Roma Renovata est: A Roman TL

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all, I am back with another Chapter. The Civil War Continues and the battles between Ricimer and Majorian heat up. What will happen to Rome over the course of this war. Only one way to find out.

Rising Tides

Ricimer would not have long before battle resumed and he knew it. He had to gather up a force of soldiers quickly to reinforce the soldiers he already had. He start by asking his Bisigothic and Suebic backers for more troops. The Visigothic king replied to Ricimer, telling him he would have to make do with the soldiers he had. The Suebic king was more generous, as he decided on sending over 1,000 soldiers.

This showed the difference in thinking. The Visigoths were more cautious, as they wished to wait until the right moment. On the other hand, The Suebi felt that they had waited long enough for their oppertunity to reclaim land. They provided enough support to keep the Romans busy for the time being.

Though his force was now back at the level it was before the Civil War began, this was not enough for Ricimer. He knew that he needed more soldiers in order to defeat Majorian. He began to gather people from Hispania to his cause. He conducted a propaganda campaign, trying to paint himself as a wronged innocent, claiming that Majorian had fallen under the influence of "sinister lords". In particular, he blamed Marcellinus, using Marcellinus's paganism as an example.

This was very much untrue, but most of the common people didn't known any better, and so rallied to Ricimer's side to rid the empire of these "sinister lords". This only really worked in Hispania, as they were seperate enough from those in Illyrica to believe in these stories. It was rather was flimsy support, and Ricimer knew this. His support was turning into a house of cards, but it was the only hope Ricimer had left.

This infuriated the Magister Militums, especially the singled out Marcellinus. Majorian was not particularly happy with this himself, but he was more patient at this insult to him than his commanders. He waited for Syagrius and his reinforcements to arrive, planning his next move.

The two armies had gained some new forces with Majorian being bolstered by 9,000 new troops led by Syagrius, whilst Ricimer had managed to muster 4,000 new recruits.

Finally on the 16th April, the next battles of the Grand Civil War would begin, taking place at the Pyrenee Mountains, where Ricimer would conduct a month long Guerilla Campaign against Majorian. Ricimer worked to use the size of Majorians army against them, trapping them at the mountains passes and wittling down Majorian's forces using their heightened elevation to their advantage.

Majorian's army would keep on fighting through this however, getting further and further through. Eventually, on the 18th May, the two armies would clash at The Battle of the Salazar Valley. At this point it was 14,500 of Ricimer's forces against 20,000 of Majorians. The Battle started with Ricimeres force with the high ground once against. Fighting was intense, as Majorian tried to force Ricimers forces onto a level playing field.

The first half of the battle, Ricimer was in control, using the advantage of fighting downwards to drive Majorian's forces back. Majorian, then made a bold move by using a small pass to to take a small portion of his cavalry around the Ricimerian forces. The cavalry crashed into the back line of Ricimer's army. At this Ricimer ordered half of his cavalry to remain back to how off this force, the rest making one big charge down.

They crashed into Majorian's forces, hitting them hard, nearly breaking the morale of the army under the sudden pressure, if not for the rallying of Syagrius. Battle continued even fiercer than before.

Majorian was eventually able to defeat the cavalry force. He then prepared to launch his own downward charge on the backlines. But Ricimer had prepared for this. He ordered his men to be ready to strike out at the enemy. Ricimer knew he wouldn't be able to stop the on coming attack now.

Instead, his plan to counter it was simple; use your ememies momentum against them...

Majorian and his cavalry began to charge, the rear ofRicimer's army was positioned near the base, with just enough room to avoid their opponent falling into them. When the cavalry began to charge, the rear turned, waiting for the cavalrymen. Right before the cavalry reach them all of the soldiers thrust out their spears and swords at their enemies. This had mostly mixed success. Some of the soldier misfired and were run through as a result. Other were successful in striking the riders, causing them to be knocked of their horses and easy picking for the rear line soldiers.

One of them however proved to be the most important. One of the soldiers was able to smash his spear into emperor Majorian himself. The tip of the spear hit Majorian in the head, only stopped from outright killing the emperor. The emperor flew of his horse, crashing onto the floor. The soldier, rushed in to finish off the downed emperor, but was cut down by one of the cavalrymen who had broken through the rear line.

The emperor was not dead. But in the process of the collision, he had been severly injured, and was knocked out cold. Ricimer would seize the oppertunity this presented, using it to rally this soldiers for one final assault. At the same time, this demoralised the soldiers already tired after a month of guerilla warfare and fighting uphill. The army began to lose cohesion, eventually breaking and retreating.

The battle was most intense battle of the Civil War so far, 4,500 of Ricimers and 6,500 of Majorians forces were lost in the battle (2,000 had been lost in the month previous). This was a decisive defeat for Majorian, one of the most decisive he would ever experience. The injury he suffered saw so bad he would end up in a coma for the next few months.

Following the battle, all the soldier of Ricimer's force had to take a moment to process what had happened. The Visigoths and Suebi roared in victory, the Roman forces simply standing their, shocked over what had happened, and what they had just done.

Ricimer, on the other hand simply breathed a sigh of relief. He had had many setbacks, and he would have many setbacks to come. But at this moment it was as if, for one last time, fortune smiled upon the former Magister Militum. Now, with the emperor out of the equation for the time being, there was few who could stop Ricimer at that moment.

A/N: And that is all for now, I hope you enjoyed it. Majorian has been taken out of the picture for the time being, things are about to go from bad to worse. How will Rome respond? We shall see. Thank you all for reading this series so far, the feedback is always appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all, I'm back with another Chapter. Majorian has been struck down by a spear, and put in a coma as a result. What will happen to Rome? Only one way to find out.

Crashing Skies

It had been a freak accident, owed to small odds, odds that the Emperor had tried to avoid. He had placed himself behind his army, to avoid any chance of direct attack. But one of the Visigothic Warriors managed to slip past the cavalry charge after a few had been halted. He had managed to catch the emperor by surprise due to this, striking him in the head. The main charge had been completed, so some of the momentum had been taken away, likely what resulted in the emperor surviving. But there was still enough momentum to cause serious damage, and send him flying off his horse.

With the shocking defeat at Salazar Valley, the emperor was out of comission for the time being. With the one major stabilizing force gone, things were about to go from bad to worse for Rome.

Ricimer quickly capitalized on the oppertunity, proclaiming the emperor dead. Uncertainty began to spread in the empire, as people had yet to hear anything from the emperor since Salazar Valley. Aegidius, Marcellinus and Procopius were still unconvinced by this, believing that it was one big lie in order to throw off the Roman people.

This changed when they recieved a letter by Syagrius, detailing what was going on. How they had lost at Salazar Valley, and Majorian's condition. In it Syagrius stated that Majorian's condition was "mostly stable", but that Majorian had yet to respond since the battle. This worried the Magister Militum's, Majorian was still alive but it could easily be construde as him being dead, and there was no telling how long his stable condition would last. They had to do something, and quickly to.

Procopius moved to secure North Africa, knowing that the breadbasket of Rome would be a prime target for invasion. Meanwhile, Marcellinus and Aegidius appointed people to go and secure Theodosius's position in the event of Majorian's death. This was seen as proof of the worst however, as uncertainty turned to panic. This period in the Grand Civil War would become known as The Great Panic, as ten of thousands scrambled to secure their homes, whilst several more fled theirs. With one of the few forces holding the empire together in these troubling times gone, the days of the empires lands being ravaged by barbarian forces looked set to return.

These worries weren't entirely unfounded...

Seeing their chance to take back their lands, the Visigoths and Suebi both rampaged through Hispania intent on taking back their lands, now with now Magister Militum or even emperor to stop them. They gave many riches to Ricimer for his services, but called back their soldiers, thinking that Ricimers services were no longer nessesary.

But in the middle of this, there were the Roman forces that had fought with Ricimer. The screamed out against this, saying that this went against everything that was promised. They were promised that the empire would be protected from barbarians, that Rome would be freed from "sinister lords". Instead, the opposite was happening, right before their eyes. They called for Ricimer to do something to stop this, but their pleas fell on deaf ears, after all, it was out of his hands.

The soldiers felt betrayed and lied to, they felt helpless, but most of all, they felt stupid. Stupid that they trusted a barbarian, that they allowed themselves to be manipulate by Ricimer's tongue. They had disgraced Rome. Now, it was time to get their honour back. Many left Ricimer, forming the Hispanic Roman Resistance Force (HRRF), that would wage Guerrilla warfare against Rome's enemies.

Many (mostly those who had been forced in by Ricimer after the battle at the Iberus River) decided to stay. This confused many at first, why would they stay with the man who had forced them into service under him. But they had their reasons. Unlike their comrades, who were fighting openly, they were waiting, bidding their time until the right moment to strike. That moment was not now, as Ricimer was under to pritection of the Visigothic kingdom, which he had been granted in exchange for his services. No, they planned to wait until Ricimer was isolated and alone. Ready to either hand Ricimer over to their true ruler, or to make him feel cold Roman steel themselves.

Meanwhile as this anarchy was going on in Hispania, Gundioc decided to try to expand into Roman land. The war effort had been going decently for the Burgundians. Despite some recent setbacks in the war against their Alemannic enemies, especially which Iunian now a commander in the Alemannic army, the Burgundians were still in a position of control, with a few soldiers to spare.

With all of these negatives against Rome there was one major positive; new allies. In particular, the Alemanni and Ostrogoth began to help out Rome. The Alemanni one was obvious, they had already begun to establish a friendship. If the Alemanni could support Rome through things like provisions or weapons, then they might enable the recovery of Rome, and a pinser on a mutual enemy in the Burgundians. The Ostrogoths were far less expected, but Theodemir had his reasoning. Now that he had strength, he could negotiate a deal with Rome in exchange for supporting Rome in this stressful time. He asked for some of his land back, up to just short of Surmium, as well as a guarantee of Amalafrida's marriage to Honorius.

The Magister Militum's were pressed. They didn't want to accept this proposal, but support was desperately needed, especially as the East was still too busy reconquering Dacia to help. They reluctantly accepted, prefering to have support in stabilising in an unstable time rather than having to try and fight off multiple enemies at once on both fronts.

The month of June would mark the most chaotic in the span of the war, as a new order formed in the absence of Majorian. This turn of events would give the Civil War another title, one debated as to whether it is a more accurate title than that of the Civil War, The Mediterranean War.

A/N: And that is all for now, I hope you all enjoyed. Things are heating up for Rome as things become more chaotic for all involved. What will happen next? We shall see. Thank you all for reading this series so far, the feedback is much appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all! I'm back with another Chapter! I've been away for a bit, sorry about that. I haven't really had the motivation to keep writing this series for a bit. But I'm back now! I'll hopefully be returning to regular schedule. But that's enough talk, on with the Chapter!

Stabilize

In Early July, Majorian woke from his slumber. It had been a miracle that Majorian had survived his coma. Many who saw him waking thought of it as a miracle from God, a sign that the Emperors work was not done. However, Majorian had not come out of the coma the same as he went in. Majorian would never fully recover physically from this time.

Still, he was alive, and that was all that mattered for now. When Majorian woke up, he asked Syagrius to inform him of the situation since he had been out. Syagrius informed Majorian of the situation; Hispania had almost been completely taken over by the Visigoths and Suebi, Gaul was under attack by the Burgundians and Visigoths (mostly focused of Septimania), people were panicking as the possibility of the emperors death, knowing that Theodosius was still only a child. There were even rumour that the Suebi planned to conquer the yet unobtained lands of Mauretania, though it was just that, a rumour.

Majorian then began to draft up his plans, based on what he now knows. He would send the Legio IV Italica and Legio V Gallia to deal with the Burgundians. It would keep the burgundians preoccupied, as well as satiate the Legio IV's desire for battle. At the same time he would also focus on attacking the Visigoths and Suebi, with both Procopius's Legion and the HRRF attacking from the south whilst the main army Attacks from the North.

From his hideout at Nemausus, Majorian went around Gaul to speak to the people. He did this to let the people know that he was still very much alive in an effort to rally the people. Word of this spread throughout the empire. Gradually, the Great Panic began to end as people began to calm down. Majorian told the people to return to their homes and prepare to defend them. Majorian knew he neede the people to act in defense as well as the soldiers, whatever it took to slow the advance could only be beneficial in these times.

Majorian then went to Ravenna, linking up with Gaudentius, informing him of his plan. Gaudentius would lead the Legio IV into battle against the Burgundians. At this, the legio was overjoyed at finally getting a true battle. He also made sure to officialise Gauadentius's position as Magister Militum of Italy. Gaudentius technically became Magister Militum once Ricimer had went on the run and fired from his position, but now it was made official.

He then returned to Nemausus, writing to Procopius to inform him of his plans, doing the same with the HRRF, hiding it behing fake plans in the case of the latter.

July saw Majorian slowly stabilize situation as he began to recover from his coma. The war had come to a brief halt, but that was soon to end as August hit.

A/N: And that is all for now, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter. Sorry I've been away a bit, I've been a bit demotivated lately, so I took some time to recooperate and reassess. I'm back now though, and I should be returning to the normal schedule. Thank you all for reading this TL so far, the feedback is much appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all! I'm back with another chapter. This time, the focus shall be on the eastern empire and it's campaign beyond the Danube. Thanks to @Gustav StressedMann for the idea. I hope you all enjoy!

Eastern Campaigns

463 AD

It was late 463, it had not been long since Majorian's campaigns across the empire. Majorian had been building his legacy at the head of a resurgent west. Meanwhile, at this point, the Eastern Emperor Leo had yet to accomplish much of note. This would change, sparked by his puppet master, Aspar. Aspar had convinced Leo to show his own power by conquering land of his own, namely Dacia.

Dacia had once been land which had been Roman territory throughout most of the 2nd and 3rd centuries before being abandoned by emperor Aurelian, someone who his colleague had been compared to. He hoped to conquer all of the Dacian provinces and establish full control. He wanted to prove that he could do what his fellow emperor had accomplished, thereby disuading any talks of him being "the inferior emperor".

The Invasion of Dacia would begin in Late November, as Leo gathered a force of 50,000 for the conquest of Dacia, crossing the Danube on the 29th November to begin the invasion.

The first battle would come on December 5th, at the Battle of Turris, where the Eastern forces were able to surprise and overwhelm 10,000 Dacian soldiers, who were captured or killed. This was a great start, as Leo had won as crushing victory, only losing 100 men in the process. It seemed that the reclamation of Dacia would be quick and decisive.

464 AD

Unfortunately, it was not to be, for the Dacians quickly learned of what had happened, and quickly adapted to the new situation. With the crossing of the Danube the Fourth Dacian War had begun. Following the news, the dacians retreated to the fourtified mountains and fortifications.

A series of minor skirmishes occoured over the first 3 months, but no major battles. This was what the Dacians wanted, to draw out the battle as much as possible, slowly tiring out the Roman forces until they gave up. This was also when the Gepids became involved, already ruling much of Dacia's lands by this point.

The next battle came at Romula-Malva, on the 11th April. In contrast to Turris, the battle was extemely hard fought for both sides, as 20,000 Dacians and 10,000 Gepid fought the 50,000 Eastern Roman. The Dacian/Gepids were able to take the high ground over the Roman forces. The battle spanned over 3 days, with the Eastern forces being slow to gain ground. Eventually, the Romans were able to break through the Dacian lines and rout them, but not without setback. 15,000 Romans died along with 10,000 Dacians and Gepids. Though they had won this battle, it had come at great cost, forcing them to step back further.

After the battle, Leo called for 20,000 more soldiers to attack the Gepids and keep them occupied for the time being. During this time, the Romans began to adapt to the terrain, beginning to make real headway for the first time. By June, the Romans had forced their way to Rusidava. On the 2nd June, the First Battle of Rusidava took place. 14,000 Dacians battled 35,000 Romans just outside the city. The battle started similarly to the Battle of Romula-Malva, with the Romans making slow progress on the Dacians.

However, on the second day, it began to rain heavily upon the battlefield. This made the ground hard to move across, making it easier for the Dacians cut down the slowed Roman forces.

Eventually, The Roman Army was forced to retreat, giving the Dacians their first major victory in the war. 7,000 Romans died to 5,000 Dacians. Despite winning, the loss of men was more proportionally devastating than on Rome's side, Rome was wearing Dacia down.

Several Skirmishes happened in the Gepid kingdom, such as the Battle of Bupad and the Battle of Lussina, slowly gaining ground of the southern most lands under the Gepids.

One final major battle happened in October of 464, as the Dacians and Romans fought at the Second Battle of Rusidava. The Dacians had gotten reinforcements to support the defense. 21,000 Dacians and 28,000 Eastern Romans clashed. Again, the Dacians held strong, but the Romans kept up the pressure. After 5 days of battle, the two sides found themselves at a stalemate. Both sides had been decimated by the bloodiest battle of the war, with 9,000 Romans and 11,000 Dacians dead by the end.

A temporary truce was negotiated, one that would last until the start of the next year. This allowed the two sides to gather reinforcements. A similar resolution was worked out with the Gepids a few days later. The war was at a temporary halt for the rest of the year, but this would change the next year.

465 AD

On January 2nd, the Dacians pre-emptively struck out against the Roman forces, forcing the battle of Acidava. In contrast to both of the battle of Rusidava, Acidava was short and decisive in the Romans favor, as the Romans had prepared the city, setting an ambush for the Dacian forces. 8,000 of the Dacian forces died compared to 1,000 Romans. Leo had finally managed to get the ball rolling again, he looked set to finally start the conquest again.

This would not come to pass in the Fourth War however, as Acidava would be the last of the major battles in the Fourth Dacian War. In February of 465, the Sassanians launched an attack on the Eastern Empire, starting yet another chapter in the Roman-Sassanid Wars. The Sassanids saw this invasion of Dacia as and oppertunity to attack.

Leo was forced to quickly negotiate a peace with the Gepids and Dacians. The results for Rome were disappointing, as Leo was only able to gain territory up to Romula-Malva.

Leo would then spend the rest of 465 engaged in a stalemate with the Sassanids, as neither side was able to gain the advantage over the other. For every Roman victory, there was a Sassanid victory in turn

466 AD

A peace was negotiated between the Romans and Sassanids in February of 466 AD, initiating a decade long peace between the two empires. February-September would mark a period of peace for the Eastern Empire. With time to breath, Leo got to work on expanding the army as much as possible.

On the 24th September 466, the Dacians would launch an attack on the Roman border. The reason for this was due to the build up of soldiers at the border. This cause a panic that the emperor was planning on another invasion (not unfounded).

Using this as an excuse, Leo began the Fifth Dacian War. The first battle would come at the Battle of the Aluta River, where 70,000 Romans repulsed 45,000 Dacians and Gepids.

He then began to invade Dacia again, focusing all soldiers he had for the Dacian campaign on one point, he began to push through. Leo learned from the Fourth Dacian war, emlying more ranged weaponry snd siege weapons to batter the Dacians, better getting to the fortifications of the Dacians.

November 466 would see the Third Battle of Rusidava. 47,000 Dacians and Gepids fought 80,000 Romans. This time, the Romans were able to secure the high ground and use the superior number to crash into the Dacian forces. The battle was decisive in Eastern Romes favour, as 15,000 Gepids died, compared to 4,000 Romans.

The result was repeated at Arutela in December. These victories showed the conquest was beginning to decisively turn in Eastern Rome's favour. In crippled the Gepid and Dacian armies over the next several months, leaving it open for Roman invasion.

467 AD

The push continued, with battle like Cumidava and Aquae further showed Rome dominance against the Dacians and Gepids. Leo thed had the army clean up resistance throughout the conquered land in Dacia.

Then, in March, Leo then marched to Apulum to Siege it. Over the next month, the Siege of Apulum would batter the city of Apulum, slowly wearing the city down.

Then, on the 4th April, the armies of the Dacians and Gepids finally arrived to relieve Apulum. The Romans set up near the city, beginning the Battle of Apulum, the largest battle of Leo's Dacian Wars. The Dacians/Gepid army number an impressive 60,000. However, in trying to gather up as many soldiers as possible as quickly as possible, they had neglected training, so many were new and inexperienced. The Roman forces numbered 73,000.

The battle was fierce as both sides clashed with eachother. The battle raged on for hours, as the Romans slowly forced the Dacian foeces back. Finally, the inexperienced soldiers finally broke, fleeing from the battlefield. Pandemonium in the ranks of the Dacian forces followed, making the Dacians and Gepids easy pickings for the Romans. The Romans quickly forced the Dacians into full retreat.

The Romans had achieved a decisive victory, and crippled the Dacians and Gepids. 20,000 Dacians and Gepids died to 12,000 Romans. After this battle, Dacia and the Gepids would never again be able to put up such a fierce resistance to the Eastern empire. Apulum surrendered the following day. He would then spend April and May expanding the southern border north. The border would reach to the same level as Pans Aluti at its lowest. The conquest of Dacia was at hand. The summer months would see Leo consolidate the new territories he had, ready to push even further, to conquer not only all of Dacia, but the Gepids as well.

A/N: And that is all for now! I hope you all enjoyed. It's been a change of pace covering the Eastern Empire rather than the West. Sorry in advance if the towns and cities aren't totally accurate. I tried to find maps as accurate to this period as possible, but the best I could find were from when Dacia was a Roman province. Some of the smaller ones are also made up, as there weren't any cities I could find in the lower areas of the Gepid kingdom (that weren't a part of Rome at this time). Thank you all for reading this TL so far, the feedback is much appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all! I'm back with another Chapter! We return to the west, as the plans of both sides are set into action. The war has reached a critical point where winners and losers will be decided. This is the point of no going back. What will happen? Only one way to find out...

From Paper to the Sword

Throughout July and Early August, large scale battles had been absent in the War. Both sides had been creating their plans and gathering up the soldiers to fight.

On the 10th August however, that would change as the Suebi made the first move of the unclaimed territory of Mauretania. The Suebi ran roughshod over the former Roman provinces, winning minor battles at Altava and Cartenna (modern Ténès) to establish dominance in the region. This allowed the Suebi to gain more access to the food produced, as well as more soldiers. This sparked the war again within the two sides, now mainly the Visigoths and Suebi against the Empire.

The Suebi was able to gather more soldiers to fuel the war effort, having a relaxed policy on it's citizens of Mauretania, simply asking food and soldiers, trading what they could as payment. As a result, the land of Nauretania complied, sending some food and soldier the reinforce the Suebi.

This happened faster that could ne expected by Rome, so they were unable to react to the initial invasions. However, they were quick to respond, as Procopius and Majorian knew that the Suebi's invasion would compromise the Romans strategy. It needed to be dealt with as quickly as possible. Procopius led the Legio VII Africam alongside some of his reserve forces to attack the Suebi.

There he would do battle with a Suebic General Rualla at the Battle of Sitifis (modern Sétif) on the 19th August. 8,000 Suebi clashed against 7,000 Romans. The battle was fierce, lasting 8 days, as both sides were evenly matched, as the Suebi had the superior numbers, but the Roman forces were slightly more experienced overall. After 8 days of back and forth fighting, the Romans were able to break through the Suebi line by exploiting a gap between the left flank and the centre on the 8th day. Over the battle, 1,000 Romans and 1,500 Suebi died in the fighting. Rome had managed to push the Suebi back, securing any threat to North Africa. But they had yet to drive the Suebi out. To do that, they needed more support. Luckily for them, Majorian had sent the Legio II Triana to support them in this campaign.

---

Meanwhile, the Visigoths fortified the Gallic frontier against the Roman forces. Meanwhile, Majorian and Syagrius journeyed with the Legio I Augusta, Legio III Aureliana, their reserve forces, and their Ostrogothic Allies.

The Visigoths, led by Ricimer and a Visigothic general by the name of Anthelm. This would come at the Second Battle of the Septimanian Plains on the 21st August, as 20,000 Romans faced 15,000 Visigoths and allies. The battle lasted over 5 days under the swelting heat of the summer sun. Ricimer and Majorian took the left, while Syagrius and Anthelm took the right, Majorian commanding from the sidelines.

The fighting was intense as the Romans held under the Visigothic onslaught, pyshing back in turn. Eventually both sides found themselves at a statemate. After fighting for another day, both sides broke off the regroup and reorganise. Like the First Battle, the Second had ended on a stalemate. 3,000 Visigoths and 2,700 Romans/Ostrogoths had died. Neither side in the Hispanic Campaign had yet to go decisively in either direction. It would take alot to shake the balance.

---

As this was going, the Campaign against the Burgundians began. On the 26th August, the Alemanni would battle with the Burgundians as the Romans began their invasions.

This battle, known as the Battle of Rhenus Road, would be the most decisive battle of the Burgundian Campaign. The Alemanni were led by Barodur, with Iunian serving as one of the top commanders. The Alemanni were able to secure the road, using it to keep themselves supplied ,whilst slowly starving out the Burgundians. 12,000 Burgundians fought 17,000 Alemanni

The Burgundians then began to devise a plan around capturing the roads, which would allow them to turn the tables. But the Alemanni had planned for it, the cart bringing the supplies were actually manned by a small group of the Alemannic soldiers. They had paid the merchants selling the items to give them the supplies, then attached them to horse to pull them more effectively. They made sure to hide this from the Burgundian forces.

On the 1st September, the Burgundians put the plans into actions, launching the cavalry, led by a young general named Gurandic attacked the men carrying the cargo. They were able to chase the carriages away, but then Gurandic decided to chase after the carriages. Many still question this move, it may have been to secure the carts, to make sure the road was blocked off, or simply pride and glory, the decision was made regardless.

What Gurandic didn't know however, was that this wasn't a retreat, it was a trap. It had initially been meant to return to the reinforcements, with would then charge against the returning Burgundian cavalry, before reinforcing the Alemannic army.

The cavalry giving chase changed plans. When the reinforcement saw them coming they rushed to hide as best as they could. It was great, and the Burgundian cavalry did spot them. But by the time they had realised, it was already too late. Led by Iunian, the reinforcement army, roughly 5,000 of the 17,000 strong army ambushed the 2,000 strong cavalry, hacking them to pieces, inclu. Taking the remaining horses, they charged to the battlefield.

This would prove to be the deciding point in the battle, as the reinforcement crashed into the Burgundians, hacking much of the left flank to bits. The sudden charge, combined with the starvation, caused the Burgundians to rout, as the Alemanni continued to pick off as many as possible.

2,500 Alemmani and 4,300 Burgundians died ovwr the course the battle. This battle would be the deciding point in the Burgundian campaign, crippling the Burgundian army, leaving them less able to deal with the 2-front assault. By October, the Burgundians had surrendered to the Romans.

Much happened over the August and Early September, as the tides began to turn, but they had yet to turn decisively in either armies favour. It would take at least a few more decisive battle before the winner would be clear.

A/N: And that is all for now, I hope you all enjoyed. Thank you all for reading this TL, the feedback is much appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all! I am back with another Chapter! The Civil War has hit a critical stage, as the tides begin to sway. Who will come out on top? Only one way to find out.

Pushing Back

On the 3rd October 467, the Burgundians surrendered to the Roman forces, putting an end to the Gallic threat. The war with the Alemmanni would technically continue for another 5 years, however after the campaign the Alemanni would prove to be the superior force; a battles they didn't win against the Burgundians following this point would be stalemates.

As for the Visigoths and Suebi, they would continue to fight against Rome, controlling most of Hispania. Majorian's attention was now fully upon regaining Hispania. The Legions that had fought the Burgundians were called to fight with Majorian. Syagrius was recalled to Gaul, replaced by Aegidius himself. The also gahter more reinforcememts from the Ostrogoths. The Visigoths also gathered more reinforcements to help the war effort.

On the 11th October, Romans and Visigoths would clash as the Septimanian Plains for the Third and final time. 27,000 Romans met 19,000 Visigoths in battle. One again, the battle was hard fought, lasting 3 days. However, without major weather to hinder the Romans, the Roman advance proved far more successful.

On the 2nd night of the battle, the Roman camp would recieve mail from the Visigothic camp. Inside were the details of the Visigoths plan for the 3rd day of battle. They were shocked, why had the enemy sent over their battle plans. Was it a trick, to lure them into doing what the Visigoths wanted. Their questions were answered by what was signed on the bottom.

"Bonifacius, Nepotianus's Revenge"

This Bonifacius had been a former Dux and a general in the Legio VI Hispania, before Nepotianus's death. They had been waiting for revenge. Now that one of the soldiers had gotten access to the battle plans, the first phase of their revenge began.

Majorian decided to take a chance and trust in this. He began to plan around this strategy, the Visigoths planned to focus on the weaker right side, Majorian swapped commander positions, before swapping the Legio V Gallia for the Legio III Aureliana. He hoped to stall this right, whilst the left broke through.

The plan was set into motion without the Visigoths knowledge. The two sides clashed, the Visigoths on the right slowly pushed back the Romans of the right, but they held strong, whilst the Romans gained the advantage on the left. Ultimately, it was the left Visigoths that broke first, being routed by the Roman forces. The Romans then encircled the rest of the Visigoths, encircling and slaughtering much of the Visigothic army, with the rest having to squeeze their way through the Roman line.

It was a decisive victory for Rome, 9,500 Visigoths died in the fight, compared to 2,400 Romans.

Rome had finally broken the Visigothic frontier, but Majorian wasn't done. After the battle, he ordered the army to march on the Visgothic capital of Tolosa (modern Toulouse). He was going to make sure that Rome won the war. He was out to prove a point to all barbarians.

On the 15th October he entered into Toledo and Sacked the city. He didn't agree with the practice, but knew it was nessesary if he wanted to end the war soon. It had taken the Visigoths by surprise. By the time, Euric knew of Majorian's incoming arrival, it was too late for him to escape.

The soldiers stormed the city, sacking and burning the city.People fled the city as much as they could. The city was systematically destroyed over 3 days. Euric tried to sneak away, but was captured by the soldiers. The Visigothic King was now a hostage to Rome. The Sack of Tolosa was effective, not only did achieve it's purpose of destabilising the Visigothic war effort, it also served as retribution for the Sack of Rome in 410 AD.

The Visigoths had been massively destabilised by this defeat, paving the way for the full reconquest of Hispania.

Meanwhile, Procopius recieved the reinforcements from Majorian, putting them to use against the Suebi. Over October, he launched the renewed campaign to take Mauretania from the Suebi.

The first major battle would come at Mina (modern Relizane) on the 6th November, as 9,000 Suebi fought 12,000 Romans. The Romans were able to draw the Suebi in, and once fully commited, used the Min river to trap the Suebic forces, using their superior numbers to collapse the Suebic forces and cause them to flee. 2,000 Suebi and 600 Romans died.

The Romans fought the Suebi on the 14th November at Gilva, Suebic reinforcement meant that it was 8,000 Suebi against 11,400 Romans. The Roman left flank was ambushed by the Suebi reinforcements, but the Roman forces held on. Eventually, the Romans broke through the centre, splitting the Suebic army and routing them. 2,500 Suebi and 2,000 Romans died.

After this the Romans were able to take Mauretania Ceasariensis. Procopius would spend the rest the year consolidating the reclaimed territory. But that still left Mauretania Tingitana. Procopius befan to draft up hisnplans on how to deal with the remain vestage of barbarian power in North Africa.

Everything was finally coming together for Rome, as they entered into December of 467.

A/N: And that is all for now! I hope you enjoyed. We are nearing the end of the "Civil War" as Majorian and his allies gain ground. How will the war end? Will Ricimer face justice for what he has done? Only one way to find out. Thank you all for reading this TL, the feedback is much appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all, I'm back with another Chapter! We are nearing the end of the Civil War. Majorian is edging further into into Hispania, to take back control. How will he go about doing so? Only one way to find out.

Pushing Further

468 AD

After almost 1 year of brutal fighting, The Grand Civil War was beginning to draw to a close, the greatest Civil war since at least the days of Constantine the Great, the war had taken much out of all involved. But after so much death, events were finally beginning to turn decisively in the Emperors favour.

Procopius would deal with the last vestige of Suebic power in North Africa at the Battle of Babba in Mauretania Tingitana, on the 23rd January. The night before the battle, Procopius was seen praying outside, something that was strange for his to do. He was not overly religious and is now thought to be Agnostic.

When questioned about this, he turned to his soldiers and said "Well, a little divine help never hurt anyone".

Modern historian suggest that Procopius had fears of botching the conquest, especially as it would be a key part in the Roman plan. Not only that, but he also needed to do it in time to support the HRRF. Majotian forcing his way south provided some relief, diverting some attention away, but they were still at the edge. This battle needed to be decisive.

The battle was heated, as roughly 9,400 Romans fought 7,000 Suebi. The two sides clashed over 14 hours, neither side relenting. But the Romans had a trick up their sleeve. They had managed to procure 4 war elephants for the reconquest, but had kept them feom combat has they weren't fully trained . Now was the time where they were finally used. They Romans slowly lured the Suebi into the kill zone. When ready, the war elephants were deployed. By the time the Suebi what was going on, it was to late to do much to defend. Many tried to run but were blocked by the Roman forces, the elephants crashed into the Suebic line, devastating the forces. The Romans, being trained in how to deal with the elephants, created gaps just large enough for the elephants to fit through.

They then launched their counter attack on the Suebi, surrounding the Suebic forces, demolishing the Suebi, killing or capturing most, with only a few thousand left to escape.

The battle was a crushing victory for the Romans, as only 1,000 Romans died to 6,000 killed or captured. With this victory, they were able to secure all of Mauretania. All of North Africa now belonged to Rome once again. Now, Procopius finally had access to the full Iberian Peninsula, ready to assist the HRRF, and finally end the War.

Meanwhile, Majorian began the trek through the Pyreenes once again. This time he expanded the size of the advance parties, in order to make sure they could relay info back. He also made plans for defending the army from uphill enemies. As a result, he made much more progress through the mountain range.

This would culminate in battle far sooner than the first journey, as a week after the trek began, the armies would come face to face again at the Battle of Ossau Valley, on the 5th February. 15,000 Visigoths met 24,500 The armies were led by Majorian and Aegidius for Rome, against Ricimer and a general named Silveric.

This time, Majorian and Aegidius were able to take the high ground against Ricimer and Silveric. The Roman forces were able to slowly chip away at the Visigoths from their elevated position. Over the struggle, the Visigoths tried to find routes around, but the Romans successfully repelled them. The battle continued like this for 15 hours straight.

Finally, Majorian gave the order for the first and second line to charge down at the Visigoths. This time, the Romans angled outwards, to either side of the visigothic force, rather than straight on. The first and second crashed into the edges of the Visigothic army, before flanking either side.

Once the flanks were occupied, the rest of the Roman army charged into the front, almost completely encircling the Visigoths. The Visigoths broke and ran out the back. Those unable to were captured or killed. In total 7,000 Visigoths were captured or killed to 1,500 Romans.

The battle was another stunning victory for Rome. By the 15th February the Roman forces had made it through the Pyreene to get into Hispania. At this point, all hope for the Visigoths and Suebi to emerge victorious was gone. All they could do was mount one last offensive. It didn't matter whether the soldiers were untrained farmers at this point, any and everybody was nessesary.

A/N: And that is all for now! Next up should be the Finale to the Civil War and a climax to Majorian's Part. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter and will enjoy the arc finale. All the feedback is appeciated. See you next chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all! This is it, the finale to the Civil War! It's been a long road to get here, but it is finally time for the final showdown between Ricimer and Majorian. What will happen? Only one way to find out...

Finishing the Fight

The end of the war was in sight, all Majorian had to do was seize the right moment.

On the 20th February, Procopius would land near the city of Malaca. He would then meet with the HRRF, who had held out for 8 months by that point. Their numbers had been decreased to 2,000. Not much but it would be enough for the campaign. 6 days later, Majorian would recieve the news, the final assault had begun.

Both sides waged an intense propaganda campaign, with Majorian painting himself and a liberator, and Ricimer painting himself as a defender. The propaganda split much of Hispania; the majority in support of Majorian, but a strong minority supporting the Visigoths.

Ricimer had essentially become the unofficial leader of the Visigoths following Euric's capture, as whilst Euric's son, Alaric II was the king, he was very young, at most 10 at the time, allowing Ricimer to dominate him in political affairs.

With the stage set, the two side would clash frenetically, in some of the most brutal battles of the 5th Century, ones that would help to shape Europe for centuries.

The first of these battles would come at Hispalis (modern Seville) on the 22nd, when 10,400 Romans faced 8,000 Suebi. Here, Procopius would have his first in a series of engagements with Suebic King Remismund. This first battle was light on casualties, as most of the battle was taken up by both sides trying to find a weakness in the others defenses as well as changing strategies to cover those weaknesses, resulting in alot of hit and run.

It was Procopius who was able to take advantage of a weakness first. He charged his army, putting the best fighters on the left wing, using this to isolate Remismunds wing and cut in to the flanks. This resulted in a quick routing by the Suebic army, as many were still fresh recruits.

The battle had been an early success in the campaign. 500 Romans and 900 Suebi died in the battle, light compared to both what had come before and what would come after.

As this was going on, Majorian would push in from the North, meeting Ricimer at the Battle of Barcino (modern Barcelona) on the 27th February. 23,000 Romans met 15,000 Visigoths at the battle.

Both sides would clash relentlessly, with the Visigothic cavalry breaking through and crashing into the flanks. The Roman army almost collapsed, however Aegidius was able to hold the army together long enough Majorian to rally the cavalry back into the fray. The Roman cavalry counterattacked the Visigoths, driving them back. Eventually, the Romans were able to shift the tide of battle.

Rome had yet another victory in it's assault on Hispania, but it had been far more costly than at Hispalis, as 6,000 Romans were lost, compared to 4,500 Visigoths. This served as a remainder that, while Rome most certainly had the advantage, the war was not done yet.

Down south, Procopius would continue his push North, chasing the Suebi to Pax Iulia, where Procopius and Remismund did battle once again, on the 29th February. 9,900 Romans faced 7,100 Suebi at the battle.

This time, fighting was more active, as both armies crashed into each other. The Suebi tryed to flank the Roman line, but the Roman force was able to pivot, cutting the attempt off. The Roman then began to drive the Suebi forces back. Using their size to deepen the line, they tired out the Suebi, bit by bit. Because of this the Suebi broke first, fleeing the field to regroup at a different point.

The following day, another battle would happen, this time between Ricimer and Majorian, at Valentia (modern Valencia). During this time, something would begin to show it's head, something ugly, but also to Majorian's advantage; infighting.

Many of the nobility and soldiers saw Ricimer as the reason for their troubles. After all, it was Ricimer's plea that started this whole mess to begin with. They also cursed their leaders for agreeing to Ricimers request to begin with.

When the Romans in Ricimers forces discovered this, they encouraged it, fanning the flames of dissent. The Roman forces of the former Legio VI had been split up and mixed around to keep them from possing a direct threat to Ricimers forces, but that didn't mean that they couldn't get to Ricimer army in different ways.

The Battle of Valentia saw 18,000 Visigoths (many fresh recruits) against 17,000 Romans. The battle was fierce, as Ricimer tried to use the superior army size to try and smother the Roman army. The Romans were able to hold off the Visigothic line, locked in a stalemate. As the day dragged on, the lack of experience in much of the army finally began to show through, as the recruits began to break, bit by bit. It was at this point that arguements began to break out betwen Visigothic leaders.

The Romans were eventually able to break through the Visigothic line, breaking throught the centre and splitting the Visigoths. The Visigoths broke and ran, tired and bitter.

The Romans had another victory, but it had been hard fought. They had managed to incur only 2,000 losses, compared to 3,500 Visigoths. But almost every Roman Soldier had recieved a major injury in this fight alone.

The army was battered by the constant battles. The victories had helped to keep the the morale high, but it was still beginning to get to the soldiers. Fortunately, news was recieved that the East was finally getting involved. They had getting ready to send10,000 soldiers to help in the effort. The Eastern empire had just finished putting down the last of the rebellions. The Western Romans were reinvigorated by this news.

Ricimer, on the other hand, was going from one trouble to another. He had many of the nobility and army plot to depose and dispose of him. He had even heard rumours of a group of aristocrats wanting to take his head to Majorian as a peace offering. To compound his problems, his strategy of recruitment was finally beginning to catch up to him, as people began to refuse more and more, leading to more excessive shows of force in order to get what he wants. His propaganda campaign was failing, the image as a defender was crumbling. Then he recieved the news of the East coming to reinforce the West. He knew he had to do something, and fast.

He then decided to launch a siege on Segobriga, a city that supported Majorian. He hoped to use this to bothe exert his (dwindling) power, as well as to lure Majorian and the Roman army into a trap. On the 2nd of March, he set off to Segobriga.

Meanwhile, Procopius had resupplied and reinforced his army, bringing in several of the Vandal foederati (roughly 1,500 soldiers). The Roman and Suebic forces clashed at Emerita Augusta on the 7th March. 9,000 Suebi, many gathered in the time between major engagements, and 10,500 Romans fought, in what would be one of the final battles of the Civil War. The battle lasted over 2 weeks, as the two sides tried to gain the advantage, launching a series of hit and run attacks, as well as raids, on each other. Eventually, the Romans would get the upper hand after launching a successful night attack on the Visigothic forces.

The battle resulted in 1,500 Suebic casualties and 1,000 Roman casualties. This would bring the Suebi to Toletum, setting the stage for the final showdown.

As this was going on the Visigothic forces laid siege to Segobriga. On the 9th March, Majorian would recieve news of the siege. He was now left with two choices; wait for reinforcement, or go directly to the battle. Going would risk an ambush by the Visigoths, but not going may risk losing an allied city, damaging his credibility. He decided to wait for the reinforcement, hoping that he had damaged the Visigoths enough to keep them from getting in.

A week later, the Eastern reinforcements finally arrived. Majorian then set off to break the siege. They arrived at Segobriga on the 20th March, finally relieving the city of the siege. Ricimer had managed to use this time to gather and train more soldiers, making up 20,000 Soldiers. These went up against 25,000 Romans.

Both sides crashed into each other, with the Visigoths retreating into the trees in order to try and break up the army. This gave Majorian and idea. Keeping the Visigoths in the forest, he then set it on fire, smoking out the Visigoths out, allowing them to cut down the Visigoths with ease. Over the battle, 3,000 Romans and 8,000 Visigoths died. Following the battle, the army spent the next hour putting out the fire. It was not ideal to burn down a portion of a forest, but it had to be done.

The remaining Visigoths feld to Toletum to regroup. The stage had been set for the final battle.

In the days before the battle, order at the top broke down as fights began to break out between Visigoths, many calling for Ricimers head, forcing Ricimer to resort to decimation in order to keep the soldiers in order.

Ricimer was becoming more and more paranoid, fearing everyone would turn on him, he dismissed all of the Romans in the army, fearing their betrayal. This was fine to them. They simply went to Majorian, to ask to fight beside him. They didn't care if they were arrested once it was over, they didn't want Ricimer around any longer, they were planning to betray him during the battle.

The day finally came, the 25th March, where the Battle of Toletum, the final battle of The Grand Roman Civil War would happen. Here, 12,000 Visigoths and 7,500 would fight 31,500 Romans.

Surprisingly, it was the Suebi and Visigoths that took the initiative in the fight. This was for one simply fact, they were desperate. Ricimer, the Visigoths, the Suebi, all driven to desperation in the face of Roman might. They used their desperation to fuel them, to fight back in one last stand against the abyss of destruction.

Through this, the Barbarians were able to take the early advantage in the fight, driving the surprised Romans back. The Roman armies reformed, beginning to push back. There was no complex strategy at this point, just shoving and slashing. Both sides incurred heavy casualties as the Romans drove the Visigoths and Suebi together. They then began to encircle and close in.

At this point, there was no form in the barbarians, just a desperate stuggle, hacking away at what was infront of him. The Romans wittled down the Barbarians, bit by bit. Finally, the Suebi and Visigoths gave in, surrendering to the Roman forces.

Just like that Rome had won the Grand Civil War. They had secure Hispania and put an end to the Visigothic and Suebic threats, at least for the time being. Now, all that was left was to clean up the mess.

A/N: And that is all for now. This is one of the longest I have ever done, but it has been a thrill writing both this chapter, and this arc. Majorian and Rome have now won the war, what's left now is to begin recovery from this turbulent time. Thank you all for reading, the feedback is much appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all! I'm back with another Chapter! The Civil War is now over, Majorian and the Romans have emerged victorious. Now, it's time to pick up the pieces. What will happen next? Let's find out, shall we?

Aftermath

After over a year of relentless fighting and bloodshed, The Grand Roman Civil War/ Mediterranian War had come to an end. It was now time to begin recovery.

With the surrender of the Visigoths and Suebi, events went from the field to the table. On the 10th April 468, the Treaty of Segobriga was signed. All parties involved in the Civil war gathered to sign the treaty, even the Eastern Romans, as they still played a part, however small.

Majorian was the one in control, issuing the conditions. He decided to let the Visigoths and Suebi keep the lands they had pre-war, perhaps as one final attempt at co-existance. However, they was the only mercy granted to them. They were treated much like how the Carthaginians were after the Second Punic War. The losers were allowed no more than 5,000 troops, and weren't allowed to recruit more troops until the army size got down to 1,000. The kings and troops weren't allowed to leave the kingdom or set up at the border without Rome's express permission. They also weren't allowed to declare war on anyone without Romes permission. Heavy reparations were also demanded by the winners, especially Rome. Alaric kept his throne but kept in close surveillance, being young and impressionable. Remismund was forced out of his position and replaced by a young Suebic noble by the name of Rechila, you was still inexperienced when it came to the courts, but had a rather sharp intuition that could serve well if harnessed properly.

The negotiations were especially bad for the Burgundians, as they were made to give up all the land they had gained from both the Romans and Alemanni. They were reduced to a small strip of land. This was the end of the Burgundians as a threat. They would continue existing for a few decades longer, but they would never recover from this.

As for those that won, the agreements were settled, in particular, those between the Romans and Ostrogoths. Majorian didn't nessesarily like having to agree to these, especially as it undid some of his work, especially as he wasn't imvolved in these initial negotioation. However, he did need to make sure that the Ostrogoths remained on their side, lest more unnessesary war result. He agree to seceeding territory north of Sirmium, as well as marrying Honorius to Amalafrida, waiting until they were 18 to do so.

With these arrangement figured out, Majorian then began to rebuild the army. He decided to the Romans that had fought on Ricimer's side (the survivors of the former Legio IV Hispania), knowing that were forced into service for Ricimer. Using both them and the remainder of the HRRF in order to create the new Legio VI Hispania.

Finishing that, he then began to work on defense. The first thing he did was revive the Limitanei Ripensis to serve at the borders of Rome, Mainly at Gaul/Illyrica and Hispania. Though they had never fully fallen out of favour from the time of Diocletian, they had become less common as the Roman Army dwindled. Now however, Rome could afford to add in this first line.

He then began to construct fortification along Romes borders, especially in Eastern Gaul and Hispania in order to slow down further any further invasions. With that finished, he knew that he would need a new Magister Militum for Hispania. For this, he selected Count Burco to be Magister Militum of the West, the man that had defeated the Alemanni under Majorian back in 457. He decided to give Burck the position as thanks for his hard work under Majorian.

But there was still one last loose end to tie up; Ricimer. Though Ricimer had lost the war, he had managed to evade capture. In one last desperate attempt to save himself, he made plans to sail to Britain. However, this would be in vain as the new Legio IV quickly caught up to him in the attempt on the 12th April. He was just about to set sail in fact, when the soldiers grabbed him. They all took turns beating down the former Magister Militum and Visigothic leader. They stopped themselves from killing the traitor though, knowing that that privilege was reserved for the emperor.

He was brought before Majorian, having finally brought the traitor to heel. Ricimer's fate was in the hands of the emperor. After a few tense moments, Majorian sentenced Ricimer to death.

However, he had not decided on an execution method yet. He wanted to make Ricimer suffer for betraying his trust, but he also didnt want the gore of the more extreme methods, something the emperor did not want to see from one of his former friends. He thought over this for several days, until Aegidius turning up to Rome for a visit, an invitation from Majorian. During their meeting, Aegidius would give him an idea for how to dispose of Ricimer. Having heard of it from some Frankish officials in his court, he suggested the Breaking Wheel to Majorian. Majorian was intrigued by the idea, deciding to see it for himself by testing it of a former ally turned traitor.

On the 7th May 468, exactly 2 years after the execution of Ferox Hispaniensis, Ricimer was to be executed.

A few days before hand, Majorian would have a talk with Ricimer about why he decided to betray him. The conversation was recorded by Sidonius Apollinaris in his chronicles. It went like this:

"
M: Hello old friend, I've brought wine with me. Perhaps you would like a glass as well?

(Ricimer says nothing, simply stares at Majorian)

M: Ah, I see you are not in the mood for pleasantries. That's fine by me. Then let's get to the point, shall we?

(Ricimer says nothing)

M: Why?

R: You're going to have to be more specific.

M: You know what I mean.

R: Not nessesarily. You could be asking why I asked the Visigoths and Suebi for help, why I helped you rebel against Avitus, maybe even why I stole your Garum. Any number of things could apply to that one question.

M: Fine, I'll rephrase. Why did you betray me?

R: Ahh, there it is.

M: Answer the question.

R: I have my reasons. For one, it was the only way to secure my power. You were becoming more distant, colder to me. I was losing my power, my control over the situation. If I didn't act, all my hard work in rising to the top would have been for naught.

M: So that's all this is, power. I guess our friendship meant nothing. I was just a pawn in your game.

R: Not entirely. At one point in time, a small part did truely care about you. Back then, I could truely call you "friend". But I had to forsake that side of myself in this world. Which brings me to another reason as to why I betrayed you; self-preservation.

M: Self-preservation? So having to forsake a cushy life in Ravenna is self-preservation?

R: From you perspective, it may seem rediculous, but here me out before you start judging me. This empire is hanging on by a thread, nearing collapse. In this world, it's every man for himself. You've seen it before, you should know that better than most.

M: The empire is recovering. It's slow, but it's recovering.

R: Only because your holding it together.

M: And you thought it would be best to kill the man holding it together because?

R: Because it's merely a matter of time before everything falls apart. You'll die eventually, regardless of my intervention. Have you ever properly interacted with you son?

M: Don't you dare bring any of my children into this conversation!

R: I have. And I've been with him for 5 years of his life. Do you know what I see when I look at Theodosius? A weak-willed fool, ready to take orders like a perfect little puppet. The empire would collapse under it's own weight, it's simply a matter of time. At least getting rid of you would would secure my safety of the sinking ship. As I said before, it's every man for himself.

(Majorian stares down Ricimer, for a few minutes, before finally breaking the silence.)

M: Why are you so calm now? You when desperate to get away.

R: That was when I still had a chance at freedom. Chances can drive men to do desperate things. Besides, I look forward to seeing you again, in heaven, or in hell.

M: I highly doubt that.

R: Oh Majorian, surely you should know by now, you and I come as a pair.

M: Goodbye, Ricimer

R: Goodbye... old friend.
"

That would be their last interaction. Modern historians have had their doubts as to whether this is the exact conversation they had. What is does do is give a look into Ricimers mind set in the days leading up to his execution.

The day came, May 7th. Ricimer was tied to the breaking wheel. He had no words, simply silence. The execution started at the bottom, breaking both of the legs. Ricimer screamed in agony at, this as he felt his legs shatter. The breaking then went to both of his arms. This time, Ricimer tried to hold in his screams, but the pain was too great. After an hour of agony, it finally worked up to the neck, breaking his neck and killing him. He was then displayed as a message of what happens to traitors.

Rome was beginning to recover from the war, and Majorian could finally rest easy for the time being. However, whilst things were calm now, Rome still had yet to experience its darkest hour. It would take decades, but the seeds had already been planted a long time ago.

A/N: And that is all for now. Rome is on it's way to recovery. Next chapter will focus on the imperial family and what is happening there. Thank you all for reading, the feedback is much appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all, I am back with another Chapter! Majorian has dealt with the immediate threats to Rome in the aftermath of the Civil War. Now, he can finally return home.

Back Home

In June of 468, he returned to Ravenna, to the imperial palace. It had been more than a year since he had seen his family, but peace had finally been restored to the realm.

By they time he had returned, Theodosius was 7, Honorius was 5, and Julia Eudoxia was 2. Even though they were so young by the time of his return, they had already experienced a lot in their short life. The chaos of both the Ferox Rebellion and the Grand Roman Civil War had shaken up the lives of the two boys in particular. These experiences served to show them the horrors of the real world.

Those experiences would shape him for the rest of their lives. It exposed a difference in their personalities that would become more vital in their adult years. Theodosius was very weak-willed, cracking under the pressure, certainly understandable for the time, however it would reveal a disturbing trend as time went on. Honorius was a different story. He was stubborn pushing back, whilst the pressure broke Theodosius, it only hardened Honorius.

Both Majorian and Eudocia noticed this. This, combined with Ricimer's words worried Majorian. He knew that he needed to train Theodosius to be a proper emperor. From here, Majorian started to settle more, becoming more of a family man to his children.

It wasn't just the birth children that were trained however. Amalafrida, Honorius's bride-to-be was given the best education that Rome could provided. She was educated in all matter of fields from etiquette to politics, in order to become a good leader and ideal partner to Honorius.

As for the rest of the imperial family, big news would follow, as Gaudentius and Placidia would announce their intentions of getting married. It had been almost 2 years since the death of Olybrius, therefore Majorian and Eudocia allowed this arrangement to go through.

On the 3rd October 468, Placidia and Gaudentius would marry. It was a smaller, more intimate spectacle than that of Majorian and Eudocia 7 years earlier. Important nobles and the Magister Milituns were their for the event, as well as the families of Placidia and Gaudentius.

The following month, Gaudentius and Placidia would announce Placidia's second pregnancy, the first(?) child of Gaudentius. Though still to arrive, the next generation, the generation that would forever change Europe, had already arrived. And one of those individuals wasn't far from beginning his rise...

At the city of Aleria, December 24th, a young boy, now 14, returns to his home after 2 years away. Joining him is his mentor and parental figure, the former Vandalic leader Gunthur, who had gone into hiding after 2 years. They had returned for Saturnalia, arriving the day before the festival began. It would be here that the boy who would come to be known as "The Blackheart of God" would make a solemn vow, to avenge his family, his people, and to destroy Rome, until not even ashes remained.

A/N: And that is all for now! Things are beginning to change within the empire, as the time of Majorian slowly draws to a close. There is still much more time before he leaves this mortal realm, but prime is nearing its end. What will happen next? We shall see...
Thank you all for reading this TL so far, the feedback is much appreciated. See you next chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all! I am back with another Chapter! We are at episode 50 (minus the Prologue). It has been a long road to get here, it has been great, here's to 50 more! Now then, enjoy Chapter 50 of Roma Renovata est!

New Beginnings

469 AD

The year of 469 came and with it came several changes, with them one era of Europe would end, and another begin.

For one, Gaudentius and Placida had their first child, a boy. As it was a boy, it was left to Gaudentius to decide on the name. Gaudentius decided to name the child Flavius Aetius, in honour of his father, the late Magister Militum. This child would be one of the individuals would define the next generation of Rome. But for now, the birth was a cause for celebration, as a new member of the imperial family came into the world.

However, whilst one event would mark birth, another would see the death of an important figure, as on the 23rd March, Aegidius would pass away after falling off his horse on a hunting trip with Syagrius. Luckily, there wasn't much unrest, as Syagrius was there to take the position as Magister Militum. On the 16th April, Syagrius was officially sworn in as Magister Militum per Gallias.

As for internal affairs, here would be were Theodosius would begin his proper training as emperor. Theodosius had a sharp mind, abke to write beyond his level, with a good understanding of law. However, he was exeptionally shy and weak-willed, even for his age, barely even speaking unless nessesary. Honorius served to help him in this regard. Honorius was very much the opposite to his elder brother when it came to temperament. Bold and confident, often to the point to stubbornness and petulance, he served to prop up Theodosius's confident, giving him a boost.

But as this was going on, many began to realise his potential as a puppet, something that senators like Anicetus Allobrogicus and Ennius Cento. Senators had observed people like Ferox and Ricimer try to stand against the emperor and falling in the attempt. If they were to be successful in their lives, to gain power, they have to worm their way into the emperors good graces. These two in particular singled out Theodosius, wishing to take advantage of his status as the heir.

They wormed their way into Majorian's court, allowing them access to Theodosius. From their they began to eat away at this confidence with poisoned words, acting as a puppetmaster to the heir.

To help further this connection Anicetus proposed a marriage between Theodosius and his niece, Pompeia Sibylla. Though he had no children of his own, the marriage would give Anicetus a tie to the dynasty, allowing him further control over Theodosius. It would also benefit Majorian, as Pompeia was the daughter of Lebbaeus Allobrogicus. Lebbaeus was a popular senator, especially following the Ferox Rebellion, even being elected Consul in 466. If Majorian cemented this marriage, he would finally get the full backing of the senate.

As for Honorius, he was mostly ignored by the senators due to his status as the spare, as well as his abrasive personality. This left Honorius to be a more independent and driven than his elder brother.

In December, new recruits from Corsica and Sardinia came in to the Roman army, to add to the Legio VI, Legio V and the Foederati. Among them was a Visigothic-Vandal, now 15 years old. Lying about his age, he was able to work his way into the Roman Army. This would begin the rise of Rome's greatest enemy, one who worked his way through the empire from the inside.

A/N: And that is all for now, I hope you have enjoyed this TL so far. This is the last Chapter of the year, I'll start again when the new year comes up. Thank you all for reading, the feedback is always appreciated! See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all, and Happy New Year! This is the first Chapter of 2021! We are now getting onto the 470's, the last decade of Rome IOTL. We shall see how Majorian deals with this decade. I hope you all enjoy!

Arrangements

470 AD

Majorian had now ruled for 13 years as Emperor, beating back all that dared to threaten Rome. But his best days were slowly coming to an end. He was now pushing 50, not rediculously old, but he was now beginning to show signs of breakdown from the decades of fighting.

What accelerated this was his head injury, recieved at the battle of Salazar Valley, back in 467. Though he had survived the injury, he had not been left unscathed. The trauma of the injury had resulted in Majorian having seizures. They had started as short, sporadic moments. This year would be when the seizures started to become more frequent and prominent, beginning to become a problem for the emperor.

Majorian still had time on the clock, but he wasn't getting any younger, and these seizures showed that he needed to make sure Rome was secure sooner than later.

For one, he needed to make sure that succession was secure. He had gotten the immediete line of succession, but he did not feel secure yet. He needed to make sure that there were enough successors to last for at least 2 generations. There would be some guarantee with Honorius and Amalafrida's marriage, but their children being half barbarian would cause some issues if they were to be guaranteed as emperors.

He needed to make sure that there were successors to Theodosius, in the form of fully Roman children. One way was the marriage of Lebbaeus Allobrogicus's daughter Pompeia to Theodosius. Lebbaeus was a popular senator, one who had earned his way into the senator seat through the army, being a soldier under Aetius at the Catalaunian Plains, before rising up the ranks of the senators under Majorian. He had then helped to keep Italy together during the Ferox Rebellion and the Grand Civil War. He was a mix of status and hard work, one that made him popular with the people. Arranging a marriage between Theodosius and Pompeia would cement the Dynasty's popularity in the West for the time being.

But that wasn't Majorian's only option. Perhaps even more enticing was a marriage of Theodosius and one of the daughters of Leo. Eastern Rome was richer and more stable than the West. By doing this, he would strengthen his alliance with Eastern Rome, which would serve to help Western Rome in it's recovery.

Majorian decided to try his luck in the ERE, to see if he could secure a marriage between Theodosius and either Ariadne or Leontia to connect the two dynasties.

However, there were those that wished to stop it. One were senators like Anicetus Allobrogicus, who knew that securing a marriage would tie him to the Majorianic Dynasty, giving him leverage over the successor. To the senators, they knew they needed to stop this marriage if they were to cement their control over the successor.

But it wasn't just the Roman senators that wanted to stop the marriage. Another was the ERE's Magister Militum, Aspar. Aspar though, didn't nessesarily wish to stop the marriage entirely, he simply wanted to make sure that his line would be connected to the Leontid Dynasty. This would have to come at Majorian's expense, as Aspar plans limited Majorian's plans.

In March of 470, before Majorian made his journey to Constantinople, Aspar convinced Emperor Leo to appoint his second son, Patricius as the Eastern Ceasar, alongside to marriage to Leontia. He then offered to have his son convert to Nicean Christianity as a consession. On the surface, this appeared as a showing of submission to the Emperor, but he had his own reasons for offering this. Arians were barred from becoming emperor, if Patricius was to become emperor, he had to switch religions. This would also allow Patricius some support to his legitimacy as emperor.

Aspar had seen Ricimer's failings, making sure not to repeat his mistakes. He had managed to keep his power base stable through doing his best to maintain his image of loyalty. This had most certainly been challanged, especially during the time of the Grand Civil War due to his barbarian origins. He put himself at the forefront of sending reinforcements to the West, to maintain the appearance of loyalty to the elites of the ERE.

With his options more limited, Majorian settled on trying to marry Theodosius to Ariadne. On the 1st June, Majorian would arrive at Constantinople, to negotiate a deal. Accompanying him was the future Magister Militum of Illyria, Julius Nepos, as well as several senators and nobles, such as Ennius Cento.

Aspar again had his own aspirations with this meeting, whilst he had stopped one potential marriage, he encouraged this potential match, for one simple reason. If the match went through, then that would help to establish control and dominance over the west. It would essentially allow Eastern Rome to establish a puppet to the throne.

To further this, he convinced Emperor Leo to add one more demand, that Theodosius was to be taken and trained by the east. It had been something already done with the Ostrogoths heir Theodoric, so their was precedent. The West wasn't exactly like the Ostrogothic kingdom, but is was certainly far weaker, and would need the East to secure it's future.

The negotiations on the first day went well for the most part, however that clause was a point of contention. Majorian and the western delegates realised that that part of the marriage deal was essentially one big power play by the East. This was an oppertunity that Cento capitalised on. He had hoped to create minor conflict in the parties, enough to stop the talks without causing serious tensions that could spark disaster. This removed the need to create conflict, as it had already been presented.

When the delegation broke up and returned to their own quarters, Cento gave a speech to the emperor, stating that it was immoral and disrespectful, and that it would be insulting to the Romans of old to give in to such a demand. Majorian could see where the senator was coming from, he would be lying if he said that he didn't agree deep down. He did not want his heir getting fully into the hsnds of the East, where he would have no control. But he also knew that he needed to compromise with his fellow emperor if he was to see the marriage happen.

The Western delegates tried to reach a compromise with the East, however the East didn't budge that much, the only concession made being a limit of 5 years. This stubbornness came from the Eastern Emperor himself, surprising even Aspar. Aspar had tried to get Leo to make consessions, but Leo had refused to budge more than Aspar would have liked. This was a matter of pride for Leo. He had only recently removed the stigma of being the "lesser emperor". He would not allow himself to give into someone who he saw as inferior. It may have been him age getting to him, but it did not matter, if Majorian wanted the marriage, it would be on his terms.

The negotiation stalled before breaking down. Eventually, Leo rejected the proposal. Majorian, not wanting to come back empty handed, proposed a marriage between Julia Eudoxia and Leo's son, Arcadius. Being born in on December 21st of 463, Arcadius was named after the other son of Theodosius the Great in response to Majorian naming his second son Honorius. Much like how the hyperactive Honorius contrasted to his lazy namesake, Arcadius also heavily constrasted his namesake. Whilst the original Arcadius was dim-witted and childish, this Arcadius proved to be exceptionally intellegent and gifted for his age, if blunt and insensitive at times, with a reading capability of someone 3 times his age. Despite his exceptional intellegence, he was very sickly, falling ill often. It had been this that has allowed Aspar to secure his son the position of Ceasar, as Leo feared his son would now live long enough to become the heir.

The talks went more smoothly in regards to this marriage. Eventually, the two sides came to an agreement that the two would marry when Eudoxia turned 18, at which point she would move to Constantinople (if Arcadius survived to that point.

In Theodosius's place, Leo decided on marrying Ariadne to Tarasicodissa, better known as Zeno. The general had started to prove himself to Leo during the Fifth Dacian War, leading the charge in many of the battles. Because of this, Leo had begun to form an alliance with the general. He had already been considering marrying his daughter to Zeno before the negotiations with Majorian. Now that that was off of the table, there was only one clear choice in Leo's eyes for Ariadne's hand.

Leo had, in his mind, secured the succession, as he now had Zeno, Patricius and Arcadius to act as his successors. What was only realised through hindsight that this had created a conflict in the three successors, as whilst Patricius was technically the true successor, each had as good of a claim as the other. This conflict would result in much instability theoughout the next few decades, as each would vie for the throne.

As for Majorian, he would return to Ravenna, not empty handed, but certainly disappointed. He had hoped to secure his sons marriage, his daughters marriage would help, but not nearly as much as his sons. This was when the senators renewed their push to have Theodosius engaged to Pompeia. Eventually, Majorian would come to agree with this choice, seeing it as the best option he had for the moment. When Theodosius turned 18 (he was 8, whilst Pompeia was 10), the two would be married.

With succession dealt with for good, Majorian could finally do what he had wanted to do for a long time, as he turned his sights to the eternal city, Rome itself.

A/N: And that is all for now! Happy New year everybody, I hope this year treats us all at least a little bit better than the last. Thank you for reading this latest Chapter, the feedback is always appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all, I am back with another Chapter! Majorian has secured the succession. Now he turns to something he had wanted to do since becoming Emperor; the reconstruction of Rome.

Reconstruction of Rome

After all this time, Majorian could finally set his sights on something that he had wished to do since he was born. Rome had once been the most glorious city in Europe, if not the world, but centuries of degradation alongside two sackings had devastated the heart of the empire. With Western Rome finally stabilized, he could finally begin the reconstruction of Rome, to make the eternal city one of great status again.

It wasn't just stability, it was wealth as well. With the recapture of much of Rome's former wealth, as well as the reparations from the Suebi, Burgundians and Visigoths had given Majorian money to spare. He could now focus on reviving the eternal city.

He started by reinforcing Rome's defenses. The Aurelian Walls had helped to keep Rome safe since the Crisis of the Third Century, however it's defenses were inadequete for the times they were now in. As a result, Majorian decided on building a second wall, as well as reinforcing the Aurelian Walls to frustrate any attackers.

The new walls were 14 m (46 ft) high, running for 25 km (16 mi), with a moat between the two walls. To accompany this he began hiring more garrisons to defend the wall. This wall would serve to frustrate sieges like with Alaric, giving Rome time to breath before counterattacking. It also came with many built in Onagers and Ballistae to take out chunks of the enemy forces. The moats would act to further slow enemy advancement, allowing the garrisons more time to counter-attack. These new walls would be dubbed The Majorian Walls.

With the defense plan settled, he began his plans for Rome itself. He planned to renovate and repair the city. He would start with the aquaducts, repairing and renovating those that had yet to be rebuilt, as well a building a couple of new ones.

After the aquaduct he turned to the houses. He began and extensive rebuilding project on the areas damaged by the Visigothic and Vandal sacks. He reorganised thes areas to be able to hold more people, as he planned to bring in more people to the city, to get some life back into the city.

He then began to make monuments with any remaining available space, as well as adding to established ones. One of these was Majorian's Column, which detailed Majorian's life from his early years up until the defeat of Ricimer initially, being expanded to cover the important events of Majorian's life by Gaudentius after Majorian's passing. Another was the renovation of Agrippa's Pantheon, adding an underground room for the emperors, both those whose ashes had not been lost, as well as for the future emperors. It would become a preserving ground for emperors for the next few centuries.

These project would, of course be expensive and time-consuming. As a result, the full vision of Majorian would take several decades to be fully completed, being completed in the 510's, after certain events would delay the reconstruction.

Rome was slowly starting to become more like the empire of old, piece by piece. But peace could not last forever, as there were still those with their own ambitions.

A/N: And that is all for now, I hope you all enjoyed. Majorian is doing his best to revive the Rome of old, but that dream is still a long way away. That is to say nothing of his more barbaric neighbours. Thank you all for reading this TL so far, the feedback is much appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all, I am here again with another Chapter. This will be a break in the usual Chapter, as we look over the individuals of Rome's Royal Family. This will serve as the first collecting of the progress so far, but certainly not the last.

Imperial Family​

​

Majorian
Western Roman Emperor​

Name: Julius Valerius Maiorianus
Titles: Ostrogothicus Maximus, Gothicus Maximus, Restitutor Occidentalis
Birthdate: Circa 420 AD
Age: Roughly 50
Birthplace: Gaul, Western Roman Empire
Mother: Name Unknown
Father: Domninus
Wife: Eudocia
Children: 3; Theodosius, Honorius, Julia Eudoxia
Reign: 457-470 (present), 13 Years
Predecessor: Avitus (455-456)
Imperial Colleague: Leo the Thracian (457-Present)
Dynasty: Majorian/Majorianic (1st Emperor of the Dynasty)

Majorian is the current Western Roman Emperor, gaining the title in 457 AD after a successful revolt against previous Emperor Avitus, alongside former friend Ricimer.

After gaining official recognition from the Easter Emperor Leo, he set about repelling Barbarians from the former Roman territories. In his campaigns, he was able to much of the lost territory, such as Gaul from the Burgundians, and Hispania from the Visigoths and Suebi. Perhaps his most important conquest came from his campaign against the Vandals in North Africa.

This conquest almost did not come to be, as there had been traitors in Majorians midst, paid by Geiseric to destroy Majorians fleet. History often questions what would have happened if the plot succeeded. Perhaps Majorian would have been ousted from his position, left a foot note in history, as what remained of the West ceumbled away. However, thanks to Procopius Soranus (future Magister Militum per Africam) the betrayal was discovered before it could be carried out. As a result, Majorian's conquest of Africa was carried out without a hitch, eventually resulting in the successful capture of North Africa, along with it's former king, Geiseric. With it, Rome was finally able to stabilise.

In addition to these, he has also achieved further conquests on kingdoms like the Ostrogoths and Burgundians, causing a marriage alliance between Western Rome and the Ostrogoths.

Majorian has also had to spend much of his recent years dealing with major rebellion, such as the Ferox Rebellion and the Grand Roman Civil War.

In terms of his domestic policy, Majorian has also made great strides. His laws have help to cut down on the corruption of the senators and nobles, helping the plebs and the state. His programs of rebuilding and resettlement have helped establish a sense of national identity and stability, aiding in Rome's recovery.

As an individual, Majorian is very amiable and open. He is also quick-witted and sharp. These two factors have aided well in his reign. However, his amiability has sometimes been his biggest detriment, as it has lead to his allowing people like Ricimer to get away with their actions longer than they should have. As a result, Majorian has become progressively more ruthless towards traitors in an effort to curb future betrayals, as well as compromising with those with the most potential to betray him in future. Majorian is a driven man, wanting nothing more than to see Rome restored to its former glory.

Eudocia
Western Roman Empress​

Name: Eudocia
Birthdate: Circa 439 AD
Age: Roughly 31
Birthplace: Ravenna, Western Roman Empire
Mother: Licinia Eudoxia
Father: Valentinian III (former emperor, 425-455)
Husband: Majorian (currently), Huneric (formerly)
Children: 3; Theodosius, Honorius, Julia Eudoxia
Dynasty: Theodosian through blood, Majorianic through marriage

Eudocia is the current empress of the Western Roman Empire, serving as the wife of Emperor Majorian. She is a member of the Theodosian Dynasty, being the daughter of former Emperor Valentinian III, who reigned from 425-455, before being killed in revenge of his murder of Flavius Aetius in 454.

She has already seen 2 marriages in her life. The first one was to the former Vandal prince Huneric, who she had been betrothed to in the 440's. She had been forcibly taken to the Vandal Kingdom after the Vandal Sack of Rome, where she was then married to the Vandal prince. It was expected that she would have children with the Vandal prince, to produce heirs to the Vandal throne.

However, fate had different plans. Before that could happen, Majorian had launched his invasion of Africa, intent on seizing the land. In the first major battle of the war, at The Battle of Hippo Regius, Huneric was struck down by an arrow, the Vandal army crushed. Majorian took control of Carthage roughly a month later to take North Africa, the main Vandal settlement.

Eudocia, along with the rest of her family, was now free of the Vandal bonds, as she was not held in a gilded cage, nor did she have the marriage commital to Huneric anymore. Instead, she would find herself married to Majorian, the current Emperor, and the one indirectly responsible for her husbands death. It was Majorian with whom she would end up having children with, as she would have 3 children with her new husband over the span of 4 years.

In terms of her current husband, Majorian, she gets on well with him, as they work together on improving Rome. For example, she helped Majorian plan the reconstruction of Rome. Though it isn't the whirlwind romance her younger sister has, it is a very stable relationship as she and Majorianwork to help each other. She is also grateful to Majorian for being why she is able to return to Rome, to not being stuck in North Africa with foreign prince she was forced to marry.

In terms of her children, she is extremely dotting, loving and protective of them all. It is argued as to which of her children is her favourite, as she is hardly seen without at least one of them. With Majorian, it is likely that Theodosius was his favoured child, as he was the heir to the imperial throne. Eudocia however has shown that it could be either Honorius or Julia Eudocia, due to her attitude towards them, as she is more doting on them than her eldest, accompanying them more often. This may be to allow Theodosius to become a more independent and capable ruler.

As a person see is strong and stoic, her experiences like her time in North Africa and the Ferox Rebellion have moulded her into an worthy Emperess and wife to the Restorer of the West.

Theodosius​

Imperial Heir of the West​

Name: Julius Valerius Theodosius
Birthdate: 5th April 462
Age: 8
Birthplace: Ravenna, Western Roman Empire
Mother: Eudocia
Father: Majorian
Siblings: Honorius, Julia Eudoxia
Bride: Pompeia Sibylla (Daughter of Senator)
Dynasty: Majorianic, fused with the Theodosian Dynasty

The eldest child of Majorian and Eudocia, Theodosius is the one that will inherit the Empire after his fathers dead. As a result, he has been the target of manipulation by senators and other nobles.

As a result of these manipulations, alongside his personality, he is very shy, having trouble speaking up, especially to his superiors. His younger brother Honorius helps to prop up his confidence, allowing him to speak up and express his view to others to a limited degree.

Inspite of his confidence, he does possess a sharp mind and an eye for people, knowing how people react to things and what decisions to make. Though not on the level of Arcadius in the west, he possesses intellegence higher than that of the average for his age.

He is expected by his parents to be a capable administrator of the empire, keeping the internal affairs of the empire stable in Majorian's death. In honesty, the prospect of becoming emperor scares the young Theodosius. The idea of both his dad not being around anymore, and having to take responsibility for such a large piece of land terrifys the young heir. Almost as much as heights.

Honorius​

Name: Julius Valerius Aurelianus Honorius
Birthdate: 29th August 463
Age: 7
Birthplace: Ravenna, Western Roman Empire
Mother: Eudocia
Father: Majorian
Siblings: Theodosius, Julia Eudoxia
Bride: Amalafrida (Ostrogothic Princess)
Dynasty: Majorianic, fused with Theodosian Dynasty

Honorius is the second born of Majorian and Eudocia. Due to his status of being an heir, he is alot more free-spirited and rambunctious than his older brother. He is a very hyperactive and outspoken individual, willing to speak his mind at any time about what he felt.

He was also very mischevious. One story of the young prince involves his stealing a "baskets worth of bread" from the kitchen. According to witnesses on the event, "Honorius ran along the palace with several loafs of bread, a load that weighed about half the boy himself". Another story claimed states that Honorius and his younger sister went around with bowls on their heads as Augustus and Agrippa.

Despite this he is also a focused and driven individual, though not having the potential of his brother, he is eager to learn, and has a thirst for action. It is because of this that Majorian has toyed with the idea of Honorius being Co-emperor, with Theodosius seeming the more capable administrator, whilst Honorius could potentially be the more capable warrior. This is just an idea though, as Honorius still has yet to start proper training in combat, and his impetuousness could be a detriment.

Julia Eudoxia​

Name: Julia Eudoxia
Birthdate: February 467
Age: 3
Birthplace: Ravenna, Western Roman Empire
Mother: Eudocia
Father: Majorian
Siblings: Theodosius, Honorius
Groom: Arcadius (Son of Eastern Roman Emperor)
Dynasty: Majorianic

Julia Eudoxia is the third child of Majorian and Eudocia and the only daughter of the Imperial family.

As she is still just a small child, we don't know much about how she will turn out. However, it is possible that she will end up as a dialled-back version of her brother Honorius. She has a vey close relation to her older brother, she is much closer to honorius than she is to Arcadius.

She is the least regarded of the three siblings, being both the youngest child and a girl, with the main point being her future marriage to one of the Eastern heirs, Arcadius, the only legitimate son of Leo. This marriage would be the biggest of the three, as it would see a connection between the Majorianic and Leonid Dynasties, creating a further bond between the sides of the Empire.

A/N: And that is all for now! Took me a bit to make this, but I finished it. This is the first stop-gap in the TL, the next one of thes will likely come around 480, where we will see more of the childrens lives and personalities take shape. Feedback is much appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all, I am back again with another Chapter! Sorry I've not been uploading as much as normal, I've had alot of work to do. But I'm here with another Chapter! We are getting back into the thick of war, after 3 years of peace! I hope everyone enjoys!

Back to Battle

471 AD

The year of 471 AD saw more change, starting with several deaths. The first was that of Licinia Eudoxia. Having caught a fever, she would pass shortly after, on the 25th January. There was much mourning in the Imperial family, Eudoxia had served as the Matriarch of the west for decades by this point, playing a big part in the lives of her daughters, Eudocia and Placidia, as well as impacting the lives of her grandchildren. From this point on, it would be Eudocia that would have to take the reigns in the family as the matriarch, with Majorian already being the Patriarch.

Another was that of the former Vandal King, Geiseric. He had spent the past 10 years exiled to the island of Capri, under the supervision of several dozen soldiers. Why he was not killed has not been decisively answered, but it is likely that Majorian took pity on Geiseric's pathetic state, choosing to spare him, especially as he seemed to have become rather docile.

Over those 10 years, the kings health steadily declined, eventually leaving him bedridden. When Majorian heard of the news, he decided to travel to the island, to see the Vandal King's final moments.

On the 13th February, in front of few, Geiseric gave his final words. As expected, the fallen king was delirious in his final moments, having only slipped further into insanity over the passed decade. He talked to those around him as if they were actually his family. He referred to the handmaid he saw most often by his wifes name, as if he saw her as his wife. The most soul-wrenching part for Majorian was when Geiseric addressed him.

"My dearest son Huneric, was I good ruler to my people"

This struck Majorian, as he had been the one indirectly responsible for Huneric's death. He did not have the words to say to the fallen Vandal king. Majorian simply said "yes" to Geiseric. The Vandal King was content, and relaxed. His breathing gradually slowed as he drifted off for the last time. After an hour more, Geiserics breathing ceased, the once proud Vandal king was dead.

Majorian found himself suprisingly sullen. He had not expected to feel this way when dealing with the kings death. When he thought more on it, he came to the conclusion that he felt this way due to his own story. In many ways he was like Geiseric, an experienced warrior, rising to the top of his people, building an empire from small pieces. He then began to think of his own sons, Theodosius and Honorius, how their deaths would affect him. For the first time, he could true sympathise with Geiseric's plight, rather than simply pity it.

This meeting would stoke the fire in Majorian's heart. Following the meeting, he began Theodosius and Honorius' combat training, preparing them to defend theirselves. However, this would be only for defense. It had been because Geiseric had sent his son into the battlefield that the son lost his life, and the father, his mind. Majorian would not let history repeat itself, issuing a decree, stating that Theodosius and Honorius were not to work in the army, stating

"As long as I am still breathing, Theodosius and Honorius will never see the front lines."

Theodosius didn't care much for this, in fact, he was happy, as now he would not have to get involved in warfare. Honorius, on the other hand, was outraged. He wanted to fight like dad, like Gaudentius. He kicked up a major fuss, becoming more rebellious as a result.

Majorian couldn't focus on this too much at that point, as trouble was brewing on the frontier.

As the Burgundian-Alemanni war began to draw to a close, other kingdoms wished to take advantage. The kingdom of Rugiiland had remained silent for much of this time, always staying neutral, letting the other nations pick each other apart. Over the past decade, they had used this time to build up the army, gathering a mighty fighting force of 40,000 men. They had also struck against the Scirians, winning decisively and incorperating them as vassels, supplying and extra 10,000 men.

It would be under Rugii king Flaccitheus that the Rugii would finally put their plans into action. Initially, the Rugii considered the Western Roman Empire as their target, but Rome revitalisation made them change their plans. Instead, Flaccitheus would focus on an easier target; The Alemanni. Out of the major kingdoms surrounding the Rugii, the Alemanni was the weakest at that point, making it the easiest to conquer.

Wanting to make sure it was successful, Flaccitheus would get in contact with Childeric in 470, suggesting that they combine foeces to invade the Alemanni, splitting the land between the two nations, to which Childeric agreed.

The next year, 471, would be when the attack was launched. On the 16th of April, Flaccitheus and his Rugii would begin their invasion of the Alemanni, followed by the Franks just two days later. The Alemanni were caught by surprise at this, they were still trying to deal with the Burgundians. Not wanting to waste this oppertunity, Gundioc renewed the Burgundian push.

The Alemanni were now surrounded from all sides. They could deal with one, perhaps even two, but not all three of their neighbours. They needed help, and soon.

Barodur reached out to Majorian requesting help with the invasions. This was what Majorian had expected. He knew that the Franks (at least) were going to invade the Alemanni, that is why he had put in the clause. And since the Franks were invading a few months before the treaty ended, they were in direct violation of said treaty. Majorian declared war on the Franks alongside the Rugii and Burgundians.

He started by having Marcellinus and Julius Nepos lead the charge against the Rugii from Illyrica, whilst Syagrius led the charge against the Franks from Gaul. This helped to relieve some of the pressure from the Alemanni, helping them to stabilise and prepare for a counterattack. Majorian pulled any forces he could spare from Hispania, Italy and North Africa to help in this offense.

Majorian knew that it would not be great in the long run, as the combined Rugii-Frankish-Burgundian forces still outnumbered the Romans and Alemanni. Majorian started by reaching out to the Ostrogoths once again, as they could strike a decisive blow against the Rugii very quickly. Theodemir agreed, only asking to get some of the Rugii land. Majorian didn't have any plans for the land at that point, so he was content to let the Ostrogoths have it. Majorian would also begin appealling to Leo in the East for reinforcements.

The War of 471 had begun as what is now dubbed as the National Triumvirate (West Rome-Alemanni-Ostrogoths) fought the Alliance of the Rugii, Franks and Burgundians.

A/N: And that is all for now, I hope you enjoyed this latest Chapter! The War of 471 has begun, what will happen next? We shall see. Thank you all for reading this TL, the feedback is much appriciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all, I am back with another Chapter! Things in Western Europe are heating up, as The War of 471 commences. How will Rome fare in this war, as the National Triumvirate faces the Germanic Alliance.

The War of 471 Part 1

The War of 471 was short in comparison to wars like the Dacian Wars or the Grand Roman Civil War, going from March to October, however, it would end just as bloody.

The first battle would come at Divodurum, on the 24th March. Beforehand, the Franks had been laying seige to the city, trying to take it over, with the Alemanni barely holding of the Frankish army. Finally, both the Western Roman army and the Alemanni relief force led by Iunian arrived at the city. A force of 25,000 Romans and Alemanni met 30,000 Franks on the field.

The fighting was intense, as the Alemanni and Romans fought like madmen to not get overwhelmed. After an hour of fighting, Childeric set his plan into motion, having kept 2,000 of his 30,000 back for a moment like this. When he had drawn a stalemate with the Roman/Alemannic forces, he then had the 2,000 soldiers spring out to attack the Roman-Alemannic forces, in an effort to break Roman morale. Iunian had seen this coming however, so he had his back line move to attack the flanking party. The 5,000 Alemanni crashed into the 2,000 Franks, breaking through and flanking the Frankish flanks.

With this unexpected attack, the Roman forces pushed the Frankish forces back. The Alemannic drive to defend their home gave them the drive to continue, forcing back the Franks. Childeric made one final effort to win the battle. Placing his best men to meet the centres of the Roman and Alemannic forces, he launched a direct assault on the frontlines, to try and take out the leaders of the armies as quickly as possible.

Childeric made straight for Syagrius, intent on taking his head. However, in the chaos of the insuing brawl, as Childeric attempted to kill the Roman general, he suddenly felt like his arm was lighter than normal. When he looked, he saw his arm had been bisected by a young soldier. One of the foederati had reacted in time, a Visigoth-Vandal warrior had managed to react in time, slicing the Frankish kings arm off. The Frankish King cried out in pain, as the young warrior moved to attack again. Childeric only survived because on of his warrior came to his rescue, slashing at the young warrior, allowing the Frankish King to retreat.

With this failure, the Franks cohesion broke down, eventually resulting in them being routed, with several thousand cut down in the process.

It battle was a successful one for the Alemmanni and Romans, but not one they came out of lightly. In the course of the battle, 15,000 Franks, 4,000 Romans and 7,000 Alemanni died in the course of the battle. This battle marked the end of the Frankish invasion of The Alemannic Kingdom, but the war had only just begun.

Meanwhile, Marcellinus and the Ostrogothic force would march on Rugiiland, invading the land of the Ruggi directly. In doing so, they were attempting to divert the Rugii forces away from the Alemanni. They marched through the countryside, pillaging the land for resources in order to help them sustain this invasion, as they headed for the city of Iuvavum.

Flaccitheus quickly caught wind of this invasion, sending out 20,000 of his 50,000 strong army to counter the invading forces, under the command of his son Feletheus. The two armies would spend the first month of combat engaged in minor skirmishes, as the Rugii forces attempted to stall the Roman/Ostrogothic forces.

Finally, the first battle between these forces would come on the 5th April at the Battle of the Laurian Hills. The 20,000 Rugii faced 32,000 Romans and Ostrogoths. The Rugii took the hills first, giving them the advantage of fighting downwards.

The Rugii stetched the line as much as possible, avoiding the enemy lines getting around, as they could afford to have the line be reletively thin due to their uphill position.

The two sides engaged, clashing fiercely, putting the Roman/Ostrogothic army's size against the Rugii's positioning. The Roman and Ostrogoths tried to break through the Rugii line, but the Rugii were able to hold the enemy forces at bay. Gradually, the Roman/Ostrogothic forces pushed the Rugii up the hill, as the Rugii tried to not get overwhelmed.

Throughout the first part of the battle, the Roman/Ostrogothic forces controlled the battle, forcing the Rugii back. However, this would change, as Marcellinus was suddenly shot in the chest with an chest with an arrow by the Rugii prince himself. This moment weakened the cohesion in the Roman army, something the Rugii took advantage of.

They began to push back against the Roman forces, driving them as far down the hill as possible, cutting down many. After a few more hours of fighting, the Roman forces broke, carrying their leader away. The Ostrogoths followed shortly after.

This was a humiliating defeat for the Roman forces, as they not only lost, but were the first ones to retreat from the field. Over the course of the battle 6,000 Romans, 2,000 Ostrogoths and 4,000 Rugii died. Not only that but they would come upon further tragedy in the battle's aftermath.

The arrow that had struck Marcellinus had been poisoned, causing the wound to become infected. Marcellinus held on as long as possible, but a week after the battle, he succumbed to a mixture of bloodloss and infection fron the arrow.

Marcellinus was dead. In a moment, the last friend of Majorian was gone, the last vestiges of the old guard leaving with him. Majorian would hear the news soon after, as he prepared to depart for the frontlines. He mourned for his friend, his last true friend, but it couldn't let it overwhelm him. So he departed for the Danube frontier before he could let it get to him.

But Marcellinus's death also stoked a fire, one that lay in the heart of his nephew, Julius Nepos. One to avenge the fallen, to avenge the disgrace of the battle. Here, the rivalry between the Illyrian Generals and the Rugii kings would begin, as Nepos made a promise to his now dead uncle, to pay Feletheus and the Rugii forces back a thousand fold.

The War of 471 had been mixed so far, as the National Triumvirate achieved success with the Franks, but were defeated by the Rugii. Things were at a stalemate for the two sides, and it would take a lot to break it.

A/N: And that is all for now, I hope you enjoyed this latest Chapter. The war will be in either 2 or three parts (likely 3). Things are heating up, as the battlelines are truely established. What will happen next? Only time will tell...
Thank you all for reading this TL so far, the feedback is much appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all, I am back with another Chapter. The War of 471 continues as the National Triumvirate combat the Germannic Confederation. How will they far? Only one to find out...

The War of 471 Part 2

The War of 471 had already become a bloody, brutal affair after just 1 month and there was no quick end to the war in sight.

Soon after the Battle of the Laurian Hills the Alemanni had to engage in their own battle with the Rugii, as a force of 15,000 Alemanni under Barodur fought 30,000 Rugii at The Siege of Fort Malthan, beginning on the 9th April.

The Rugii outnumbered the Alemanni 2:1, however the Alemanni were in an elevated and fortified position. To add to it, the Rugi would also have to cross a river in order to get to the fort.

When the battle began, the Alemanni archers opened fire on the Rugii forces, concentrating on the cavalry to slow the Rugii, taking out much of said cavalry in the process. Flaccitheus thought that there would be enough cavalry to continie with his plans, so he pressed on, beginning the siege, this would be the beginning of what would become a month long siege of the fort, as the Alemanni held off the Rugii. Flaccitheus knew that if he could take out the fort and the army manning it, then the rest of the Alemanni kingdom was free for conquest. He could not waste this oppertunity, nor could he allow the Alemanni forces to catch him in the back.

---

Since the Battle of the Laurian Hills, the Roman/Ostrogothic forces have used fabian tactics, shadowing Feletheus's forces as they pulled back to a more advantageous position. Finally, on the 16th April, The Roman Ostrogothic forces clashed with the Rugii forces at the Battle of Vandia, at the outskirts of the . The battlefield consisted of the the river Danube to one side, a series of hills on the other, with a narrow path in between.

The Roman/Ostrogothic forces took the hills, deploying the archers and cavalry on the hills, whilst the infantry was positioned at the end of the path. Feletheus could tell what Nepos had planned, he was trying to lure the Rugii army into the narrow path. He knew that if he did this, his army would be easy pickings. But he also couldn't afford to wait, as that would risk reinforcements.

He decided to try and go around the enemy, that was the most sensible option. He left a small detachment of his force at the entrance of the path, around 2,000 strong, setting off around the mountain with the rest of his army. He was shadowed by the enemy forces on the hills as they pelted his army. He was eventaually able to find his way around to the other side, only to find Nepos and his army on the other side as well.

Nepos knew that Feletheus would try this, so he made an effort to frustrate the Rugii prince. He went straight through the path when he knew that Feletheus was part way around. The bottleneck did bring some pain to the Roman/Ostrogothic forces, but with them controlling the hills they were able to get through with few enough casualties, wiping out that portion of the army in the process.

Feletheus was now in an even worse position, trapped between the Ostrogothic land and the enemy forces. This was when Nepos employed one final trick. He had a small portion of the army, around 500 strong hide in the hills themselves ready to strike, all of these were Ostrogoths. When ready they came through the hills to the other side of the Rugii army and charged. This caused panic in the Rugii lines, who assumed this charge was Ostrogothic reinforcements. They paniked, charging straight through the pass.

This was what Julius Nepos had been waiting for. He had caught them in the bottleneck. By the time they realised their mistake, it was too late. Much of the Rugii force was slaughtered, the rest having to carve their way back out to escape.

It was a crushing victory of the Romans and Ostrogoths. The Romans and Ostrogoths in total lost only 1,050 men, the Rugii on the other hand lost 9,000 of the 16,000 strong army. The Romans had avenged their humiliation at the Laurian Hills, and now looked set to press further.

---

Things on the Frankish side were oddly peaceful, as the two sides settled into a stalemate, as the Franks employed Fabian tactics to shadow the Roman/Alemannic forces, keeping from engaging in major battles. There were several minor skirmishes, but no major battles would take place on the Frankish front until June, when the Eastern Roman army arrived to support.

---

Whilst the Franks had their frontier stabilised, the situation was very different for the Burgundians.

On the 20th April, Majorian and his army of 10,000 gathered from bit of Hispania, Italy and North Africa finally arrived. It had taken so long as one the way, Majorian had suffered a seizure and needed a few days to recover, delaying the effort even more than it had already been delayed.

Majorian's forces met up with the few Alemannic forces left defending the Burgundian border to plan their next move.

2 days later, they co-ordinated an attack on the city of Vesontio to break the Burgundian advance. They laid siege to the city, intent on taking it as a show of force. After 5 days, Gundioc was able to gather up his forces and meet Majorian's forces at the 471 Battle of Vesontio on the 27th April. The 5,000 Burgundian soldiers faced 12,000 Roman/Alemannic forces.

The Burgundians fought like devils in one last stand, trying to fight off the Roman forces as best they could. Majorian decided to use this against them, giving ground to the Burgundians as needed. When the Burgundians were far enough in, the army turned inwards and forced the Burgundian army together. Gundioc was taken prisoner whilst most of the rest of the army surrendered under threat of death. The city of Vesontio surrendered shortly after.

The battle was another decisive one for Rome, as only 500 Romans and Alemanni died to 1,500 killed and the other 3,500 captured. This battle would mark the breaking point of the Burgundian Kingdom, as not only was the army defeated again, but their leader was captured. This battle would not only mark the end of Burgundian participation in the war of 471, but the point of no return for the once proud nation. Though the nation continied on for a couple years more, it was essentially a shadow of it's former self.

The war would rage on however, as both the Franks and Rugii continued to fight, as things were about to come to a head for all involved.

A/N: And that is all for now, I hope you enjoyed. The next and final part of the War will take a little longer to complete as I want to try a get it as good as possible. Thank you all for reading, the feedback is always appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all, I am back again with another Chapter of Roma Renovata est! I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get to this point, but so many factors have gotten in the way. I am here now, with another chapter of this TL, as we finally finish up the War of 471.

The War of 471 Part 3

In Early May of 471, Julius Nepos would resume his attack on the Rugii state, planning on trying to draw the remaining forces of Feletheus into an open battle. He wanted to use this superior numbers to try and encircle Feletheus, to finally put down the Rugii forces for good and avenge his uncle.

Feletheus had other plans. He wanted to stall the Roman forces as long as needed. He knew that he would not be capable of defeating the combined Roman/Ostrogoth force as it was now, with only half the men of his enemies. Just as the Franks were, he employed Fabian tactics, not allowing the Romans to use their forces.

This would not be all that Feletheus would do however.

On the 7th May, Feletheus would launch the first of his raids on the enemy camp. Taking a force 100 strong, he went systematically around the Roman camps, hacking at Roman men and stealing Roman valuables, before disappearing into the night. The fact it was ONLY the Roman camps was the trick of the raid. By attacking only the Roman camps, he could sow paranoia in the enemy forces, making the Romans believe that the Ostrogoths were in alliance with the Rugii, and preparing to turn on them.

The raids continued over the next few weeks gradually sowing the seeds of division. Though the two leaders of Nepos and Theodemir attempted to ease these divisions, the rumours began to spread like wild fire through the Roman forces. Though the raids were risky, yielding few physical results, it's results on the psyches of the soldiers and the distrust between the Romans and Ostrogoths could not be understated. Almost two to good to be true

This would reach such a boiling point by the end of the month that the forces had to be split in two. This was not ideal, but it was preferrable at this stage to the two sides tearing each other apart before even getting another chance to fight the Rugii.

As Feletheus had been conducting raids on the Roman forces, he had also been gathering up people from the countryside to fight, gaining a further 1.5k over the month in defense of the Rugii kingdom. He knew that this might further stretch the food supply of the Kingdom, but would mean he would have more of a chance of his plans succeeding, having them in reserve as procaution.

The army was now divided between 12,000 Romans and 11,000 Ostrogoths, Feletheus was now able to draw into open battle. But which would he choose, Ostrogoths or Romans?

Feletheus decided on attacking the Ostrogothic forces, as they were the smaller army, as well as the lesser equipped. On the final day of May, as the Ostrogothic forces were settling near to the small town of Simae, the Rugii forces launched their full scale assault on the Ostrogothic forces, catching them by surprise, beginning the Battle of Simae.

Feletheus and his Rugii forces seized upon the oppertunity, quickly taking initiative of the battle, driving the Ostrogothic forces back. Theodemir rallied the Ostrogothic forces, preparing to push back. Though this halted the advance of the Rugii, the Rugii still held the initiative.

Theodemir tried to take control of the battle by leading his cavalry around to the exposed left flank of the Rugii, however Feletheus was able to counter with his own cavalry, driving the Ostrogothic forces away, as not before knocking the Ostrogothic prince Theodoric off of his horse. The Ostrogoths were able to rescue their prince, but only just, as he was nearly killed in the retreat.

Eventually, the Ostrogoths broke under the pressure, many cut down in the ensuing rout. It was a decisive victory for the Rugii, as 3,000 Ostrogoths perished compared to only 1,000 for the Rugii. The Rugii now appeared set to take back control, as they begun their persuit of the Ostrogoths.

---

As Feletheus was battling in the Kingdom, Flaccitheus was in stalemate with the Roman/Alemanni forces.

Neither side had done much to attack, not wanting to put themselves at a disadvantage by having the cross the river. As a result, they had been mostly stationary, with only minor skirmishes between scouting parties. However, as this waiting game was going on, Majorian had a bridge constructed a few km north away from the battle field, setting his plan into motion.

On the 3rd June, the stalemate would finally be broken, as Majorian and Barodur set their plan into motion. Under the cover of night, 10,000 soldiers led by King Barodur slipped out of camp, and crossed over the bridge. The approaching soldiers were spotted by the Rugii night patrol, who sounded the alarm. The Battle of Malthan had begun.

Barodur's contingient clashed with the Rugii forces, fighting viciously in order to keep the Ruggi at bay. As Barodur fought, Majorian began to lead the rest of his forces across the river. Seeing this, Flaccitheus sent half of his force led by his other son, Ferderuchus to halt Majorian's advance.

Majorian used the number advantage by stretching out his army, allowing for at least a portion of his army to gain a foothold onto land. The Rugii tried to push back as much of the Roman forces, but were unable to stop some of the forces from getting on to the other side. From there, a domino effect took place as the soldiers forces their way onto the other side.

The Rugii now found themselves surrounded on two sides, trying to hold off the combined Roman/Alemanni forces. The battle continued over the next few hours, as the two sides continued to joust for supremacy. Majorian was able to finally turn the battle against the Rugii by leading a cavalry charge into the open flank of the Rugii forces.

At seeing this, the Rugii broke, trying to force their way out in a desperate frenzy. Chaos ensued on both sides as the Rugii broke into a rout, cutting through the Romans and Alemanni whilst they cut down any retreating Ruggi to be found.

It was a decisive victory for the Roman/Alemanni alliance, though not one without a high cost. 9,000 Rugii and 7,000 Romans/Alemanni died over the course of the battle, with an equal number injured. This began the Rugii retreat, as the Romans and Alemanni persued, determined to finish the job.

---

The Frankish front had remained mostly stable for most of the war. Aside from light skirmishes, the casualties up to this point were rather minimal.

Iunian was growing worried at this, the lack of proper battle worried him, especially as this was land that had been claimed by the Franks. To him, it felt as if they were planning on something. He knew that Divodunum had devastated their forces, but it did not seem to him that the Franks would give up so easily, especially as they had not declared official surrender.

On the 13th June, Iunian and Syagrius camped his forces near Colonia (modern Cologne), preparing his forces to march on the city of Bagacum (modern Bavay). It was here were the Franks would finally take a stand.

Appearing over the horizon the Frankish army marched on their position. Childeric had finally recovered from his hand being removed, now fitted with a golden prostetic in its place. Iunian, alongside Syagrius,prepared his soldiers for the ensuing battle, keeping them at their current position, weary of any traps the Franks were preparing to pull.

The Franks and Roman/Alemanni forces soon engaged. It seemed to be going well, as the Roman began to push the Frankish forces back. Iunian was not convinced,pushing forward gradually, so as to now fall to any surprises that could be made.

Falling right into Childerics plans.

By the time they realised however, it was too late. 5,000 cavalry came up from behind, taking the Roman forces completely by surprise. Childeric had split his 15,000 strong army into 10,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. Taking advantage of Iunian's caution, he kept the enemy forces in place long enough for the cavalry to charge in.

The Romans and Alemanni were now beginning to be encircled by the Franks, they had to retreat before two many were lost. In the ensuing brawl, most of the Roman and Alemanni forces were surprisingly able to make it out alive though most were severely injured, unable to keep fighting for the time being.

One of the casualties of the battle was unfortunately Iunian. To make sure most of the soldiers got out, Iunian rallied the front and back lines to hold whilst the others escaped. To keep them their he chose to stay and fight. When these lines were overwhelmed, it is said he led one last suicidal charge through Frankish lines, being cut down alongside many of his soldiers.

The Battle of Colonia was a crushing victory for the Franks, though not so much physically as it was spiritually. The Roman/Alemanni forces lost 1,500 men to the 500 lost by the Franks, but the loss of commander Iunian was a major loss for the forces, especially the Alemanni, who had come to see Iunian as something of a leader.

All was not lost though, as Syagrius, the Magister Militum per Gallias still remained to lead in these dire times.

---

As June progressed, things had begun to look dire for Rome and her allies. They had won at Malthan, but had lost at both Simae and Colonia, with the Rugii and Franks beginning to gain initiative.

But then news came from the east. After months of waiting, the 20,000 Eastern Roman forces had set off, soon to arrive to the frontier.

This was a major boost to the National Triumvirates efforts, as they now only had to stall the Franks and Rugii long enough for the Eastern soldiers to arrive.

---

It was not just the National Triumvirate that recieved the news. Feletheus heard the news of the oncoming ERE soldiers. This forced him to hasten his plans to eliminate the Ostrogothic forces, or at least pressure them into surrender. To be honest, Feletheus was not sure of why they had not surrendered already, as to him, they had the least to gain out of all the emeny forces.

On the 24th June, whilst the Ostrogoths camped near the village of Imenia, the Rugii launched their attack. The Ostrogoths were exhausted by this point, seeming close to giving up, only being kept in by their king. He just needed to land one more decisive blow.

He quickly seized the initiative, trying to drive the Ostrogoths out once and for all. The Ostrogoths held firm as the Rugii continue to slowly drive them back, with the Ostrogothic force beginning to bow out as a result

But in Feletheus' haste to defeat the Ostrogoths he made a fatal mistake by being unaware of what was happening around him. From behind the Roman forces crashed into Feletheus back lines, taking the Rugii by surprise.

Unbeknownst to Feletheus, Theodemir had been able to send a message to Nepos informing him of his position. They had set up a place to go to for battle, essentially luring the Rugii into a trap.

All animosities and grudges between Romans and Ostrogoths were tossed to the wind in heat of battle, unleashing their veangence upon the Rugii forces. Trapped and with nowhere to go, Feletheus surrendered to the Nepos and Theodemir, being taken hostage for the rest of the war.

In the Battle of Imenia was another victory for the Roman/Ostrogoth forces, casualties estimated at 3,500 Rugii to 1,000 Ostrogoths and only 360 Roman

---

With the news of Feletheus' capture, Flaccitheus also began to get desperate. Hoping to drive off the Roman forces before the situation got too dire. Knowing that his enemies would not be kind to him if he lost, he tried to push back defeat for as long as possible.

Hearing that Majorian has sent 5,000 soldiers to the Frankish front in the wake of Colonia, Flaccitheus now prepared to make a stand.

On the 29th June, Flaccitheus set up near the Polonian Fields. 21,000 Rugii prepared to fight 18,000 Roman and Alemanni soldiers

The two forces clashed head on, trying to establish dominance over the other, clashing over the course of 3 hours. Flaccitheus then gave the signal to retreat. Once Majorians forces were comitted to chasing the seemingly routed Rugii, Flaccitheus ordered his forces to turn back and charge. It was a feigned retreat. The Rugii forces crashed into their disorientated enemies. The Romans and Alemanni held their ground for around an hour longer, but were unable to regain the intiative, ultimately forced to retreat.

The Rugii had won a narrow victory, around 2,000 killed on either side. With this breathing room established, Flaccitheus made haste to reach the forces of Nepos, both to relieve the pressure by eliminating one of the Roman armies, as well as possibly rescue his son.

Nepos, knowing that the hostages would be a problem, had them sent back to Rome, led by a contingent of 6,000 soldiers. Nepos knew he would not be able to take on this force without either the Eastern Roman forces or those he sent with the hostages, not without serious casualties. As a result, he planned to keep his forces away from Flaccitheus, so as not to engage the enemy forces.

---

On the Frankish front, Syagrius and his forces had spent the rest of June, trying to avoid direct confrontation whilst waiting on reinforcements.

When Majorians reinforcements, led by Barodur arrived, the Romans set up near the town of Illypa, near to a forest where the Alemanni reinforcements could hide, before setting up for the night.

On the night of July 5th, the Battle of Illypa began, as Childeric intended on launching a night attack against the Roman/Alemanni forces. The Romans and Alemanni formed up, quickly, despite being tired from the journey. Using the forest to cover their back, Syagrius held his forces in their defensive position. Childeric was also trying to use the forest, using it as a way of either trapping them or forcing them to scatter.

When Syagrius was sure that the Franks were committed to the assault, he sounded the horn. Barodur and his Alemanni charged from the forest, wheeling around and smashing into the Frankish flank. Due to it being at night, the Franks were unable to see what had happened and begun to panic. Whilst Childeric has heard of the incoming enemy reinforcement, he had not heard of their arrival, so had not factored this into his plans.

The sudden attack caused chaos to quickly break out within the Frankish ranks, quickly turning into a full on rout.

The battle of Illypa was a much needed victory after Colonia. 2,000 Franks perished along with 1,000 Romans and Alemanni. Despite this, the Frankish front wasn't quite finished yet.

---

After a while of avoiding the Rugii forces, Nepos was successful in linking up to the Eastern Roman forces led by the general Anthemius, Nepos set up at Iuvavum (modern Salzburg), feeling he now had the forces necessary to take on Flaccitheus.

On the 12th July, Nepos and Flaccitheus's forces clashed at the Battle of Iuvavum, i what would prove to be the final battle on the Rugii front, roughly 19,000 Rugii to 23,000 made up of Romans (both Eastern and Western) and Ostrogothic forces.

Both sides had grown tired not having the energy left for complex tactics, the battle was essentially a bloodbath, as the two sides tried to establish dominance, pitting the Roman number advantage against the Rugii desperation.

After 3 hours of fighting, the Romans won out. Flaccitheus heard of Majorians forces soon approaching. Knowing the battle was lost, Flaccitheus withdrew his forces. The Romans and Ostrogoths won, but at great cost, as 6,000 Rugii and 7,000 Romans/Ostrogoths fell in the battle.

The remaining Rugii forces then withdrew to Lauriacum, whereafter they would be seiged by the Romans and Ostrogoths. The Seige of Lauriacum was a long drawn out affair, that drained both sides even further. By mid September however, the Rugii had finally surrendered, bringing this portion of the war to a close.

---

The Frankish frontier would end similarly to that of the Rugii.

Syagrius/Barodur's forces met Childeric's at the Battle of Tunarii on the 21st July, where the armies clashed furiously to try to gain control, eventually resulting in the Roman/Alemanni forces breaking through and routing the Franks.

The Franks would then take refuge in Noviomagus, where they would be besieged for the rest of the war. On the 3rd October, after the rest of the Roman forces arrived (the Ostrogoths withdrew from the war following the end of the Rugii frontier), the Franks finally surrendered, bringing the war to an end.

---

The War of 471 was a brief yet brutal war, costing thousands upon thousands of lives in the span of only six months, and would take decades to recover from, some of the nations never recovering from this war.

Though this war was reletively small in the grand scheme, it would set in motion the chaos to ensued in the nect couple of decades that would nearly bring Western Europe to it's knees.

A/N: And that is all for the first chapter back! It was so rough to write this, so sorry if it does feel rushed at points, as I have jusy been trying to finish this thing. The War of 471 is finally finished, now we go to the end of 471 and thw years to follow. What will hapen next? Only time will tell. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all, I am back with another Chapter of Roma Renovata est! The War of 471 is over! Now it is time to see how the aftermath will play out, as the curtain rises over Europe.

The Curtains of Europe

With the War of 471 at an end, it was no time for the victors to decide on the spoils. The Treaty of Curia was settled on the 4th November.

The Burgundian kingdom was divided between the Burgundians, with the south-western parts being Roman vassels, whilst the north-eastern parts are given to the Alemanni. The Alemanni also gained parts of the Frankish and Rugii Kingdoms, gaining Augusta Treverorum (modern Trier) and Augusta Vindelicorum (modern Augsburg) as a result. Majorian also seized the chance to gain territory, seizing Samarobriva (modern Amiens) and Gesoriacum (modern Boulogne-sur-Mer). Ostrogoths also seized some land from the Rugii, though not any major cities.

In addition to the land, the Rugii and Franks kingdom were to pay tribute to the Alemanni, Ostrogoths and Rome.

With that settled, Majorian then made an offer to the Alemannic King Barodur; to take is son and heir Baromar to Rome in order to train him on leadership and provide him with the best education that could be offered at that time. Majorian had met the young Alemanni Prince whilst shortly before he went to reinforce Barodur at Fort Malthus. Baromar shared his father's enthusiasm for Roman culture, having read tales of the Punic War and Julius Ceasar, and having read on Emperors like Vespasian, Domitian and Trajan. Majorian wanted to help secure the alliance after his death, as well as Barodur's death. To him, it seemed like the most simple option. It could also act as leverage, should the Alemanni turn on Rome at some point.

Barodur thought on the idea, but ultimately came to agree with the idea. It was settled that Baromar would stay in Rome for 5 years in order to be educated in Rome. It could also help to form a friendship with the Roman heirs, as Baromar was of a similar age to Honorius (8 at this point in time). Barodur would then place his official capital at Augusta Rauricorum, renamed Iunia, after the general Iunian.

During this time, Majorian would issue Novella Maioriani 16: On Citizenship. In it, Majorian stated that how Citizenship was awarded would be returned back to the way it was originally, with citizenship being earned rather than simply gained automatically. Those who were considered citizen in 471 would remain citizens, but any people after that point would be subject to the new law.

To commemorate the new law, Majorian would welcome many of the Foederati in as official Roman citizens for all of their hard work. Most important of these was the youngest of the soldiers to recieve the honour, a 17 year old Visigoth-Vandal soldier who fought under Syagrius during the War of 471. He recieved the honour for saving Syagrius's life at the Battle of Divodurum. Syagrius, at the request of the young soldier would also bestow him with a new Roman name, to show him as an official Roman. The boy would now be under the Legio V Gallia, under the name Ballio Luccius.

With this the year of 471 drew to a close. But whilst peace appeared to return, the storm clouds had begun to gather over Europe, as the First Act began to draw to a close.

A/N: And that is all for this Chapter! It also finally wraps up 471, as we now go into 472. The old guard is beginning to draw to a close, as Majorian nears old age, and his children begin to grow up. Also, a character I have been building since Chapter 14 finally makes his way onto the stage, under the name of Luccius. Remember that name, it'll be important for later. Thank you all for reading, any feedback on this series is greatly appreciated. See you next Chapter!

 

[FLAYvian1310]

A/N: Hello all, I am back again with another Chapter of Roma Renovata est! It has been a bit, as I have been focusing on my series 'Through Light and Ashes'. But I'm now here with another Chapter of Roma Renovata est! We continue into the year of 472, as peace is restored, for now at least...

Peace, for now

472 AD

With the War of 471 done with, reletive peace returned to Western Europe, as the different countries intergrated into their new positions within Europe.

Baromar was brought over to the WRE by Majorian upon his return to Ravenna, as agreed by Majorian and Barodur. It wasn't long before Baromar and Honorius became friends, havings similar visions and dreams of grandeur. Theoderic and Barodur weren't as close, but they were close enought to be considered acquaintances. Majorian had Barodur taught in the same way he had taught his own children, teaching him matters of combat, administration, philosophy, theology and literature.

Several soldiers would be called in to help in training the young heirs. Among these was none other than Ballio Luccius, who was called in to assist in the training. These interactions would prove to have the most impact on the young heirs, especially that of Honorius. Honorius and Baromar would often try to play with the new legionary, however Luccius had a reputation of being cold to people, especially towards non-soldiers. As a result, they usually ended up playing with Gaudentius and the 2 year old Aetius. Regardless of this, Honorius was determined to make a friend out of Luccius.

As for the army, the War of 471 would be the last war for them, with Majorian allowing the veterans to retire to their farms, giving them the money needed to live out the rest of their days. Some of the soldiers recruited from the farms would also be returned to serve under their lords. This left Majorian's army reduced by a third by the end. As a result Majorian set ablout recruiting more soldiers to the army, raising them from several different walks of life into service of the empire. He offered chances to rise in status in exchange for work in the military, though somewhat limited. By doing this, the soldiers now had a stake in the army, as it was a means of advancement or higher pay. This law of advancement through the military would be officialised in Novella Maioriani 17: On Advancement in the Military.

He also began to pressure the senate into providing some military service, as they had done during the times of the Republic. Senators of course resisted this, not wanting to change from the life they had become accustomed to. The senate could not do much to stop this change however. They had little power in the system at this point, if any at all. They also couldn't rebel, not whilst Majorian was still alive, as he had already crushed their attempts to get rid of him, as he was happy to point out. They knew they would only have to wait however for Majorian to die, only a matter of time.

Indeed, this was something Majorian knew all too well. He was now in his 50s, and to make things worse were the migranes and seizures. He had been suffering bouts of seizure and migranes since his coma in the Grand Civil War. Since then they had been growing in frequency, as well as potency. Majorian knew he did not have that much time left, maybe a decade at most.

He knew that he needed to make sure his successors were as well prepared as possible. From 472 onward his main concern was in training his successors, leaving the defense of the provinces to his Magister Militum, though he would still routinely journey to the provinces with his children to learn the status of the provinces, as well as to teach his children.

Majorian still held a respectable presence in public. In private though, the emperor had grown melancholic. As his reign went on, he had to see more and more of those who he considered to be friends die. Aegidius, Marcellinus, and yes, even Ricimer haunted his mind. At night he would ask himself what he could have done to stop such a fate? Could they have still been around were it not for his mistakes. It was funny to him that he now understood where Geiseric was coming from.

He would not fall to despair like the Vandal King had though, he still had to fight on. Fight on to make sure that his successors had the best chance they could once he left the mortal realm. His generation had settled into the background, replaced by that of Syagrius and Nepos, with the generation of Theodosius, Honorius, Regalius and Aetius soon to arrive to the spotlight. He knew that it would soon fall upon their shoulder to carry the burden of upholding the ancient legacy of Rome.

A/N: That is all for now! It's a bit of a more subdued Chapter compared to the War of 471, as we go into the latter part of Majorian's rule. The years will go by a bit quicker over the next few Chapters, as we begin to draw near to the end of Part 1. Thank you all for reading, the feedback is much appreciated. See you next Chapter!