Flee! Flee! Mark 2.0

Aloha!

Since my turgid bit of a novel isn't going anywhere, I decided to edit the "Flee Flee" TL so that it's a wee bit more understanding/sympathetic and all that. So, ....yeah...

Without further ado...

387 - Theodosius I marries Galla, 2 years earlier than OTL

388 AD - Theodosius I has a son by his second wife, Galla, who is named Theodosius II, for a lack of a better imagination.

390 AD - Galla produces a daughter, named Galla Placidia.

401 - Theodosius III (OTL Theodosius II) is born.

405- The Sibylline Books are destroyed by Stilicho, who is defacto Emporer.

At this time, pressure within the family provokes Theodosius II to register in the Legions. Although there is some pressure to exact his birthright, Theodosius II is considered within the Imperial Family as a 'black sheep' for his radical theories of meshing "Barbarian" tactics with Roman weapondry. There is also the hint that Theodosius II is somewhat sympathetic to the up & coming cavalry commander, Stilcho.

405-408 - Due to a family quarrel, Theodosius II is quietly erased from recorded history.

Also within this time, Stilcho becomes Emporer, but is ultimately doomed by his cultural background.

408 - Stilicho is executed by his political opponents, following some overt rebellion in the provences, and a vacuum is created.

Theodosius III is crowned the Emporer of the Eastern Romans; upon his ascension he takes the title "Theodosius II".

Within this period, many supporters of Stilcho disappear, most of them written off as dead (anyway).

409 - Honorius's dealings with the barbarians backfire on him.

410 - Rome is sacked by the Visigoths.

A letter surfaces and labeled as a "hoax", since no Roman soldiers or even mercenaries have the gall to leave Rome for a distant island to the north called Britain.

411 - The Usruper Constantine III, of Roman Gaul, is quietly assassinated.

412 - The Usurper Jovinus, of Roman Gaul, supported by the local Alans and Burgundian tribes, declares himself as Roman Emporer.

413 - The Usurper Jovinus is killed.

414 - Galla Placidia marries Athauf, brother of Alaric of the Visigoths

415 - Rumor has it that a Bandit Lord is calling for "able bodied men" for a "Northern Adventure" and that he is currently promising "free land" for their services.

416? 417? - Galla Placidia is forced to marry Constantius III, who dies seven months into his "co-reign" as Emporer of the Western Roman Empire.

420 - Alans start immigrating to the "Northern Lands" en masse

423 - Honorius dies

424 - Galla Pacidia's son Valentinian III, becomes Emporer

450 AD - Known as the "Great Betrayal", Honoria, sister of Emporer Valentinian III, manages to slay her brother due to some family affair. In this absense, Honoria becomes defacto Ruler of Rome, and then invites Attila the Hun to marry her. Attila consents. However, as Attilia becomes Romanized, many people of the previous regieme are horrified that they will be ruled bya bunch of "barbarians".

A mass exodus of talented Roman officers, picking up on a very old rumor that a not-quite-stable kingdom to the north is needing mercenaries, disappear.

Of course there are other regions that dull this movement as well as Attila himself giving a speech through Honoria that such conduct would be "unbecoming of an officer".

Those that follow Attila convert to Christianity.

451 AD - Rome becomes cavalry based.

452 AD - Rome starts moving into Gaul for more support for it's much enlarged troops.

453 AD - Attila and Honoria bear a son, named Equtius.

454 AD - Theodoric II becomes King of the Visigoths.

455 AD - The Vandals do not invade Italy. Instead they start building up their navy. Carthage becomes a boom-town for this activity. Ironically, the booming of the naval business does create some divisions between Geiseric (King of the Vandals) and Huneric (his eldest son), who has an idea of expanding elsewhere in the Great Inland Sea.

456 AD - Geiseric attacks Southern Italy. Attlia, furious that his new Empire is being attacked, dispatches Ricimer, who manages to push back the Vandals through various creative means. Huneric, seeing that his father is in dire straits, decides to create a second base if Carthage should fall. However, this furthers the division between the two, since Geiseric declares himself along the equal to Attila, since they are both barbarians.

457 AD - Geiseric is captured by Ricimer. He is executed. Carthage soon becomes Ricimer's own personal property, since he is a loyal commander of Attila, and that he should be retained as the model citizen of the New Roman Empire.

Huneric just barely gets out of Carthage and settles what is left of the Vandal Nation along the Seagates {OTL Straits of Gibraltar}.

Further progression within France by the Roman Empire do not go as planned. Many of the Alans still living in Gaul are put to the sword. Only the Burgundians seem to be holding up against the New Roman Legions.

457 - 463 AD - The Kingdom of the Seagates is established.

Germania is ethnically cleansed of the Franks and Saxons. Those that do survive flee up North, since the myth of the Bandit Lord/King has become quite larger than what is in Rome. The Roman citizens are happy for a while.

Carthage is "re-dectorated" by Ricimer who really hates the continued civil unrest in his newly conquered lands.

Attila becomes very annoyed that the Burgundians have become a regional power.

Honoria dies in the middle of the "Saxon War" by unknown means. The Praetorians are soon increased in numbers and power by Attila. Rome becomes a military state.

Contact is made by the Seagate Kingdom and the Visigoths on the possibilities of facing a large Roman Empire on their border.

A disgruntled Roman General by the name of Majorian appears in Huneric's court. The Vandal Navy becomes streamlined.

463 - 465 AD - Rome starts cleansing those select barbaric tribes that either stand in their way or simply sit on land that could be used to bribe the Romans for loyalty to the state.

Raids on Roman shipping provoke the Roman Empire to look upon what lies beyond Carthage. Huneric manages to stay off counter-raids by the Imperial Navy through what will become guerilla warfare. Vandal seafaring technology becomes a big thing, since there is always a chance of defeat, and the possibility of a new life somewhere else.

The first public dispute between Attila and Ricimer commences on his conduct in Carthage, which is now cleansed of Vandals, and somewhat critical of Attila's new direction.

465 AD - Theodoric demands that for his loyal service to Rome he is given the Septimania region of Gaul. Attila refuses, and Theodoric declares war on the Western Roman Empire. The Visigoths make a terrible mistake. The Roman army is in peak condition at this time, bolstered by the new cavalry-centric reforms and the Hunnic army.

Ricimer is dispatched to eliminate the Vandals in the Seagates since he has shown progress against them in the past.

465- 468 AD - Attila eliminates the Visigoths as a sovereign nation.

However, the Vandals around the Seagates prove to be of mettle, defeating Ricimer in a series of naval battles that prove he is of no use to the New Regime. Ricimer is invited to Rome to speak with Attila. Three days later, Ricimer is declared "Rome's greatest general", due to his premature death.

Huneric creates the Shiphounds, a specific naval squadron that specializes in suicidal attacks, and other associated beserk ways. Attila labels the Vandals as a "danger to the Roman character". Not surprisingly, in this published work, Attila holds himself as the next best thing compared to Julius Caeser.

The Romans don't disagree.

Within this period, there is some rumor that the Burgundians are two-timing the Romans, with their army being of equal amount to the Roman Legions. Although they do serve the Caeser well in Visigoth land, it is not a friendly atmosphere within the two camps.

469 - 470 AD -

Several Visigoths defect to the Seagate Kingdom.

Attila becomes "The Great" by his puppet-pope.

 
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470 AD -

Dionysius Exiguus invents the AD/BC calendar. Of course at this time, many in the Byzatine Empire refer to the dating system as "Before the Fall (of the Western Roman Empire)" and "After the Fall".

An uneasy peace breaks out within the Segate Kingdom and the Roman Empire. Although the Roman Empire can invade them anytime, there is always the presence of those pesky fire-ships, and that without Ricimer, there's no real power to push on to the Kingdom. Thus, the peace holds.

471 AD -

Attila kicks the bucket. He is honored within the other Caesers. As can be expected, Equitius becomes Emporer.

Formal contact is made between the Burgundian Kingdom/Realm and Britain. A local spy of Roman origin takes notes that the British ambassadors retain a bodyguard that speak both Saxon and Frankish. The ambassadors disappear once the local Roman Legate attempts to follow up on this piece of information.

The Visigoths that were spared total slaughter agree to be under Vandal "protection". Huneric is often referred to as "The Sailor King", due to him being on land 3 days out of the year, and almost never really at one place. Further reforms within the navy alter the Vandal character forever, with the Romans often associating them as pirates, and other derogatory words.

472 - 473 AD -

The Gepids are eliminated.

Britain invades Ireland.

Gundobad, nephew of Ricimer, is dispatched as an Ambassador to the Byzantine Empire on behalf of Rome.

474 AD -

Zeno becomes Emporer of the Byzantines.

Huneric dies, passing off his throne to Godigeric, his second in command.

Carthage becomes settled with those Huns that wish to retain their traditional roots.

More information trickles in about Britain becoming an Empire of it's own right, even though it is heavily influenced by Frankish/Saxon/Anglo/British cultures.

475 - 482 AD -

The Seagate Kingdom re-organizes itself to be a Republic. Further exploration of the Hiberian Penninsula results in the settlement of what will be Lisbon. Those Roman troops within that Penninsula begin to create their own rival port system to counter the rise of the Vandals.

The first word that Southern Ireland has been pacificed. A "Prince Clovis" is crowned in what will become France, even though it is in Ireland. Burgundy starts to flex it's political muscle through aiding the British armies maintain order in that island.

Zeno retains his throne in a series of civil wars.

482 - 486 AD -

The Burgundian King, Gundomar II, declares himself free of Roman Rule with the aide of British mercenaries. Rome replies by invading Burgundy. For four long years, much of Gaul becomes a vertible wasteland of death, and cavalry becomes a very big thing in war.

Prince Clovis of France joins the war and soon proves himself well in combat.

Germania starts breaking away under internal and external pressure.

Vandals discover what will be Lisbon.

The first "Postal Service" is created in the Seagate Kingdom.

486 - 489 AD -

In a mark of sudden betrayal, King Clovis assassinates King Gundomar II in exchange for Roman support of a larger kingdom. Those Burgundians that do resist are killed. Thus, King Clovis, becomes the actual King of Burgundy-France.

A one Legate Orcin, reputated to be a ruler from Britain (which still retains Roman ranks), declares that all the French in Ireland are now British citizens. King Clovis responds by attempting to invade Britain, which ends up in another round of bloody warfare, and the succession of King Chlodomer as ruler of the Burgundian-French Realm (little more than a puppet to Rome).

489 - 494 AD -

The Visigoths are assimilitated into the Vandals. The exact territory that the Vandals now occupy retains much of the southern coast of what will be Spain, the Portuguese coastline, and Morocco. A low level war wages on near the Balerics as the Spanish Romans become more paranoid that the Vandals will invade (and they do).

Equitius begins to establish a system of guard-posts along the border of the much expanded Roman Empire.

Bitter infighting within the Burgundian-French Realm causes the Franks to dissolve their former strength within the Kingdom.

494 - 500 AD -

Equitius gets religion and begins to establish a thousand churches in the name of God.

The Burgundian-French Realm falls apart with the Romans invading to restore order. The Franks formally ebb away from their moment in the sun and either migrate back to Ireland or to Germania as mercenaries.
 
Nice to see this TL back – very entertaining. I like your off-the-cuff remarks; for instance, “471AD: Attlia kicks the bucket…”, most amusing.

May the gods of the Board grant you many readers and many comments.
 
501 AD -

The Emporer proves how religious he is by shoring up the Papacy when it is critiqued on being too "sinful". The senator's family gets a one way ticket to Carthage.

Burgundy is given status as a "sub-Kingdom" within the Roman Empire.

The Seagate Kingdom starts developing it's own culture, mostly naval based, with those of the Visigoth origin tending to be Marine/land based.

502 AD -

War breaks out between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sassanids. The Sassanids are overconfident, and send a weak force into Armenia. They are slaughtered at the Battle of Amida, and the war begins

Roman colonies in Spain start to openly invade the Segate Kingdom. A naval war breaks out although the Emporer is very hestitant to create war. Thus it is that Burgundy is "chartered" to shore up those colonies.

The Franks in Germania are absorbed in the general population.

The French Princedoms are declared as a "sovereign part of Britain".

502 -505 AD - The Eastern campaign against the Sassanids. Mesopotamia reconquered entirely. Peace is agreed upon that the Sassanids give Colchis, Assyria, (region based around Hatra) and 10,000 pounds of gold. Given the large number of Christians in the region, the Eastern Romans are most welcome.

The Hiberian Wars commences. Many in Rome prefer to call this the "Shadow War". Many Burgundians do not exactly make war against the Seagate Kingdom. At best, the Roman colonies in Spain are the ones that do the actual fighting. Towards the middle of 504 AD, Godjeric is slain in battle, and his head is forwarded to Rome as proof of colonial loyalty. Hedgeric, son of Godjeric, begins a tradition of adding -eric to those that rule the Kingdom, even though it's more of a Republic than anything else. The "Shadow War" soon results in more Roman troops sent to award the colonials for their loyalty.

Waters off the coast of what will be the Balerics and the Segates soon become infested with shipwrecks and sharks.

Not surprisingly, salvage crews become the first working trade to be organized, and officialized in the "Royal" Seagate government.

505 AD - 510 AD -

The Hiberian Wars continues and stalls in a bloody stalemate. Much of what was controlled by the Kingdom on land is pushed back by a strong Roman presence along the Eastern Hiberian Coastline. Lisbon becomes independent due to the pressure along the homefront increases.

Burgundy increases as a co-power of Rome.

Germania starts making noises that they are ignored in the general chaos of things. There is some pointing out that Britain is becoming a "un-natural rival to Rome". They...are given some reinforcements....

The Eastern Roman Empire starts increasing in territory by the Sassanids not exactly having faith in their government. Much war commences, theivery becomes an accepted position, and looters start romping around in those areas that men start whacking each other for no apparent reason than to show they are the boss of this other person that had the same line of logic.

Brittany starts to become pro-British since Burgundy is busy killing people to the south.

510 AD -

Equitus meets his maker.

Flavius becomes Emporer.

Lisbon creates their own pirate fleet....and starts attacking Brittany ...mainly because they're bored.
 
An improvement and very enjoyable. Post some maps!

I also like the Seagate Kingdom and the Eastern Roman Empire's victories in Persia. Very nice.
 
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