WI: Theodosius The Elder & Younger took Britain for their own

What if Count Theodosius after becoming Comes Britannia install his son as Dux? With the defeat and end of the great conspiracy, how would father and son's ambitions pan out.

This is in conjunction with the POD death of Valentinian I against the Alamanni at the battle of Solicinium where instead of surviving he dies during the brutal battle. Leaving his son Gratian behind in Augusta Trevororum instead of taking him across the Rhenus.

Severus & Jovinus, the men who most scholars say went to Britain to quell the rebellion in this scenario never went and merely were reconnaissance for the armies of Valentinian to gauge an appropriate response to the issue in Britain, survive and with Jovinus on the northern shore against Saxon and Frankish invaders whilst Severus maintained the border between Rome and the Alamanni and others. With a surviving Gratian under one of their guardianship also.

What impact and implications does this have for the empire?

Apologies for how this is written guys, the idea just popped in my head for a story.
 
Having Theodosius in command in Britain is an interesting development. He was very loyal to Valentinian and there's not much reason to expect he won't be loyal to Gratian-obviously Gratian thought highly of the Theodosians if he installed the younger as eastern Roman emperor, even though he had been in exile.

I always thought Gratian had potential. In this scenario, does Valens still die at Adrianople? Because that effects a lot on what happens in the future.
 
Having Theodosius in command in Britain is an interesting development. He was very loyal to Valentinian and there's not much reason to expect he won't be loyal to Gratian-obviously Gratian thought highly of the Theodosians if he installed the younger as eastern Roman emperor, even though he had been in exile.

I always thought Gratian had potential. In this scenario, does Valens still die at Adrianople? Because that effects a lot on what happens in the future.



Valens I am postulating survives but what with butterflies would Adrianople happen. Theodosius' loyalty would never falter and possibly his loyalty would see him as a possible guardian of Gratian if not for my idea of Severus protecting him and feeling betrayed at not accepting the call to return to assist the remnant of Valentinian's men.

I just have an idea and hoping it can grow. I'm not a huge Roman expert but I am becoming more and more intrigued with the period.
 

Valens I am postulating survives but what with butterflies would Adrianople happen. Theodosius' loyalty would never falter and possibly his loyalty would see him as a possible guardian of Gratian if not for my idea of Severus protecting him and feeling betrayed at not accepting the call to return to assist the remnant of Valentinian's men.

I just have an idea and hoping it can grow. I'm not a huge Roman expert but I am becoming more and more intrigued with the period.

So Adrianople never happens? Just want to be clear on this because it's important and I'm confused as to whether it is still happening or not?
 
Ok so presumably Valens is better able to manage the crisis. Now that the east is stable it means ilyricum remains a part of the western empire and thus another source of weal hand manpower is in the wests control. Any trouble Gratian gets can be put down by Valens if need be as would be in Valens' interests. So Gratian has a good chance of surviving long enough until he has the experience to effectively rule.

So much good comes from this. The western army is not depleted from two consecutive civil wars on the decade before 400 CE, and equally important, there's no precedent set, at least yet, of powerful generals controlling the emperor (like Stilicho with honorius and the various puppet masters of arcadius). Gratian could have a long rule ahead of him. It would be interesting to see whom he replaces Valens with when Valens eventually croaks. Depending on when he dies, the likely candidates are Theodsius the younger or Valentinian II.


Or alternatively he could try at ruling the whole thing, though that's less likely.
 
-Count Theodosius, Theodosius the Younger & Magnus Maximus head to Britain to relieve it from the troubles caused by the great conspiracy.
-The rebellion is quelled in the south and places his son, Theodosius as Dux Britanniarum*

-Valentinian crosses over the Rhine and towards the Alamanni along with Severus and his eight year old heir, Gratian.

-The battle of Solicitarium is as brutal as OTL. Valentinian dies* during the maelstrom. His eight year old son is whisked away to Trier by Severus who takes him under his guardianship until he is old enough.

-The expedition force to Britain succeeds in securing Roman territory cross the island. The usurper Valentinus survives and heads to Hibernia with the remaining invaders*

-Severus demands that Theodosius returns due to the death of the emperor and to shore up the border between the Germanic tribes and Rome. This order is ignored due to seeking out the remaining invading tribes amongst the island to extract terms from them.

-Displeased by the response Severus accuses Theodosius of attempting to seize power in Britannia and seeks to see him discredited. This is rebuffed by Jovinus who states that only the emperor can give him cause to return officially and they lack an emperor until Gratian is ready. And that Theodosius must bring order back to the men who turned on Rome.



That's what I have for a basic starting idea. Not good I know but it's ground work that will be expanded upon.


*In OTL Dulcitius was appointed the new Dux
*He survives despite the brutal nature of the battle.
*He dies in OTL.
 
It sounds plausible enough-there definitely would be competition and competing interests at hand among the leading advisors of Gratian, so Jovinus and Severus disagreeing over Theodosius seems plausible. The only thing I am skeptical about is Valentinus fleeing to Hibernia-that's uncharted waters for any Roman and he'd have scant knowledge of the area at all, so would be going blind-more plausible might be to flee north of the Hadrian wall.
 
Then he heads north over the wall as opposed to Hibernia. The count leads a punitive force north to crush any lasting remnants but is unable to find him.

Severus and Jovinus accept for the time being they will have co Guardianship over the young Gratian and make plans for a campaign to bring the Alamanni to their knees.

I am thinking of getting this written up alongside my other TL
 
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