Relics of Rome, or Savage Tribes in Countless Numbers

[Zuvarq]

I'll compare the vague idea of the future of this TL, with the one of the 'Mega-Normandy' one. Which sounds better.

Relics of Rome:
- As expected, lots of different interesting peoples in different places.
- Eastern Roman Empire messed up by Attila (takes advantage of an earthquake or three) and the Persians, but rises up later and almost reunites the Empire. Fractures in civil war.
- United Hispania, for a time.
- Analogue to the Muslims (not the Zoharists, though. They'll rise in Arabia this time, not Mesopotamia/Persia/the Levant)
- Age of Berber conquests. Prior to the alternate version of Islam.
- Much different Frankish empire (hint hint: not the Salians) still has all the features that make the Scandinavians want to attack. Viking Age still occurs.
- Saxons raid almost as much as the Vikings.
- Later on, several heresies of Christianity and the alt-Muslims. One leads to a huge revolution of serfs across Central Europe. It is quelled but in the aftermath the Church is very weakened.
- Turks take the place of Mongols.
- The alternate Thais (basically a group of southward moving South Chinese/Yunnanese) become a horde ravaging Southeast Asia.

Mega-Normandy (Whatever the TL is called):
- Large Normandy that eventually conquers and becomes France.
- Normans still unite Sicily.
- Muslim Turks take over the Khazars, and then the Kievan Rus
- Analogue Seljuk Empire is even larger than OTL. It's so overextended that the Byzantine Emperor and the Crusaders reconquer all former Christian areas except Egypt, and the Byzantines even sack Baghdad (but don't keep it).
- Nubians conquer Egypt after a Fatimid Pyrrhic victory against the Crusaders in the Delta.
- A taifa whose ruler converts to Christianity ends up uniting Spain years afterward.
- Mongol analogue. Not sure about the specifics.
- Vinland analogue populated first by Greenlanders, then exiled pagans, then Anglo-Saxon knights and nobles exiled after the Norman conquest of England.
- New Mali.
- The Gypsies become the last migrating conquerors in Europe. Might team up with, or even assimilate into, the oppressed Jews.
- Fourth Abrahamic religion arises in either southern Spain, or Egypt.

 

[Berserker]

Both?

 

[Roach]

"Mega-Normandy" seems interesting, and very different for a timeline.

 

[Zuvarq]

Chapter 2: ROMANS IN ROME

Part 1: Attempted Retribution

In the early months of 415, Honorius died of a rare, unidentified disease. However, since he died in house arrest as a puppet of the Visigoths, many suspected that he had been poisoned.

Theodosius II, Emperor in the East, used this as an opportunity. He immediately affirmed that he was the only legitimate Emperor. And he planned to invade Italy and reconquer Rome itself. But since he was only fourteen and his rule was dominated by his sister, that plan had to wait.

He did, however, send envoys with his troops and generals to Africa and southern Gallia to assure that Dardanus and Apringius would stay loyal to Rome--the real one ruled from Cosntantinople, not the illegitimate Gothic one. Ironically, Theodosius secured the loyalty of both prefectures, but didn’t secure the loyalty of either prefect. Apringius had been enjoying his relative autonomy, so he refused. As soon as he did, Eastern troops, who had concealed themselves, marched in and, Apringius troops except for two guards having been tricked to leave, he was ‘replaced’ with a certain Hadrianus. As for Dardanus, he was tired of fighting usurpers and barbarians and retired to live a religious life--he was replaced by a Symmachus.

The grain shipments from Africa to Rome were cut off. This forced Ataulf to put down riots in the city. He then went straight back to Ravenna, realizing that if he departed to conquer Africa, he would be usurped at home and stranded fighting large Eastern armies.

In mid-416, Theodosius II’s regency ended. And thus, a few months later, the invasion of Italy commenced. The homeland would be in Roman hands once again, after a three-pronged invasion.

In the beginning, the Romans did not face many difficulties, occasionally taking settlements without resistance. A magister militum in the east, Ardaburius, as well as his son Vitalian, invaded Italy from Dalmatia, reacquiring Aquilea and Patavium. Anatolius and Castinus, the former a diplomat-general in the East and the latter once a patrician in Honorius’ court who escaped after Gothic conquest, invaded Apulia. They liberated Hydruntum, Tarentum, and Barium marching northwest. Lastly, prefect of Africa and theoretically of Italy, Hadrianus, as well as the Goth Sarus, who had betrayed and helped Rome at various times, invaded Sicily. Sarus was trusted this time because he aimed to replace Ataulf with Sigeric, and he and Hadrianus took without much effort Lilybaeum, Agrigentum, Syracusae, and Messina.

Then fates changed. Castinus had to be relocated to Hispania to deal with Maximus Tiranus. Anatolius, nonetheless, marched to Beneventum. A Gothic general, Wallia, commanding a large army of Goths, flanked Anatolius’ army and nearly annihilated it, Anatolius barely getting out alive. Theodoric, another Gothic general and illegitimate son of Alaric, attempted to flank Ardaburius’ army while they traversed the wetlands north of Ravenna, but failed. Ataulf, however, reinforced him and the battle was a draw. Ardaburius and Theodoric then battled over Bononia and Faventia. Ataulf seemed to disappear at this time. In the south, Sarus assassinated Hadrianus in the night and then escaped northward. He met with Sigeric in Rhegium and planned to reconquer Sicily from the north.

Then Ataulf returned, having hired Alemanni, Juthungi, and Marcomanni mercenaries, all three tribes having recently moved into sub-Roman regions north of the Alps, to bolster the Visigoths in their conflict with Rome. He promised them land and whatever treasures they could take from the Roman troops.

He won a devastating victory against Ardaburius, then sent Theodoric south.

 

[Zuvarq]

Not a flashy continuation, and the writing style kind of sucks but this is really complicated stuff. And I just restarted. Once I get back into the TL and it's more distant from the POD it'll be better.

Also, here's a useful map for reference when I say Latin city names.

 

[Berserker]

Not a flashy continuation, and the writing style kind of sucks but this is really complicated stuff. And I just restarted. Once I get back into the TL and it's more distant from the POD it'll be better.

Also, here's a useful map for reference when I say Latin city names.

stil a good update!