AH Challenge: Surviving Vandal presence in North Africa

[Fearless Leader]

You read the title...

So how do we go about getting a stable and long lasting Vandal state in North Africa?

I've already started on a TL so I won't be sharing any of my ideas just yet.

BTW: anyone know of any good books on the Barbarians? Most notably the Vandals, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and Franks. Thanks

[Max Sinister]

Justinian decides to take Rome and Italy first, but as we know, that took about twenty years. Afterwards he decides to go for Spain instead Africa. Or he is preoccupied with Persians and Balcan people, or he decides that he should leave a bit gold in the coffers for his successors (which wouldn't be too stupid). However, we still need a way to stop the Muslims...

[Martinus Paduei]

Justinian decides to take Rome and Italy first, but as we know, that took about twenty years. Afterwards he decides to go for Spain instead Africa. Or he is preoccupied with Persians and Balcan people, or he decides that he should leave a bit gold in the coffers for his successors (which wouldn't be too stupid). However, we still need a way to stop the Muslims...

Have the Vandals convert to Islam, and become a vassal state to the Caliphate. Not too plausible, but I have seen worse on this board.

[G.Bone]

Actually it was done in Super55's "Dark Age Map" TL (written by Midgard...)

[pa_dutch]

Would it be possible to get a surviving Vandal minority that survives in North Africa? They would speak a distantly Germanic language, practise vaguely Germanic customs, and perhaps cling on to Christianity amongst the dominant Muslim society.

[Fearless Leader]

Anyhow this is just the beginnings of a TL. Tell me what you think. I really don't have too many books on the subject in my library. I'm running mostly off internet sources.

A Vandal Africa TL

Part I: Huneric King of the Vandals and Alans

Early Life
Born to Geiseric king of the Vandals sometime in the early 400’s Huneric’s early life was marked by achievement. Whether serving aboard the Vandal fleet or in the army Huneric seemed to be invincible. His actions during the siege of Carthage, and the Battle of Cape Bon earned him the name “Huneric the Terrible” though it was seldom used during his reign as king. Interestingly enough, Huneric did not participate in the vaunted “Sack of Rome” being already engaged in another voyage to further Vandal holdings in the western Mediterranean at the time. Though no direct historical records exist to verify this it can be assumed that before his return to Carthage Huneric roamed the Mediterranean as one of the most feared pirates of his day. After returning to Carthage, Huneric would later seduce and marry Eudocia, daughter of former emperor Valentian III. Their marriage would be a happy one and would produce 3 children. Huneric lingered in Carthage for nearly 7 years before the death of his father elevated him to the rank of king establishing a precedent for further Vandal kings. So on June 1st 477 Huneric was crowned king of the Vandals and the Alans.

Reign
Huneric’s reign was marked by a number of interesting and controversial moves. One of Huneric’s main goals was to strengthen the Vandal fleet allowing the kingdom to effectively enforce it’s dominion over the islands of the Western Mediterranean. He also pursued a course of religious tolerance allowing a new Catholic bishop to be appointed in Carthage and passing an edict protecting the Catholics and many other religious sects from the fanatically Arian Vandal nobility. Several of these nobles rose up in rebellion against him electing his young nephew Gunthamund as king. Yet the reputation of Huneric’s father and his own exploits in battle gave him the advantage he needed to defeat the fanatical Arians in the Battle of Ad Decium.

It was during this time of civic unrest that a new foe would present itself to the Vandals. The Moors who had remained quiet during the time of his father chose this time to renew their aggression. Huneric, fresh from his victory over the forces of Thrasamund promptly raised an army and set off on his first Western campaign. This campaign however proved inconclusive yet it did provide Huneric’s son Hilderic with a taste of combat as it was the first campaign he would accompany his father on.

Huneric would continue to campaign against the moors in Mauritania for as long as he was able. After taking a javelin in the leg during his 4th Western Campaign Huneric retired from the battlefield. He promptly returned to Carthage where he began to institute a number of agricultural and infrastructural reforms. These reforms would see the Vandal kingdom once again become a net exporter of grain and the Roman aqueducts and roads repaired creating a sense of cohesion within the Vandal empire.

Huneric spent his last days on his royal barge touring the various islands under his empire’s control. It was then after his visit to the Balearic islands on July 4th 490AD that Huneric king of the Vandals and the Alans died. His body was carried onboard his royal barge with all possible haste to Carthage where it was met by his son Hilderic who would later be crowned king of the Vandals and Alans.


(Basically, the POD is that Huneric king of the Vandals is different than OTL and is more like his father.)

[MerryPrankster]

Fearless,

I like it. Keep it up.

[Fearless Leader]

Part II: Hilderic the Great King of The Vandals and Alans

Early Life
Grandson of both Geiseric king of the Vandals and Western Roman emperor Valentian III, Hilderic was the recipient of a great royal heritage. His early days, spent in Carthage, were split between time with his mother and tutors and his father’s trainers. As a result Hilderic was the benefactor of a fairly balanced education. His first taste of combat would come during his father’s Western Campaign and needless to say he was hooked. Hilderic would participate in every single Western Campaign launched by the Vandals leading several after his fathers retirement and before his death. It would be on one of these many campaigns that he would meet his future wife Zoe, an Orthodox Christian. Their marriage would be controversial yet it would reinforce the prevailing attitude of religious tolerance appearing in Vandal Africa. When his father Huneric died in 490 Hilderic was on the campaign trail in western Mauritania. Needless to say he made his way to Carthage as quickly as he could leaving his army under the command of his cousin Gunthamund. Upon arriving in Carthage he met his father’s body and was crowned king in August 490.

Early Reign
Hilderic came to the throne at the relatively young age of 30. His reign though conceived in peace would be marked by warfare. Not long after his ascension to the throne news came from Sicily that Theodoric the Great had begun to move his army into the vital Vandal province. The small Vandal army had been defeated and reduced to launching hit and run raids on Theodoric’s rear. Seeing that this was the case Hilderic promptly sent word to his cousin in Mauritania to make for Carthage while he personally raised another army and set off for Sicily to combat the Ostrogoths.

Landing in Southern Sicily, Hilderic promptly began to challenge Theodoric’s control of the island. Though his initial battles resulted in Ostrogothic victories, Hilderic persisted and inflicted heavy casualties on Theodoric’s army eventually defeating him at the pitched battle of Mt. Etna. With his regular army in tatters Theodoric promptly retreated to Messina to await reinforcements to continue his campaign against Hilderic. However he did not realize that the Vandals had more forces in play. Theodoric soon found himself under siege in Messina as another Vandal army under Gunthamund arrived along with the Vandal fleet. The Sicilian campaign concluded with Theodoric and his men laying down arms and agreeing to withdraw from Sicily and pay an annual tribute.

The conclusion of the Sicilian campaign was greeted with praise and celebration in Carthage. Under the Vandals, the city had reached a new golden age and had swelled in size. Hilderic’s return was met with nearly a week of feasting and celebration. Yet even as the celebrations were ongoing Hilderic was planning his next campaign. The Moorish problem had been left undealt with and needed to be resolved. Thus Hilderic planned the final Moorish campaign.

Said campaign was marked almost entirely success. Flushed with victory from the Sicilian campaigns Hilderic’s army smashed into the worn Moorish army incorporating many of their tactical styles and negating their advantages. By making his army appear to be much smaller Hilderic managed to ambush the main Moorish army and force 6 prominent Moorish princes to surrender and become vassals of the Vandal state. Said victory would be the first point in the eventual emulsification of the Vandal state.

Later Years
After nearly 10 years of campaigning King Hilderic finally returned to Carthage at the head of yet another victorious army. He had secured the empire’s western frontier after defending his empire’s holdings in Sicily and had gained the Vandal kingdom many important local allies. Hilderic’s later years would be spent consolidating his kingdom and trying to tame the unstable religious situation within the Vandal Empire.

One of his first edicts was the commissioning of new ships for the aging Vandal fleet which had taken casualties in the campaign against Theodoric and had been neglected in the years since his father’s death. He also continued to issue policies that encouraged the economic growth of his lands. As relations with the Moors improved trade between them began to flourish further enriching Carthage. Hilderic also began constructing a new series of fortifications around Carthage. The Hilderican Walls were to be rivaled only by the Theodesian Walls in Constantinople and would cement Carthage as the seat of the Vandal Empire. It was during this time that Germanic immigration to the Vandal territories increased dramatically as warriors were needed to replace the losses incurred in the Campaigns against the Moors and Theodoric.

This of course made the religious situation within the Vandal Empire no less complicated. On one hand, a large part of the Vandal nobility still stubbornly clung to the teachings of Arius. These nobles were now bolstered by the large numbers of German mercenaries arriving in Carthage and Tangiers. On the other hand The remainder of the Vandal nobles who had converted to Trinitarian Christianity and a majority of the native population of North Africa.

Into all this plunged Hilderic, organizing the famed “Council of Carthage” between both the opposing forces. Of course this council got nowhere and the Arians were incensed. They reportedly stormed out of the council thus beginning the Vandal civil war. Electing their famed general Gunthamund the kings uncle as their king they began to go on a genocidal rampage killing all in their path.

Yet though Gunthamund commanded the fanatical Arian faction of the Vandal nobility, Hilderic still had an overwhelming advantage. In a special ceremony both Hilderic and his wife were baptized by the bishop of Carthage bringing them officially into the “true faith”. Using this as a rallying point, thousands of levies were mustered from Carthage. These levies joined the remaining Vandal forces which had remained loyal to Hilderic and their Moorish allies. Together they marched on the forces of Gunthamund who had gathered near the city of Tipasa.

The battle of Tipasa would prove a decisive one for the pro-Trinitarian forces under Hilderic. Hilderic deployed his forces using the Catholic levies as his center with his Vandal troops forming up on his flanks. This enticed Gunthamund and his army to charge headlong into the levies in an attempt to break Hilderic’s line. Unfortunately in the midst of the fighting Gunthamund aged only 42 died of apparently natural causes. His death left the Arians in utter disarray allowing the Moors and Hilderic’s cavalry to complete their encirclement. The entire Arian army had been crushed.

In the coming months Hilderic’s men would track down the leaders of the rebellion and send them to Carthage where they were unceremoniously executed. After their defeat at Tipasa many of the Germanic mercenaries would choose to convert to Orthodox Christianity. Furthermore Hilderic chose this moment to begin his plans of social engineering. By marrying off the daughters of the now dead Vandal nobility to prominent Moorish princes he furthered the process of emulsification began by his father. These new nobles upon their conversion to Catholicism were granted lands on one of the many Mediterranean islands under Vandal control.

As Hilderic neared his last years he was relieved by the return of his son Genseric. His older son Huneric had been killed in the fighting with the Arians just years before. Genseric, his youngest child had been kidnapped over 12 years prior and had been thought dead. His return to Carthage at the head of a large Moorish caravan brought good news. Now 18 he had reached his majority and was more than willing to take over the reigns from Hilderic. Unfortunately for the Vandals, storm clouds were brewing in the east. Genseric’s reign would prove to be one of the most decisive in years.

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So what do ya'll think? The Vandals become the first of the Barbarian states to convert to Trinitarian Christianity. Personally, I don't think it's too far off seeing Huneric's religious tolerance and the fact that Hilderic's mother was daughter of roman emperor Valentian III.

Anyhow will the Vandals' conversion be enough to stave off Justinian's reconquest? Tune in next time to find out!

[stevep]

FL

Sounds good. Not sure if the religious tension that crippled most of the Germanic states was not so much intolerance by the Arian Germans as by the Catholic populations they came to rule over?

I think the Vandals have a very good chance in this scenario of resisting Justinian. Even if Belisarius hasn't been butterflied or Justianian isn't tied down with the Persians or internal unrest it was a very risky gamble. Read once that the Romans were worried about the superior Vandal fleet and glad to slip passed it without combat. In this scenario, even if the Roman invasion still has a brilliant commander they could easily be sunk at sea as it sounds like the Vandal fleet will be in better condition. Both from more attention paid to it and stronger state of the kingdom.

If Mr B and his army are sunk at sea you might never see any reconquest by Justinian. This could leave Byzantium with a lot more resources spend on Italy in OTL or it could still go under to the Persians, with no Carthaginian provinces to send vital aid. Could be the butterflies spread a lot wider soon.

Steve

[plantagenet]

There's a pretty good treatment of the Germanic peoples here (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520244907/sr=8-1/qid=1150644921/ref=sr_1_1/102-6937776-9949708?%5Fencoding=UTF8).

[MerryPrankster]

Well, Heraclius was the Roman Exarch of North Africa (I think), so if the Byzantines get in a Phocas-like situation, he won't be around to bail them out and the Eastern Empire will get slagged by the Avars and Persians.

IIRC North Africa was the chief grain supply of Constantinople when it was under siege at this point in time. With a non-friendly or less reliable North Africa, the Byzantines might try to cultivate Crimea or Egypt as a reliable food source (in the latter case, this won't be too difficult, since it was Rome's granary once upon a time).

This could butterfly into better treatment for the Monophysites and thus prevent Islam from spreading into North Africa.

However, the butterflies from a surviving Vandal kingdom might prevent the Phocas situation from taking place in the first place.

[Fearless Leader]

Part III: The Reign of Genseric king of the Vandals, Alans and Moors.

Early Life
The early life of Genseric sometimes called “the Great” was quite interesting. Up until the age of 6 he lived the life of a normal Vandal princeling, splitting his time between his tutors and his martial trainers. However his life would be changed dramatically when at the age of 6 he was mistaken for his brother and kidnapped by a group of radical Arians intent on holding him for ransom and forcing his father then on campaign to return to the fanatical Arianism of his ancestors. Unfortunately, their plan backfired as they soon found out they had not captured Huneric but Genseric instead. A second attempt at a kidnapping was made but to no avail, the queens personal bodyguards promptly dispatched the would be abductors.

So Genseric was sent west towards Tangiers in the vain hope of someday collecting on the ransom they had worked so hard to get. It was then that disaster struck. The caravan that Genseric was in was ambushed by a group of hostile Berber bandits. Genseric was taken during the raid and made a slave. It would be in this camp of Berber bandits that Genseric would spend the next 12 years of his life. Slowly he worked his way and by the time he was 18 not only had he won the allegiance of the bandits but he had greatly increased their riches. At this time, a captured Vandal servant would inform him of his brother’s death. This untimely death left him directly in line for the throne and since his two younger sisters could not assume the throne under the law of his grandfather Genseric made with all haste towards Carthage.

Upon meeting with his aged father Hilderic, Genseric once again assumed the mantle of the Prince of Carthage. He used his personal charisma and charm to quickly gain regard among the people both within his father’s court and the city itself. One of his first moves upon entering Carthage was to be baptized along with his wife and his entire band into the Catholic faith. This would be a crucial move as it cemented the newly lain foundations of Catholicism within the Vandal state, a move that would definitely pay off in the years to come.

Regency
As Hilderic grew old he began to retreat from the affairs of state, leaving such matters in the hands of his advisors. Genseric’s arrival allowed Hilderic to vest it in his son and remove any problems handing over power. For the next 3 years from 530 AD – 533 AD the Vandal kingdom would be ruled by Regent Genseric until his fathers death.

And what a regency it would be. After putting down the Nikka revolts, and signing the Eternal Peace with Persia, Emperor Justinian began to look west to his eventual reconquest of the Western Roman Empire. Originally, the Vandals had been a prime target. But not only had Hilderic strengthened and consolidated his empire, but his conversion eliminated an easy cause for war. Any war with the Vandals would be extremely costly and not worth the effort. So instead Justinian focused on the Ostrogothic kingdom. Theodoric’s death had left the kingdom to his grandson Athalaric under the regency of his mother. Her death in 533 AD gave Justinian the perfect excuse for war.

The Gothic Wars
After signing a treaty with the Vandals to use their bases in Sicily, Justinian sent Belisarius and a large army of nearly 100,000 men to Italy to begin what would later be called the Gothic War. Marching up from Sicily Belisarius soon engaged and defeated the Ostrogoths in a pitched battle outside of Naples resulting in him besieging the city. It fell later that year in 534. Marching north Belisarius promptly captured Rome in 535 and completed his conquest by capturing Milan and the Ostrogothic capital of Ravenna. in 536. These successes meanwhile encouraged Justinian to completely subjugate the Goths. Many historians date the “Council of Ravenna” a meeting between Belisarius and many Ostrogothic nobles as the end of the Gothic war. The collapse of Ostrogothic authority in Italy almost immediately led to an invasion by the Franks. However once again Belisarius showed his considerably military skill in defeating the Franks at the Battle of Milan thwarting their invasion.

Wary of Justinian’s aim to restore the Western Roman Empire, Genseric promptly pushed for an edict to be issued outlining the claims of the Roman empire and ensuring the territorial sovereignty of the Vandal state. Weary from the Gothic war and not wanting to enter into a war with the Vandals Justinian agreed. This was to be a wise move for only 2 years later in 540 the Persians would break the Eternal Peace and usher in a new Persian war.

The Reign of King Genseric
Upon the death of his father Genseric was promptly crowned and in a revolutionary move a council of Moorish and Berber nobles named him King of the Moors allowing Genseric to add that to his title. Genseric’s reign would be marked by prosperity and wealth. As other Barbarian nations would continue to persecute any of their subjects who didn’t subscribe to their Arian faith, Genseric opened up the Vandal realms to people of all faiths. This religious tolerance saw the establishment of a large Jewish community in Carthage. These Jews brought their businesses with them and enriched the Vandal kingdom greatly.

The reintegration of the Italian peninsula into the Roman empire would prove to be a boon to the Vandals, the signing of the Edict of Messina stabilizing the Vandal’s eastern flank. Also during Genseric’s reign Vandal piracy dropped to all time lows as many Vandals took up more legitimate trades and soon Vandal merchantmen not pirate galleys plied the waters of the Mediterranean.

As the Vandals began to establish themselves as the dominant power in the Western Mediterranean they soon drew the attention of many other important figures. One of these would be the Visigoth usurper Athanagild. In the mid 6th century AD Athanagild entered into negotiations with Genseric to solicit his aid in an attempt to gain the Visigothic throne. 554 AD saw the then reigning king Agila struck down by Athanagild’s assassins leading to a proxy civil war within Spain.

During this time Genseric used the Vandal fleet and the Vandal armies to carve out a fairly large portion of southern Spain for himself. Athanagild was placed on the throne and though he soon tried to reassert his authority and drive the Vandals out of his realm, Genseric would have none of it. Athanagild’s small army was quickly defeated and soon the Vandals extended their control over the entirety of the Iberian Peninsula. This conquest would be greeted with much celebration from the local inhabitants who preferred the Vandal rule to the harsh Arian rule of the Visigoths. In addition the Vandals formed fast alliances with the Basques, Cantabarians, Asturians, and the Suevi to aid them in carving up the Iberian peninsula. These states would also serve as useful buffer states between the Vandal Empire and the Kingdom of the Franks. The Iberian war would rage well into the 570’s until at the brink of total annihilation the Visigoths petitioned Genseric to accept their kingship. And though he would not, his son Huneric would and the Visigoths would be slowly but surely incorporated into the Vandal Empire.
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Forthcoming will be more on the Byzantine empire and such. Needless to say that the butterflies are beginning to make their presence felt.

What do y'all think of the Gothic wars? Realistic? Any constructive criticism would be welcome. This isn't really my area of expertise.

[Fearless Leader]

Couldn't sleep...Here's part 3.5 dealing with the goings on in the Byzantine Empire.

Part 3.5: The Ascension of Belisarius

The Persian Wars (Again)
With the breaking of the “Eternal Peace” Justinian was once again forced to send his army east to deal with the Persians. Fortunately, the Goths had been crushed and the Vandals placated with the Edict of Messina. Justinian was able to give all possible resources to Belisarius and his fellow Generals to pursue the war against the Persians. And pursue it they did. In a brilliant campaign Belisarius and his fellow generals managed to soundly defeat the Persians, lifting the siege of Antioch and decimating the Persian army capturing King Khosrau himself.

The ransom of Khosrau concluded that phase of the Persian wars and once again Belisarius was set to enter Constantinople at the head of yet another victorious army. However, not everything would turn out as he had planned.

The Great Plague of 542
In 542 the Byzantine empire suffered it’s worst bout of plague thus far in it’s history. Even Emperor Justinian was stricken with the plague and while he lay between life and death his wife Theodora assumed the affairs of the state. As Justinian’s conditions worsened, Theodora grew worried, she and Justinian were childless and a favorable succession would need to be arranged in order to preserve her status. Unfortunately, her time promptly ran out as Justinian succumbed to his illness and passed away.

Into this power vacuum stepped the plotting General Buzes who upon hearing of the Emperor contracting the plague had begun plotting his ascension to the throne. Storming into the palace on the eve of Justinian’s death he promptly forced Theodora to marry him and bestow upon him the title of Emperor. The ceremony was held at the Hagia Sophia and marked the beginning of Buzes’ 12 day reign.

Unfortunately for Buzes, his union with Theodora was not a happy one and he soon found her plotting against him. Upon learning of her plot he imprisoned her in the royal dungeons after divorcing her later planning to send her to a monastery. He continued to try and stamp out any resistance to his rule killing and imprisoning all who even remotely contested his kingship.

However not everything would go as planned. After being in prison only a handful of days Empress Theodora managed to negotiate her freedom and escape the royal dungeons. Having successfully escaped she made her way east to join up with the army of Belisarius now marching towards Constantinople.

It was with a heavy heart that Belisarius heard Theodora’s petition. Increasing his pace he set off with a force of cavalry arriving at the gates of Constantinople far ahead of schedule. This surprised Buzes who had planned to muster an army and defeat Belisarius if he failed to submit to his kingship. Belisarius being himself wasted no time and upon his arrival quickly stirred up popular opinion against Buzes and marched on his palace.

No sooner was Emperor Buzes thrown to the crowd was Belisarius crowned Emperor of Byzantium. Upon completing the ceremony the next day it is said that Theodora took up the habit and retreated to a nunnery where she spent the rest of her days before following her husband to the grave in 548 AD.

The Reign of Belisarius (542-565)

The elevation of Belisarius to Emperor and his wife Antoinna to empress in 543 can be marked as a decisive turning point in Byzantine history. From now on the Byzantine empire would slowly Hellenize and drift away from it’s Latin routes. Belisarius, would be a key factor in that being a Romanized Thracian and thusly speaking a fair bit of Greek.

Belisarius’ reign not however be a reign of conquest. Rather he would spend most of it improving the empire’s economy and fortifying its frontiers. Under Belisarius, the Byzantine army which had in it’s hayday swelled to upwards of half a million men was downgraded to a more sustainable size. Furthermore large fortifications were constructed in Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt to secure the empire’s eastern frontier. Belisarius finally realized that in truth the east was far more important than the west and focused his attentions thusly.

Another one of Belisarius’s achievements was the retention and the stabilizing of Italy. Good relations with the prefect Narses a eunuch and fellow general were pursued and Belisarius did his best to ensure the prosperity of the Italian peninsula. In a move of great wisdom he refrained from taxing the Italians too heavily and allowed Narses a great deal of freedom in collecting his taxes. He determined that instead of taxes he would achieve wealth for his empire via trade and the new state controlled silkworm industry.

A key moment in the reign of Belisarius would be the birth of his only son John by his wife Antoinna. Born in 543 “in the purple” John would be raised a typical Byzantine prince and would inherit a great deal of his father’s knack for military affairs. This can be seen when along with his father John annihilated a tribe of rebellious Huns who threatened Constantinople.

By the mid 560’s Belisarius’ health began to decline, even the best imperial doctors could not help him as he lay on his deathbed. His life had been one of great achievements. Not only had he defeated the Persians twice, he had reconquered Rome and saved the empire from the tyrant Buzes ending his life with a 23 year reign that saw the Byzantine empire emerge stronger than ever. Moreover he left a lasting legacy through his son John whose leadership would be crucial in the years to come
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Well there you have it. Whad'yall think? I just couldn't pass up the oppurtunity of having Belisarius assume the throne. It was just too cool. However I did put a son in the picture just because I was too lazy to think up a more realistic succession. However Belisarius and his wife aren't too old for that sort of thing so it could happen...

[stevep]

Well, Heraclius was the Roman Exarch of North Africa (I think), so if the Byzantines get in a Phocas-like situation, he won't be around to bail them out and the Eastern Empire will get slagged by the Avars and Persians.

IIRC North Africa was the chief grain supply of Constantinople when it was under siege at this point in time. With a non-friendly or less reliable North Africa, the Byzantines might try to cultivate Crimea or Egypt as a reliable food source (in the latter case, this won't be too difficult, since it was Rome's granary once upon a time).

This could butterfly into better treatment for the Monophysites and thus prevent Islam from spreading into North Africa.

However, the butterflies from a surviving Vandal kingdom might prevent the Phocas situation from taking place in the first place.

MP

Well FL's thread has gone along a different path but those were some of the points I were thinking of. From what I've read the main reason Maurice was so unpopular, leading to Phocas's revolt and disastrous rule, was because he was so stingy with money. This was because after Justinian's reign the treasury had been emptied by his wars and grandiose constructions. Without those, and with the Byzantium empire under Belisarius and his son John a lot of the financial difficulties will not occur. How long rivalry can be maintained without conflict between the Byzantium and Vandal states is a different question however.

Steve

[stevep]

FL

Good chapters. Know what you mean about the idea of Belisarius as emperor. Probably he was too idealistic to make a good emperor but such a great figure its a temptation.

Not sure that Byzantium had the sort of manpower you suggest. Think if Belisarius had had 100k troops he would have defeated the Goths a lot quicker and 500k for its total forces sounds a lot higher than. However looking very interesting. Not sure how long we can go without the two dominant empires in the Med having a clash, especially with the potential religious tension but awaiting more episodes.

Steve

[Midgard]

A few things. Don't take any of them negatively - I like the direction your TL is going, and would definitely like to see more of it.

First, Persians' breaking of the "Eternal Peace" was very likely influenced by Gothic agents of Totila trying to get them to attack while the Byzantines were weak (and, coincidentally, trying to get the Byzantines to back off in Italy). If Italy is (relatively) pacified, the chance of Chosroes I attacking Byzantium is much smaller, and therefore Persian War may or may not resume.

Second, Belisarius' army in Italy is said not to have exceeded 10,000 at most - however, if he manages to accept the Gothic offer of kingship, and Justinian doesn't try to screw things up for him, he can possibly consolidate Italy.

Third, Belisarius is believed to have been born around 505 AD, which would make him in his late 30s at the time of ascension. However, Antonina was AFAIK significantly older than him, possibly well into her late 40s by then - so while it is possible for Belisarius and Antonina to have a child at the time, it is not very likely, as she might be a bit beyond her childbearing years.

Finally, Belisarius was a Latin-speaking Thracian, unlike Heraclius, who was a Greek. As such, Hellenization would not have occurred under Belisarius to an extent it occurred under Heraclius.

Go on, however. It sounds very promising.

[Fearless Leader]

Thanks everyone for your contributions. Just for your information from now on I will be using dice rolls to determine the quality of kingship within this TL. 3 factors will be taken into account aptitude (1 being horrible, 6 being amazing), lifespan (1 being short 6 being relatively longlived), and progeny (1-3 = no heirs survive, 4-6=continuation). Personally this is the only way I can ensure a quality timeline without it becoming somewhat of a "wankfest".

Anyhow without further ado...

Part IV: Huneric II King of the Vandals, Alans, Moors, and Visigoths

Early Life
The first born son of Genseric, Huneric’s early life was spent completely in the royal palace in Carthage. He soon found his passion in the palace’s many scrolls and in learning. He would be the first of the Vandal kings to receive a truly classical education. As he neared his 12th birthday Huneric was becoming somewhat of an oddity amongst both the Moors and Vandals. His aversion to physical labor and combat and his preference for learning and writing led his father to send him away with a group of Berber Mercenaries to “toughen him up”. And for all accounts it seemed to have done just that for Huneric returned 6 years later in a manner more befitting a Moorish or Vandal prince. He still however retained his love for learning and the life of a prince. He would serve without distinction in the wars of his father in Iberia securing the peninsula. During the Battle of Valencia he would take a javelin to the leg which would effectively end his military career.

Reign
As Genseric lay on his deathbed Huneric II took over control of the Vandal armies in their campaigns in Iberia. It would be during this time that the Visigoths under pressure from the Suevi, the Asturians, the Cantabarians, and the Basques that they petitioned his father to accept the crown of the Visigoths from their inept king Roderic. Unfortunately, Genseric would die before he reached the Visigoth camp leaving his son Huneric II to accept the crown of the Visigoths officially ending the Iberian wars (574 AD). Furthermore to cement his position within the Visigoth society Huneric married the Visigothic princess Galswintha bringing him officially into the Visigoth royal house. She would be baptized into the Catholic church one year later in Carthage and assume her place by his side on the throne.

One of Huneric II’s first priorities would be the pacification of Spain. Treaties were signed outlining the new frontiers and ensuring that the states that had sprung up in northern Spain remained stable and capable buffer states between the Vandals and the Franks. In addition Huneric granted a great deal of land to a large number of both Moorish and Vandal nobles in Spain bringing the land under firm Vandal control. This move would be welcomed warmly by the local Hispano-Romans who gladly traded their Arian Visigoth lords for their new Catholic lords.

Huneric’s reign would see little war besides the occasional Berber raid or conflicts with the Northern Iberians. Instead he would focus on various other endeavours. During the course of his reign Huneric would construct over 50 churches throughout his empire, many of which would be regarded during their time as the most magnificent in Western Europe. Huneric would also found the Royal Library of Carthage and commission the Historian Gento to write the history of the Vandals among other great works.

Huneric also worked hard to codify Vandal law. His predecessors had adopted a bastardized version of Roman law while mixing in a great deal of their own customs. Huneric would spend the majority of his life refining his Hunerican code which effectively blended Roman, Germanic, and Moorish laws, and the Catholic faith. By the time he was finished the end result satisfied all parties and served to further emulsify the Vandal state. Unfortunately this work took most of his life and forced him to delegate most of the affairs of the state to his ministers.

As a result the Vandal state grew very little during his reign and the economy began to stagnate. The army shrank to a pathetic 50,000 and the navy languished in a state of disrepair. For all of his contributions to the Vandal Empire Huneric’s disregard of the affairs of state eliminate any chance of him becoming as great as his forbearers.

Death of a Dynasty
Huneric II would die childless in 603 AD leaving the crown to his favorite general Hoader. His death would see the end of the infamous Geiserican dynasty. A dynasty that would see the Vandals arrive and establish a firm presence in Africa and grow to dominate the Western Mediterranean.

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Just to clarify when rolling for the attributes of Huneric II I got a 4 for aptitude, a 5 for lifespan and a 2 for progeny.

[Fearless Leader]

Part 4.5: The Reign of John Emperor of Byzantium

Early Life
The life of John the son of Belisarius can be regarded as one of the most miraculous and fortunate in Byzantine history. His birth in 543 marked a miracle in and of itself as his mother the newly crowned Empress Antonnina was nearing the end of her childbearing years. Moreover the provision of a heir to Belisarius ensured that he would have a lasting influence on the Empire Born in the purple John seems to have neglected the princely life offered to him instead choosing to follow the legacy of his father. Though many if not all historians note that John was not the tactical genius his father was it’s fair to say that during his years spent with his father he picked up a good deal of tactical know-how. This showed itself rather well when he at the age of 16 commanded a force that annihilated a Hunnish tribe known as the Kotrigurs. The subsequent victory parade featured John riding side by side with his father Belisarius throughout Constantinople. He was immediately received quite well by the people of the Empire who quickly grew to regard him with the same esteem they held his father in. Thus 565 was a year of contrasts, on one hand the Roman empire mourned the death of Emperor Belisarius. Yet they also rejoiced at the coronation of John and the commencement of his glorious reign

The Reign of John
Upon receiving the crown and title of Augustus John was only 22 years old. Having been just recently married to an Athenian Greek Eudoxia, John must have looked like a demi-god coming out of the temple that day. Fairly tall, with broad shoulders he was an accomplished warrior ready to defend his kingdom. And defend it he did for only 3 years after his coronation the Empire was beset by yet another barbarian invasion.

In 568 the Lombards who had up until then resided in the area north of the Julian Alps had been summoned to invade Italy at the behest of the remaining Gothic populace. It was hoped that with the help of the Lombards the Goths could once again rise up and take Italy for themselves. Unfortunately, this was not to be the case for the barbarians had underestimated the resolve of not only their new emperor but the aging General Narses.

In the Battle of Padua, Narses would fight his final battle and defeat the Lombards decisively driving them back over the alps into the area they would later settle and name Lombardy (OTL Austria). This victory of course required most of the troops in the Italian peninsula and left the remainder of Italy unguarded. So like his father before him John commissioned an expedition and led a 2 year campaign in which he eliminated any vestiges of Gothic resistance. Bringing the captured Gothic nobles back with him to Constantinople John paraded them through the streets celebrating the end of the campaign in Italy.

The death of Narses after the Battle of Padua left an open hole in Italy, a hole that needed to be filled. Using this as a chance to reorganize the empire’s western provinces John created the Exarch of Ravenna and put a young but capable general Tiberius in place as the Exarch. This reorganization would ensure the stability of Byzantine Italy for some years to come.

John’s peace was not to last though for in 571 only a year after his victory over the Goths and Lombards and shortly after the founding of the Exarch of Ravenna the Armenians rebelled against King Chrosroes I of Persia and appealed to John for aid. Thus the Persian war resumed as John marched west with his veteran army. At the Battle of Dara on the Tigris, John decisively defeated the Persian forces driving them effectively out of Armenia. John would continue to push them back into Persia proper until in desperation Chrosoes I offered a peace settlement that gave Persian Armenia to the Byzantine Empire.

Though his victory over the Persians would be the most remembered of John’s military victories, before his death in 608 AD he would embark on many other military campaigns. In 577 upon returning from the east John would repulse the Slavic invasion of Thrace throwing them back into Bulgaria. Upon pacifying the Slavs with a small annual subsidy John would go on to secure his holdings in Crimea, retaking them from the Turks. In 591, John would go to war with the Persians again, this time to solve a dynastic dispute. His victory would gain him western Mesopotamia and ensure good relations with the Persians in the following years.

Not all of John’s conquests were military however. The Avars were cultivated as strong allies during his reign as they continued to guard the frontiers of the empire. Their annual subsidy was considered by many to be the “best spend gold in all of Constantinople”. Some of his conquests were religious as John encouraged tolerance of the monophysites in the eastern reaches of the Empire. This greatly increased the stability of those regions and encouraged a healthy level of religious debate. John also increased the power of both the Senate and the Demes appeasing both the Greens and the Blues.

All told John’s reign was one of the most successful in Byzantine history rivaling that of Justinian the great and his father. Surely, a greater string of emperors could not have been imagined. Moreover the ascendency of John’s son Justinian II to the throne after his death in 608 AD would see the formation of the first real dynasty in Byzantine history. Truth be told it could not have come at a better time

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When I rolled for John I got a 5 for aptitude, a 4 for Lifespan, and a 5 for progeny.

So what do you guys think? Does my system need changing? How about the TL itself? Any comments?

[MerryPrankster]

Very interesting. Keep it up!

[Smaug]

Nice timeline. My only beef would be that we have two Mediteranean powers on seemingly identical and parrallel paths of religious and political reform, for lack of a better term.

Even so, its very interesting.

[Fearless Leader]

Part V: Hoader King of The Vandals, Alans, Moors, and Visigoths (2, 5, 3)

Early Life
The story of the Vandal king Hoader is an interesting one to say the least. His life began in relative poverty as his grandfather had involved himself on the wrong side of the Arian rebellions. This had left his father and thus his family in rather dire straights and being a third son Hoader was regulated to the streets of Carthage becoming nothing more than a street urchin.

It would be during his time as a street urchin that Hoader would be discovered by a Moorish chieftain known only as Tabriz. Tabriz took pity upon Hoader and bought him from his family to serve him and his war band on their many journeys. With the Vandal kingdom being involved in the Iberian wars Tabriz and his war band soon set off for Iberia for fame and glory with Hoader tagging along with them.

It would be during the Iberian war that Hoader would come to gain some deal of fame. At a young age he assumed command of Tabriz’s war band and led it to a number of victories against the Visigoths towards the end of the war. The war ended with Hoader being in his mid twenties and one of Huneric II’s favorite generals.

Hoader’s rise to fame had been sudden and though he became quite rich he did his best to avoid the seductions of wealth. Much of his career was spent fighting campaigns against rebellious Berbers. However there came a time when Huneric grew old and sought to appoint Hoader as his chief minister. Hoader’s return to Carthage was marked by his second marriage to Galthinda a descendant of the Visigoth nobility.

Hoader’s regency was uneventful and only served to increase his wife’s hold upon him. It wouldn’t be long before Huneric II died and appointed Hoader to assume the throne, little did he know the disastrous consequences that would follow.

Reign
Hoader’s reign was thankfully quite uneventful for the Visigoth kingdom. To the north, the Franks were divided and constantly fighting amongst themselves. To the east, Italy was stable under the new Exarch Leo and the Byzantines were occupied with the Persians and the Arabs.

The reign of Hoader was marked by corruption and debauchery. Known for his wild parties Hoader nearly bankrupted his kingdom in an attempt to support his wife’s lavish lifestyle. In order to raise funds for his parties and circuses Hoader sold the government offices off like vegetables in a vegetable market. The Vandal economy faltered as Hoader became completely disinterested in state affairs and focused on his personal life.

Around 621 Hoader became quite ill and lingered near death for nearly 2 years. It would be during those years that his wife Galthinda became quite worried. She and Hoader had yet to produce an heir to live beyond infancy. So in desperation she looked around for a suitable successor to take the throne. She found that successor in Marcus Abriz Hasdengi a notable merchant and Vandal admiral who had gained much fame plying the waters of the Mediterranean.

Appointing him along with herself regent for her dying husband Galthinda hoped to take a more active role in the affairs of the state. Unfortunately her decisions nearly bankrupted the kingdom. After she cancelled a quarter of the taxes in the empire Marcus approached her and rebuked her. As a result he was stripped of his regency and thrown in the dungeon where he would languish for the remainder of Hoader’s reign.

Fortunately for Galthinda, Hoader soon recovered from his illness and resumed governing the country and ruled with little change until his death in 637 AD. He governed more or less justly but began to show a that he had lost a bit of his sanity during his bout of sickness. His only really important act was to free Marcus from prison and return his title of Regent setting him up to assume the throne after he died.

[Fearless Leader]

Part 5.0: The reign of Emperor Justinian II (6, 4, 4)

Early Life
Many historians would say that naming your child after one of the Greatest emperors in Roman history would be a mistake. It sets unduly high expectations upon them and forces them to try and constantly overachieve in an attempt to surpass their predecessor. Yet John the second in the Thracian dynasty would take no heed of their warnings as he named his first son and heir Justinian II.

Much of Justinian’s early life was spent in the royal palace in Constantinople under the tutelage of royal tutors appointed by his father. From an early age Justinian showed that while he lacked most of the military skill of his father and grandfather he was an able administrator. This skill would come in handy later on in life as he assumed the mantle of emperor from his father.

Justinian’s coronation would mark the high point of the Thracian dynasty. Though he had the legacy of his grandfather and father to live up to Justinian II assumed the responsibility with relish and sought to not only meet the expectations set upon him but surpass them.

Reign
The first part of Justinian II’s reign was marked by a period of peaceful consolidation. Good relations were maintained with King Chosroes II of Persia and Constantinople soon became a hub for caravans coming in from the east through the Persian Empire. The economy thrived as Justinian II cultivated new allies in the Slavs and Avars which chose to migrate down into Byzantine lands. Many of them were granted lands in Asia Minor in exchange for hereditary military service. Unbeknownst to him the first 25 years of his reign would see the Byzantine Empire strengthened and built up enough to survive the Arabic onslaught that would consume the rest of his reign.

In 633 the defining moment of Justinian’s career occurred as the Muslim forces of Abu Bakr launched a massive expedition northward into Byzantine territory. Fanatical Muslim forces quickly destroyed the Byzantine army in Mesopotamia through a series of decisive defeats sending them reeling back to Syria. Unfortunately for Abu Bakr Justinian had an edge up on the Arabs, his name was Narses and though he shared the name of his grandfather’s contemporary he was of no relation. Putting Narses at the head of an army of nearly 70,000 Greeks, Slavs, Italians, and Avars Justinian commissioned the first of the great Arab campaigns.

The Arab war as it would later be called would be waged for nearly 10 years before a truce could be arranged between the Byzantine empire and the forces of the Caliphate. Having decisively defeated Byzantium’s Mesopotamian army under Theodore the Eunuch the morale of the Arab forces couldn’t be higher. Unfortunately they soon found themselves bogged down besieging the Roman border towns of Syria and Damascus itself.

A key factor in the resistance of Syria to the Muslim invaders was the lack of persecution of the Monophysites especially the Ghassanids who rose in droves to protect the empire that had fostered their religion. Patriarch Peter of Antioch was crucial in rallying his Monophysite followers in religious fervor providing the walls of the holy land with hordes of willing militia.

By the time Narses and his army arrived on the scene Syria was almost completely in Muslim hands. Only the major city of Damascus remained under Byzantine control. Abu Bakr had moved his army, fresh from a half a dozen other victories throughout Syria around Damascus to strengthen the siege. It would be here in 634 that the decisive battle of the Arab war would be fought. The battle of Damascus would see the fate of the Holy land decided. If the Arabs could defeat Narses the entire Holy land would be open to them. Yet that was not to be so as Narses used his tactical genius to outwit Abu Bakr and deliver a defeat that broke the siege of Damascus and forced Abu Bakr to retreat into Muslim held Syria.

Over the next 4 years the Muslims and the Byzantines would clash in a number of inconclusive engagements with the Byzantine’s receiving the worst of most of the casualties. By 638 both Narses and the new Caliph Umar found themselves and their respective armies exhausted. Into this situation came Justinian who decided to buy off the Muslims. Granting them Western Mesopotamia, Justinian placated Umar with a generous annual subsidy which ironically would be used to fund the Arab invasion of Persia.

Unfortunately Justinian would not make it back to Constantinople for en route he contracted the plague and like his predecessor died before his time. One can only imagine what good he could have done had Justinian II lived longer. Yet in 639 he died and his body was taken into Constantinople and buried alongside that of his father and grandfather in the Church of the Holy Apostles. His son Belisarius II would succeed him as emperor of the Roman Empire ensuring the continuation of the Thracian dynasty.

[Fearless Leader]

Part 5.5: Arab and Sassinid Interactions.

Sassanid Civil War
King Chosroes II ruled benevolently until sometime in the 620’s. It would be during this time that the Persian civil war would occur weakening it enough to serve as a tempting target for the Arab invaders nearly 20 years later. Chrosroes had had over 18 sons and having died rather suddenly he appointed no heir. It would be during this power vacuum that Chosroes III 6th son of Chosroes II would coerce several of his brothers into backing his claim to the throne over his brother Kavadh II. This incident would touch off the Persian Civil War which would drag on well into the 640’s and soon become enmeshed with the Arab invasions.

The Arab invasion of Persia
Having won Western Mesopotamia from the Byzantines only years before Umar was eager to continue to expand the frontiers of Islam. Moving east he promptly invaded Persia and was greeted by a stiff strong response. The Persians had grown strong through their ties with Byzantium and had consolidated after losing much of their western territories to the Byzantines in the Roman-Persian wars nearly 3 decades prior. The Arabs meanwhile had been bolstered by the large numbers of Arab tribesmen who had fled the Levant and joined up with the Islamic forces during the Arab wars.

So Caliph Umar decided to press his advantage and invade Persia whom he regarded as weak and divided having suffered through nearly 2 decades of civil strife. Unfortunately he underestimated the current ruler of the Sassanid Dynasty Kavadh II. Kavadh had stopped at nothing to attain the crown of Persia and would not stand to have it stripped from him by some wild Arab tribesmen. He would promptly call up Persia’s nobles to form an army to stop Umar and his rampaging Mohammedans.

The War would drag on for quite some time and eventually see Chosroes III and his compatriots convert to Islam in an attempt to co-opt the Arab invaders into their dynastic dispute. Yet it would be all for naught as the Persians would be more than capable of holding their own against the Arabs. Chrosroes III would be unsuccessful in usurping his brother and eventually meat his death at the hands of Royalist Persian forces. Eventually though, the Arabs would be able to win some land taking most of Eastern Mesopotamia from the Persians before concluding peace.

The Persian wars would not only see the formation of the Arab province of Iraq but the survival of Zostarianism. Had the Persian’s lost it is conceivable that this religion would be lost to the seas of time as the Arabs overran the Persian Empire. But that was not to be as the Sassanid Empire would continue to thrive for some time. Islam would meanwhile never quite gain the ascendancy it so desired and would remain primarily a local religion.

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Allright there's the next section of my TL. What do you guy's think? Any constructive criticism and thoughts about the future of the TL are welcome. Also any insights into Persian history would be much appreciated as it is far from my forte. How was section 5.5? Any thoughts on the Arab invasions?

Also any thoughts on what should happen next? I'm at a loss in regards to the future of both Christianity, Islam, and Zosterianism.

[The Professor]

Like it so far :)
What are the cultural developments like?
And does the Vandal language evolve or be replaced?

Whether the Vandal kingdom(s) can survive Arab/Islamic incursions would also impact on this.

[MerryPrankster]

Well, in TTL, I would expect both Monophysite and Nestorian Christianity to survive and prosper more than in OTL. Islam played a decisive role in superceding them in their areas of dominance (Egypt/Levant and Central Asia respectively).

In OTL, Ethiopia is Monophysite. The Nubian kingdoms (present-day northern Sudan) were Monophysite as well, but were destroyed by Islamic forces operating out of Egypt. I would expect Monophysite Christianity to continue traveling down the Nile and become significant in East Africa. Perhaps hand-in-hand with a larger Ethiopian state, although the Ethiopians will have to deal with the Caliphate (which might expand southward by sea).

At least one Central Asian "horse tribe" (the Kereits) was entirely Christian in OTL. Without competition from Islam, I would expect many more of the steppe peoples to become Nestorian Christians. Nestorian Christianity could spread with the conquests of Nestorian steppe tribes. Unless Zoroastrianism seriously reforms itself (see below), we might even see a Nestorian Persia if/when it's conquered by Nestorian Turks or Mongols.

Zoroastrianism will probably have to undergo some kind of reformation--according to some of what I've read, the reason Islam triumphed in Persia so quickly is because the people were thoroughly sick of the corrupt, useless religious aristocracy.

In OTL there was a group called the Mazdakites. In TTL, they might play a major role.

[MerryPrankster]

Like it so far :)
What are the cultural developments like?
And does the Vandal language evolve or be replaced?

Whether the Vandal kingdom(s) can survive Arab/Islamic incursions would also impact on this.

Well, the armies of Islam never entered Egypt and they don't have any ports on the Mediterranean, so I would expect the Vandal kingdom is relatively safe from Arab/Islamic trouble.

Leo knows a good bit about the linguistic situation in North Africa. IIRC he said that there was a Latino-Punic "Romance language" aborning in the area that never got fully established thanks to Islam.

Perhaps in TTL we get two Romance languages in North Africa--the Latino-Punic one and one more influenced by Vandal (possibly something resembling French or Spanish minus its Arabic influence).

[Max Sinister]

The idea of "randomizing" the kings is good, although I think that a chance of 50% for no heir is too high.

About Belisarius' army: I read in "Ein Kampf um Rom" by historian Felix Dahn that Belisarius had 30,000 men for the Vandals, 60,000 against the Ostrogoths, and Narses had 100,000 men for them.

[Fearless Leader]

Part VI: Marcus Abriz Hasdengi King of the Vandals, Alans, Visigoths, and Moors. (1,4,3)

Early Life
Marcus Abriz Hasdengi’s early life was spent for the most part in his family’s estate on the island of Sicily. The Hasdengi’s had always been a fairly powerful family in the Vandal society even before their arrival in Africa. Upon arriving in Africa they were one of the first Vandal noble families to convert to Catholicism around the time of Hilderic. This conversion made them the perfect candidates to rule over the predominantly Catholic islands of Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily. Fortunately for Hilderic the Hasdengi family had 3 sons and so an island was given to each. Coming from a relatively minor branch of the Hasdengi family in Sicily Marcus was the son of a Vandal noblewoman and a Moorish noble. His ties to both the Vandal and the Moorish community led him to retain both the names of his parents.

Marcus quickly chartered a vessel and resolved to make his living as a merchant plying the waters of the Mediterranean. He quickly grew in fame and renown and eventually formed a trading company serving as an admiral for a whole fleet of merchant vessels. Having reached this position Marcus found himself unduly suited to the minor crisis the Vandals found themselves in the beginning of the 6th century.

Pirates operating from the area around OTL Tobruk had been plaguing Vandal and Byzantine shipping for months. In 619 their piracy reached it’s zenith when they captured Malta and began to increase their raids tenfold upon Vandal shipping and settlements. A number of Marcus’ vessels were captured or sunk leaving him with somewhat of a vendetta against the pirates. Commissioned by Hoader Marcus merged the dilapidated Vandal fleet with his personal fleet and sailed against Malta.

The Battle for Malta was more of a massacre than a real battle. The pirates had been running short on supplies and had sent out all their raiders in an attempt to bring food and other supplies to the beleaguered island. As a result Marcus faced no resistance upon his arrival. The island was quickly put under siege and the poorly supplied defenders were forced to succumb within weeks only to be slaughtered to a man.

In the weeks to come Marcus would build up Malta as a fortress in the region while the pirate raiders slowly trickled in. One by one Marcus appropriated their ships to add to his own personal fleet and gang pressed their crews to construct defensive works around the island. These victories would see him rise to greatness under Hoader leading to his appointment to the position of Regent when Hoader fell ill.

Regency
As Hoader lay between life and death the effective rule of the Vandal kingdom was transferred to it’s two regents Galthinda and Marcus. The twin regency was doomed from the start as Marcus proved to be quite submissive to Galthinda allowing her to go through with many of her excesses. Unfortunately when the livelihood of his family and fellow merchants was put on the line Marcus dug in his heels. His rebuking of Galthinda’s decision to cancel a quarter of the kingdom’s taxes resulted in nearly 2 years in the royal dungeons. Though he would later be freed by a recovered Hoader Marcus would never be the same.

Reign
When Hoader died in 637 Marcus was next in line for the kingship. Upon arranging the death of Galthinda Marcus ascended the throne as Marcus I and began his lackluster reign. Upon coming to the throne Marcus had “one foot in the grave” so to speak. Yet he would rule for 15 years.

During those 15 years he would do little to reverse the policies of Hoader and would see the Vandal armed forces continue to deteriorate. The only thing he really did was raise taxes which led the people to the verge of revolt. It did however help to refill the Vandal coffers which had been drained by the excesses of Hoader and Galthinda.

Marcus would never marry. Many Historians would attribute this to his imprisonment and subsequent assassination of Galthinda. However it is important to note that Marcus did have several affairs before he assumed the crown. Perhaps his heart was broken never to be mended by one of his mistresses? We shall never know. At any rate, he never produced an heir and so at the end of his life he nominated his nephew Paul, a Latinized Vandal living in Corsica with whom he’d had a rather good relationship.

So in 652 Marcus Abriz Hasdengi finally kicked the bucket. His passing was not mourned and the people of Carthage looked to their new king Paul to improve their pitiful state.

[Fearless Leader]

Part 6.0: Belisarius II Emperor of Byzantium (3,6,1)

Early Life
Being named after one of the greatest Emperors of the Byzantine Empire may not have affected his father but the pressure on Belisarius II certainly showed. After being crowned Augustus in late 639 Belisarius II would go on to have a much longer reign than his father living well into his 70’s and reigning 31 years.

Reign
After being crowned Belisarius II found his empire in excellent shape after 4 emperors who each could arguably claim the title of “The Great”. The economy was booming, the frontier defenses put in place by his great-grandfather had held, and the Arabs had been decisively defeated and placated with a small annual subsidy. Relations with Persia to the East, the Avars to the north, and the Vandals to the west were excellent. The empire was experiencing a golden age of unparalleled wealth.

Yet there were still things that needed to be done. Seeing the danger of the Arabs Belisarius II was quick to reinforce the fortifications set in place by his namesake. He would also go as far as offering new immigrants to the empires notably Slavs, Lombards, and Avars lands in Syria in exchange for hereditary military service. Yet these measures soon proved unnecessary as the Caliphate dissolved into civil war.

With the empire’s borders in a relatively peaceful state Belisarius II looked to reconcile some of the massive religious dissent within his empire. To the west he had the Pope clamoring for him to bring the dissenting eastern provinces back to the proper theological doctrine. Meanwhile the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Constantinople were both pulling in opposite directions, directions other than Rome’s.
Said religious differences could prove to tear the empire apart. So in 642 AD Belisarius II held the 5th Ecumenical Council or the second council of Constantinople to determine proper Christian doctrine. Said council would hopefully serve to check the rising tide of the Nestorians, the Monophysites and the resurgent Arians. The results of the council can be debated. If anything it deepened the rift between all sides involved. In the end Belisarius II was wary to begin open persecution of the Nestorians and Monophysites due to the role they had just played in defeating the Arab invasions.(**** I REALLY NEED HELP IN FLESHING OUT THIS PART!****)

Having dealt or at least tried to deal with the religious problems in his empire Belisarius II lived out the rest of his reign in relative peace traveling the Empire and improving the infrastructure and fortifications in the east. Belisarius II would also commission vast public works and several new cathedrals in the East. The works of Belisarius II would prove to tax the empire’s financial situation desperately. Unable to win renown on the battlefield Belisarius II tried to win it in other ways. As a result he left the empire considerably poorer financially than he had found it after 3 consecutive fiscally conservative emperors. This fact would bar him from achieving the same level of greatness as his predecessors. Yet though he would leave his empire poorer financially he would leave it a wealth of public works and churches and a great deal more beautiful.

Belisarius II would never be able to produce a heir in all the years of his reign despite his best efforts. After his wife passed her childbearing years Belisarius looked to appoint a successor to ensure a continued period of peace and stability within the empire. He would find a suitable successor in his chief Logotholete Tiberius. Nominating him as regent shortly before his death Belisarius followed his wife to the grave in 670. His body was put in an ivory casket and buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles along with all the other members of the Thracian Dynasty.

Legacy
The Thracian Dynasty ushered the Byzantine Empire into it’s first Golden Age. The financially conscious reigns of Belisarius, John, and Justinian II left the Empire rich enough to not only withstand numerous invasions and religious strife but the excesses of Belisarius II. Even at the end of his reign the Empire was stronger than ever before. Without their influence it is highly likely that the empire would have descended into a period of chaos after Justinian’s death and would have been unable to resist the Persians, and later the Arabs. Truth be told if any one man can be credited for the first Byzantine Golden age it is Belisarius I.
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Allright guy's you read the TL. I really need help fleshing out the religious situation that has grown up during the Thracian dynasty. How would delaying the 5th Ecumenical council affect things? How effective would it be? What course will Christianity take in the coming years?

[MerryPrankster]

The Monophysite crisis came after the Nestorian schism (Monophysitism was a reaction to the perceived division of Christ). I don't think at this point there would be many Nestorians left in the Empire.

Persia, on the other hand, is a different story...

You did describe a good deal of the Monophysites' defense of the Empire against the Arabs--Patriarch Peter and all that. Perhaps the Emperor's refusal to persecute the Monophysites (due to their help against the Arabs) causes a major split between East and West?

In TTL, the Orthodox Church could be very tolerant of dissenting opinions while the Western Church goes into Inquisition territory.

[Fearless Leader]

Part 6.5: The Rest of the World

The Arabian Civil War
Upon the death of the 3rd and final “Rightly minded Caliph” Umar, his successor Uthman assumed the position of Caliph. Unfortunately Uthman proved to be very corrupt falling prey to the disastrous temptations of nepotism. It would be his corruption that would lead to his assassination and the Islamic Civil War.

After his assassination, various groups within the Arab nation rose up in rebellion. These rebels then asked Abu ibn Abu Talib to assume the position of Caliph. Talib accepted their nomination and moved quickly to establish himself. Unfortunately he would meet substantial opposition from Uthman’s kinsmen and even Aisha wife of Mohammed.

Battle lines were quickly drawn as most of Talib’s support lay in Arabia proper while the supporters of the now dead Uthman had the majority of their strength in the newly conquered province of Iraq. Rallying behind Aisha the wife of Mohammed, the Uthmanites managed to further secure their position in Iraq later defeating the forces of Talib at the Battle of Basra and several other occasions.

The two sides would fight each other to a standstill for over 20 years. Though the Arabians under Talib initially had the advantage, eventually the Uthmanites managed to secure large amounts of aid from both the Byzantines and Persians. This aid would be key in not only prolonging the civil war but preserving the Iraqi Caliphate. Upon the assassination of Abu Talib his son Hassan Talib, now the Caliph of Arabia opened negotiations with the Iraqi Caliphate now under Mu’ariyah a relative of Uthman.

These negotiations would result in the partitioning of the Islamic nation and the formation of the Two Caliphates. In the end the Islamic civil war proved to be the death knell for Islam. Had the Islamic nation remained intact it is conceivable to see it expand far further. However due to the Islamic civil war Islam was reduced to a regional religion, unable to spread further than the extent of the limited Islamic conquests.

Persia and the Mazdakite Reformation
Upon the end of the Arab-Persian wars Kavadh II the king of Persia had finally consolidated his kingdom. With no other claimants to the throne his son Kavadh III
succeeded his father as the King of Persia. Unfortunately, the nation he inherited was one that was rotting from the inside out. The people of Persia had long chafed under the repressive Zoroastrian clergy and their corruption tainted the land.

It would be these repressive conditions which would result in two things. Nestorian Christians, fleeing the repressive conditions of the Roman Empire and found asylum in Persia. This contributed to the massive growth of Nestorian Christianity in not only Persia but the rest of the Middle East. This growth would be a key factor in forcing Kavadh III and several leading Zoroastrian clergymen in re-examining the teachings of Mazdak.

It would be these teachings and the great Zoroastrian council that would mark a change in Persia. Mazdak’s teachings were mellowed out somewhat to allow for continued stability. However the reforms were widespread and far reaching. The Zoroastrian religion rebounded curtailing somewhat the growth of Nestorian Christianity. However many Zoroastrian clergy were unhappy with these new restrictions and led several small revolts destabilizing the Persian empire for some time.

However under the leadership of Kavadh III the Persian Empire emerged much stronger. Once again the economy began to improve as serfs were released from their Clerical overlords. Kavadh III’s reign would be marked by consolidation and reform and would be crucial in sustaining the Sassanid dynasty.

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Allright, here's my thoughts on the future of Christianity. One of the major reasons for the great East-West Schism was the fact that Constantinople remained Roman and Rome and by extension the entire Italian peninsula fell more or less under Barbarian rule.

However in this timeline not only do we have Italy not only remaining but thriving under Byzantine control, and we have more religious tolerance. Now the patriarch of Constantinople was never really in favor of the whole tolerance deal. So Instead of the whole East-West Schism that we saw in OTL Constantinople will slowly begin to take a backseat to Rome (or perhaps the other way around...) and Alexandria will arise as the religious rival.

This rivalry will eventually result in the schism of the church on north/south lines as Egypt allies with the Nubians and Ethiopians to the south, the Persians and the Iraqi Caliphate to fight a war of independence.

Christianity will be split between the Alexandrian and the Catholic Church. Italy will begin to Hellenize (slowly) as it becomes more and more integrated with the Byzantine Empire. I think Rome will gradually lose it's importance as the Pope eventually gets sidelined in favor of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Now I don't think he'll like that too much maybe he'll flee to France or even Carthage and cause an east-west schism.

Anyhow those are just some ramblings on how I see Christianity turning out in the next 1000 years of this TL.

What do you guys think?

[MerryPrankster]

Will the north-south split be Chalcedonian-Monophysite? Egypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia are/were Coptic in OTL, and without the Monophysite persecutions, Monophysitism will be big in the Levant too.

Where are the Lombards in TTL? Since they lived on the Italian borderlands, surely they'll have an effect on the cultural growth of Italy.

How Hellenized will Italy get? The South was until (relatively) recently 'Graecia Magna'; however, central and northern Italy will be another matter.