The Imperial Rock

[basileus]

OTL, in AD 326 the Roman emperor Constantine I the Great had his first son Crispus tried and executed because he allegedly had tried to rape her second wife Fausta; then he hideously killed the woman, after his mother Helena had told him that crispus' death had been engineered by Fausta's slanderous calumny.

Let's see what COULD happen, with some obvious flight of fancy, if Crispus, instead, lives. Let's say that "St".Helena is a bit quicker in revealing what really happened to his imperial son, who decides for a temporary exile of the heir at Crete, before furiously slaying his own disloyal and scheming wife and keeping thenceon her (and his own) three sons, Constantine, Constans and Constantius, in a gilded prisony near Constanople.
In a few years Constantine's wrath abates, and his sense of guilt, together with the discreet pressure of his Christian counsellors, induce him to recall all of his sons to court, while however giving no clear indication for his succession.
Then, he days on schedule in 337, at Nicomedia, after receiving a hasty baptism on his deathbed, with none of his sons around.
A tense standoff ensues in the following days, with the army commanders divided among the several would-be emperors: Crispus, his three half-brothers and even Constantine's half-brother Flavius Dalmatius and his two sons, Dalmatius and Hannibalian; each one with his own faithful retinue.
In the end, after a few weeks, the Dalmatii are murdered, along with most of the other relatives of the deceased emperor, while Crispus, wounded in an attempted assassination, escapes with his life and most of his followers from Constantinople, swearing to never ever set foot in the cursed city. He got the support and loyalty of the Rhine legions, though; and takes refuge at Vienne in Gaul, while his three half-brothers soon begin a tense Mexican standoff between them.

In the end a general civil war is barely avoided and a general meeting off all four sons of the great Constantine is summoned in Milan in May, 338. Here the four broithers, each accompanied by a loyal legion (just in case...) carve the Roman empire in four parts, resurrecting the Tetrarchy: only, this time, with no pretense whatsoever to recognition of a senior emperor, joint rule or naming of non-related Ceasars as successors of the reigning Augusti. Diocletian would have cried bitter tears.
Crispus was recognized as dominus of the West: Britannia, Gaul, Hispania and Mauretania were his. For the moment being, he set up court at Nemausus.
Constantine II would receive Raetia, Italy with Rome, and most of Africa, from Numidia to the Sirtic desert. He chose initially the very Urbs as his own capital, much to the chagrin of his brothers, in a clear statement of prestige and in a (backfiring) bid to win over what remained of the influence of the Senate.
Constantius II got the most palatable of Roman real estates, with Constantinople for capital, controlling Pannonia, Illyricum, Mesia, Thrace, Greece and Anatolia up to Cilicia and the Euphrates, plus Cyrenaica.
Last but not least, Constans got the Levant with Syria, the Holy Places of Palestine and Egypt, choosing Berytus as his capital.

With that, the Roman empire had been divided and an uneasy peace settled, for the moment being.

(to be followed up)

 

[Magnum]

Interesting. civil war seems unavoidable (maybe even worse?).

As a small hint, check for grammar mistakes, 'cos they can get pretty annoying.

Please continue.

 

[basileus]

Interesting. civil war seems unavoidable (maybe even worse?).

As a small hint, check for grammar mistakes, 'cos they can get pretty annoying.

Please continue.

My English is what it may be, definitely not my mothertongue, I live in Lombardy, Italy.

 

[basileus]

The peace between the four brothers, "would-be Cains" as one important bishop of the time did not hesitate to brand them in a moral treaty, wasn't to last forever, for satisfying that the Milan compromise could be.
Constantine II in particular was unsatisfied and aspired to be the senior: he was the oldest legitimate son of his great father and considered himself the Roman emperor par excellence. His brothers, legitimate or not, did not share the same views. Crispus, for now, was content with keeping the West firmly under his sceptre and swore to never had to do with his half-brothers, just as treacherous as their immoral mother had been. He was now a mature man; his wife and child had deceased earlier and another wife had died in childbirth giving him a daughter, Flavia Constantiana.
There was, beyond, the issue, for now still theoretical, of what to do with two surviving young cousins, Gallus and Julian, sons of another relative murdered in 337. Gallus was in the custody of Constans, the younger, who in turn reigned over the Levant with a theoretical supervision from his older brother, Constantius; Julian was educated in Cappadocia under the strict surveillance of Constantius. It was this last the most powerful of the three sons of Constantine and Fausta, after all; and Constantine II resented the issue. In time he understood that, strategically, Constantius was secure until Constans was in his minority: for the New Rome at Constantinople needed the grain of Egypt to keep on growing as it did. Constantine II didn't want to see HIS Rome eclipsed by the new one, while in a few years he had come to hate the obstinate Senate, the meddling of the bishop, or "Pope", and the avid and cynical populace of the old capital.
Thus, in 340 Constantine transferred his court from the chaos of Rome, still the first city of the empire, to Carthage. There he built a considerable fleet; then, next year, he masterminded a revolt in Egypt under the outgoing Prefect, Philagrius, then rushed to support him with his fleet and soldiers, occupying in the meantime Constantius' only direct holding in Africa, Cyrenaica. He himself, then, went to Alexandria, narrowly avoiding being assasinated by agents of Constans and Constantius. This last, instead of reinforcing his rather weak fleet, marched his powerful army, possibily the strongest. from the Danube to Italy, occupying Aquileia and then Milan almost without a fight, while Ravenna and its fleet resisted; in the meantime, Sarmatians and Goths happily plundered the Illyrian border provinces.

Logic would have that Crispus too moved, and thus is was. His army entered Cisalpine Gaul and clashed with Constantius' at Laumellum, in one of the bloodiest battles in Roman history; later historians spoke of some 50,000 casualties and wrote that the besieged in Ravenna could see the Adriatic's waves reddened by the blood carried by the Padus river, having its mouths nearby. Crispus was victorious; Constantius, routed, retreated into Aquileia, to be in the end slain by the populace stirred by the local bishop, angered at Constantius' pro-Arian leanings. Crispus then occupied Pannonia, chasing back the barbarians plunderers and assuring their loyalty by hostage-taking, and was duly recognized by the remnant of Constantius' army. He had however swore to nevere ever set foot again in Constantinople, and kept his promise; he never advanced past Sirmium.
Constantine II with his fleet hurried into the New Rome upon the Bosphorus and took it for himself. Then, instead of moving against Crispus (by then coming back to Italy to build his own triumphal arch in Milan), he had to confront Constans's forces from Syria. Constantinople came in sight, but the fleet proved again a decisive asset and a siege couldn't be even attempted; by corruption and espionage Constantine II managed to dissolve his brother's main force, later to be routed during its Anatolian anabasis.
By autumn 342 Constantine could march upon Antioch and liquidate his younger brother Constans and his protegè Gallus (he couldn't cath Gallus' brother, Julian, who after Constantius' death had been taken to relative safety at the heirless Crispus' court).
The Roman Empire had by now only two rulers.
Crispus had added Italy, Raetia and Pannonia to Britain, Gaul, Hispania and Mauretania; Constantine II was master of Constantinople, of the entire East and almost all of Africa.

 

[stevep]

basileus

Interesting idea but a bit surprised that the three younger sons didn't gang up on Crispus. Especially since I believe he's the only one with any real military experience.

As Magnum says another civil war seems likely, as occurred OTL. From what you hint Constantine II will fail and his region could easily fall to Crispus in that case. Since he has a loathing of Constantinople the city I'm wondering if we're going to end up with a revived western empire that lasts long. Possibly he could even do as Julian did, being totally repulsed by the bloodshed and hypocrisy and also appealing to the majority population in the west and revert to 'paganism'. That could lead to a fairly stable lasting division between east and west especially as the remaining non-Christian elements in the east are likely to be largely destroyed fairly shortly.

In the east Constantius II has the better position with the strategic position of the capital, the good recruiting grounds of the Balkans and Anatolia and the Greek core of the later empire. Constans has the richest lands of all with Egypt and Syria but they were notoriously poor recruiting grounds and if he sticks with Orthodox Christianity he will have problems with the locals who are overwhelmingly Monophysitism [at least according to the general acceptance of the word in the modern west]. Furthermore his state has the main problem of facing the powerful and aggressive Sassanid Persian empire.

Steve

OTL, in AD 326 the Roman emperor Constantine I the Great had his first son Crispus tried and executed because he allegedly had tried to rape her second wife Fausta; then he hideously killed the woman, after his mother Helena had told him that crispus' death had been engineered by Fausta's slanderous calumny.

Let's see what COULD happen, with some obvious flight of fancy, if Crispus, instead, lives. Let's say that "St".Helena is a bit quicker in revealing what really happened to his imperial son, who decides for a temporary exile of the heir at Crete, before furiously slaying his own disloyal and scheming wife and keeping thenceon her (and his own) three sons, Constantine, Constans and Constantius, in a gilded prisony near Constanople.
In a few years Constantine's wrath abates, and his sense of guilt, together with the discreet pressure of his Christian counsellors, induce him to recall all of his sons to court, while however giving no clear indication for his succession.
Then, he days on schedule in 337, at Nicomedia, after receiving a hasty baptism on his deathbed, with none of his sons around.
A tense standoff ensues in the following days, with the army commanders divided among the several would-be emperors: Crispus, his three half-brothers and even Constantine's half-brother Flavius Dalmatius and his two sons, Dalmatius and Hannibalian; each one with his own faithful retinue.
In the end, after a few weeks, the Dalmatii are murdered, along with most of the other relatives of the deceased emperor, while Crispus, wounded in an attempted assassination, escapes with his life and most of his followers from Constantinople, swearing to never ever set foot in the cursed city. He got the support and loyalty of the Rhine legions, though; and takes refuge at Vienne in Gaul, while his three half-brothers soon begin a tense Mexican standoff between them.

In the end a general civil war is barely avoided and a general meeting off all four sons of the great Constantine is summoned in Milan in May, 338. Here the four broithers, each accompanied by a loyal legion (just in case...) carve the Roman empire in four parts, resurrecting the Tetrarchy: only, this time, with no pretense whatsoever to recognition of a senior emperor, joint rule or naming of non-related Ceasars as successors of the reigning Augusti. Diocletian would have cried bitter tears.
Crispus was recognized as dominus of the West: Britannia, Gaul, Hispania and Mauretania were his. For the moment being, he set up court at Nemausus.
Constantine II would receive Raetia, Italy with Rome, and most of Africa, from Numidia to the Sirtic desert. He chose initially the very Urbs as his own capital, much to the chagrin of his brothers, in a clear statement of prestige and in a (backfiring) bid to win over what remained of the influence of the Senate.
Constantius II got the most palatable of Roman real estates, with Constantinople for capital, controlling Pannonia, Illyricum, Mesia, Thrace, Greece and Anatolia up to Cilicia and the Euphrates, plus Cyrenaica.
Last but not least, Constans got the Levant with Syria, the Holy Places of Palestine and Egypt, choosing Berytus as his capital.

With that, the Roman empire had been divided and an uneasy peace settled, for the moment being.

(to be followed up)

 

[basileus]

basileus

Interesting idea but a bit surprised that the three younger sons didn't gang up on Crispus. Especially since I believe he's the only one with any real military experience.

As Magnum says another civil war seems likely, as occurred OTL. From what you hint Constantine II will fail and his region could easily fall to Crispus in that case. Since he has a loathing of Constantinople the city I'm wondering if we're going to end up with a revived western empire that lasts long. Possibly he could even do as Julian did, being totally repulsed by the bloodshed and hypocrisy and also appealing to the majority population in the west and revert to 'paganism'. That could lead to a fairly stable lasting division between east and west especially as the remaining non-Christian elements in the east are likely to be largely destroyed fairly shortly.

In the east Constantius II has the better position with the strategic position of the capital, the good recruiting grounds of the Balkans and Anatolia and the Greek core of the later empire. Constans has the richest lands of all with Egypt and Syria but they were notoriously poor recruiting grounds and if he sticks with Orthodox Christianity he will have problems with the locals who are overwhelmingly Monophysitism [at least according to the general acceptance of the word in the modern west]. Furthermore his state has the main problem of facing the powerful and aggressive Sassanid Persian empire.

Steve

They did gang up at first, bu they failed the assassination. Thenceon they were too much into watching each other.
Just read the second part...

 

[basileus]

Crispus had plans, now. When he first saw together her daughter Constantiana and his own cousin, Julian, something took a life of its own in his mind. Now he knew just why he had to survive: till now it had been a mere survival reflex, now there was a perspective. Plus, another tantalizing idea had come to mind, initially as a recurring dream, a fact in which, as augures and bishops alike assured, there was a sign; indeed, "a command from above" as astrologer Maternus has answered by lettere to his unusual request for a diagnosis. He dreamed of a high cliff, seagulls wheeling around, screaming; a vast sunny panorama above the waves of a shining sea, and another land not far beyond, with arid mountains in the distance;and men, under his command, building a magnificent church. He took note to ask a good artist to try and paint this curious landscape he hadn't ever seen, maybe someone could explain that better.
However, it was now time to run a calculated risk and accept his infamous half-brother's invitation to yet another summit.

Constantine II had got half of the pie. He basically wanted it all, if it wasn't for that other bastard... but he didn't lack realism, either. As of now, Crispus' army was the strongest; time was to be gained. So he had proposed a meeting in Brundisium. Costantine would came with his navy; Crispus with his army. And the last detailed of this new partition of the empire would be hammered out neatly, there were issues about Dalmatia and Greece to be clarified. Plus, he had a certain idea that could both defuse tensions and work to his own advantage. Maybe. Luckily Crispus seemed little interested to further war and bloodshed; maybe he was getting old, and witha bit of luck, maybe, waiting would be sufficient.

The summit at Brundisium in July, 343 was a tense, cold affair between two half-brothers who clearly couldn't stand each other. Their officers, civilian and military alike, were much more at ease with each other, though; and so those churchmen they took with them. This helped avoid the risk of a clash.
After stern negotiation and no little beating of fists on the table, it was grudgingly agreed that Dalmatia and the Illyrian coast down south up to Dyrrachium included would go to Crispus, while Constantine would hold Greece and Macedonia up to the Axios' sources. Crispus would then concede Sicily to his half-brother (already in control of Carthage) in exchange for Numidia. Also this was agreed.
What wasn't agreed was the matrimonial alliance. Crispus didn't answer with a "no" to Constantine's proposal of marrying Constantiana; he simply pointed out that the little girl was only seven, and that "some years later" they could reexamine the issue. It was a clever answer, for his half-brother was now cornered. Either he waited precious time, or decided to marry another woman to leave some heir.

Coming back from the meeting, Crispus stopped in Rome for a triumphal procession with the Praefectus Urbis and the Senators, giving lavish games and entertainment. The populace appreciated him, in contrast to the far less popular Constantine II. What Crispus didn't tell the Romans was that they, already robbed once of men and materiel by his own father, had to expect another hit. For when he set upon for the long route back to Provence, he had by now the answer he had so long searched for - and it had been a humble merchant seaman who gave it, in Hostia. Seeing the standard painted with the dream landscape that Crispus now bringed with himself, he had told officers on the ship that the cliff depicted remembered him of his native coast, in Baetica. He couldn't believe his luck when he found himself in the naval retinue of the emperor, and with a healthy wage in solidi!

 

[stevep]

basileus

Now I know where you're heading. I did wonder when I saw the name of the thread about the most famous rock in history. So now I know where the western capital will move to. However it's not exactly the best location to defend the Rhine border from.

Cripus seems to have the poorer end of the deal with Constantine getting more land in Greece and Sicily, which is pretty rich territory.

Steve

 

[basileus]

basileus

Now I know where you're heading. I did wonder when I saw the name of the thread about the most famous rock in history. So now I know where the western capital will move to. However it's not exactly the best location to defend the Rhine border from.

Cripus seems to have the poorer end of the deal with Constantine getting more land in Greece and Sicily, which is pretty rich territory.

Steve

It may not be the best place to defend the border, but sure as hell it is excellent to ensure "deep defense" and secure at least Iberia and part of Africa. The problem is, there's almost no water. Susceptible to cutting of aqueducts; rainwater collecting cisterns escavated into the Rock would likely be in place as emergency system.
My objective is seeing how may evolve the idea of a "Second Foundation", say, to supplement Constantinople.