The Roman Pharaoh: An eccentric rebel claims the double crown

Dorozhand

Banned
It is the year 370, in a world where Christianity was killed at birth. The Roman Empire has been fragmented into over 20 squabbling units, each ruled by a man who claims to be emperor. Pagan cults from around the world vie for the hearts of the people. The temples of Egypt are still active, and the ancient knowledge of the land is still remembered.

The powerful Sassanid Empire to the east controls most of Anatolia and the northern Levant, and making ready for an expedition against the Roman splinter kingdoms along the Nile. They are using the port of Antioch to construct a great fleet to land an army at Alexandria, and another army will travel through Judea and meet with the landed army at Memphis to proceed south.

The Romans ignore the warning signs of the invasion and continue to fight one another, except for one Roman general, who has just lead a coup against one of the Roman lords, and whose kingdom, after some conquests, stretches from the Nile delta to the Suez, and the cities of Tanis, Pelusium, and Clysma. While a talented general, he is slightly eccentric, and has a fascination with Egyptian religion and culture, and even keeps an entourage of priests.

He allows the Persian armies, under the leadership of a rash young king, to capture Pelusium, executing a feint retreat to behind the swamps east of Tanis. When the Sassanid heavy cavalry attempts persuit, they become bogged down in the wet marshlands and are soundly defeated by the Roman army, who captures the Shah.

However, in the east, the Sassanid Navy has landed and captured Alexandria, advancing southwards and destroying many Roman petty kingdoms along the way. The Roman general, displaying the head of the captured Shah, gathers up a larger force, heading westward to face the Persians at Heliopolis, where they are again defeated.

The Roman general then negotiates peace with the humiliated Sassanids, before conquering the rest of the Roman kingdoms in Egypt. In 380, he declares himself the Pharaoh of Egypt, amidst all the traditional Egyptian pomp and ceremony. Ushering in a new dynasty...
 

Deleted member 67076

Very interesting. Although I'm pretty sure its too late to eliminate Christianity. IIRC, something like 30 to 40% of the empire was Christian at Constantine.

Anyways, I want to see more:D
 
Egypt was heavily Christian by 370... Granted, there were a few traditional temples that remained active until Justinian closed them, but this Roman general-pharaoh is still going to have the majority of the population against him if he tries to re-establish the old religion.
 

Dorozhand

Banned
Egypt was heavily Christian by 370... Granted, there were a few traditional temples that remained active until Justinian closed them, but this Roman general-pharaoh is still going to have the majority of the population against him if he tries to re-establish the old religion.


ITTL Christianity never existed
 
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