You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
alternatehistory.com
God brings us together- Scenario 1- Part 1
So this is my starting point. It's around the 5th Century. The Roman Empire have split into two. Western Roman Empire in Rome and Eastern Roman Empire in Constantinople. Both designate themselves as "Romans" and both are officially Latin speaking with a population that speaks Latin, Greek, Aramaic, Berber, Coptic among minor others. There's no great Cathedral in the Eastern Empire yet. Both are religiously under the Pope of the Catholic Church in Rome.
The Western Empire finally falls after repeated repeated invasions, mostly originating past the Northeast border. The Eastern Empire has been wounded through repeated sacks and raids but stands strong. A rich province of the Roman Empire called Pannonia was the first one to be conquered by the Huns and slowly, with crises mounting in the Empire, it falls to a Barbarian ruler called Odoacer of the Ostrogoths. The provinces in the Iberian Peninsula fall to the Visigoths. North Africa falls to the Vandals.
Eastern Empire isn't done with troubles yet. To the East, there's an another superpower, a successor of the arch rival of the United Roman Empire, the Parthians. The successors are called Sassanids. They are Zoroastrian. Central Asia is seeing a massive linguistic and a cultural shift. Beyond the lands of Persia, lie the Buddhist and scattered Hindu cities in the scenic valleys of what's today Afghanistan, bordered by the large, massive and the scary Steppe to the North and the rich Punjab in the South. This region has changed lands many times. It's presently ruled by the Hindu and the Buddhist Shahis with the White Huns being the previous migrant who has changed the demography of this region. You see Shamans, Spiritual healers, Buddhist monks and occasionally, Christian missionaries, as you pass the cute and scenic cities in this region. The Philosophies that would be exported from this region would influence Europe in the coming years, in this scenario.
Back to Europe. The Byzantine Empire is building from the rubble of what has happened throught the Century. Goths rule the Italy and Spain, Franks rule Gaul and parts of Germany. Beyond the Franks, it's mostly a rural and semi tribal settlements. In this scenario, the turning point is that Byzantine Empire now fearing the fate of the Western Empire coming to it, offers entry and land for the Non-Romans who would submit to a reasonable authority to the Empire and lives in harmony with the fellow Citizens. In return, they are given a generous grace period with autonomy and opportunity for making wealth. The Balkan Goths agree first and enter. Byzantine Empire now stretches upto Croatia. For now, the conflicts seem to have cooled. Next part would deal with the Empire turning West to Italy and how to win that over. Stay tuned.