian I.
Justinian I
A New Empire
Life: 617 to 664
Reign: 626 to 664
A New Empire
Life: 617 to 664
Reign: 626 to 664
Justinian I, the first emperor in a new line of leaders, was greeted by the ERE with open arms. They grew tiresome of the Lanatus line, specifically Lanatus III, and were willing to settle for any other leader. But Justinian was now just any other leader. He was related to Empress Eudoxia the Great. He was connotated with better, peaceful times for the empire.
Justinian was not a royal power from the start. He began his life as many did, as a peasant. He was born a peasant, but died an emperor. That was an extreme rarity in the 600s. Justinian understood the minds of the people because he was one of the people. He knew their problems and how they wanted the problems to be fixed.
Days into his reign, after the shock had worn off, Justinian drew up a list of issues that the ERE needed to address. Number one: Foreign Relations. The ERE had virtually no allies besides the WRE. It had many enemies and was in the midst of numerous wars. ERE's reputation had gone down the toilet, and the only remedy was to start over.
The flag of the empire had been nearly identical to the WRE since its independence. This gave the ERE a bad name in the East, as the Persians had not yet forgot the Roman name. The flag was greatly changed and the national bird was no longer an ordinary Roman bird, but a two-headed eagle.
New flag:
Greek was the most common language in the ERE, and this was obvious to everyone in the empire...except the nobility. The nobles and royalty believed that the official language needed to remain Latin, even if the Latin-speakers in the ERE had dropped 40% in the last century. Knowing this, Justinian changed the official language of the empire to Greek. All official documents were not written in Greek first, then copied in Latin.
The Church was grew in power, continuing to donate money to the state. The Pope was officially to live in Constantinople once Justinian made it so. Religion was the leading power of unity in the empire, so why not have the religious leader of so many have residence in Constantinople?
Justinian reorganized the armies in the empire, moving most of them north to fight the Avars and Bulgars. The Sasanian Empire had been greatly weakened through internal conflicts, most being religious. The invasions into the ERE had become known in the east as invasions into Persia. Justinian retracted all troops, abandoning Jerusalem and Antiochia, and sent them north to actually defend the empire.
The economy slowly recovered as many returned to work in the empire in manners other than militarism. It once again became a major trading partner with the WRE once fully recovered.
Finally, Justinian "ended" the Eastern Roman Empire once and for all. He announced that the empire will now and forever be known as "Byzantine", a Greek word for Constantinople. This completed the empire's separation from the WRE and gave it its completely separate identity.
[Part 2, Chapter 1]
The Late 7th and Early 8th Centuries
In the 7th century, there were six great powers managing European affairs:
Justinian II of the Byzantine Empire (652 to 711), took over immediately after the slow death of his father, Justinian I. Justinian II was much like his father in appearance and strategy. Some even found it difficult to differentiate from the two. But the son had never been a peasant and found it more difficult to understand the motives and beliefs of them. He sometimes dressed in peasants garb and sneaked into rundown bars to converse with the people of Constantinople. He learned many of their insights and home-grown strategies. Some bad, some good.
And it was one of those same strategies that saved the Byzantine Empire early in Justinian's reign. The threat in the east had increased substantially. The Sasanians were gone, but the Muslims were equally, if not more powerful and fierce.
After the first Persian-Byzantine War, the Byzantines had lost much of the Middle East and over a half of their territory. Justinian I was able to keep control over Antioch and Aleppo, but barely. He had an idea of how to defend the empire successfully, but died before being able to go through with any plans.
His son, however, managed to make it happen. He strongly fortified the outer empire, including Mesopotamia and Taron. He kept over 95% of his army in Samosata, Varengelliopolis (Named after the infamous assassin), and Aghtamar. Justinian's closest guards strongly advised for the emperor to place the military in cities much closer to Constantinople in case the invasion arrived by boat. But listening to his father and the people, Justinian chose to run it his own way. Luckily for him, his plan worked!
The greatest invasions arrived in Taron, the most fortified area. Justinian had heard from some of his peasant friends that some Muslim wanderer had "gave away the plans whilst drunk". Justinian took a wild chance and followed it. The foreign armies were swiftly defeated. Their 25,000-man army was no match to Justinian's astounding 300,000.
The invaders fled and Justinian basically switched to an attack position. He invaded the Caliphate-controlled Syria and won back Damascus, Tyre, and eventually, even Jerusalem. The second war turned out to end in Byzantine's favor. Next on his agenda, was Egypt. Perhaps the Muslim conquest would come to an early end?
In the WRE, the emperor was starting to be seen as a joke. Camilus offered little to the people of Rome beside minor internal changes and his reign was stained with the mistake of offering his military to Lanatus III. Camilus died with no children to be heirs, so his nephew was crowned. Spurius Galeo I (643 to 702) now served the state as emperor.
Galeo oversaw some of Europe's most dramatic changes. He heard of the invasions in the East, but was opposed to interfering. He did not want another Camilus Curse (Interfering leading to disaster) to occur. Under the table, he sent the Justinians gold, but no armies.
He wrote up several treaties with the Frankish leader, Pepin II. These treaties allowed for partnerships in any plausible wars against Caliphates if they ever reached Western Europe. They also more closely defined boundaries. The Franks were not to expand past the Alps. That also applied to the WRE, but they were not planning to expand much northward.
Galeo wished to advance onto Africa. Carthage was a well-fortified and populated city, but beyond that, not much territory belonged to the Roman country. The emperor invaded a bit further into the mysterious continent, renaming Vandal cities with Latin names whilst improving on their architecture. Small mining compounds were dug, providing large amounts of gold and silver to the European cities.
Florentia and Ravenna grew the most during Galeo's reign. The emperor himself even occasionally stayed in these cities. They were not up to the grand standards of Rome yet, but they were sure getting there.
Galeo I was viewed as a great ruler by the people of Rome, but not by the people of Africa. And that will make all the difference in upcoming decades as Islam expands into North Africa and eventually Iberia. But perhaps Christianity will also expand further South? The future will tell...
The Sasanian Empire in Persia had controlled most of the Middle-East for over 400 years. It was ruled absolutely by a single monarch in a single dynasty for those 400 years. Constantly at war with the Eastern Romans for territory, it had little money to use for other affairs. The population was overtaxed, and the government did not care in the least.
The largest conflict came during Lanatus II's reign (in the ERE). Kavadh I of the Sasanian dynasty decided that his country's economic woes would be soothed if he controlled Mesopotamia. If a successful invasion were to occur, Kavadh would have access to the Mediterranean and thus, a European trade market. But the ERE had other plans for those markets.
What the Lanatus line had been doing, was trading with the Sasanians for foreign goods and pottery, and then trading with the WRE and the Franks those same goods for double the price. This 'Lanatus Trading Policy' was majorly successful. But as the Persians grew trade-savvy, they wanted no part in the LTP. Kavadh requested a port city in exchange for a number of goods, but Lanatus rejected all offers. Then the invasion began...
At first, the Persians overpowered the Romans. The ERE had underestimated Kavadh's military prowess. Lanatus died during these invasions, and his son took over the plate. Lanatus III evened out the playing field, increasing the number of soldiers in Damascus and Hamah, but foolishly neglected Jerusalem. The Sasanians were Zoroastrians and had no connections with Jewish or Christian teachings. So it did not bother them to demolish most of Jerusalem and destroy priceless artifacts.
Lanatus would have won the war by 610 if the Avars did not also invade. The army was divided and the Persians knew this. They increased military efforts and closed in on the ERE. Things looked even better for the Sasanians once Lanatus was killed. "Their king is dead!", they shouted, "Now we must conquer Constantinople!" However, a certain man named Muhammad changed the course of history and doomed the Sasanians in one of the most unexpected scenarios. Revolts sprung up in Persia, demanding the recognition of Islam.
Persian military numbers sharply lowered, many opposing the war. Many soldiers returned to Persepolis to rally for Islamic recognition. They rejected the idea of fighting for a non-Islamic state. This civil unrest combined with an economic crisis ended in disaster. By 660, the capital was overrun, the empire collapsed, and was absorbed into multiple Muslim Caliphates.
Justinian was not a royal power from the start. He began his life as many did, as a peasant. He was born a peasant, but died an emperor. That was an extreme rarity in the 600s. Justinian understood the minds of the people because he was one of the people. He knew their problems and how they wanted the problems to be fixed.
Days into his reign, after the shock had worn off, Justinian drew up a list of issues that the ERE needed to address. Number one: Foreign Relations. The ERE had virtually no allies besides the WRE. It had many enemies and was in the midst of numerous wars. ERE's reputation had gone down the toilet, and the only remedy was to start over.
The flag of the empire had been nearly identical to the WRE since its independence. This gave the ERE a bad name in the East, as the Persians had not yet forgot the Roman name. The flag was greatly changed and the national bird was no longer an ordinary Roman bird, but a two-headed eagle.
New flag:
Greek was the most common language in the ERE, and this was obvious to everyone in the empire...except the nobility. The nobles and royalty believed that the official language needed to remain Latin, even if the Latin-speakers in the ERE had dropped 40% in the last century. Knowing this, Justinian changed the official language of the empire to Greek. All official documents were not written in Greek first, then copied in Latin.
The Church was grew in power, continuing to donate money to the state. The Pope was officially to live in Constantinople once Justinian made it so. Religion was the leading power of unity in the empire, so why not have the religious leader of so many have residence in Constantinople?
Justinian reorganized the armies in the empire, moving most of them north to fight the Avars and Bulgars. The Sasanian Empire had been greatly weakened through internal conflicts, most being religious. The invasions into the ERE had become known in the east as invasions into Persia. Justinian retracted all troops, abandoning Jerusalem and Antiochia, and sent them north to actually defend the empire.
The economy slowly recovered as many returned to work in the empire in manners other than militarism. It once again became a major trading partner with the WRE once fully recovered.
Finally, Justinian "ended" the Eastern Roman Empire once and for all. He announced that the empire will now and forever be known as "Byzantine", a Greek word for Constantinople. This completed the empire's separation from the WRE and gave it its completely separate identity.
[Part 2, Chapter 1]
The Late 7th and Early 8th Centuries
In the 7th century, there were six great powers managing European affairs:
The Western Romans,
the Byzantines,
the Franks,
the Celtics,
the Bulgars,
and the Avars.
the Byzantines,
the Franks,
the Celtics,
the Bulgars,
and the Avars.
The lesser nations of Europe was now near-leveled influentially with the Romans. The Romans were not losing power per-se, but they had leveled off. The Franks had gained some territory in Europe, as did the Celtics.
The Avars had betrayed the Bulgars. The former had allied with the latter in order to fend off the Huns. But once the Hunnic Empire had receded, the Avars broke their alliance and conquered the Bulgars. Much like the Britons, the Bulgars still existed in presence, but their names were off the map.
The Byzantines and the Western Romans had their own problems, mostly externally. The matter of war had not disappeared just because the Sasanians were gone. In fact, things got even worse.
--The Avars had betrayed the Bulgars. The former had allied with the latter in order to fend off the Huns. But once the Hunnic Empire had receded, the Avars broke their alliance and conquered the Bulgars. Much like the Britons, the Bulgars still existed in presence, but their names were off the map.
The Byzantines and the Western Romans had their own problems, mostly externally. The matter of war had not disappeared just because the Sasanians were gone. In fact, things got even worse.
Justinian II of the Byzantine Empire (652 to 711), took over immediately after the slow death of his father, Justinian I. Justinian II was much like his father in appearance and strategy. Some even found it difficult to differentiate from the two. But the son had never been a peasant and found it more difficult to understand the motives and beliefs of them. He sometimes dressed in peasants garb and sneaked into rundown bars to converse with the people of Constantinople. He learned many of their insights and home-grown strategies. Some bad, some good.
And it was one of those same strategies that saved the Byzantine Empire early in Justinian's reign. The threat in the east had increased substantially. The Sasanians were gone, but the Muslims were equally, if not more powerful and fierce.
After the first Persian-Byzantine War, the Byzantines had lost much of the Middle East and over a half of their territory. Justinian I was able to keep control over Antioch and Aleppo, but barely. He had an idea of how to defend the empire successfully, but died before being able to go through with any plans.
His son, however, managed to make it happen. He strongly fortified the outer empire, including Mesopotamia and Taron. He kept over 95% of his army in Samosata, Varengelliopolis (Named after the infamous assassin), and Aghtamar. Justinian's closest guards strongly advised for the emperor to place the military in cities much closer to Constantinople in case the invasion arrived by boat. But listening to his father and the people, Justinian chose to run it his own way. Luckily for him, his plan worked!
The greatest invasions arrived in Taron, the most fortified area. Justinian had heard from some of his peasant friends that some Muslim wanderer had "gave away the plans whilst drunk". Justinian took a wild chance and followed it. The foreign armies were swiftly defeated. Their 25,000-man army was no match to Justinian's astounding 300,000.
The invaders fled and Justinian basically switched to an attack position. He invaded the Caliphate-controlled Syria and won back Damascus, Tyre, and eventually, even Jerusalem. The second war turned out to end in Byzantine's favor. Next on his agenda, was Egypt. Perhaps the Muslim conquest would come to an early end?
--
In the WRE, the emperor was starting to be seen as a joke. Camilus offered little to the people of Rome beside minor internal changes and his reign was stained with the mistake of offering his military to Lanatus III. Camilus died with no children to be heirs, so his nephew was crowned. Spurius Galeo I (643 to 702) now served the state as emperor.
Galeo oversaw some of Europe's most dramatic changes. He heard of the invasions in the East, but was opposed to interfering. He did not want another Camilus Curse (Interfering leading to disaster) to occur. Under the table, he sent the Justinians gold, but no armies.
He wrote up several treaties with the Frankish leader, Pepin II. These treaties allowed for partnerships in any plausible wars against Caliphates if they ever reached Western Europe. They also more closely defined boundaries. The Franks were not to expand past the Alps. That also applied to the WRE, but they were not planning to expand much northward.
Galeo wished to advance onto Africa. Carthage was a well-fortified and populated city, but beyond that, not much territory belonged to the Roman country. The emperor invaded a bit further into the mysterious continent, renaming Vandal cities with Latin names whilst improving on their architecture. Small mining compounds were dug, providing large amounts of gold and silver to the European cities.
Florentia and Ravenna grew the most during Galeo's reign. The emperor himself even occasionally stayed in these cities. They were not up to the grand standards of Rome yet, but they were sure getting there.
Galeo I was viewed as a great ruler by the people of Rome, but not by the people of Africa. And that will make all the difference in upcoming decades as Islam expands into North Africa and eventually Iberia. But perhaps Christianity will also expand further South? The future will tell...
--
The Sasanian Empire in Persia had controlled most of the Middle-East for over 400 years. It was ruled absolutely by a single monarch in a single dynasty for those 400 years. Constantly at war with the Eastern Romans for territory, it had little money to use for other affairs. The population was overtaxed, and the government did not care in the least.
The largest conflict came during Lanatus II's reign (in the ERE). Kavadh I of the Sasanian dynasty decided that his country's economic woes would be soothed if he controlled Mesopotamia. If a successful invasion were to occur, Kavadh would have access to the Mediterranean and thus, a European trade market. But the ERE had other plans for those markets.
What the Lanatus line had been doing, was trading with the Sasanians for foreign goods and pottery, and then trading with the WRE and the Franks those same goods for double the price. This 'Lanatus Trading Policy' was majorly successful. But as the Persians grew trade-savvy, they wanted no part in the LTP. Kavadh requested a port city in exchange for a number of goods, but Lanatus rejected all offers. Then the invasion began...
At first, the Persians overpowered the Romans. The ERE had underestimated Kavadh's military prowess. Lanatus died during these invasions, and his son took over the plate. Lanatus III evened out the playing field, increasing the number of soldiers in Damascus and Hamah, but foolishly neglected Jerusalem. The Sasanians were Zoroastrians and had no connections with Jewish or Christian teachings. So it did not bother them to demolish most of Jerusalem and destroy priceless artifacts.
Lanatus would have won the war by 610 if the Avars did not also invade. The army was divided and the Persians knew this. They increased military efforts and closed in on the ERE. Things looked even better for the Sasanians once Lanatus was killed. "Their king is dead!", they shouted, "Now we must conquer Constantinople!" However, a certain man named Muhammad changed the course of history and doomed the Sasanians in one of the most unexpected scenarios. Revolts sprung up in Persia, demanding the recognition of Islam.
Persian military numbers sharply lowered, many opposing the war. Many soldiers returned to Persepolis to rally for Islamic recognition. They rejected the idea of fighting for a non-Islamic state. This civil unrest combined with an economic crisis ended in disaster. By 660, the capital was overrun, the empire collapsed, and was absorbed into multiple Muslim Caliphates.
Early Caliphate Interaction
Galeo II (691 to 761) of the WRE was a powerful military general and supervisor, as well as a great negotiator. He funded numerous road expansion projects, connecting every major city in the WRE with sturdy stone steps.
Meanwhile, combined efforts through WRE and Byzantine scientists led to new advances in medicine. The human anatomy was now well understood, the functions of most internal organs were discovered, and most significant, a cure was found for the new 'Bubonic Disease'. This disease had started its way into the Byzantine Empire in recent years through trading outposts. The new cure was working its way through the empires, slowly finding its way down the class system.
Justinian III (706 to 770) of the Byzantine Empire joined Galeo's negotiation and army forces on an Egyptian & North African exhibition. The two empires' objective was to push back the Umayyad Caliphate from expanding too far into North Africa. For years, small armies had been keeping the Caliphate from expanding, but they were repeatedly vanquished without warning. The Middle East, save Jerusalem, was already conquered. The major Byzantine city, Alexandria, had just been conquered. If nothing were to happen, the Umayyad would continue into Carthage and possibly Sicily.
In response, Galeo's negotiators and translators arrived by ship in Alexandria and offered gold for the city and the remainder of Egypt. The people of Egypt wanted no part in this nor did the Muslims. Treaties were offered, but the Umayyad only offered to trade Alexandria for Carthage, which was impossible.
Invasions followed. March 721.
Prior to war:
Galeo promised his people that this was not a religious war, but a political one...but Justinian disagreed. He considered it a 'Holy War' to expand Christianity.
Forces from Syracuse and Carthage combined south of Carthage, prepared their armies, and marched into Egypt. At the same time, military forces from Sparta came by sea to attack Alexandria. Over 300 large navy vehicles and 400,000 army forces were arriving in the Caliphate in the matter of days.
The leader of the Umayyad Caliphate, Yazid II, wished for no resistance, but he issued an emergency draft in Egypt, calling all those of Islamic faith. The men lined up, equaling to about 340,000. He split them up, having some attack the Byzantines in Alexandria while others marched to the WRE forces.
As it turned out, some Egyptians helped the Umayyad, but only in the south. Southern Egypt was affected more by the religious changes in the Middle East than Northern Egypt. Alexandria was only 20% Islam and 15% Christian. 75% were polytheistic or non-religious. Alexandrians from the Roman era fought for the Byzantines while the new settlers fought for the Caliphate.
By 725, territorial changes had occurred in Africa. All empires had technically gained land. The WRE expanded a bit south of Carthage, the Byzantines won Alexandria and Northern Egypt, and the Umayyad won Southern Egypt and Nubia. The Byzantines had suffered the most military loss, at 25,000 men, while the Umayyad had the most casualties.
The Muslim expansion was confirmed to be preventable, and the Byzantines were clearly going to go all out to stop the expansion. If this pattern continues, the expansion will half before it reaches Libya...
Charlemagne's Empire
[741 to 814]
[741 to 814]
While the Muslim invasions kept the WRE and Byzantines busy, a completely different change was taking place in Northern Europe. The Frankish Kingdom became the fastest growing country in Europe, surpassing the Eastern Roman Empire.
Pepin III (741 to 768) had ruled the Frankish Kingdom during a time of religious dispute. For years, the Franks had learned from the Romans and refused to give their country a title of national religion. The county was largely pagan, but had a large percentage of Roman Catholics and Jews. Pepin III, 10 years into his reign, formed an alliance with the Pope, leader of the Catholic Church. To the Franks, this alliance proved to be a de-facto announcement of national religion.
Pepin had chosen Catholicism over the majority. Over 64% were Pagan. Many of the Pagans in Paris rebelled against their 'traitor' king, holding flaming torches. From his palace, Pepin announced that he would soon revise the alliance, effectively placing the Pope at equal footing to himself. This of course, only angered the crowd which grew by the minute. Fortunately for them, Pepin died before being able to revise the alliance as such.
Pepin III died in 768 as the 'traitor' king. He lost territory to the Celts in his last few years as ruler because of the unwillingness of his army to fight for a traitor. Pepin's son, Carloman, took the throne, who ruled for a mere three years. His replacement, his younger brother, Charles, took the throne. Charles, more commonly known as Charlemagne, towered over his subjects with over 6 feet of height.
Charlemagne was very religious, but dared not show it as a matter of great importance. He donated to the papacy numerous times in secrecy.
He went on a 30-year campaign to expand the Frankish Kingdom back to pre-Pepin borders. He fought the Celts for Regensburg, Thionville, and Salzburg... and won. Borders expanded well into Iberia, much further than in 740. He also went to war with the new, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in Ireland and Britain, and won. Christianity followed the Franks, which made this campaign not only political, but religious. Christianity was spread into Iberia and Eastern Europe.
Trade increased in the areas Charlemagne conquered and town expanded.
By 788, the Franks had matched the Western Romans in sheer size. Galeo III complimented Charlemagne, calling him, "Not your average ruler. He's got a good head on his shoulders, I know that. Spreading the word of the lord never hurt anybody." The WRE supported the Franks in Iberia, but also the Celts in Germany. This action increased overall trust in the WRE, something that was much needed.
As even the best-educated in Rome would say, the four great powers of Europe were expected to last forever. The Western Roman Empire had experienced excellent leadership since Constanus I, the Byzantine Empire had the capacity to conquer the Middle East, Charlemagne's Empire united Western Europe, and the Celtic Kingdom exported more wine and grain than any other country.
However, as it always does, momentary peace would come to an end. In 793, a number of Scandinavian ships surrounded Europe ready to attack.
The First Viking Raids
Pepin III (741 to 768) had ruled the Frankish Kingdom during a time of religious dispute. For years, the Franks had learned from the Romans and refused to give their country a title of national religion. The county was largely pagan, but had a large percentage of Roman Catholics and Jews. Pepin III, 10 years into his reign, formed an alliance with the Pope, leader of the Catholic Church. To the Franks, this alliance proved to be a de-facto announcement of national religion.
Pepin had chosen Catholicism over the majority. Over 64% were Pagan. Many of the Pagans in Paris rebelled against their 'traitor' king, holding flaming torches. From his palace, Pepin announced that he would soon revise the alliance, effectively placing the Pope at equal footing to himself. This of course, only angered the crowd which grew by the minute. Fortunately for them, Pepin died before being able to revise the alliance as such.
Pepin III died in 768 as the 'traitor' king. He lost territory to the Celts in his last few years as ruler because of the unwillingness of his army to fight for a traitor. Pepin's son, Carloman, took the throne, who ruled for a mere three years. His replacement, his younger brother, Charles, took the throne. Charles, more commonly known as Charlemagne, towered over his subjects with over 6 feet of height.
Charlemagne was very religious, but dared not show it as a matter of great importance. He donated to the papacy numerous times in secrecy.
He went on a 30-year campaign to expand the Frankish Kingdom back to pre-Pepin borders. He fought the Celts for Regensburg, Thionville, and Salzburg... and won. Borders expanded well into Iberia, much further than in 740. He also went to war with the new, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in Ireland and Britain, and won. Christianity followed the Franks, which made this campaign not only political, but religious. Christianity was spread into Iberia and Eastern Europe.
Trade increased in the areas Charlemagne conquered and town expanded.
By 788, the Franks had matched the Western Romans in sheer size. Galeo III complimented Charlemagne, calling him, "Not your average ruler. He's got a good head on his shoulders, I know that. Spreading the word of the lord never hurt anybody." The WRE supported the Franks in Iberia, but also the Celts in Germany. This action increased overall trust in the WRE, something that was much needed.
As even the best-educated in Rome would say, the four great powers of Europe were expected to last forever. The Western Roman Empire had experienced excellent leadership since Constanus I, the Byzantine Empire had the capacity to conquer the Middle East, Charlemagne's Empire united Western Europe, and the Celtic Kingdom exported more wine and grain than any other country.
However, as it always does, momentary peace would come to an end. In 793, a number of Scandinavian ships surrounded Europe ready to attack.
The First Viking Raids
The land of Scandinavia was isolated from Europe. Not a single modern European state traded with the Swedes nor the Norse.
The Celts traded a bit with the Danes, but could only barter with their outdated system. The Celtic Church had expanded into Dane territory, but had not yet reached the Scandinavian peninsula. The Norse was nearly completely pagan, and disliked the Christianity of Western Europe. More importantly, the Norse economy relied solely on fishing and farming. The harsh climate did not allow for much trade or progress. In addition to this, the population was quickly expanding.
The remedy: invasions of mainland Europe.
In 793, Pagan raiders known as 'Vikings' invaded coastal monasteries to gain land and possessions. Only some small cities were actually captured, and the threat seemed nonexistent. But in 799, they targeted Charlemagne's land. They attacked with mighty ships the weak Frankish coasts. Hundreds, possibly thousands were killed. Their houses either burned down or stolen from. The cities were pillaged.
Europe had not seen such harsh invasions from an unknown force since the Huns so many years ago. In response, Charlemagne set up numerous, strong coastal defenses in northern cities. Many of the ill-informed soldiers were uneasy about being placed in a coastal city. They thought there could be no other land with life north of Anglo-Saxon territory. The Baltic Sea was a frozen wasteland inhabited by depleting German barbarians.
Charlemagne handeled the invasions excellently, knowing he could easily defend against the Vikings. The Frankish navy was not prepared for such battles, but the weaponry of Frankish-Celtic forces were far advanced from the Vikings.
These invasions lasted for quite some time, long after Charlemagne. In the 830s, for example, a huge number of Norse invaders sailed through the Rhine and pillaged villages. This Viking Age both troubled and enriched Europe. It may have killed thousands, but it taught Europeans that there existed a land outside of home. The Mediterranean was not the only body of water. The Atlantic Coast, for example, would prove to be the most influential and important body of water, economically, in centuries yet to arrive.
The Death of Charlemagne and Frankish Civil War
The most popular and successful king of the Franks: Charlemagne. He brought the Frankish Kingdom into the Classical Era through border expansions and trade systems. He connected the Franks to the WRE and beyond, giving Europe a sense of stability. But it was his son, Louis, who had the big shoes to fill once Charlemagne died in 814. He would need to keep the mighty Charlemagne Empire intact to keep Europe intact, and the entire continent knew this.
Louis I (The Pious) (778 to 830), acquired the Frankish throne in the middle of numerous military struggles. The Viking invasions were well-defended against, so they were no longer a problem. The Norse had other, more profitable plans, but we'll get to that later. Louis decided the empire was not large enough, so he continued his own invasions into Iberia. Iberia was home to very little. The Suevics were too scattered to be considered a kingdom and any Iberian territory owned by the WRE or the Franks was uninhabited. Nonetheless, Louis wanted more of it.
He spent about 4 years attacking the tribes of Iberia before he discovered troubling news that his wife had passed. He returned home distraught. But officials from the WRE warned Louis that if he did not remarry, he would leave himself vulnerable. Louis abided by the wise empire and did so. He married to Judith of Bavaria who bore Louis his fourth heir, Charles. This angered Louis' elder sons, specifically Lothair, as the new child changed the partition of the Frankish Kingdom. They feared that Charles would receive too much of their father's territory. In anger and retaliation, Lothair accused Judith of adultery. This spawned a chain reaction which began a civil war in 827.
This war, within weeks, disrupted trade and commerce for all of Europe. In the WRE, nephew to Galeo III and new emperor, Decimus Maro I (782 to 844) would not stand for such disasters. Unlike previous emperors, Maro was not a silent isolationist. The Roman way had been for centuries to stay out of foreign conflicts unless it directly hurt the security of the WRE. Maro decided that a dangerous civil war in another country would hurt trade and stability, so he sent his highest officials to contact Louis.
Louis was off in Brittany fighting against those against Frankish ownership when he got the memo. He had no idea of any civil war and immediately returned to Paris. It was discovered that his son, Lothair was the one stirring up rebellion in Frankish lands. The officials from the WRE advised Louis to immediately capture his son and execute him to treason. They also warned to keep any other sons that could start revolts in line. Louis decided that he could not have his own son killed, and instead, have him exiled.
The WRE watched like a father-figure as Louis sent his armies to take down Lothair. When the war started, Lothair had recruited his younger brothers, Louis (the German) and Pepin to join the rebellion. But now, Louis I promised a larger share of his inheritance to any sons who would rejoin the loyalist cause. Louis the German and Pepin switched sides swiftly after hearing this offer. With little help, Lothair was doomed to failure. With no allies, his army was outnumbered and defeated within the year.
After the civil war came to an end, Maro I called for a meeting between Louis I and his sons. In the meeting, Lothair apologized for the uprisings half-halfheartedly and expressed his frustration with the birth of Charles, which broke up previous plans for partition. Louis told Lothair and his brothers that the conception of Charles was not fully expected, and once Judith's pregnancy became obvious, she told him she would keep the baby. Louis shared the same frustration with his sons, but as he explained, it is hard to express oneself when king.
Understanding their father's situation, the sons agreed to no further revolts if a new treaty was drawn up, laying out clear borders for a revised partition. The treaty was created and once the four agreed to it, the meeting ended. All of the brothers were pardoned and no charges were made. This Treaty of Verdun would create four, new governed states in Europe following the death of Louis I. (Pepin died before his father did, so the treaty was revised to create three states instead)
The Celts traded a bit with the Danes, but could only barter with their outdated system. The Celtic Church had expanded into Dane territory, but had not yet reached the Scandinavian peninsula. The Norse was nearly completely pagan, and disliked the Christianity of Western Europe. More importantly, the Norse economy relied solely on fishing and farming. The harsh climate did not allow for much trade or progress. In addition to this, the population was quickly expanding.
The remedy: invasions of mainland Europe.
In 793, Pagan raiders known as 'Vikings' invaded coastal monasteries to gain land and possessions. Only some small cities were actually captured, and the threat seemed nonexistent. But in 799, they targeted Charlemagne's land. They attacked with mighty ships the weak Frankish coasts. Hundreds, possibly thousands were killed. Their houses either burned down or stolen from. The cities were pillaged.
Europe had not seen such harsh invasions from an unknown force since the Huns so many years ago. In response, Charlemagne set up numerous, strong coastal defenses in northern cities. Many of the ill-informed soldiers were uneasy about being placed in a coastal city. They thought there could be no other land with life north of Anglo-Saxon territory. The Baltic Sea was a frozen wasteland inhabited by depleting German barbarians.
Charlemagne handeled the invasions excellently, knowing he could easily defend against the Vikings. The Frankish navy was not prepared for such battles, but the weaponry of Frankish-Celtic forces were far advanced from the Vikings.
These invasions lasted for quite some time, long after Charlemagne. In the 830s, for example, a huge number of Norse invaders sailed through the Rhine and pillaged villages. This Viking Age both troubled and enriched Europe. It may have killed thousands, but it taught Europeans that there existed a land outside of home. The Mediterranean was not the only body of water. The Atlantic Coast, for example, would prove to be the most influential and important body of water, economically, in centuries yet to arrive.
The Death of Charlemagne and Frankish Civil War
The most popular and successful king of the Franks: Charlemagne. He brought the Frankish Kingdom into the Classical Era through border expansions and trade systems. He connected the Franks to the WRE and beyond, giving Europe a sense of stability. But it was his son, Louis, who had the big shoes to fill once Charlemagne died in 814. He would need to keep the mighty Charlemagne Empire intact to keep Europe intact, and the entire continent knew this.
Louis I (The Pious) (778 to 830), acquired the Frankish throne in the middle of numerous military struggles. The Viking invasions were well-defended against, so they were no longer a problem. The Norse had other, more profitable plans, but we'll get to that later. Louis decided the empire was not large enough, so he continued his own invasions into Iberia. Iberia was home to very little. The Suevics were too scattered to be considered a kingdom and any Iberian territory owned by the WRE or the Franks was uninhabited. Nonetheless, Louis wanted more of it.
He spent about 4 years attacking the tribes of Iberia before he discovered troubling news that his wife had passed. He returned home distraught. But officials from the WRE warned Louis that if he did not remarry, he would leave himself vulnerable. Louis abided by the wise empire and did so. He married to Judith of Bavaria who bore Louis his fourth heir, Charles. This angered Louis' elder sons, specifically Lothair, as the new child changed the partition of the Frankish Kingdom. They feared that Charles would receive too much of their father's territory. In anger and retaliation, Lothair accused Judith of adultery. This spawned a chain reaction which began a civil war in 827.
This war, within weeks, disrupted trade and commerce for all of Europe. In the WRE, nephew to Galeo III and new emperor, Decimus Maro I (782 to 844) would not stand for such disasters. Unlike previous emperors, Maro was not a silent isolationist. The Roman way had been for centuries to stay out of foreign conflicts unless it directly hurt the security of the WRE. Maro decided that a dangerous civil war in another country would hurt trade and stability, so he sent his highest officials to contact Louis.
Louis was off in Brittany fighting against those against Frankish ownership when he got the memo. He had no idea of any civil war and immediately returned to Paris. It was discovered that his son, Lothair was the one stirring up rebellion in Frankish lands. The officials from the WRE advised Louis to immediately capture his son and execute him to treason. They also warned to keep any other sons that could start revolts in line. Louis decided that he could not have his own son killed, and instead, have him exiled.
The WRE watched like a father-figure as Louis sent his armies to take down Lothair. When the war started, Lothair had recruited his younger brothers, Louis (the German) and Pepin to join the rebellion. But now, Louis I promised a larger share of his inheritance to any sons who would rejoin the loyalist cause. Louis the German and Pepin switched sides swiftly after hearing this offer. With little help, Lothair was doomed to failure. With no allies, his army was outnumbered and defeated within the year.
After the civil war came to an end, Maro I called for a meeting between Louis I and his sons. In the meeting, Lothair apologized for the uprisings half-halfheartedly and expressed his frustration with the birth of Charles, which broke up previous plans for partition. Louis told Lothair and his brothers that the conception of Charles was not fully expected, and once Judith's pregnancy became obvious, she told him she would keep the baby. Louis shared the same frustration with his sons, but as he explained, it is hard to express oneself when king.
Understanding their father's situation, the sons agreed to no further revolts if a new treaty was drawn up, laying out clear borders for a revised partition. The treaty was created and once the four agreed to it, the meeting ended. All of the brothers were pardoned and no charges were made. This Treaty of Verdun would create four, new governed states in Europe following the death of Louis I. (Pepin died before his father did, so the treaty was revised to create three states instead)
Feudalism and Crusades
The French had not had a great and confident king for centuries. In that time, landowners had taken advantage of the decentralized government. They offered land to knights and noblemen in return for allegiance and military service. Because there was no king to end this practice, this Feudalism expanded through France, Leon, and many parts of the Holy German Confederacy.
By the 1000s, Feudalism had streched across the North Sea into Wessex, York, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. But still, it was strongest in France. The landowners, known as lords, fought each other for land custody. The vassals of the land had no choice but to fight for their lords. It was a signed deal. Land for service.
France was hardly a country by 1100, and thus, was at risk of being conquered by superior powers. York and Wessex had allied to form the new country of England. Feudalism was waning in this country. England was controlled by a centralized government, and therefore, could overpower French possessions.
By the 1000s, Feudalism had streched across the North Sea into Wessex, York, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. But still, it was strongest in France. The landowners, known as lords, fought each other for land custody. The vassals of the land had no choice but to fight for their lords. It was a signed deal. Land for service.
France was hardly a country by 1100, and thus, was at risk of being conquered by superior powers. York and Wessex had allied to form the new country of England. Feudalism was waning in this country. England was controlled by a centralized government, and therefore, could overpower French possessions.
(The Roman alliance treaty with the Franks had not been renewed, so when France was formed, it had virtually no allies.)
Henry II of England threatened war with the French, but always seemed busy fighting the Celts and Irish. When these extensive wars began to come to an end, a French king arose who had actual power. That king, Philip Augustus, recovered much of the French land that had been taken by the Germans. Augustus fortified Paris and Orleans from the Celts and defended from numerous German invasions. However, much territory had already been lost.
In the time of Feudalism, the French had lost most of it's territory. Iberia was almost completely conquered by Leon and new states, Castile and Portugal. Land surrounding Paris was conquered by Celtica in a string of short-lived wars. Brittany was independent, as was Normandy.
Augustus went on tours around Brittany and Normany attempting to recruit supporters of France, but often it was useless. Very little in Northern Europe cared about Nationalism and fighting for their countries. They just wanted to survive. The poor could not afford cures for Bubonic Disease, unlike those in the Western Roman and Byzantine Empires. Many died out from such simple means.
The more South you went in France, the more civilized and healthy people seemed. They were more educated, spoke with Latin accents, and had cures for bacterial infections. Toulouse had grown as the most populous city in France. Some spoke variations of French while some spoke Latin. The city was not very religious (Was 40% Christian, 20% Pagan, 40% Other or Non-Religious), and was not identifiable to other French cities. When France suffered through Feudalism, Toulouse declared independence and became it's own country. It connected with the WRE via roads, and became a trading center once those roads reached the Mediterranean.
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Meanwhile, Germany was struggling with keeping it's country together. The Confederation was supposed to be ruled by a single emperor, but the states within it were ruled by separate German Princes. Nonetheless, the HGC was very influential in Europe, expanding it's culture Eastward into Bohemian territory and Baltic states. The people of HGC were largely Roman Catholic, but Eastern Europe was dominated by the Byzantines through the 12th century, but now more countries had formed. Many inspired by the HGC, loose states allied together to create countries. These countries include Bohemia, Hungary, and Poland.
In the Byzantine Empire, the Serbs were not conquered at all, but instead, a treaty was created. The treaty allowed for the Serbs to create a sub-faction within the Byzantine Empire, allowing them a limited self-government subservient to Byzantine emperors. This system can be compared to OTL US state rule compared to federal rule. The state could draw its own ruled, but when it comes down to it, the country's federal leader has the most power.
As for the Crusades, they had been in progress for years. The Byzantines had not stopped fighting with the Caliphates and Sultanates over Syria and Palestine. there was no "Save the Holy Land!" spirit within Orthodox churches since many believed Jerusalem and Tyre never left the empire.
North Egypt did not budge from Byzantine control. Similarly, Northern Africa as a whole preferred Roman control than Muslim control. Christianity was not widespread, but neither was Islam. The Africans were mostly left alone. Eastern Africa was controlled entirely by the mighty Axum Kingdom. Some Axumites identified with early Christianity, but again, many enjoyed their ceremonial cultures and religions. The rest of Africa was left alone save small WRE settlements along the coasts.
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Kievan Rus, a growing country in Eastern Europe, had broken down into multiple self-governed principalities once the tradition of partitioning for one's sons continued too far. Unification seemed unlikely, but it will be forced shortly.
Farther East, China was encountering quite a few problems of their own. The Song Dynasty ruled China since 907, but invasions from the North were becoming a problem. At first, it was a few minor attacks from the Jurchen peoples, but then the Mongols. The Jurchen stopped, but the Mongols kept going and going. It was clear that they would pose the biggest threat in the next century...
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The WRE still expanded internally, but now slightly externally. The short-lived Pulvillus line had controlled the WRE from ~1000 to 1100. They held onto isolationist beliefs and as predicted, the economy suffered...but not too dramatically. Trade had slowed during those centuries, but only outside the empire. Rome and Florentia still attracted those of every culture and background to trade regardless. Only in Rome could you purchase Celtic cattle and Indian spices in one day.
Around 1050, the people of the empire grew tiresome of isolationism and revolted. The emperor, Pulvillus III (1032 to 1081), may have been kept away from the public, but he was not an idiot. He stepped down immediately and called for a descendant of Tallas to take the throne. (After Tallas died, his son was seen as unfit for the throne because of his sexual preference, so the Pulvillus', relatives to the Tallas', took over.)
Aulus Tallas II (1042 to 1101) was crowned emperor on the morning of April 5th, 1053, and as was part of the ceremony, he was handed the Ancient Roman golden staff and The Sacred Diary (yes, that same one). Tallas II was a progressive leader. He funded projects for trading ships, exploration units, factory checks, and architectural advancements. Better relations with Castile and the HGC were made, ensuring no invasions and greater trade. He also went on a 2-year trip to some of Europe's (safe) major cities including Toulouse, Cagilari, Carthage, Athens, and Constantinople, spreading the word of Roman advances and trade.
But right when it was thought that the WRE couldn't be any more successful, they became more successful. One of the largest naval organizations were the "Valde Florentine Rimor Vexillum" or the 'Great Florentine Explorers Company', obviously hailing from Florentia. A group of eager cartographers and adventurers led by nobleman, Marcus Malleolus, applied for a government grant which would allow them to explore for shorter trade routes.
They had attempted to apply for years when Puvillus III was emperor, and every time, they failed. But when the Tallas line was recovered, they tried again, and this time, they was accepted. They explained their desire to shorten trade routes into China and India by sailing Westward into the Atlantic, eventually meeting waterways into Chinese cities. The gold they received were invested into intricate ships and a years worth of food.
In 1062, they set sail from Msarsellie. They headed West through the Iberian Pass into the Atlantic where many had believed was in fact, the edge of the world. Some, mostly Romans, believed that the world actually rounded off and the Atlantic would lead directly into China. Months passed and eventually, Marcus spotted a sliver of land. The crew looked over the towering ships and witnessed history unfold.
Two Different Europes
War versus Peace
Differences between Western and Eastern Europe had been evident since the Great Roman Recession, but as the 12th Century came to a close, differences grew even more severe.
Western Europe, composed of the WRE, Portugal, France, Toulouse, Celtica, and the HGC, were mostly war-free. Of course, France had its conflicts with Toulouse and Normany, but even it was experiencing the beginning of a rise in Roman thinking. The king was preparing to outlaw feudalism and introduce a "...new process of creating villages and factories as seen in the Western Roman Empire." Toulouse had its own king and its own set of laws by the 1200s. Normandy was supported by the English. Brittany was on its own with its problems.
Rounds of exploration units were sent to Tallasia (OTL America) to understand the landscape, island structures, and the native tribes. The tribes were initially called 'Indians' as the explorers thought they had found a sea-trade route, but within months, the language of the Delaware tribe was translated into Latin. The Delaware tribal leaders explained with timidity the situation in Tallasia. Early explorers, who were led by Marcus Malleolus, offered the quick solution of executing all the natives and stealing their resources. But Malleolus was not only an explorer captain, but a high scholar. He proclaimed that the natives must be negotiated with in order to give the Romans a high reputation, thus giving them more resources and goods in the long run.
The Delaware told the Romans that there were numerous tribes in their area alone. From that, the Romans deduced that if Tallasia was as large as Europe, there would be almost a hundred on the new continent. Trades were made, mostly maps and supplies for technology. Of course, disease harmed these natives, killing many of them.
At home, the WRE did not expand through Africa as planned. Most of the surplus economy was spent on exploration and settling towns in Tallasia. The first town was named after the famous emperor: Julius Caesar. It was named Caesare. The second was named after another famous emperor: Constanus. It was named Constantinus. Caesare is OTL's Providence and Constantinus is OTL's New York City.
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But Eastern Europe was nowhere near as fortunate. It was thought to be a sign of relief when invading Muslims retreated, but this was only a sign of worse things to come. The Mongols approached.
Led by Ghengis Khan, the Mongols ravaged Asia. They conquered parts of China, all of Tibet, and basically all of Asia save India. The Seljuks were also destroyed in a matter of weeks. Clearly, Europe was going to have a handful here.
The Russian Principalities were ravaged and conquered. Kiev was burned down to the ground. The Mongols attacked Poland, burned Krakow, attacked Hungary at Mohi, and then finally reached the Byzantines.
Byzantine Emperor, Regulus I, recruited the Serbian army and militia into the Byzantine National Army. Regulus placed his army at Pliska. A very risky decision, but that was the Byzantine way. The Mongols planned to invade the Byzantine Empire along the Black Sea coast, thereby rushing through Constantinople and adding it to the list of ravaged cities. But unknown to them, Pliska was on that exact coast.
The Mongols arrived with an army of half a million soldiers, expecting to swoop into Pliska and demolish it. They had their composite bows at the ready when they approached the city. They were surprised when 600,000 Byzantine soldiers armed with long and short ranged weapons were waiting for them on the Pliska border. The battle lasted a week and ended in Mongol defeat. The Mongols were fierce, but the Byzantines had a home worth fighting for. Ghengis Knan was defeated at the Battle of Pliska in 1242 and retreated back to Kiev to regroup.
Through the 1200s, the Byzantines would have to fend off the Mongols in Anatolia, but every invasion, military excellence prevailed.
Ghengis Khan defeated Asia but could not take all of Europe. They abandoned Hungary and Poland but remained in Kiev.
North Africa map, as requested:
Bonus Info:
1200-1600 Events
New States:
Spain
Russia
Prussia
Ottoman Turks
Mughal Empire
States collapsed:
Khanates, save Golden Horde
Axumite Empire
Inca
Unions:
1300s Leon and Castile --> Castile
France and Normandy --> France
1400s France and Toulouse --> France & WRE
1600s France and Brittany --> France
Expansions;
Swedish Empire
Russia
Byzantine Empire
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