Cadavera Vero Innumera

[Jaydoh]

Merry belated Christmas, I guess. Sorry about the massive delay in posting this next installment, but as college wears on I just don't have the free time. Anyways, enjoy the update! With a new century come many new plot lines.

701:

Aemilius succeeds Sollius as Rex of Noviodunum; under his reign the kingdom will begin to refer to itself as 'Gallia' [1]
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Adeodatus succeeds Fidelius II as Catholic Pope
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The power vacuum left by the decline of Ostrogothia's navy in the previous war and the ensuing rise of piracy in the Aegean prompts Aigyptos to massively increase its naval presence in the region
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702:

Concerned by Umvahida's [2] foothold in Europa, Turkbudun [the Vehu] begins concerted efforts to convert the neighboring Serbi to Christianity
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Videion is overthrown in a coup orchestrated by a naval officer named Kallinikos; the former Ostrogothic king is exiled to Taurigothia [Crimea]
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At their suzerain's urging, Armenia goes to war with Iberia; Umvahidan-augmented forces quickly force the Caucasian kingdom to sue for peace, ceding Colchis to Armenia and becoming an Umvahidan vassal state
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Alemannia begins a campaign to reclaim coastal territories lost along the Mare Hadriaticum [Adriatic Sea]; their forces recapture Lissus [Lezhë]
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703:

Albania agrees to become a vassal to Umvahida rather than follow Iberia's example
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Umvahida begins a major expansion of the fortifications at Elusa [El Khulasa], the first of what will become a string of fortified strongholds known as the Alavasim [3] that guards the border with Aigyptos
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Honorius II succeeds Adeodatus as Catholic Pope
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Videion dies in exile, but an impostor worms his way out of the woodwork; he is chased out of Taurigothia by local authorities and finds refuge amongst the Morduinos
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704:

John II succeeds Honorius II as Catholic Pope
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Amon of Dyfed begins preaching Insular rite Christianity to the Bretons of Armorica
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An Axumite navy launches a devastating raid on the Umvahidan port city of Jeddah; Umvahida's eastern fleet suffers a disastrous defeat when attempting to raid Axum's well-fortified port Adulis [Zula] [4]
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705:

Yusuf ibn Hasan succeeds Hasan ibn Zubair as Miramoulinos; thankfully this time the succession goes off without major contestation aside from a brief rebellion by the general governing Pamphylia
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The king of Mierce abdicates in order to become an abbot [5]; a contention over royal succession leads to a revolt in Hwicce [along the River Severn]
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The Alemanni navy manages to conquer Olcinium [Ulcinj]; under the past half century of Serbi rule the port city had grown into a major pirate haven in the Mare Hadriaticum
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-------------------
[1] With the eponymous capital city under Frankish (Frankian?) control and the political center of the kingdom slowly shifting southwards over the last few hundred years, the southern elites of the more Latinized former Gallia Narbonensis are now on the ascendant
[2] And thus Iman's
[3] Based on the al-'Awasim (alternately known as the al-thughur) in OTL Anatolia on the frontier with the East Roman Empire
[4] Adulis is much revitalized compared to OTL due to refugees fleeing to Axum via the port city in order to escape the chaos of Umvahida's several fitnas
[5] Mercian king Æthelred actually did this OTL in 704

 

[Jaydoh]

706:

Gregorius succeeds John II as Catholic Pope
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A large Morduinos army descends through Vislanes territory with the goal of capturing Constantinople; it is led by none other than exiled king Videion [6]
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Bolstered by Iznagen mercenaries, Lusitanian forces [7] expand Visigothic control over Mauretania by capturing the port city of Sala [Salé]
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The rebellion in Hwicce spreads from Glevum [Gloucester] to Branogenium [Worcester]
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707:

The Morduinos are victorious at the Battle of Soatrai [Provadia]
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To combat the rise in piracy, Italia begins a military campaign against the Rugii
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Eugenius succeeds Gregorius as Catholic Pope
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The no-longer-solely-Hwiccian revolt spreads west to Ariconium [Weston under Penyard]
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708:

Mierce defeats a rebel army near Magnis [Kenchester]
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Zeugitana captures the major pirate center at Leptis Magna [Al Khums] and turns the city into a colony
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Visigothic forces are turned back from the city of Zama [near modern El Jadida] by Mauri warlord Tabat
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The man posing as king Videion is killed at the Battle of Tarpodizos [Bojuk-Derbend?]; however, the invading army does not disperse and instead goes about raiding Ostrogothic Thracia
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Troops from Italia achieve major victories against Rugii pirates at Tarsaticum [Trsat] and Curicum [Krk]
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709:

Lucius III succeeds Eugenius as Catholic Pope
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Mierce is forced to accept Hwicce's independence after Lunden and the Cambrian [Welsh] kingdoms of Dyfed and Gwynedd mobilize in support of the rebellion
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The future Saint Kyros [8] arrives in Syracusæ from Aigyptos and begins proselytizing
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710:

Tabat manages to unite the Mauri of the Tamesna region against further Visigothic encroachment; the capital of his new kingdom is Safim [Safi]
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The king of Mierce abdicates in order to become a monk in Roma [9]; this time there is no confusion over royal succession
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Martinus succeeds Lucius III as Catholic Pope
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Morduinos sack Trimontium [Plovdiv]
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Italia captures Lopsica [Sveti Juraj]
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-------------------
[6] Or, rather, someone pretending to be him
[7] Remember that Lusitania and Cartaginensis are in personal union
[8] Saint to the Miaphysites, at least
[9] Mercian king Cœnred actually did this OTL in 709

 

[jmberry]

Yay, it's back!

 

[Jaydoh]

711:

The Pictish king of Fidach invites in Dal Riatan missionaries to convert his kingdom to (Insular) Christianity
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John III succeeds Martinus as Catholic Pope
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Taurigothia [Crimea] rebels against the authority of Constantinople; Kallinikos sends out what troops he can to quash the rebellion, but the Ostrogothic fleet sinks in a storm en route
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Amon of Dyfed becomes a martyr in Armorica after Catholic church officials in Gallia took offense to his preachings; in the ensuing reaction against Insular rite Christianity, the autonomous region is divided into two different holdings [10]
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Chindagild III succeeds Chindagild II as King of Visigothia
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712:

Benedict succeeds John III as Catholic Pope
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Kallinikos is overthrown by Artemios, head of his personal guard; riots tear through Constantinople
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Morduinos take advantage of the chaos to break through the Macron-Tichos and take Selybria [Silivri]
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With Turkbudun [the Vehu] backing, the Serbi begin expanding into the territory of the Vislanes [11]
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713:

Yusuf ibn Hasan launches a new war against Ostrogothia [12]; Umvahida's armies win a resounding victory at the Battle of Nicaea [Iznik]
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Artemios is overthrown after his restoration of order in Constantinople proved too harsh; he is succeeded by Germanos, who attempts to appease an uneasy populace by enacting further antisemitic measures
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The Morduinos army manages to advance upon the walls of Constantinople and lays siege to them, hoping to extract a ransom from the city
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The future Saint Kyros establishes a second Miaphysitic church in Alemannia in the city of Catana [Catania]
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714:

Yusuf ibn Hasan captures Heraclea Pontica [Erekli]; to the east, a large remainder of Ostrogothia's Anatolian forces are neutralized at the Battle of Phazemon [Mazifun] by Yusuf ibn Hasan's adopted son and intended successor Ishaq [13]
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Boniface V succeeds Benedict as Catholic Pope
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An earthquake hits Syria
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The Umvahidan navy begins harrying Constantinople from the sea; a desperate Germanos pays the Morduinos besiegers their desired ransom to leave the city alone so that it may divert manpower to protect itself from the sea
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Mierce invades Norsex with the intention of reestablishing the kingdom of Lindissi; the Anglii are victorious at the Battle of Crococalana [near modern Warren House]
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715:

Yusuf's army crosses the Hellespontos [Dardanelles] and marches eastward to the gates of Constantinople; his navy manages to mount a successful blockade of the city [14]
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The king of Norsex is killed in battle defending Lindum [Lincoln], which Mierce manages to take control of shortly thereafter; the kingdom of Lindissi is restored with the placement of a pretender on the throne
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An earthquake hits Anatolia
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Sabinian succeeds Boniface V as Catholic Pope
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-------------------
[10] Each ruled by a major Gallic noble family, of course
[11] The chaos in Thracia due to the Morduinos incursion has led to chaos amongst the Vislanes themselves
[12] After making sure that, unlike the past two wars against Constantinople, Umvahida will not have to simultaneously suffer through a fitna
[13] Yusuf is returning the position of Miramoulinos to a semi-non-hereditary status; that is to say, the Miramoulinos will be succeeded by someone he has adopted explicitly to be his heir
[14] One very important difference from the OTL siege of Constantinople that happened around this time: no Greek fire, or at least nothing as effective a weapon ITTL

 

[ArKhan]

I really hope the Byzangoths can drive the Arabs off, and reclaim most of their territory.

 

[Jaydoh]

716:

Gunzo succeeds Vithibaud II as king of Alemannia after the latter dies due to illness; the Miaphysites are scapegoated for the king's death, leading to their persecution
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Danen coastal raiders sack the Frankian emporium of Lugdunum Batavorum [Katwijk]
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A tax revolt in Hyrcania [centered around modern Mazandaran] soon prompts the Ashinids to move in and retake control of the region; when Yusuf ibn Hasan hears of this, he sends his (adoptive) son Ishaq eastwards with what forces he has to spare from his Constantinopolitan siege
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With the capture of Danum [Doncaster] after a costly siege, Mierce [15] makes peace with Norsex
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717:

An earthquake strikes northern Syria, destroying the Old Church of Edessa [Sanliurfa]
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Morduinos warlords continue to attempt to extract wealth from Thracia; one such warlord captures the coastal fortress of Mesembria [Nesebar]
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Ishaq successfully retakes the major Median city of Rhagae [Rey], after the Ashinids had captured it earlier in the year
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After a lengthy siege, Constantinople finally falls to Umvahidan forces [16]; while Yusuf orders his navy to pursue Ostrogothia's Ægean territories, he takes most of his forces to join his son against the Ashinids
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The future Saint Kyros is martyred by an angry mob as he leaves the Miaphysitic church of Syracusæ
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718:

Ishaq's attempted invasion of Hyrcania gets bogged down in the terrain; in a major ambush of his forces, the heir-apparent is taken hostage by Ashinid forces
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The Umvahidan navy spars with a fleet from Aigyptos off the coast of Icaria; local elites from Ostrogothia's remaining free territories have sought the Hellenistic [17] kingdom's protection
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Norsex invades the kingdom of North Rheged; the Saxons win a major battle at Brovonacæ [Kirkby Thore]
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Chlodoric succeeds Dagobert III as king of Frankia; Dagobert III had died in battle helping the Dux of Vehia [18] stave off a westwards expansion of Veleti, the Slavic tribe having been pushed out of their lands by Pomorzani crossing the Sudeti Montes [Sudetes]
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Yusuf fails to dislodge the Ashinids from Pasargadae [near modern Sivand]; he does manage to forestall their advance upon Persepolis, however
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719:

Ultrasamartici begin raiding heavily into the Caucasian kingdoms of Iberia and Albania
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The king of North Rheged is killed in the Battle of Morbium [Moresby]; Norsex absorbs the Brythonic kingdom
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Morduinos coastal raids along the coast of the Pontus Euxinus [Black Sea] prompt increased Umvahidan naval presence in the region
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Chlodoric launches a campaign into Cimbria [Jutland] after Danen coastal raids escalate along the Mare Germanicum [North Sea] as far west as Quentovicus [La Calotterie]
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The Ashinids are turned back in their attempted advance upon Aspadana [Isfahan]; they make peace with Umvahida, keeping the territory they had captured and handing over Ishaq for a hefty ransom
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720:

Theodoros [19] succeeds Phillippos II as Basileus of Aigyptos
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With the breakdown of order in the ruins of Ostrogothia, the occasional Severi raid in the Pelopennesus has now become a migration of warrior bands
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According to Nordic epics, this year marks the beginning of a major war between the Gauthigoths and the Suehan
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The Dux of Vehia wins a pyrrhic victory against the Veleti at Reginum [Regensburg]; he has stopped further Veleti encroachment but has lost valuable territory along the Danuvius [Danube]
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Alemannia offers 'protection' to the islands of Zacynthus [Zante] and Cephallenia [Kefalonia], whose powers-that-be readily accept [20]
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-------------------
[15] And by extension, their puppet kingdom Lindissi
[16] Use your imagination as to the sorry fate of Germanos, last king of Ostrogothia
[17] Albeit majority Miaphysite, but beggars can't be choosers
[18] A man who is some complex variety of distant kinsman; heavy intermarriage between the two Frankian ruling houses makes their genealogy complicated
[19] No, not the Theodoros who served as regent during Phillippos' childhood; this Theodoros is named after that Theodoros, though
[20] The alternatives were mu'mins, miaphysites, or Slavic pirates; not much of a choice, really

 

[Jaydoh]

Well THAT was a long delay. Apologies to everyone who's had to put up with such intermittent updates. Why no updates since January eek?

-Finishing up earning my bachelors degree; I did NOT take an easy final semester, let me tell ya.
-Figuring out what to even do with my life, 'cause how do you put a double major in history and French to use in this job market?
-Fleshing out other alternate history that plays host to a friends NaNoWriMo, most of which is incredibly irrelevant to his story but WORLDBUILDING
-Having a health scare, 'cause those are always fun
-Maybe kinda sorta figuring out what to do with life
-Reading some tomes (of doorstopper thickness) about this era to get more ideas; Empires and Barbarians: The Fall of Rome and the Birth of Europe by Peter Heather is SO GOOD, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Germanic and Slavic migrations and state formation of 1st millennium Europe.
-Getting fired from job dealing with maybe kinda sorta what I wanted to do with life
-So many other things

So I hope you enjoy this. And comment on this. Please comment on this. I only got one comment the last time I updated:

I really hope the Byzangoths can drive the Arabs off, and reclaim most of their territory.

Sorry, dude. This has been in the works for a while; it was only a matter of time. There was allohistorical foreshadowing to this with several OTL Visigothic events translated over to TTL Ostrogoths.

 

[St. Just]

And Constantinople falls... interesting that the Mu'mins haven't gone into Egypt yet...

 

[Jaydoh]

And Constantinople falls... interesting that the Mu'mins haven't gone into Egypt yet...

There are a few factors that help explain:

-Unlike OTL ERE, Aigyptos hasn't been bloodied and bruised in a costly slugfest w/ the Sassanids
-Aigyptos only has to defend one relatively narrow choke point, whereas the ERE also had to defend Anatolia
-It's been theorized that IOTL the ERE's persecution of monophysites/miaphysites led to them being more favorable of Muslim invasion, and these followers were concentrated in Egypt and the Levant.

 

[St. Just]

So will Greek survive anywhere, or is the language going the way of the dead? It'd be interesting, if the religion allows it, to see the Umvahida translate their Holy Book into Greek...

 

[jmberry]

Great, now I'm going to have to reread the entire thing just to remember what all the words meant




Nice to see this back.

 

[Jaydoh]

So will Greek survive anywhere, or is the language going the way of the dead? It'd be interesting, if the religion allows it, to see the Umvahida translate their Holy Book into Greek...

Greek is still the language of the elite in Aigyptos (although the common people would speak Coptic). It would also continue as a liturgical language for Christianity in the east. In terms of native speakers, I can't imagine anything dislodging them from the Aegean islands. Any parts of mainland Hellas that fall long-term under the protection of Aigyptos or Alemannia would probably preserve its Greek language. It's also possible that Greek becomes a lingua franca of trade in the Eastern Mediterranean. All of this, however, remains to be seen because I simply don't have too much concretely planned out for the future, so who knows.

While the Quran will probably be translated into Greek ITTL, I don't think I'll change OTL Islam's taboo against translating it--the idea of a divinely revealed text crystallized into one dialect of one language (that of the original revelation) is too interesting?/intriguing?/idiosyncratic? to scrap ITTL.

 

[Jaydoh]

Great, now I'm going to have to reread the entire thing just to remember what all the words meant

Is that a bad thing?

I'm sure a lot of those words could be explained w/ a glance at the last map (although it's 20 yrs out of date at this point).

Nice to see this back.

Thank you.

 

[Archangel]

Good to see the TL back, Jaydoh!

 

[St. Just]

Who are the Xueyuantuo?

 

[Jaydoh]

Who are the Xueyuantuo?

These guys, the Syr-Tardush. Basically another group from the eastern steppes that got caught up in the butterflies of TTL's failed Gokturk rebellion (which, among other things, also led to Ashinid Persia and Uyghurs in the Pannonian basin).

 

[St. Just]

Ah. Gotcha.

The earlier presence of Turkic peoples, the notable state unity in the West (strong Frankia, strong Visigothia, strong Italia (did the Burgundians change their name) and the early presence of Islam in the Balkans make for a very interesting TL. In addition, we have an earlier schism between Catholics and Miaphysites... I would expect to see a lot of parallels with Europe's fear of the Turk (they should be called the Mede, if only as a call-back to Thucydides)

 

[Jaydoh]

Ah. Gotcha.

The earlier presence of Turkic peoples, the notable state unity in the West (strong Frankia, strong Visigothia, strong Italia (did the Burgundians change their name) and the early presence of Islam in the Balkans make for a very interesting TL. In addition, we have an earlier schism between Catholics and Miaphysites... I would expect to see a lot of parallels with Europe's fear of the Turk (they should be called the Mede, if only as a call-back to Thucydides)

The earlier presence of Turkic peoples is also aided by butterflies from the Huns at the beginning of the timeline (such as the early appearance of the Bolgars in the Balkans) as well as the success of the Hephthalites in Persia (which effectively paved the way for the Gokturks/Tujue/Ashinids to break into the Middle East as opposed to staying out in Central Asia).

As for strong western kingdoms, it's more that OTL had a number of weak kingdoms (Merovingians overthrown, divided Visigoths, short-lived Ostrogoths, ephemeral Burgundians), and then the Carolingians came along. ITTL, the various kingdoms are (almost) all of middling strength, which keeps things more stable but also prevents the rise of an Imperial power like Charlemagne's.

And the split between Catholics and Miaphysites isn't really earlier--Armenians split after Chalcedon IOTL and ITTL. It's just that ITTL a major Mediterranean power (Aigyptos) has adopted such a creed as state-endorsed canon.

Also, could you explain the Thucydides reference? I'm not sure how the Medes relate to the Turks.

 

[St. Just]

Well, Europe feared the Turk insofar as the Ottomans were Muslim (as seen in a large number of early modern works).

Similarly, the Greeks referred to the Persians, who also broke into Europe and invaded things, as the Mede. This term is used (along with calling the Shah the King) in Thucydides, and Iranization was called Medism.

Just a little throwaway line.

 

[Calculus Humour]

I'm loving this TL, keep it up! I came across it while doing research for my own TL (my first) that'll probably have a similar point of divergence, but radically different consequences. It's a good period to write about and to read because it's chaos. No research to do and no expectations. Nobody can comment on realism because anything can happen, the writer makes the world. Your map style has also been a great inspiration to me.

Sad thing about the byzangoths, sorry Ostrogoths being destroyed, they were one of my favourites (even in a TL about destroying the eastern Roman Empire I still crave to have it survive in some form). I look forward to see what the Umvahida will do in the Balkans.