Autocrats and Despots - A Byzantine Timeline

Welcome to my new timeline Autocrats and Despots, which will focus on the politics of a changed Byzantine world. Butterflies will rule out the Seljuk invasions, but something else will crumble the Empire, as early as it did in OTL. Read on my friend, read on...​

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Contents

 
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There is just one mistake. Basil's brother was Constantine VIII. Constantine VII was a completely different emperor. He was their grandfather. But it seems it could get interesting. Keep it up :D
 
There is just one mistake. Basil's brother was Constantine VIII. Constantine VII was a completely different emperor. He was their grandfather. But it seems it could get interesting. Keep it up :D

I have fixed this. Thanks for noticing! :D
Also below is located my first part which I moved to make my first post the contents.

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Basilios_II.jpg

Emperor Basil II of the Byzantine Empire

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Romanos of Makedon

In the summer months of 978, a son[1] is born to the brother of Emperor Basil II, Constantine VIII. This boys name is contested but it is settled that he will be named Romanos, after his grandfather. This boy was healthy and lively as a child and followed his uncles art of war from a young age. His admiration was not gone unnoticed by Basil who saw the potential in his "little soldier" and got him to start training in 989 when he was only 11 years old.​

His training was halted almost immediately when Phokas revolted that very year. He and the dynatoi[2] revolted, bringing the military expansion in Anatolia to a drastic stop. He battled with Phokas for over 2 years with the assitance of 13,000 Georgians, defeated the menance. Phokas was allowed to live but was blinded. He was unaware that Bardas Skleros had allied with him and was forced to battle on for another year in Anatolia with his former enemy. He slew Skleros in the midsts of battle, fericiously killing all the rebels he found. Although most historians would of seen this as despotic and blood-thristy, it was his duty as Emperor to keep peace across the expansive empire. This conicedentally gained him the title, Basil the Dynatoi Slayer, after his relentless attacks on his rebelling brethren in Anatolia.​

The view of Basil was altered in the eyes of the nobility after the rebellions of Skleros and Phokas. He continued his forceful pushes on the nobility throughout his reign (976-1012), until breaking point when a massive organised military rebellion under Kalokyros Delphinas[3] in 996. Prior to this Romanos was trained in martial arts to his point of conscription into the army in 994, joining his uncle in the Byzantine defense of Aleppo, which ended in the fall of Aleppo and Edessa to the Fatimid Caliphate.​

The rebellion of Kalokyros Delphinas was the most successful (although it didn't literally suceed) in the past century and one of the largest revolutionairy undertakings in Byzantine history. His control of the Captenate of Italy allowed him and his allies to take Dyrrachium in February and then Thessalonica in May, finally leading to Basils confrontation in Adrianople on the 5th of August 996. This battle tested Basils tactical ability, outnumbered by his enemies two to one. The Emperor was not defeated that day but his military prowess was ultimately defunct in Europe as the rebels took control of cities and forts all across Hellas. The pretender had gathered strength and prepared to take on the ultimate goal: The Queen of Cities[4].​

[1] The PoD is that instead of a daughter (Empress Zoe) being born to Constantine VIII, a son is born (Romanos).
[2] Anatolian aristocracy, mainly composed of large land owners and powerful generals (who in turn were from the aristocracy).
[3] Capetan of Italy from 982–989 in OTL.
[4] Constantinople (Obviously... :p).​
 
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Catapanate_of_italy.png

The Capetanate of Italy approximately when Kalokyros ruled

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The Capetans Fall

The Emperor was appauled at Kalokyros' attempt to siege the Queen of Cities, his capital. Basil and his nephew Romanos had stationed themselves at a fort outside of Constantinople (located on the Black Sea coast), and prepared to fight the enemy at their own grounds. After they were able to wipe out an entire scouting party of the enemy, Basil ordered the burning of the enemy camps on the 12th of December 996. The razing was successful and the Capetan and his army were in chaos, most of the soldiers fleeing across Thrace. This broken army was mainly consistant of native Italians and founded the base population of the Thracian Latins. With the loss of most of his army, Kalokyros' loyal Greek soldiers followed him eastward to the city of Dyrrachium[1], which they arrived at in Spring 997. Their "conquests" in Hellas were not to last although many generals still controlled forts in the south, allowing them to continue "ruling" there for a number of years.​

The imperial army that consisted of the themata[2] of Thrace, Phillipolis[3] and Bithyinia; wiped out Kalokyros' followers as they marched through Thrace and Macedonia, crossing the Pindos mounatains into Epirus. WHen they arrived in Eprius they were greeted by multiple Italian forces that had crossed the Ionain Sea to support Kalkyros. Basil was a wise man, not a foolish one, and decided to attempt an attack on the Capetans territories, instead breaking the army to attack his generals who were still in power in Hellas. Romanos was set to Morea[4] with his father to lead an expedition into the occupied territories of Kalokyros.​

Once in Morea, he and his father quickly plowed their minor force across the Ithmus of Corinth[5] into Attica[6] where a rebel army ambushed them. They were able to liberate the city of Thebes[7] by early winter where they camped and pulled in forces from across the Aegean. By the time winter passed, the army had tripled in size and quickly forced the rebels in Attica to the sword. Basil had liberated Larissa[8] and most of Thessaly throughout the winter months, slaughtering the rebels on sight. The rebellion was severely weakened by the time the two armies met in mid 998 outside of Athens. The city had been devastated by the rebellion and it was in serious need of repair. Basil ordered architects from Constantinople to rebuild the city. Romanos argued to attack the rebels in Epirus, ending their influence in the Balkans. Basil decided to accept his plans and marched to Dyrrachium arriving on the 12th of October 998. An army under Kalokyros sallied forth a few weeks into the siege but failed terribly, ending the Kalokyros having to leave Epirus for good. He had shown all the dynatoi and all those who stood in his way: The dynasty of Macedonia was not standing down.​

[1] The city of modern day Durres, Albania.
[2] The armies of themes in the Byzantine Empire. Themes were set regions that had their own personal general and army.
[3] Modern day Western Thrace (Greek Thrace). Eastern Thrace (Turkish Thrace) in this time was just known as Thrace.​
[4] The modern day Peloponnese (Morea was the medieval name).
[5] A small land bridge between the Peloponnese and the rest of Greece.
[6] The region in which Athens is located.
[7] An ancient city located near the Isthmus of Corinth.
[8] The largest city in the region of Thessaly, located near eastern coast of Greece.
 
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Caesar of the Bulgars

The Emperor and his forces continued to plow into Kalokyros' territory throughout the end of the 1st millenium. In his final year as Capetan, Kalokyros' saw the fall of his final allies and his own capital to the armies of Basil the Dyantoi Slayer. This outslaught could not be stopped and by November 999, the Capetan was all but defeated, sailing to his own doom, fleeing the city of Neapolis[1] and its citizens expelled their own leader. His flight was a quick one, and he was abruptly captured before he was sunk to the bottom of the Tryherrian Sea, along with his fleet. The rebellion of Kalokyros' had been defeated, and all was good. Basil then quickly decided to appoint his nephew as Capetan of Italy. Romanos graciously accepted the position and made it his upmost priority to rebuild Bari, Neapolis and Sircusa; and finally squash the puny Italians on the borders of their great empire.​

After his appointment, Basil quickly intervened in the Bulgarian civil war after Tsar Samuel[2] was assassinated by pro-Krum officials in his own home. Basil supported no one in war and quickly was able to turn all sides against eachother, ending in a supreme Byzantine victory in the battle of Burgas against the pro-Krum faction. Basil proclaimed himself as Tsar of Bulgaria in 1004 after he quickly forced Samuels son Garvil Radomir to surrender after the battle of Taranovo. As the factions started to unite against Basils on going conquest, Romanos stood in and landed in Dyrrachium in May 1005, quickly seizing Bulgarian territory in Makedonia, his families ancient homeland. The newly proclaimed Tsar (also Caesar[3]) of Bulgaria decided to proclaim his nephew co-ruler of the Empire, seeing his true prowess on the battlefield. The indepedent Bulgarian faction led by Peter Krum (son of Roman, former emperor who had died in battle against the Serbs) decided to make peace with Basil, still squaring up most of eastern Bulgaria for their rump state, which came to be known as the Tsardom of Belgrade[5].​

TBC​
 
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