Chapter 16
Everything that’s Dead, Someday Comes Back
“Belisarius was a great Emperor, but one given to the weaknesses which always plague man. Although brave and sincere, he was corrupted by that most true of all emotions, love. When his wife was proven unfaithful, Belisarius fell into the pits of despair, and he no longer cared about the task of ruling the great Empire. On his death, he passed the rule to his wife’s first son Photius, who was unfit to rule.” – A Children’s History of the Rhoman Empire, by Georgios
The Empire of the East: a History of Rhomania from Constantine I to Justinian IV
Ewan McGowan
[Royal University Press: Carrickfergus, Kingdom of Gaelia, 2010]
The rise of the Emperor Photius shone a light upon the failings of the past three Emperors; Justinian, Hypatius and Belisarius. While Belisarius had, in his own manner, warred against the power of the noble elite of Constantinople, Photius lacked much of his adopted-father’s charm and abilities. As a result, the nobles of the city began to hinder the new Emperor, forcing him to abandon many of the reforms of Belisarius as well as those building projects which were meant to restore Constantinople to the preeminence of Cities in the Western world.
Photius, in a way which Belisarius, due to his popular appeal, did not experience, began to feel himself at the mercy of the Empire’s elite. Although he was granted all of the dignities which were becoming of an Emperor of Rome, he found himself hindered at every effort to make lasting changes to the structure of the Empire. As a result, due to the nobility’s continued efforts to fight off higher taxation, the Emperor focused more upon the lower classes; financing his building and military projects at their expense. Despite his Orthodox views of faith, this began to make him highly unpopular with the general population of the Empire.
…
Chorson, Empire of Rhomania
March 31, 552
Germanus felt older. Older than dirt. Although only in his late 40s, he had seen enough to age a normal man. Rising to prominence under his cousin Justinian, he had fought for the ill-fated Emperor after the Nika Riots. Granted a pardon by the pretender Hypatius, Germanus had turned his attention towards strengthening the Empire’s military in Egypt and Syria.
He had not wished to rebel, initially, although the disgrace of seeing his dynasty pushed from power had offended him. Instead, Germanus had thrown himself into his work, rebuilding the Empire’s Southern reaches; forgetting his cousins’ grand schemes to reconquer the West. For years he had worked at this thankless task, until it was too much to bear.
The attack upon the Patriarch had been the last stray. Although a devoted Orthodox, Germanus had been disgusted with the treatment of Patriarch Anthimus, and it had been this which finally stirred in him the seeds of revolt. For years Germanus had fought back, not just against Hypatius, but against the Persians who he drove out of Syria and Egypt. But, it had been for naught; the rise of Belisarius had put an end to Germanus’ pretentions to become Emperor; those had ended at the Siege of Antioch when he had been forced to renounce his claims in favor of Belisarius and accept house-arrest for the good of the Empire.
But, now, Belisarius was dead, and his successor was none too popular with the Rhoman people. Germanus might be old, but he was still convinced of his own right to rule, which had been so unfairly stripped away from him after his many victories against the Empire’s foes. His family, those nephews and cousins who had survived the war, still clung close to him in his exile.
“The time has come,” his nephew Justin said more than once, “now’s out chance to make a make.”
The worst thing was that Germanus thought he was right. Although he had no strong desire to be Emperor, the act that the Empire had suffered so greatly over the past decades spurred him on. The problem was that he was under constant watch, and that he had no true allies in his battles.
“Why not turn to the Goths,” Justin asked once, years ago, “Theodemir is no ally of Constantinople, and might help us in our cause.”
But, no, spies continued to feed Germanus information, and he knew that the Goths were embroiled in a bitter war against the Franks. To ask their help then, while Belisarius remained so strong, was a fool’s errand. But, then, the plague had struck; the war between the Goths and Franks had wound to a halt, and Belisarius had died from, they said, a broken heart. A fitting end to one who had once been a friend, but proven himself untrue and a traitor.
As word reached even for Chosan of Photius and his unfortunate reign, Germanus sensed a chance. He had his allies, those few who were left, to stage a riot in the small town, so that he could flee, unopposed. His destination was clear, Ravenna, the capital of the Goths, for only with their help could he ever secure his family’s place back upon the Rhoman throne. [FN1]
The Glory of Emaneric’s Heirs: the Lectures of Dr. Valamir Fralet
Trans. Edwin Smith
Bern [OTL: Verona, Italy]: Skipmann and Sons Publishing, 1997
…
The arrival of Germanus sent shock waves through the Gothic court. The Rhoman had spent months, after fleeing Cherson, traveling through Avar, Lombard and Gepid territory in order to reach the capital of the Goths. Theodemir was initially wary of the rebel’s promises, but also deeply impressed by the travails which had beset the Prince.
“Theodemir did not take his promises lightly, but still chose to dine the rebel from Rhome. When Germanus spoke of his travails, traveling through the lands of Avars, and Germans, Theodemir often stood up and exclaimed with excitement when the descriptions of those lands matched with those from the legends of our own people; for it is well know that, before coming to Italy, the Goths ruled a vast Empire from their capital of Arheimar. [FN2]
“Soon, Germanus had become a favorite of Theodemir’s Court. After his many adventures, many Goths wished to help him reclaim his throne; especially as he continued to promise peace between their realm and his, should he take the throne. Still, the Gothic King was unsure. ‘What,’ he asked, ‘is in it before my people? Surely, it is great to help a godly man reclaim his inheritance. But, still, I must risk my own realm in favor of yours. Should we lose, the full weight of the East shall crash down upon the West, as the mighty tides of the ocean rise up and drown our shores.”
“Theodemir, King,” Germanus responded, “should you help me, I promise you the unending favor of the East. We shall honor you as a righteous man who risked all in order to right a wrong done upon my House and the Rhomans. But, I understand your reluctance. If you were to come to me, and I were Emperor, I too would question the wisdom of helping you. And so, I offer you this: the Empire of the West. I shall give you the crown which would strengthen your own rule, and allow the Romans of the West to see the true benevolence of your reign. Furthermore, I would be happy to marry your youngest daughter, to prove my sincerity and the eternal friendship between both of our houses.”
So Wulfila Strabo describes the visit of Germanus to the court of Ravenna. Having conquered much of the West, it is unlikely that Theodemir had not thought of reclaiming the Roman crown to solidify his own rule. Certainly, the title of Roman Emperor would do much to calm the continued talk of rebellion which had circulated amongst the Roman population for years.
And yet, it is unlikely that Theodemir, now in his 50s, would have undertaken such a quest, had he not been assured that the Rhoman people had already risen against their own Emperor. The high taxation and lack of support had caused a smattering of revolts to flare up throughout Syria, Egypt and, most telling, Anatolia.
Either pressured by his court, or else fully aware of the opportunities gained by supporting an Emperor’s claim to the throne, Theodemir cast his support behind Germanus and marshaled the Gothic armies to take Constantinople.
…
A History of the Time of Troubles
By: Procopius
Trns: Matthias M. Schaible
[London: University of London Publishing, 2006]
When word reached Photius that Germanus had escaped from his imprisonment, all knew where he went, and a great excitement spread through the capitol. Surely, it was said, the Goths would soon be coming to restore the House of Justin and cast down the coward and usurper who currently sat upon the Rhoman throne. The only men who showed fear was Photius’ closest advisors and those Senators who continued their support of him. [FN3]
And yet, Photius proved to be less of a man than his predecessor. Had he acted swiftly against the Goths, perhaps his reign would have been saved; but, instead, he refused to act. In the chambers of his council he expressed worry over the coming of Theodemir and Germanus, but initially did nothing. Some said that his wife, Julia, advised him not to act, because she was secretly conspiring against his her husband and, after his death, had been promised the hand of a Gothic nobleman. In any case, her words were like honey to him, and Photius did nothing, save to ordering the strengthening of the city’s defenses.
However, with the dawning of the year 554, news arrived from spies in Ravenna that the Goths were considering the plans of Germanus, who had offered their King the Imperial dignities of the West. A group of Senators marched upon the Emperor and demanded that he take action, and if he did not, they would surly find an Emperor who was more willing to defend the Empire from its threats. They did this, not for any great love of the Empire, but because they wished to save their own lives, for all knew that they had supported Photius, and they feared they would meet their end, should Germanus take the City.
Photius was moved by their counsel, and began to marshal his forces. He planned to move preemptively against the Goths by moving in Dalmatia and Pannonia, and thereby draw them into a fight and prevent them from moving into the Balkans. At the same time rumors were spread of the savagery of the Goths; stories told of Adrianople, and the brutal sacking of Rome. They meant to scare the people of the City, and Rhomans everywhere, and present the Goths as savages who would destroy the Empire. And yet, so oppressed were the Rhomans, that they seemed to prefer the Goths to Photius, for rebellions began to spring up throughout the Empire; first in Egypt, and then later in Syria and Anatolia.
…
The damage wrecked by the Rhomans in Pannonia and Dalmatia was grievous; they burnt field and village in an effort to goad the Goths into open combat. So great was the devastation, it is said, that a decade later, the provinces had yet to recover and there were still desolate lands where once people had thrived. And yet, Theodemir, refused to give open battle, and waited for the right moment to strike. [FN4]
Soon, the reason for his caution became clear. The Avars, who had scourged our land once before, crossed over the border, and began to move towards Thessaloniki. Photius had sent envoys to the Avars before the campaign, offering to cancel the tribute imposed upon them by his foster-father, and fool-like, he had been beguiled by their promises of neutrality. But the Avars held no more love for him than they did for Belisarius, and had allied with Germanus and the Goths.
Now Photius was forced to retreat to meet the greater threat to Constantinople. It was then that Germanus and Theodemir moved against their foes.
…
The Norræna Fræðibók
Entry: The Battle of Nysos
The Battle of Nysos was a battle between the forces of Emperor Photius of Rhomania and Germanus along with his Gothic allies during the summer of 554.
In 552, Germanus, cousin of the Emperor Justianian I, had fled from his exile in Cherson and reached the Gothic capital of Ravenna. After months of entreating Theodemir I, King of the Goths, to support him in his quest to take the throne of the Rhoman Empire, the Goths were swayed. At the same time, Photius, the current Emperor, launched a preemptive attack against the Goths and ravaged the lands of Dalmatia and Pannonia.
However, Photius was forced to withdraw after hearing word that the Avars had broken the peace and were moving towards Thessaloniki. At this time, Germanus and Theodemir launched their own attack, crossing the Adriatic Sea and quickly pursuing Photius. They caught up with the embattled Emperor near the city of Nysos.
Although the battle was initially indecisive, as the Rhomans under Photius were able to repel the Gothic assault upon their lines, Photius was killed on the second day of battle, after falling from his horse and being trampled. When news of the Emperor’s demise reached his troops, the army fell into panic and began and unstructured retreat. Taking advantage of the situation, Theodemir ordered his heavy cavalry to chase the fleeing Rhomans who took heavy casualties. In the end, many prominent officers, and two Senators, were captured by the Goths, along with their army’s baggage train.
Germanus then sent out messengers to round up the survivors, offering them full pardons if they were to join his forces as they marched upon Constantinople. This swelled his own forces, and also ensured that he would move against the capital with a contingent of Rhoman soldiers, rather than an entirely foreign army.
…
Despite a vivid description of the battle in the works of both Wulfila Strabo and Procopius, who recorded similar accounts from soldiers who had been there, the current site of the Battle of Nysos has been lost. However, in 1954, locals erected a memorial to the battle situated roughly three miles to the southeast of the town, to commemorate fifteen hundredth anniversary of the battle, the where historians have speculated the conflict could have occurred. [FN4]
The Empire of the East: a History of Rhomania from Constantine I to Justinian IV
Ewan McGowan
[Royal University Press: Carrickfergus, Kingdom of Gaelia, 2010]
…
With the death of Photius, the Empire was thrown into chaos. Those forces which still remained loyal to the slain Empire, including those Senators and ranking members of high society who had supported him, quickly sought to find a suitable replacement. However, fearing the forces of Germanus, no candidate was willing to take the throne and possibly forfeit their own lives.
By the time Germanus arrived at Constantinople with his army of Goths, Avars and Rhomans, the capital city of the Empire was embroiled in a near Civil War. A cohort of loyalists has seized power and used draconian measures to ensure that the city would be able to withstand a siege, but their support weakened daily.
By the end of October of 555, order in Constantinople was at the breaking point. When city dwellers met to protest the price of bread, the acting city government ordered the troops to dispurse the crowd. Instead, the soldiers joined the protestors and quickly gained control of the city, and threw the gates open to Germanus, who marched into the city with his Rhoman soldiers, while the Goths and Avars camped outside the walls. By the end of the day, Patriarch Thomas I has overseen the coronation of Germanus as the Emperor of Rhomania.
The new Emperor moved quickly to secure his own power; he officially accepted the support of the rump Senate, and proved to be largely forgiving, having only the most stringent supporters of Photius imprisoned or executed. The House of Justin had returned to power in Rhomania after an absence of over two decades.
…
Constantinople, Empire of Rhomania
November 1, 555
Theodemir stood in the Hagia Maria, and looked around in wonder. At 59 years old, he had thought that he had seen it all, but the wealth present in Constantinople still dazzled him. Nowhere was this wealth more present than in what had become the main church in Constantinople. Already, he knew, Germanus had begun to make plans to renovate and expand the building; in part to show his thanks for the support of the Patriarch, and also to fulfill the vision of his cousin, the late Emperor Justinian. The thought confused him that any building could be made even more luxurious. He made plans to speak to the Fadar of Ravenna and talk about creating an equally spectacular church for the head of the true Christian church.
Theodemir had not wished to have the ceremony transferring the vestments of the Western Roman Empire to be done in the cathedral; he would have much preferred it being done on the steps of the Imperial palace, and thereby circumnavigate any potentially upsetting religious debates which might occur. But, Germanus had pressed the issue and, eventually the Gothic King had given in. He was a king, after all, and understood fully why the Emperor had made such a push; he wished to wow the Goth with the splendor of his realm.
So be it. Whatever issues might arise amongst his own people could be easily dealt with, and the thought of being coroneted in an Orthodox church might well work to his advantage in dealing with the Romans of his own land who seemed always ready to rebel, no matter how many favors he threw at them.
Theodemir made only one demand, and it was one which he refused to back down upon; he would not bow when he took the crown, nor would he allow it to be placed upon his own head. No, this was a transfer of power, not the blessing of a higher lord. He would take the crown from Germanus and place it upon his own head. [FN5]
The music had started; a deep rich sound which seemed to come at him from every direction due to the effects of the church. Taking a deep breath, Theodemir made his way down the main isle of the church, and watched with bemusement as the Rhoman nobility stared at him. What had they expected; a barbarian dressed in wolf pelts, a great battle ax still strung to his back? No doubt. The thought made him want to laugh; an urge he tried to suppress to not break the solemn mood of the ritual, and, partially failing, found himself breaking into a wide smile instead.
In front of him stood Germanus, dressed in the finest clothing and full regalia of the Emperor of the East. Staring at the figure he knew that gone was the man with whom he had broken bread, had become friends with on their campaign to retake the throne (and such good friends, at that. Never before had Theodemir met a non-Goth with whom he felt such a bond). In the place of that heart soldier was The Emperor. [FN6]
“Theodemir, King of the Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Burgundians and Romans,” a voice called out in a deep voice. “Step forward.”
Theodemir began to walk toward the Emperor, his own retinue following closely behind him. He wished Amalaric was here, but he had left his heir in Ravenna to govern in his absence.
“For your deeds and loyalty to the Empire of Rome, I hereby give back to you that which was taken from the West; the full regalia of the Emperors of the West, and hereby recognize you as Emperor of Rome in the West.”
Germanus held out the crown, which Theodemir grasped firmly in both hands and placed upon his own head. “And I, Theodemir the First, Emperor of Rome, do hereby recognize you, Germanus, as my eternal brother and partner in the East. May the glory of Rome long shine in this world.”
At this point the Patriarch Thomas stepped forward and sprinkled holy water upon Theodemir’s head, “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, I hereby bless you as Emperor of Rome.” Theodemir grimaced slightly; this was not entirely unsuspected, but might not play well with his own people. At least the Patriarch had not tried to recognize him as an Orthodox heretic. Showing benevolence, he looked at Thomas, “I think you for your blessing.”
At that point his men broke into a cheer, and the chant of “Theodemir, Emperor Theodemir” rang through the hallowed chambers. He was not unpleased to note that the Rhomans were calling his name as well.
The Glory of Emaneric’s Heirs: the Lectures of Dr. Valamir Fralet
Trans. Edwin Smith
Bern [OTL: Verona, Italy]: Skipmann and Sons Publishing, 1997
Upon his return from Constantinople, the newly crowned Emperor moved to solidify his new title. He was formally blessed by Fadar Theodosius in Ravenna, and then had the Senate of Rome properly recognize his new title. Despite this, his failure to seek a blessing from the current Pope in Rome, Simplicius II with whom he had been feuding, caused minor difficulties during the last years of his life, but did not seriously hinder his legitimacy.
For the last four years of his reign, Theodemir focused upon securing his hold upon those territories he had inherited and conquered during his life. He continued to build bridges between the Visigoths, Ostrogoths and Burgundians, helping to eventually foster the merging of these kingdoms under his successors, and also made efforts to placate the Senate in Rome and the Roman communities of Gaul and Hispania.
Finally, and most significantly, he worked to secure a stable succession, having the nobles of both Gothic Kingdoms, and also the Senate in Rome, recognize Amalaric as his chosen heir and co-ruler. From experience, he must have known that such efforts would not make for an entirely peaceful transfer of power, but would help his son when the time came.
In the end, Theodemir was planning a war against the Suebi, to restore control of the Rome over the entirety of Hispania, which he took ill and died. His death was met with sorrow from all corners of the Western Empire, and even from abroad; his old friend, and ally, Germanus I sent a large donation to the Goths to construct a memorial fitting of the Gothic Emperor. His mausoleum, which dwarfs that of his Father, stands to this very day and remains one of the most visited sites in Ravenna.
The Life of Theodemir the Great
Wulfila Strabo [FN7]
Trans. Athelrad Edwardson
London: National University of Sexland Publishing, 1964 [FN6]
And so passed from this world, Theodemir the Great, Emperor of Rome, and King of the Goths; the world had not seen his like since the days of Caesar or Alexander. Many were his passions and sorrows and, thought he died, like all men, a sinner, surly he was one specially blessed by God; for it was he who rebuilt the Empire of Rome, and brought peace and stability to our lands.
I feel myself blessed to have been able to call him lord, teacher and friend. He will forever be missed, and this world may never see the likes of him again.
[FN1] My feeling is that Belisarius was popular enough, that any effort to move against him would be crushed. Germanus, not a foolish man, understood this and chose to bide his time.
[FN2] Arheimar is the Nordic translation of the name for the original Gothic capital upon the steppes, and means “River Home”. It is only recorded in the Hervar Saga, but that same Saga includes authentic Gothic names which had not been used in centuries, as well as fragment of incredibly old poetry, and so the name seems to reflect a very real tradition. The Saga was eventually translated by one Christopher Tolkein as “The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise” and is well worth a read if you A) enjoy Germanic history or B) want to see where J.R.R. Tolkein got some of his ideas from Seriously, its awesome!
[FN3] Procopius is exaggerating somewhat; the damage done to the region was not so great as that done to, say, Northern Gaul by Theodemir in his war against the Franks. But, well, it makes for good propaganda. It should also be noted that Procopius is writing under the reign of Germanus I, and, even in OTL, had a disagreeable relationship to Belisarius. In the ATL, such band feelings carry on to his depiction of Belisarius’ heir. Also, the reference to the Empress Julia fits into Procopius’ OTL penchant for blaming men’s behavior on manipulative and evil wives.
[FN4] Not all battles have their exact position recorded in history, and so is the case with this one. However, its important, and so it doesn’t seem unlikely that the citizens of the city would try to erect a memorial situated, somewhat, where they felt it took place.
[FN5] This is a big difference from the crowing of Charlemagne, obviously. I figured, with forewarning of what was about to occur, Theodemir would make such a demand. He, after all, is not going to want to be seen in anyway as subservient to the Eastern Emperor; especially after he just managed to win that Emperor his throne. I also wanted to take this moment to show a bit of levity in Theodemir’s character; for so many chapters, he has been consumed with hatred for the Franks, and I thought it would be good to show that there is more to him than forever burning rage.
[FN6] Theodemir and Germanus: The bromance of late antiquity
Seriously though, I like to show some humanity to my characters, and demonstrate that they are not simply pawns enslaved to historical forces. I figured from their background, either having experienced setbacks and moments of tragedy, but still possessing a strong will and grit, that Theodemir and Germanus would have actually gotten along fairly well.
[FN7] This is a minor retcon on my part. In previous posts, I’ve always listed the nation as “England.” The more I thought about it, especially since I reference them as Saxons more often than not, I thought it would be interesting if the nation goes by the alternative name of Sexland (Sex, being the common Anglo-Saxon shortening of “Saxon” as in Wessex, Essex and so forth). Okay, you have m permission to giggle like school children for a bit; but you’d better get it out of your system now!
Okay, so, as I promised, here is the new chapter, and its the one which brings to an end the Reign of Theodemir the Great. I hope you enjoyed it, and felt that it was a good conclusion to this part of the story.
Having finished off this part, I think my next post will look into the 'mythology' which comes to surround Theodemir and his family (I figure that this ATL will certainly feature a "Matter of the Goths"), because that is a topic I've played aroun with and actually find very interesting. After that, I will look at the beginning of the reign of Amalaric, and then move on to exploring the effects of butterflies upon the region; especially the Gepids and Lombards, the Arian Church, as well as the Vandals and what's going on in Britain.
As always, please feel free to shoot me any questions or comments; trust me, I eat them up
