late antiquity

I'm thinking of writing a timeline about a surviving Western Roman Empire. The PoD would be Majorian's fleet not getting burnt by traitors, allowing him to reconquer North Africa. Because of the extra revenue, he's able to keep some of his army around, so Richimer can't kill him. He survives and...

Thinking about how to let the events of the collapse of the Roman Empire in an original way thought, why not remove Flavius Aetius? Given that even in his youth he was involved in a political struggle, it could end unsuccessfully for him. Let's assume, Aecius for some reasons leaves the...

In real history, the Alchon Hunas (not to be confused with their possible relatives who invaded the Roman Empire c. 440) were a Central Asian tribe who invaded India between around 480 (after a previous Huna incursion had been defeated c. 460 by Skandagupta, the last important ruler of the Gupta...

With thanks to @Practical Lobster and Chris Stewart of the History of China podcast and Chehrazad and Zam from Sufficientvelocity.com. Inelid Qaghanate § Background In the year 628, Khusro II was overthrown and killed by various factions of the Eranian nobility, including his son Sheroe...

The resurgence of Roman power under the reign of Justinian and the military efforts of Belasarius was an impressive feat, and for a time restored Roman power in the West. Yet what would have happened if these military campaigns never occured? For an opportune point of divergence, let's say that...

Consider these two maps of the Roman Empire in 330, plus some important info on the first three Justinian emperors. We can discern the following: The Eastern Roman Empire is a mostly Greek-speaking empire since forever (read: Alexander the Great), but its northwesternmost territory is...

Khosrow II, the last of the "great" Sassanid shahs (the quotes are because he was actually pretty terrible), began his reign under very inauspicious circumstances: his father, the destructively paranoid Hormizd IV, had been murdered, the empire was locked in a long, bloody and fruitless war with...

Theodosius decides in his will to give Arcadius the WRE and Honorius the ERE. I would expect that the more doited Arcadius would not interfere with Stilicho and allow a strong court culture, likely stopping Alaric from entering Rome, while Honorius would try to oust powerful figures such as...

From: WI Emperor Leo I declined to name Majorian as Western Roman Emperor in 457 AD? Leo I (Valerius Leo) was indeed a very influential emperor in the west. In fact, there were three instances where Leo was sole Roman emperor (461, 465-67, 472-73), and he was the one who appointed Anthemius as...

Peroz I was Shah of the Sasanian Empire from 459 to 484. He fought three wars against the Hephthalites during his reign, and while they were all defeats, the last one was especially catastrophic since it ended with his death and that of several prominent nobles in a battle near Herat, after...

Allegedly, the men of the legions wanted Diocletian back and begged him to return to the throne at the summit of Carnuntum in 308 AD. What if he'd, assuming this was true, acceded to their request? Sure, he only had a few years left in him, but what would the fallout of Diocletian rejoining...

The Crisis of the Fifth Century by : Frederick II of the HRE The Fall of Rome Start of the Crisis From the Battle of Adrianople and the death of Valens until the death of Gratian Rise of Magnus Maximus From the elevation of Magnus Maximus until the ascension of Victor The Reign of Victor From...

Kanishka the Great, ruler of the Kushan Empire, oversaw the realm's greatest expansion during the first half of the 2nd century CE. He secured the entirety of the Indus Valley and expanded across northern India perhaps a far as Pataliputra on the Ganges. At the beginning of his reign his...

In Sheets of Blood A Late Antiquity Timeline Chapter I: A Vandal King Chapter II: Bonifacius, Aetius and Rimini Chapter III: Vandal Carthage Chapter IV: Magister Militum Bonifatius Chapter V: Bleda the Hun Chapter VI: Theodosius II Chapter VII: The Isaurian War

Suppose for whatever reason that Christian missionaries successfully evangelize in the Senegal-Niger watershed in the time period stated in the thread title. The empire of Ghana coalesced during this time period and commanded great wealth from trading in gold, copper, and salt. Does...

476-477 AD As Orestes and his brother Paulus lay slain, blood dripping from their corpses, Odoacer could only ponder the future. By no means did he intend to destroy Rome, but if the Foederati and the Italians wished him to be their King..he would not deny them. Securing Ravenna and placing...

In the third century CE, Mani, the founder of the religion of Manichaeism, described Rome, Aksum, Persia and China as the four greatest powers of his day. But there was a fifth place in late antiquity that was a once and future great power: India. While the subcontinent was hardly a backwater...

An idea I had recently is that Flavius Aetius, the famous late Roman general, stays under Atilla and serves under him, rather than going back to Rome, becoming a reverse Stilcho almost. Changes early in his life, along with disgust at the intrigues and corruption of the imperial court, lead him...

Bahram Chobin was a general from the Mihranid clan that attempted to revolt against Hormizd IV and restore the Arsacid Empire. Around 590, after achieving a victory against the Hephthalites, he revolted and seized the throne for a year, before being deposed by Vistahm and Vinduyih, who had...

Odoacer was a Germanic born warlord from the 5th century most commonly known for legally felling the Western Roman Empire in 476 by deposing the last Western Emperor, Romulus Augustulus and taking over political control of Italy. Despite the fickle legality and legacy of such deed, Odoacer was a...