Quia gloria Romae; For the Glory of Rome

The Reign of Flavius Zeno Augustus 474 A.D. – 493 A.D.
When the Western Roman Empire fell in 476 A.D., the emperor of the Eastern Empire, Zeno I, vowed that he would never allow the Eastern Roman Empire to fall or be influenced by the barbarian hordes to the North. When word reached Constantinople, that Rome had fallen, Zeno claimed to have been enlightened by God. He knew that for his empire to survive, the army would always have to be the state’s top priority. He also knew that the emperor had to have supreme power over the army and the people. With this new concept, Zeno went before the masses of Constantinople and preached to them of his divine enlightenment, claiming that God had shown him the way to the salvation of the Roman people. He claimed that God wanted him, the emperor, and God’s representative on Earth, to have complete power, over everything. With this Zeno dissolved the Senate of the Roman People. Whilst the Senate was completely outraged, the masses of Constantinople felt as if they had been saved. The masses were terrified that with the fall of the Western Empire, the Eastern Empire would not be far behind it. What the people didn’t realize is that they would have less and less freedom under Zeno’s reign.
After Zeno dissolved the Senate he immediately had all of his political opponents assassinated. Also all those who had a claim to the throne and who had the power to contend for it, were systematically eliminated over the next year. It is said that not even the emperors own family was spared. Every cousin, nephew, niece, aunt, and uncle was killed. Zeno then confiscated all of their possession and kept them for himself. The money he put into the treasury. With this newfound wealth he began a major overhaul of the military. He eliminated the current command system. Where promotion was based on birth and money, he replaced it. Instead of birth and money the system was based on merit and skill. He created a war college in Damascus. The legions were also reborn. No longer was the main military power of the empire, mercenaries. Zeno brought back the professional soldier. If you joined the legion you were guaranteed pay, shelter, food, and a pension. You were also guaranteed help if you were injured. With this Zeno created a semblance of the modern day welfare state.
After this major re-haul of the way the state and military function, Zeno was ready to go on the war path. But finding a suitable target was rather difficult. To the north you had the various barbarian hordes. To the east was the powerful Sassanid Empire. To the south were the various nomadic tribes of the Arabian Peninsula. To the west were the various duchies and principalities of the Italian Peninsula and what was left of the Roman administration in Northern Africa.
Zeno knew very well that if the Roman Empire showed any signs of weakness that the Sassanids would attack. The emperor knew that if he wanted to conquer more territory, he would need to militarize and fortify the border with the Sassanids. The provinces of Armenia, Arabia, and Syria were all placed under direct military rule for the foreseeable future. Forts along the border were erected, patrols were increased. All towns of over five thousand people were fortified and garrisoned. Granaries in major cities were stocked full and replaced every five months. With these preparations made, Zeno felt confident that he could declare war and mobilize his forces without fearing that the Sassanids would ravage his lands.
In the 4th year of Zeno’s reign, he began the re-conquest of Illyricum. Zeno led the legions himself, relying heavily on the experienced general Klaus Posnanz. In the old province of Northern Illyricum, Zeno met fierce resistance form the Lombards, who had been slowly increasing their military presence in the region, while the campaign in Southern Illyricum had been concluded and the land annexed to the empire. Zeno had the new province of Slavica flooded with the homeless and disabled veterans and other Roman colonists, allowing the land to be assimilated into the empire much faster. He left an entire legion in the province to prevent rebellions and establish infrastructure and order. He had them build border forts and establish regular cavalry patrols. With Slavica fully subjugated, and no threats from the Sassanids, Zeno ordered General Posnanz, to take three legions, load them on transports, and invade Sicily. After 4 years of hit and run tactics, by the Lombards, Zeno was finally able to force them to battle. This would be the break the Empire needed. In a stunning battle a Roman force outnumbered three to one, utterly crushed the Lombard Army. It was said, of the 30,000 Lombard men that participated in the Battle of Sirmium, only 12,000 came home. The Romans fresh off their victory swept through Northern Illyricum, to be named Dalmatia, and into Northern Italy, where Zeno began breaking up his army to siege all the major cities at once. Meanwhile in Sicily General Posnanz had completely subjugated the island and began requesting permission to invade Southern Italy. Emperor Zeno continually denied him permission until, one early December morning the last Lombard stronghold fell. After 10 years of continuous warfare the Lombards accepted peace. They would cede all of Illyricum, renounce all claims, and pay an indemnity of 5,000 pounds of gold, to be delivered to Constantinople, on the one year anniversary of the peace treaty.
With funds and troops freed from the campaign against the Lombards, Zeno ordered his four legions to march to Ragusa and rest for six months and prepare for the invasion of Southern Italy. With these preparations being made, Zeno sent Klaus a message saying he could begin the invasion. When General Posnanz invaded Southern Italy he met no resistance early on, he would soon discover just how resistant these people were. It was not until Zeno invade with his four legions that the people of Southern Italy were pacified. The Pope in Rome was afraid they would advance more but they were stopped with the death of their emperor. After a 19 year reign, 13 of which were spent in continuous warfare, Flavius Zeno Augustus dies of natural causes.
 
Interesting... But how Zeno deals with the theological conflicts in the east? Egypt was overan by Monophysites and Patriarch Timothy II was conspiring against Imperial rule... Antioch and Syria were shattered by this conflict... Shouldnt he had solved this problem first before going to war?
 
When the Western Roman Empire fell in 476 A.D., the emperor of the Eastern Empire, Zeno I, vowed that he would never allow the Eastern Roman Empire to fall or be influenced by the barbarian hordes to the North.
A pity that had already happened.

He knew that for his empire to survive, the army would always have to be the state’s top priority.
How's that? The Roman army, on an equipment and training basis, was still respectable compared to Frankish, Gothic, etc. troops.

He also knew that the emperor had to have supreme power over the army and the people. With this new concept, Zeno went before the masses of Constantinople and preached to them of his divine enlightenment, claiming that God had shown him the way to the salvation of the Roman people. He claimed that God wanted him, the emperor, and God’s representative on Earth, to have complete power, over everything.
The people of Constantinople politely laugh. Zeno had only just retaken Constantinople a month or two prior, after having been kicked out of the city thanks to a major rebellion, and already he's claiming he's endowed with divine blessings, God's Chosen, and so on?

With this Zeno dissolved the Senate of the Roman People. Whilst the Senate was completely outraged, the masses of Constantinople felt as if they had been saved. The masses were terrified that with the fall of the Western Empire, the Eastern Empire would not be far behind it. What the people didn’t realize is that they would have less and less freedom under Zeno’s reign.
Rome's pretty far away from Constantinople, and one of Odoacer's first actions had been to recognize the authority of the (Eastern) Roman Emperor as the ruler of what was theoretically a now-reunited empire. Constantinopolitans probably weren't that scared to begin with.

After Zeno dissolved the Senate he immediately had all of his political opponents assassinated. Also all those who had a claim to the throne and who had the power to contend for it, were systematically eliminated over the next year. It is said that not even the emperors own family was spared. Every cousin, nephew, niece, aunt, and uncle was killed. Zeno then confiscated all of their possession and kept them for himself.
Truly, the way forward towards political stability.

The money he put into the treasury. With this newfound wealth he began a major overhaul of the military. He eliminated the current command system. Where promotion was based on birth and money, he replaced it. Instead of birth and money the system was based on merit and skill.
Likewise, this is a surefire way to bring stability to the Empire at a time where Zeno's just recovering from a rebellion that actually kicked him out of Constantinople.

He created a war college in Damascus. The legions were also reborn. No longer was the main military power of the empire, mercenaries. Zeno brought back the professional soldier. If you joined the legion you were guaranteed pay, shelter, food, and a pension. You were also guaranteed help if you were injured. With this Zeno created a semblance of the modern day welfare state.
Why bring back the legions? The Empire's threats are all on horseback now, particularly on the eastern frontier. Why spend all that money trying to raise a "native" army from a population that isn't that fond of you (again, they just had a rebellion) when you could hire neighboring barbarians as foederati and kill two birds with one stone?

After this major re-haul of the way the state and military function, Zeno was ready to go on the war path. But finding a suitable target was rather difficult. To the north you had the various barbarian hordes. To the east was the powerful Sassanid Empire. To the south were the various nomadic tribes of the Arabian Peninsula. To the west were the various duchies and principalities of the Italian Peninsula and what was left of the Roman administration in Northern Africa.
"Various duchies and principalities of the Italian Peninsula"? Odoacer ruled all of Italy. The Ostrogoths continued the pattern of unified rule after him.

The Vandals were already in control of North Africa.

Zeno knew very well that if the Roman Empire showed any signs of weakness that the Sassanids would attack. The emperor knew that if he wanted to conquer more territory, he would need to militarize and fortify the border with the Sassanids. The provinces of Armenia, Arabia, and Syria were all placed under direct military rule for the foreseeable future. Forts along the border were erected [...] All towns of over five thousand people were fortified and garrisoned.
This is pretty close to what historically the frontier was like anyways. The governors were already appointees of the Emperor. Cities had walls. There was a system of forts along the Persian border. This is not something new.

They still had problems with the Sassanids.

Granaries in major cities were stocked full and replaced every five months. With these preparations made, Zeno felt confident that he could declare war and mobilize his forces without fearing that the Sassanids would ravage his lands.
In the 4th year of Zeno’s reign, he began the re-conquest of Illyricum. Zeno led the legions himself, relying heavily on the experienced general Klaus Posnanz...
Whoa, whoa, wait, Zeno's supposed to pull off a complete overhaul of the army, political system, economy, logistics and pretty much everything in the empire (without somehow inciting a rebellion or three along the way) by 478, a paltry two years after the point of divergence? Did Zeno become a powerful sorceror when I wasn't paying attention?

And what kind of name is "Klaus Posnanz"?
 
A pity that had already happened.


How's that? The Roman army, on an equipment and training basis, was still respectable compared to Frankish, Gothic, etc. troops.


The people of Constantinople politely laugh. Zeno had only just retaken Constantinople a month or two prior, after having been kicked out of the city thanks to a major rebellion, and already he's claiming he's endowed with divine blessings, God's Chosen, and so on?


Rome's pretty far away from Constantinople, and one of Odoacer's first actions had been to recognize the authority of the (Eastern) Roman Emperor as the ruler of what was theoretically a now-reunited empire. Constantinopolitans probably weren't that scared to begin with.


Truly, the way forward towards political stability.


Likewise, this is a surefire way to bring stability to the Empire at a time where Zeno's just recovering from a rebellion that actually kicked him out of Constantinople.


Why bring back the legions? The Empire's threats are all on horseback now, particularly on the eastern frontier. Why spend all that money trying to raise a "native" army from a population that isn't that fond of you (again, they just had a rebellion) when you could hire neighboring barbarians as foederati and kill two birds with one stone?


"Various duchies and principalities of the Italian Peninsula"? Odoacer ruled all of Italy. The Ostrogoths continued the pattern of unified rule after him.

The Vandals were already in control of North Africa.


This is pretty close to what historically the frontier was like anyways. The governors were already appointees of the Emperor. Cities had walls. There was a system of forts along the Persian border. This is not something new.

They still had problems with the Sassanids.


Whoa, whoa, wait, Zeno's supposed to pull off a complete overhaul of the army, political system, economy, logistics and pretty much everything in the empire (without somehow inciting a rebellion or three along the way) by 478, a paltry two years after the point of divergence? Did Zeno become a powerful sorceror when I wasn't paying attention?

And what kind of name is "Klaus Posnanz"?


With thorough analysis i see that there are quite few impossible things here...
I must be very tired not seeing them myself...:D
 
I apologize for these discrepancies. This is only my first serious attempt at a ATL. I would appreciate any help and advice. For the next update I will do more research and try to prevent this from happening. Except for the discrepancies, how did y'all like the way it was told? to much detail, not enough, sound too much like a text book?
 
I apologize for these discrepancies. This is only my first serious attempt at a ATL. I would appreciate any help and advice. For the next update I will do more research and try to prevent this from happening. Except for the discrepancies, how did y'all like the way it was told? to much detail, not enough, sound too much like a text book?

If you need any help feel free to PM me... I am working on a similar TL in the same era... Plus i have a large library u can use...
As for the TL it was good for a start... except the discrepancies...
 
The Reign of Flavius Zeno Augustus 474A.D.-
In the year of Our Lord 474 A.D. Leo II was crowned emperor after the death of Leo I. Leo II father, Zeno, felt betrayed as he believed he would be Leo I’s heir. Zeno is made head regent as Leo II is only 7 years old. Three weeks into Leo II reign, he crowns his father Zeno, co-emperor. Nine months after Leo II is crowned emperor, he dies of an unknown disease. Zeno I succeed him as sole emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Empress Dowager Verina asks Zeno I permission to marry her lover, Patricius. He denies her permission for he is afraid that through her Patricius could claim the throne. With this Verina begins to conspire with her brother, Basiliscus, the brother generals, Illus and Trocundes, her lover Patricius, and General Theodoric Strabo to overthrow Zeno and replace him with Patricius.
Zeno, who had become extremely paranoid since Leo I bypassed him and named his son, Leo II, emperor, had set up a huge network of spies in the capital city. Through his spy networks he learned of this plot. With this information, he approached General Illus and Trocundes and General Theodoric Strabo with an offer. Desert the rebels and join him and he would shower them with wealth and titles. The generals had always wanted more money and power, and here was their opportunity to acquire it and so much more. With these generals on his side he now had the complete backing of the army, he moved in on the conspirators. In a day fueled by blood and murder, Zeno wiped the conspirators from Constantinople. In the end, Patricius, but Basilicus fought on. He was captured by Illus and brought before Zeno where he was forced to swear undying loyalty to him, before he was taken away to be tortured for information. Even after this huge headache. Zeno still had to deal with The Dowager Empress Verina. In this he faced a large dilemma, the people loved her and he couldn’t just execute her. Instead he decided to send her to villa in the Anatolia.
At this time the people were divided between Monophysite and Nicenes beliefs. These theological disputes had torn the empire apart. It didn’t help that the Patriarch of Alexandria, Timothy II, would not stop meddling in the state’s affairs. This was a serious problem, for the empire. It was strictly divided, Nicenes made up the majority in Greece, The Balkans, and Asia Minor and in Syria it was divided between Monophsites and Nicenes, but in Egypt Monophysites dominated.
To remedy this situation Zeno promote the Nicene Patriarch of Jerusalem Anastasius I to Patriarch of Antioch, as he was accepted by both sides. Zeno then sent in his army to pacify Syria. Not to persecute one group or the other, but to establish justice and peace. By doing this he had isolated Timothy II, who had advocated loudly for open rebellion against the new emperor. He also convoked a council of all the Patriarchs to settle this dispute once and for all. His main rival Timothy II would of course challenge him at every turn, but if he could keep the council bogged down with technical matters until Timothy II died and then replace him with a more amicable Patriarch then he might have a chance of fixing this massive problem.
All of this of course Zeno knew would take time. In this time of relative stability he tried to increase his standing with not only the people but the nobility. For the mob he threw a giant festival full of free bread and wine and games. Along with throwing money to the people, with this the mob’s view of Zeno gradually began to change. To earn the support of the nobility, and thus the Senate he allowed tax cuts for the nobility and allowed them more power.
Zeno also knew that his generals would most likely betray him the first chance they got. So he promoted them all to high office which moved them far away from the legions and they appointed some of their protoges as generals. These men while, being mentored by Illis, Trocundes, and Strabo, they became loyal to Zeno because he made them generals.
 
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