The Araldyana Timeline

First Era: The Fall of Rome
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• First Part: Stilicho’s Legacy – A chronic

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Our story begins in the year of the lord 397:


Chapter I: The battle of Narona

“I trusted you, you betrayed me; today I trust you that you will die, today you won’t betray me.” - Stilicho

The wind comes from the west, from the sea, it’s cold and salty. Flavius Stilicho is walking nervously trough the rows of soldiers, while speaking to his confidants. Mistrust is Stilicho’s loyal fellow and most trusted advisor in the last months; today more than ever before.

Last night he woke up covered in sweat, it was a nightmare; for him a prophecy. Stilicho believed to see his own destiny; he witnessed his own death. Honorius, Emperor of the west, would strangle him to death. The boy betrayed him; Stilicho secured the child’s throne, he smashed his enemies and were loyal his whole life, loyal to Honorius, his father, the Empire and would have served even under Honorius’ sons, but this infant laid the hands around his general’s neck and slowly took his breath until Stilicho woke up, struggling for air.

The general trusted no one; he couldn’t trust the Senate because they hated him, the pagan Senators because he was Christian, the rest because his father was a Barbarian and because the old Roman aristocracy could not accept the nearly unlimited influence Stilicho had on the child-emperor. Rumours doubting his loyalty to Rome spread in the Empire and under his Roman troops, even if they never mistrusted their general, so did they however notice how he spent hours alone in his tent, walking up and down, talking to himself, but no one could understand what he was saying, not even about the language they were sure – maybe Latin, maybe German. He even mistrusted his own life guard and distanced himself increasingly from his own troops.

And all this mistrust caused by a single man. Two years ago Gainas led a part of Stilicho’s troops to Constantinople to kill the general’s enemy Rufinus, the advisor of child-emperor Arcadius, brother of Honorius. But Rufinus was informed of Stilicho’s plans and challenged Gainas with his own loyal troops near the city. Nevertheless Gainas troops, mostly Goths, were victorious and Rufinus flew to the south west. Gainas stayed in Constantinople and got to feel the mistrust of the Trinitarian aristocracy and the population of the city, towards his Arian Germanic troops, that came from the west. In the winter of 396 Gainas left the city following the order of Stilicho to attack the troops of the Goth king Alaric, which were plundering the Prefecture of Illyricum and granted Rufinus exile. The king did that in exchange for the promise of some high position for himself should Rufinus get back in power.

But Gainas changed his way of thinking and his ideals during the stay in Constantinople. He didn’t care for Rufinus fate anymore nor for Stilicho’s orders, he turned against the Romans and his commander; instead of fighting Alaric, he and his soldiers joined his army. From now on Gainas would fight for his own wellbeing instead of Rome’s. Stilicho would never forget Gainas’ betrayal on him and the Empire.

Arcadius, terrified by the plundering Gothic army in his territory and without good advisors, makes concessions towards Alaric, giving him several provinces to govern and settle, so the Province of Dalmatia, which is contested between West and East.

One year later Stilicho would meet the Goths at Narona, to break the power of King Alaric, to conquer Dalmatia and to kill the betrayer Gainas; but in the end he would be the one to find death.


Chapter II: Gainas and Eucherius

“Oh, dear cousin, your father is dead, so is mine, but you don’t see me crying over that. We all have to depart this life one day or another. Crying doesn’t bring him back, better wipe of your tears; you will need your eyes in these days more than ever before. “- Honorius

Mediolanum is the crown jewel of the West, seat of the Emperor, magnificent centre of the Roman world. At least centre of Honorius’ part, a shrinking part; the Emperor is young and weak and his enemies know that. Dalmatia, the bloody, rural and devastated opposite of the capital, is lost for the West. Troops conquered it in the name of Arcadius and the Eastern Empire and now a barbarian is sitting on the throne of Diocletian: Alaric king of the Goths, foederatus of the East.

Stilicho’s blood wasn’t even dry yet but the Illyricum already partitioned. Alaric, now ruler of Dalmatia and the western part of Dacia, granted Gainas the rule over the land between Dravus and Savus – minus the area around Sirmium – and the province of Moesia. Siscia was chosen as Gainas residence. The cities location is symbol of his ambitions, on the bank of the Savus, far away from the save lands of Moesia, on the border to Honorius’ Pannonia, ready to be the centre of a new independent kingdom. North of Gainas realm the Hasdingi live, Vandals, unable to resist the pressure of the Huns, which lead raids in their land and move slow but steady in their direction. These Vandals might be the backbone of Gainas’ dream, the dream of power.

A dream of another but pretty similar kind was the death of Stilicho for some people - for his enemies - for Gainas, for many Senators but it was the start of a nightmare for Eucherius, his son. His father’s supporters saw the young boy as a Roman, his father’s enemies as a Barbarian. He and his mother, Serena, a cousin of Honorius, are seen as enemies of the Empire, his dead father seen as a betrayer, who was neither able nor willing to destroy the Goths. Three months after Stilicho’s death the child, his mother and his sisters flew from Mediolanum, shortly after Arcadius’ advisor Saturninus arrives to rule the West as the new regent for the young Emperor Honorius.

Saturninus, supported by the anti-Gothic groups in the Empire, begins to concentrate troops in northern Italia, because he mistrusts King Alaric and the peace he made with Arcadius. He knows the Goths better than most in the empire; 15 years ago he already made peace with them, as they crossed the Danubius. They didn’t stay peaceful and he is not expecting them to stay peaceful this time. He believes they won’t honour the peace and that King Alaric or his Dux Gainas will invade Pannonia or the plain of the Padus in the near future. Planning to defeat the Goths in one final battle and to destroy the potential thread of the Empire, he neglects the limes and loses the focus on the border provinces, which are threatened by the Germanic tribes.

Meanwhile in Carthago Gildo, a general of Moorish origin, rules and controls Roman Africa. For this man it is the luck of his life to have the emperor’s enemy at his place. As Eucherius arrives at his palace in Carthago, he grants him exile and swears revenge for the disrespectful treatment of his family. Gildo didn’t do that for Eucherius benefit but solely for his own. He knows many in the empire mourn after Stilicho and even more dislike Saturninus. The time for rebellion came.

Africa, the bread basket of the Empire, breaks away, while Pannonia sinks into anarchy. The remnants of Stilicho’s army are plundering northern Dalmatia and southern Pannonia since the death of their general, led by a Roman named Flavius Maximinianus. After a skirmish between them and the Hasdingi in the winter of 398, Hasding-King Godigisel agrees to ally with Gainas against Maximinianus’ troops. Saturninus, misinterpreting the Gothic troop movement, leads the half of his army to Pannonia, while the rest prepares to sail to Africa. Noticing the Roman troop movement Alaric decides to finally break with Arcadius, because Saturninus’ troops are marching against the Goth and that not only for Honorius’ interests but also for Arcadius’. The end of the Goth-King would be favourable for both brothers but if Alaric wins this war it could mean the end of the Theodosian Dynasty, at least in the West.


Chapter III: Gallia

“Gallia: land of the barbarians and tyrants.” – Olybrius I. (Emperor in the 5th century)

Mallius Theodorus, who feels still odd when called Augustus and who did not really wanted this office, is only in that position because he is not made for being Emperor, he is no General, no military talent; he is a philosopher, a well-known writer, not a ruler.

How did it come that he is now the Augustus of Gallia? The Germans crossed the Rhine in late 398, as Mallius Theodorus was in Treverorum, administrating the land between Gibraltar, Rhine and Atlantic, in the name of Emperor Honorius. The Magister Militum, unable to defend the north of Gallia, without the troops Saturninus moved towards Italia, withdrew to the south but Mallius stayed in Treverorum. Four weeks later Frankish and Burgundian troops conquered the city and captured him. He stayed a prisoner, for several months, until the leaders of the Germans, especially Sigiric a Frankish king, became impatient with the Emperor in Italia, who was neither willing to grant them land nor offering them any positions in the empire. Sigiric gave Mallius his freedom back and made him with the other tribes’ support Emperor – or Usurper – in exchange for the foederati status and military positions.

The Franks in the north of Gallia expand their territory to the east and south and Sigiric - the mightiest of their kings and now a Comes of the empire - claims the military command over all the Northern provinces and is able to full fill this ambition at least between the channel and the Mosella. The Alemanians settle between Danubius and the Alps, securing the northern Alpine passes for Mallius. A part of the Burgundians controls the area between both, whereas another smaller part continues to plunder Gallia; together with Alans and the Silingi-Vandals.

After granting and defining the tribes’ territory, Mallius moves with all avaible troops to the south, away from Treverorum, where now Sigiric likes to reside, and the foederati controlled north towards the south, the city of Vienna, which is closer to the Empire’s heartland, Italia. Militarily incompetent Mallius and his more competent generals and backers hope, that the various factions in the war over the Imperium will weaken each other so much, that they can take the rest of the Empire without problems. In the moment the Gallian tactic seems to work, because Honorius’ army is battling Alaric, who crossed the Alps, on the Adriatic coast and Gildo’s troops in the south, which were lucky enough to take Sicilly nearly without casualties and forded Honorius to abandon his plan to invade Africa in the near future . A negative aspect for Mallius is that he has a chronic troop shortage and would be barely able to hold the southern alpine passes; worst of all Britannia is holding to Honorius or better to everyone who won’t take the island’s troops right now. Southern Gallia may be the safest place to be in the Western Empire, for men because they don’t have to fight, just to wait, and for women and children because the Barbarians are plundering and burning down the north; but that can all change in a matter of weeks, maybe only days. It could be the silence before the storm for Gallia.


Chapter IV: Alaric and Honorius

“The Empire’s enemies are mine; I will hunt, find and destroy them.” – Alaric

The treaty of Bononia, Christmas 401 AD, changed everything in the war for Rome: One month earlier Alaric’s troops defeated Saturninus’ army in the Battle of Verona and captured the Magister Militum. Honorius, now for sure in an awful situation, had several options: allying with Mallius in Gallia, who would claim at least a part of the Empire for himself, maybe even everything; allying with Gildo, who is totally unpredictable and no one knows what he is really fighting for - the magister militum position, emperorship, independence, revenge, nobody can tell - ; or allying with Alaric, who showed to be a talented but very ambitious general and would demand land for his soldiers.

In the end Honorius decide to ally with Alaric and to agree on his demands: the King would become Magister Militum, the Goths would be settled between Ligara and Garunna (mostly the provinces Aquitania I and II), the Hasdingi would settle north of them around Lutetia and Senones and finally Saturninus would be blamed for this war and executed. In exchange for this Alaric would march against Mallius and Gildo.

King Godigisel of the Hasdingi and Gainas, now his advisor, began in the name of Honorius’ their campaign against Gildo’s troops in Italia. Even if they now fought for the Empire, so were they nevertheless plundering all the way to the south and camped symbolically near the city of Rome to provoke the Romans and to remind them, who is now in power. At Easter 402 AD, while waiting for the African troops to challenge the Hasdingi in an open battle, Gainas and some of his soldiers entered Rome to celebrate the Holy (Arian) Mass in Rome. That was the last straw to convince the population and the senate, that these barbarians were not only scornful and disrespectful but a threat for the Empire, its culture and tradition. After Gainas left the city again and the Hasdingi moved further to the south east in the hope to be able to challenge the Africans there, the Senate decided to side with Honorius’ enemies.

In the meantime, Alaric marched into Gallia and Mallius flew to the south into Hispania. The Goth king took Vienna without battle, secured the Pyrenees passes and decided to move to the north and destroy the German military backbone of Mallius, namely Sigiric’s troops, before turning to the south to finally end the usurpation.

Honorius’ decision to trust in Alaric as an ally affected all participants of the war. Arcadius lost control over his young brother and both parts of the empire seem to drift away from each other. Hasding King Godigisel blames Gainas for the loss of Rome to Gildo and cracks show between both; Godigisel builds up his oldest son Gunderic to be next king, while Gainas prefers the king’s younger son Geiseric. The leader of the Hasdingi begins to dislike his mighty advisor Gainas but the soldiers seem to favour him more than their own king. Godigisel sinks into powerlessness, whereas Gainas becomes the real ruler. In Hispania Mallius meets with one of Gildo’s legates; who informs him that Africa is now on his side. Britannia breaks away from the Empire as Alaric demands - in a very rude manner - that their troops should fight in Gallia. The island is now ruled by the former soldier and now Augustus Constantinus, who prefers to stay their instead of fighting on the tumultuous mainland. Lacking the Britannian troops Alaric is unable to decide the war in Gallia in his favour but has to fight a long and exhausting campaign against Sigiric. The remaining Italian forces couldn’t stop parts of the Alemannians to break through the Alpine passes and plunder several cities. Honorius relocates the court to the freshly conquered but far saver Arelate in the summer of 403 AD. Here on the bank of the Rhodanus, the Emperor can do nothing but wait for Alaric to win or to fall and he would follow him.


Chapter V: Pannonia

“Over me are only the gods.” – Thorigais

Uldin, King of the Huns - not all of them, but the most – is facing his nightmare. The Empire he built up in the last years could collapse if he loses this battle. The Hun King looks terrifying; his face is full of scares, his head bald and deformed. The Romans fear him, they know why so many tribes cross their borders and they know the Huns are the reason for all this, but not Roman troops will challenge Uldin, not a single army dared to cross the Danubius, today he will fight his own fellows.

Thorigais, Leader of the Eastern Goths – and some other tribes – is young, ambitious and hates the Huns. He was born as his people were already enslaved by them, he never saw the Kingdom of Ermanaric but he knows that the Goth won’t stay forever under the Hunnic rule. The young man enjoyed the Hun King’s trust, always did Thorigais anything to please Uldin, he fought his battles, even striked down the Gothic rebellion of Radagais. As the King led an army into the devastated Pannonia in 401 AD, which was left by Roman armies and Vandalian settlers, Thorigais followed him dutiful, but as Uldin left to smash a rebellion in the south east, he gave the command over the Pannonian troops to his cousin. Thorigais used the weakness of his new lord to shake of the Hunnic yoke. Before Uldin even could arrive in Dacia and beat down the revolt, his cousin’s head already reached him.

While the Hun King destroyed all resistance against him in Dacia, Thorigais used the time to build up his own army. He gathered the German tribes around him that lived under the Hunnic rule and formed a confederation against Uldin. Even the Siligian Vasals, who were on their way to the south to enter the Imperium, joined Thorigais. Other tribes he ruled were the Gepids, the Eruli and the Sciri.

It was a cold and windy day on which Uldin attacked. The cloud of arrows that was supposed to smash Thorigais’ troops was stopped by the clouds of the sky, which turned the once dry ground into a field of mud. Lightings, like a divine omen, stroke into the trees behind the Hunnic troops. This day would be known as the Battle of the Storms. The Hunnic rule was broken on this day, only for now and only in Pannonia, but Uldin was dead, his troops defeated, his empire collapsed, Thorigais ruler of Pannonia. Soon a letter from Honorius would arrive at his residence in Savaria and an answer would follow immediately:

“Oh Augustus, you are demanding tribute, you demand that I obey your rule!? [..] You don’t rule over this land, not even over your own. Do you believe I know nothing about your Empire? […] Who shall help you, helpless little Augustus? The Goths of Gallia? They don’t save you, they rule over you! The Vandals of Italia? They don’t save you, they hate you! […] You are not my lord, there is no one ruling me; over me are only the gods!”

What he said about the Roman Empire was true. Only a few months later the Vandals, under Gainas command, conquered the rebellious city of Rome and slaughtered ten thousands. Over the next year Gainas and Godigisel stayed near Rome in Portus before they left the mainland to conquer Sicilia. In Gallia Alaric was finally able to force a peace with the Franks in the summer of 405. The land in which the Goths and Vandals should settle was secured, but Gainas refused to leave Sicilia again. Honorius was forced to grant the Vandals the islands.

Thorigais was right about the instability of Rome, but he overestimated his power. After the Huns were beaten, the confederated tribes split. The Gepids overthrew Thorigais, his Empire fell and his Goths marched to the west and joint Honorius as foederati under their new ruler Himivin. The Gepids stayed in Pannonia, whereas a third group of mixed heritage, on the search for land and wealth, moved to the south-east.


Chapter VI: Scipio ante Portas

”Hannibal is what Carthago needs in these days; a man who doesn’t fear the enemy, who knows empire is mortal and who has the courage to try the impossible. Oh my Hannibal where are you?” – Gildo

Ortygia is the cradle of Siracusae. Gainas would like to rename the small island off the coast of Sicilia, give her a title that suits her more, now that the Vandals rule here. The people should know by the name alone that not Romans or Greeks are in control of island and city but Vandals. Maybe: Gainasia, Gainopolis; no, he is not King, that’s not appropriated. Godigisela, or –um, or maybe Godigiselopolis; no, to long and this bastard is not worth having a city named in his honour. Vandalia?

For now Gainas has to think about other things, than names, more important things. Alaric and Honorius ordered ships. A whole fleet they want, where is he supposed to get so many ships from, maybe from the harbour right next to him? Yes, there are ships, many of them and they actually belong to the Empire but why should he give them back? He conquered the island with them, in Honorius’ name, but he never gave the island back. How can he now trust the emperor? Gainas stole from him and defraud him of his island, why shouldn’t he seek revenge, why shouldn’t he betray him? No ship will leave this island towards Africa to defeat the Tyrant of Carthago, at least not without his loyal Vandals. If the Usurper should fall than he should fall through German hands.

What has Honorius without Gainas? Nothing! An empire, he doesn’t control but Alaric, provinces in rebellion and no ships to beat them down. With some bad luck Africa could even fall to Arcadius, if the East feels like grabbing for it. What is Gainas without Honorius; a dubious ally, maybe a pirate, a potential target for Constantinople or an independent ruler by everything but name? And with Honorius? Maybe he will be the ruler of Africa or maybe nothing but just a little piece in the great game for Rome. For now it seems the emperor needs Gainas more than the other way around, that means he will get his ships, but not without Vandals. Carthago will fall.

The gates of Carthago, which are now broken, still show how Gildo tried to protect his city - with elephants. Not real ones, but with blood painted, big eared and long nosed animals, guard the gates. Their red bodies are flat and made out of the blood of prisoners, which were taken out of their cells, lost their heads – which were used as terrifying warnings for the Vandals – and were robbed of their blood. But his elephant army couldn’t save Gildo, neither could his human one. Carthago fell in the spring of 407. The Tyrant of Africa is dead and his palace is conquered. Vandalia would also sound good for this city. But again Gainas has better things to do than thinking of names. Today he will show mercy with four of his prisoners, because the emperor feels sentimental for them and asked for it and he feels like granting him this wish – actually it’s a command but what does he care for Honorius’ commands.

He would have nearly killed him, killed this ungrateful bastard. What does he think he is, his life depended on him but he was stupid enough to open his mouth and accuse him of murder, what right does he believes he has? Murderer! He did not even touch his father, let alone killing him. Gainas even liked him more or less. But in the end it was his, Stilicho’s, decision to stay with Honorius. They could have marched together at Mediolanum or Constantinople. Not he killed Stilicho, but his own stupidity. How dare Eucherius to call him a murderer ever again. At Narona a potential ally died in Gainas’ eyes, but not an enemy. Eucherius, his young wife, his mother and his sisters can go away from this place, far away, to a place which was chosen by the court in Arelate. Their new home would be a small but nice mansion near Burdigala, close to the Goths and the Atlantic, far away from the centre of the empire and even farer away from Gainas, who would kill this brat if he would come close to him ever again.

Gildo was dead, Mallius Theodorus, who is hiding somewhere in Africa since the fall of Gallia, not yet and that made him the reason for Gainas to send his troops to the west, to Mauretania, to find the Usurper and to expand his influence. Mallius has to be defeated once and for all and Gainas has to do it if he wants control over all of Africa.
Gainas thought he would never hear of Eucherius again and he won’t. He will be death when Eucherius great time comes.

Rome 407



Chapter VII: Flavia

“The future is secured, for them, for us, for everyone. “ – Nicomachus Flavianus

Galla: daughter of Nicomachus Flavianus and Galla, soon to marry Honorius, whose sister is named Galla and whose stepmother is also called Galla. Not only because of this potential danger of confusion, but also because of her hair, which, lighter than her younger brother’s, is still not blonde but a shade of brown, she is called Flavia, the blonde one. Sometimes she is also referred to as Galla Minor, Flaviana or Flavianilla.

The emperor marries, a girl of 14 years, a decade younger than him. Honorius was married before, to a granddaughter of his general Saturninus, but the girl died and so did later the general. This time it seems more promising, the bride seems healthy, she is pretty and most important she is from a mighty family - actually two families. Her father is a Nicomachi, her mother a Symmachi. Both are mighty and old clans of Rome, only challenged in power by the Anicii. Honorius hopes to gain some popularity among the Roman nobility with this move and also an heir for his throne. Even if he tries to win over the nobility and the senate, so is he too afraid to celebrate the wedding in the city of Rome. He prefers to stay in Arelate, close to his protector Alaric.

Two weeks before the wedding the Goth King appears in the city. Just a few days earlier he was still fighting in northern Gallia but now he is back with some news - good or bad ones; hard to tell. The Alani and Silingi, which crossed the Rhine in 398 with the other tribes, were plundering Gallia for over 10 years now. They mostly concentrated on the northwest. Neither did they ally like the other tribes with Mallius, nor did they found an own realm to rule. They went restless to the west, the south, than to the north-east and following the Ligara upwards as Alaric’s troops entered Gallia. They were in Burdigala, Turonum and Lutetia but on none of these places did they establish a kingdom. As they followed the Ligara they even split in several smaller groups, devastating the land. All of them continued their way to the north-west, the area dominated by Sequana and Ligara. Every single group was a little army for itself making it impossible for Alaric to win over them, not because they were too strong but they were too many. He didn’t meet a single big army that he could challenge in a battle. But in 408 the young Silingi Theuderic convinced the leaders of the most groups that they need to work together to secure their freedom and defeat Alaric. Theuderic, now King of Vandals and Alans, led his troops in the beginning of 409 in a Battle against Alaric. The Goth King won but made a pact with the losers.
He arrives in Arelate with this news and proves how powerless Honorius really is. He settled the Vandals and Alans between Ligara and Sequana, without even asking for permission. Alaric justifies his decision with the fact that this land was reserved for the Sicilian Vandals, but they refused to settle there, so the land fell to their Silingian cousins, which were already in this area. Not the most convincing justification but who can question his decisions?

The day of the wedding was a cold one, not only because of the weather, but also because of the people who came to witness the event. No one of the senators, which were present in the city liked to see the barbarians, especially because they still remember how Gainas and Godigisel plundered the city in the emperor’s name and slaughtered many noblemen. The Germanics that arrived also preferred to stay alone. Mistrust poisoned the air in the city. The emperor himself didn’t show any emotion on this day. The bride on the other hand seemed more to be more moved by the events, she didn’t love the man she was going to marry and she was not excited about being with him, but she knew what power she could gain. Her ancestors were philosophers, scholars and bureaucrats, but she was different. As a boy she would have been a general or emperor, but as a girl she was only a link between Honorius and the senatorial elite. Maybe in future she could be able to prove herself as a leader. As she stood in front of the altar, it was clear to her who was the mightiest man in the room; not her husband, not her father, none of the senators, but the barbarian in the back of the church, who was a bit tipsy and the only one, smiling all the time, King Alaric. She hated him. He was a barbarian and also looked like one, he even stunk like one. His pride seemed like arrogance to the young empress and his power was torture for her. Flavia disliked all Germans, she was young as Rome burned because of them but she remembers and she won’t forgive.

Besides Alaric and his guard were no other Germans in the church. The Burgundian King and his fellows stayed outside the city and only appeared to compliment the emperor, whereas the Frankish King and Vandal King Godigisel didn’t even appear in Arelate; the latter because he had to fear for his life since the sack of Rome, the first because he had to fight enemies in his own territory. The King of the Pannonian Goths, Himivin, a man with religious spirit, stayed away from the Trinitarian church, mostly because he thought bad about the Roman way of Christianity, he didn’t like the Romans so much in general, but knew that his people could for now only survive in an alliance with them. On the others side did he like Alaric pretty much and both drunk together the night before – that’s the reason the King appeared tipsy in the church.

The kings would leave the city again a few days later, so did the senators, but Flavia stayed and would become Empress of the falling empire.


Chapter VIII: The head of Mallius

“A head is a head and a lie is a lie.” – Honorius

Gainas smashed the rests of Mallius Theodorus’ empire in the battle of Hippo in 408 AD. By then Numidia was already conquered by the Vandals and after the battle the Mauretanian coast fell also back to the empire. At Hippo even Mallius’ general died, but not, and that drove Gainas mad, the Usurper himself. Nobody actually knew where he was; maybe he was already dead and rotted in the dessert. But as long as there were no evidences of his death he would be a major problem for Gainas. The Mauretanian tribes, that raided the Vandalo-Roman coastal cities, never claimed to act on Mallius’ command and he wasn’t seen with them but people on Honorius’ court nevertheless suggested again and again that Mallius’ was behind their attacks and accused Gainas, to be unable or unwilling to finally find and kill the usurper.

In the winter of 408/409 Gainas made a radical decision; he sent his guard out in Sicilia and Carthago to find a man who should look as close to the usurper himself as possible. The guards took coins of Mallius’ image with them and studied the artworks that showed him before they left the palace. Three weeks later they arrived with an old peasant, around Mallius’ age, who, even if he worked his whole life, had soft and pale skin. His eyes, nose and mouth looked like the ones of the usurper, only his haircut and his beard didn’t seem like Mallius at all, but a scissor here and there and he seemed pretty imperial. After the scissors the sword came and Gainas had a head he could proudly send to the Emperor in Arelate.

It was a dangerous and probably mad plan to actually claim that this would be the head of Mallius Theodorus, but Gainas hoped on the one hand that no one would notice that it isn’t Mallius and on the other that even if the Emperor would find out that he wouldn’t do anything because he would be satisfied with this solution. But Gainas was wrong, many people on Honorius’ court had seen Mallius before, they knew how he looked like, were aware of the little details of his face and could tell that this is not the usurper. Gainas attempt to fool the Emperor didn’t stay a secret, the news spread over the Empire and Honorius had to act. It was thanks to the influence of the young Empress Flavia, that the Britannian usurper Constantinus was spared by Honorius forces for now. The fleet which was built on the channel coast in the last years to challenge Constantinus’ fleet, which was actually the former Roman fleet in this area, was moved further to the south, in order to bring Honorius armies from Hispania to Mauretania. From here on they were supposed to fight their way through northern Africa to Carthago and find Mallius and destroy the Vandals.

Before even a single battle was fought the Blood Weeks of Carthago occurred: Gainas was found dead in the streets, killed by conspirators, whose goal it was to prevent a war with Rome and the potential fall of the Vandal Empire. It was rumoured that the head of the conspiracy was King Godigisel himself, who tried to escape the shadow of his popular advisor and general. Only a few days later the King was dead, assassinated but no one knew who was behind it. The King’s son and designated heir Gunderic, claimed that his brother Geiseric would be his father’s murderer. Geiseric on the other hand accused Gunderic of killing their father and Gainas, who was Geiseric’s patron. Supported by the Gainasian group in Carthago, the young and charismatic Geiseric ordered to kill Gunderic, his family and his supporters. He also organised the marriage between him and Gainas’ daughter, which included killing her husband. After eliminating his enemies in the Empire, he changed the course of foreign policy. He allied with the Mauretanians against the Romans and promised them the land west of Caesarea and also the hinterland apart the coast east of it.

In the autumn of 409 the Roman fleet was defeated by the Vandals near Sardinia, mostly because of the lack of experience on the Roman side. The most of the surviving ships switched sides and conquered, instead of Africa, Sardinia. On land the Romans also lost their luck and were beaten, after first successes, by united Vandal and Mauretanian forces. In the end of the year the last Roman forces were driven out of Mauretania. Even Tripolitania, which was not under Vandalian control before the war, was conquered by Geiseric. In the first months of 410 also Corsica and the Balearic Islands fell to the Vandals. The rests of the Imperial fleet were smashed in the summer and Rome suffered under starvation and plagues, caused by the blockade of Ostia and Portus by the Vandals.

Honorius showed unable to handle the situation, especially because the Empire’s legions were needed on the northern border against the rebellious Germans. In the middle of this unstable situation, two children were born in the spring of 411, two sons, one to Honorius, named Theodosius, one to Geiseric, named Gainas.


Chapter IX: Borders of the Empire

“Poor old ship, the sailors left you to the pirates.” – Gerontius

Emerita Augusta, capital of Lusitania and close to the last legions in southern Hispania, received in the spring of 412 AD apocalyptical news: Several ships got attacked near Olisipo by German pirates. It is not clear who exactly did it, if it were the Saxons or Franks than it would mean that they came as south as never before, if it were the Vandals than not even the Atlantic coast would be safe from them anymore. What matters is that Lusitania is now not anymore a relatively peaceful place in this sea of war. Several years ago Alaric troops crossed the mountains in the north but they moved back to Gallia as Mallius’ empire was destroyed. Especially Lusitania and its capital Emerita stayed relatevly unharmed during this campaign but now Hispania is nearly without defence. Honorius moved the most legions to Africa, where they got destroyed, and only a few troops stayed on the peninsula.

Gerontius, Comes of the Hispanian legions, used the insecurity and the rumours in the city of Emerita, to claim for himself to be the protector of the local Roman population from all foreign powers, including the emperor in Arelate. His inspiration was probably Constantinus, the Roman emperor of Britannia, who stayed on the island and secured it instead of getting drawn into the conflicts of the mainland. Also Postumus’ Gallic Empire, of the third century, could have been an example of an independent but still Roman state and even the German ruler, which dominate the collapsing empire now, act like independent kings in their territory. The next logical step for a Roman general could only be to grab land from the empire before the barbarians do. Not that Gerontius would have hated Germans – he had many foreign soldiers in his troops – no, he just didn’t believe that they could be leaders of some civilized state. The current empire under Honorius was for him nothing but an old sinking Gothic ship, which was once made by Romans and still sails under the builder’s flag.

Filigund, king of the Silingi and Alani, was the first to call Gerontius Rex Hispanorum. Gerontius himself claimed to be emperor, even if the title of a king would have been more appropriated. He would of course not deny the rule over the whole Roman world, if it would fall into his hands, but he is smart enough to know that the time of the great empires is over, at least in the west. On his coins he appears with the title of the Restorer of Hispania - more a plan for the future, than an achievement - but still a pleasant title for the ruler of the peninsula. Nevertheless around the whole Mediterranean he was soon known as the King who is Roman but is fighting the empire. The novelty was not, that he fought the empire but that he was Roman. That barbarians broke free from Rome, like Alaric or Gainas did, was nothing new, but that a Roman general would do that, didn’t happen for 150 years and was already forgotten by the most people. Constantinus in Britannia was no shock for the Romans, he still claimed to rule the whole empire, but Gerontius was for only claiming a part. He was a sign of the decline of the west.

Alaric, King of the Goths and Magister Militum, died in the winter of 413; he fell from his horse and broke his back. The great and unforgotten King of the Goths suffered several weeks before he finally passed away. The Goths thought Alaric’s successor, Odo, would be granted the title of the Magister Militum but empress Flavia convinced Honorius to proclaim Asterius, leader of the Italian troops, new general of the west. With this decision the empress was planning to reduce the German influence in her empire and succeeded in some way with it; Odo broke with Rome. The Second Gothic War begun.

Asterius moved the emperor’s court back to Mediolanum and begun to concentrate his troops in the Valley of the Rhondanus. Further to the north-west Odo united his forces with the ones of Filigund in the meantime. The King was also in contact with the leaders of the Franks, which stayed officially on Rome’s side but actually acted neutral in the war and didn’t attack the Goths. The Burgundians on the other side were sending troops to Asterius, they formed together with Hunnish auxiliaries and Alemannian forces the backbone of the Roman army.

As the first snow fell in the year 413 the Western Empire was already collapsing: Hispania and Gallia are in revolt, Africa is free from Roman forces, Britannia is de facto independent and Dalmatia is ruled by the East. Honorius, Arcadius, Flavia, Asterius Odo, Geiseric, Filigund, Gerontius; all of them decide over the fate of the Roman world.

Rome 413

Chapter X: Imperial Blood


“Sire, your own blood may flow in your children’s veins, not on the battle field, but years will pass and from generation to generation, more drops of your blood will run out of your offspring’s flesh, down our swords, into the ground, following the water of once Roman rivers to the sea. You will salt the ocean more with every generation and may your own body rest one day in the Italian soil, your blood will never rest.” – Odo

Aelia Eudoxia is 34 years old and gave birth to ten children. It was her duty as the wife of Arcadius and Empress of Rome to produce a potential heir, but she failed every single time. Eight daughters gave she birth to, one son died only a few hours after he saw the daylight the first and last time; he should have been a second Theodosius. Now she lays in her own sweat and blood, in unbelievable pain, and dies the death of a dutiful wife: giving birth to the tenth child, a healthy son.

Gratianus, born 414 AD, is the long awaited heir of the eastern throne. Arcadius feared his brother’s children could rule one day in Constantinople and should they prove to be as week as their father, it would be the end of the east too. The emperor would have liked to name the child after his own father, Theodosius, but Galla Flavia, his sister-in-law, gave birth to a Theodosius three years earlier. Naming the child Arcadius would have been an option, but that seems so egocentric and a bit impropriated in the emperors eyes. So Arcadius decided in favour of the name of the former emperor Gratianus, a short-lived half-brother of him had also this name and his family and Gratian’s are more or less related.

Flavius Aelius Gratianus – Aelius in honour of his mother – had as he was born four siblings, the other five died before him, all of them girls. From the oldest to the youngest there were Arcadia, Pulcheria, Theodosia and Thermantia. At Gratianus’ birth his father was already planning the wedding of Arcadia. A son of her could be a fall-back option if Gratianus shouldn’t live long enough to take his father’s throne.

Exactly six month after the birth of his son, Arcadius married his oldest daughter to the son of his general Gaudentius, a young man named Aetius. It would not be the last wedding of the year but the last the world would take such notice of. In the winter of 414, near the Atlantic, in the province of Aremorica, far away from Rome, closer to the Barbarians than to the Emperors, a relative of Honorius and Arcadius marries again; Eucherius. The son of Stilicho and Serena lost his first wife as he escaped from Burdigala, fleeing Odo’s Gothic troops, who sieged the city. With small ships did he, his families and his friends escape, his wife got sick and died before they reached northern Gallia, but Eucherius himself survived and so did his son Serenus. Gildo was the father of Serenus mother, his new step mother is a niece of the leader of the Suindini. They are the former inhabitants of Suindinum and the surrounding but lost their home to the plundering Silingi. Here a bit further to the west they try to build up an alliance against the invaders and seek to reconquer their homeland.

A few months later in the beginning of 415 the dream of the Suindini became true, at least the first part of it; the cities of Aremorica are united in their fight against the Goths and Silingi, even some Frankish tribes fight now on their site. Honorius has no power over this alliance; they swore loyalty to Constantinus in Britannia but even he doesn’t really rule them. The emperor stayed on his island with the most of the troops, whereas his son and Caesar, of the same name, led some soldiers to the mainland. In theory Caesar Constantinus commands the troops, but it is actually Eucherius who leads the Aremoricans in the war for Gallia. The time for Stlicho’s son has come.

The Silingi and Goths move with the biggest part of their army to south-west, towards the Alps and into Hispania. The magister militum of the west, Asterius, was able to stop them for short time in the beginning of the war, but now, in the autumn of 415, they destroyed already the most of the Roman army. They crossed the Rhodanus and took Nemausus and Arelate. Asterius collects the rests of his troops on the Italian side of the Alps, awaiting Odo’s horde on the other side of the mountains. Waiting are also Honorius and Eucherius. The first in the palace at Mediolanum, the latter on the battle field near the Sequana, both waiting for their wives to give birth.

Two weeks later Honorius will get a daughter, Honoria; Eucherius a son, Romanus; blood flows in the empire: on the battle field and in the veins.


Chapter XI: Edges of the World

“O God, why does the world end in my days?” – Honorius

It is the year 416 AD and the Empire is falling. The Mare Nostrum, once nothing but a Roman lake and at the same time heart of the Empire, is now the territory of the barbarians. The west lost Africa and the East couldn’t reconquer it; Arcadius’ ships sunk against Geiseric’s fleet. It might be the Vandal King’s greatest victory, that he forced the Emperors to accept his African Realm. It weren’t the lost battles, which made the brothers so weak, that they accepted an independent kingdom, it was the hunger. The population of Rome depends on the grain from Africa and for years not a single ship from Cartagho reached Italia and brought food to the starving population. The end of the Vandalian War is the end of the Roman hunger years.

On the other edge of the known world, in the steppes of the Scythians, a king rose upon the local rulers. The Huns, north the Pontic Sea, are united under one banner again, 11 years after the fall of Udin, ruler of the Danubian tribes. Ultzindur is the mightiest man of all the rulers of the steppe. He united the most Hunnic tribes and led them already against the peoples of the northern Caucasus. Only the Huns which were once the core of Uldin’s empire are not yet part of Ultzindur’s domain. They settle mostly on the northern bank of the Danube and are busy with internal fights. Also some Goths are under them and other Germanics and furthermore some Romans live still in these lands.
417 AD is the year of Ultzindur: first the Delta of the Danube, then the plains of southern Dacia fall to his hordes. Many Huns cross in this year the Danube, not to conquer but to flee their invading brothers. They become part of the Eastern army and most of them will lose their life in the war for Rome.

The king of the Pannonian Goths, Himivin, heard about the rise of a new Hunnic ruler, shortly after Ultzindur’s Dacian invasion. For the King it was certainly a bad sign. He had plans, big plans: the conversation of the Transdanubian tribes. Under all kings, he was the one with the biggest religious spirit but he had nevertheless a sense for political necessity. Himivin grew up under Hunnic rule and fears nothing more but their return. The Baiuvari, Quadi and Marcomanni had to wait and stay pagans for now. The king needs a plan if the Huns should advance until Pannonia. His people could move to the north over the Danube but on the other hand will this land probably also fall to Ultzindur. The south would be another option. Himivin feared the Romans much less than the Huns, but taking Italia would still be an ambitious project.

If Odo should invade Italia, Himivin will attack from the north-east. In the moment the Roman armies under Asterius still hold on the Alpine passes but it is only a matter of time until the Goths sweep into the empire’s heartland. Honorius rule is limited on Italia. Gallia is lost to Odo and also to Eucherius. The later was able to gain land in the north against the Silingi, mostly because their troops are busy in the south. Eucherius’ formal master is emperor Constantinus and his son of the same name. The younger Constantinus left the command over the continental army completely to Eucherius, who was also promoted Magister Militum and Patricius of the empire. The young prince, lacking military talent, prefers to stay on the island. His father reformed the instable Britannian provinces already a few years ago: the field army, the comitatenses, was reduzed in terms of size whereas the border troops, the limitatei, were enlarged. The Britannian army adapted a defensive strategy. Most soldiers have family, didn’t see the continent for over a decade and are not willing to leave their home for the bloody barbarian playground of Gallia.

Eucherius acts nearly independent from the Emperor in Britannia. His army’s backbone consist of Aremoricans, Franks and even some Saxons; whereas Britannians make up only a tiny part of his troop.

At all edges of the Roman world, the imperial rule is shrinking and Honorius and Asterius control nothing anymore but Italia.


Chapter XII: Theodosius

“Oh, dear cousin, you are dead and I am alive, but you don’t see me crying over that. We all have to depart this life one day or another. You went early and won’t come back. I never cry a tear; I will need my eyes in these days more than ever before.” – Eucherius

418: the snow did not melt yet in Pannonia, Odo breaks through the passes, the Gepids fight the Huns and Himivin and his men start the march to the south. As the news, of the attacking Pannonian Goths reaches Mediolanum, panic spreads. On the following day the Emperor is found dead – suicide. Flavia and her young children, Honoria and Theodosius, flee to the south-west.

In Pollentia, close to the advancing Western Goths, Flavia marries, only a few weeks after Honorius death, her mighty general Asterius. The army accepts Theodosius as rightful heir and emperor but the power lies in the hands of Flavia and Asterius. In the decades and centuries to come many will say the emperor’s suicide was a lie, the empress and the general were lovers for years. It will be the material of literature and theatre play but the truth is a mystery of history.

Himivin took Ravenna without fight, the city surrendered. The most of the peninsula east of the Apennine fell to his troops before summer. In the meantime Odo fought his way along the Padus. After Himivin turned north again both rulers meet near Florentia. The Pannonian enjoyed the company of Alaric but now he is meeting his successor: Odo. The king is a rather short but sturdy man, around 40 years of age, less charismatic and diplomatic than his predecessor. Nevertheless is he able to talk Himivin into an alliance not only against Rome but also against the Britannian troops in the north. Both agree on following: peace with Rome only in great favour for both kings; the Pannonians settle at the Rodanus and in Italia, whereas the Gallians expand into Hispania and to the north.

One thing Odo was ignoring in his plan: Eucherius - a man with many faces, imperial general, leader of the Aremoricans, commander of the Barbarians - gathered enough troops around him to actually thread the Goths. They fought on to many fronts, against Gerontius in the south, Asterius in the west and the Britannians in the north. Britannian is maybe not the right word to describe an army that consists mostly of Franks and Aremoricans. Eucherius is certainly one of the most interesting characters in this game for power. He has more charisma than all other commanders combined and is a born general. He is definitely his father’s child, a new Stilicho.

The Silingi had to leave the battle fields of Italia to defend what became in the last years their home. Eucherius took one city after the other. His army was growing and so was the fear of the Silingian king Filligund. Odo hated to see his ally heading north, he underestimated the Britannians strength and saw Filligund’s move as betrayal. The Silingian left to many people behind in Gallia - Eucherius is devastating the countryside and doesn’t show mercy with the Silingi - if the king’s troops won’t return it would mean betrayal on their families. Filligund tried his best but he failed. After facing Eucherius army and losing in the fight, he knew two things: 1st Eucherius is too strong and 2nd Odo won’t help him now. Before getting smashed between the Britannians and the independent Burgundians in the west, Filligund decides to change sites.

Arcadius panicked as he heard his brother is dead and so the first east Roman troops arrive in Italia around Christmas 418, after they marched through Dalmatia. More would follow later but the most soldiers would stay in the east, fighting the Persians. The emperor sent one of his best generals to Italia: Gaudentius, and with him his son Aetius arrives in the west. The Goths under Himivin and Odo were unable to challenge Asterius in an open field battle and decided to siege and conquer Rome instead. The city fell as spring came but the Goths were not the rulers of the eternal city for a long time. Asterius avoided the Goths carefully and united his forces with Gaudentius army only a few weeks after the city fell. The battle for Rome began finally in April of 419 AD.

The Goths would have been eliminated, wouldn’t the most of the east Roman troops be at the Persian border fighting the Sassanid Empire. It was still a disastrous defeat for the Germans. Rome was lost for the Goths, one of their kings died in the battle, namely Odo. Himivin, the surviving king, was declared ruler of all Goths by his troops and became the first to rule over all them.

After the defeat at Rome the Goths withdrew to the north. The Romans split their army again, believing Himlvin would be vulnerable and easy to defeat again, but the imperials lost their second battle. Gaudentius himself died and the troops appointed his son Aetius as their new commander. The other half of the army, under Asterius’ command, stayed near Rome in the meantime. The northern army would suffer in several battles against the Goths and the game seemed to be on again, as in the late October the Theodosian Wonder happened: Eucherius’ army swept into the Rhone valley and the Gothic army under Himivin was nearly encircled by the Romans.

Himivin saw no way to win this war without losing the most of his men in the battle, Arcadius needed his Italian troops in the east, Eucherius wanted to secure his gains, Constantinus was more than surprised to hear how well his general did, the Romans were tired of war and Flavia wanted to save the throne for her son. And so the east, the west, the Britannians and the Goths met in Mediolanum and the Christmas of 419 would be a peaceful one. The Goths gained the Rhone valley, a part of Italia and Taragona, the Silingi were moved a bit to the east, Theodosius II. and Constantinus III. were both accepted as emperors, the latter as Junior Augustus and the first as Senior Augustus, the west would be split between them, the Britannians gained northern and western Gallia, the unconquered part of Gerontius’ Hispania would be divided later, Eucherius gained the command over all non-Gothic forces in Gallia, Himivin accepted the formal rule of the emperors but his people stay autonomous.

An unsatisfying solution.


Chapter XIII: Serenus and Luitgard


“Saxon land is Saxon land and Roman land is Roman land.” – Luitgard

The winter is over, the peace holds already for some months but it is fragile. Out of this reason Dynastical links are supposed to cement the current alliances.

Eucherius' younger son, Romanus, marries the oldest daughter of Galla Placidia, Anicia Justa Honoria. Both are infants and too young to have children, it is mostly a symbolical act. But of much greater symbolism are the other weddings of the year, mostly because Eucherius and Galla Placidia and each other’s offspring are considered to be less important, than the children of the kings and emperors. At Easter 420 Himivin’s oldest son and potential heir, Theodavin, marries Theodosia, a daughter of Arcadius, and Constantinus, Caesar of Britannia and Gallia, marries her sister Pulcheria. Both weddings take place in Mediolanum.

The last wedding of the year, the one of Serenus and a girl of Saxon origin, was probably the one the world took the least notice of but the one of the greatest importance. While Eucherius stayed near Italia and the Alps to secure the south-eastern border of his or de jure Constantinus’ domain, begun his son, a boy of 14 years, to consolidate the northern area of the empire. Serenus has his father’s most loyal fellows around him; here in the wilderness of northern Gallia he will learn how to lead an army and a country.

The land south of the Sequana lost most of its inhabitants in the war, the cities of Namentus and Andecavorum were mostly destroyed and had nearly no citizens anymore. Eucherius decided to repopulate these areas to have the River Ligara as an effective border to the Goths. Serenus mission is to recruit settlers for this land and so did he travel around northern Gallia searching for men that were willing to live there. He found them on the ships and boats of the Empire, mostly former pirates that now fight for the emperor. Nearly all of these men are Saxons or Franks. A few weeks later Serenus finds himself on an island of the Rhenus Delta. Here on the border of the Roman world he meets with a leader of a little Saxon tribe, to negotiate about moving his people to the south. In the end Serenus grants the tribe several rights and takes the leader’s daughter as his wife.

A few months later the Saxons’ leader dies and his son Luitgard, brother-in-law to Serenus, becomes their leader or Dux, as the Romans say. He leads them to the Rhine and along the coast then to the souths towards the Ligara, where they unite with the other settlers Serenus could recruit. They won’t be the last settlers that move to the west. Britannia also needs settlers to keep its borders intact.

In the autumn of 421 Luitgard and his people arrive in Namentus and Andecavorum. Most of them have never seen such cities before, even if they were now mostly destroyed. The Saxons called these settlements Burgi. So the new resistance of Luitgard became known under the Germanic tribes as Namntburg.

The Serenus’ settlers knew who they had to thank for their new home, him and his family. They would follow him, Eucherius, Romanus or whoever of his family would need them into the battle. And like that thought the Aremoricans also, for them meant Eucherius more than the Emperor in Britannia. The rulers of Constantinus’ empire are the descendants of Stilicho. It makes sense to speak of the Britannian Empire, because the emperor’s power is limited to this island, like the power of Flavia and her son is limited to Italia, even if they rule de jure also the land of the Goths. Not Asterius, Flavia or Theodosius II. are the rulers of southern Gallia, but Himivin. His son might be married to the daughter of the eastern emperor, but he nevertheless disrespects the Romans, their way of Christianity and their liability to illusion. Little Theodosius is no emperor, he has no power. The Goths are independent and free they are the lords of this land now. The empire is an illusion and Himivin knows that, he plays their games, because for now the Romans and their illusion is not fallen, but it is on their knees. Soon there will be no emperor anymore. The time for the truth will come soon.


Chapter XIV: Hispania


“Oh Hispania, how deep did you sink?” – Constans
“Don’t you mean the world brother? It all sinks deeper and deeper until hell is reached!” - Domitius

The news of his son’s death reached the master of Hispania in the tenth year of his reign. Gerontius was shocked. His only son, Caesar and heir, captured by the Goths, his head brought to Tolosa, his wife and child slaves of Himivin; Gerontius collapsed. The two brothers Constans and Domitius ruled the peninsula, while the Augustus didn’t leave his house near Augusta Emerita anymore.


Both were normal soldiers as Gerontius became the emperor - some might say king – of Hispania, but they soon became part of his guard. Because of Domitius, Gerontius once survived an assassination attempt. The emperor felt thankful and gave his guardian and his brother the titles of Patricii. Patricius was a title without any power but of high prestige. As Gerontius collapsed after his son’s death and became only a shadow of his former self, the bothers began to act as his regents.


The regency is mostly supported by the soldiers of Lusitania; they received large presents after the brothers gained power. Constans and Domitius ruined Gerontius finances with this move. They show to be totally unable to govern a state, the front and the economy is neglected. Their rule is secured by money but the northern front will break soon and no money can save them.


The two months after the brothers came to power in the middle of September 422 are known as the Lusitanian Legionaries’ Republic. The emperor died by the hands of Constans at the second October, because the latter is short tempered, hot blooded and got annoyed by Gerontius melancholy. Fearing about their legitimacy both tried to cover the murder up. It was announced that the emperor would be sick, that he couldn’t see anyone right now. But the prominence of Emerita began to ask questions, to many for the brothers.


At the sixth October legionaries began to massacre the nobility of Emerita; three days and three nights they would continue. The Patricii Constans and Domitius adopted several titles in the meantime: Imperator, Dux, Consul, Prefectus Urbi, Caesar and others. Three more weeks they would reign. As they were drunk and talked about how Hispania, the empire and the world are all coming to an end, the guard rushed in the room and killed them. Just minutes earlier the news of the defeat of the Hispanian army had reached the city. That was the point the soldiers couldn’t not stand it anymore: the brothers had to die. The guard made their commander, an Alemanni named Gundobad, new ruler of Hispania, or now mostly Lusitania. He offered peace to the imperial forces that have entered the peninsula and did not adopt any titles.


That could not save Lusitania anymore: it was the beginning of November as Gundobad committed suicide in Eremita. The city fell only hours later. The Lusitanian Republic - a term never used by the people of this time and actually not very accurate – ended with the sack of Hispania’s capital.
The Goths forced for themselves the western part of Carthagininiensis during the partition of Hispania. Their land reached now south till the river Anas. The land south of the Tagus became the land of Theodosius II. and the one north of the river part of Constantinus’ empire.



Asterius, Roman regent and general, splits his part of Lusitania: the south becomes part of Beatica, the north will be settled by foederati in the coming years. At least this is his plan. He wants to avoid that the land falls to Himivin or Eucherius. Asterius doesn’t have enough men for this scenario yet but sooner or later, hopefully sooner, he will find people to settle their. The Huns, Gepids or Alans would be a good choice. While Eucherius smashes the lasts revolt in Galicia, Asterius already sends his men out to contact the Hun leader Ultzindur. A wild barbarian like him that is what the general needs. A man, who smashes, his master’s enemies, without scruples, who doesn’t have to care about the east or the west, who can dominate the world by sword, a man to give him the power to become emperor. Asterius knows he is the Augustus of the west by everything but name. Arcadius accepts only this infant Theodosius and the Britannian idiot as emperors. It is time to act for the general; with every passing day Theodosius gets older, Flavia doesn’t get pregnant and Asterius gets farer away from the throne.


MAP:



Chapter XV: Britannia


“We didn’t choose power. It came over night it forced itself in our life, we couldn’t resist and were helpless. The longer it stayed with us the more the innocence withdrew, the change occurred; the power spread restlessly; all over a time span, so awfully long that we forgot that we never chose to be in this position. I don’t remember the times of innocence, of freedom. I remember only the throne, the crown and the empire. The pressure of reigning, the corruption of power, the battle of the world, we know them. I pity the kings, I adore the peasants.” –Constantinus III.

Eucherius just returned from Hispania to prepare his army to reconquer the borderlands of the Rhenus, as he got news from the imperial island: the Pictii began to raid northern Britannia. Constantinus reformed the army years ago and focused on the borders, but the pressure of the Pictii was to strong, the wall of Hadrian couldn’t hold them back.


As the general arrived on the island – the first time in his life – he got to know that Eboracum was able to stand against the Pictii but that they nevertheless advanced till Deva. They plundered every village they could find and Constantinus’ field army is too small to stop their raid. Nearly three decades ago they could be stopped by the Romans but this time they devastate the land. Eucherius has to save the old emperor. His son, the younger Constantinus, is meanwhile on a trip to the glorious capital of Arcadius. While the Pictii are visiting and burning Britannia, is he visiting and traveling the east.


The Caesar is impressed by Constantinopolis’ architecture, its wealth and glory. Here far away from the island is he enjoying the stunning beauty of the eastern capital. Arcadius invited him to strengthen the alliance between both. The emperor is worried about what is happening in the west; he dislikes Asterius - the bastard who married his sister-in-law – and fears he could ascent the throne.


Arcadius nephew and Augustus of the west, Theodosius is now 13 and at least old enough for betrothal if not even marriage. The emperor thought of many brides: a daughter of Geiseric, a niece of Himivin or a girl of the eastern nobility. But as long as Asterius controls the child he will probably marry one of his general’s relatives. Theodosius is only ballast for Arcadius should he stay with him. Other plans have to be considered: Aelius Gratianus is now ten, his sister Thermantia, the last unmarried daughter of Arcadius, 14.


Constantinus, already married to the emperor’s daughter Pulcheria, brought his cousin with him, a young man and the next in line of for the Britannian throne should the Constantini die: Ambrosius. He and Thermantia would cement the alliance between both emperors. For Aelius on the other hand Arcadius is still not sure who he should marry. A girl of noble origin from a mighty house, a great choice, but who?


The east is still hesitating but the west acts already: Anicius Olybrius, son of Galla Placidia and Anicius Probinus, marries Theodosius’ sister Honoria. Asterius tries to gain popularity with the Roman nobility and the Anicii are a mighty family in the empire. If this will actually improve the generals relationship with the old senatorial families is doubtful: the Anicii were already on Asterius side, unlike other families. The most prominent political enemy of Asterius is ironically his wife’s own clan: the Nichomachi and Symmachi – two families in the process of merging to one. Galla Flavia’s own uncle, Quintus Fabius Memmius Symmachus, is the leader of the opposition


An opposition of another kind is growing in Britannia: the soldiers stationed in the south of the island are getting more and more unsatisfied with their emperor. News of burning cities is reaching the far safer south every day. The war in the north is devastating and the opinion about the emperor as bad as ever before. On the island the people believe less in Eucherius, know less about his talent, his skills, and so they rebel out of fear, fear that the general wouldn’t make it, fear that it is too late, fear that they chose the wrong emperor.


The younger Constantinus crossed the Alpine passes in shortly before the first snowfall of the upcoming winter 425, in Gallia the news reached him that the rebels crowned their own Augustus, a man named Aurelius, on the coast he got to know that they took Londinium and that Eucherius is marching to the old emperor’s rescue but also that he won’t make it: the rebellion will end, but he should prepare to be Augustus not Caesar anymore when the spring comes.


Britannia burns.


Chapter XVI: Land of the Saxons


“I have never been east of the Rhenus, never in the lands, they call Germania, but I have certainly been in the land of the Germans and it is not where I expected it.” – Serenus

The usurper Aurelius died in Londinium as Eucherius’ troops conquered the city. No one knows what happened to the old Constantinus. Neither can they find his dead body nor can someone confirm that he is alive. The last time he was seen during the chaos as the city fell to the rebels. Rumours exist that he could have survived, that he escaped dressed as a beggar, or on a little ship on the river or that he hides in some building outside the city. Britannia needs an emperor before Theodosius or his general Asterius get the idea of claiming the whole west. The younger Constantinus arrives in Londinium with the mild spring weather. He is crowned emperor, the fourth of his name. About his legitimacy he doesn’t have to fear, he is his father’s son and more important: backed by Arcadius. Constantinus IV. may be Augustus now but the fight continues. By this point Eucherius army consist mostly of Saxons and Franks, which joined him in hope for not only victory but also land. After one more year the rebellion is completely crushed, but the general had to lead a devastating campaign through the south of the island before turning to the north and the west, where the rebels crowned a new emperor and entered an alliance with the Pictii, but the war finally ended.


The northern border has to be fortified again and some parts of Britannia lost nearly all their inhabitants. The Saxon mercenaries will fill this population gap and strengthen the border. Eucherius doesn’t settle more people than needed on one place. Too many Germans, too concentrated in one area might produce fantasies of independency. The Saxons are settled in the north and in the far west, the area later to become known as Odoric. The Franks are given land at the southern coast, also Aremorican settle with them. Only Ordovicium is made a Foederati land; the northen part of the island including Ebroracum is made its own province, Britannia Secunda. Likewise the southern coast, named Britannia Constantinia. Usually civil and military administrations of Roman provinces are strictly separated, but Eucherius abolished that system on the island. In his part of Gallia it already didn’t exist for years, mostly because the land was controlled by Foedrati and by the alliance of the Aremoricans. In Britannia it was already weakened as Constantinus the Elder merged the island’s provinces years ago. In Hispania it is still intact, more or less. Serenus became the first to rule Britannia Constantinia, whereas Ambrosius, heir to the Britannian throne became the Dux of Secunda.


The island would have enough space for all the Saxons that seek land, but Eucherius fears about the balance, should too many of them come to Britannia. So he gives them instead land at the Ligara, around Aurelianum, to strengthen the empires southern border, and Galicia or at least its western part, to have a stable foothold in Hispania. In the decades to come many Saxons would leave their homes for Gallia or Hispania, less for the poor and cold island of Britannia.


Eucherius had to leave the island again before the resettlement of the Germans was done; he left this task for his oldest son Serenus. The preparations for the long awaited Rhenian campaign begin finally in the year 427, but it will take until the next year, to actually start the war for the old western border. Meanwhile news reach Londinium and the emperor: a man dressed as a peasant came to the city, claiming he would be the old Constantinus, that he would have escaped over a year ago and that he would have went to the west to hide but now came back. The man is executed; Constantinus IV. did not even look at him. An Augustus has more important things to do; Hispania is waiting. The emperor wants to gain popularity in Lusitania, hoping to step out of the shadow of his mighty general. Olisipo will be the first location to visit. The new appointed capital of northern Lusitania is in a much better shape than the destroyed capital of the southern part, Emerita. Meanwhile the first Saxon settlers arrive at their new home in the west of Britannia. They will have it less comfortable than their cousins in Gallia; the country here is rougher, the winters colder, the streets worse and the rest of the world farer away. Luitgard Dux of the Saxons, at least his Saxons, is glad for the new settlers in his land; they will expand his domain farer to the west, till the knee of the Ligara.


The Saxons are a people spreading to all corners of the west: from the low lands of Germania to Britannia, Gallia and Hispania, but their destiny will full fill at home. Their great time hasn’t come yet.


Chapter XVII: The court of Ultzindur


“It may begin!” – Ultzindur

Flavius Philippus was born in the eastern part of the empire and his parents were Greek-speaking, but he served under general Asterius in the west. A few years ago he was sent to the north of the Carpathian Mountains. Here in an area nearly no other Roman has seen before he lives at the court of Ultzindur, King of the Huns. As an ambassador he came, as an advisor he stayed. No other citizen of the empire knows so much about the Hunnic realm as he does. Philippus can tell about the vast steppes that go farther to the east as people thought; they are north of what was once Alexander’s empire and reach even to the last corners of the world. Never did he see them with his own eyes but the Huns tell about them and know tales of their old homeland. Today Ultzindur’s realm concentrates around what was once Dacia: in the south it reaches till the Danubius, in the east the borders blur in the steppes, in the north dominate the German forests and in the west the realm spreads restlessly. What was once Roman Pannonia got conquered by Ultizindurs troops and the part of the Gepids that didn’t fall under the Hunnic yoke is now on their way to the south. Philippus hears that also Markomanni and Quadi are now subjects of Ultzindur; the Huns must have reached the Alps soon. He himself was not in Pannonia as the Gepidian kingdom fell; he stayed with his lord near the Carpathians. Ultzindurs oldest son subdued the Germans, whereas the Hun himself is only now preparing to move his court further to the west.


It is autumn: Philippus hates the weather in Pannonia, equally much as the weather of the Carpathians; he spent his youth near Antiochia, where the summers are hot and the winters not to cold. At the Danube the winters are cold and the summers are too cold and the spring and the autumn are also too cold. God, the lord, didn’t create Philippus for such weather. Ultzindur sends his advisor back to Rome in the November of 428, after five years of service, not because he feels pity for the freezing man but to have a friend in the empire.


Philippus arrives at the court of Theodosius with news from the Hun: the emperor has a friend in Ultzindur; just Pannonia has to be admitted as Hunnic. Asterius, the regent, general and stepfather of Theodosius, agrees. Galla Flavia is hurt, she didn’t want to give Pannonia to the Huns, she doesn’t want a pact with them and she doesn’t want to give the Barbarians even more power. Worst of all she dislikes Philippus; the man seems to have lost all his manners as he stayed with Ultzindur.


Philippus had to leave Italia much faster than expected. As the terrible winter came back to Pannonia, the Greek came with him. Asterius sent him back: the general just survived an assassination attempt. Chaos broke out in the empire; he claimed his own wife tried to kill him; the emperor himself had to flee with his mother; the general appointed an old man named Aurelianus Augustus; Constantinus IV. doesn’t recognize him; Himivin and the Goths didn’t react yet. Ultzindurs decides to follow his ally into the war, for land, for might, for glory.


Philippus can talk about the new emperor in the west: Aurelianus is an old man, his father Taurus was already consul, his brother was consul, he was consul himself and also his son was already consul. In the east the family had traditionally the most power but also in the west they were not to underestimate. The family is not as old and well-known as the Anicii or the Symmachi but they have influence and Aurelianus was a good candidate for the thrown. Years ago Asterius wanted to be emperor, but this position seemed uninteresting for him now. A shadow ruler, a king in the dark, an emperor-maker, that is Asterius and that he has been for years; why now change? In the south Geiseric heard the news; he got even a letter from Aurelianus, offering his grand-daughters hand to Gainas, Geiseric’s son. The Vandal king knows when it’s time to change sites and when it is good to stay with your old friends. Well, Arcadius and Theodosius were never his friends, but he believes they are still a better choice in the upcoming war.


Himivin will follow Asterius as long as it makes sense for the Goths; Rome is mangling itself, new times are coming, for the king, the Hun and the world.


Chapter XVIII: Constantinopolis


“Aetius: the greatest general our time has seen.” – Arcadius

Philippus was torn between joy and grief as he saw that the Roman army was fleeing. Sirmium was now without defence. The city fell and Philippus saw how the Roman civilisation began to burn down. In the last decades Sirmium saw many invaders, but none of them, not Goths, Gepids or Sciri, harmed the city as much as the Huns. For Ultzindur Sirmium was a symbol, the Romans, especially Arcadius and his clan, should fear him. The Hun himself led the most of his men to the south-east, some supported Asterius’ troops in the west, only a few stayed behind in Pannonia and Dacia. The heartland of the east, Thracia, is Ultzindur’s destination. The city of Constantinus must fall if he wants to succeed.


During the spring and the summer of 430 the Huns devastate the Illyricum, whereas Asterius operates in the Rhodanian valley against Eucherius troops. Britannian Lusitania fell already to the western troops but Galicia not, the mountains protect the last bulwark of Eucherius and Constantinus IV. on the peninsula.


The late summer sees the fall of Thessalonica and the birth of Eucherius first grandchild, Flavia Maria. The foederati that were once settled in Dalmatia, namely Sciri, Eruli, alani and the rests of the Gepids, refuse to follow Arcadius in the war. Instead they ally with Asterius and Ultzindur to avoid their own destruction. Constantinopolis’ last hope is Aetius, the mightiest general of the east and son-in-law of the emperor. Aetius arrives in the capital at the 27th September of 430, exactly one month later his troops stand not far away from the city, face to face with the Huns. History will remember the name of this battle, Aetius will be immortal, some will call him the last Roman, the man who faced the Huns and led his men in the battle, some will compare him to Stilicho, both gave everything, both were always loyal and both share the same destiny. They died on the battle field; Stilicho at Narona, Aetius at Heraclea.


Unlike Stilicho, Aetius offspring never will come to glory; the outraged population of Constantinopolis lynched his family, before the Huns even begun to siege the city. The rest of the imperial family had to flee to the east. Ultzindur sat his friend and advisor Philippus on the throne of the east. Many people died in the days of the sack of Constantinopolis. The patriarch himself was slaughtered by the Huns. Aetius couldn’t save the city, no one could. The Theodosian dynasty lost all its land in Europe and went to Alexandria, where Arcadius died in the summer of 431. Theodosius didn’t appoint a successor for his uncle, in his eyes he was now ruling east and west alone – actually with Constantinus together but Britannia is far away. The Huns in the meantime went to conquer Asia. They would have probably been in Antiochia at the end of the summer but Asterius needed more troops in the west. The city of Rome rebelled, no grain from the Vandals, which were allied to the Theodosians, meant no food, the population was starving again. A man named Balbianus became emperor, for two weeks before they killed him. After that some Licinus; he also didn’t stay on the throne for long.


The autumn of 431 sees the fall of Rome, the Huns restore Aurelianus to the throne. Gallia is in chaos; Eucherius could not finish his campaign against the Germans at the Rhenus and has now also to deal with the Goths. The turning point of the war comes in Gallia with the death of Himivin, the first king of all Goths. He fell in the battle against Eucherius troops, not the enemy’s swords and spears killed him but the cowardice and weakness of the Romans. The left flank collapsed, mostly Roman and Hunnic cavalry, Himivin wanted to stop them from fleeing the field but his horse reared up and the king fell, killed by the hooves of his own troops. The battle ended with the defeat of the Goths and with a new king, Theodavin, son of Himivin. Legates are sent, to the rulers all over the Roman world, making and breaking alliances. He offers the hand of one of his sisters to Aelius Gratianus, son of Arcadius and candidate for the throne of the east - should the Theodisians ever return to Constantinopolis - and the king also suggests marriage between his daughter and Geiseric’s son. Both agree.


In Alexandria the imperial family lives less luxurious than in Mediolanum or Constantinopolis but at least they live safe. The patriarch of the city, Cyrillus, showed to be a friend of the dynasty and also Eparchius Avitus, a man who built up a good reputation as general in the war against Persia, supports their claims. Latter will lead the remains of the imperial army to the north. Constantinopolis will fall later or sooner, to one faction or the other, two years are not enough, this war has just begun.


Chapter XIX: Flavia Ascenia

“We desire to conquer the world and we do our best to accomplish it, just to realize that no matter how far we go, the borders of the world don’t come closer. In the end we nearly succeed, have the reputation of Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great and conquered more than mankind has seen but we feel the knife in the chest or the poison in the stomach just before the last victory is ours and the borders of the world are the borders of our realm. The tide always turns against the children of victory, because destiny is an old bitter woman.” – Asterius

The young king Chosroes IV. of Armenia - the half-civilized kingdom between Rome and Persia - sends his sister Ashkhen to Alexandria. A wedding is planned. The young man inherited the throne from his father Artaxias a year ago and wants to strengthen the alliance with Rome. His sister would be an ideal bride for Theodosius. Eparchius Avitus, the commander of the imperial troops, once served in Armenia during the Persian war of 414-426 and built up connections to the Arsacidian dynasty. He thought that an Armenian princess would be a good wife for the emperor and so did Galla Flavia, the emperor’s mother. The general arranged everything. About the fate of kingdoms and empires does not only the battlefield decide but also the blood that flows in the rulers veins.


The princess, a girl of 16 years, arrives in Alexandria in the spring of 432. The Romans call her Ascenia. Her Latin is terrible, her Greek acceptable, she was not prepared for this journey, her father wanted her to marry an Armenian nobleman, but now her brother is in charge. He sees the future of Armenia on Rome’s side; she sees her future on the emperor’s side. The emperor is intrigued by the princess’ beauty. Theodosius doesn’t care about the state, like his father, but unless Honorius he isn’t fascinated by poultry, instead by his wife. He even tries to learn her language but that does not really work out, only a bit of vocabulary, not more. The weddings’ priest is Patriarch Cyrillus of Alexandria and only a few weeks later Ascenia conceives her first child.

Nine months pass and Ascenia gives birth; birth to a stillborn. The army advances, the Huns are beaten in Anatolia. Amalasunda, the wife of Aelius Gratianus, gives birth: a boy. Arcadius Aelianus is in the moment the youngest member of the dynasty. His father is the son of emperor Arcadius, one day he will maybe be Augustus himself but that would be a long way. The empire is in war, the Huns are not destroyed yet and the Theodosian army is fighting its way through Anatolia. Ultzindur the Hun expanded too much and too fast and now his domain collapses: Gallia is free from Hunnic influence and Hispania will follow soon. Asterius is getting nervous in Italia, his beautiful dream of ruling the empire is falling apart. The capital of the west, Mediolanum, is lost to the Goths. Everything and everyone is turning against him. The tide is turning to the Theodosians’ favour. His hated wife, Galla Flavia, and her spoiled son are marching through Asia and the Huns do nothing against them.


In the world sees thousands of new born children and thousands of dead people, every year, also in the year 433. One of the dead is Aurelianus, the man was old, his heart stopped. This is a surprisingly peaceful death in these times. Neither Asterius nor Ultzindur appoint a successor for the old emperor. Philippus, the emperor in Constantinopolis, is one of three; three Augusti, the others are Theodosius and Constantinus. In his domain the death is dominating politics but in theirs children are born and dynasties continue. The Britannian emperor and his wife Pulcheria have a daughter, Flavia Eudocia. At the south coast of the island another child is born: Flavia Julia, daughter of Serenus, grandchild of Eucherius, sister of Flavia Maria. The last and most desired child is born in Alexandria at the 15th November: the heir of the empire, Flavius Alexander. The son of emperor Theodosius is named after his birth of place and after the hope that he will be a ruler as good as Alexander the Great. In Alexandria the news spread about the new born prince, in Constantinopolis the news that Avitus landed near Callipolis and in Rome the news that the end is near.


Chapter XX: Tyrants and Peace


“Roma eterna.” –Philippus

Constantinopolis is fallen. The battle was bloody. Many inhabitants died and one of the dead is Philippus. The Huns couldn’t save him. The usurper was killed by his guard. He didn’t see them coming; he looked at the burning city; he heard the screams of the suffering population; he said that he regrets all of this. Philippus regretted that he came with Ultzindur to the empire. He should have run away as he saw Sirmium burning. A war against Rome you can’t win, you can’t fight something that is as old as time itself. Rome always existed as long as people can remember, no living being ever saw something different and no invader and no horde could ever conquer the vast lands of the empire. Only a fool could believe that Ultzindur could do the impossible, that he, a foreigner could conquer and dominate the Roman world. Philippus was an idiot but now he is enlightened. He knows he acted foolish, that he trusted the wrong people. As an enlightened fool he realizes the mistakes of the past and can see his own destiny now totally clear: he will die and he will be known in history as a tyrant. A sword ends his life. One of the guards rammed it in his back. Philippus suffered for hours. He lay on the marmoreal floor of the palace for an eternity before his breath and his heart stopped.


Avitus conquered the city in the name of the imperial family. The emperor himself came to the city in the autumn of 434 and with him came his young son, his pregnant wife, his mother and the rest of the clan. The army marches to the west: Thessalonica falls, Ultzindur withdraws. News from Italia arrives in Constantinopolis and with it an interesting present: the head of Asterius. The tyrant of the west, the great war-monger of Rome is dead. Revolting Huns killed him send his head to Theodosius with a peace offer. The leader of the Italian Huns, who broke with Ultzindur, is a man named Ernac. He is the deathblow for Ultzindur’s imperial ambitions. Also the German foederati, that settle in Dalmatia, break with him as they get the news from Italia. On the 28th November the Hun-king loses many men in the battle of Serdica, he withdraws to the north of the Danubius, the Gepids and with them some Marcomanni and Quadi escape the Hunnic yoke, the dream is over.


Flavius Cyrillus is born during the battle of Serdica, not on the actual battle field but hundreds of miles away, in Chalcedon. Here near Constantinopolis on the Asian site of the strait, most members of the imperial family live right now in a humble villa; of course “humble” in imperial standards. He is the second son of emperor Theodosius and empress Ascenia and named in honour of the Alexandrian patriarch. With the return of the imperial family a new bishop is also appointed for Constantinopolis; the old one died during the war – his name is Dioscorus. He is a friend of Cyrillus of Alexandria and believes like him and the empress that Christ had only one divine nature. The west thinks traditionally different about this issue but new times came with Ascenia and to name her second son after the patriarch is certainly a strong symbol. The son of Theodosius and Ascenia is not the only child of the year. Around Christmas Eucherius’ third grandchild is born. It is a boy, the first child of Romanus and Anicia Justa Honoria. He is named Flavius Anicianus Justus. Giving the child two names - plus the more or less obligatory Flavius – is a symbol how the young father, Romanus, sees himself as a member of the higher aristocracy of the empire. Most people give one name to their child, only the old senatorial elites stick with the tradition of having several names.


As the year 435 came, the war was practically over, some Gepids here and there plundered some villages and Ernac’s Huns also didn’t treat the Italian population with any respect. On the other hand both groups wanted to talk and had enough of war. In the summer the south Italian city of Tarentum becomes the location of the peace talks. Dozens of important people of the empire came: Avitus, Theodavin of the Goths, Serenus, Ambrosius of Britannia, Luitgard of the Saxons, members of the Anicii, Symmachi, Nicomachi and other families, also priests, Vandals, Franks, imperial officials and legates. The negotiations can begin. The Theodosians lost many men in the war and the western provinces were reconquered without their help, they demand nevertheless Italia, southern Gallia and most of Hispania. Serenus claims the whole western empire for the Britannians. King Theodavin wants to enlarge his realm, but he also knows that it is already pretty big and that he can’t allow to overstretch it. The unsettled Huns and Gepids are also an issue.


In the end they find a compromise: the Theodosians keep Italia but they don’t appoint a second emperor for the west, the Britannians gain the rest including Hispania, the Gothland is slightly enlarged, the Huns settle in Lusitania and the Gepids in southern Pannonia and the Vandals agree to deliver grain to the Romans again. After that they all go their ways. Theodavin must meet with the mightiest of the Goths, his realm waits, Serenus has to lead the Huns to Hispania and Avitus got news from Constantinopolis. A second son is born to Aelius Gratianus: Flavius Aelius Eudochius. The year ends in peace and with a new born child and the world hopes that it always will be like that.


See Post #2 (Attachment 1) for a map.


Chapter XXI: Sons


“If I would rule the half of the world, I would give each of my sons a part to govern and would give one of my daughters to every ruler of the other half, and my grandchildren may rule the whole world.” –Theodavin

Theodavin has four sons and one kingdom. His father never had this problem, at least not for a long time, all of Theodavin’s brothers died as toddlers, only he and his two sisters survived. The king remembers the first time he saw his mother pregnant, he was maybe four or five. She gave birth to a boy. He was named Amalaric and died as a child. Theodavin was around ten as his brother died; he fell in a river and drowned. His mother was pregnant with another child at that moment but lost it as she heard of Amalaric’s death. After that she couldn’t have children anymore. Himivin had another son with a Burgundian woman, Sigismund, but the boy was still a child and flew with his mother to the Burgundians as his father died. His mother probably feared Theodavin could kill Sigismund to have no other throne claimant around. Not an irrational fear, it would not have been the first time a ruler did that. On the other hand Himivin always showed that he prefers Theodavin, Sigismund was never an option for succession. Theodavin got from his father even the opportunity to learn the art of government himself: the Hispanian Gothic land south of the Iberus was Theodavin’s domain; here the young prince learned what it means to rule a country as a wise and good king. Himivin stayed north of the river and also most of the time north of the mountains. In Gallia he had to fight outer and inner enemies. Eastern and western Goths wanted as much attention and power as possible: did the king stay too long at the Rodanus or in Italia with the Greutungi, then the Goths around Tolosa felt neglected and feared about their influence. Was Himivin in the Gallian capital for a longer time, rumours spread in the east, that the king would favour the Tervingi over the Greutungi. Wouldn’t he have died in battle, where Goths of all parts of the kingdom could witness his end and wouldn’t his son have been there; one part or even both parts of the Gothic realm would have chosen another king but so Theodavin was the only option and the most obvious one. Some people in Arelate tried to appoint Sigismund but before they could succeed and before they even had enough supporters, Theodavin already entered the city, their plans were over and the boy went to his mother’s tribe.


Theodavin has four legitimate sons and not one and one bastard, like his father. Four potential heirs: the oldest one would of course be the preferred choice to be next king, but his other brothers would probably revolt and claim the throne, the empire would collapse, Tervingi and Greutungi would separate. That is why the king called the Gothic nobility to Gabalum. Why do the mighty of the kingdom meet in Gabalum, a city that is not the biggest, not the richest, not the oldest and not the prettiest of all cities in the Gothic land? It was chosen because it is located right in the middle of Tolosa and Arelate, the centres of the two tribes, actually it is a bit closer to Arelate but it lies on Tervingi territory. They all came to solve one question: what to do if the king dies? But Theodavin doesn’t want to hear the opinions and ideas of the noblemen. He gathered them to tell them his will. Should he die, he is sure he has to one day, the rule over kingdom will be shared: the mighty of the Goths will come again to Gabalum and choose one of the king’s sons to follow him on the throne and to become king, his brothers will become kinglets and gain a part of the kingdom, keep a large degree of autonomy, but are still under their brother’s authority. If one of the kinglets dies, his part falls back to the king. Should the king die the Gothic noblemen will choose one of his sons to be the next king. Should the king die without a son, his surviving brothers will divide his part and one of them will be chosen as the new king. Every king has to give his sons equal parts of his realm. The land is to be divided so that every son gains a part of the land of the Greutungi, a part of the land of the Tervingi and a part of Hispania or another to conquer place. This splitting of the traditional territory shall ensure that neither the Tervingi nor the Greutungi are united under one kinglet and with the decades and rulers to come they shall both merge into one people, so Theodavin’s plan.


The king knows his plan is not perfect. It borrows ideas from the Franks and Burgundians but also from the empire and from the Gothic traditions. The provinces should stay more or less intact to make it easier to govern the kingdom. The plan has its flaws, it is not perfect and that one ambitious brother will do everything to gain the throne is for sure, but that might not happen after Theodavin’s death. His sons are young, they are children, none of them wishes to kill the other and that hopefully stays like that.


Theodavin also has three daughters. One will marry Gainas the oldest son of king Geiseric of the Vandals. Amalaberga, she is 13 and the oldest of his children. The people of Carthago know that Gainas has no real interest in the child. They see him every month with another young woman. He was born in the 411 AD, 25 years ago; he doesn’t want a girl half his age. Most German nobles have seen and experienced war themselves but not Gainas. His whole life he spent in Carthago, the capital of his father’s kingdom. Occasionally king Geiseric went away from the city to fight some nomads or some Sicilian rebels but nothing serious, no full blown war ever reached the heart of the kingdom and the young prince. The king knows that he made a mistake. He knows that he should have taken Gainas with him on his campaigns. He should have showed him how to lead an army and a country. The prince always stayed behind in Carthago and spent his free time in the streets. The Carthaginians could see that he gives more attention to women than to the state. He just fell in love with a girl of Mauretanian origin; the court is already used to that, his Greek girlfriend will be shocked. Gainas falls in love over and over again, every month a new girl. Girls in their late teens or early twenties are preferred but for him nearly everything has potential, expect Roman aristocracy of course. If he should ever start an affair with some Senator’s daughter than only to provoke this conceited idiots. He has no sense for the needs of the state and he dislikes his bride.


Amalaberga hates to be at the Vandalian court, she wishes she could have stayed with her father in Gallia. Theodavin sent her to Africa so she can get used to her future husband before the wedding. But Gainas has no interest in the Goth’s daughter. The princess only glimmer of light is Geiseric’s third son Gento. He is her age and more interested in the princess than his brothers. Gento and Hilderic, the king’s second son, speak nearly flawless Latin. They enjoyed like their older brother a classical education but unlike him, they actually remember what they learned. Gainas Latin is bad and heavily influenced by his mother tongue and by the Carthaginian vulgate. Geiseric knew what he did wrong with his oldest son and so he tried to avoid these mistakes with his other sons. Hilderic and Gento show more potential than Gainas. Latter is a man of passion; his brothers will be men of reason.


Chapter XXII: The fall of Britannia


“Everything that happened happened for a reason. God is proving us. From all sides the enemy is sweeping in our land. The world seems to crumple but be sure it is nothing but a test! Don’t lose your faith, when you face the horde sinners and pagans. Christ will save us.” – Idilus, Bishop of Eboracum

The world was quite the last years. Only Eucherius war against the Burgundians was a gust before the great storm. The roads are covered with muddy snow and the army marches north. The great general of the west forced the Burgundians under the Roman yoke. He killed their king and plundered their towns. The last free Germans on the Rhenus are again under imperial rule. Only Pannonia is left before the empire’s old borders are restored. It was a cold spring day as Eucherius finally arrived in Portus Dubris. His son Serenus, dux of Britannia Constantia and of the Britannian fleet, welcomes him and his company and together they travel to the capital Londinium.



The island has seen a decade of peace and wealth. Raids of Saxon and Frankish pirates decreased since they either are incorporated in the fleet or migrate to Gallia and Galicia. Britannia is the birthplace of the ruling dynasty: the older Constantinus rose to power here, his son was born here, and his grandchildren were born here too. A few days before last year’s Christmas Severinus came into the world. Emperor Constantinus the younger was already nicknamed Severus by his father because he resembled his grandfather of the same name and so he named his son Severinus. It may be the birth of his son that changed Constantinus mind. Severinus should actually govern the empire, not just be a puppet of some general. Not the scum shall rule over him, he shall rule over the scum. It was his plan for years to leave Britannia for the richer and mightier places of the empire. Treverorum or Vienna would make a much better capital than Londinium. Eucherius and his clan held him back for too long. They keep him imprisoned on this cold, windy island. He is an emperor and nothing less and so is his son. Severinus is born to rule, Eucherius doomed to die and with him his clan.



The glorious general and his company arrive in Londinium as the sun sets. The darkness of the night covers the city and Eucherius meets the emperor, reports the victories and goes to bed. Before the first daylight begins to shine, at the 19th March of 438, people will die.



Constantinus can’t sleep this night. He wants to execute his plan. The emperor sits nervously on a chair next to his bed. He is a wreck. A guard opens his door. The shock of the surprise gives Constantinus nearly a heart infarct. Everything is quite. His guests sleep. The most of the guard stand in front of the villa. Constantinus’ wife and his children are brought to the north in the middle of the night, escorted by the emperor’s most loyal soldiers. With three guards Constantinus walks from his bedroom towards the west wing of the building in which the general is sleeping. They enter Eucherius room. Surprisingly the general isn’t there. The emperor panics. Constantinus smells betrayal. His guards allied with the enemy. Two of them stand in front of him the third stands at the door, facing the hallway. These devilish visages! Murderers, liars! Two slaughter men and one accomplice! He steps back, hits his leg on the bed and crumples. He is shivering. The emperor waits for his death kneeing but the voices of his guards bring him back to sanity. They ask if everything is okay, the man on the door says he hears sounds from a room down the hallway. No one betrayed him. These good men and their angel faces could never lie and betray. The sounds come from the latrine. Constantius stands up, still shivering, and takes his sword. They go down the hallway – not too fast to be not too loud, not too slow to waste no time – and they stop in front of the room. A guard tears open the door they rush inside. Constantinus stabs Eucherius with his sword over and over again. The emperor screams like a madman. He didn’t see them coming. The great general died as he took a piss. His death body lies partly on the latrine. He is kneeing, the upper body leaning to the left, the head and the left shoulder on the wall, the right hand hangs from the lifeless arm in the latrine’s hole, the other arm is bent in front of Eucherius chest and everywhere is blood. Constantinus has his break down. He screams again like a madman but different, more fear and regret is in these screams. The guards have to drag him out of the room.


A guard is shaking him. Where is he? It smells like urine. He passed out and pissed himself. He lies in Eucherius bed. It is still night but the sun will rise soon. Only one hour passed since he killed his general. The guard guides Constantinus out of the building. The emperor’s screams woke up Eucherius’ company, the most slept in the east wing of the villa. The few that slept in rooms close to the general were killed by the guards, before they really knew what was going on. It was too late to kill the rest. The guards outside the building were concerned because of the emperor’s screams. A few went back in and saw the emperor’s lifeless body lying in the hallway of the west wing. They misunderstood the situation and decided to flee. They run out of the building, the same way they came in. The rest of the guard went this time into the villa, facing Eucherius’ company in the Atrium. They ran towards the west wing; this time also seeing the guards that were trying to bring the emperor into Eucherius’ room. The company fights its way towards the west wing. They are coming, they don’t know yet what happened but they know who the enemy is: Constantinus. The emperor feels sick and is confused. His wife and his children are already on the way to the north. Londinium is now too dangerous, they are going to Eboracum. The guards guide him to a back exit. The emperor and his guard are going to Verulanium, only a few miles north-west of the city. Loyal troops are waiting there.


In the beginning of April Constantinus and his troops enter the city again. Serenus and the rest of his father’s company flee to Portus Dubris. The fleet stands still loyal behind Eucherius offspring. He changes one little detail about how his father died. The emperor stabbed him from behind, he was praying. This just sounds better than pissing. As the news of Eucherius’ death reach the continent hell breaks loose. The Aremoricans, now led by Eucherius’ youngest son Romanus, send a letter to Constantinopolis demanding help in the fight against Constantinus. In the meantime the fleet retakes Londinium forcing the emperor again out of the city. They follow him and the rests of his troops, they hunt them down. Constantinus dies in August. He tried to reach Eboracum where his family lives under the protection of his cousin Ambrosius. The Franks and Silingi, unaware that Constantinus had a son and also not caring about that fact, appoint a new Augustus for the west. The answer from emperor Theodosius arrives in Gallia. Constantinopolis won’t support the rebellion of Eucherius’ sons. As the emperor sent this letter no one knew yet that Constantinus would be death. As the news reaches the Augustus he sends a second letter. This time he is appointing his son Flavius Alexander as new emperor of the west. Theodosius wife Ascenia gives birth to her first girl in September, Honoria Aurelia. With her birth news from the west arrives: Gallia and Britannia are sinking into chaos. In the time between the first and the second letter the, as the tribes at the Rhenus already knew Eucherius and Constantinus are dead they decided to break free. As Theodavin heard that the great general died he also broke with Rome and appointed an emperor himself. The Silingi are marching to the south in the hope to gain land at the Rhodanus or in Italia.


Serenus travels to Condate, here in the north-west of Gallia the mighty of Aremorica meet. Serenus speaks on the forum. He reminds the Romans that the east left them alone, that they are now nothing but a civilised island in a barbarian sea. He talks about how Gerontius, the king of Hispania, hold out against the Goths for years in a similar situation. He compares the situations. The king was on the right way before inner enemies overthrew him. Gerontius was the re-newer of Roman culture. He tells him that his father sacrificed himself for the Romans and was betrayed by the empire. His grandfather Stilicho died in the battle for the ungrateful imperial scum. Serenus talks about that the world lost the paragon of virtue. He held his dying body in his arms. Eucherius whispered in his son’s ear with the last power of his lungs: “Don’t follow the sinners, pray to god and lead just.” Serenus pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket - it is Theodosius’ second letter – reads the lines and asks if they shall follow the tyrants of Constantinopolis. The crowd screams, the answer is clear, never will they follow them. First the soldiers in the mass begin to shout “Lead us!” and then the rest does it with them. The empire is doomed, the imperial body is rotting. “I will be your king!”


In his speech Serenus agitated against the Germans but that doesn’t stop him from supporting the Saxons, especially his brother-in-law Luitgard. The dux is leading troops at the Ligara. His goal is to advance to the south and stop the Goths before they can expand northwards. Theodavin and his men are busy near the Alps, where the Silingi on their march to the south cause problems. The Huns that were settled in Lusitania gain control of the most of the western peninsula in the meantime. With the winter and the new year of 439 Britannia is now finally sinking into anarchy. The Britannian Saxons have enough of their cold, inhospitable home in the west of the island. They begin to march towards the south-east. Also their cousins at the northern frontier quit the service. On their plundering way they pass Eboracum but spare it. With the city Ambrosius, who adopted the title of Augustus, is saved. He claims together with the young Severinus the rule over the empire but de facto rules only the north-east of Britannia, not even Londinium is under his control. As king Serenus’ men left the city to fight in Gallia, the inhabitants of the city appointed their own emperor: a man named Valerius Basiliscus.


The year 439 is a year of war, especially in the west. In the summer the Silingi pass the Alps and ally with their cousins in Africa. With Alemannian support they beat the imperial troops near the Padanus and advance south. Rome falls. At the end of October the most of the land is in barbarian hand. The kings of the Silingian Vandals and the African Vandals meet in Rome, the birthplace of the empire. Geiseric and his Italian counterpart decide to appoint an emperor - just a weak puppet. He is more an Augustus of the Vandals than of the Romans. Petronius Probus is part of the gens Anicia and over several corners related to the most people of importance.


Nevertheless is he nothing but a puppet. The Vandals had to literally force him and drag him out of his house to proclaim him emperor. He is just a symbol of the Vandal-alliance in the sea of war.

__________________________________________________ __
Britannia:
Roman Britannia sunk into chaos after the events of 438: Ambrosius’ and Severinus’ empire claims the whole of Roman Britain and also of the rest of the empire. They are lucky if they can succeed with dominating the island. The northern border was left by the Saxon troops and so was Ordovicium in the west of the island. The Saxons are moving friendlier areas in the south. Around Londinium a second Emperor rose to power: Basiliscus. He gained power after the most of Serenus’ troops and left to support Serenus’ Regnum Romanorum. The wandering Saxons are probably a much bigger threat to Basiliscus’ position than his northern rivals. Also some minor factions emerged on the island since Serenus left: the region of Cantium and the land south of the delta of the Sabriana are in the hands of sympathizers of Serenus. The most eastern region of Britain is controlled by a man named Valentinus. He told Ambrosius and also Basiliscus that he would stay loyal but loyal to who? The island is a complicated mess.


Gallia:
The north of Gallia is dominated by the many petite Frankish kingdoms. Some of them are allied to Serenus’ Kingdom. They are busy with internal fights and could never really be united under one ruler. The offspring of the once mighty king Sigiric fight together in the union of Tornacum to gain domination over the other kings. South of the Franks, Serenus controls his Roman domain. The western part, Aremorica, is the most loyal one and was already ruled for many years by Serenus’ father Eucherius. Some areas in the realm enjoy some kind of autonomy: Colonia, the city is governing itself more or less, and the land at the Ligara that were freed by its population. Serenus’ brother-in-law the Saxon Luitgard rules over his tribe and advanced recently south of the Ligara to fight the Goths, which are busy in the south. At the Rhenus the Burgundians live. Their once united kingdom collapsed two years ago and they also lost their land at the Danubius. At the Arar/Saône valley the troops of Aemilius stand against all odds. Their leader is still loyal to the old Britannian emperor but doesn’t know what is happening on the island. Sooner or later his realm will fall to Serenus or the Alemannians. Latter control the Alps and Raetia. A few little kingdoms are controlling the southern Alpine passes; the rest of the land is divided between Northern and Southern Alemannia. The southern king gave his oldest son the command about the Gallian army and the land at Rhodanus to govern, whereas the king himself is leading troops to Italia. The South of Gallia is dominated by the Goths. Like his father, Himivin, Theodavin did the mistake of neglecting the northern border. The king couldn’t stop the Silingian Vandals as they marched through his land but he could secure the most of the devastated land. Nevertheless Gothic presence east of the Alps is very weak.

Hispania:
The Goths are advancing at the eastern coast, the Huns on the western. Latter were settled here after the Romans defeated Ultzindur and reconquered Constantinopolis and Roma. North of the Huns Saxons control Galicia but are unable to expand further. In the mountains many Romano-Cantabrian statelets are controlling the land. Here the Imperial presence was always pretty weak and the Cantabrians governed themselves for many decades. Only the far south is still under Imperial control.

Italia and Africa:
The north of Italia is controlled by general Avitus who acts in the name of Emperor Alexander. Alexander’s father Theodosius is the emperor of the east. The most of the peninsula and of Africa is in the hands of the Vandals. They appointed a powerless emperor to cement their alliance. The Silingian Vandals control Italia but have a hard time securing the land north of the Apennine Mountains. The older and mightier kingdom is the Hasdingian Vandal-Kingdom of Carthago. Since the foundation of the kingdom several decades have passed but with the decades also the rule over most Mauretanian tribes passed away. Especially in the west the Mauretanians are not anymore under Vandal authority. Emperor Petronius Probus is a Vandal prisoner in the city of Roma. The city is not part of one of the Vandal kingdoms but its ports are controlled by the Silingi.

The East:
In what was once Pannonia two Hunnic groups founded independent states and so did the Germanic Rugii. The most of the Huns are still united under their king Ultzindur, but his empire got smaller in the last years. In the moment he has to fight Transcarpathian statelets and warlords which broke free from his rule. Their population is very divers and consist of Romans, Goths, Huns, Alans, Gepids and many other peoples. The Crimea is controlled by a Gothic group. The Bosporian Kingdom is their vassal. In the Caucasus region Armenia is the strongest power, runner up is the expanding Iberia. Armenia was freed from Persian rule by the Romans in the 420s.

Chapter XXIII: The King of the Romans


“Everything that happened, happened for a reason and this reason is nothing less than the will of the almighty. In these times he is putting us to the proof. From all sides the enemy is sweeping in our land. The world seems to crumple but be sure this is nothing but the test of our faith! Don’t lose your hope, when you face the horde sinners and pagans. The Lord is with us.” – Idilus, Bishop of Eboracum

The people of Rome were once proud to have no king anymore. The world changes and so do names. No king might have been the tyrant of the Romans but that doesn’t mean that no yoke lay upon them in the last thousand years. Dictators, consuls and emperors: they all gained rule over the republic and were nothing short of tyrants. Nero, Sulla or Tarquinius; emperor, dictator or king. What does the title matter?


Serenus calls himself a king and many others do so but he is careful with the title around his more Roman soldiers. Using it too much would seem arrogant. The legend of the last Roman king spreads through the rows of soldiers. The myth of Tarquinius the Proud can be deadly for whoever claims kingship. Serenus is a proud but charismatic person and knows how to act humble and modest when the situation demands it. That is his luck and gift. Many would have lost reason and would have died through their own men’s sword.


The king’s brother Romanus fled with wife and child from Italia. The imperial lands are not safe for anyone - war is the ruler of the empire’s heartland – and especially dangerous for one whose brother is king and rebel. They went through the land of the Alemannians, allies of the kingdom, and followed the way of Serenus’ army northwards. In the land of the defeated Franks the brothers meet again. It is the first time Romanus experiences the terror of war and the cruelty of the victor. The clan of the Sigerici lost three kings in the Roman campaign, all brothers, and the only surviving one had to bow down to Serenus. The heads of two of his brothers are pierced on pikes. Their skin looks like wax and their eyes are lifeless. One of them has a smashed jaw. His maimed mouth seems to slide out of his face and blood covers a third of the cold white skin. The third brother fell two months ago in battle. His head was also impaled but after a few days he begun to stink and became home to hundreds of insects. Serenus ordered to strip the meat from the Frank’s skull. The servants did as ordered and cut the flesh from the bone, threw it away with eyes and hair and cleaned the king’s remains. As his soldiers brought him the last of the four kings, he showed him the pierced heads of his brothers, then opened a little wooden chest, took out a bundle, removed the layer of cloth and presented the third head to the last brother. King Serenus told him that he sleeps better when he knows his enemies lay in a chest under his bed but that he is also a very generous man. He told him to take the skull as a present and run for his life, the other two he would keep for himself and he would always leave two places under his bed free, should he ever see him again.


Romanus and his family left the army one month later. It was the spring of 441 as they arrived in Condate Redonum. With the rise of the king came also the fall of many old elites. Romanus always saw himself as an upper class citizen of Rome but now he is prosecutes his brother’s enemies, mostly Senators and rich landowners. They often don’t accept the rule of the kingdom and so they must die. It hurts his heart a bit to wipe out whole families that believe in the same things he once believed, but times change and the old ideals are now burden and danger for the new order. Nevertheless could Romanus convince Serenus to establish an own Senate to increase the kingdom’s legitimacy. The brothers named over 500 men for the Senate, mostly old companions of their father and local elites. Many will come to Redonum but others won’t. Some died in battle before the news reached them, some couldn’t be found and some don’t want to come. As the winter came the first arrived and showed that north-western Gallia was certainly the quietest place in the whole west in these years, nowhere else could someone have gathered hundreds of people for a pseudo-political Senatorial theatre play. Italia suffered as the Imperial Roman army marched to the south, just to be stopped near Rome and to be pushed north again by the Vandals. Also in the south of Gallia the people experience the terror of war. The land around the Rhodanus is the battle ground of the Goths, Alemannians and Imperials. In Hispania the last army of the empire was smashed by Huns and Goths and the whole peninsula sinks into chaos. The northern most part of the West, Britannia, sees the rise and fall of tribes and states, dukes and kings, every month. Ambrosius and the young Severinus hold on their petite empire around Eboracum, even if it loses land constantly. Basiliscus’ realm in the south is falling apart and he is awaiting his death in the city of Londinium. The Saxons, now split in three groups, have reached the southern coast and little kingdoms rise out of the ashes of the devastated land.

MAP OF BRITANNIA 441 AD:

1. Votadini

2. Land of the Passes (Brinicia)

3. North-western Kingdoms*

4. Land of the Sea Folk (Mortrebatia)

5. Kingdom of Elmet

6. Empire of Ambrosius and Severinus

7. Valens’ Eastern Army**

8. Marianus’ Southern Army**

9. Hibernian Kingdoms*

10. Western Kingdoms*

11. Land of Viroconium

12. Kingdom of Demetia

13. South-western Kingdoms*

14. Eastern Kingdoms*

15. Claudius’ Realm

16. Valentinus’ Realm

17. Sabinus’ Realm

18. Empire of Basiliscus

19. Cantian Army

20. Land of the Regini

21. Kingdom of Dumnonia

22. Gitriuvi (Loyal Saxons)

23. Suthsaxni (Southern Saxons)

24. Æstsaxni (Eastern Saxons)

25. Saxon devastation

___Predominantly Romano-Britannic self-perception
___Predominantly Roman self-perception
___Predominantly Celtic self-perception
___Predominantly Saxon self-perception

*This areas have a kind of common identity/heritage or are close to unification
**Loyal to Ambrosius and Severinus


Chapter XXIV: The Legacy


“I am the emperor and my word is law. It is law in the issues of state as of religion and bishops talk and speak but in the end it will be my decision witch beliefs are true one and witch false, witch teaching to follow and with to ban. I rule over land and people and over all priests that are in it and under them. The heretics that flee and hide will be found and judged by me on earth or by god in heaven.” – Theodosius II

Thessalonica. It is the autumn of 442 AD. They came from far lands, over dangerous streets and wild seas to the old city at the Aegean. Priests and bishops from all over the world gather here under the protection of emperor Theodosius II to fight for the true teachings Christianity. Most came from the east and less from the west; the war is forcing them to stay home. The old irascible Cyrillus of Alexandria was the first patriarch to arrive with his Egyptian priests and bishops in the city of Thessalonica. His colleague and friend Dioscorus of Constantinopolis came shortly after with his company and so did their greatest enemy the Bishop of Rome, Ignatius. The latter may be the highest-ranking of them but he and his bishops are clearly the minority as long as the last patriarch and his Syrian company aren’t there yet. Nestorius of Antiochia is late. Ignatius, as the most important patriarch, is the assembly’s president but doesn’t dare to open the council yet.


Two weeks pass. The bishop of Rome didn’t sleep well for days. In his nightmares he sees the faces of Cyrillus and Pontianus, the city commandant. Both are old man and short tempered. The first can barely walk; the latter on the other hand has always a firm tread. As long as Nestorius and his company aren’t in Thessalonica, the patriarch would fight a lost battle. They have simply different beliefs. The council and the city are guarded by Pontianus and his men, but he becomes impatient. He might fear to die before the council even begun. He has better things to do than watching over some priests and their machinations. The army in Italia is fighting against the Germans and the Persian border was quiet for much too long. Empress Ascenia insisted that especially her favorites Cyrillus and Dioscorus should be guarded well. Pontianus served many years loyal for the emperor and his family. He was not much more than a child as he fought his first battle. Every day he sends a report to Constantinopolis. Every day it says the same: nothing new, the Bishop of Rome doesn’t want to open the council. Every day! He has enough. Ignatius gets four days than the council must begin. Should he refuse to open it on the fifth day he will be imprisoned.


The patriarch is nervous. He came all the way from Rome and was lucky to even be able to travel. Not many from the west came. Not many are on his side right now. Nestorius and his company are not here. If they don’t come in the next days he has to preside over his own excommunication. Dioscorus will call him a heretic and pagan and the old man from Alexandria will just sit there and smile. Rumours already spread out of the enemy’s mouth into the streets of the city. The people say he denies the divinity of Christ, that he is an Arian like the murdering and plundering Goths, possessed by evil spirits and that he spits on the image of Maria, the mother of Christ. Three days pass and the city gate opens. Soldiers ride banners carrying through the gate. People look out of their windows. Pontianus has prepared everything. The rooms are ready. Food and wine are in place. All the luxuries of Thessalonica were gathered in the city’s palace for this event. Emperor Theodosius, Empress Ascenia and their daughter Aurelia come to watch over the council. The emperor wants to oversee the council himself. It will open tomorrow.


Ignatius is desperate. The sun sets. Only one day left. Theodosius might even enjoy how the patriarch will get smashed like a worm. He has barely any supporters. If Nestorius doesn’t appear in the city tomorrow, he is lost. He can’t fall asleep. He prays for a wonder. It is in the middle of the night. Someone hits on the door of his room. It is his deacon Ioannes. A ship has arrived in the harbour. Nestorius is finally here. The sun rises. The bishop of Rome did not sleep this night but he is not tired now. The heavy wooden doors of the church open. Through windows falls sunlight into the basilica. The bishops enter. They seat on two opposing sites of the big hall. At the end of the hall sits the emperor himself on a luxuriant throne. The heavy wooden doors close and it becomes afternoon. The emperor is bored. A little golden cross hanging on a silver chain is dangling from his whist. His fingers play with the silver chain and his earns don’t listen to what the bishops say. Mother of God, bearer of God, mother of Christ, God, man, God-man. Theodosius is not interested in religion. For him Christ was God in the shape of a man. He doesn’t understand what there is to talk about. Ignatius has the word. He quotes the never finished works of bishop Augustinus of Hippo but Dioscorus calls them heresy. The emperor’s childhood friend was also called Augustinus. He wonders was happened to him. It was maybe ten years ago he saw him the last time. The geriatric bishop of Alexandria is muttering something. His pale dry lips vibrate when he whispers something to the men around him. His appearance disgusts the young emperor. He was not as skeleton-like a few years ago as he met him in Alexandria. The old one is the winner today and the winner forever. Ignatius and Nestorius just don’t know that yet. The wooden doors open. The bishops go to the inns and houses they stay at. Some leave the basilica with a bad feeling.


The sun is setting. Nemeus is sitting on the latrine. The other soldiers have to wait because of him. It is diarrhoea. The unit were ready to go as he run suddenly to the toilet. The other group already went. He hears his comrades shouting from the outside. His belly still hurts. Not really done yet but they have to go. Moonlight is shining upon the cobblestone streets of the city. The others are probably already at Ignatius’ house. The inn Nestorius is staying at is still quite far away. The city is asleep. No clouds cover the sky tonight. It hurts. He should have sat longer. Pain forces him to stop and the rumbling of the entrails makes his legs shake. He can’t hold it back. They help him back to where they came from. He will clean himself. The others go.


It smells like vomit and faeces in the room. The sun is rising over the horizon. Kids play on the streets and their mothers whisper. Nevertheless is it weirdly quiet. Nemeus’ comrades should be up already but no one out there is talking. The door is not closed but barely leaned on and a beacon of light shines through the gap between door and frame. The women call for their children. The beacon of light disappears and shadows pass by. The rusty hinges of the door squeak. Five men enter the room. First two pairs of normal soldiers, none of them from his unit. Behind them enters a man 65 years of age the room. His clothes are finer than anything Nemeus would ever wear and his salary worth more than his life. The old one is biting on the right part of his lower lip. His face is red and his eyes awake but his body is gaunt, his hair is grey and his fingers nothing more but skin covered bones. The old man stands straight. Two of the soldiers drag Nemeus out on the street. They kick him in the stomach. The women bring their children inside. Nemeus tries to crawl but he feels a soldier’s boot on his back and shortly after another’s in his side. His face lies on the cobber stone of the street. The old man pushes Nemeus head with his boot so that he turns around and speaks:


“You are the scum of the earth. Not even the dirtiest of all pigs lay in their waste like that. They have the decency to move their bodies to a place free from shit and puke. They would be disgusted by you. I bet no man and no pig did want to give and share food with you so you ate the sewage from the street and destroyed your guts. I do not even care what the hell you did that you shitted yourself like that. Your mother might care but I fucking don’t! Ashamed would she be if she knew what you are doing. I bet she would die of shame! We will find her and tell her everything about her disgusting son of a bitch. People like you are like a disease, a terrible disgusting disease. You are a fucking worm. I slit the throats of scum like you. Look at you! What a goddamn mess you are. Would I’ve found you like that on the battlefield, I would have fucking killed you because you are a shame to the empire and a danger to your comrades. 45 years ago was I a young man a soldier like you. The air was cold and salty and it smelt like dried blood. It was a lost battle but every man that died that day was a better one than you filthy son of a bitch. I survived and dragged my wounded and blood covered body to the edge of the woods. My friends died that day. Our general was weak like you. He led us into a battle we could only loose. He was as dangerous as you are but he didn’t stink like fucking shit. I found that bastard in the woods and he was lying in the mud. His horse died on the battlefield and he had lost his sword and helmet. I slit his throat because he cried like a pathetic bitch and I promised myself I would slit the throat of everyone who cries like that after leading his men into disaster. You know what? You brought disaster to your unit. Nestorius is gone, is on a ship to somewhere and it is your entire goddamn fault. You are a fucking failure! I will look in your eyes and if you cry I will kill you. I swore it by the last tears of my general; I swore it for the empire. This is what I promised every worm. This is the legacy of Stilicho.”

Attachment 1

The Roman Empire in the year 435 with focus on the west:

The Empire:
Blue/Purple: Theodosian (Eastern) Empire
-Bright Purple: Foederati

Red/Orange: Constantinian (Western) Empire
-Orange: Foederati
-Light Orange: Goths

Vandalian Kingdom: Green

Burgundian Kingdom: Light Green


Attachment 2

Every chapter covers two years. The next parts of the timeline will be more character driven and will show the cultures of the different parts of the world.