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In the Name of Rome or, Britannicus Lives! TLIAY

I'm slightly intoxicated, so I decided to bite the bullet and begin posting this timeline which I have been working on since December. To mix things up, I'll make it a TLIAY - Time Line In A Year. I have 365 days to finish this TL. By the 5th August 2014 (which is my birthday, by the way) this TL will be finished, or abandoned. I shan't continue past that date. Anywho, lets get on with the show, shall we? I appreciate any and all comments, criticisms, and put downs.

In Nomine Romae - Omnia Dicta Fortiora Si Dicta Latina

"Greater things are believed of those who had been absent" ~ Tacitus

This quote by Tacitus encompasses the idea of counter-history. The idea that if the fate of some king or senator had gone differently, the entire world would have changed, for better or worse. That is what the relatively new genre of counter-history is all about. A good example of counter-history is also one of the most popular examples.

'Rome, Conquered' posits an alternative timeline in which Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus is adopted by the Princeps Claudius, and then ascends to th purple, taking the regnal name of Nero. What follows is a depressing tale, our reality's Princeps, Britannicus, is brutally murdered by Nero, who then goes on to rip the Principate apart with his madness. Following Nero's rule is a civil war, followed by a Flavian dynasty, then a Nerva-Trajan dynasty, then a catastrophe of a tenth century for Rome in which Christianity comes to dominate the continent. Rome eventually fractures into two parts, with the eastern half falling a thousand years after the western half fell to Germanic tribes.

Needless to say, from the point of divergence onwards, the counter-history is mostly unrecognisable and quite depressing. A form of indentured servitude comes to dominate Europe, while Kings rule under the concept of 'Divine Right' (a Christian divinity!), which is eventually overthrown by a system of Republic(!). Their present day society is alien, corrupt, and decadent, to many people of all three worlds, being socially, politically, and in some ways, technologically backwards. The ideologies which the timeline's creators had conjured are certainly imaginative, though they could not possibly function in reality, least of all our own. The timeline's religions manage to insult everyone's beliefs, even their Christianity is foreign and repulsive to many Christians, and many of our own faiths are simply absent, with a strange 'offshoot' of Christianity dominating the world from Tingitana to beyond the Indus.

The timeline is extremely extensive, probably one of the largest literary works ever written, with incredible detail and accompanying, realistic looking, luxoplanae [1] though it lacks realism in many, many places. For example, the idea that Rome could have such a tumultuous and unfortunate tenth century is unlikely to say the least, not to mention the complete lack of any non-European states in the Western World while simultaeneously lacking any European states in the Eastern World!

'Rome, Conquered' propelled the genre of counter-history to the forefront of the Central and Western world media. Its author is anonymous, though it is commonly believed that there are multiple authors, perhaps as many as twenty, most likely a group of students with too much free time.

[1] Photographs.


The Reign of Claudius

The year of Britannicus’s birth was an important one for Claudius, for late in the month of January, the mad Princeps Caligula was assassinated by his bodyguard.
There was widespread panic throughout The City in the wake of the first assassination of a Roman Princeps. The Madman’s fiercely loyal Germanic bodyguards rampaged throughout the Palatine Hill, killing and looting indiscriminately. The popular tale says that Claudius was found cowering behind a curtain in the palace by loyal guardsmen, who promptly abducted him and made him their Princeps. Claudius was but an unwilling pawn. While it may be reasonable to suspect that Claudius may have had a hand in the murder of Caligula, there is little evidence to support this.

And while Claudius was being forced into the role of Princeps, the Senate was squabbling over who was to succeed the insane Caligula. Fortunately for Rome, their scheming was cut short when a guardsman arrived to inform them that the Praetorians had declared Claudius as leader of Rome. The Senators sent two Tribunes to request that their rightful Princpes come to the Curia Julia to be formally declared. This was a ruse, however, as the senators were plotting amongst themselves to depose their Princeps and renew the old, corrupt republic. Their cowardice worked against them, however, as many of them had fled the city. They had hoped to use the City’s Prefect and his troops to defeat the Praetorians. But the senate, in a fine example of the weakness which had infected it since the times of Carthage, could not control their troops. The Prefect deserted the Senators and declared his loyalty to Claudius.

The next morning, the senators scurried to Claudius’s feat to pay their respects and formally invest him with all the titles and powers he deserved. He named himself Caesar. Thus, the fourth Princeps of the Caesarean [1] Dynasty was crowned.

----

In the year 791 AUC, the not-yet-emperor Claudius married Valeria Messalina. She bore him a daughter and a son in 792 and 794 [41 AD] respectively; Octavia and Britannicus.

The Princep’s relationship with his wife is not very well documented. What we do know is that after Britannicus was born, she began to use her vast influence for rather malicious purposes. One of her earliest victims was Appius Junius Silvanus former consul and a Legionary commander in Hispania. He married Messalina’s mother, Domitia Lepida and so he resided in Rome. It is said that Messalina dreamt that he intended to murder Claudius, so she had him executed. The true reasons for his execution are most likely jealousy, one of her many undesirable traits.

Over the years, Messalina took every opportunity to remove those who she disliked or saw as threats as they presented themselves. Julia Livilla was murdered out of jealousy. Marcus Vinicius, wife of Julia Livilla was killed because of his suspicions about his wife’s death. An Publius Valerius Asiaticus was executed because Messalina was jealous of his garden. And commander of the Praetorians, Catonius Justus was assassinated in order to conceal her adulterous behaviour. Her promiscuity was known to all except Claudius. She enticed actors, gladiators and courtiers to her bed through trickery and seduction.
In 800 AUC [47 AD], she declared herself divorced from the Princeps while he was out of Rome and married the consul, Gaius Silius. This obvious coup attempt provoked a somewhat fearful response from Claudius. He returned to Rome and Messalina retreated to her stolen gardens. It was there that she, and other traitors, were executed by soldiers loyal to the Princeps.

----

Claudius’s fourth wife was Agrippina the Younger. The marriage took place mere months after Messalina’s execution. Agrippina is known to have been a beautiful, colourful and lively woman with an extensive circle of friends throughout the Principate. She was the daughter of Claudius’s brother, Germanicus; making her Claudius‘s niece.

Agrippina fell pregnant the same year they were married, she gave birth in 801 AUC[48 AD]. Unfortunately, she died while giving birth to the child, a baby boy, the child died less than a day later [2].

Claudius was said to have been distraught at the loss of his fourth wife so soon after their marriage. Tacitus tells us that the emperor underwent a change after Agrippina’s death. He did not remarry, and instead he began to take a far greater interest in what family he had left, namely his son, Britannicus.
While Claudius is recorded to always have been a doting father to Britannicus, their relationship is said to have been somewhat distant. Britannicus was kept away from the intrigue of Rome, just as Claudius had been as a child. After Agrippina’s death, this all changed, Britannicus was almost always seen by his father’s side.

[1] You can pronounce it “Kaisar-ian” if you wish, but I prefer “Se-zer-ian.” Like the medical procedure.
[2] This is the POD. She did not die IOTL. In fact, she was never even pregnant.

Note: As to the POD, there could be two. One being Agrippina falling pregnant and dying, the other could perhaps be at Britannicus' conception so as to make him a different person. After all, there must have been something about him which made Claudius prefer Nero. Unless it was all down to Agrippina's influence, if you believe that, then disregard this note.

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