Maurice's Roman empire

Thank you everybody.

Here is a map showing the madeteranian region in mid 609 AD the BLUISH color represents new roman conquest in Italy. Lets see how far the empire can fight :D. Please note this map isnt 100% but its kinda the best in terms of sources and etc.

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Update time ladies and gents.

This chapter is very long so i have split it up

[FONT=&quot]Chapter 27: All out war, Part 1[/FONT]

Africa – South east

For centuries most of North Africa and Egypt had been ruled by the Roman Empire. However for several decades in the late 5th and early 6th centuries the Vandals ruled North Africa excluding Egypt. During the sixth century Ad the legendary roman General Belisarius re-conquered the area and reestablished Roman control over North Africa. For the most part during the 7th century Ad Roman Africa was relatively stable thanks to Isolation from threats like the Avars and autonomy to the local Berbers in western North Africa. However the Roman Empire and its vassals weren’t the only power in the area.

Africa is a huge continent and by the 7th century AD there were many states in it. However the most prominent states other then the Romans were several Nubian kingdoms such as Nobatia, Blemmyes and Alodia to the south of Egypt. The Ancient Kingdom of Axum located further to the south and famous of the legend of King solons mines that controlled the opening to the red sea. Elsewhere in central Africa the Sao civilization was the dominant power in the region. While to southeast the Kingdom of Ghana controlled the important Trans-Saharan trade network that traded gold, salt and ivory with North Africa in exchange for manufactured goods. To the eastern coast of Africa there were several trading city ports while hunter-gatherers populated western Africa and other areas.

The Roman Empire in 609 AD didn’t really care a lot about the other African states their official policy was to maintain neutrality towards the Nubian Kingdoms and rule through proxies such as the Mauritanian Kingdom in western North Africa. The reason for this was because the Romans didn’t really have any interest in the area their real focus was Mesopotamia, the Danube region and Italy. However by 609 AD this all changed when the Persians signed a favorable military pact with the Axum kingdom in exchange for better trade and military training.

Ever since the peace treaty with the Romans in 591 AD the Persians under Khoursu II had been expanding rapidly into India with their conquest of Sindh and in Arabia they had turned or annexed the southern portion. However the alliance between Axum and Persia threatened the Roman trade to India and Constantinople also feared the Sassanid could make an alliance to with the Nubian kingdoms to attack Egypt. In order to counter this threat Constantinople ordered the I Parthica legion instead of the 11th legion.

General Germanicus Lucius was commanding the legion. The I Parthica legion was one of the most experienced in the entire empire as one of the legions protecting the cities of Mesopotamia against a potential Sassanid Invasion. In addition to their regular patrols and dealing with the occansial bandits. In this expedition General Lucius’s legions mission was simple prevent Axum from becoming a permanent Persian ally/vassal and use force if necessary.

This mission itself wasn’t a military one but rather a diplomatic expedition aimed at showing off the military power of the Roman Empire and expanding trade with the Axumites. In order to get to Axum the I Parthica had to pass through several Nubian kingdoms such as The Blemmys. The Blemmys themselves were a hostile war like people whom often cam into conflicts with the Romans and were constantly a regional threat. Now general Germanicus Lucius and the I Parthica legion were going to have to go through their territory before reaching Axum.

General Lucius Antonius was a man in his mid forties he had several decades’ worth of experience rising from a poor peasant family to a career military officer. He wasn’t someone who cared much for corruption but he was a decedent man who drank heavily but was serious about his work.

The Roman-Nubian border August 2nd 609 AD

For several weeks the I Parthica had been marching from the Egyptian-Nubian border towards Dongola one of several cities they needed to cross through and a small stretch of Blemmys territory before finally reaching Axum. All though the legion could have easily marched straight through the Blemmeys kingdom, the general decided against it as the area was unknown to the Romans. Besides the chance to visit different kingdoms down the Nile would help the Romans understand the area better.

“Good lord it is hot” thought Germanicus as he removed the sweet of his forehead while riding a horse under the hot August sun. As a high ranking officer he was luckier then most soldiers who had to march on their own legs but despite that his life was just as hard as the men he was commanding.

As the general was riding his horse two men approached and as they got closer he quickly recognized them as Antonius and Ahmose, one of them Antonius a roman soldiers and Ahmose a local guide. The roman army was using Ahmose’s local knowledge to navigate the dangerous areas and the oases in the desert.

“Sir, we are close to Dongola a couple of days march”

“Ahmose has been kind enough to use his local connections to get you a meeting with the local king”

While looking at Ahmose, the general talked to Antonius “so what am I expected to do?”

“Well general, they’ll make a few dances well partake a few customs and etc.”

“Its custom for all dignitaries to do so then we can negotiate to pass through their territories”

A few days after marching the Romans arrived in Dongola and soon a small roman delegation that included the general entered the city. The king Zakarias II who was eager to have the Romans over and make an alliance with them greeted the delegation to a great fan fare. The delegation experienced a few days of celebration and parties. Towards the end the king allowed the Romans to pass through his territory in exchange for a military alliance in the strategic kingdom, increased trade the Nile and Finally the king was made an honorary console of the Roman empire. With that part of the journey over General Germanicus along with the I Parthica and some Makurian troops continued towards Axum now crossing the Blemmys kingdom.

Before crossing into Blemmys territory General Germanicus sent a military contingent up through the Nile to inform his superiors of the latest activity. He was hoping to cross through their territory quickly and he ultimately hoped to finish his mission and return by early 610 AD. By mid September the Roman army was mid way through Blemmys territory and was facing a difficult journey due to the hostile nature of the people, the terrain and the difficulty in negotiating with the locals. The Romans were constantly attacked by lightly armored groups and in response the Romans decided to counter raid taking over entire nearby villages carrying off women and children and “living off the land”.

By early November the I Parthica after nearly a month of straight hell finally crossed into Axum and the army didn’t meet much hostility. Over the next few weeks the Romans along with their Makurian allies and captured slaves made their way towards the capital of Aksum. They finally arrived in Aksum in early December of 609AD not knowing what to expect general Germanicus put his legion on high alert mostly drawing on the “hospitable treatment” they received from the Blemmys.

The Axumites were themselves Christians and the kingdom was on a major trading route that connected India with Egypt. The Axum king Gersem personally greeted the General and soon the tension eased up between both sides. Over the next few weeks there was a festive atmosphere as Christmas was in the air. The I Parthica had been given time off to relax and many soldiers spent the time exploring the nearby country. The king Gersem explained to General Germanicus that a rival faction had taken power and established an alliance with Persia in order to shore up support. However the Axum king was able to gather enough forces to crush the faction and regain the throne. With the situation becoming clear to Germanicus the dignitaries exchanged gifts that included exotic items and slaves.

The Romans and Axum signed an alliance and agreed to come to each other’s side if the Sassanid Empire attacked one of them. The new Alliance was in effect a major blow towards a Persian expansion in Africa and now the Romans had re-secured their trading routes towards India. The Roman expedition left the kingdom of Axum to return home by mid January having accomplished their mission. They would use the same route that they came through and would use the opportunity to capture Blemmys slaves to make a small profit for themselves. The Roman expedition returned home successfully by mid march after nearly five months of constant travel.

Africa – North

Carthage July 15th 609 AD

By mid July in Carthage General Priscus was preparing twenty thousand men in order to invade the Italian lombard duchy of Tuscany. His mission was to conquer the duchy and then assist in the invasion of the southern duchy of Spoleto before marching towards Northern Italy and securing the Gallic border after that assist in the final destruction of the Lombard’s by retaking Mediolanum (Milan) for the Roman Empire. After the military campaign Priscus hoped to retire to a quiet region of the empire and devote the rest of his days to finding peace and enjoying his retirement. He had served the empire well and believed that he deserved this retirement.

The two legions under his command were the first Egyptian Legion and the first Mauration Legion. Both the legions were newly raised and didn’t have much experience however Theodosius hoped that by having enough troops his forces could end the war quickly and avoid another Gothic war that happened under Justinian and destroyed Italy's productive capacity along with depopulating large areas of the peninsula. After assembling both legions his army departed from Carthage transported by the navy in a voyage that would take them several weeks to reach Rome.

To be continued
 
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Was Milan ever called 'Mediolium'? Mediolanum is the usual Latin form.

Thanks for that ill correct it.

Roman also need to have a mighty fleet in red sea
Dont have a lot of info about the red sea fleet dont think the Romans had one.

Ill post the new update soon

PS thank you everybody for your continued support

Update: I have started working on part two and it will focus on the war, Sorry its taking so long but as this story gets bigger and more complex it takes more time to update as i need to research names, places people etc
 
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A new part of this chapter is now uploaded. PS please note this chapter 27 is very long and complex with multiple events overlapping each other so ive split it into different chapter so that it will be easier for you and me.

Chapter 27: All out war Part 2

[FONT=&quot]Gaul 609-610 AD
[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]In the previous months two of several of the Germanic tribes who inhabited Eastern Germania the Swabi and Bevarii accepted Merovech’s offer of attacking the Burgandians and gaining their land. By early August of 609 AD with reinforcements from the Bevarii and Swabi, Merovech had managed to increase his army to about 14,000 thousand soldiers. In addition he had spent the previous months training his own 7,000 strong army in Roman military tactics with a blend of Frankish influence. The Frankish army was reformed under the advice of his favorite Roman Agrippus who was also his mayor of the palace.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Agrippus had been training his forces for winter battles he didn’t care about how cold it would be but he wanted to win above all else. In order to win he was going to strike in the middle of December when no one would fight and overwhelm his enemy in a surprise attack. In order to keep up appearances that his forces weren’t attacking in December the Naustrain army like their Burgandian counter parts would launch raids and counter raids against each other constantly taking, losing and retaking territory in a game of tug of war. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Around the same time Theodoric on the other hand was busy with the Italian and Visigoth war as they heated up with the Romans. Theodoric didn’t expect any action from his relative in December as it was usually cold and armies avoided fighting. By November of 609 AD His main concern this time was the Visigoth attack on Roman Spania which all though successful and had taken a lot of territory almost reaching Cordoba had cost the Visigoths a lot of lives and resources. He had hoped that the Visigoths would instead patrol the Aquantine borders. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]By December of 609 AD Lyon capital of the Burgandian kingdom was quiet and in a cheerful mood as it was December but cold and it was also Christmas. Merovech had begun his campaign in late November his forces quickly and quietly seized a lot of towns nearby villages. Quickly killing or capturing the defenders most of the villagers and townsmen were happy to have a new king as the Burgandians were restoring to brutal taxes in order to fund their war effort. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Around mid December Merovech began transporting his forces to the outskirts of Lyon in total darkness. Lyon was itself a mid sized city of about 60 thousand people and taking it would be a huge prize. All though there were many different conflicts happening in Europe around 609 AD word often travelled fast. Upon learning about the battle of Forum Julii a few months earlier Merovech decided to employ similar tactics that Theodosius had used to win the battle. He was going to bomb one section of the cities walls and continues shelling and then storm the area. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]On December 13th after gathering a 6,500 strong man army in the middle of winter Merovech army was organized by midday. Antonius had assembled about 30 onagers in a single line at the same time he was able to craft a few scorpions and other projectile firing equipment in a second line of the formation. All though the Naustrian army was ready it was outnumbered and he was going to rely on shock and surprise in order to win the battle. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Despite the Naustrian armies best preparation Theodoric’s forces did know something was up but they suspected that it was some kind of large raid. At approximately 12.00 in the afternoon of December 13th 609AD the city of Lyon was on a standstill from the sound of dozens of fire lit rocks hitting its back walls. While from the front several dozen Neustrians dressed as merchants assaulted the front gates overwhelming the guards defending the front entrance. Soon panic swept through the city and the Burgandians army inside split its forces with savage fighting occurring. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]By evening the fighting had intensified and most of Theodoric’s forces were inside the city that was the scene of utter carnage. In some areas there was raping, some quarters where quiet and others there was savage fighting inside. Theodoric himself wasn’t in the city but was commanding an army to salvage the situation as he was hunting dear when he heard about the Neustrian assault. All though the army he led didn’t have a lot of soldiers it was still a force to be reckoned with and by the next day Theodoric was preparing his counter attack. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]During the next day Merovech’s forces controlled most of the walls and the southern side however the didn’t venture much further not wanting to overextend their lines. When Theodoric’s forces arrived there was savage fighting but as it dragged on Merovech and Theoderic decided to now fight it out and finish their dispute once and for all. Both men had a lot siting on this fight Merovech wanted to continue expanding his empire while Theoderic wanted to avenage his father and restore his families honor among his people. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It was very cold when the both men started fighting and they were struggling to hold their blades while they continued to fight Merovech stood down grabbed a dagger and cut through Theodoric’s leg. He fell instantly to the ground screaming in agony and then Merovech took his dagger and rammed it straight into Theodoric’s neck killing him instantly. Theodoric was now dead on the ground and by all rights Merovech had won the war to their shock Merovech ordered Theodoric to be buried somewhere. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Berthold soon met Theodoric and the two men began discussing ending the war and it was agreed that the war between both sides would be over. The Burgandians had obviously lost but the treaties imposed were not too harsh, as they had to give up territory promise not to attack the Neaustrian and give territory including the city of Augustundonum to the Neaustrians. The Neustrians agreed to stay in Lyon for a few days to rest and in mid December they departed back to Neustrian territory with them having achieved victory. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The war in Gaul was now over and Theodoric could now rest with his victory. In mid January he made Antonius governor of Augustundonum for his help in the war. Berthold by mid January of 610 AD had become the de facto leader of the Burgandians and he began trying to salvage the situation in northern Italy. [/FONT]

 
I feel im kind of lost in this story in regards to the direction of where its going what do you guys think ?
 
Here you go good folks another update this is the final part of war without end. :p:cool::D.

Chapter 27: All out war Part 3

[FONT=&quot]Africa – North[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Carthage July 15th 609 AD[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]By mid July in Carthage General Priscus was preparing twenty thousand men in order to invade the duchy of Tuscany. His mission was to conquer the duchy and march towards Northern Italy and securing the Gallic border. After that his forces will assist in the final destruction of the Lombard’s by retaking Pavia for the Roman Empire. After the military campaign Priscus hoped to retire to a quiet region of the empire and devote the rest of his days to finding peace and enjoying his retirement. He had served the empire well and believed that he deserved this retirement.

[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]The two legions under his command were the first Egyptian Legion and the first Macedonian Legion. Both the legions were newly raised and didn’t have much experience however Theodosius hoped that by having enough troops his forces could end the war quickly and avoid another repeat of the Gothic war. After assembling both legions his army departed from Carthage transported by the navy in a voyage that would take them several weeks to reach Rome. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Italy – Northwest[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The fleet had about 700 ships and would carry one legion at a time that included the full legion, horses and equipment. This was for the Roman navy the largest military naval operation so far in this century and during this war the navy was going to play a huge role. It will not only act as a troop transport but it will also be used to raid Visigothic, Lombard and Burgandian coast cities. Despite the loss of greater Italy and other areas in the Mediterranean the Roman navy was still the dominant naval force. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]By early July in earnest the navy began transporting the First Egyptian legion towards Osetia in Rome. The newly expanded port of Ostia was now operating at full capacity and was used as a point between goods coming from Africa and Europe. It was also a military port and the Romans used it to transport troops from different parts of the empire. The fleet in mid August arrived in Ostia after nearly a month on the sea and soon made its way to Rome where there was much commotion about it. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Although by now Italy had its own legions the site of legions from different parts of the empire had evoked strong emotions within the population. Ever since Maurice’s Italian Campaign Rome was once again an important city rather then just a cultural symbol ,the population had increased to one hundred thousand. The city was now a bustling place thanks to it being the administrative center of the Catholic Church, home of the Roman senate and finally it was the main administrative center of central Italy. Rome was quickly becoming a trading center as trade shifted from the Gallic cities of Marseille and Narboo because of the protectionist policies of Theoderic [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The First Egyptian legion along with general Priscus after a week of resting departed from Rome and marched towards the city of Forum Clodii while waiting for the first Mauritanian legion that would arrive in mid November. The duchy of Tuscany itself was one of the richest and most powerful in Lombard controlled Italy as it controlled the cities of Tuscany, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Siena and others. Most income for it came from passing pilgrims who went to Rome and back. If the Romans under Priscus can control it they would be able to increase the wealth of Italy. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The region the duchy now occupied is ancient and was the home of the Ancient Etruscan civilization one that was the first to fall to the Romans and several of Rome’s kings were Etruscan. The Lombard duke Rothari was very angry he felt cheated as he wasn’t a part of the Triumvirate alliance and he didn’t care much about the conflict. Now he was being dragged into it. His army was relatively small of about 7,500 men and some cavalry. However despite the two to one odds he did have one advantage in the form of terrain. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]For Rothari his duchy was situated in mountainous terrain and there were many Castras (castles) that controlled the passes to the main cities. If the Romans wanted his duchy they would have to pay dearly for it. Rothari wasn’t going to wait out the Romans instead his troops were scattered into small teams and sent out to raid nearby Roman territory. By mid November Priscus received word that the First Mauritanian legion arrived at the city of Luna in Northwestern Italy. Their mission was to invade the duchy of Tuscany from the North and meet the first Egyptian legion at Lucca to end of the duchy. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]By December of 609 AD the Roman armies invading Tuscany under Priscus were ordered to stop their campaigns by him. As it was getting really cold but in the past month his forces had managed to make a lot of gains on the road to Lucca. They were able to capture many cities from both directions such as Florence, Pisa and Siena because the Lombard Tuscan armies were overstretched and poorly trained. However the gains did come at a coast as the Roman lines were overstretched and were vulnerable to attacks by the Lombards. In early January the campaign picked up again but the Roman advance was slower because the Lombards were attacking the northern Roman army. By this time Italy was divided into a Roman South and a Lombard North.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Italy east[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Earlier in the year a Roman army assisted by Lombard soldiers from the duchy of Benevento were able to quickly conquer the duchy of Spoleto. The reason for the stunning success was because the Duke Theudelapius took his chances in one large battle that saw his forces decisively defeated. After the battle many cities in the duchy decided to switch allegiance to the Romans in exchange for keeping their autonomy. However a few places did hold out such as Teramo, Fano and Ancona but they were easily crushed in a few weeks. The campaign to conquer central Italy was led by senator Philip, a rich businessman with military experience. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]By the end of 609 AD the areas around the former duchy were quiet and people were just living their lives. The Senate was going to be expanded to include three more seats for the three regions that the duchy once occupied. For the majority of people life got a little bit easier as now you can travel between cities without questions, lower taxes and finally access to more goods from different parts of the Roman empire. A military presence was kept in some important cities in case of a small insurgence but that didn’t really happen. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Overall the Roman strategy in winning this war was about capturing territory as intact as possible, keeping the social structure and after the war making changes. Part of this strategy was also about leaving newly re-conquered Roman cities alone. This is part of the strategy to avoid the all out war and devastation that occurred under Justinian and destroyed much of Italia’s population. In order to keep the troops happy the Romans distributed booty from the governors of the conquered cities rather then ordinary people. By January 610 AD 5,000 soldiers under Senator Philip were moving towards Tuscany to assist in the conquest of that duchy. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Italy – Northeast[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]By August of 609 AD with the fall of Forum Julii and the end of the duchy of Friuli the Roman army under the command of Ceaser Theodosius was preparing to launch its next attack. The army was going to invade the nearby duchy of Treviso before halting their operations for the rest of the year. This is because unlike his father Theodosius doesn’t want to exhaust his troops and make them operate more then they have too. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The duchy of Treviso was itself small as it included the city of Treviso and a few nearby towns. However despite its size there was savage fighting for every town the Romans were able to capture that often resulted in dozens of Casualties for the Roman army. The fact that Burgandian troops were flooding into northern Italy didn’t help the Romans at all. By early January after months of brutal campaigning the Romans the Roman army was able to capture the city in a bloody battle. This effectively marked the end of the duchy. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Despite gains by the Romans in early January a joint Lombard and Burgandian army was raiding deep into Liguria and capturing many towns. While in Spania the Visigoths had managed to cut the territory in half by reaching the straits of Hercules. [/FONT]
 
Got some good news and bad news

Lets start with the bad news first::mad::(

I am going to end this story because i feel as a writer ive written all i can and want for it.

Now for the good news:

This story will have an ending and a really cool one. There are three more updates left to finish the story.

I want to end this story on a high note and by ending it i will have more time to focus on new and cool projects. I want to thank everybody for your support it has really helped me a lot.

PS if anyone wants to start a new story set in this world about India china or even the Americas id be willing to help out. Again thank you everybody and i hope this story has been enjoyable for you to read as it has been for me to write. DONT FORGET THREE MORE UPDATES LEFT. :D:D
 
Chapter 28 is going to be called an eagle rises and it will be really cool with a lot happening. I will be publishing it in the next few days so this story might wrap up by the end of the month.
 
Two more chapter to go :p:D:rolleyes:. Ill release both of them tomorrow

[FONT=&quot]Chapter 28: An eagle rises [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]By mid February of 610 AD General Priscus resumes his invasion of the duchy of Tuscany after resting for the winter. He plans to continue advancing on the Tuscan capital of Lucca until the First Mauritanian legion reinforces his troops from the North. While the Roman army under senator Philip heads towards Liguria to regain lost territory there. From mid February till May of 610 AD the Roman armies under Priscus were able to capture huge amounts of Tuscan territory because most cities and towns quickly gave in not wanting trouble. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]There was sporadic fighting in some places but the war there was going pretty well for the Romans by this point. Then in early July the Legions under the command of General Priscus had reached the Tuscan capital of Lucca a sleepy town of 20,000 people. To take it over the Romans began launching a three-day bombardment of the cities’ walls by using Onagers. Then on the third day something unexpected happened a white flag was raised the enemy delegation exited the city. It seems that the citizens overthrow the Duke in exchange for mercy. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Roman army soon enters the city and the duchy of Tuscany is now under Roman control thus all of Central and southern Italy now belongs to the Romans. The duke is placed under house arrest and he will be given a comfortable retirement somewhere. General Priscus decides to give the army some time of and begin campaigning again in Northern Italy in early August. By August of 610 Ad the Spania was the only front the Romans were losing in because they were facing overwhelming odds of the Visigoth armies. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Roman control of that area had been reduced to a few cities on the coast. However one good thing did come from this as the Visigoths had broken off from the Triumvirate alliance and were focused only on Spain. The Roman army in Spain was now focusing on holding what territory they had left and were being supplied from the sea. The plan was to hold out as long as possible and wait for reinforcements that would come when the war in Italy was over. By early August the Duchy of Treviso had fallen to the Roman army and by this time there were over 50,000 Roman soldiers in Northern Italy ready to end the war. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Earlier in the year Senator Philip had participated in an exhausting campaign that saw the Roman army retake all lost territory in the Liguria region and control the borders between Gaul and Italy. By that time the early June the Burgandian army had withdrawn from Italy because of civil war between the Burgandians. The Roman army under Ceaser Theodosius was now marching towards Milan along with 20,000 to finally end the Lombards in Italy. In Constantinople Emperor Maurice was now frail of health and weak. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Earlier in the year Theodosius had conquered the duchies of Brescia, Verona, Pavia and many others. Now the final battle for Italy was about to begin and it would decide weather Theodosius was a rising eagle or not. [/FONT]
 
Im actually holding back tears in my eyes as i write this. The final two or should i say one update of Maurice's Roman empire is here. Its been a hell of a journey and thank you everybody. In the final adventure we get to know what happens in the end and a little bit about the future. AS ALL WAYS ENJOY AND PS PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THE ENDING AND THE STORY

[FONT=&quot]Chapter 29: The more that changes the more that stay the same [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Early August of 610 AD saw fierce clashes between the Roman army in Italy and the Lombards as the Romans got closer and close to Milan. The Roman army or three Roman armies were moving towards the city the main army under Theodosius was coming in from the east, while Philips army was coming from the west and Prisuc´s army was coming from the South. The area around northern Italy saw many bloody battles that often raged on for days, as the Lombards weren’t going to loose Italy so easily. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]For the romans the campaign for northern Italy was really a long, painful and grueling process that involved entire towns being contested over and over again, ambushes and raids on camps. As August turned to September the Romans were closing in on Turin a city in Northern Italy that was the main administrative center of the Lombard Kingdom in Northern Italy. The fall of Turin will allow the Romans to concentrate even more troops towards conquering Milan. The army under senator Philip was going to conquer the city. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The city of Turin was a medium sized city of 15,000 individuals and a garrison of 3,000 guarding it. In order to conquer the city general Philip was going to launch a massive attack by besieging the town. The siege itself lasted over a week, as the town didn’t have a lot of provisions. A few days later the guards opened the gates and allowed the besieging army in the Romans though that the Lombards were surrendering but it was a trick. After the Roman army entered there was fierce fighting on a fanatical level. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]All though the citizens of the city weren’t involved the Lombard army in the city would rather die then give in to Roman rule. The urban and close up fighting resulted in hundreds of deaths for both sides. By midnight of the next day the Roman army had been able to capture the entire city. By the end of the battle over 700 Romans and 2,600 Lombards had died. The battle of Turin was only a taste of what was going to happen in Milan. Towards the end of November the Roman army had secured all of Northern Italy and off the supply lines to Milan. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]For the Lombard kingdom this was the beginning of the end and many knew it. Over the past few months a lot of Lombards and ordinary people took the opportunity to flee to safer areas while they had the chance. It was impossible for the Romans to know how many troops were in Milan but it was estimated that about 30,000 Lombard soldiers were defending it. Earlier in the year the Romans made a peace treaty with the Burgandian who were eager to negotiate not wanting the Romans to expand in to Gaul. The treaty resulted in a ceasefire and restoring the status quo for both sides. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]By early January the Roman army had begun besieging Milan with over 45,000 soldiers and 500 onagers. The Romans were besieging the city from three points and the army was launching projectiles on a daily basis at the city and its walls. By early march the siege of Milan had lasted for over two months and by this time the walls of the city were crumbling from constant bombardment. Inside Milan was hell itself there was a shortage of everything and people resorted to cannibalism to feed themselves. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]There was also a lot of disease spread thanks to the unclean conditions. Now Theodosius launched his attack and Milan was stormed from three positions. This set of a week of bloody fighting that saw thousands lost on both sides. By mid march of 611 the Romans had taken total control of Italy with the fall of the Lombards and the death of the last Lombard king Agiluf. Theodosius wept openly at the destruction of a once great city and vowed to rebuild it. The remaining Lombards in Milan were deported to Africa and different parts of the empire.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]As a people the Lombards knew they were finished but despite that it was a better fate then slavery. Ceaser Theodosius by mid April of 611 AD had ordered 10,000 soldiers to be sent towards Spain to reinforce Roman positions there. Senator Philip was now going to command that army heading to Spain while Priscus got the retirement he wanted in Sicily. Theodosius returned to quickly to Constantinople to see his father for one last time as Maurice’s health continued to decline. By early July the army under Philip landed in Cartago Nova and began to break the siege of that city after a bloody battle.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]During early may of 611 senator Philip after a grueling campaign won a lot of territory taken by the Visigoths and he was able to reconnect Roman territory there from Carthago Nova in the Madeteranian to Gades in the west of the province. The Roman army had been reinforced by 7,500 Mauritanian warriors from Africa and was beginning a massive offensive to retake more territory. His plan was to retake most of Roman Spania and then hold until the Visigoths had suffered enough losses to begin negotiations.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]This strategy proved effective and by mid august of 611 AD tense negotiations began that resulted in the status quo for the situation in Spain. The Romans could have gained some territory but choose against it. Spania was now again under roman control and that’s what was important.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Constantinople July 15th 611 AD[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Imperial chamber[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Maurice, Maurice Theodosius has returned spoke empress Constantina in a soft voice as he was very weak and lying on the bed[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Two helpers lifted the emperor up in the bed and he began to speak as he looked at his son. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“It’s been far too long,”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Yes it has father, when I left I was but a mere child now I have returned Italy now belongs to the Roman empire and we have cast out the Lombards forever”

[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]“My boy im so proud of you, you are the emperor now if there is any hope for Rome it lies in you”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Theodosius was taken a bit by this and tears rained down both men’s eyes. Then Theodosius said, “The Empire will never forget the reign of Emperor [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus[/FONT][FONT=&quot];[/FONT][FONT=&quot] ”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“The man who inherited an empire on the verge of collapse and restored her to her rightful place as master of the World”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Both men continued to speak and at night a huge banquet was held in honor of the Victory and the end of the war. A few days later emperor Maurice passed away peacefully in the knowledge that the empire that he fought so hard for was in safe hands. As he entered his last moments on Earth the emperor remembered all the important moments that happened to him. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Thus ends the tale of Maurice’s Roman empire[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]By March of 612 AD trouble in the East was brewing and Persia was preparing for war against the Romans after years of rising tensions. Emperor Theodosius was again off to another bloody war. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Chapter 30: Epilogue[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The beginning of the reign of emperor Theodosius saw a lot of military conflicts against old and new foes such as the Slavs, Arabs and Visigoths. However despite all of that the empire was able to stand strong and when Theodosius’s own reign ended the Roman Empire split into East and West divided among his sons. Both powers saw their fortunes rise and fall over the next few centuries and eventually like all empires the Romans and their empire began to fade into history. But the tale of Maurice the emperor who rose from nothing and restored the empire to glory still survives today. [/FONT]
 
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Great TL! I'm a little sad we didn't get to see any Arabs but I still enjoyed reading.

Thank you very much:D. Like i said in an earlier post i can all ways go back and start Theodosius's Roman emperor and all the crazy adventures that it goes through. Its a huge world and all ready established as well so i can write a story about any empire i want in it even Persia . Who would have thought that after 30 updates id end up with 40,000 words and 72 pages in word.
 
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