5th Century
-417 AD, a Roman born, British soldier by the name of Vespasianus Caelinus, usually referred to by his surname, bursts onto the political seen of the island. Britain had become essentially independent of Roman rule a decade earlier and had seen a decade of war as a result. Caelinus, who gained a reputation as a master orator, led a pro-Roman movement in Londinium which reached it's peak in this year when he and soldiers loyal to him rose up and seized control inside the city.
- Over the next to years Caelinus leads a campaign with the goal of reconquering the island. All though semi-successful at first a lack of funding and organization leads to the campaigns collapse in 419. He leads his army back to Londinium and retains control of the city. In 420 he declares the Kingdom of Londinium as a principality of the Western Roman Empire.
- Caelinus solidifies his rule and in 424 leads a campaign which conquers much of the countryside around Londinium. In 430 he leads a the 'Third Campaign,' known by many as his greatest campaign. The four year long series of battles captures Caelinus and the Kingdom of Londinium much of southern England. In short wars in 436 and 439 he further solidifies and expands the kingdoms position.
- Caelinus dies in 441 after 21 years as king. His eldest son, Varius, already 56, ascends to the throne without much trouble following his popular father's death. Varius rules a relatively uneventful reign of six years and dies at 62 in 447.
- Varius' son, Fulvius, comes to power at age 41 following his fathers death. Fulvius quickly gains a reputation as a great general and almost immediately begins a series of campaigns against the island's other powers, who outnumber him by quite a bit. Despite being outnumbered as such, over the next twelve years Fulvius returns what is now known as the Kingdom of Londinium's to what had been Hadrians wall. However, despite wishes to push further, Fulvius falls ill and eventually dies in 459 at age 53.
- Fulvius' son, Caelinus II, continues the herditary line when he comes to power in 459 at only 25. Caelinus II becomes well known as a 'dreamer' and a 'philosopher.' He feels an enormously strong bond to Rome itself, of which his kingdom is still a principality, and talks of building the city of Londinium into the 'second Rome,' and a 'Rome' safe from invasion, in which philosophy could truly flourish.
- Caelinus II's reign accounts for most of the scientific and philosophical advancements made in the kingdom, which would become the last surviving legacy of those of Rome. In addition Caelinus II, the first monarch to be truly free of the threat of war due to the weakened state of Scottish and Celtic barbarians, oversees massive improvements to the infrastructure of the kingdom.
-476 AD, the fall of Rome and the end of the Western Roman Empire, Ostrogoths come to power in Italy. Upon hearing the news Caelinus II becomes severally depressed and commits suicide a few months later. Leaving the throne to his son, Britanius I, only 15.
- The young Britanius has dreams of uniting the island under the now essentially independent kingdom, though he still swears allegiance to the now non-existent Roman Empire. He raises a the mightiest army the isle had ever seen by 480 and begins campaigns of his own to conquer the island.
- The campaigns thus begin in 480. Over the next decade he conquers the whole of the main island and turns his eyes on what we know as Ireland, also conquering the northern 1/4 of this island by 490. He seizes the campaign for a year and regroups his men. Then in 491 he launches a final, 'grand thrust,' and smashes the remaining Celtic opposition. Thus by 492, for the first time in history the British isles are united under a single banner, that of the Kingdom of Londinium, principality of Rome.
- Britanius he spends the last part of the century rebuilding those regions devastated by the war. His kingdom begins seeing heavy immigration from those fleeing the chaos of post-Rome western Europe for the semi-Roman protection of the Kingdom of Londinium. The population grows by nearly half again by the end of the century and Britanius is in a good position, with dreams of capitalizing on it.
House of Caelinus
- Vespasianus Caelinus 420-441
- Varius 441-447
- Fulvius 447-459
- Caelinus II 459-476
- Britanius 476-
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