An Age of Miracles: The Revival of Rhomanion

[Mathalamus]

Andreas looks nice for an old man.

[Elfwine]

Intent on going out with a bang, Andreas is.

And events speedily become significantly more nasty in several parts of the world.

Poor Gaul.

Not that this is the worst timeline for it - far from it - but OTL France like power won't happen with these kind of divisions making it (all but) impossible for either Arles or Franglia to be All France.

On the other hand, good for Occitania.

[bolhabela]

Andreas is going to burn out pirate city after city. Maybe he will die maybe not but this is going to hurt the barbary pirates. If Al-Andalus and the catholic iberians coordinate an atack then they could destroy economicaly the Marinids.

[Dragos Cel Mare]

Originally Posted by Elfwine

Poor Gaul.

Not that this is the worst timeline for it - far from it - but OTL France like power won't happen with these kind of divisions making it (all but) impossible for either Arles or Franglia to be All France.

On the other hand, good for Occitania.

Yes, I know. That said, a French-screw is not one of my preferences, as I've shown before on this thread.

[Elfwine]

Originally Posted by Dragos Cel Mare

Yes, I know. That said, a French-screw is not one of my preferences, as I've shown before on this thread.

Assuming Franglia isn't counted as a France-screw itself, do you think this timeline is one?

[Dragos Cel Mare]

Originally Posted by Elfwine

Assuming Franglia isn't counted as a France-screw itself, do you think this timeline is one?

Well, yes. As you said, there won't be a power like OTL France, and neither Arles or Frangalia can fill the void. While both may become powers in their own right, neither will truly be 'France' as we know it, both territorially and culturally. Which is a shame, as screwing the French is a cliche.

[eliphas8]

Originally Posted by Dragos Cel Mare

Well, yes. As you said, there won't be a power like OTL France, and neither Arles or Frangalia can fill the void. While both may become powers in their own right, neither will truly be 'France' as we know it, both territorially and culturally. Which is a shame, as screwing the French is a cliche.

Ironic considering your sic.

[Dragos Cel Mare]

Originally Posted by eliphas8

Ironic considering your sic.

Yes, I know.

[eliphas8]

On the update, I always love rest of the world updates and this isn't an exception, definately love how the Ottomans are turning out right now. How's Baghdad and Eraq doing ecconomically, any chance of them reaching pre-Mongol levels of development and wealth again?

[Elfwine]

Originally Posted by Dragos Cel Mare

Well, yes. As you said, there won't be a power like OTL France, and neither Arles or Frangalia can fill the void. While both may become powers in their own right, neither will truly be 'France' as we know it, both territorially and culturally. Which is a shame, as screwing the French is a cliche.

Speaking as someone who is one of the authors behind (although my timeline hasn't reached that point, I think I've said that it will publicly) "Rome does well means Al-Andalus also does well and France fails." being a trope, I think Franglia and Arles are at least interesting culturally as OTL. Occitan culture not being buried under French (langue d'oil) and all.

Territorially - Europe in general is a-changin' in Basileus's timeline, so . . .

[Avitus]

Great update. One question. Did Basilieios ask for asylum in Rhomania, Ethiopia, or somewhere in Hindu India? I checked and doublechecked, but I can't find anything about that in the update, and one must admit that with the ToT coming up the locations of all imperial family members is pretty important (plus he's technically a Palaiologos).

[Dyranum]

Originally Posted by Basileus444

Nonetheless, his would-be triumphal return to Constantinople is marred. The day before he arrives, his uncle Andronikos Angelos, dies of old age. Emperor Andreas returns to the capital for the funeral, for despite the row over Andreas Angelos’ parentage, the Master of Sieges has nonetheless been Andreas’ failure bodyguard, companion, and friend for sixty years.

This might be a bit nitpicky, but I don't quite understand what is meant in this paragraph. Specifically, the bolded part.

[Dragos Cel Mare]

Originally Posted by Elfwine

Speaking as someone who is one of the authors behind (although my timeline hasn't reached that point, I think I've said that it will publicly) "Rome does well means Al-Andalus also does well and France fails." being a trope, I think Franglia and Arles are at least interesting culturally as OTL. Occitan culture not being buried under French (langue d'oil) and all.

Territorially - Europe in general is a-changin' in Basileus's timeline, so . . .

So it's not just France that's screwed. Sorry to sound whiny, it's just that culturally interesting or not, I don't have the attachment to Frangalia and Arles that I do to OTL France.

[Basileus444]

I couldn't find a Tudors picture of a really old Henry VIII that I particularly liked. The outfits just didn't seem very Byzantine, and only so much can be explained away by 'it's a TV show, and even ITTL they don't care that much about historical accuracy'.

Screwing the French is a cliche, but it was essential for my long-term plans. It distracts the English from looking overseas (making Scandinavian colonies more feasible), and prevents France from trolling the HRE and Italy, allowing them to develop in substantially different directions. Plus, a lot of AH is screwing OTL success stories, and early modern France undoubtedly was one.

In short, I understand how people feel, but I make no apologies.

Baghdad and E-raq are doing well economically. Sugar plantations in the south provide for a nice export trade to the Muslim world (can't compete with Roman sugar in the west though), and improving grain production is always a top Ottoman priority. Rice too is being developed as a supplemental food crop. However I don't think it likely that it'll reach pre-Mongol levels of development, since to do that requires requires a very high and constant level of maintenance on the irrigation networks, and it is a border region between two large, powerful empires.

Regarding Basileios, I added a bit. He requested asylum in Rhomania, and both he and Konstantinos took their mother's family name as it is vastly more prestigious (although Andreas will likely force Basileios to change his to Palaiologos).

About Andronikos Angelos, that's a typo. I was watching TV while I was writing that, and sometimes the dialogue slips into the narrative. I didn't catch it in the proofreading, but I've gone and fixed that.

[Elfwine]

Originally Posted by Dragos Cel Mare

So it's not just France that's screwed. Sorry to sound whiny, it's just that culturally interesting or not, I don't have the attachment to Frangalia and Arles that I do to OTL France.

Not whiny, but I think you might be underestimating how cool Franglia and Arles can be.

culturally, at least.

[Dragos Cel Mare]

Originally Posted by Elfwine

Not whiny, but I think you might be underestimating how cool Franglia and Arles can be.

culturally, at least.

@Elfwine, No, I see what you mean, at least for Arles.

@B444, I understand what you mean; I still don't like it.

[Derekc2]

Hey I'm wondering how long An age of Miracles is compared to other timelines.

In a list of the top 10 longest timelines say what you think they are and how An age of miracles compares and if it' not in the top 10 where is it.

[ed_montague]

Oh dear.

Now that one of our Anastasian candidates is not only back in the fold, but somewhat well-respected after the aid he gave to Rhomania, things are starting to get a wee bit dicey. Also, nooooo not the Moldy Wreck!

Both Zoe and Andronikos are dead as well. Andreas himself is no spring chicken. I honestly fear for his life at this point, although somehow I doubt that our author would be so obvious. More likely, considering the level of healthcare and stuff available to a Roman emperor, he's going to end up at the very least like old Demetrios Megas. Hopefully Herakleios is up to the task of ruling the empire.

People seem interested in Basileios and his offspring: I am curious about Alfredo and Zoe's children. No doubt they are adults by now, and with their claim to the Imperial throne via Zoe they ought to play some sort of role in the ToT. I can see the descendents of Alfredo/Zoe and those of Demetrios waiting out the more chaotic periods in their respective domains, possibly "going native" and/or getting reabsorbed into the rest of the Empire at some point (if they don't succeed in taking the throne, that is).

[Grouchio]

1. How old is Andreas by now? 70? Doesn't this make Herakleos II almost 50?
2. I demand a full family tree of all the descendants of Demetrios Megas!

[MerryPrankster]

Good updates. I guess we've got another possible claimant for the Time of Troubles, since he's not going to be able to do much in Mesopotamia.

About the Ottoman realms not getting back up to pre-Mongol levels of development, if the Ottomans get big and strong enough to not be a constant battleground between the Timurids and Byzantines, they might be able to pull that off.

And right now it looks like they're getting there, although "Timur II" is likely to throw a wrench into things.