Age of Kings
 

Age of Kings Pt. 1

January 600 – December 604

-The earliest version of chess is invented in Persia, and windmills are first used by the Persians to irrigate their crops.

-Pope Gregory I composes the chant/song that become known as the Gregorian chant, and becomes popular with monks and other church clerics. Irish missionaries begin to convert the pagans of Scotland and Germany in Christians. King Ethelbert of Kent is converted to Christianity, who is later canonized.

-The population of Earth reaches 208 million people as the first cases of smallpox are recorded in Europe.

-The islands of Sumatra, Java, and the surrounding areas all convert to Buddhism. The first states of Buddha are constructed in Japan, beginning the Japanese conversion to Buddhism.

-Pope Gregory I sends several priests to England to help Augustine of Canterbury in his work to convert the English.

-Ethelbert of Kent writes the first known words in English, which are “Priest” and “Village”.

-Liuva II succeeds his father, Reccared I, as the King of Visigoths. Liuva puts down a rebellion a year later to remain the King of the Visigoths.

-Byzantine Emperor Maurice I defeats challenger Phocas, and remains the Byzantine Emperor. A mutiny in the Byzantine Army is put down, forcing Maurice to begin to form his own force of crack soldiers. Maurice begins a plan to push across the Danube.

-Maurice I dies in June 603, and his son-in-law, and top general, becomes Emperor Constantine III.

-King Æthelfrith of Northumbria defeats Aedan of Dalriada at the Battle of Degsastan. Despite the victory, Aedan remains the ruler of Dalriada. In 604, Æthelfrith unites Deira and Bernicia.

-Pope Gregory I dies, and is succeeded by Pope Sabinianus.

-King Saebert of Essex succeeds his father, Sledda, as the King of Essex.

-Byzantine forces successfully defend the fortress of Dara from Persian attack.

Lol, the funny thing is neither myself nor most readers are going to know what has been changed to make this an ATL ! Care to give us some clues ?

Grey Wolf

The first English words were "City" and "Priest", not "Village" and "Priest". Emperor Maurice I of the Byzantine Empire was overthrown by one of his generals in OTL, in TTL he didn't. And Liuva of Visigothica, too, is overthrown by one of his generals in OTL, but in TTL his survives.

Part Two
 

Age of Kings Pt. 2

January 605 – December 615

605
-The Arabian-Persian border becomes undefended after internal strife strikes Persia.

-Emperor Constantine III is overthrown by one of his generals named Octavius Constantine, who founds the Octavian Dynasty of the Byzantine Empire.

606
-The Great Canal in China begins construction.

-Cearl becomes the King of Mercia.

-The Diocese of Aquileia becomes a patriarch.

607
-Pope Gregory II becomes the pope.

-The Pantheon of Rome becomes a church.

-Japan sends an Imperial Ambassador to China.

608
-Halloween is first celebrated in the Catholic Church.

-Byzantine forces successfully defend against a Persian attacks at Chaldedon.

609
-Liuva of Visigothica is overthrown by one of his generals named Alaric. Alaric is crowned King Alaric III, and forms the Alarician Dynasty. Alaric also restores Arian Christianity to the Visigoths.

610
-Byzantine Emperor Octavius I Constantine is almost overthrown by General Heraclius. Heraclius escapes to Arabia, and arrives in Mecca.

-The Archangel Gabriel appears to Muhammad in Mecca, and says to Muhammad “You are God’s messenger”.

-The Avars invades Italy.

-The first Serbs begin to settle in northern Anatolia.

611
-Emperor Octavius I Constantine leads a Byzantine invasion into Arabia.

612
-Alaric III dies and is succeeded by his son, Theodoric. Theodoric I has ambitions to reconquered southern Iberia.

-Saint Columbus establishes the monastery of Bobbio in Italy.

-Octavius I Constantine updates the Corpus Juris Civilis, which is written in Greek instead of Latin.

613
-The Byzantine invasion of Arabia halts at Baghdad.

-An untied Frankish Kingdom rises when Clotaire II murders several of his opponents.

-Octavius I Constantine dies and is succeeded by his son, Justinian II.

-Muhammad begins to speak publicly in Mecca. Heraclius becomes an instant follower of Muhammad.

614
-The last Sassanid Persian king, Khosrau II, is murdered by a Byzantine soldier. Justinian begins an invasion of Persia. Byzantine forces sack the Persian capital. The Patriarch of Baghdad is created. This invasion leaves the western areas of the empire open.

-Alaric III invades Byzantine Iberia, pushing the Byzantines out of the peninsula. Many call for the complete conquest of the Byzantine Empire, but Alaric doesn’t agree.

-A revolt of mercenary soldiers in Byzantine service is put down, but this worries Justinian II. Justinian formulates the Nova Praetorian Guard. The Praetorian Guard would be an elite corps of soldiers who were taken from their parents as little children and sent to group homes with other candidates, and are trained to be excellent warriors and extremley loyal to the Emperor, God, and Jesus.

-Muhammad begins to gather a following in Mecca, worrying the upper class.

615
-The Edict of Paris gives rights to the Frankish nobles, and excludes Jews.

-Pope Gregory II dies and is succeeded by Pope Boniface IV.

-Many Muhammadites escape to Abyssinia.

-Justinian signs the Treaty of Damascus. Under the treaty, Persia cedes all of its territory west of Baghdad with the border fifty-miles from Baghdad. The power of the Sassanid begins to falter.

-Justinian begins to plan a reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula. Justinian realizes that he can’t fight an offensive war until the first units of the Praetorian Guards are formed and ready to fight, which in 15 years.

Sounds interesting, but -and I hate to be this guy- Baghdad didn't exist yet. And its in Mesopotamia, which is Persian territory. So, the Byzantines wouldn't be invading Arabia by that route, unless they wanted to go through Persia on the way...

Part Two, revised
 

Age of Kings Pt. 2

January 605 – December 615

605
-The Arabian-Persian border becomes undefended after internal strife strikes Persia.

-Emperor Constantine III is overthrown by one of his generals named Octavius Constantine, who founds the Octavian Dynasty of the Byzantine Empire.

606
-The Great Canal in China begins construction.

-Cearl becomes the King of Mercia.

-The Diocese of Aquileia becomes a patriarch.

607
-Pope Gregory II becomes the pope.

-The Pantheon of Rome becomes a church.

-Japan sends an Imperial Ambassador to China.

608
-Halloween is first celebrated in the Catholic Church.

-Byzantine forces successfully defend against a Persian attacks at Chaldedon.

609
-Liuva of Visigothica is overthrown by one of his generals named Alaric. Alaric is crowned King Alaric III, and forms the Alarician Dynasty. Alaric also restores Arian Christianity to the Visigoths.

610
-Byzantine Emperor Octavius I Constantine is almost overthrown by General Heraclius. Heraclius escapes to Arabia, and arrives in Mecca.

-The Archangel Gabriel appears to Muhammad in Mecca, and says to Muhammad “You are God’s messenger”.

-The Avars invades Italy.

-The first Serbs begin to settle in northern Anatolia.

611
-Emperor Octavius I Constantine leads a Byzantine invasion of Persia.

612
-Alaric III dies and is succeeded by his son, Theodoric. Theodoric I has ambitions to reconquered southern Iberia.

-Saint Columbus establishes the monastery of Bobbio in Italy.

-Octavius I Constantine updates the Corpus Juris Civilis, which is written in Greek instead of Latin.

613
-The Byzantine invasion of Arabia halts at the ancient sight of Babylon.

-An untied Frankish Kingdom rises when Clotaire II murders several of his opponents.

-Octavius I Constantine dies and is succeeded by his son, Justinian II.

-Muhammad begins to speak publicly in Mecca. Heraclius becomes an instant follower of Muhammad.

614
-The last Sassanid Persian king, Khosrau II, is murdered by a Byzantine soldier. Justinian begins an invasion of Persia. Byzantine forces sack the Persian capital. The Patriarch of Mesopotamia is created. This invasion leaves the western areas of the empire open.

-Alaric III invades Byzantine Iberia, pushing the Byzantines out of the peninsula. Many call for the complete conquest of the Byzantine Empire, but Alaric doesn’t agree.

-A revolt of mercenary soldiers in Byzantine service is put down, but this worries Justinian II. Justinian formulates the Nova Praetorian Guard. The Praetorian Guard would be an elite corps of soldiers who were taken from their parents as little children and sent to group homes with other candidates, and are trained to be the beast and love the Emperor and God.

-Muhammad begins to gather a following in Mecca, worrying the upper class.

615
-The Edict of Paris gives rights to the Frankish nobles, and excludes Jews.

-Pope Gregory II dies and is succeeded by Pope Boniface IV.

-Many Muhammadites escape to Abyssinia.

-Justinian signs the Treaty of Damascus. Under the treaty, Persia cedes all of its territory west of Baghdad with the border fifty-miles from Baghdad. The power of the Sassanid begins to falter.

-Justinian begins to plan a reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula. Justinian realizes that he can’t fight an offensive war until the first units of the Praetorian Guards are formed and ready to fight, which in 15 years.

-The Byzantine Empire begins construction of the city of Justinianapolis (OTL Baghdad).