Challenge: Persianized Eastern Roman Empire?

Zioneer

Banned
Your challenge this time is to give a greater amount of Persian culture in the Eastern Roman Empire then OTL had. Persianize the Byzantines as much as possible.

If it can be done, have Zoroastrianism (or a fusion of it and Christianity) be the dominant religion.
 

Kosta

Banned
What, the Ottomans weren't enough for you? :p

TROLL ALERT!

If it helps, in the Queen of All Cities, an Emperor whose name eludes me now portrayed some barbarian kinds kneeling before him and he's in Persian dress to signify a recent defeat of the Persians. I also do believe I read somewhere that in like the 3-400s it was the style in Constantinople to wear Persian clothes. Really, all you'd have to do is have E. Rome take over a good slice of the Empire and the culture would diffuse naturally. So, say some barbarians attack Persia in the East and Rome takes advantage of the chaos to take Mesopotamia and W. Persia.
 

Zioneer

Banned
TROLL ALERT!

If it helps, in the Queen of All Cities, an Emperor whose name eludes me now portrayed some barbarian kinds kneeling before him and he's in Persian dress to signify a recent defeat of the Persians. I also do believe I read somewhere that in like the 3-400s it was the style in Constantinople to wear Persian clothes. Really, all you'd have to do is have E. Rome take over a good slice of the Empire and the culture would diffuse naturally. So, say some barbarians attack Persia in the East and Rome takes advantage of the chaos to take Mesopotamia and W. Persia.

Justinian was the emperor you're talking about.
 
The Byzantines did adopt some elements from Persian culture, in art, clothing, and even in warfare, but a wholesale "Persianization" stumbles on the political rivalry between the two: Rome/Byzantium perceived Persia as the main "other" power and civilization in the known world, and hence as alien and to a degree antithetical to themselves. As long as Persia remained an independent major power and foe, to adopt Persian culture wholesale and renounce their own Greco-Roman legacy would be tantamount to acknowledging Persian supremacy. It's no coincidence that their relations have been likened to US-Soviet rivalry.

Persian cultural traits could be increased the easy way if the wider Middle Eastern culture becomes more dominant over the Hellenistic tradition already in the Roman Empire, so that when a split occurs, the East will already be more "persianized". Otherwise, a conquest of Persia or at least a major part of it (preferably with a vassalization of the rest), which would result in the rise of people of Iranian origin to positions of power at court, would have the same result over time. However, even then, outright "persianization" is unlikely, and a fusion between the two cultures would be the probable result. If the "Roman" tradition continues strong, Constantinople will look to the West as much as the East, otherwise a mainly Asian state could develop along the lines of the Achaemenids.
 

Zioneer

Banned
The Byzantines did adopt some elements from Persian culture, in art, clothing, and even in warfare, but a wholesale "Persianization" stumbles on the political rivalry between the two: Rome/Byzantium perceived Persia as the main "other" power and civilization in the known world, and hence as alien and to a degree antithetical to themselves. As long as Persia remained an independent major power and foe, to adopt Persian culture wholesale and renounce their own Greco-Roman legacy would be tantamount to acknowledging Persian supremacy. It's no coincidence that their relations have been likened to US-Soviet rivalry.

Persian cultural traits could be increased the easy way if the wider Middle Eastern culture becomes more dominant over the Hellenistic tradition already in the Roman Empire, so that when a split occurs, the East will already be more "persianized". Otherwise, a conquest of Persia or at least a major part of it (preferably with a vassalization of the rest), which would result in the rise of people of Iranian origin to positions of power at court, would have the same result over time. However, even then, outright "persianization" is unlikely, and a fusion between the two cultures would be the probable result. If the "Roman" tradition continues strong, Constantinople will look to the West as much as the East, otherwise a mainly Asian state could develop along the lines of the Achaemenids.


Hmm... What if there's a conquest of most of Persia, but a century or so after that, the Romans in the east collapse, and a half-Roman, half-Persian successor state arises in Persia itself?

What kind of PoD could cause that?
 

Kosta

Banned
Hmm... What if there's a conquest of most of Persia, but a century or so after that, the Romans in the east collapse, and a half-Roman, half-Persian successor state arises in Persia itself?

What kind of PoD could cause that?

Perhaps Persia takes on two enemies and Rome seizes the opportunity to attack?
 
Hmm... What if there's a conquest of most of Persia, but a century or so after that, the Romans in the east collapse, and a half-Roman, half-Persian successor state arises in Persia itself?

What kind of PoD could cause that?

If Emperor Justinian either sought more vigorous efforts against the Sassanids or was unable to acquire peace with the Persians there would be more exchange with persian culture and the likelyhood of a Romano-Persian successor state is greater. The success against the barbarian kingdoms that Justinian achieved shows the military power he commanded and it is possible that this energy could be used against the Persians.

Personally i find the prospect unlikely as the urge to reclaim Roman lands in the West outweighed conquest. Similiarly while successful against barbarian kingdoms the Roman military record of the period against the Persians was dismal with wars usually ending with Roman tribute to the Persians.
 
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