AHC : Colony of the Byzantine Diaspora

So after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, many documents, books, and many other sources of knowledge made their way west with the diaspora.

My challenge to you is to have this Diaspora either fund, undertake, or take advantage of the discovery of the new World and found a colony that eventually forms a new Roman/Byzantine/NextAdjective state.

Bonus Points for
1) Byzantine Diaspora discovery
2) Colony becomes main European State
3) Survives till the modern day
4) Does not convert to Catholic, or another countries Orthodoxy. (Can reform a new one of its own).
5) Houses Komnenos/Palialogos are deeply involved in the founding and early leadership.
6) Refounds a new senatorial system.
 
I tried this an I think it's even harder than I initially thought. This will require an earlier discovery of America and a later conquest of Constantinople since the dates don't really line up. Plus it will likely have to be undertaken with the blessing of Spain or Portugal. And the situation in both Constantinople and the rest of Europe has to be unpleasant enough to warrant leaving the civilized world for some wilderness.

America is discovered a few decades earlier ~1450. Sugar production has begun by 1490s.
Byzantium has held out against the Ottomans for a few decades longer but in 1490 the city falls. Ottoman rule is much harsher forcing more to flee.
(This is the part I have trouble with) The Orthodox Greeks are not comfortable in either Italy or Spain due to religious friction.
The Spanish consider killing two birds with one stone and in the early 1500s encourages Greek migration to some Caribbean island. Said island becomes a destination for Greeks and attracts a sizable enough population to sustain the language and some culture. Whatever survives will be a combination of Greek, Spanish, and the culture of African slaves.

Not the best timeline but it's not impossible. I think treating the Greek orthodox much like the English puritans in OTL gives this the best opportunity.
 
You might have a point. I don't know if I agree that the Byzantines have to last a bit longer. I rather think that if Constantine XI survives the siege, but is instead alive to act as a political figurehead - a sense of unity might remain among the Diaspora. The trick is that he must survive. His son might be better placed, if he had had one. Maybe he gets smuggled out of the city King Alfred the Great style, by Giustiniani.

Rather than try and hold the Morea, he instead travels to Montferrat, where the Emperor has a cadet branch that could at least provide a home, and rather than having the Diaspora spread out in Venice, Florence and Rome - it clusters in Montferrat, the areas around, and since it is the best port for it - Genoa. Since Giustiniani is Genoese, they may be welcome to the Greeks. Which puts them in exactly the same place as Christopher Columbus. If they can sort out an arrangement and help Greeks flee Ottoman rule (which after the sack of Constantinople shouldn't be too hard), then that community could grow rapidly.

With a political figurehead, and an arrangement with the various rulers in Milan, Savoy, Montferrat and Genoa - the Greeks pay taxes to their dejure lords, but organise behind the once-Emperor. A stronger sense of self, combined with a leadership that appreciates the shelter of the HRE and North Italians could have all sorts of fun - but since we're attached to Genoa, lets have one of the Greco-Genoese become an alt-Columbus, funded by the Greek-Italian community - not entirely sure if in the interceding 40 years if the community would be able to afford this, but if Genoa could have done it alone, I can't see why this community couldn't if they do well for themselves. They may beg, borrow and plead - but if they can, hurrah.

Trip takes place as per OTL - hopefully without a Grolumbus becoming a gold-hungry genocidal maniac - leading to the community establishing a new homeland in Hispaniola. Trade and sugar cultivation, and we have a genuine new homeland for the Romans... if you ignore the displacement/enslavement/assimilation of the natives. A Greco-Taino Roman Empire is an entertaining idea.

--- I have got to stop answering my own questions/
 
How's the following:

During the Muslim invasion of Egypt, the loyalist Orthodox, cut off from the capital (handwave: ?the Patriarch has a vision?) flee south, way south, in all the ships they can find, and settle in Nea Roma (what we would call South Africa).

The legends tell of one great big armada going straight south all the way. More modern research indicates that the Monophysite locals and the Muslim invaders both wanted the Chalcedonian Orthodox way out of the way, and allowed clandestine re-provisioning and supply for a couple of decades.
 
How's the following:

During the Muslim invasion of Egypt, the loyalist Orthodox, cut off from the capital (handwave: ?the Patriarch has a vision?) flee south, way south, in all the ships they can find, and settle in Nea Roma (what we would call South Africa).

The legends tell of one great big armada going straight south all the way. More modern research indicates that the Monophysite locals and the Muslim invaders both wanted the Chalcedonian Orthodox way out of the way, and allowed clandestine re-provisioning and supply for a couple of decades.

That is a fun idea. So we're in the 600s-900s, in South Africa. In the long term they may well think to go north along the west coast of Africa. All whilst being constantly exposed to heavy seas at the Cape. If they can tame the Cape, they could certainly build ships that could make the journeys north on both the west and east coasts.
 
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