I would expect the biggest threat to come from the Visigoths. Before the Vandal invasion of Africa they were the ones who dealt more damage to Rome and the ones with the biggest ambitions, so it's worth keeping an eye on them.
I would expect the biggest threat to come from the Visigoths. Before the Vandal invasion of Africa they were the ones who dealt more damage to Rome and the ones with the biggest ambitions, so it's worth keeping an eye on them.
Euric is definitely a threat to the empire. But maybe that can be used against the Visigoths. If the Romans can work behind the scenes to get him to rebel it could weaken the Visigoths.They definitely have reasons to hate Majorian, even though many fight in his armies, to Majorian they lost Hispania, and suffered a great defeat, and in otl they get another king who has even bigger Ambitions, Euric.
A few nitpicks. The term "pope" to designate only the Bishop of Rome became predominant much later, in the IX-X century, and it seems unlikely to be used by Majorian in a one-to-one encounter. At the same time, by this time Majorian would be addressed as Augustus (the fact that he was acclaimed "Imperator" by the troops was, if I am not mistaken, a prudent choice as well as a revival of an ancient title). The second baptism looks a little bit of a stretch, and sounds as a weirdly heretic thing to do, so I would say it is fairly implausible. A compromise could be the the re-dedication of the Altar of Victory, although I am not sure if that would work and how it could work (I was thinking of the Altar of Christus Victor Mortis, but I believe it would be too "modern").
The problem is that a second Baptism is not just odd, is pure heresy from a Catholic point of view, typical (AFAIK) only of the Donatists up to that point, which were strong in Northern Africa (Saint Augustin being one of their fiercest opponents). Besides, the Imperial power officially always opposed Donatism, and with Norten Africa just reclaimed from the Vandals... This second baptism is bordering ASB IMHO. There are a lot more concrete things Majorian could have done for the Pope to show allegiance (donations for Saint Peter's Basilica?), but as always, it is just my opinion.I edited my last post, the man formally referred to as Pope Hilarius is now Bishop Hilarius of Rome, it is an odd thing to do having an additional baptism, but i think by doing this Majorian can allay fears of being Pagan, and those that see him as a pagan will see he is now a christian at any case. As for the Altar of Victory Majorianus will not be rededicating it to Christ, as by restoring the Altar he has brought Pagans to his side. Though at some point it could be converted. After this chapter the story will for the most part keep religion out of the timeline/story, as i am not as knowledgeable in it, and the timeline will overall be taking in a more militaristic and Administrative look at the empire, dealing more with politics and Wars.
The problem is that a second Baptism is not just odd, is pure heresy from a Catholic point of view, typical (AFAIK) only of the Donatists up to that point, which were strong in Northern Africa (Saint Augustin being one of their fiercest opponents). Besides, the Imperial power officially always opposed Donatism, and with Norten Africa just reclaimed from the Vandals... This second baptism is bordering ASB IMHO. There are a lot more concrete things Majorian could have done for the Pope to show allegiance (donations for Saint Peter's Basilica?), but as always, it is just my opinion.
The Christians are the majority population here which is something that Majorian needs support from. This makes no sense from a PR perspective. The Italian elite who dominate the Senate hates Majorian for taking away their privileges and ending corruption. Majorians real power base was the Gallo-Roman elite and the common people which encompassed traders, peasants, and soldiers since the empire is now taking a direct approach to solving the problem of the Migration Era. The Barbarian incursions have devastated towns and the collapse of the Roman monetary system withered away the Roman garrisons mean to protect the frontier, trade routes, and cities which serve as centers for commerce. These garrisons likely resort to banditry or a proto form of feudalism to gain some form of sustenance and income. This was the basis for the rise of mannoralism in Europe and the collapse of the Roman social order. The Barbarian Kings who converted to Christianity did so in order to gain some legitimacy with the Romans that they ruled over. They also adopted Roman customs, laws, and dress as well and this eventually earned them the support of the Roman population. Major examples of these are the Visigothic Kingdom, the Ostrogothic Kingdom, the Frankish Kingdom, etc. Pagans are essentially too few and the more pious aristocracy and common man would be pissed about this.but unrest had followed Majorians restoration of the Altar of Victory. Seen as a pagan symbol, the papacy had condemned the action, and many christians were now in opposition of Majorian
There are some major problems with this. First is that there was no real concept of separation of Church and State with the Romans. In fact religion was treated as another part of Roman state and society. The office of Pontifex Maximus was both a religious title and a position of the state. Emperor Augustus in his youth and later as Emperor held the title to have the power of state and spiritual authority over his Roman subjects. The title of Pontifex Maximus eventually went to the Bishop of Rome. That's something that would be alien to them and something that Roman society would find vexing. The idea of Separation of Church and state only really developed in the centuries after Rome fell. Mostly during the Investiture Controversy between the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope. The Pope argued that as the religious head of the Church he had more authority over the Kings who handled the lower secular matters of the Church. The Pope won this struggle but exhausted much of its political capital doing so. Other Kings saw this and later asserted themselves over the Pope. The French did this to great effect where they used Free Investiture and the Idea of the National Church. Thus this concept only became a reality to make sure that their Kingdoms and royal authority didn't become weakened when the Pope denounced the monarch or disagreed with him."Bishop, you will understand that from this point forward, i only work for the Empire not for the Papacy. I would happily delay your fears of a Pagan Emperor i will openly give your church a donative worth 100 Solidii, come to your next mass, as well i will consent to the building of one of the churches you wish built, this church will be funded half by me and half by your sources. But from now on my Empire will be tolerant and will do what is best for the Empire wether it involves pagans or not. Unless you want the barbarian creed to rule the world."
"At least the Barbarians are christians."
"As am i, but without the Empire, your faith will faulter, without the pagans your faith wouldn't have spread, without Rome to shelter it and spread it your faith would be nothing. Your faith has its place but has degraded the Empire. We must work together for the better of the people."
"I will listen Augustus Majorianus, but understand i stand for my Faith, i will not tolerate you restoring anymore pagan symbols."
Majorian nodded. "I will not restore anything else, but nor will you destroy, i know you are not a tolerant man, but you will be tolerant of Pagans, for the Empire. If you do this i will support you, and you me."
Natalist policies[edit]
The diffusion of Christianity in the Empire caused some social changes within the aristocratic families. In several wealthy families, daughters were obliged to take religious vows and never marry, so that the family wealth would not be dispersed in dowries. Majorian thought that this behaviour was harmful to the State, because it reduced the number of Roman children, and because it caused the girls to start illicit affairs. On October 26, 458, the Emperor addressed a law, the Novella Maioriani 6, to the Praetorian prefect of Italy, Caecina Decius Basilius.[41]
This law, titled De sanctimonialibus vel viduis et de successionibus earum ("Holy Maidens, Widows, and Their Succession"), imposed a minimum age of 40 for taking religious vows, considering that at this age the sexual drives of the initiated would be dormant. The law also granted women who had been forced to take religious vows, and were subsequently disinherited, the same rights on the legacy of parents as their brothers and sisters.[41]
In order to solve this same problem of the decline of the Roman population, in particular compared with the growth of the barbarians allocated within the imperial boundaries, Majorian addressed the problem of young women widowed and without children who never remarried because of the influence of the clergy, to whom they destined their goods in their will.[42] The young widows were prohibited from taking religious vows.[42]
By the same measure, departing in this from the policy of the Eastern Empire, Majorian insisted that a marriage without dowry and pre-wedding exchange of gifts (first from the bride's family to the groom, then in the opposite direction) was invalid; he simultaneously ended the practice of requesting pre-wedding gifts of a value considerably higher than the dowry.[43]
Someone like Ricimer who had the support of the Italian Elite would easily be able to spin this into his favor. He'd easily be able to raise his own more pious and devout Roman Emperor decrying Majorian as a illegitimate debauched Pagan. The East would take this seriously and would likely support Ricimer.Ricimers army had grown to an army now as large as as his with 24,000 men.
The idea that Christianity eroded the foundations of the Roman Empire is a myth perpetrated by people like Gibbon. Gibbon was notorious for his anti-Christian bias and his work is considered outdated and inaccurate by modern scholarship. This very idea is also considered outdated and incorrect simply by the fact the Christian Eastern Empire outlived the Western Empire and the Pagan Roman Empire. It survived for a millennium after the fall of the West. It didn't degrade the empire and if anything helped the empire survive longer than it did. Rome was a vast empire ruling many disparate peoples. Now there was the unifying identity that they were all Christian in addition to having Roman law bind them together. For example, during the Arab Invasions where Egypt, Persia, North Africa, Hispania, and the Levant were conquered, only the Eastern Empire remained as the universal Empire. When the fleets of the East retook Rhodes and sailed to Syria the local Christian populations which supported Rome rebelled and defected to the East. This helped save the Empire and gave it breathing room as the Rashidun Caliphate signed a peace treaty with it and a symbolic reparations which helped to alleviate the bankrupt Roman treasury. The idea of One law, one faith, and one Empire popularized by Constantine and later Roman Emperors served to help the Empire in times of trouble as it presented itself as the Universal Empire bound to rule all people. This idea was also used in the West with the later Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Empire presented itself as the Universal Christian Empire in the West and after it was reconstituted under Otto the Great, it served as a bastion of stability that dominated European history until the 18th century."As am i, but without the Empire, your faith will faulter, without the pagans your faith wouldn't have spread, without Rome to shelter it and spread it your faith would be nothing. Your faith has its place but has degraded the Empire. We must work together for the better of the people."