A pagan Gaul TL

[Inarius]

As promised, the tale of one (and not two !) city !



The life in some typical cities of A Pagan Gaul TL

First city : Saintes (or Mediolanum santonum, which became Mediolanum and eventually Mediolane in this TL around the 8th century. It will lately be known as Medolane around the 15th and today Medola)

Saintes is located here that is to say in the west of France, not far from the Garonne but not too close. A city on the Charente (a quite big river which leads to the ocean) and on one of the most important road of Gaul during the roman empire, the Via Agrippa. This road allowed people to go from Saintes to Lyon, crossing all France from west to east)
It used to be a quite big city (more or less 20 000 people) during the roman empire, and today OTL the city still has 20 000 people. This stagnation had several reasons i won’t develop here.


Why Saintes ?

- Saintes was a typical medium romanized city, and experience in OTL all the events of the roman empire (barbarians, christianity, barbarians again, wars, etc.).
- Saintes missed its destiny because of other cities, mainly Poitiers and Bordeaux. But here, the region experienced some major events and this changed what we could expect.
- Because i know very well this city, so it will be easier

Saintes lost most of its power during the crisis of the IIIth century. Barbarians attacked the coasts, and the city had to build new rampart to protect the heart of the city. Until the 6th century, the decline was important, as in OTL. Fields were abandoned, and the city was left by its richest part, who preferred to live in great villae around in the hills. After the independence of Aquitania (469), Saintes became more attractive because it wasn’t a distant city but not very far from Bordeaux, Poitiers, Limoges and the sea. First, as Aquitania was building an army (remember the battle of Aurosio and the clever king Baedas II) , Baedas needed cities to train armies. In Saintes, the life changed with the new camp. The port renewed and was always full of boats from the sea, containing iron, weapons, wood. The large field around were occupied again to feed the people. The city laid on the other bank of the Charente, and new rampart was needed. But it wasn’t a city. It was a mixture of a camp, and some part of an old city and ruins.
When new strongholds were built on the Ebro by Julius around 650, it’s the Crazannes stones which were used. This stone very famous was used to build OTL the Statue of Liberty, or the Fort Boyard. But it was already used during the roman period and the middle age. Thanks to the money of the kingdom, the region became increasingly rich. And it became even richer after, as when Bordeaux became a duchy in the late 7th century, the Crazannes stone was in fashion and was used for the new official buildings (this is quite weird, as stones were cheap and common around Bordeaux). The merchants came back to Saintes, and of course with them a lot of slaves, common people who served them.

We don’t have so many sources for the 8th century. All we know is that the military camp was more or less abandoned first, as the war against arabians was too far, but was soon refurbished in 720 in the end of the war, when it became clear that Arabians were about to take Bordeaux and even more.
A big castle was then built between 718 and 722 on the Charente, and Saintes was very well placed, only at 50km of the Gironde, and 100km of Bordeaux. The city became more and more militarized, and the southern bank was abandoned (because it wasn’t protected). The lands controlled by the lord of Saintes had the size of the OTL western part of the Charente + Charente Maritime.
The castle was enlarged in 737 to prevent a bigger invasion. But the southern part and the fields around were pillaged and looted in 769 by the arabians (see, the war of Garonne). But the looters didn’t dare to besiege or attack the castle.
Mediolanum was a city of wine during the roman era. But with the crisis, the camp and the stones, wine was less important than it used to be. And thanks to the Gods ! But the end of the 8th century was hard to Saintes. With the blockade against the arabians, all the trade with the south is impossible, the loot of 769, and the oil/wine crisis the turn of the 8th century wasn’t the best time for the city. One can also note that the Arlesian art arrived very soon in Mediolanum, in 790 for the festa romana which celebrated the birth of....Gallia IV. The economy only took off again in 817, after this same Galia IV accepted to open the frontier for trade. He became so famous for doing that that a statue of him was built to thanks him ! We can also note that the ambassador that Gallia IV sent in 809 to Al-Tolosa came from Saintes ! You can now understand why Gallia IV was so loved in Medola and still a legend today.

After these events, nothing happens for nearly one century. The city remained quite big, even if it was limited by its military aspect (rampart, castle, camp). Two signs of the reconciliation between Gallia and the arabians : a muslim district appeared in 910 and a part of the castle was abandoned in 928. A third sign that the roman era is really finished is the open of a new market and warehouses in the southern part of the Charente (using the stones of the abandoned house) for celtic products.
Saintes could have become a major trading platform for the very renowned celts craft works to the arabians (a little like Lyon or Orléans). But the celtic boats could directly go to Bordeaux by the Gironde. However, at least, it became a way for celtic products (some so far than Dublin, Cardiff or Southampton) in Gallia. The war in the eastern part of Gallia made the western city more independent, even if Mediolanum was less important than Nantes. It was second in size, with a population estimated to 30 000 inhabitants at the beginning of the 9th century.

At last, the 10 and 11th century. During this time, Saintes was quite protected from evergetism and reached the population of 50 000.Perhaps it was a sort of memory of the fear of war, which led richest people to keep their money. Anyway, this money was used later ! Mediolane was at that time used to a relative independence, and when Gallia V wanted to recover his power, it was very badly accepted. His son Charles IV enlarged the rampart in 1057 (a third rampart, in fact) to protect the southern part of the city. At that time, the city was called « the stone city », because there had been so many castles and ramparts that it was like the city was an enormous castle itself. It was quite funny, though, that the city had never been besieged until then ! During the first rebellion of 1063 of the northern Bordeaux and Nantes, Mediolane didn’t intervene. Perhaps because it was then rich enough (remember, they didn’t experienced a lot the period of evergetism). But anyway, most of the counterattack against Nantes came FROM Mediolane which remained loyal to the king.

But when Poitiers allied to Nantes to attack Bordeaux in 1090, Mediolane joined the Garonne league (which, if you remember, was composed of some important cities all along the Garonne such as Bordeaux (gallian part), Périgueux, Albi, Agen, Marmande). And the war was won by the league of Garonne. The castle of Saintes was besieged during 9 months when the outcome of the war was uncertain, in 1093. The castle resisted, strongly, like a rock. But eventually, Mediolane lost more or less 10 000 people. They had their revenge, with the take of Poitiers (which ended the war), in 1110, after 4 monthes of a very touchy siege (Poitiers was built on a former oppidum, flanked by cliffs). The lord of Mediolane took a great part of this, and became very popular (according to the legend, he divided all the loot equally between all the men alive and wives for those who died).

[Berserker]

Odin Thanks, I was sick today so I could sit down quet en read the entire post in one time.

awsome to read, happy to see such an amount of information

[Inarius]

I hope to have more readers, so i will now make bigger posts, and will put more links for those you would not have followed the beginning.

I also plan to create a synthesis and name the different "epoch" of this first millenary.

I have nearly finished the plan until the XIVth century. I hope this will please you.

[Berserker]

Originally Posted by Inarius

I hope to have more readers, so i will now make bigger posts, and will put more links for those you would not have followed the beginning.

I also plan to create a synthesis and name the different "epoch" of this first millenary.

I have nearly finished the plan until the XIVth century. I hope this will please you.

then lets hope for more readers

unless a ASB decides to give me an instant "multiple personality disorder"

[Inarius]

The life in some typical cities of A Pagan Gaul TL


Second « city » : Courbouzon in the Jura mountains. Why Courbouzon ? Because it’s in a very interesting place. Courbouzon is a small village (OTL : more or les 500 people in the neighborhood of Lons le Saulnier, itself not very far from Switzerland). It is typical of so many villages of this epoch in France appearing during the 8th or 9th century. This story could be the story of hundreds, or thousands of village.
The land where Courbouzon would be in centuries were dominated by Visigoths soon after the restrict of Anthemius (more or less 100 years, between 500 and 600), but they never really settled there. After 580, we can found no traces of any Visigoths here. We can imagine that the lord of Lons (Courbouzon depended of Lons) was “free” between 580 and 610. Lyon fell in 585, and before the Franks really settled, we can imagine that 25 years were necessary. But at that time Courbouzon was nothing.

The first real trace of urbanization was in 730/740. At that time, Franks had invaded our OTL Switzerland. The Lake Léman was controlled by Franks, nearly 100km at the south of Courbouzon. For that they needed wood. They cut the three around Lons, and then the lands were cleared.
In 750, some settlers settled there. They were mostly loggers who used “La Vallière” to send trees to Lons le Saulnier or by mule. The small entity grew, and there were 100 people in 850. At that time, as the western Francia is not yet independent, but already autonomous, Lons was growing fast and needed more than trees. After 850, there were also cows, some horses and even some wheat here. In 900 Courbouzon reached 300 people and had an Odin temple ! The 10th century and its miraculous hot climate pushed Courbouzon to 500 people and had 1 house made of stone, and perhaps some soldiers. We found many weapons in Courbouzon, anyway. Perhaps as a form of cult for the god of war, perhaps to defend themselves against wolves or bears perhaps because the common law (salic law) allowed a level of violence (more or less like “vendettas”). The first quotation of Courbouzon was in 999 in a small text about Lons, speaking of a vendetta.

This story is quite complicated. As you may know, in Frank justice (and unlike what Christianity imposed after) what is important is what you have DONE, and not what you tried to do.
For example, imagine that you want to rape a woman. You are found in the house before you reach the bedroom of the lady. Well, then you have to pay a fine. But if you wanted to speak to the lord of the house without being allowed to you could have the same penalty.
In the Frank law, no distinction was done between a murder and a manslaughter. You have killed a man, and that’s all. Anyway, the penalty for killing a man is just money. But if you stole, then you could have the hand/penis/head/legs/feet/whatever cut. This is the second important thing of the Frank law. In a world where the people could die so easily, THINGS were more important than LIVES. What is important was the FAMILY and its belongings. And third and last part of this small course about Frank justice is that women were part of this belongings. If you killed a woman, you had the same penalty than if you raped her (a fine, because you attacked their belongings and not their lives!!!). Not for the crime, but because you wasted what she could have brought to the clan (an alliance with another clan, or money, or goods). A non-virgin women was like a dead woman. Killing a virgin woman = 100 of their currency. Killing a non virgin woman = 50. Killing a pregnant woman (boy) : 200. Killing a pregnant woman (girl) = 100. That’s the end of the “course” about Franks. Let’s come back to the story.
In Courbouzon, a young boy was in love with one of the girls of the principal clan. He saw her several time secretly, but was caught in the house. Then he had two choices. Either paying the fine or marry her. But his clan (from Macornay a “village” distant of 1 km) was lesser than the one of Courbouzon. So Wulf (head of the clan from Courbouzon) asked more money to accept the marriage, and the clan of Macornay refused. Then, as the young boy couldn’t pay the fine or pay the marriage, he became a slave of Wulf. Of course, you can imagine that Eldruth (head of the clan from Macornay) didn’t accept that, so he launched the vendetta. He ambushed and killed 2 sons of the Wulf clan, and (even if it was forbidden), he planted their head on pikes. Of course, you can imagine that the young boy was killed. As well as another some of the Eldruth clan. But Wulf considered then that Eldruth had to pay the fine ! Logical, no ? They lost 2 people of their family each other, but Wulf had lost a slave !

That’s how he asked for justice in Lons to make Eldruth pay for the murder of a slave. “A slave” was an object, and so Eldruth had to pay.
The people of Courbouzon were considered as “Latin Franks”, and the arlesian art was present (in 804 in Lons). Obviously, when Franks split Courbouzon as well as Lons were on Lyonnais side in 1005. At that time, Courbouzon was one of the villages which provided fresh food to Lons. They had small other activities, but 90% was agriculture. During the 11th century, Courbouzon lost 20% of its population, because of the war. Even if it was very far from the war (Lyon was never really invaded, and the nearest the ennemies arrived was Dijon, distant of 100km. But Lons participated at the battle of Dijon (the battle of Dijon was one of the greatest battle which ended the 3rd siege of Dijon in 1020-1021. The siege lasted 7 months, and the city was about to surrender when a big army from Lyon arrived and vanquished the army from Reims). And they also used men from the villages around, including Courbouzon.
That’s all we know of Courbouzon, probably around 800-900 people in 1100.

Of course this is less than Mediolanum, but it’s also a very small village and it lived appart from time and « History ».
What changed in 700 years is size (from 100 to 900 people), the arrival of a priest of Odin and of some other gods (we don’t know who), a blacksmith, a leather worker and a « « mayor » », who was here to do justice (he arrived after the incident between the Eldruth and the Wulf clans, probably at the very end of the 10th century or at the very beginning of the 11th century). The common law was an oral law, and everything was learnt by heart. This « mayor » was also here to ensure that the taxes were paid.

[Berserker]

Damm..its detailed

like it

certainly the way how you explain frankish justice
very good

[Inarius]

This if from "history of private life" i read before i began to write this.

But it has changed a little, as time has passed (the Frank law slowly mixted with roman law under the influence of the church in OTL)

[Berserker]

Originally Posted by Inarius

This if from "history of private life" i read before i began to write this.

But it has changed a little, as time has passed (the Frank law slowly mixted with roman law under the influence of the church in OTL)

aaahhh...alright

[Inarius]

The life in some typical cities of A Pagan Gaul TL



Third city, Arthenac is a village that you can only find on this TL. Is is situated near from « La Franceule », a little village near Janzé, in Brittany.
Why this village ? First to continue the series after Saintes and Courbouzon (Saintes/Gallia and Courbouzon/Franks). Here, we are in Britonia (even if it was briefly Frank).
Why this village ? Because as the other examples, it’s symptomatic. And telling its story is telling all the stories and however it's also a part of the History.


I hope you will like it.


Arthenac, as its name indicates (the name in –ac are mostly former roman villae) was built by a roman, Arthenus around the 1st century. The first villae was near a loop of the Seiche a small river which went to the Vilaine. It was populated with slaves who worked here for their dominus, who lived probably in Rennes.
After the crisis of the IIIrd century, it was fortified and lived in self-sufficiency . We didn’t discover anything abnormal of this period.
It was looted during the first invasion of the Breton. They probably arrived in 593 (we surprisingly found an inscription on a wall which alluded to ennemies, and was dated -18th year of the local lord-. This is very rare in the late roman world ). The first wave of Briton settled in Janzé. Arthenac was still occupied by a gallo-roman lord (who was, after so many years, more roman than gallo !). The relationships between Britons and Gallo roman were not very good at the beginning. This period lasted until 682 the war against Franks and the treaty of Rennes. As you can see, the new frontier was very near Janzé. And Arthenac became Frank, for a very short time. As soon as 692, it was taken back. But at that time, there was still a clear difference between the Britons and the gallo-roman. This difference was destroyed with the second wave of immigration due to the collapse of the Britannia. The Briton (who lived here for more than one century) moved further in the south while new waves, much more numerous, arrived. That’s how the small community living around the villae became a bigger community, to the point where it’s called village. But at the same time, the people living in the villae were threatened by the new comers. They had power they had lands they had their own guards. Quickly, most people in the village speak the language of these new comers. Last writings in vulgar latin were dated of 780. The culture shifting took less than 80 years. We can deduct two things. First that this second wave of immigration (from 730 to 830) was important in number, and second that the pre-britonic Brittany wasn’t so populated.


The villae of Arthenac fell into ruin probably during the middle of the 9th century. The organization of a villae wasn’t traditional among the Celts. The village around Arthenac (which was renamed Artenos, because the Celts didn’t understood Arthenac but used Art-nos, Art was more or less the bear and -nos a common suffix). The village around took the stones of the villae to build the village in stones, even if its greatest part was still in wood. The celtic renaissance, as elsewhere was a movement of affirmation of a new culture, and meant really that the old world (post-roman) was gone. With the enlargement of Rennes, Janzé and its region became an area of production of food to feed the capital city. Artenos reached its biggest size around 900, with 800 people. It was still a small village, but at that time 800 people was already a big village. A druid was living here permanently as soon as 880, and was teaching. The craftmen society appeared also around 920, when a small tannery was founded on the ruins of the villae. Most tanners were ariovir and lived freely. The first decline of the village was around 1000. It was first nothing but Janzé was becoming a big village (well, a small city, around 2000), and was recruiting warriors for the war in Cornwall. The ariovir went for money and glory settle around the big strongholds in Cornwall. Artenos was still here, but not its best part…
Life continued…but Artenos disappeared suddenly in 1108. This is why it is so interesting for archaeologists today. The village in ruins was forgotten by everybody and we found all the stuff and traces of the traditional life in Artenos. This collapse was in two times. First in 1042-1043 during the great famine. Rennes was too big, and the drought of 1042 followed by the harsh cold of the winter 1042-1043 was a disaster. People of Rennes fled and installed in campaign for food. And the villagers weren’t prepared for that. When they left in 1044, they were only 600 people left (and probably only 400 of “real” people from Artenos) some villagers came back to Rennes with them for a hope of a better life, and Artenos only maintained a small population of 300.



Second and final collapse was around 1149. During the war of the south and the north the troops of an aristocrat (perhaps the lord of Orléans himself) which wanted to besiege Rennes arrived in Janzé. They looted and killed everybody. This is one of the most tragic episode of the war. And Artenos became legend….and forgotten.

[Berserker]

Interesting update
well written

Second and final collapse was around 1149. During the war of the south and the north the troops of an aristocrat (perhaps the lord of Orléans himself) which wanted to besiege Rennes arrived in Janzé. They looted and killed everybody. This is one of the most tragic episode of the war. And Artenos became legend….and forgotten.

always liked a good legend

[Inarius]

At last, the tale of a last city. A real city this time.



The life in some typical cities of A Pagan Gaul TL

Last city : Amiens

Amiens, unlike the other examples (except perhaps Saintes), was already a big city when the TL begins. We know that it was probably around 20 000 before the 3rd century crisis. After, perhaps the half. But it was strong and still dominated all the region. The 4th-5th century is not well known, as the city enlarged a lot after this and destroyed its archaeological traces. The city was perhaps more or less the same size (15000) when the Franks arrived in 580. Childebert II the king decided to establish a part of its court here, hence the fact that it was spared from looting. The “road of wall” phenomenon and the plague killed a third/a half of the city as well as the population. The beginning of the Frank era wasn’t the best for Amiens, which was only the shadow of what it used to be. The war and the counterattack against pirates and britons during the 7th century gave to Amiens a second chance. The trade of grain soon made of Amiens (Picardie, around Amiens, was made of good lands which produced a lot of wheat) a prosperous city. Best sign of it, weapons (swords, spears and shields) of the 8th century were found in mass. But Amiens was only a city of one activity. It wasn’t a center of power. The lord of Amiens wasn’t what it would become in the 10th century. The story of Amiens is the story of a rising star.


First, Amiens “killed” Paris with the treaty of Lyon in 779. After that, the frontier divided Paris in two, and everybody knows that a frontier city can’t be too big (because it’s too dangerous and because it’s too militarized). The same thing happened to Rouen after the same treaty. The city of Boulogne (which could have become as important as Amiens) was destroyed in 667 by the Britons, event that triggered the war and the treaty of Rennes in 682. The only city that could have matched with Amiens was Beauvais. Beauvais was, as you can see on the map, not very far from Amiens and quite as big. But this matter will only be resolved in the 10th century.


During the multiple wars of succession between the Franks in the north of France, Amiens was very wanted. It was a crossroad between the road to the sea, to the Seine, to the east. And it was strongly fortified. With all the food around, you could put a big army in it in case of a big battle. And their lords were weak. The lord of Amiens chose the Sigebertists against the Ottonians, and after the victory of the Ottonians, the land was reorganized in order to promote Beauvais (which, if you haven’t guessed, chose Ottonians). As you can see the “Amiens-Beauvais” match only began…


The sun-Odin (syncretism between the Sol and Odin) became a common figure on the wall of entrance of houses around the 8th century. This was specific to Amiens and its region. We don’t know yet why, probably linked to an event between the war between Sigebertists and Ottonians.
The treaty of Rennes made Amiens more prosperous. It had recovered fully from the post-roman period only around 870, when the city reached the population of 20 000 again. During the reign of Hugues the bald, when the economy oriented on the north rather than the south, the Therain (the river in Beauvais) wasn’t large and deep enough to take big boats. That’s how beauvais slowly declined, because it had to face the same fate than all the country around. Abandoned by the eastern Franks, the great roads of trade in the western Frank empire were less and less used whereas the sea routes (to trade with the north and the east) were more and more used. Antoine of Picardie, lord of Amiens was the man who tried to improve the city, and was at the head of the protestation against the eastern lords in 868 (coalition of Raoul). And Amiens was on the Somme, which was much bigger and allowed big boats to float. While Beauvais –which was 25 000 in 870- was around 20 000 in 1000, Amiens continued to grow, and reached 60 000 in 1000 (after 30 000 in 900). It means that during 130 years, the city progressed by a 8.8% every decade.


The most visited place in Cambrai today is the “room of the 3 lords”. In 915 the three greatest lords met to decide which city would host the head of the eastern kingdom. Of the greatest places which decided of the birth of Francia, this place is the only one visible and standing today. And Beauvais wasn’t there. It means that in only 50 years, Amiens had completely enshadowed its rival.


During the 940-953 war, Amiens was spared from battles and continued its expansion. The Briton products were in fashion and many of their boats took the Somme river until Amiens and sold their products to rich nobles or bourgeoisie. Some of their typical products can be seen in the museum.


The Lord of Amiens wanted to take the place of Reims as « head of western Franks ». But it was hard, as the Lord of Reims had the blood of kings in his vein (he was the descendant of Sigebert by Berthilde).
Even if they hadn’t the power, they had the money. Amiens was one of the city of the golden square and buildings of stone came out of nowhere, as well as a new stronghold in 975. These big cities quite independent decided to ally against eastern Franks (in case of the war would resume, which would eventually happen in 1004). This league, called today the Golden Square was made of Amiens/Calais/Laon/Paris/Rouen/Beauvais/Dieppe, etc…all these cities had one common point.
They heavily relied on the sea and to survive. They all were turned to trade, some directly (Dieppe or Boulogne were ports) or indirectly (like Amiens). This could be compared to the Hanseatic league in OTL.
During the war of the three brothers, Amiens was led by Godefroy cousin of Eustache in Dijon and also cousin of Philippe (« official » king in 1004, from Reims). Amiens had succeeded in reaching the highest step. By marrying with a son of the precedent king of Reims, the lords of Amiens had henceforth the same rights than the kings of Reims. Amiens had an advantage, not economical but political on the other cities of the golden square. And they knew it. That’s why during this war, Amiens was at the head of the league. The war ended on a statute quo (due to the Norsemen raids at the beginning) but the Picard (called Maritime Franks after that) won. Godefroy entered in Reims in 1013. You can still see the basement of the temple built in honor of this great warrior and this great battle. It is dated of 1070. The end of the war was lost (also due to the death of Godefroy in 1015), but the myth of a great warrior was born here. Reims was kept by the Maritime after the end of the war. Amiens had won !


In Amiens was built a new palace in 1050. It was one of the FIRST building of a new form of art, called “Northern Germanic” or also “Maritime”. Only a part is visible today (it was huge). And it consecrated this city –Amiens- as capital of the most prosperous northern kingdom of that era.

I have some other surprises for you after the GREAT RETURN of my TL ! (perhaps in a few weeks, i need to resolve a last issue of the 3 I presented.)

[Berserker]

Interesting update about the glorious city of amiens

The sun-Odin (syncretism between the Sol and Odin) became a common figure on the wall of entrance of houses around the 8th century. This was specific to Amiens and its region.

does he have a eight legged horse who shines like the sun??

I have some other surprises for you after the GREAT RETURN of my TL ! (perhaps in a few weeks, i need to resolve a last issue of the 3 I presented.)

and then I shall eagerly await them

[Inarius]

Mhhhh...perhaps in a later text, i should discuss on the "representation of gods in Frankish area" like I did in this one for the arabians...or perhaps more !

[Berserker]

still..it would be interesting, and I an curious about the great return of the TL

[Inarius]

Here is the map of the situation in 1150.
As you can see, the 3 Franks entities has become 2, Gallia has exploded, so did Al Tolosa (in two parts), and Britonia has IMPLODED, so i didn't draw its new frontier.
The small bug on the Loire is "Saumur"

[Inarius]

What has to be understood about this TL.

You can observe that there was a double movement.
The first one was a movement of concentration, and began immediatly after the fall of Rome.

The power were quite strong, and the territories were larger and larger.

This movement stopped dead about 850. After that, the movement of decay began.

How to explain that ?
First by economical reasons. After 850, population increased everywhere. The cost of a single man fell, and then it was easier and easier for lords to dominate their serfs. On the other hand, the price of products was getting higher and higher, because there was higher and higher demand on them.

It was much easier to make money than to make war. Before 850, you couldn't make much money with lands. War was the best way to obtain power.

This new organization bore its self-destruction in itself. Merchants used the money to build, to travel. But Nobles used it for castles, and mercenaries. The consequence was that centralized power collapsed slowly, or quickly (if it resisted, as in Gallia).

On these ruins of big kingdoms were many smaller entities appeared. Entities which would become the kingdoms of tomorrow, until the next crisis...

[Berserker]

and with that explenation, let the games begin

nice map, by the way. simple, though revealing

[Inarius]

The great century (XIII-XIVth century) and the black death. News from the former Gallia.

After the collapse of both Gallia, Franks and Al-Cordoba (see the previous texts), the movement of rebuilding was slow, harsh and difficult. All the period between 1118 (end of the decomposition of Gallia) and 1299 (conference of the eleven lords) was only small wars and regression.
Two great aggregates will dominate the next centuries. In the south, the « Garonne league » which included Saintes, Bordeaux, Limoges, Clermont (which joined in 1238) and some minor lords of al-Tolosa expanded during the XIIIth and XIVth century. In the east, the eastern roman empire (Byzance) was more and more weakened by the Turks, and therefore Montpellier lost its powerful ally. Montpellier was conquered by force during the war of nine years (1318-1327). The Garonne league was creating a new “western Gallia”, which went from Narbonne to Bordeaux, all the “northern south-west” of the former Gaul.
With the great plague (arrived in 1349, two years after in OTL) this movement stopped dead. All the movements stopped dead. The population fell more or less by 30-50%. It was both an economical, demographic political and social turmoil. But on the other hand, it helped and quickened the evolution of the territories. Al Tolosa was never very populated (because the south west is not very wealthy and rainy), and lost a lot of its population. In 1346, it accepted to join the Garonne League. More exactly, it became the vassal of the Garonne League.


In the east, Arles became a sort of city-State. Its narrow land associated with its richness, power and history helped him to build a very large naval force and influence. As soon as 1180, it bought massive amount of wood (visible in the archive museum of the city) to Clermont and sold big boats to Arabians and Byzance. The small city of OTL “Saintes marie de la mer” (which was named Ratisia, from Râ the first name of the city, and Ratis which meant boat) became a big port and the place of trade between Arles and foreign traders. Enormous shipyards were installed here and people loaded and unloaded wood from everywhere. Why Arles ? Because they KNEW how to build boats to go on the sea. And this secret was well kept…every workers could be killed if they worked for other country than Arles. Arles had the chance to be close to the Garonne League (Clermont and Montpellier), close to Marseille, the Franks (Lyon) and to the sea.
At last, Marseille. Marseille declined a lot because it didn’t reorganize well. Its status of former capital was an asset, but at the same time its land was quite poor. They could become a city-State, but its land was too large for this, and at the same time Arles was very close. This situation poisoned Marseille for at least 2 centuries, and its decline was very severe, at the point that in the end XIVth century, Marseille couldn’t be still considered as a “regional power” as it used to be.
In Italy, at last. The south was dominated by the Arabians. Rome became more or less independent. The north was controlled by post gallians/post Byzantine small state or city-State.

[Berserker]

awsome update

[Inarius]

The great century (XIII-XIVth century) and the black death. News from the former Britonia.

Britonia experienced a very difficult period between the end of the XIIth century and at least the XVth century. It seems that its economical and political model was too backward or too advanced. Well, anyway, the craftmen society which made its greatness during the Xth and XIth century collapsed and didn’t work anymore. But the structure of the society produced a sort of “middle class” and the fight between druids and nobles left many traces. The civil war was long and hard, and all parties did its best to keep the power. The economical crisis due to the collapse of Gallia and the wars in England suddenly reduced the money for everybody. And then, both druids and lords tried to maintain their power and richness. Unlike Gallia, the idea of “City-State” couldn’t develop in a celtic world (or only in Nantes, perhaps or Paris). In fact, the centralization of power couldn’t accept the idea of “independent cities” like in Gallia. Therefore, after a centralized state, there was only small villages and tribes. This was completely in accordance with the “celtic spirit”. And this disintegration also spread to southern England where small states also chose the druidic-monarchy. All the northern traditional celtic societies resisted quite well to the crisis, because they were less advanced. The Black death finished what the civil war began. But, at the same time, as its neighborhood wasn’t in best condition, nobody tried to invade “Britonia”, or what it left of it. Geography protected Britonia, because soon the poorest lands became deserts and were impenetrable moors…
Relationships between Franks and Britonia were quite limited. Cities of the golden square (Amiens,Paris,Rouen,Beauvais, etc.) retrieved some of the best craftmen from Britonia, and they had their role in the artistic evolution of XIIIth and XIVth century of the maritime Franks.