Hadrian's Consolidation - reboot

[Hecatee]

Well there are two elements in this update :
- coal : while coal looks to have been in use in the British Isles during the 2nd century AD, and maybe in some places in the Germanies, charcoal and wood were still the main fuel of smithing at the time. Here I introduce the use of coal to a very specific place, namely the province of Norica which was known for producing the best metal of all the Empire.
- cast iron : thanks to the excesive oxigen brought into the oven by the dumb slave Volcanus and the new fuel, a higher temperature than usual has been reached into the oven, leading to cast iron. While historically known in China at this time, it was not the case in the Roman Empire. It's introduction is a step for the next big change I'm planning (well, two changes actually, but I'm not sure which will be introduced first) : water-mill powered bellows and forges on one side, heavier plough with socs made from cast iron on the other.

 

[Hecatee]

Caesarea Maritima, Iudea, June 129



While he felt rather safe in his palace of Caesarea, the legate of Iudea was still smarting from his defeat by a band of rebels the month before. Warned of disturbance near the old Jewish capital, he’d moved with two cohorts of infantry before being ambushed by the rebels and sent reeling toward the coast. Losses had not been very important, a few dozen men and three centurions, but were still enough to force him to go opposite to the direction he wanted. Since then he’d ordered his forces to fall back on either the legionary base at Jerusalem or to Caesarea itself, to reinforce his auxiliaries there, before he could plan on reconquering the land.

The countryside was in arms, with many non-jews being slain in their sleep or struck in their back by fanatical sicarii who wanted nothing but killing anyone not following their religion. Still there was hope. The rebellion seemed not to have spread to the entire province, and Jerusalem was safe, as seemed Caesarea. Already in April ships had been sent to Antiochea, Alexandria and Misenae to warn of the troubles with the Jews and ask for any available reinforcements. He’d probably receive a few vexilationes in the coming days, to make a boost his force and allow him to regroup with the rest of the legion and pacify the countryside.

A knock on his office’s door took him out of his thoughts. His secretary appeared : “A fleet has been spotted legatus. Military, both warships and transports, at least two dozen of the later type. They seem to be grain ships from the alexandrian grain fleet”.

The legatus frowned. The grain ships must be carrying troops. Two dozen ships of the grain fleet could carry a lot of men, as could a number of warships… There was probably a legion out there, if not two. Unless they brought a cohors of cavalry alongside the infantry. And the presence of so many of the huge grain carriers meant that the forces came directly from Rome, alongside a new commander that would probably replace him…

Two hours later the secretary came back to announce the arrival of a large command ship in the port, in advance of the rest of the fleet. It was a powerful quinquereme with its mast up carrying a purple flag but no sail, the perfectly rythmed stroke of the rowers propelling it at great speed toward the mole. She’d touch land in an half hour at most.

The Caesar Voltinius himself was in command ! Promptly slaves were rushed to clean and straighten everything on the path the heir to the empire would walk to the legatus’ office, which would be his as soon as he’d step inside it. After all the former jewish kings’ study was suitably grand for such an elated guest…

While the slaves rushed about, the legatus and his staff were no less busy, putting on their best clothes or gear, depending on one’s station, before all meeting in the palace courtyard where they waited for the arrival of Voltinius. The butcher of the Pictones, the crusher of the Iazyges, the destroyer of the barbarians had come to bring his peace to the Jewish land.

 

[Xenophonte]

Well, while the Romans have, in both OTL and TTL, a good wined fame of energetic men and that usually go to repress, still the little, challenge to the Rome's rule.... But this amount of troops would be some excess for, only to crush some rebels and more if its lead by the Empire's heir and one of thirs more talented and merciless general.
Because that could take the fear in the potential rebels' heart or at self time perhaps could be counterproductive both for his actions or for his self presence would be stimulated or forced to join and or to a hopeless rebellion. Would be could cause fighting to the end last man, woman and child (Masada Syndrome).

 

[Hecatee]

Well, while the Romans have, in both OTL and TTL, a good wined fame of energetic men and that usually go to repress, still the little, challenge to the Rome's rule.... But this amount of troops would be some excess for, only to crush some rebels and more if its lead by the Empire's heir and one of thirs more talented and merciless general.
Because that could take the fear in the potential rebels' heart or at self time perhaps could be counterproductive both for his actions or for his self presence would be stimulated or forced to join and or to a hopeless rebellion. Would be could cause fighting to the end last man, woman and child (Masada Syndrome).

I don't want to spoil, but some elements :
- the Caesar was bored beyond mesure un Rome, he wants to escape the court with its philosophers and petty intrigues, he sees himself as a new Trajan. So when news of a defeat in a sensible area arrives in Rome he jumps on the opportunity and arrives with one legion worth of infantry, including some praetorians, and an ala of cavalry. It is still less than what seems to have been deployed against Bar Kokhba
The forces should be enough still, with both such a talented general and someone so ruthless.

 

[Mike Louis]

So the provincial governor turned tail and retreated to Caesarea after suffering a mere loss of two dozen men??? . This ladies and gentlemen is why you don't appoint guys from the JV squad to administer sensitive provinces like Judea. I wouldn't be surprised if said legate was embezzling money from the provincial funds. Either way he'll be replaced once Voltinius sends his report back to Rome, though something tells this may the calm behind the stuff hits the fan.

 

[Hecatee]

So the provincial governor turned tail and retreated to Caesarea after suffering a mere loss of two dozen men??? . This ladies and gentlemen is why you don't appoint guys from the JV squad to administer sensitive provinces like Judea. I wouldn't be surprised if said legate was embezzling money from the provincial funds. Either way he'll be replaced once Voltinius sends his report back to Rome, though something tells this may the calm behind the stuff hits the fan.

Actually he's acted rather smartly about it : he only had two cohorts, around 1000 to 1200 men, with him when he got ambushed in a narrow pass while in travelling formation, the kind of position a few hundred men can easily hold against a force such as his (he does not know that there are only a few dozens opposing his movements, as will be shown by the fact no one tried to take on the rear of the column, which he mistakes for an ambush sprung too early and thus failing and allowing him to retreat).
After loosing some men he decided to retreat instead of risking his forces, knowing that the rest of his men are scattererd around the province and he does not know when he'll be able to get any reinforcements. So he goes back to protect the main port of the area, source of reinforcements, and sends order to his forces to regroup. One must not forget that most often legions were not concentrated in a single corps while in guarrison duty, but instead spread wide (and thin) with small detachments here and there. So he regroups, protect main assets and try to get more intel before going on the offensive. He never expected the heir to the throne to come with all speed because he's bored to death. And yes he'll be relieved soon enough because he's not agressive enough for Voltinius...

 

[Mike Louis]

@Hecatee I can understand the governor in question retreating if he loses half a cohort in the ambush, but retreating after losing only 24 men either screams incompetence or cowardice. Trained soldiers throughout history without exception despise incompetent or cowardly commanders and the soldiers serving under this governor will feel the same way towards him. Once Voltinius talks with the senior officers of the local legion about the provincial situation, he'll put two and two together and will have the local legate replaced.

 

[Avalon]

The butcher of the Hibernians

Love this TL subbed. The only question I have is when did he go to Ireland?

 

[Hecatee]

Love this TL subbed. The only question I have is when did he go to Ireland?

Oops my mistake, I wanted to speak about the Picts and other tribes of the far north britain of course I'll change it with Pictones (and glad you liked the story so far)

 

[Hecatee]

Emerita Augusta, Hispania, June 129


Quintus Aetius Primus looked around him with both pleasure and dread. Pleasure at being back home, and dread at all the work he’d need to do. It had been close to two years since he had last set sight upon the walls of the legionary base of Emerita Augusta, to which the legion had just arrived after some time spent acting as a stabilizing reserve for the forces of the VIII Augusta and working on establishing new roads and bridges while the VIII legion concentrated on building its new base and the new Limes between the Ister and the Rhenus rivers.

They had also started the work on a new canal that would join the Rhenus and the Danuvius through some smaller rivers and allow all but the larger river crafts to cross from one river to the other, facilitating the transfer of troops and materials : the work would take at least one or two more years for the men of the VIII Augusta, depending on how stable the region would be, but it would probably bring some much needed trade in the area and could also serve as an obstacle for roaming barbarians.

Small guard towers, now maned by auxiliaries, had been built on the southern or western banks of the rivers making the connexion, with somewhat stronger forts set up at a distance of one day’s sailing, each equipped with a small dock to facilitate the future trade. They had also cut the trees closest to the rivers to make a path alongside the shores for haulers to walk upon.

The region had been largely depopulated from barbarians, so it had not been too difficult an operation and there had been little fighting in the year that followed the war and preceded the long walk home. They’d gone through Augusta Vindelicorum, Lugdunum, Narbo, Tarraco before arriving in Emerita Augusta where an unit of auxiliaries recruited during their absence welcomed them.

A number of veterans, mainly men that had been hurt and had not fully recovered since, would now receive honourable early discharge, along with some money provided by the Caesar himself, while the rest would go back to their more usual duties : mines surveillance, police missions, taxes and tolls collection, … For Aetius Primus it would be first an examination of the gold mines and instructions to improve them alongside what he’d seen in Narbonensis, and then making sure his assistants did the necessary to replenish the legions’ stores.

Work, work, work… Still he was happy. The war had given him a new rank as his superior Quintus Baebius Novalis had been promoted and sent to Rome, and he’d acquired some loot, including a few slaves he’d rented during the campaign and the year spent in the new territories. They had come with him when the legion went back to Hispania, and now he had decided to invest this capital in the building and operation of a water mill that would act as both a sawmill and a grain mill. He knew the perfect spot, close to the mines where he’d use the existing water network to get the necessary energy for his project…

 

[Rhomaion1]

Work, work, work… Still he was happy. The war had given him some loot, including a few slaves he’d rented during the campaign and the year spent in the new territories, but that had come with him when the legion went back to Hispania, and now he had decided to invest this capital in the building and operation of a water mill that would act as both a sawmill and a grain mill. He knew the perfect spot, close to the mines where he’d use the existing water network to get the necessary energy for his project…

Is this going to set off some industrialization butterflies? From what I got on Wikipedia the first Roman crankshaft water-powered sawmill dated to the 3rd century, so it looks like things might already be speeding up.

 

[Hecatee]

For those of you who wonder about the canal mentionned, it is of course the Fossa Carolina ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossa_Carolina ), a canal dug by Charlemagne with around 7000 men : a legion being around 6000 men, but here with slaves on hand and soldiers well trained in the art of digging and engeneering (better, I'd say, than anything the Carolingians could hope to train and use) I have the Romans building it and thus opening a direct ship connection between the Rhine and the Danube that should help the new territories, especially with those small fortresses that can act as the nucleus of small settlements of traders and canal-related jobs...

 

[Hecatee]

Is this going to set off some industrialization butterflies? From what I got on Wikipedia the first Roman crankshaft water-powered sawmill dated to the 3rd century, so it looks like things might already be speeding up.

Yes we are going toward more mecanization, but I would not yet speak of industrialisation. In fact I'd say it would only be clothe mass production that would lead down that path, here we are only seeing more efficient processing of natural ressources for local consumption, not for medium to long distance trade : sawmills let you get your wood choped earlier for instance, but you can't carry it very far. Same for the flour mills, they are only for local flour production such as in Arelate, flour is not traded long distance.
But what this mecanisation does is to slowly show other, less manpower intensive, ways to do things. Less manpower means also less need for slaves, and so a transformation of the mindset of people that could lead to other economic choices later on.
Combined with discoveries already hinted at (cast iron as a basis for earlier heavy plow,...) that will have a demographic impact and other more military inventions (such stirups and new cavalry unit types, including an early introduction of dragoon type infantry, to come in a future post in around one month) that help reinforce and stabilise the border, these new economic choices should help the empire long term. But it's a slow movement...

 

[EmperorOfTheNorthSea]

the first Roman crankshaft water-powered sawmill dated to the 3rd century, so it looks like things might already be speeding up.

Honestly wind powered mechanization would probably help Rome more. Like maybe a wind powered pump that raises the water from an aqueduct to a higher point making aqueducts capable of having a much farther range.

 

[Hecatee]

Jerusalem, Iudea, July 129



The heir to the throne sat in the legion’s praetorium, looking down on the officers assembled on his orders. They all knew their legate had been revoked and sent back to Rome in shame, although not in chains as some might have expected. The coward had some powerful connections and Voltinius was shrew enough not to anger them. On the other hand the men assembled here lacked such protection and he was determined to motivate them never to display a similar lack of courage. After all they were the X Fretensis, a legion whose battle honours went as far back as Actium and even before to the fight against Pompey’s piratous son.

He harangued them for ten minutes, telling them how he’d learned about their predecessors while crossing a bridge in Macedonia and how he expected to find legionaries and not children afraid of going out of their fortress. Already he had patrols of cavalry in the countryside, and they had caught a number of rebels foraging, identifying a place were hundreds of them had gathered. Now the legion would move out in force with most of the men the Caesar had brought with him and they’d crush the rebellious jews once and for all. Their first target would be Modi’in, where the rebellion reportedly started.

Coming into Jerusalem, Voltinius had seen a number of burned farms and villages and had been told most were linked to the barbarians’ relocation scheme : they, more than any other roman, had been the target of the Jews’s ire. He’d been shown the place were some courageous fathers had tried to protect their families, only to fail against the numbers. Curiously instances of rapes seemed to be rare as women and children were killed outright and none were taken slave.

He now retold those stories to his soldiers, to make them understand they were to fight without restraint because their enemy was likely to fight in that manner. He fueled their hate but warned them not to be blinded : the enemy had managed to organize this rebellion without attracting attention from them, who knew what other kind of treachery they might devise that could lead the romans to their doom ?

Then came the time to give his orders. All the food that could be gathered was to be brought to either the Jerusalem fortress or the Caesarea region, and the almost ripe fields of grains were to be torched so as to deny any resources to the enemy. Villages still standing were to be considered hostile, as they had not been targeted by their foe, and were to be emptied of their habitants. Voltinius would end once and for all the jewish rebellious streak. He’d read the texts of a jewish traitor from the time of the divine Vespasian as well as texts about a previous rebellion in the time of the old Seleucid kingdom, and knew of course all about the fighting in the end of the reign of the glorious Trajanus : he would not let them enough forces to rise again for generations.

Indeed he planned on resettling thousands from other parts of the empire, definitively changing the local demographics. He’d even sent orders to Alexandria, Antiochea and Cyrenea among others for their governors to cleanse their cities of the large jewish communities. He’d asked his adoptive father to forbid the formation of any community of more than a hundred jews in any city in the empire, and would launch a genocide here too. Jews were not alone in the province, and he’d ressort to the same methods that had proved so fruitful in the Danube area by inviting the arabian tribes and the non jewish population to prey on their neighbours, provided they gave a quarter of their loot to the empire. The best with such a strategy was that it would not cost him too many soldiers as his enemy would be weakened by a thousand cuts and hunger while his men would simply wait under the protection of their walls. The great Jewish Exodos walk to the deserts had begun...

 

[Mike Louis]

I knew that the now former legatus would be sacked once Voltinius found out about his cowardice. Unfortunately like Hadrian, Voltinius will soon learn the hard way that underestimating one's opposition could come back to bite you. If I were viewing the situation through a Shakespearean lens, it would seem that TTL's Rome is a bit too hubristic for it's good. Like I mentioned in my last post on the thread, a humbling military defeat could very well serve as a needed realty check. I wouldn't be surprised if another province soon erupts in rebellion potentially impacting the course of the TTL's 2nd Judean revolt. In the end however, the Empire needs to find a way to deal with Jews that doesn't just involve the stick and resettlement (A bit too much like OTL for my taste). A political solution involving a more carrot based approach is needed which given the views of both Hadrian and Voltinius would require either both of them dying before the end of the revolt or losing enough trained soldiers that the Senate and senior generals will put pressure on the Imperial court to abandon the resettlement policy.

 

[Artaxerxes]

At this stage of history a lot of Christians are going to get hit by the stick, there was a lot of crossover between Judaism and Christianity until Constantine and even up until the Islamic conquests.

 

[Hecatee]

I knew that the now former legatus would be sacked once Voltinius found out about his cowardice. Unfortunately like Hadrian, Voltinius will soon learn the hard way that underestimating one's opposition could come back to bite you. If I were viewing the situation through a Shakespearean lens, it would seem that TTL's Rome is a bit too hubristic for it's good. Like I mentioned in my last post on the thread, a humbling military defeat could very well serve as a needed realty check. I wouldn't be surprised if another province soon erupts in rebellion potentially impacting the course of the TTL's 2nd Judean revolt. In the end however, the Empire needs to find a way to deal with Jews that doesn't just involve the stick and resettlement (A bit too much like OTL for my taste). A political solution involving a more carrot based approach is needed which given the views of both Hadrian and Voltinius would require either both of them dying before the end of the revolt or losing enough trained soldiers that the Senate and senior generals will put pressure on the Imperial court to abandon the resettlement policy.

Here the solution will be worse than OTL for the Jews, the diaspora movement will be much more widespread and oriented toward the outside of the Empire : most will try for either sub-saharan Africa, Mesopotamia or the Arabian peninsula. Even the larges communities in Rome, Alexandria, Cyrene or Antioch will be hit by the wave of repression, something that was not the case during OTL Bar Kokhba's revolt. Here you can think of almost Holocaust level of disruption to the Jewish communities in the Empire, not so much due to any specific roman efficiency but because the state will endorse full ethnic conflict inside some of its largest cities : the survivors will hide or try to flee the cities toward the border, lacking in food and equipement, falling prey to bandits and to army patrols or simply dying from the harsh conditions in the deserts of the Middle East. Of course those who survive will begin something new where they land, making for new interractions...

One of my thoughts here comes from a conference I attended in Tel Aviv years ago, where the image of Hadrian was discussed. The westerners, especially the British ones, were looking at Hadrian with the usual outlook of the civilized man who built the wall but a Rabbi told us that in Israël the image was mostly that of a monster. Here I'll make his treatment of the Jews at his accession to the throne seem mild in comparison with what Voltinius is going to do, and I'll thus make monotheism take a beating throwing it back for one or two centuries...

At this stage of history a lot of Christians are going to get hit by the stick, there was a lot of crossover between Judaism and Christianity until Constantine and even up until the Islamic conquests.

Indeed, and that's one of my goals I want to delay monotheism's rise for a long time, and this seemed a good way. What this will also do is provide me with something new : jewish monasticism... But more on that later on

 

[EmperorOfTheNorthSea]

Hmm, has the Himyarite Kingdom converted to Judaism yet? I don't think so but it will soon I think. And with the hint of Jewish Migration to the Desert I think it may happen faster than OTL.

Or the Parthians could take them in and temporarily resettle them, more manpower can't hurt I suppose and they would probably be more Zealous in fighting the Romans than Parthian soldiers could be.

That could butterfly the rise of Islam or just cause another religion to come about similar to Islam. Maybe like Islam but instead of being an add on to Christianity it has a Muhammad like figure consider himself the Messiah so in the future there will instead of Christianity vs Islam which is sortof like a continuation of Christianity (in that the Quran recognizes Jesus) there will be another religion that claims someone else as the Messiah. That could be cool I suppose though probably far outside the range of this TL.

the diaspora movement will be much more widespread and oriented toward the outside of the Empire

I think Many would go to Southern Arabia and Parthia. They may get absorbed by the larger Zoroastrian presence in parthia but in Arabia they could assimilate but not before leaving imprints of their culture on the population and perhaps converting a large amount of them as they did OTL. Maybe even converting Axum/Ethiopia as well as south Arabia.

but a Rabbi told us that in Israël the image was mostly that of a monster

Honestly all Roman Emperors/Generals when looking through a Certain light are all pretty much monsters. The looting and pillaging they did on campaign was probably some of the mos brutal in history but the thing was it was needed to gain loyalty of the troops and loyalty with the populace.

then again if you tried to Rule while being a saint your reign would probably be very short.

I'll thus make monotheism take a beating throwing it back for one or two centuries.

Maybe Abrahamic monotheism and only within the bounds of the Empire but cults like Mithraism (which we don't know if it's monotheistic or not, I think it is) could fill Christianity's place in the Empire or Perhaps with a larger Jewish presence in Arabia/Ethiopia that could rise to fill the gap eventually.

If no form of Organized structured religion like Christianity pops up then Europe won't have the strength to resist invasions from an originally Arabian power like OTL with Charles martel and the like. If Europe stays pagan then they would eventually get conquered (at least partially) by an Arab force following whatever religion being Islam or some other cult that will eventually be pushed back will leave their religion behind which will allow better alliances and such.

Also is it me or is a trend growing on AH.com that Roman TLs try to nerf Christianity as much as possible? Come to think of it the same thing happened with all the Vinland TLs. Hmm maybe AH.com is filled with Satan worshipers or something .

 

[Hecatee]

Hmm, has the Himyarite Kingdom converted to Judaism yet? I don't think so but it will soon I think. And with the hint of Jewish Migration to the Desert I think it may happen faster than OTL.

Or the Parthians could take them in and temporarily resettle them, more manpower can't hurt I suppose and they would probably be more Zealous in fighting the Romans than Parthian soldiers could be.

That could butterfly the rise of Islam or just cause another religion to come about similar to Islam. Maybe like Islam but instead of being an add on to Christianity it has a Muhammad like figure consider himself the Messiah so in the future there will instead of Christianity vs Islam which is sortof like a continuation of Christianity (in that the Quran recognizes Jesus) there will be another religion that claims someone else as the Messiah. That could be cool I suppose though probably far outside the range of this TL.

I think Many would go to Southern Arabia and Parthia. They may get absorbed by the larger Zoroastrian presence in parthia but in Arabia they could assimilate but not before leaving imprints of their culture on the population and perhaps converting a large amount of them as they did OTL. Maybe even converting Axum/Ethiopia as well as south Arabia.

As far as I know the OTL conversion dates from the 4th century, around 380, so some 150 years in the future. But indeed the Yemen peninsula and the Axumite kingdoms will be two of the main recipients of Jewish exiles, in this case mostly from Alexandria and the interior of Egypt taking ships on the Red Sea, a number will also end up in Sri Lanka and southern India. Yet we are not speaking of tens of thousands here, if a thousand or two reach each of those places that will be a lot already...
Persia will be the second great beneficiary of this exodos and I got a special, Boney M like special, in mind for them... In any case the Jewish tradition will not disapear from this world, nor their brand of faith, but they won't be a major factor either. In fact one of the place were the Jewish religion will be the strongest (and not that strong at that either) will be the British isles, due to the ressetlement policies already put in motion.

Thus in my eye any kind of islam is not going to happen either, nor will in fact christianity beyond a fringe movement

Honestly all Roman Emperors/Generals when looking through a Certain light are all pretty much monsters. The looting and pillaging they did on campaign was probably some of the mos brutal in history but the thing was it was needed to gain loyalty of the troops and loyalty with the populace.

then again if you tried to Rule while being a saint your reign would probably be very short.

Indeed. But here the contrast in the two reception of the same figure was striking, even more so for being still so present nowadays : the Germans don't hate Varus or Germanicus anymore while Hadrian is still a figure of great hatred in modern Israël from what the rabbi was telling us, and depicted as such in many novels and texts.

Maybe Abrahamic monotheism and only within the bounds of the Empire but cults like Mithraism (which we don't know if it's monotheistic or not, I think it is) could fill Christianity's place in the Empire or Perhaps with a larger Jewish presence in Arabia/Ethiopia that could rise to fill the gap eventually.

To me, from what I've seen in the numerous mithraeum I've visited and from what I've read, it was mostly polytheistic but maybe evolved toward monotheism when it got mixed up with solar cults during the 3rd century. Here too I plan on doing something else...

If no form of Organized structured religion like Christianity pops up then Europe won't have the strength to resist invasions from an originally Arabian power like OTL with Charles martel and the like. If Europe stays pagan then they would eventually get conquered (at least partially) by an Arab force following whatever religion being Islam or some other cult that will eventually be pushed back will leave their religion behind which will allow better alliances and such.

Too far in the future, but I would not bet on a large arabian invasion dynamic here, certainly not in the short term. We're in the first half of the second century, and population dynamics make it highly unlikely that the Arabs could do something like what they did in the 7th happen before that time, and the empire will be much different by the from what we've known.

Also is it me or is a trend growing on AH.com that Roman TLs try to nerf Christianity as much as possible? Come to think of it the same thing happened with all the Vinland TLs. Hmm maybe AH.com is filled with Satan worshipers or something .

No Satan worshiper here, but I am indeed of the opinion that monotheism, especially of the abrahamic type, is bad for humanity as it divides things much too clearly in black and white, us and then, good and bad : I want fifty shades of grey, of even more if possible !