Cato's Cavalry

The main drive for the Islamic expansion out of Arabia was primarily demographic. The available land was not enough for an expanding population, along comes a uniting religion and off you go and knock over the war exhausted local empires! In this timeline the eastern empire is stirring the pot in the successor states of this western Roman Empire prior to an invasion to retake them for the empire!!!! Ala OTL really but including Britannia this time! Even if islam is butterflied away I think that the Arab invasion will still happen. that the stirrup will have made its way to both the arabs and the Persians by now is I think a given. This would have massive effects on these areas due to the reliance on horses for the basis of military might (in part due to the lack of rivers and the distances involved if nothing else) so it's roll your dice time!
 
The main drive for the Islamic expansion out of Arabia was primarily demographic. The available land was not enough for an expanding population, along comes a uniting religion and off you go and knock over the war exhausted local empires! In this timeline the eastern empire is stirring the pot in the successor states of this western Roman Empire prior to an invasion to retake them for the empire!!!! Ala OTL really but including Britannia this time! Even if islam is butterflied away I think that the Arab invasion will still happen. that the stirrup will have made its way to both the arabs and the Persians by now is I think a given. This would have massive effects on these areas due to the reliance on horses for the basis of military might (in part due to the lack of rivers and the distances involved if nothing else) so it's roll your dice time!

Not quite "ala OTL".

By the equivalent date in OTL, all of the Western Empire had fallen to various tribes of barbarians
and the Eastern Empire was actively campaigning in Italy to reconquer territory.

in TTL, there is still a core that is essentially Western Roman with an (almost) intact infrastructure
surrounded by (relatively) well organised allied states
 
I can't remember exactly what has broken from the Western Empire. Britannia and Gaul yes, but what of Hispania? I'm fairly sure North Africa is still loyal to Rome and presumably the various islands in the Western Med are as well. This time there is some defensive depth in North Africa so even if the Arabs manage to capture Egypt I don't see them getting much further. Not that I see them getting Egypt or holding it if they did.
 
I can't remember exactly what has broken from the Western Empire. Britannia and Gaul yes, but what of Hispania? I'm fairly sure North Africa is still loyal to Rome and presumably the various islands in the Western Med are as well. This time there is some defensive depth in North Africa so even if the Arabs manage to capture Egypt I don't see them getting much further. Not that I see them getting Egypt or holding it if they did.
Hispania became de facto independent of the empire since around when Gaul declared independence. Imperial government under Stilicho retreated to Italia and focused on food production in Africa, border security in Illyria, and anti-corruption and political restructuring in Italia. Hispania therefore did a Britannia and started looking after its own affairs.

It later declared formal independence after Justinian's meddling caused it severe internal turmoil, which likely soured the local perception of the Roman Empire. Its ruler styled himself Rex (King).

The old Western Roman Empire is now:
-Western Roman Empire (Italia, Africa, Illyria)
-Gaul
-Hispania
-Britannia
 
Speaking of Justinian:

@Cymraeg did the Plague of Justinian arrive in Europe? Cato-verse Europe is full of trade networks so it's going to do horrific damage to demographics.
 
Speaking of Justinian:

@Cymraeg did the Plague of Justinian arrive in Europe? Cato-verse Europe is full of trade networks so it's going to do horrific damage to demographics.
Doubtless it would still have an effect, but without the ravages of war and famine, the population would be less exposed than OTL.
 
Other way around sadly, more population, higher trade volumes, more carriers and victims exposed to the plague.
I'm thinking in terms of the average health of each individual in the population, not the overall numbers. People who aren't eating enough are more prone to disease. Whether that has a significant positive effect against whatever Justinian's plague was, I don't know.
 
I'm thinking in terms of the average health of each individual in the population, not the overall numbers. People who aren't eating enough are more prone to disease. Whether that has a significant positive effect against whatever Justinian's plague was, I don't know.
Good nutrition will help, but that won't be enough against the Plague of Justinian. That was a strain of the bubonic plague, virulent and deadly.
 
Yes, this has been a looooong time coming, due to a combination of writers block (my plan fell apart when I looked at in more detail) and generally being very busy on real life and other projects like Robb Returns. But Cato's Cavalry was one of my best-loved stories and I need to restart it. So - enjoy. And apologies again for the delay.
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He hung the cloak properly, checked that the broach held it properly and then picked up his helmet and placed it under one arm. Only then did he turn to look at his father, who was watching from the doorway. Father looked at him shrewdly and then nodded. “You’ll do.”

It wasn’t much in the way of praise, but he knew that Father was proud of him. Father was a man of few words at times, careful in those words and also in gestures. The Shadow, he and his siblings often called it, behind Father’s back. The Shadow was always hanging over Father.

It was not fear, never that. It was caution. He knew why. Father had fled a powerful man in the East, a man who many feared. And Father had hidden here in Britannia, along with Mother, Marcus and (eventually) himself and his brothers and sisters.

‘Caius Honorious’ looked at him again. “Remember everything that I’ve taught you. Be on your guard, no matter what. Remember who you are – who you really are. Take nothing for granted. Watch people. Command with authority, but also command wisely. And come home to your family.”

It was a longer speech than he had been expecting. “Father,” he replied carefully. “Are you going North with the rest of the Army?”

A smile flickered over Father’s face. “I am. You know me, Quintus. I do my duty. The Painted People are hardly the Persians, but as long as there is a threat to those who I know and love, then I must step forwards.” Something seemed to cross his face. “Besides – there’s something odd about the situation in the North this time. There’s a different feel to it.”

“I can’t come with you?”

“You have an assignment. Carry it out well. Marcus will be with me, must to the annoyance of Megga, that wife of his.”

He peered at Father. “Marcus loves her!”

Father tilted his head a little. “Aye, but… well, that’s the prejudices of my upbringing speaking.” His eyes seem to shift into another place for a moment, as he tended to do when he thought of the past. Quintus had seen it enough times before and waited for Father to return to the present. “Don’t worry – she’ll do as well.”

They walked to the door together, down along the long corridor with its vibrant mosaic floor and then to the courtyard outside where he could see the gates of the house. The doorwarden, an old veteran, open the nearest gate with a stamp of old habit and they paused at the gates and looked out at the city of Deva that stretched beyond.

“So now,” Father said gruffly – and for a moment there was a catch in his voice. “Your first assignment! Hibernia. It’s a good thing that you’re a better sailor than I am. I always throw up on long sea journeys. That last time I came South from Alt Clud… your mother laughed at the state I was in afterwards.”

He smiled and nodded at the memory. “I remember Father.” And then he took a deep breath. “Father I have to say two things.”

Father looked at him, catching the seriousness in his voice. “What?”

“Firstly, I will not let you down. I swear it.”

“I would not expect anything else of you. What else?”

“Do you think we will ever be able to known by our real family name?”

Father blinked at this. And then he looked at the city, the skies and the ground, before sighing heavily. “Perhaps one day,” he said softly. “I hope soon. You deserve to be known by your real names, you, your brothers and your sisters.” His eyes flickered around to see if anyone was near. “You are Quintus Belisarius and I am damn proud of you. Now – lets head off to the fortress.”

And so they strode off, father and son.
 
Oh wow. This has been so long gone I had forgotten all about it. Though I remember now how much I enjoyed it. It was one of the TL that first got me hooked on this site. Happy to see you back.

If you're going to restart that timeline, I might suggest a new thread that you link here. It could make it easier to reach out to new readers who might not want to dive into one that's 115 pages long.
 

Hoyahoo9

Donor
Oh my goodness! My beloved Red Sox are in the playoffs on tv, and the Lazarus-like reappearance of Cyraeg in one of my all-time favorite AH stories. It’s a GOOD night.
 
If you're going to restart that timeline, I might suggest a new thread that you link here. It could make it easier to reach out to new readers who might not want to dive into one that's 115 pages long.
I would rather suggest to add Threadmarks to the chapters for a better reading experience (and because fishing for the relevant posts can be a pain, particularly when rereading the story).
 
I'd forgot about this pic anyway about halfway through the latest part I figured out the father was Belisarius.

Speaking of Belisarius, @Cymraeg , has anyone done a fanfic here set in Eric Flint's excellent Belisarius series?
 
Brilliant...my 25th wedding anniversary and an update to one of my most favourite timelines after a three year hiatus.........two wins on the same day!

Not sure which I'm happier about....well I am but can't tell the missus that!

Great to see this back, Cymraeg.
 
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