Idus Martii: A Mediaeval Timeline

[Acamapichtli]

Introduction

Oescus, Moesia Inferior
468 AD

Dengizich, son of Attila.
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After the disastrous incursion over Roman Thrace, Dengizich, son of Attila, decided to stop the aggressions and agreed to make negotiations with the Eastern Roman magister militum Anagastes. The conversations took place at the ancient city of Oescus, located south of the Danube, and lasted several hours. They sat near the ruins of the civil Basilica of Oescus, and they looked at each other with tension on their faces. Dintzic started saying his claims, one of them was a tribute of 500 pounds of gold per year, but Anagast rejected that annoyed. Some minutes after, Ernak, the brother of Dengizich, assisted the mission.

"Pay me the taxes, and give me the lands I asked before I will leave you and your people alone," Dengizich claimed with an intimidating voice.

"No, nobody will pay you that, but we would not enter any alliances with your enemies. Also, you will only receive the cities of Troesmis and Aegyssos," Anagastes declared, notably irritated...

The Hunnic diplomats (including Ernak) told Dengizich he should accept the Roman proposals, considering the Horde situation was not as good as it was three decades ago when his father was the fear of Europe.

Finally, both empires agreed, and in March of that year, but signed the Treaty of Oescus. Dengizich got some land and started a good diplomatic relationship with Constantinople. It is a matter of time to see the Hunnic Horde recovering its old glory...

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This is my first attempt at a TL at this site, so the POD is that Dengizich accepts to negotiate with Anagastes, and both agreed on good terms. I will try to be realistically plausible about the butterfly effects that my TL might cover.

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[Acamapichtli]

The Fury​

After that tense day of negotiations, Dengizich and Ernak ruled the Hunnic Kingdom in dual kingship, as Octar and Rugila did almost 50 years ago. The next plan was to begin the centralization of the realms. In July, they agreed to settle a new capital, and a palace was built over the ruins of Castra Traiana; this city was renamed as Qara-Sarai, which means "black or dark palace" because of the color of the materials used for its construction.
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Qara-Sarai, some decades after its foundation.​

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The Battle of Partiscum
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Hunnic reconquest of Pannonia.​

Now, their eyes turn over to Pannonia. In 469, with Horde's troops fully recovered from the Thracian campaign Dengizich and Ernak launched an invasion over the Gepids. They asked for help from the Ostrogoths but were busy with a civil war. This campaign was challenging; it took several months to reconquer the Gepid domain.

Ernak conquered most of northern Pannonia, while Dintzic tried to move to the south, but their enemies resisted in Partiscum. The battle started when the Hunnic forces tried to break down the Gepid's defenses, and this clash ended in a distressing stalemate. In successive months, there were more disputes with the same results. In November of the same year, Oghuric and Alan tribes moved west because they were brutally raided again by the Sabirs. The Huns took advantage of this chaotic situation to change the battle course. Both accepted the Oghurs and Alans to settle in Pannonia if their warriors participated in the war as mercenaries.

The reinforcement arrived, so the Hunnic forces overran the city and captured the nearby areas. In February of 470, the Gepid capital was seized. However, it was returned to Eastern Rome. Rebellions were swift, and the merciless Huns suppressed them fastly. As a result, most of the Gepid population was executed, expelled, or sold as slaves. Also, mercenary soldiers who fought in Partiscum settled (with their families) on the acquired lands. While Onogurs chose Pannonia, Alans moved to the Carpathians and Southeastern Dacia.

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Notes
1. Large numbers of Oghuric, Alan, and even some Slavs will be settled in Pannonia and the Carpathians next decades after the violent expulsions.
2. I'm considering the Huns as an Altaic-speaking people, or at least highly influenced by this language group. So the name of some cities will have Mongolic or Turkic origin.
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[Glory2Cabinda]

So that name for their capital are you operating under the assumption that the Huns were Mongolic?

 

[Acamapichtli]

So that name for their capital are you operating under the assumption that the Huns were Mongolic?

Yes, at some point (I'm considering them just 'Altaic' because of the lack of information about their language). But "Sarai" is a Persian loanword. Nevertheless, the arrival of the Turkic Onogurs would influence the Huns linguistically.

 

[Marc Anthony]

fascinating idea! it's nice to see a Hunnic survival TL. will you also cover their cultural development and interaction with the various Germanic cultures of central and western Europe? did some Alans remain in southern Russia to become the ancestors of the Ossetians? or did all of them move to Dacia? definately watched!

 

[Acamapichtli]

fascinating idea! it's nice to see a Hunnic survival TL. will you also cover their cultural development and interaction with the various Germanic cultures of central and western Europe? did some Alans remain in southern Russia to become the ancestors of the Ossetians? or did all of them move to Dacia? definately watched!

Thank you, Germanic kingdoms will be covered soon!
Regarding Alans, the majority of them will remain in Dacia.

 

[Acamapichtli]

Fire on the West​

Meanwhile, the Huns started the reconquest the situation in Western Europe was not the best. Alammanic and Saxon's raids ruined most of Gaul, triggering furious mobs (mainly bagaudae), traders, and small landowners who desperately asked for help from Rome, which was not enough to stop the attacks. Soon, as Roman control over Gallia was looser and looser, bagaudae leaders usurped the power and were called just dux, but they used the Gallic word Rix (lit. King). As much of the regions they controlled were rural and non-elite populations, which means most people there remained Gaulish speakers, these duces continued to use that language for administration. In addition, these rulers followed the ancient tribal political divisions of Gaul (Arvernii, Bituriges, Cennomanni, Pictavii, etc.).​

Eburius Theudemar, Dux or Rix Arvenii.
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In 471, the Huns sent diplomats to the Rugii kingdom, where they demanded its submission with a simple letter that read:
"From the Kings of the Danube to Flaccitheus the Rugian. We will get to the point you have heard about what happened to those rebels named 'Gepids', so we can erase whole Kingdoms if we want. Fortresses will not stop us, nor armies. Only those who beg for protection will be safe, so submit to us, and no blood will be spilled. "

Flaccitheus ignored the messages and killed the envoys, but some weeks after, he saw the Hunnic army moving to Vindobona, which was being seized. The Rugian King had no more option but to accept being a vassal of the Horde. In successive months, the Horde launched destructive raids over Alamannian and Burgundian lands, this forced the migration of some families from there to Southern Gaul and Northeast Hispania...
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Burgundian and Alammanic families are moving to Barcino.​

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Battle of Aginnum
June 11, 470​

Gallic governors finally allied with some tribes... Euric, King of the Visigoths, wanted to conquer southern and central Gaul. In October, he launched the invasion, but he was stopped in the city of Aginnum by combined forces of Gallic, Frankish, and Breton warriors. It is estimated that the Gaulish brigades were of at least 10,000 people who were led by Eburius of Arvernia, Riothamus, and Theobald of the Franks. They ambushed Gothic troops, who lost more than half of their force.

Euric was very shocked by this scenario: his troops who easily outnumbered the Gallic ones were almost destroyed in a matter of some hours, and piles of fetid corpses began to appear next to the Garunna river, most of them from the Goths. An arrow severely injured Euric's leg, and his wound was infected, so the Visigoths had no more option but to return to Tolosa, abandoning their ambitions on Gaul.

This defeat was a low blow to Euric's prestige, but all was not lost for him though. He proved to be one of the best rulers because continued grand building projects, culture started to re-flourish as numerous texts about antiquity knowledge were written in Latin and Gothic, and more towns were founded as a result of the Central Germanic Migrations.​

 

[eliamartin65]

I'm enjoying this so far....

 

[Acamapichtli]

A message from above

Meanwhile, two more cities were founded on Hunnic territories. One of them was built over the ruins of Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa and was later known in Turkic languages as Qaghanbalik. The second one was established by Saragur immigrants over Partiscum, renamed Sarighsin.

In 471, some wise people from Sogdia became part of the Hunnish court, bringing their alphabet, which gained popularity within the reestablished Empire. This year began the publication of written laws and history records. Additionally, the Sogdian mural-style painting was introduced, and many buildings, including palaces and temples, have murals that depict historical and religious events.

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Dengizich fell critically ill weeks after he ransacked Langobardic lands and had to rest in Qaghanbalik. So now Ernak entirely took charge of the Hunnic Kingdom.

Ernak received an Admiral patrolling the eastern border and warned him about a well-known enemy...

"Ernak, King of the Huns. I have something to tell you," The Admiral said with a clear expression of fear.

"What happened now? Don't tell me are the Sabirs again." Expressed the King shaking his head.

"Yes, unfortunately, they are. Sabirs tried to take Tyras, but with my troops, I could stop them, but I need more aid to finish them."

"Er, Ok. I will go there with the rest of the forces, and I hope we will destroy them as we did with the Gepids," exclaimed Ernak.

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Now the King, other Generals, and their troops arrived at the ruins of Tyras, face-to-face with the Sabirs. Ernak moved to tears because of the high losses in his forces, and prayed to the Christian God, asking for his help:

"Jesus Christ, you who are the son of the Living God, I seek the glory of devotion with your aid: If you give me victory in this horrible battle, and if I experience the miracles that the people committed to your name say they have had, I believe in you, and I will be baptized in your name. Also, our deities had ignored us, and they had not come to aid my people. I truly want to believe in you only if I may be saved from my opponents."​

A Sogdian-style mural representing the Battle of Tyras of July 471 AD.
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After these words, he and his army defeated the enemies and killed their leaders easily. Sabirs who tried to revolt were massively subdued or executed. Ernak kept his word, and he was baptized in Qara-Sarai by Saint Auxentius of Bithynia. Dengizich finally recovered from his illness and also converted to Chalcedonian Christianity. Aussentius established a new hermitage in the Carpathians while converting the Alans from there. The Kings ordered the construction of small churches in the principal cities of the realm. The first official mass of the Empire was celebrated in the capital city on Christmas of 471.​

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[Acamapichtli]

The Scourge of all lands (I).​

Dengizich was on his way to plunder Italy, but when he arrived at Sarighsin, he received a secret letter with a good amount of gold. The thing is, the letter was from Rome. In addition, it was written by Anthemius (considered the legitimate Emperor of the West by Constantinople), who asked for aid against Ricimer and Olybrius. Chroniclers didn't know how many solidi were sent, but they all agreed it was enough to change Dintzic's plans for ravaging the Peninsula.

In consequence, the Hunnic King sent almost 7,800 men. Leo I, Emperor of the East, saw the complex situation in Rome and moved some forces, too. The first clash was decisive because when Ricimer and his troops almost reached the gates of Rome, they were ambushed by a numerous Hunno-Roman contingent. Combined Anthemius garrisons practically devastated the Gothic Magister militum ones. Olybrius was finally executed.

The enemies had to flee to the north, but they were attacked again some kilometers away on the outskirts of Rome by Anthemius. This was the second clash. Ricimer finally arrived at Mediolanum. There he planned to reach Burgundia to obtain support from his uncle Gundobad. And now, the next mission for the allied forces was to capture the Magister militum.

Anthemius directed the allied forces to Mediolanum, where they faced Ricimer and his remnant forces. The battle was not as easy as the loyal imperial troops wanted, as it lasted several days. Ricimer proved to be a good rival and a brilliant strategist. He got crucial alliances with local nobles and some members of the army. But they were outnumbered by the Emperor's soldiers. In July, Anthemius sieged the city and broke into it. Ricimer tried to escape, but he was captured by the loyalist forces. The Emperor finally condemned his general to death.

Anthemius' rule was not perfect, but at least he gained more stability and secured his throne for a while. Now the next target: Gondioc and Gundobad. They were trying to attack the Hunnic forces that were returning to the Danube. Dengizich, irritated, went to Geneva (with his soldiers) intending to solve this "diplomatically." On September 11, he arrived at the Burgundian capital to discuss a "Treaty of Peace." Gondioc didn't want to talk with Dengizich, so the war started again. Romans joined the battle, which ended in Gundobad and Gondioc being killed too. Burgundians lost their autonomy and became Foederati again.​

 

[Acamapichtli]

Europe in September of 472 A.D. ​

 

[Acamapichtli]

Light beyond the Darkness.​

Unfortunately, Dengizich succumbed to dysentery, and now Ernak is indisputably the only King of the Huns and the Alans (Rex Hunnorum [1] et Alanorum). In 473, the ecclesiastical provinces inside the Empire were established, starting with the Archdiocese of Qara-Sarai or Archidiœcesis Malvensis in Latin, by Auxentius. In addition, he created the Diocese of Iazygia, or Alania Maior, which is located over the Eastern Carpathians. Plus was in this year when a complex system of civil provinces and subdivisions was created. They didn't follow the older Roman divisions of Pannonia and Dacia but were attached to the tribal territories and the newly built cities.

Despite the conversion, the Horde was very tolerant (especially with philosophy academies). The court was visited numerous times by Neoplatonic philosophers such as Proclus Lycius or Aedesia. Furthermore, other ancient Greek treatises were translated into the Empire's main languages. For example, Euclid's Elements and Optics, Arithmetica, and Sphaerics.

Besides, architecture flourished and was highly influenced by the Persian/Central Asian style. It included Greco-Roman structures, e.g. classical columns, mosaic floors, and open-air theaters. Buildings (except churches) were ornamented with traditional tribal motifs. This development contrasted with disorganized and winding streets that ignored the Roman layout.
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The City of Sarighsin, with clear Persian influences. ​

On the other hand, the Hunnish language gained importance because of the Sogdian alphabet's adoption for its writing. Additionally, it absorbed more words from Oghuric and Iranian; this factor only added difficulty to its classification. By the way, it remained the most spoken language of the Horde. Law codes, poems, and other texts were written on diverse materials, which included parchment, stone, and wood.
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Later copy of an original Oghuric poem. ​

With a growing population due to migration waves, more families adopted agriculture, and new irrigation systems began to appear. A curious example of this was the reintroduction of grapevines (whose plants and seeds were stolen from Burgundia), creating a unique wine famous for its "strong character" and herbaceous aromas. However, some clans continued a semi-nomadic life and lived in yurts, moving through all the Hunnic lands.
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Vineyards near Qaghanbalik. ​

 

[Sarufiyyun]

I am guessing that with the Slavic migrations to the Balkans will be butterflied away with a stronger, more organized Hunnic state in their way. How will they handle the Avars?

 

[Acamapichtli]

I am guessing that with the Slavic migrations to the Balkans will be butterflied away with a stronger, more organized Hunnic state in their way. How will they handle the Avars?

I don't want to spoil too much now, but let's say the Huns are now more of a tough nut to crack.

 

[Acamapichtli]

Tales of the Mountains
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A tribal chief of Cantabria who would be named later as Corocotta II ruled over the Blendii descendants and had his capital in Aracillon (Aracillum). He was described as a smart and battle-hardened man who could understand (and read) Latin well but spoke it badly, and he inspired admiration and respect among the locals. Corocotta II had a complicated relationship with the Suebi because they tried (on numerous occasions) to conquer lands beyond Asturia. On top of that, Vascones started to attack the nearby Autrigones. So he proposed to himself a new mission: unify the tribes of the Cantabrian coast to counteract the Suebic Kingdom and the Basques.
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Corocotta II, Rex of Cantabria.​

In 470, he started a centralization process. He established Aracillon as the sole capital. Additionally, Corocotta II expanded his forces and hired more generals for them. While he had general acceptance from mostly all the Cantabrian tribes, he had to get rid of some rival clans, who were banished or whose members had been directly killed. These families migrated south to cities such as Pallantia, Salmantica, Numantia, and Arbucala, which left a deep cultural influence there.

His court also had brilliant intellectuals. Here enters the mysterious Basilius, an energetic reformer and able administrator who helped to implement crucial Roman warfare and civil technologies. Despite his name, chroniclers and historians couldn't know his origins. Paschasius of Dumium believes Basilius was a Goth, while other authors thought he was a Vandal or a Greek. Nevertheless, all agree he was from an influential family who left the Visigothic Kingdom for unknown reasons.

In April, King Theodemund launched a raid on Cantabria but was successfully defeated by Corocotta II. He could pass through the border and sack Porto, which was burnt into ashes, and almost 700 Suebian warrior prisoners were tortured to death. Cantabrians also made secret alliances with Astures, and Gallaecians reluctant to submit to the Suebi. With this brutal campaign, Coroccota secured the independence of his realm, but now the Vascones were the main issue. In 472, Autrigones allied with the Cantabrians.
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Deobriga, Autrigonia.
6, July. 472
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That day in July was rainy and cold, with a strong wind flowing to the joint Cantabro-Autrigonian forces at the outskirts of Deobriga. Before his eyes, Corocotta saw the beautiful crystal-clear Ebro River and an endless forest behind with all shades of green. This breathtaking landscape reminded him of what he read about the Cantabrian or Punic wars from centuries ago. Famous such as Arminius or Viriathus also came to his mind. This trance was cut off when the Basques started shouting some meters away, and the peace was broken.
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Deobriga before the Battle.​

The Vasconians attempted to cross the river. They were repelled by Corocotta II and Caucenus Larus, king of the Autrigonians, and the raiding party was violently crushed. Accounts point out that almost 10,500 Basque soldiers were killed by the defenders. This number was not confirmed, and it might be exaggerated. Nevertheless, this battle acquired notoriety for its bloodiness.

Local legends told that even after years of the clash, bones located near the Ebro's shore were still visible. It had been told that the river turned bright red. However, Vascones launched a vengeance raid and sacked Uxama Barca to not return.​

 

[Sarufiyyun]

Does this mean that Cantabria and by extension northern Spain will have more than a tinge of Celtic identity in them? Cool!

 

[Acamapichtli]

Does this mean that Cantabria and by extension northern Spain will have more than a tinge of Celtic identity in them? Cool!

Exactly!

 

[Acamapichtli]

As Christianization expanded over the Horde, the first missions in pagan tribes from the Black Sea (and beyond) arose. In 474, Maeotians and other Oghur clans living on the Eastern coast of Azov's Sea were successfully converted by Hunnic and Anatolian monks. This religious expedition helped to implant Christianity in the Kingdom of Caucasian Albania.
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Nicholas, Hunnic leader of the mission.​

To the West, Rome is still stable. Anthemius was a good negotiator and knew how to defend Italy from the Barbarians. In 475, he crushed a Visigothic incursion that tried to sack Ravenna. The Emperor regulated taxes, updated the bureaucracy, and started a slow but constant reconstruction of the realm from all the wars it suffered. Unfortunately, the fever took him in December. Now, Julius Nepos was appointed as Emperor of the West and proved to be stronger than his predecessor. He issued more reforms, helped to restore some infrastructural works, and strategically captured or executed his rivals.

Meanwhile, Odoacer tried to revolt unsuccessfully against Nepos several times. This reduced the popularity of the Barbarian soldier among the troops, and he was killed by two of his loyal generals early in the year 477. Months after, the Emperor untrusted Orestes, who was missing some days ago; then, Nepos realized Orestes tried to gather forces from Rugians and Goths to overthrow him. Annoyed, Julius Nepos commanding significant contingents, faced his enemy at Tergeste. The battle ended with a pyrrhic victory for the Emperor. Orestes' head was brought to Ravenna and was carried in procession through all of Italy...

In Northern Africa, Huneric became King of the Vandals. He did not follow the religious tolerance policy of his father and started bloody persecutions of Nicene Christians and Manichaeans in 480, who moved to Southern Europe, Egypt, and Lybia. Simultaneously, the Berber Kingdoms strengthened more. For instance, the Mauro-Roman kingdom expanded to the west, conquering Tingis and Volubilis, and the Garamantes reached the coast. The latter tribe was also converted to Christianity, by Chalcedionian refugee monks from Carthage.

In the Far East, the Rourans continued to raid Northern China, while King Jangsu of Goguryeo achieved the conquest of Baekje and destroyed its capital (Ungjin). Hokkaido island had big changes in these decades, as the Okhotsk culture began to adopt the cultivation of some cereals as wheat, sorghum, and rice, from the Satsumon culture, but still practiced hunting-gathering.​

 

[Sarufiyyun]

The Vandals' religious policies aren't winning them a lot of friends. I'm guessing that Justinian and his ilk are butterflied away but that doesn't mean that the Vandals will be safe from being destroyed. I'd wager one of the Romano-Berber warlord ends up conquering Carthage and tries to re-establish a Carthaginian hegemony of sorts in North Africa.

OR....

Odoacer is gone but is the issue of providing barbarian soldiers with land in Italy resolved? I think not. Maybe Emperor Nepos decides to make an attempt at reconquering Africa.

 

[Some Bloke]

I doubt much has changed in Britain so far, still, the timelines getting close to the time of the Arthurian legends. The Western Roman Empire seems to be in better shape than OTL at this point.