The Penal Colony of Abavalla, Part I
A/N: Alright guys, as promised, the revived Jewish Ethiopia thread! Hope you guys like it! And as always, do please inform me if there’s any discrepancies in history I made, and I’ll edit them when I can.
“To simply point out the sins of the people is to invite anger and condemnation, and ultimately a premature end to your efforts at proselyting. To truly redeem the people, one must conquer them under an iron heel, win the hearts of the commoners and the downtrodden, then point out their sins from a position of ironclad power. Then, and only then, will the people listen.” – Rabbi Abeselome Nebiyou Yitayew, author of the Talmud Chabbash [1]
It is the year 30 A.D. It is months after the crucifixion of the messiah Jesus of Nazareth [2], or Yeshu as he is known among the Hebrews, weeks after the prophesized ascension of the messiah into heaven and the beginning of the spreading of the Gospel among all willing to listen.
It is a time when the Romans still rule the Holy Land of Eretz Yisrael, much to the anger and resentment of the Jews who yet reside there, and for years it remains a problematic province the Romans wish to pacify permanently, so they may focus on their conquests elsewhere – conquests that shall further the glory of Rome and its Emperor, Tiberius Caesar Augustus.
It is a time when the Jews lament the lack of a saviour that should have killed the Romans and driven them out, when instead he pointed out their sins and drove them to condemn him to death, a time when they begin to fear for the future of their people.
And it was bare weeks after all this that happened that Tiberius had given the order to remedy the unrestful Jews.
To Tribune Aulus Caelius Fimbria,
Pardon the haste in my writing, but there are matters I must bring to your attention. I believe you have already heard of the crucifixion of this ‘Yeshu’ on the hills of Golgotha and the subsequent squabbles and politicking of the corrupt High Priesthood of Jerusalem [3], so I will be frank; the Jews cannot continue their revolts.
Already, I have to watch the state of politics at home and maintain stability throughout the Empire, for although the Roman Empire still stands strong and ready to unleash its armies upon all who dare oppose the Light of Rome, the continued state of unrest in Israel means we have to devote troops to suppressing revolts here – less troops to protect our people and maintain our Empire elsewhere, against all enemies who would see us undone.
Worse still, internal enemies plot against me – both in and outside of Rome. I have few people I can trust, and fewer still who will protect my legacy and that of our reigning dynasty. Though I do what I can to stymy the growing influence of my enemies, I yet grow afraid our Empire may undergo another period of unrest.
I… truth be told, I am tired.
I am so tired of politics and all the backstabbing and intrigue of the Roman Courts. I am tired of my tenure as Emperor – I wish for an heir to succeed me and soon, and one who will further the glory of the Roman Empire.
Yet even so, I cannot leave the matter of Israel be. As such, I command you – as Emperor – to find a new land to colonise, one bought with the blood of slaves and rebellious subjects who shall never revolt again, so the carrions may feed on their corpses.
Yes, friend. I need you to charter and found a penal colony with which to ferry Hebrew captives and slaves to; far too many of the Patricians and other politicians argue that they should be denied their homeland, broken in bondage in a foreign land, so they say.
Do this post-haste – I have made a promise and I cannot renenge on it as Emperor, or it will reflect badly on me. To this end, I grant you power over an expeditionary army and navy to conquer new lands.
Do not disappoint me, friend.
Signed,
Imperator Tiberius Caesar divi Augusti filius Augustus
Aulus Caelius Fimbria, a Tribune of the Roman Armies garrisoned in Iudaea [4] and veteran of many campaigns against Jewish rebels and other tribes in the Middle East, was handpicked by Tiberius to chart new lands and found a penal colony whence Jewish criminals and slaves were to be deported or exiled.
But why did Tiberius choose to establish a penal colony, rather than carry out a campaign of extermination as Caesar did with the barbarians of Europe? Was it on a pure whim – borne of his mental fatigue? Was it because he truly believed it a long-term solution (in his mind) to the unrest plaguing Israel?
None would know for sure, not even Tiberius’s closest associates. What is known, however, is that this is what would set forth a series of events in history that would drastically alter the fate of Judaism itself, and that of the entire continent of Africa.
Whatever the case, Aulus was quick to assemble his men and a sizeable navy – bearing enough capacity for over 2,000 Jewish slaves and 4,000 Roman soldiers escorting them as they made their way down the Red Sea, for Tiberius’s orders were to ‘find a land easily accessible yet detached from Israel’.
The obvious path to charter was through the Red Sea; it was close enough that the penal colony could easily be resupplied, and yet far enough that any chance of Jewish revolt was effectively negligible.
“It is never enough that the ungrateful Hebrews constantly complain and bemoan our rulership of their lands, thinking us devils in disguise. Whilst I admit we did unsavoury things, it was all in service of the Roman Empire. These people care naught but for themselves, and even had their own messiah killed on charges of treason against Caesar. These Priests of the Sanhedrin are no better than the corrupt politicians of Rome, thinking him a threat.” – Tribune Aulus Fimbria
When Aulus first organized the expedition, he had to utilize his connections to assemble more than a few ships as part of the expeditionary navy – he needed ample space to house the slaves and his men, along with food supplies to last them all for over ten months and the necessary materials to build a port city.
It was not an easy endeavor – such was the state of Roman politics, but nonetheless his contacts delivered on their promises, and weeks later he finally had what he needed to make the expedition a success.
Or, if anything, his contacts were simply happy to have another way to deal with the rebellious Jews without having to expend precious Roman lives.
Aulus was twenty-four when he first embarked on the expedition.
The Founding of Aginnum (31 AD)
Aulus’s expeditionary fleet would land in the region that would become Eritrea, near the Sahel Mountains, and as they came into contact with the natives, some immediately reacted with hostility to the Romans, believing them invaders come to reinforce their enemies.
At the time, many of the local tribes were embroiled in a bitter war that would claim thousands of lives, waging primarily raids and cavalry warfare upon each other.
Aulus would note that the natives fought using only spears, shields and bows, having little variation in the use of weapons and tactics – all no match for Roman might.
Yet neither did he want his newfound colony to be constantly attacked by only enemies. And so, hatching a strategy with his advisors, he would set the stage for Roman conquest of Eritrea [5], a province of present-day Ethiopia.
His first strategy was to establish a fortified camp and initiate plans for construction of a new Roman port to ferry additional supplies, manpower and other things needed to further the conquest of the land; being a former architect before enlisting in the army, he knew firsthand the importance of stable logistics.
At the same time, he sent envoys to tribes willing to talk and make peace with Rome, and to a select few, he promised that in exchange for supporting them in their wars, they would leave his position be.
His native allies were blithely few, in the end, but it earned Aulus the time he needed.
And so he and his troops and slaves went to work building the port city of Aginnum, present-day Massawa, Ethiopia [6].
Campaigning in Abavella (31 – 40 AD)
As building the Port city took priority, and without a viable means of obtaining more manpower without antagonizing the local tribes by enslaving them, Aulus was explicit in his orders to never mistreat or abuse the slaves – preferring them to be well-fed and rested to ensure they were more productive in their work.
Those who protested such ‘humane’ treatment of the slaves were hanged, drawn and quartered, their heads displayed for all to see.
The Hebrew slaves seemed surprised initially at Aulus’s efforts to protect them, but the wiser of their number knew or could guess what Aulus was thinking, or so some of their recovered journals said.
“I wonder if when this Tribune Aulus manages to ship in more slaves and workers to build their structures, he will cease his good treatment of us and proceed to break us, just as his fellow Romans broke the slaves of many other tribes.” – Excrept from the journal of an unknown person, written in Hebrew
Within months, the beginnings of large ports took shape, just as some of Aulus’s men began agricultural efforts to establish self-sufficient food production. There were initial mishaps due to the climate, and in the meantime, the Romans had to rely on hunting and foraging, relying on help from friendly tribes to identify which species of wildlife were suitable for consumption.
By the year’s end, the first harvests were reaped, and the first ports completed, allowing Aulus to resupply his men with convoys from Egypt and Israel.
It is known that Aulus requested that the slaves always be outnumbered by Roman soldiers and migrants, learning from Spartacus’s rebellion that to have too many slaves in one place was to sow the seeds of one’s own destruction.
Of course, as Aginnum was to be the penal colony for Jews, the slaves shipped there were primarily all Hebrew.
As Aginnum grew and developed further with the influx of migrants, slaves and other things from regular Roman shipments and its farms produced greater harvests, Aulus deemed it feasible to begin campaigning in earnest, to conquer more land with which to house the Jews.
And so, in 32 AD, Aulus Fimbria wages war upon the hostile tribe in good measure, intent on exacting retribution for the numerous raids they orchestrated upon the Roman outpost. Knowing he cannot hope to simply chase the nomadic raiders, he instead focuses on luring them into battle, where his men hold the advantage.
He was known to be unscrupulous in this task, going so far as to use family members as bait to force the raiders’ hands. The results are predictable; simple spears and shields prove little effect against Roman Testudo formations, disciplined soldiers and refined steel, and the raiders suffer disastrous defeats one after the other, eventually being forced to sue for peace.
Aulus, however, would not sue for peace; he wanted to ensure no more wars with the tribes, and throughout the decade, Aulus would distinguish himself in battle, leading with such few casualties to his own men that eventually, Emperor Tiberius saw fit to name him Legatus Legionis in 34 AD, granting him command of over five thousand men with which to conquer the land.
The Death of Emperor Tiberius (37 AD)
Prefect Aulus’s campaign would grind to a temporary halt, when news of Emperor Tiberius’s passing reached Aginnum through the lips of passing merchants come to trade with the garrison.
“I carried out the campaign with confidence that Emperor Tiberius would continue to support it. Now, with him gone, I must work harder than before to ascend to greater heights of power and ensure my work is not for naught.” – Prefect Aulus, regarding Emperor Tiberius’s death
Knowing that his own position was tenuous without Imperial support – and needing to justify appropriate reasons to continue his campaign, Aulus was forced to accelerate his plans of conquering the native lands for his new penal colony, even going so far as to requisition additional troops and supplies at great cost to his own personal treasury.
In fact, rumours were that he was forced to sell his own personal collection of antiques and finely crafted pottery in auctions to raise the necessary funds.
In fact, he even went as far as to bribe the Sanhedrin and Roman governors to send him convicts and criminals and the cheapest weaponry they could amass on short notice – troops he used in penal battalions to absorb the brunt of casualties sustained in his campaign.
But by the end of 40 AD, Aulus had done his job, and rumours had it that Emperor Caligula was so impressed with the speed and efficiency Prefect Aulus employed in his campaign, that he awarded him with an Imperial Charter, naming him governor of the province he controlled and the right to name it.
And he named it Abavalla.
Death of Caligula (Early 41 AD)
The reign of Emperor Caligula was a short and distressingly troubling one for Rome; in the initial six months of his reign, Caligula was known to be a noble, just and understanding Emperor. Then later, it is known that he became increasingly insane and cruel, known to expand his control as Emperor at the cost of his political opponents, often by corrupt and underhanded means.
Worse still, he had no qualms in frivolously spending Rome’s wealth on parties, orgies, and in expensive construction projects focusing on luxurious dwellings for himself, though two of his construction projects would come to be renowned as some of Rome’s greatest works – the Aqua Claudia and Anio Novus [7].
How fortunate for Rome it was that he was mercifully assassinated in the Palace by the Praetorian Guard, colluding with senators and courtiers who feared having Caligula on the throne longer than he should have.
Whilst sources would conflict on Caligula’s personality as studied by later historians, it is commonly agreed that too many of Rome’s elite felt threatened by his reign, hence the conspiracy that resulted in the premature end of Caligula’s tenure as Emperor.
Coronation of Emperor Claudius (Early 41 AD)
It was then that the Praetorian Guard named Caligula’s uncle, Claudius, the next Emperor of Rome. Many agreed that he was inaugurated as a mere puppet – a figurehead to control, or merely one who posed no threat to the other elites. This, in fact, was primarily due to the fact he was infirm from sickness at a young age, and only entered court affairs when appointed Consul in 37 AD.
Despite his inexperience, however, Claudius would prove a surprisingly adept administrator, working hard to restore Rome’s finances after the years of his nephew’s excess, embarking on construction projects that bolstered infrastructure throughout the Empire. It was he who ensured the completion of the Aqua Claudia and Anio Novus, and it was during his reign that the Empire embarked on its first conquest of Britain – then called Britannia.
Expanding Abavalla (41 – 50 AD)
With Emperor Claudius proving the saving grace Rome needed, and his administrative capabilities ensuring the stability of Rome’s coffers, Prefect Aulus saw fit to expand his holdings in Africa, marching southwards to the mountainous regions where more tribes dwelt.
As expected, there were tribes opposed to Roman expansion down south, and those swayed by Roman wealth – eager to become rich at the expense of their enemies. The prime players among them were the Amharas, Tigran and Afari tribes, mountain-dwelling tribes who would come to form the Habesha [8] peoples of Ethiopia.
Yet even with the triumvirate of tribes forming closer alliances with the Roman Empire, Prefect Aulus was quick to note that even with all three tribes genuine in their overtures with Rome, each tribe had their own interests at heart, and were either of these tribes to harbour hostile sentiments or hatching schemes towards the other, the alliance could easily fall apart, just as the triumvirate of Caesar, Pompey and Crassus [9] fell apart.
Keeping this lesson of history in mind, Aulus endeavored to begin the slow integration of the tribes into one singular tribe – the tribe that would form the primary inhabitants of the lands of Abavella. To achieve this, he encouraged the immigration of Roman citizens into Abavella and their subsequent intermarriage with the tribes under his rule. From bakers to physicians, soldiers to farmers, and even stonemasons, Romans from all walks of life would be invited to live in this new frontier.
Between the allied Roman-ruled tribes, he encouraged them to intermarry with each other, going so far as to promise additional favours, gifts and other boons (at huge expense to himself) to those who did as he asked.
Then, Aulus received reports that many more Hebrew women and children were being enslaved alongside men, being sold to slave markets across the Roman Empire. Taking advantage of this, he purchased many shipments of Hebrew slaves to be shipped to Abavella, to be taken as wives, husbands and consorts of their new masters – Amharan, Tigran, Afari and Roman alike.
And to ensure the conquest and control of Abavella remained feasible, Aulus would expend even more Roman gold in the construction of vital infrastructure to support the growth of the new Roman colony.
“Vast networks of roads as far as the eye could see were being built across Abavella, like an intertwining maze that has no end. Houses and forts of stone dotted the landscape like miniature dots upon a vast ocean. Natives and Roman soldiers patrolled the lands side-by-side, keeping the peace and protecting against any would-be invaders and bandits.” - Amulius Montaus, Classical Historian
This was just the prelude to further conquests of the land that would come to be called Ethiopia, and Aulus and his family would stand at the center of it all.
Historical References:
[1]: The Talmud Cabbash, or the Talmud of Abyssinia, is the second of three great Judaist religious literary works compiled over the course of Ethiopia’s history, written by Ethiopian Rabbis influenced by Roman thought and realistic perceptions of politics, power plays and the Human heart.
It is a book on history, philosophy, Human mentality and practicality all in one, though it more heavily emphasizes why the Jews should not ‘turn the other cheek to thine enemies’ in their lives.
Many other mainstream religious organizations – especially the Roman Catholic Church and other Judaist brotherhoods – have vehemently denounced such a work as demonic, a ‘tool of the devil’, so they say, primarily because of how it promotes the supreme dominance of the sovereign ruler over all others, and the crushing of all enemies of the state underfoot – relatives and former friends included.
[2]: Jesus of Nazareth is a 1st century AD philosopher and preacher who is regarded as the central figure of Christianity as reflected in Christian Bibles. All modern scholars agree that he existed at the time, though the different Abrahamic religions differ in how they portray him.
The Christian Bible states that he is the incarnation of the Son of God and the prophesized messiah as foretold in the Old Testament, whilst the Quran (who calls him Isa) states that he was neither a God nor a begotten God. The Talmud rejects him as the messiah, arguing that he was not the messiah and that he did not fulfill messianic prophesies and was neither divine nor resurrected.
[3]: The High Priesthood of Jerusalem, otherwise known as the Sanhedrin, refers to the assemblies of either 23 or 71 Elders (known as Rabbis after the destruction of the Second Temple), appointed to sit as a tribunal in every city in the ancient Land of Israel.
[4]: Iudaea, or Judea as pronounced in Latin, refers to the client state of the Roman Empire in the Levant, lasting from 6 – 135 CE, incorporating the regions of Judea, Samaria and Idumea.
[5]: OTL Eritrea is a land that has exchanged rulership of different Kingdoms many times throughout its reign; from the Kingdom of Aksum to the Christian Kingdom of Medri Bahri, the Kingdom of Italy and the British Empire, and finally the Empire of Ethiopia in the form of a federation, it shares many cultural similarities with OTL Ethiopia today.
Today, it exists as an independent country, having bought its independence through a brief but bloody war with Ethiopia.
[6]: Massawa is a port city in the North-central region of Eritrea, located along the Red Sea at the northern end of the Gulf of Zela. Having been ruled by a succession of polities throughout history, OTL Massawa developed from a small fishing village into its modern form under the Ottomans and the Italians.
[7]: The Aqua Claudia and Aqua Anio Novus are two of the Four Great Aqueducts of Rome, capable of supplying water to over a dozen Roman provinces.
[8]: The Habesha peoples refer to the Semitic-speaking peoples of Highland Ethiopia and Eritrea, and in recent times, refers to people of Ethiopian and Eritrean descent.
[9]: The triumvirate between Julius Caesar, Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus is known commonly as the First Triumvirate, an informal secret alliance between the three players which allowed them to rise to great heights of power without having to face obstacles in the form of the Roman Republic’s Constitution, which prevents any one politician from rising above the others and creating a monarchy.
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Watch as I burn myself out for you all.
“To simply point out the sins of the people is to invite anger and condemnation, and ultimately a premature end to your efforts at proselyting. To truly redeem the people, one must conquer them under an iron heel, win the hearts of the commoners and the downtrodden, then point out their sins from a position of ironclad power. Then, and only then, will the people listen.” – Rabbi Abeselome Nebiyou Yitayew, author of the Talmud Chabbash [1]
The Penal Colony of Aballava, Part I
(30 – 50 AD)
(30 – 50 AD)
It is the year 30 A.D. It is months after the crucifixion of the messiah Jesus of Nazareth [2], or Yeshu as he is known among the Hebrews, weeks after the prophesized ascension of the messiah into heaven and the beginning of the spreading of the Gospel among all willing to listen.
It is a time when the Romans still rule the Holy Land of Eretz Yisrael, much to the anger and resentment of the Jews who yet reside there, and for years it remains a problematic province the Romans wish to pacify permanently, so they may focus on their conquests elsewhere – conquests that shall further the glory of Rome and its Emperor, Tiberius Caesar Augustus.
It is a time when the Jews lament the lack of a saviour that should have killed the Romans and driven them out, when instead he pointed out their sins and drove them to condemn him to death, a time when they begin to fear for the future of their people.
And it was bare weeks after all this that happened that Tiberius had given the order to remedy the unrestful Jews.
IIOII
To Tribune Aulus Caelius Fimbria,
Pardon the haste in my writing, but there are matters I must bring to your attention. I believe you have already heard of the crucifixion of this ‘Yeshu’ on the hills of Golgotha and the subsequent squabbles and politicking of the corrupt High Priesthood of Jerusalem [3], so I will be frank; the Jews cannot continue their revolts.
Already, I have to watch the state of politics at home and maintain stability throughout the Empire, for although the Roman Empire still stands strong and ready to unleash its armies upon all who dare oppose the Light of Rome, the continued state of unrest in Israel means we have to devote troops to suppressing revolts here – less troops to protect our people and maintain our Empire elsewhere, against all enemies who would see us undone.
Worse still, internal enemies plot against me – both in and outside of Rome. I have few people I can trust, and fewer still who will protect my legacy and that of our reigning dynasty. Though I do what I can to stymy the growing influence of my enemies, I yet grow afraid our Empire may undergo another period of unrest.
I… truth be told, I am tired.
I am so tired of politics and all the backstabbing and intrigue of the Roman Courts. I am tired of my tenure as Emperor – I wish for an heir to succeed me and soon, and one who will further the glory of the Roman Empire.
Yet even so, I cannot leave the matter of Israel be. As such, I command you – as Emperor – to find a new land to colonise, one bought with the blood of slaves and rebellious subjects who shall never revolt again, so the carrions may feed on their corpses.
Yes, friend. I need you to charter and found a penal colony with which to ferry Hebrew captives and slaves to; far too many of the Patricians and other politicians argue that they should be denied their homeland, broken in bondage in a foreign land, so they say.
Do this post-haste – I have made a promise and I cannot renenge on it as Emperor, or it will reflect badly on me. To this end, I grant you power over an expeditionary army and navy to conquer new lands.
Do not disappoint me, friend.
Signed,
Imperator Tiberius Caesar divi Augusti filius Augustus
IIOII
Aulus Caelius Fimbria, a Tribune of the Roman Armies garrisoned in Iudaea [4] and veteran of many campaigns against Jewish rebels and other tribes in the Middle East, was handpicked by Tiberius to chart new lands and found a penal colony whence Jewish criminals and slaves were to be deported or exiled.
But why did Tiberius choose to establish a penal colony, rather than carry out a campaign of extermination as Caesar did with the barbarians of Europe? Was it on a pure whim – borne of his mental fatigue? Was it because he truly believed it a long-term solution (in his mind) to the unrest plaguing Israel?
None would know for sure, not even Tiberius’s closest associates. What is known, however, is that this is what would set forth a series of events in history that would drastically alter the fate of Judaism itself, and that of the entire continent of Africa.
Whatever the case, Aulus was quick to assemble his men and a sizeable navy – bearing enough capacity for over 2,000 Jewish slaves and 4,000 Roman soldiers escorting them as they made their way down the Red Sea, for Tiberius’s orders were to ‘find a land easily accessible yet detached from Israel’.
The obvious path to charter was through the Red Sea; it was close enough that the penal colony could easily be resupplied, and yet far enough that any chance of Jewish revolt was effectively negligible.
“It is never enough that the ungrateful Hebrews constantly complain and bemoan our rulership of their lands, thinking us devils in disguise. Whilst I admit we did unsavoury things, it was all in service of the Roman Empire. These people care naught but for themselves, and even had their own messiah killed on charges of treason against Caesar. These Priests of the Sanhedrin are no better than the corrupt politicians of Rome, thinking him a threat.” – Tribune Aulus Fimbria
When Aulus first organized the expedition, he had to utilize his connections to assemble more than a few ships as part of the expeditionary navy – he needed ample space to house the slaves and his men, along with food supplies to last them all for over ten months and the necessary materials to build a port city.
It was not an easy endeavor – such was the state of Roman politics, but nonetheless his contacts delivered on their promises, and weeks later he finally had what he needed to make the expedition a success.
Or, if anything, his contacts were simply happy to have another way to deal with the rebellious Jews without having to expend precious Roman lives.
Aulus was twenty-four when he first embarked on the expedition.
The Founding of Aginnum (31 AD)
Aulus’s expeditionary fleet would land in the region that would become Eritrea, near the Sahel Mountains, and as they came into contact with the natives, some immediately reacted with hostility to the Romans, believing them invaders come to reinforce their enemies.
At the time, many of the local tribes were embroiled in a bitter war that would claim thousands of lives, waging primarily raids and cavalry warfare upon each other.
Aulus would note that the natives fought using only spears, shields and bows, having little variation in the use of weapons and tactics – all no match for Roman might.
Yet neither did he want his newfound colony to be constantly attacked by only enemies. And so, hatching a strategy with his advisors, he would set the stage for Roman conquest of Eritrea [5], a province of present-day Ethiopia.
His first strategy was to establish a fortified camp and initiate plans for construction of a new Roman port to ferry additional supplies, manpower and other things needed to further the conquest of the land; being a former architect before enlisting in the army, he knew firsthand the importance of stable logistics.
At the same time, he sent envoys to tribes willing to talk and make peace with Rome, and to a select few, he promised that in exchange for supporting them in their wars, they would leave his position be.
His native allies were blithely few, in the end, but it earned Aulus the time he needed.
And so he and his troops and slaves went to work building the port city of Aginnum, present-day Massawa, Ethiopia [6].
Campaigning in Abavella (31 – 40 AD)
As building the Port city took priority, and without a viable means of obtaining more manpower without antagonizing the local tribes by enslaving them, Aulus was explicit in his orders to never mistreat or abuse the slaves – preferring them to be well-fed and rested to ensure they were more productive in their work.
Those who protested such ‘humane’ treatment of the slaves were hanged, drawn and quartered, their heads displayed for all to see.
The Hebrew slaves seemed surprised initially at Aulus’s efforts to protect them, but the wiser of their number knew or could guess what Aulus was thinking, or so some of their recovered journals said.
“I wonder if when this Tribune Aulus manages to ship in more slaves and workers to build their structures, he will cease his good treatment of us and proceed to break us, just as his fellow Romans broke the slaves of many other tribes.” – Excrept from the journal of an unknown person, written in Hebrew
Within months, the beginnings of large ports took shape, just as some of Aulus’s men began agricultural efforts to establish self-sufficient food production. There were initial mishaps due to the climate, and in the meantime, the Romans had to rely on hunting and foraging, relying on help from friendly tribes to identify which species of wildlife were suitable for consumption.
By the year’s end, the first harvests were reaped, and the first ports completed, allowing Aulus to resupply his men with convoys from Egypt and Israel.
It is known that Aulus requested that the slaves always be outnumbered by Roman soldiers and migrants, learning from Spartacus’s rebellion that to have too many slaves in one place was to sow the seeds of one’s own destruction.
Of course, as Aginnum was to be the penal colony for Jews, the slaves shipped there were primarily all Hebrew.
As Aginnum grew and developed further with the influx of migrants, slaves and other things from regular Roman shipments and its farms produced greater harvests, Aulus deemed it feasible to begin campaigning in earnest, to conquer more land with which to house the Jews.
And so, in 32 AD, Aulus Fimbria wages war upon the hostile tribe in good measure, intent on exacting retribution for the numerous raids they orchestrated upon the Roman outpost. Knowing he cannot hope to simply chase the nomadic raiders, he instead focuses on luring them into battle, where his men hold the advantage.
He was known to be unscrupulous in this task, going so far as to use family members as bait to force the raiders’ hands. The results are predictable; simple spears and shields prove little effect against Roman Testudo formations, disciplined soldiers and refined steel, and the raiders suffer disastrous defeats one after the other, eventually being forced to sue for peace.
Aulus, however, would not sue for peace; he wanted to ensure no more wars with the tribes, and throughout the decade, Aulus would distinguish himself in battle, leading with such few casualties to his own men that eventually, Emperor Tiberius saw fit to name him Legatus Legionis in 34 AD, granting him command of over five thousand men with which to conquer the land.
IIOII
The Death of Emperor Tiberius (37 AD)
Prefect Aulus’s campaign would grind to a temporary halt, when news of Emperor Tiberius’s passing reached Aginnum through the lips of passing merchants come to trade with the garrison.
“I carried out the campaign with confidence that Emperor Tiberius would continue to support it. Now, with him gone, I must work harder than before to ascend to greater heights of power and ensure my work is not for naught.” – Prefect Aulus, regarding Emperor Tiberius’s death
Knowing that his own position was tenuous without Imperial support – and needing to justify appropriate reasons to continue his campaign, Aulus was forced to accelerate his plans of conquering the native lands for his new penal colony, even going so far as to requisition additional troops and supplies at great cost to his own personal treasury.
In fact, rumours were that he was forced to sell his own personal collection of antiques and finely crafted pottery in auctions to raise the necessary funds.
In fact, he even went as far as to bribe the Sanhedrin and Roman governors to send him convicts and criminals and the cheapest weaponry they could amass on short notice – troops he used in penal battalions to absorb the brunt of casualties sustained in his campaign.
But by the end of 40 AD, Aulus had done his job, and rumours had it that Emperor Caligula was so impressed with the speed and efficiency Prefect Aulus employed in his campaign, that he awarded him with an Imperial Charter, naming him governor of the province he controlled and the right to name it.
And he named it Abavalla.
Death of Caligula (Early 41 AD)
The reign of Emperor Caligula was a short and distressingly troubling one for Rome; in the initial six months of his reign, Caligula was known to be a noble, just and understanding Emperor. Then later, it is known that he became increasingly insane and cruel, known to expand his control as Emperor at the cost of his political opponents, often by corrupt and underhanded means.
Worse still, he had no qualms in frivolously spending Rome’s wealth on parties, orgies, and in expensive construction projects focusing on luxurious dwellings for himself, though two of his construction projects would come to be renowned as some of Rome’s greatest works – the Aqua Claudia and Anio Novus [7].
How fortunate for Rome it was that he was mercifully assassinated in the Palace by the Praetorian Guard, colluding with senators and courtiers who feared having Caligula on the throne longer than he should have.
Whilst sources would conflict on Caligula’s personality as studied by later historians, it is commonly agreed that too many of Rome’s elite felt threatened by his reign, hence the conspiracy that resulted in the premature end of Caligula’s tenure as Emperor.
Coronation of Emperor Claudius (Early 41 AD)
It was then that the Praetorian Guard named Caligula’s uncle, Claudius, the next Emperor of Rome. Many agreed that he was inaugurated as a mere puppet – a figurehead to control, or merely one who posed no threat to the other elites. This, in fact, was primarily due to the fact he was infirm from sickness at a young age, and only entered court affairs when appointed Consul in 37 AD.
Despite his inexperience, however, Claudius would prove a surprisingly adept administrator, working hard to restore Rome’s finances after the years of his nephew’s excess, embarking on construction projects that bolstered infrastructure throughout the Empire. It was he who ensured the completion of the Aqua Claudia and Anio Novus, and it was during his reign that the Empire embarked on its first conquest of Britain – then called Britannia.
Expanding Abavalla (41 – 50 AD)
With Emperor Claudius proving the saving grace Rome needed, and his administrative capabilities ensuring the stability of Rome’s coffers, Prefect Aulus saw fit to expand his holdings in Africa, marching southwards to the mountainous regions where more tribes dwelt.
As expected, there were tribes opposed to Roman expansion down south, and those swayed by Roman wealth – eager to become rich at the expense of their enemies. The prime players among them were the Amharas, Tigran and Afari tribes, mountain-dwelling tribes who would come to form the Habesha [8] peoples of Ethiopia.
Yet even with the triumvirate of tribes forming closer alliances with the Roman Empire, Prefect Aulus was quick to note that even with all three tribes genuine in their overtures with Rome, each tribe had their own interests at heart, and were either of these tribes to harbour hostile sentiments or hatching schemes towards the other, the alliance could easily fall apart, just as the triumvirate of Caesar, Pompey and Crassus [9] fell apart.
Keeping this lesson of history in mind, Aulus endeavored to begin the slow integration of the tribes into one singular tribe – the tribe that would form the primary inhabitants of the lands of Abavella. To achieve this, he encouraged the immigration of Roman citizens into Abavella and their subsequent intermarriage with the tribes under his rule. From bakers to physicians, soldiers to farmers, and even stonemasons, Romans from all walks of life would be invited to live in this new frontier.
Between the allied Roman-ruled tribes, he encouraged them to intermarry with each other, going so far as to promise additional favours, gifts and other boons (at huge expense to himself) to those who did as he asked.
Then, Aulus received reports that many more Hebrew women and children were being enslaved alongside men, being sold to slave markets across the Roman Empire. Taking advantage of this, he purchased many shipments of Hebrew slaves to be shipped to Abavella, to be taken as wives, husbands and consorts of their new masters – Amharan, Tigran, Afari and Roman alike.
And to ensure the conquest and control of Abavella remained feasible, Aulus would expend even more Roman gold in the construction of vital infrastructure to support the growth of the new Roman colony.
“Vast networks of roads as far as the eye could see were being built across Abavella, like an intertwining maze that has no end. Houses and forts of stone dotted the landscape like miniature dots upon a vast ocean. Natives and Roman soldiers patrolled the lands side-by-side, keeping the peace and protecting against any would-be invaders and bandits.” - Amulius Montaus, Classical Historian
This was just the prelude to further conquests of the land that would come to be called Ethiopia, and Aulus and his family would stand at the center of it all.
Historical References:
[1]: The Talmud Cabbash, or the Talmud of Abyssinia, is the second of three great Judaist religious literary works compiled over the course of Ethiopia’s history, written by Ethiopian Rabbis influenced by Roman thought and realistic perceptions of politics, power plays and the Human heart.
It is a book on history, philosophy, Human mentality and practicality all in one, though it more heavily emphasizes why the Jews should not ‘turn the other cheek to thine enemies’ in their lives.
Many other mainstream religious organizations – especially the Roman Catholic Church and other Judaist brotherhoods – have vehemently denounced such a work as demonic, a ‘tool of the devil’, so they say, primarily because of how it promotes the supreme dominance of the sovereign ruler over all others, and the crushing of all enemies of the state underfoot – relatives and former friends included.
[2]: Jesus of Nazareth is a 1st century AD philosopher and preacher who is regarded as the central figure of Christianity as reflected in Christian Bibles. All modern scholars agree that he existed at the time, though the different Abrahamic religions differ in how they portray him.
The Christian Bible states that he is the incarnation of the Son of God and the prophesized messiah as foretold in the Old Testament, whilst the Quran (who calls him Isa) states that he was neither a God nor a begotten God. The Talmud rejects him as the messiah, arguing that he was not the messiah and that he did not fulfill messianic prophesies and was neither divine nor resurrected.
[3]: The High Priesthood of Jerusalem, otherwise known as the Sanhedrin, refers to the assemblies of either 23 or 71 Elders (known as Rabbis after the destruction of the Second Temple), appointed to sit as a tribunal in every city in the ancient Land of Israel.
[4]: Iudaea, or Judea as pronounced in Latin, refers to the client state of the Roman Empire in the Levant, lasting from 6 – 135 CE, incorporating the regions of Judea, Samaria and Idumea.
[5]: OTL Eritrea is a land that has exchanged rulership of different Kingdoms many times throughout its reign; from the Kingdom of Aksum to the Christian Kingdom of Medri Bahri, the Kingdom of Italy and the British Empire, and finally the Empire of Ethiopia in the form of a federation, it shares many cultural similarities with OTL Ethiopia today.
Today, it exists as an independent country, having bought its independence through a brief but bloody war with Ethiopia.
[6]: Massawa is a port city in the North-central region of Eritrea, located along the Red Sea at the northern end of the Gulf of Zela. Having been ruled by a succession of polities throughout history, OTL Massawa developed from a small fishing village into its modern form under the Ottomans and the Italians.
[7]: The Aqua Claudia and Aqua Anio Novus are two of the Four Great Aqueducts of Rome, capable of supplying water to over a dozen Roman provinces.
[8]: The Habesha peoples refer to the Semitic-speaking peoples of Highland Ethiopia and Eritrea, and in recent times, refers to people of Ethiopian and Eritrean descent.
[9]: The triumvirate between Julius Caesar, Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus is known commonly as the First Triumvirate, an informal secret alliance between the three players which allowed them to rise to great heights of power without having to face obstacles in the form of the Roman Republic’s Constitution, which prevents any one politician from rising above the others and creating a monarchy.
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Watch as I burn myself out for you all.
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