Chapter LXI
Magnificent Mediolanum
555
News of the victory over the Goths spreads all over the empire. A lavish triumph is arranged for the victorious Theodosius Augustus in the imperial city of Mediolanum. His new conquest is celebrated on new coins depicting Hispania being freed and Gothia begging for mercy in front of the personification of Rome.
The old Diocese is formally reestablished in the peninsula, including 6 of the 7 (the last one andportions of the others are still ruled by the Suebi) old provinces: Tarraconensis, Baetica, Carthaginensis, Lusitania, Hispania Balearica, and Mauretania Tingitana. Of these, Lusitania exist mostly on paper while the creation of Tingitana, more of a series of cities and fortresses along the coast rather than an actual province, preceded the actual conquest of Hispania, being formerly subjected to the authority of Carthage. As for the other three mainland provinces, their control over the countryside is still tenuous at best, especially far from the eastern coast.
At the head of the administration of the new Diocese is placed Flavius Rusticus Caesarius Candidus, former right-hand man of king Agila, tasked with the restoration of the application of proper Roman law in the kingdom turned province, the abrogation of the measures of the last 2 kings, the return of all ecclesiastical properties to the true Nicene church, ensuring peace and concord between Romans and Goths and most importantly a steady income towards the imperial treasury. All attempts made by Caesarius to win over the Goths however are thwarted by the imperial palace’s demands to ensure the new conquest immediately starts to repay itself, with obvious disastrous consequences for the future of the DIocese.
The new Vicarius sets up the administration of Diocese in the city of Carthago Nova. The entire Diocese is placed within the Praetorian Praefecture of Gallia, ruled from the city of Arelate. A few years later, with the end of the term of current Praefectus Praetorio, Caesarius would be chosen to succeed him. Still, despite the higher level of power at hand and the obvious focus of the new Praetorian administration on Hispania, roman authority would fail in stabilizing the situation and finding a solution to the many problems troubling the recent conquest [1].
556
While the empire is still celebrating its most recent victory over the last barbarian tyrant lording over the Roman population of the West, roman units and their allies are being gradually recalled from Hispania. Of the army that had conquered the kingdom only a few units are left behind, to deal with those Goths still at large and refusing to submit to Rome. Over time those units would become the spine of the new army of Hispania, tasked with ensuring the conquest would be permanent. At the head of the new army is Flavius Anthemius Valens himself, left there by an imperial administration that clearly doesn’t want him back so soon.
Among the commanders and officers recalled from Hispania is Procopius, a man of Eastern origin who managed to earn a commendation for his campaign of distraction in the southern portion of the kingdom. Back in Mediolanum Procopius would deliver a panegyric dedicated to emperor Theodosius, on the occasion of the latter elevation of his young son Valentinian to the rank of Caesar, that would win him the approval of the palace and the commission for a new historical work: a history of the Gothic wars (both against the Pannonians Goths and the Visigoths) as a continuation of his previous “History of the Wars” against Persians and Vandals, itself a continuation of prince Procopius’ biography of his father Iulius Nepos.
In Mediolanum meanwhile the emperor would find another way to celebrate and immortalize his own reign, by commissioning several works of arts, some defying the technological limits of the age, some defying the slow march of time and some defying both of them. Among them, and probably the most important one, was the Augustaeum. Informarlly also known as The Hall of Theodosius, the Augustaeum represented a new addition to the imperial complex of the palace, itself a subject of restoration and new additions. A giant new hall, meant for receiving and impress foreign embassies and more commonly to host the different session of the imperial Consistorium, its most remarkable feature was the giant dome surmounting it, the largest in the city and the entire empire. Such impressive display of defiance to the limits of mankind would be further adorned and embellished by both external and internal art. On the outside the dome was a real-life-size bronze statue of the emperor holding a Labarum surmounting the whole structure and dominating the entire city. On the inside the ceiling of the dome was covered by a giant circular mosaic divided in two different scenes: on the lower half of it was the portrayal of the different provinces and people of the empire (Italia, Africa, Gallia, Hispania, Illyricum) as women standing together on left while on the right representatives of the many people defeated in recent years (Persians, Vandals, Goths) were portrayed kneeling with their arms stretched out forward. All their gazes fixed towards the center of the ceiling, where a Chi Rho dominated the entire mosaic. On the upper half instead, was a real scene of emperor Theodosius (in purple and golden robes) surrounded by the members of his administration and the commanders of the army. The figure of the emperors is obviously the focus of the scene, serene yet resolute, still many other historical figures can be recognized on this scene. Close to the emperor was the ever looming and powerful Eleutherius yet more puzzling was the figure immediately to the right of Theodosius. Dressed richly as an imperial prince, it was always assumed to be the young Caesar Valentinianus but many are not so sure about this identification as the figure in the scene looks like representing a young man (20-30 years old), while the young Caesar at the time the whole construction started was barely 12.
Other ways to celebrate the emperor’s patronage of the city of Mediolanum was a new triumphal arch, commemorating the end of the gothic tyranny, a new triumphal column surmounted by an equestrian statue of the emperor with the horse standing on his hind legs and the restoration of several older building closer to the imperial neighbourhood of the city. These and many others display of imperial might would contribute to the golden age of the city of Mediolanum (the one to benefit the most from the current emperor’s liberality) and the sorrow state of imperial finances at the end of Theodosius’ reign. For there was no doubt that this was a great age, but its many contradictions and flaws would soon catch up to the emperor and his successors.
Regardless of that, to this day the Augustaeum (and the whole imperial palace for that matter) still is the city’s most recognizable feature dominating its skyline with its imposing magnificence, despite the many tragedies and disasters that have befallen over the city during the course of a millennium and more and the fact that it is no longer used for the original purpose Theodosius III had in mind.
Note
[1] To be listed next time.
Ok so apparently, I have been away for a while (first time I get to see the website asking me if I really want to post on a thread that old) but I hope this update shows you this is not dead, although just crawling really slowly. I’ve been really busy with study and exams for the past few months and only now I am finally getting a few days for myself (before having to plunge again into deep study). I’ll keep posting new updates every time I get some decent time off study. You may also have noticed this update is slightly different (all the internal thoughts and streams of consciousness of the various characters are gone), this is only a first step towards a, let’s call it, annalistic style I want to try in order to make narration of events quicker and easier. But at the same time, I don’t want to cut out too many details, those are what make this fictitious world somewhat alive. I’ll give it some further thoughts before the next update. Enjoy!