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Trouble brewing for the Byzantines
As the Slavic, Avar and Bulgar confederations move into the more richer lands in the Balkans, they are confronted by the Byzantine-Gothic army in the borders and the wars end in a truce. The borders come a but south for now but the Byzantine-Gothic federation is set to take them back but reserve plans for later.
As this happens, the Sassanid Zoroastrian Empire has turned towards the Shamanist and Buddhist Central Asian Iranian, Tocharian, Turko-Iranian and Turko-Tocharian peoples to create a large confederation to take on the Byzantine provinces in the Middle East. The Byzantium isn't yet aware of these. This will be a turning point for the Byzantine Empire that they aren't aware of, as they concentrate on a smaller threat in the North. Italia, Dalmitia, Illyria, Moesia, Greece, Anatolia, Northern Syria is under strong Byzantine hold while other provinces to the South are in unrest and those in the North(Dacia and Pannonia) are conquered temporarily. The Byzantine-Gothic Army is slowly subjugating the confederation settlers and moving the Borders back up but quite slow. The religious makeup is set to change with the new invasion. The changes in the Persian empire administration and makeup hasn't yet caught the eye of the Byzantines, as the Persians get stronger with the new allies whose religion doesn't matter to the tolerant Zoroastrians.
A first confederation first enters the province of Palestina and is welcomed by the Native Syrian Christians and Jews who are fed up with the intolerant Byzantine rule. The holiest city, Jerusalem of the Byzantine Christians is now ruled by a force they consider Pagan. But the confederations don't decimate the Christian sites nor do they charge extra taxes and impose heavy restrictions like the Arab empires did in OTL. They give absolute freedoms to any religion to be practiced in the province as they themselves a are many religions(Shaman, Buddhist and Zoroastrian). The truce is established on the Northern Syrian borders from where the Orthodox populations start and the Sassanid confederations don't touch any Byzantine-Gothic core lands where they would face crushing defeats.
Two years later, trouble brews in Egypt where the unsatisfied Coptic populations live, is soon invaded through Sinai and conquered. Alexandria seafront is retained by the Byzantines but other regions are conquered. Now, the Byzantines turn to Italia for a Breadbasket. This leads to more development of Italia and Dalmitia. The small kingdoms of North Africa are outright conquered by a Tocharian army of the Sassanids where they establish a few settlements away from the older cities. A new Sassanid Renaissance is unfolding in the former Southern Provinces and that will affect the Byzantines and Europe big time.
Next part will cover the Visigothic Kingdom and the Renaissance spread to the Byzantines.