Justinian I had a son

So, a death for him between 533 and 540 then? When his son is a mere child?
If there is a son, he gets strangled in the crib and some general takes the throne. See, that's the thing with the Byzantines, a legitimate heir is unnecessary as long as there is no danger of civil war.
 
If there is a son, he gets strangled in the crib and some general takes the throne. See, that's the thing with the Byzantines, a legitimate heir is unnecessary as long as there is no danger of civil war.

Lol alright interesting.

Would Germanus pursue the invasion of Italy, or focus more on the northern front?
 
If there is a son, he gets strangled in the crib and some general takes the throne. See, that's the thing with the Byzantines, a legitimate heir is unnecessary as long as there is no danger of civil war.
Not the way it works mate.By now,the empire's quite used to long regencies.The reign of Arcadius and Theodosius II were extended periods of regency.Theodora's probably regent.
 
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In the event where all things goes to worst--you probably see Theodora marrying whoever's got the biggest stick,with that person serving as senior emperor.
 
Lol alright interesting.

Would Germanus pursue the invasion of Italy, or focus more on the northern front?
He was very invested in Italy, having married into Gothic nobility, and was actually popular among them. But the Goths were not the problem, it was that Italy was not a self sustaining conquest in the short term, while resources were needed in the eastern border.

A careful balance could be held to, well, hold both Italy and the frontier, but unless the Persia is truly vanquished to an extent were all or most resources can be redirected towards a defense of Italy, it would fall as soon as the next germanic tribe decides to cross the Alps.

A possibility would be to somehow delay any invasions from the north through more effective diplomacy... But that kind of is what they did IOTL, and it more or less was directly responsible for the Lombard invasion. See, there was an east German tribe called the Gepids, who had settled in the Pannonian planes, and were putting pressure on the Roman frontier cities of the Danube, so they sponsored another tribe, the Lombards, to kick them out. They eventually migrated further west, to Dalmatia, and when they sensed weakness in Italy, they invaded. So, I'm not sure if "better diplomacy" is so much the key rather than "luckier diplomacy".
 
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He was very invested in Italy, having married into Gothic nobility, and was actually popular among them. But the Goths were not the problem, it was that Italy was not a self sustaining conquest in the short term, while resources were needed in the eastern border.

A careful balance could be held to, well, hold both Italy and the frontier, but unless the Persia is truly vanquished to an extent were all or most resources can be redirected towards a defense of Italy, it would fall as soon as the next germanic tribe desires to cross the Alps.

A possibility would be to somehow delay any invasions from the north through more effective diplomacy... But that kind of is what they did IOTL, and it more or less was directly responsible for the Lombard invasion. See, there was an east German tribe called the Gepids, who had settled in the Pannonian planes, and were putting pressure on the Roman frontier cities of the Danube, so they sponsored another tribe, the Lombards, to kick them out. They eventually migrated further west, to Dalmatia, and when they sensed weakness in Italy, they invaded. So, I'm not sure if "better diplomacy" is so much the key rather than "luckier diplomacy".
Ah I get you
 
Kid gets assassinated, prominent general takes over, business as usual.
Why? Wouldn't he be 35 if his dad died on schedule? The otl successor went insane and he wasn't imditly assinated. The founder of the dynasty Justin was just a guard captain not related at all to his predecessor and he wasn't assinated when he bribed his way to the purple and his predecessor had heirs. Why justians son be assinated?
Alrighty. Being more an administrator than a fighter would this kid go on campsgun with his father much?
um I'm pretty sure Justinian didn't go on campaign. Why would his son go on one?
Poor kid.Good chance he will predecease his father--given how long Justinian live in OTL.
he would be 35 when his father dies. While mortality is higher in those days dropping dead in your 20s or early 30s when you've already made it adulthood and are Royal isnt super common.
He would have died before him, just like designated heir Germanus did. Justinian lived into his eigthies; thats old enough for him to outlive any son he could had had, unless he remarried and had one in his late middle-age or old-age, which doesn't seem likely given his apparent Charles V-style lifelong mourning.
Why? Justinian lived a long time but why couldn't his son?
A lot of people die at the age of 35 back then--even important rulers.
yes but if you don't have bad health it's most likely not a natural death.
True,but it's also likely that the reign of this emperor would be quite short.
He would be 35. Why would his reign be short?
If there is a son, he gets strangled in the crib and some general takes the throne. See, that's the thing with the Byzantines, a legitimate heir is unnecessary as long as there is no danger of civil war.
theodousie ii came to the throne as a child and wasn't assinated. And his father wasn't a genius like Justinian but the lazy incompetent arcadius. Why can theodouis ii live but Justinian jr die?
 
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