AHC: have the roman empire fracture into a full compass

Unlike OTL, where the empire fractured into west and east, your goal (with any PoD since the start of the empire) is to have a basically equal roman empire ruling in every direction - so a southern and northern empires are added to the mix. what teritorries will make this division possible? how will a northern empire based somewhere in northern europe and a southern empire based somewhere in africa/southwest asia impact the development of the west in general?
 
Emperor Majorian captures Carthage, restoring the Roman Empire in Africa which, in any case, plays the same role as the Vandalic kingdom, and then Exarchate of Africa, over time with acculturation with Berber-Roman subkingdoms. Southern Roman Empire Berberizes and pulls its own formation of al-Andalus attacking the Visigoths during their time of division, conquering Iberia.

All the "Barbarian" kingdoms are still formed. Franks still unite the west. However, the "Western Empire" in Africa survives long enough to be re-declared a "Southern Empire" when Charlemagne (Butterflies? Never heard of them) expands the Frankish Empire to Rome and gets his own "Western Empire". Byzantines win Yarmouk. The Early Middle Ages develop convergently, except with two emperors kicking about the Franks emphasize their Roman connections more.

Vikings conquer Wessex but fail to conquer Dal Riata. Welshmen push back the Danes and conquer the Anglo-Saxons, partially assimilate to English due to sheer population numbers in the east; still end up restoring King of the Britons title after banishing the pagans. Irish monasticism continues and is carried up by the Welsh, eventually developing into widespread lay knowledge of Latin and the lingua franca of mixed urban centers between Welsh, English, Norse, Scottish, Pict languages. Later, during a war against the heathens in Scandinavia, the Pope humors claims of the Britons to Romanity, completing the compass.

The Compass
  • Eastern Roman Empire: Based in Constantinople. De facto liege of the other three; contains everything from Illyria to Egypt. Hellenized.
  • Southern Roman Empire: Based in Carthage, containing all of North Africa except Egypt, all of Iberia, and Sicily. Powerbroker of the western Mediterranean. Berberized.
  • Western (Holy) Roman Empire: Based in Trier, containing boundaries of Carolingian Empire. Frankified.
  • Northern Roman Empire: Britannia only, not usually recognized by the others until its pivotal proselytizing role in the Germanic lands, and gradual top-down Romanization allows it to manufacture a claim.
 
Last edited:
Top