With permission from
@Ephraim Ben Raphael
Most Serene Republic of Anahuac
Serenìsima Repùblica Anahuaca
The boat arrived with a gentle stop over at the port of the city know as Zama. Unlike some of the newer cities, Zama is an old city from before the contact. The old stone buildings were left still standing out of sentimentality and serve more as a historical site while everyone flocked to the buildings that were built off of the ideals of Venetian Gothic architecture and more modern styles. In the bright and sunny day, families are walking and enjoying there time out over in the serene weather. My musings were interruped by the sound of a woman speaking Venetian, telling us to prepare board off of the ship for we have arrived at our destinations.
I was now on the mainland. My Venetian is a little rusty and from my observations from overhearing tourists and locals talking, Anahuacan Venetian was a different dialect. Fortunately, my Venetian was considered good by one of my guides, reassuring my I would be doing well here. I got off the boat and was within the port. I could not help but take the opportunity to go up the window and gaze through the glass at the picturesque sea. How boundless was it yet filled with many boats and ships, dotting the sea. I remembered what one of the locals told me when she told me to look across the sea.
"Every island there... Every island there in the Mesomeriga Sea... all of that belongs to the most Serene of Republics."
The Aztec Empire was not a true empire. It was an alliance of three
altepetl or what we known as city-states. The empire was ruled initially by the Nahua people of the region and while remaining a prominent minority, many of them alongside other indigenous peoples of the land would mix with the settlers, refugees and freedmen. The Aztecs were not well-liked by their neighbors due to their excessive brutality in the ritualistic sacrifices in their polythestic beliefs. Everything would change when they would meet them... the Venetians...
According the records, explorer Cristobal Colon suffered a mutiny due to the abuse of the indigenous of one of the islands and people left back for Spain. Most were unwilling to divulge the details, but the rumors made their way across. The Republic of Venice was one of the places where the rumors were most discussed, since it served as a haven from the prosecuting wrath of the Spaindards. Eventually, some of the original crew and wealthy backers funded an exploration to take in the poorer people of Venice alongside refugees and the Protestants. The journey was harsh, but they arrived on one of the islands and as they explored more and discovered the landmass, they discovered the Aztecs. Some got captured, but according to legend, survived and helped a minor reformist noble in overthrowing the emperor of the time and instituting reforms.
Unsurprisingly, the first years were tough due to years of sickness being spread, but that ended up being gradually overcome. While the Venetians initially remained on the island they were on, but it was easier to interact and integrate with the Aztec Empire rather than with the tribes, at least at first. There was plenty of trade going on as the people did not want more than to live their own lives. Many came by themselves or with broken families so unsurprisingly they would mix in with the indigenous population. Over time, the trickle of Venetian settlers and refugees into the region led to the discovery of the continent though by that point, several cities and regions of Venetian and indigenous-mixed peoples live there, known as the
meticcios. A new culture was born, combining proto-Protestant beliefs such as those of the Waldensians and other Christian mystics along with folk beliefs of indigenous people. The hegemonic military confederation of city-states began mixing in with the parlimentary merchant republic that made up the Venetian Republic. The pagan beliefs underwent a form of reformation. The tales were clarified and organized into holy texts while some of the rituals and traditions were changed and reinterpreted. Human sacrifice was outlawed for more peaceful meditation and fasting. The closest to human sacrifice were replace them with pigs or on occasion, peccaries. The latter became more common with more settlers. Initially named the "Mayan muskhog", the name would be changed due to the distinct differents between them and real pigs. Rituals that supposed invovled human flesh or skin would be replaced with ritualistically handled pork and pig leather.
Named after the heartland, Anahuac grew from the former Aztec Empire and a couple cities on a nearby island to include every island of the Mesomergian Sea and the heartland grew further north and would come to encompass other people such as the Mayan of the southern peninsula. The boundaries of the nation had been established by the time other peoples, primarily the British, French, Dutch and Moroccan nations though some Basque, Malian and Danish colonies were successfuly implemented and survived after being granted freedom or seceding. The Portuguese never established a foothold, preferring to head east while the Spanish were mired in extensive civil war to do much of anything, something Morocco exploited with Andalusia. The nation controlled the trade within the sea and between the two continents, named after the cartographer from Florence, Amerigo Vespucci. Hence Meriga Nor and Meriga Sur as the name of the continents with Mesomeriga being the region describing where Anahuac reigns. Despite several border skirmishes and piracy wars, the Most Serene Republic of Anahuac would be accepted by the world at large by 1550, including the Venetian Republic itself. However, conflict maintained itself over the years as Anahuac served as a model for other colonies to be like, especially for the indigenous people who would often be slighted or abused by their new overseers (a notable exception being the Haudenosaunee and their close ties to the Dutch, persisting to this day and who I spoke to the on the way to the port.)
The nation maintained gradual growth and development along with stabliizing the government. The Republic was divided into various
altepetl and each one ruled by a
Tlatoani. While Venetian became the dominant language, plenty of Nahua words and lexicon made its way into the language, resulting in the distinct dialect. The general assembly or
consio served as a way for the common people to be involved in their government. Originally, the
tlatoani of each
altepetl were chosen by a council of elders, nobles, and priests from four candidates. While this would be done away with the
tlatoani of each
altepetl, the council would be kept to vote in the leader of the entire republic. Signifying their power and prestige, they called the main governing position the
arcidoge, though the indigenous would sometimes call them the
arcitlatoani. This new council meanwhile would become the Anahuac Senate consisted of those very same elders, nobles and priests, though notably both Christian and pagan religious figures and nobilities were included before the Senate would be secularized, the preists instead replaced by powerful merchants. However, the system is a bit more simplifed than how the former Republic of Venice used to be, in part because of modernization. The Anahuac Senate is remiscent of the British House of Lords now while the
consio is the same of their House of Commons with the leader remaing the
Arcidoge.
Trade dominated the way of life for the
La Serenissima Anahuaca. They used their position in the sea to control the trade routes between the Old World and the New World and later on, between the former colonial states. Connections with people on the continents meant alot and any route taken was considered. However, while the art of trade turned the people here into merchants, they never forgot the art of war and many remained warriors at heart. Trade expeditions into their neighbors sometimes led to ruthless battles and often negotiations would be backed by the threat of the sword. Perhaps none other was the of the freedmen privateers. Over nearby is an old ship, converted into a museum. A former slave ship, turned into a vessal of piracy in the name of freedom and the
Arcidoge. During the Transatlantic Slave Trade, privateers would often capture slave ships.
La Serenissima Anahuaca never felt comfortable with slavery, especially as they witnessed the cruelty of it and from an economic standpoint, it served no purpose. The freedmen would either become indentured servents or join the privateers to disrupt the Slave Trade. Others would return home and try to lead rebellions and riots, resulting in nations that made their wealth in selling their own people or captured foreigners being forced out of the practice, lest the governments be topped. Many of these former privateers would end up joining the already considerable navy of the Anahuaca. Powerful merchant families, independent of background, religion or language, formed. The more cosmopolitan cities dotted the shores while the interior of the nations traditionall were more indigenous based. However, this changed with the influx of Venetian refugees following the fall of the Republic of Venice to Italian nationalism. The newer refugees eventually acclimatized to their new home, but the distinct differences remained, namely for their Catholicism. By the modern era with the rise in technology, Anahuac is on positive relations with most of their neighbors and some nations in Europe.
I am guided over to an airport to be escorted over to Mexica City, the capital of Anahuac. A much larger and more pristine counterpart of Venice, it sits on and around Lake Texcoco. The lake remains as pristine and cared for as in the past, as the heavy indigenous presence demanded as such. The symbol of the lake, the
axolotl salamander, is often placed on buildings. Mexica City is divided into several districts, not counting the sites of the old stone buildings from the pre-discovery era, serving as national monuments and treasures. However, the dams of old were modernized and the aquaducts to deliver fresh water would be successfully implemented. Air travel is a predominant part of Anahuac, but often people prefer to take the water-based routes as has been done for centuries, at during leisure,
I pause to notice my guide converse with a local, chatting about the latest news. Anahucan Venetian was the primary language spoke and written while most other
altepetls had a second language based on their region. Sometimes Nahuatl, sometimes Yucatec Mayan, sometimes Mixtec, sometimes Carib... it depended where it was. Yet all of it was connected by the Venetian language and alphabet. The trains cut through rural communities that managed to possess modern amenities and through the jungles and landscape without disruption, perhaps showing the wild nature at heart in this land. Even as I boarding the shuttle train to the airport, I can see a man reading a science fiction novel to his son in from what I recognize as Nahautl. A couple talk excitedly in Mixtec about the upcoming carnivale and the various masks to be present. I sit next to an elderly woman dressed in traditional clothing, likely Mayan. She smiles at me politely before going back to her prior activity; she is listening to something on a portable media device. From the faint sounds I can hear due to the volume of her headphones, it sounds like a lecture on global trading in Venetian. Leaning back in my seat, I turn to see a large picture of the Anahuac flag. It resembles the old banner of the Venetian Republic. However, the winged lion of St. Mark is replaced insteaded by the legendary Feathered Serpent, done with the same sort of detail one would expect in Renaissance artwork and as prestigous as the banner used in Venice itself, all while Aztec icoongraphy dot the details of the flag. Within my shuttle is a microcosm of the unique nature of the Most Serene Republic.
Flag courtesy of https://www.deviantart.com/mobiyuz