Rise, Aegyptus!

abc123

Banned
Is Nile canal still in operation?
If not, there's excellent project for the new Pharao.. erm King.
:cool:
 
Hullo AH.commers! Back from the grave to update this TL. I hope people are still interested in this. Forgive any crappy errors I make in this, its been an aeon and a half since I AHed.

Chapter V: A Comfortable Rest Amidst the Debris
Part Two

Solidus-Justinian_II-Christ_b-sb1413.jpg

A Roman coin in the image of Justinianus II.​

-3rd of April, 643AD. The Royal Palace of Alexandria.

Kyrillos I, lord of Aegyptus and perhaps the greatest Christian benefactor out of the Muslim Conquests, watched with a hesitantly raised eyebrow as the young Melkite strolled confidently into his palace. The man, a Greek-speaking and Greek Orthodox Christian, was a member of a highly unique segment of Egyptian society. He was probably from an old Ptolemaic family, and hence did not regard Kyrillos I's government with such contempt as the newer Roman migrants, but nonetheless, it was obvious that he didn't quite fit into this new Aegyptus. But at least he felt accepted in Alexandria, working for an ethnic Coptic lord.

"Aha, young Antonios" said Kyrillos I, "What news from your excursion to the Roman realm?"

"Yes my lord" spoke Antonios with confidence only found in bureaucrats and chariot-racers, "I do indeed have much news to impart."

"Very well, tell me about the political situation of the Romans, we have had little contact with them ever since their chaotic departure to Africa"

"Indeed" Antonios said, he swallowed before continuing and his confidence wavered, "Well... For a start, we have some tragic news... It seems that the old Emperor, Theodoros I, has died..."

"What!" barked Kyrillos I, "Why wasn't I informed of his earlier?"

"I would've sent a runner but none was willing!" Antonios defended himself,

"Very well... Continue..." Kyrillos I mumbled in a disgruntled tone of voice,

"Anyway, as I was saying. The old Emperor is dead, and his son has succeeded. However, there is one complication. That is, the new Emperor has crowned himself Justinianus II"

"A Latin name?"

"Yes, it seems the new Emperor has seen fit to reverse Heraclius's decision to designate the Empire's official language as Greek[1]. Currently, the Empire is in a state of disconsent, while this reversal is widely supported by the general populace, the vast majority of which are African-speaking[2], it is not supported by the clergy and some of the nobility. It could also distance them from us."

"Indeed, any other news from our Roman neighbours?"

"Eh... Yes..."

"Well spit it out man!"

"Well when I held audience with Justinianus II, he received me not in the cordial manner which was expected" he said,

"And?"

"Although he appreciated our attempt to welcome him to his throne, he made it clear that he viewed our seizure of Cyprus and Rhodes as an offense to his empire and to his people!" Antonios exclaimed, "He mentioned that our relationship was in serious danger

Kyrillos I sat on his throne and pondered. No doubt the Roman Emperor is feeling cheated and disgusted at the Egyptian behaviour in the Muslim Conquests, but Kyrillos I was merely being an opportunist and the territories he had seized would have been taken my the Muslims anyway. But nonetheless, Kyrillos I may have just severely strained relationships.

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Indeed, the new Africa-centered Roman Empire had certainly gotten off on the wrong foot and Theodoros I[3] could not have died at a worse time. With this in mind, Kyrillos I increased military presence in the Cyrenaica region and held a council of his most trusted aides and generals to decide the Egyptian stance on the matter. Immediately the council split into two camps: The irredentists who decided an expansion of Egyptian power was necessary for the survival of the state, and the isolationists[4] who decided the Egyptians should not meddle in the affairs of the Romans and the Muslims, as these were dangerous times as the Muslim Conquests and the War of the Levant had aptly demonstrated. The council deliberated for a long time but eventually a tip of the balance occurred: In late-June, the Caliphate mobilised troops against the Avars, who had leaked into the Roman Balkans, and subjugated everything south of the Danube, up the Drina River[5]. This reiterated the fact that the Caliphate was staying in the Balkans for good. And with that thought in mind, the council ruled that the Egyptians had better protect their Mediterranean interests themselves, and that Rhodes and Cyprus was the best way to do so.

Thus, Kyrillos I sent an envoy to the Romans, informing them that they would keep the islands for the purpose of ensuring their interests in the Mediterranean. Naturally, Kyrillos I sent an exuberant amount of gifts to satisfy the Roman Emperor. However, Justinianus II did not accept the Egyptian attempts to please him. In a fit of hot-headedness that would later characterise him in almost every way, Justinianus II refused to house or feed the Egyptian envoy after he delivered the bad news. Of course, the Egyptians took this as an insult and what had been a cordial alliance had been reduced to a mutual distrust. And at a time when the Caliphate endangered both empires, tattered relations between the only two Christian states that had a chance against the Muslims in the entire region was certainly not optimal.

But for the moment, the Egyptians and the Romans could preoccupy themselves with baring their teeth at each other and grunting angrily, because the Caliphate had decided to sit and digest their territorial gains. They had about doubled their empire's size since they conquered Syria, and their population had increased by much more than that. The revolutionary religion of Islam held quite an appeal, plus the Muslims encouraged religious tolerance. So it was understandable that most of their conquered people kept quiet or simply converted. But the Caliph was having serious issues with Greece (known to the Muslim rulers as al-Yunan). The Greeks were fervent Christians, and stayed bound to their cultural heritage and their historical ties to the Roman Empire. They felt betrayed that Theodoros I had the decision to effectively abandon them, and already there had been sporadic, but determined revolts across the Greek-speaking regions of the Caliphate (which included Anatolia) put Muslim control there in danger.

However, foreign relations was not the only thing heating up in the Near East. In Aegyptus, internal politics was on the boil. After Kyrillos I refused to aid his Christian compatriots in their wars with the Muslims and proved incapable of repairing relations with the Romans, a movement calling for a dramatic change in policy. The movement was especially vocal in the ranks of the clergy (Both Coptic and Melkite) and the Greek-speaking Egyptians. Pope Benjamin I is caught between the king he crowned and the church he commands. Not wanting to divide Aegyptus, he takes a neutral stance and calls for unity under Kyrillos I's rulership. But nonetheless, the more fundamental elements of the church openly and vocally rant against a king that (in their eyes) indirectly aids the Muslims to wipe out Christendom. Kyrillos I's reply is muted but effective. Over the next few months, almost all the influential people, clergy, Melkites and anyone else included, are bought out and those that can resist the allure of Egyptian gold (which is very few) are silently arrested and deported to remote regions of Egypt such as Akis tis Anatolis and Cyrenaica. But thats only a bandaid solution, so Kyrillos I makes a serious of public speeches in Alexandria and Mefne defending his actions. Being the skilled orator that he is, he convinces many of his viewpoint. Plus there is the added bonus of being a monarch that actually appears in public, which is rare. Nonetheless, Kyrillos I's refusal to use violence could also be viewed as a negative thing: Spare the rod, spoil the child, as the saying goes. And although the clergy and Greek nobility is kept under the tight lid of the stifling bureaucracy, they could easily boil over if not cooled down by force. Though now it seems Kyrillos I's method of appeasement and soft oppression is working, if only for the moment.

By the end of the year 644AD, an air of unease hangs over the Near East. The Romans, headed by their hot-headed Emperor and the Egyptians are still in dispute over the islands of Cyprus and Rhodes. In the Muslim world, the Caliphate seems to be taking a short nap, but a nap that could be easily be woken up from. The Persians are still reeling from their near-destruction and their king, Rostam Farrokhzād, is struggling to keep his empire strong. Though the region is technically at peace, snakes slither in the dark.

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I'm not satisfied with that update... I guess it'll take a while for me to get back into the hang of this. Anyway, I promise the next update will be better. More details about the Sassanids and the Caliphate will be given.

I'm also thinking of doing an interlude somewhere along the 700AD mark to take a look at the rest of Europe.

Footnotes:

[1]: In 620AD, the then Roman Emperor, Heraclius, changed the official language of the empire from Latin to Greek, a decision that forever changed the empire's culture, politics and society in OTL.

[2]: At the present time, Roman Africa is dominated by a romance language closely related to Latin. There are very few records of this language and its structure, lexicon et cetera. For the purpose of this TL, it will henceforth be referred to as "African". Justinianus II sees that a majority Romance-speaking Roman Empire is not a practical thing, so he sees fit to reverse a decision made only twenty years earlier.

[3]: Theodoros I was the Emperor of the Romans and Justinianus II's father. He was a supporter of, and was supported by, the Egyptians. Obviously his son does not see through his eyes.

[4]: I know "irredentists" and "isolationists" are not at all political movements that existed back then, but the factions of Kyrillos I's council are best described as such.

[5]: The Drina River.
 
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Interesting update, so Islam has a foothold in Europe now
With a border that runs the Danube to the Drina, it is more than a foothold. Thanks for the feedback!

... I'll probably include maps in the next update as well.
But this is not very realistic.
It will be realistic, if the Balkans will become TTL's Spain.
Well remember that the Balkans are filled with not just Greeks, but also Slavs and Avars. The latter two would be very malleable to the more civilised Muslims. As for the Greeks... We'll see, there might be a Reconquista in the Balkans... But it certainly won't happen in the next update.
 
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Question to those who read this.

Good day AH.com.

I haven't updated this TL, but it is still on my mind and I was thinking about it. So a question to those (privileged :D) few who read this: Should I continue with this current TL or rewrite this as a v2.0? A v2.0 would still be largely the same (I'd have mostly the same characters et cetera) but I'd probably have a different War of the Levant, a different Arab invasion and some other historical goodies.

Cheers.
 
If the Eastern Roman empire survives and keeps anatolia and the balkans in version 2.0 then yes do it. If not than just continou this one.
 
I think you should just continue on with this one though it's up to you. I know that regardless of what you ultimately decide on, I am going to subscribe to your timeline, read it and enjoy it. :)
 

abc123

Banned
Good day AH.com.

I haven't updated this TL, but it is still on my mind and I was thinking about it. So a question to those (privileged :D) few who read this: Should I continue with this current TL or rewrite this as a v2.0? A v2.0 would still be largely the same (I'd have mostly the same characters et cetera) but I'd probably have a different War of the Levant, a different Arab invasion and some other historical goodies.

Cheers.


Hy, I'm for v.2 if you include survival of Eastern Roman Empire in Anatolia.
Othervise, continue with this.
 
So the votes are in, I'll continue this TL. Thanks guys for putting in your thoughts! Glad you could.

Chapter V: A Comfortable Rest Amidst the Debris
Part Three


Belisarius.jpg

Contemporary depiction of the Greek Melkite general Isaias Marangoudakis.​

If you were to ask every single person in the entire kingdom of Aegyptus, no-one would be able to accurately predict the coming months. The turmoil and trouble that was to follow would be blamed on many different parties. Some would assert the emerald-eyed Roman Empire to the West was the cause. Some would blame the Greek aristocracy. Others the Coptic or Melkite Churches. Still others would assert that Kyrillos I, to be frank, had it coming. In reality, it was a culmination of factors, but as usual, some suspects were more guilty. Ever since the accession of Kyrillos I to the throne of Aegyptus, people grew unsettled. As previously mentioned, the Greek aristocracy was dissatisfied with his rulership. Actually to say that they were dissatisfied is a bit of a broad overgeneralisation. At the best, the Greek aristocracy were mildly wary, but at worst, they were deeply hateful. Indeed, their were members of the aristocracy who identified with both groups (and everything in between). The Melkite Church was also at odd with Kyrillos I. After realising that their time as the premier religious establishment of Aegyptus was over, they strategically chose to remain out of the Erros's eye. However, their consensus of Kyrillos I and what he stood for was generally quite negative. If the increasingly marginalised Greek aristocracy had few reasons to like Kyrillos I, the Melkite Church had even less. The military, which was staffed primarily by Greeks and Hellenised Copts, was split in its loyalties. Indeed, even within the Coptic Church he has made enemies: The ultrajingoistic elements of the church (y'know, that element in any organisation which has a bit of a Napoleon syndrome: loud and violent, but small and generally disliked) still have not forgiven Kyrillos I for refusing to help his Roman brothers, and allowing the Muslim advance into Christendom.

So in short, the fires of untreated domestic division and heated foreign affairs had been boiling the waters of a cauldron that looked a lot more dangerous then a simple black pot. But then again, bombs can often be disguised as things as innocent as a briefcase, right? Anyway, up until now, the lid of that cauldron had been kept firmly on. Notice the past tense in the previous statement. So what happened to turn all this on its head? It all started with a fairly small act of rebellion, which blew up faster than you could say "Guy Fawkes". The depopulated yet important border region of Cyrenaica had been a hotspot of anti-Kyrillos activity. The governor was a man from an excellently conservative Greek stock, and the people in Cyrene had more in common with the Romans only a few hundred miles away than they did with even the cosmopolitan Greeks in Alexandria. The majority-Greek region had also been the recipient of a great deal of political undesirables from the more heavily populated areas of Aegyptus. So in a nutshell: Not the place Kyrillos I would want to be wondering around in the dark unprotected on a cold October night.

On the 27th of January, 645AD, an extremist sect of anti-Copts was uncovered in Cyrene. Calling itself the Dóry tis Aigyptiakis Romaious (the Spear of Egyptian Romans), the sect was the equivalent of a medieval terrorist cell which openly and vehemently advocated the destruction of Kyrillos I's regime. Kyrillos I was highly annoyed that his sect was not uncovered earlier, and as such he ordered the sect to be destroyed. And he meant destroyed: All members of the sect was to be beheaded publicly. Reluctantly, the governor of Cyrenaica carried out Kyrillos I's orders with one small exception. One member of the sect unfortunately happened to be the charismatic and well-connected commander of the Cyrenaica legion, Iulian Rhinotenos. It was inevitable that Kyrillos I would find out, and when he did he was furious. On the 6th of February, he sent the (coincidentally Melkite) General of the Egyptian Army, Isaias Marangoudakis in to arrest both the governor and the local legion commander, and have both executed. Isaias Marangoudakis brought with him 10,000 men of the military. It seemed that this minor infraction would soon be over.

But alas, it was not to be. No-one is really sure what happened after Isaias Marangoudakis left Alexandria. Some say his aging head was filled by Iulian Rhinotenos with dreams of a rejuvenated Aegyptus with him as another Ptolemy. Some say the decades of war and social unrest embittered him against the regime of Kyrillos I. Still others say that from the start, Isaias Marangoudakis was a cold-hearted and ambitious snake, who was simply waiting for a chance to strike. Most likely, it was a culmination of all of the above. Regardless of what went through the head of Isaias Marangoudakis, he returned to Alexandria with 15,000 men (the addition of Cyrenaica's legion) in a manner that would have made Phocas smile with glee.

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-16th of March, 645AD. The Royal Palace of Alexandria.

Kyrillos I gasped for air against the cold steel that seemed the wrap itself around his neck. Around him, the blood of the palace guards and servants was painted against the walls and floors in a last-ditch testimonial to their pathetic lives. Candles flickered against the breeze of wind that came through the open throneroom doors and the stench of death permeated the room like an unwanted guest.

"W-What is t-this?" Kyrillos I stuttered, the fear mangling his words like an angry bear, "W-Why have you d-d-done this?"

The Erros and Basileus of Aegyptus was lifted up to face the perpetrator of this heinous crime. Isaias Marangoudakis[1] stared at the ruler of Aegyptus for a brief moment, then stabbed him through the throat. The death-throes of the Erros and Basileus of Aegyptus were blood-curdling, and those who heard it would later state that it sounded demonic in a respect, as if a dragon had been slain.

The General of the Egyptian Army looked with eyes of iron at the dead Erros, and did not offer any sort of emotion towards his great betrayal. Isaias had won battles - no - wars for the dead Erros, and now he was reaping his reward. He turned to his men who still clenched their blood-soaked weapons with a sort of grim desperation found only in starving lions.

"Find Benjamin I and arrest him. Find Matthaios and kill him." he said in a harsh monotone. His men nodded silently and then departed the room. Isaias bent down to Kyrillos I and lifted the gilded crown from the floor. The crown was still warm from Kyrillos I's head, and it had a single slash of blood across it.

"Well well my old friend. How is it in Hell?" said Isaias quietly, "You knew this was inevitable didn't you? You see, at first we held great hopes in you my friend. Great hopes. We thought you'd be able to balance the interests of both the people and the nobility. Alas, the scales have been tipping away from us since Benjamin I's proclamation. You and your Coptic puppet forgot that the wealth and indeed fate of this great, sunburnt country will always lie with us. And our church. We've been here since Alexander the Great. And we're not leaving any time soon."

He stood up and placed the crown of Aegyptus upon his head, totally ignoring the dribbles of Kyrillos I's blood that fell from the crown and onto the face of the self-proclaimed Basileus,

"I had no love for the Romans. And even less for the Persians. My friend, I support an independent Aegyptus. We're quite alike in a way: we both want to rule from Alexandria"

The snake had stricken, now all that remained was whether the bitten would bite back.

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Betrayal! The word would ring across Aegyptus like a shout from God. To many, the heinous crime committed by one of Aegyptus's foremost heroes was as stunning as it was totally unexpected. Immediately there was a highly polarised reaction across the political landscape of Aegyptus. The Greek landowners were in almost unanimous support of the coup, as those who had known of Isaias's intent had been the backers of the plot from its inception. The Greek ruling elite had finally boiled over after having been heating up in anger against the Erros, who in response had only initiated bribes and soft oppression for the last ten or so years. Essentially, the now dead Kyrillos I had learnt a lesson that so many monarchs would later learn: You either purge the ruling class or submit to their demands, there rarely is a middle ground. but the Coptic bureaucracy and minor aristocrats were in an uproar. The Melkite Church and her Patriarch[2] Maximus of Alexandria, threw their support behind the usurpation by Isaias. Indeed, the Coptic Church was violently against it, and when the Patriarch Benjamin I was arrested and carried off to the dungeons of Kyrillos I's Palace, the Church started to openly confront the new regime in methods that were most unbecoming of a church. Open, vehement sermons advocating violent rebellion were made and the Church used every drop of it's far-reaching influence to condemn the new regime.

Of course, Isaias had quickly made many and some very powerful enemies but he wouldn't have initiated the coup if his regime didn't have any hope of continuation. Having the backing of the Greek aristocracy, he had an enormous deposit of funds, and being the General of the Egyptian Army he had the support of the... Well the army obviously. But whether or not his regime survived could probably be best connected to whether or not Prince Matthaios survived. He was indeed the heir to the deposed Eikosidekid dynasty but probably more importantly he was the legion commander for the Avgoustamnkai region, and thus already had a sizeable military force under his wing. Indeed, in a stroke of bad luck that would ironically fit best in a Classical Greek tragedy, the first attempt to kill Matthaios failed dramatically. When a small battalion of troops arrived in the city of Paramoun[3] to arrest the Prince (and subsequently execute him) they were met with the entire Avgoustamnkai legion which had been mustered in anticipation.

Matthaios, who was previously a competent if not slightly spoilt heir apparent, seemed to have been evolved into a much different beast by the terrible betrayal of his father. When his legion easily overcame the battalion sent to kill him, he ordered every man to be slaughtered except for one man, who would be blinded and sent back to Alexandria to convey Matthaios's message to Isaias Marangoudakis. It was a simple message, which was worded something similar to "I will destroy you". With such a chilling and rage-induced message, the Prince of Aegyptus very much resembled the young Kyrillos I when he overthrew the office of Shahin Vahmanzadegan. But regardless of the behaviour of the Prince, the province of Avgoustamnkai was the first to raise the flag of rebellion, and after that, the entirety of Aegyptus descended into a civil war that would forever be etched into the Egyptian consciousness.

The reply to Matthaios's bold statement of rebellion was to raise the nation's levies and attempt to purge the country of all opposing elements. The Coptic Church was largely targeted, and heavy harassment upon the priests became a regular occurrence. Pope Benjamin I was stripped of his title and an obscure chorbishop[4] from Cyrenaica was crowned Pope Petros V. Of course, Petros V was merely a puppet of Isaias Marangoudakis. Around the same time this religious tomfoolery was occurring, the banner of the Eikosidekid dynasty was attracting more followers. In the south especially, the Governors of Thēbaida , Diopolis Periochi and Arsinoites threw their support behind the Eikosidekid. Being the heartlands of the Coptic Church and much less cosmopolitan than the north, they felt threatened by the Greek aristocracy. The Governor of Voreia Nouvia, though pro-Marangoudakis, abandoned ship and fled to Alexandria. Swiftly, an army of 30,000 men was assembled by the Governor of Thēbaida . Though the army was made up mostly of untrained levies, the troops were enthusiastic and determined. This, in addition to the professional legion of Prince Matthaios meant that Isaias Marangoudakis and the backers of his plot were facing a very real threat. Obviously, the Byzantine-style coup that Isaias Marangoudakis was attempting to initiate was not going to plan.

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I bet you didn't see that coming! Well... Then again, this is seventh-century Middle East... So some might have. I'll expand on the foreign reaction et cetera in the next update, remember this has all happened within a matter of a few days!

Feedback much wanted. This an abrupt and kind of sudden turn in the marvellous Egyptian drama, so I would like to know what you all think. Also, forgive (or better yet, point out) any typos et cetera. Long update done on a basic text edit program with no spelling/grammar checking. Thanks guys.

Footnotes:

[1]: So this guy! All-star general of the Egyptian army! Though then again, this sort of thing was popular back then, especially in nations which shared any kind of cultural heritage with the Romans.

[2]: Technically this dude is the Archbishop of the See of Alexandria. Not a patriarch in the sense of Benjamin I (or rather Petros V now).

[3]: Paramoun is the seaside capital of the Avgoustamnkai region.

[4]: A chorbishop is a rank below a regular bishop and their name translates to "rural bishop".

Hmmm! Not much footnotes I kind of rushed that part admittedly, so yell if you need something explained.
 
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