Chapter 7: Tuscan Empire: Bully or Liberator? You decide!
16 February 1433, the Imperial Coronation
The newly crowned Julius I rose to give his first speech as Emperor; he knew some of the nobles were skeptical of his lack of military vision, so he intended to wow and surprise them.
"Friends, I want to begin my speech with some administrative matters. Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Duke of Ancona, will continue in his office as Imperial Chancellor; unlike my father, however, I do plan on making my own foreign policy. This is not a criticism of the recently departed; rather, it is simply the way I prefer to do things. I am also announcing that, following the death or retirement of our Sheriff, Salvestro Butterius, I will discontinue the office. These are matters that I can handle myself perfectly well; I will, however, hire a general to supervise the army.
"I also want to establish a clear hierarchy in the nobility; many of you have been confused about your titles, and I feel we cannot have a strong Empire without a clear delineation of authority. I, of course, am the supreme law of the land and the true representative of the people of Tuscany. There will only ever be one Prince and Duke of Rome; this will be my heir, once I have found a suitable mate.
At this last statement, many murmured; rumors had persisted that the Emperor was too involved in reading and making policies and not involved enough in choosing one of his many suitors. Some even suggested that the Dowager Empress, Lucia Porcia Cato, had vetoed any number of choices that Julius I had made. The Emperor, noticing that the crowd was distracted, cleared his throat and continued reading his prepared speech.
"After the Prince, all other Dukes ranked by seniority; Counts after that, again by seniority, and the only other nobility in the Empire would be Barons. Each province in the Empire will have one and only one Duke; only the Imperial Court of advisers could be Counts, following the tradition set by Maso I. Dukes were the only hereditary nobility and held land; Counts and Barons received income either from the state or from their Duke commensurate with their status. I will also revive the Order of the Tuscan Empire; the only previous recipient was Marcus Porcius Cato Maior. This will only be awarded for meritorious service; it is not hereditary. Offices and patents of nobility cannot be sold; if a house has no heirs, I will determine the next holder of office. Are there any questions?"
Nobody had any. Although he did not have the same rhetoric as his father or the sense of humor of his grandfather, Julius I was remarkably clear and concise; an unflattering nickname had already begun to circulate -- if Leo I was the Lion of the Empire, then Julius I was the Bee of the Empire, partly because of how busy he was, but mostly because he did a lot of buzzing but never stung. More scandalous still was the nickname Drone of the Empire; drone because his mother was the real ruler of the Empire and the only purpose he served was to produce an heir.
What nobody realized was that this Bee had plenty of sting; he had in fact already declared war on Siena.
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19 February 1433, the Imperial War Room
Julius I knew his move was incredibly risky; after all, Siena was part of the Damned German Empire and Austria could intervene. Sicily was no real threat, in his estimation, and he doubted that Sicily would care anyway. When Cicero entered the room and bowed, Julius I looked up; he hoped Cicero had good news for him.
"Your Imperial Majesty, I have excellent news! Although we have been condemned by Austria and Sicily for our war, neither one has chosen to intervene! Siena doesn't even have an army at this point, so our victory is assured."
Julius I let out a huge sigh of relief. It wouldn't have done to have Tuscany annexed by Austria within days of his coronation.
"That is indeed excellent news, Cicero. I know you had a lot more power under my father's regime; I trust you are not too upset that you lack some of the independence you once did?"
Cicero knew there was only one answer to this question -- "Of course not, my Emperor. I only serve to do your will."
Julius I nodded curtly. "Good, for you may have a much higher office sooner than you think."
Cicero was puzzled. "I have no idea what you mean."
Julius I sighed, not with relief but with despair. "I imagine the name 'Drone of the Empire' has gotten around, even to you? While I am most assuredly my own man and conduct my own policies, when it comes to marriage, it strikes painfully near to the truth. My mother is absolutely convinced that nobody is truly worthy of me or my affections, and she finds ways to turn away suitors.
Before Cicero could assure him this was not the case, Julius irritatedly dismissed Cicero with a wave of his hand. "Cicero, do not patronize me. I am not too arrogant to ignore the truth. Until I produce an heir, you are the Prince of Empire and Duke of Rome; your son, Agrippa, will be Duke of Ancona."
Cicero was absolutely stunned by this news. He had actually been dreading what he saw as a forced retirement; he never imagine he would be heir to the Imperial Throne! Julius I smiled, and anticipating an objection, assured Cicero that the decree had already been issued. Cicero thanked the Emperor profusely, and before he left, shared one more bit of news.
"Ah, Emperor Julius, I sent one of my agents to track down this "Soldatus." It turns out, he's the son of our Sheriff -- his name is Eustachio Butterius. My agent provided him with funding from the treasury to conduct the war and gave him an official promotion to General of the Empire. He is extremely skilled at leading men into battle; I believe you made a wise choice." [1]
The Emperor nodded one last time, then dismissed Cicero; he hoped that this war would end quickly, before Austria decided to intervene.
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17 March 1433, the camp of the Legio I 'Imperator'
General Butterius had taken just over a month to occupy Siena. With mostly infantry, and the hilly country he had to cross, that was damned fast, he thought. He had been given the authority by Emperor Julius I to propose a peace, but only one of annexation. The General couldn't be happier with that order; a few cousins had died during the first war with Siena and he planned on extracting revenge.
Siena was now officially part of the Tuscan Empire; he and his troops remained as a garrison to ensure there would be no revolts.
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1 May 1433, the Chancellor's Office
Cicero was buried under another pile of work. Although he had come to appreciate Julius I's attention to detail, it also meant a lot more paperwork than he had come to expect from Leo I. He was now reviewing an official copy of the Dukes and Counts of the Empire; the Barons took at least ten pages of parchment. He would leave them for later.
Official Report on the Hereditary Nobility, dated 30 April 1433
Dukes of the Empire:
Marcus Tullius Cicero, Duke of Rome
Sextus Porcius Cato, Duke of Pisa
Agrippa Tullius Cicero, Duke of Ancona
Eustachio Butterius, Duke of Siena
Counts of the Empire:
Count Axel Gaithelhielm, Master of Mint
Count Salvestro Butterius, Sheriff
Count Ranierio Ulivelli, Philosopher
Cicero still had trouble seeing his own name at the top of the list; he was rarely in Rome anyway, since he had so much work to do as Imperial Chancellor. He occasionally asked the Emperor to choose a new Chancellor, but Julius I always declined, saying Cicero was the best man for the job. Cicero noted to himself that there was no Duke of Romagna; the Emperor had stipulated that only citizens born in the Empire of Tuscany could be Dukes, and there was nobody that Julius knew well enough to promote yet. Romagna would probably not be without a Duke for long; the Emperor recently made it his National Focus, most likely to provoke hostilities with Ferrara.
Cicero stood and stretched; it would be another long night. He hoped his son was enjoying his office as Duke of Ancona; Marcus privately wondered if he would ever see his estates, let alone rule there.
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12 May 1433, the Introduction of the Heir to the Throne
As the proud father Julius I raised his son, Gian Gastone Datti [2] and the nobles applauded, Cicero ironically noted that now he had no Duchy to worry about, as the infant was now titular Duke of Rome and Prince of the Empire. He chuckled softly to himself, but gasped along with the rest of the crowd when the infant bit the Emperor and he was promptly dropped on his head. Although the infant appeared fine, many wondered if that might impact his ability to rule when he was old enough.
Nobody remembered exactly who Julius had married; she was a non-entity, and didn't even live in Florence with her husband. One of the more vicious rumors was that the young heir's mother was a courtesan, who was given a substantial sum of money to keep quiet. Perhaps some credence was given to the rumor when the Empress Lucia scowled during the entire ceremony, with her only smile coming when the infant struck his head. In any event, nobody asked too many questions about the young lad's mother; the important thing was that there was a proper heir to the Imperial Throne!
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9 May 1434, the Imperial Throne Room
Cicero did not need to worry about losing his nobility with the new heir; he was simply proclaimed Duke of Romagna, although he still could not retire as Chancellor. He remained the most senior Duke in the Empire, and if something should happen to young Gian, he would still be heir to the throne.
What he did need to worry about was finding a new adviser to the Emperor. The Master of Mint, Axel Ganthelhielm, had died on the way back to his home in Sweden; he had been contemplating retirement for many years now. The Emperor felt compelled to hold a Jousting Tournament in the Swede's honor; privately, Cicero thought this was a bit silly, but he understood the ultimate purpose, gathering a crowd to Florence to find a worthy appointee to the Imperial Council.
Two portraits of the long-serving Master of Mint were also ordered; at the Tournament, a Collector, who promised to improve Imperial trade efficiency by 2%, was named a Count and officially hired as an adviser to Emperor Julius I. Vitale Buti was given the official oath of office after the Tournament; nobody remembered who won because the Emperor officially announced a new national monopoly on Liquor at the conclusion of the Tournament.
There were loud protests at this unwarranted expansion of Imperial Authority; nonetheless, compliance was ensured by the First Legion, who had been ordered to the Imperial capital before the Tournament was announced. Now Cicero understood why the Emperor had hired a Collector; he would secretly be the official that enforced the Liquor Act. His actual title was meaningless. [3]
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12 January 1436, the Imperial Throne Room
Although almost assuredly not young Gian's mother, nonetheless the Emperor officially had an Empress; the daughter of the King of Sicily. She did not know Latin, but since she knew she had to choose a Latin name, chose the Latin name for her home town, Syracusa. Everybody privately chuckled at the name, but the Emperor seemed to at least tolerate her, and he had never done with a woman who was not his mother, so this seemed to be a boon to the Empire.
In reality, Cicero had arranged this marriage. He saw that Sicily did not have an heir to their throne, and hoped that Julius I could be King of Sicily as well as King of Naples and Emperor of Tuscany.
Not much had happened in the previous years; Pisa received a Dock and the Duke of Siena ordered the construction of a Constable to ensure that taxes were collected efficiently. Modena was inherited by Ferrara.
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18 August 1437, the Diet of the Damned German Empire
Cicero was in Vienna for two reasons. First, Leopold VIII of Austria had asked the members of the Damned German Empire to vote on a new reform; called simply the Reichsreform, it was extremely popular.
Second, Cicero was to find out if Austria would relinquish her claim to the Throne of Sicily; privately, the Emperor was convinced he should claim the throne as well, but did not want a succession war.
Despite the popularity of the Reichsreform, Cicero voted against it's adoption; he needed to authoritatively demonstrate the independence of the Tuscan Empire from any other authority. However, he knew the Emperor would actually be pleased, since even if he hadn't vote for it, Tuscany would still get the considerable benefits.
His second mission was a failure, however. He did get an audience with Leopold VIII -- perhaps a sign of the growing power of the Tuscan Empire -- but Leopold did not for one moment even consider abandoning the claim of Austria to Sicily. Cicero had to return home with some bad news; it was either war or let Austria enter a union with Sicily.
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19 January 1439, Chancellor's office
Emperor Julius I and the Milanese ambassador to the Empire sat in Cicero's office. It turned out that Tuscany would be going to war, but not with Austria. Citing an unresolvable Trade Dispute with Savoy, Milan had already declared war and hoped for Tuscan support.
Cicero, as Chancellor, would be the one to officially draw up the declaration of war, but the decision was the Emperor's. Julius I signed the declaration of war in front of the delighted ambassador from Milan, then turned to Cicero after the ambassador left.
"Marcus, I know we've delayed this decision because we could not see much gain for Tuscany. Adding lands from Savoy could remind Leopold VIII that technically, Siena is still part of the Damned German Empire. Until we can convince the citizens of Siena to formally renounce their ties to the Empire, we must be very cautious. However, I will not dishonor an agreement that my father made, and Milan could prove useful in the future. I will order General Butterius to move towards Savoy as soon as he can, but I want Tuscan troops away from any fighting, if possible. We will siege provinces, but nothing that could put Tuscan soldiers at risk for no gain."
Cicero was relieved, and admitted that the Emperor's decision made sense. He drafted the orders to the Legion, the Emperor signed them, and then both men returned to their duties.
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3 February 1439, the Imperial Throne Room
The Emperor was privately worried about his son; he'd shown no aptitude for anything whatsoever. He had trouble walking more than four steps before falling, and at least once had nearly jabbed himself in the eye with a spoon while eating soup. The Emperor against silently cursed the courtesan who'd given him this son; perhaps if he and Syracusa had a son, at least they might have a credible alternative.
Cicero burst into the room, however, and the Emperor's thoughts about his son completely evaporated when he saw the look on his Chancellor's face.
"Emperor, I have grave news. Somehow, the Kingdom of Milan is at war with Austria!"
Julius I was absolutely shocked -- what on earth was Milan thinking? "How did this happen, Cicero?"
"I have no idea; it was completely unexpected. I think that Milan had declared war on Sardinia, and Sardinia appealed to the Damned German Emperor. In any event, Milan has thankfully not called us to arms."
Julius I was grateful for that small favor, but still very concerned for the safety of Tuscany; perhaps Tuscany could use some new allies.
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8 March 1440, Rome
General Butterius had another assignment. The war with Savoy ended not too long ago, with a complete victory for Milan.
Now he was expected to put down a rebellion from the Pretender to the Throne, a man named Constantino Piccolomini.
As he prepared for battle, he thought for a moment about his father. A new Count had just been appointed to the Imperial Council after the sudden death of the young Philosopher.
The elder Butterius was expected to announce his retirement soon, as the Emperor wanted a new philosopher to sing the praises of Tuscany. There were no current frontrunners, but there had been rumblings from a Byzantine scholar that had recently emigrated from his homeland. The General didn't much care who succeeded his father, but he did hope that whoever did understood the value of the Butterius family to the Empire.
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14 May 1440, the Imperial capital at Florence
Constantine was awed by the majesty of the Tuscan Empire. Here, he thought, he could make his mark and help a true resurgence of Roman might. A humble scholar from Constantinople, he was angry that so many other countries had presumed themselves to be worthy successors to Rome. The Pope had long since suppressed any true Italian unification and thus a new Empire; the Damned German Emperor (he quickly picked up this sobriquet from some of the Imperial officials he'd met, and it fit his perceptions exactly) was a mere Imposter; and the Ottoman Turks could soon overrun his homeland, eliminating any chance for the
true successor to Rome (in his eyes, any way) to rise to prominence once again.
Nonetheless, with few chances for advancement in his homeland, he'd sailed for Florence the moment he heard that Rome had been captured. He was initially content to help translate some of the old Roman manuscripts in the Vatican Library; the old Latin was more difficult and required a little more expertise than the current archivists had. When he'd heard there was an opening after the Sheriff retired, however, he made his way to Florence and spoke directly to Chancellor Cicero about filling the position. Cicero was impressed with Constantine's work, and got him an audience with Emperor Julius I.
"You must be the Greek that Cicero told me about. You've gained yourself quite a reputation as a scholar. When you applied for this position, you were the only person to say you truly wanted to see a New Roman Empire; that is why you have come this far. What could you do for the Empire, if you were to be appointed to the Imperial Council?"
Constantine had been preparing this speech for days. "My Emperor, I must admit that I have acquired some international celebrity for some of my translations of Ovid, Martial, and in particular, Vergil. I've met with the King of England, the Knyaz of Novgorod, even the Damned German Emperor Leopold VIII" -- at this remark Julius could not keep a big grin from his face -- "and I think that I might lend some additional prestige to Tuscany. The courts of Europe do not know exactly what to make of Tuscany; I hope that I could help spread your message, and increase Imperial prestige." [4]
Julius I considered Constantine's proposal. "My only concern is that you are not a Tuscan citizen. With this recent uprising in Rome, many of my people are suspicious of foreigners. What can you offer to assuage their concerns?"
Constantine thought that his nationality might be an obstacle. "Emperor, I am prepared to renounce my citizenship as a citizen of the Byzantine Empire. I have left a not-inconsiderable fortune behind and many of my most prized possessions to come to the Empire of Tuscany; should the need arise, I would even volunteer to fight in the Legions, despite my age."
Julius I was impressed with this last statement; although Constantine still appeared to be quite young, Cicero had assured him that Constantine was nearly forty years of age. He made up his mind. "Then, Constantine, do you solemnly swear to uphold the traditions of the New Roman Empire, to defend her against her enemies, and to submit to the will of the Emperor and those officials who may be your superiors?"
Constantine, trembling with excitement, replied, "I so solemnly swear. My life for the Empire!" The last had kind of spilled out in his exuberance, but he saw Julius I's even larger smile as a result and knew that he had the job.
"Constantine Graecus, you are now a Count in the Tuscan Empire and Philosopher to Julius I, Emperor of Tuscany and King of Naples. Discharge your duties to your utmost abilities, and I have no doubt you will rise far. You are dismissed, Count Constantine." [5]
Beaming, the new Count reported to the Chancellor. The Chancellor had taken an immediate liking to the Greek and had already asked Julius to assign him to his office; Cicero needed a capable assistant so that he could administer his lands from time to time.
Who knew where Constantine could go?
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29 August 1441, the Chancellor's office
Cicero was worried. For the first time since Julius I had taken the throne, some individuals were speaking out against him. It had been over a year since the Pretender to the Throne had been defeated and executed, but somebody -- perhaps a foreign spy -- had begun spreading some lies that all Julius cared about was war.
Perhaps the earlier petition by General Butterius to ensure that the navy was not prioritized over the army had something to do with it.
Whatever the reason, Cicero did not relish confronting the Emperor with this new propaganda text. To reduce inflation, the Emperor had diverted all funds from the Imperial Treasury into research, and the coffers were slowly starting to dry up. He'd become irritable as a result.
When the Emperor greeted Cicero, he was clearly not in a good mood. The normal pleasantries were ignored, and all Cicero got was a brusque "What do you want now, Cicero?"
Cicero gulped, then handed the report to the Emperor. Julius I at first seemed to get angry, then calmed down immediately. "Cicero, deploy any and all resources at your disposal. With no Sheriff, you will have to serve as law and order for the time being. When you find the responsible individual, arrest him."
Cicero nodded, turned to leave, then the Emperor stopped him. With an odd expression on his face, the Emperor repeated himself. "Arrest him. Then execute him. I must set an example for my people. Lawlessness will not be tolerated."
Cicero tried to object, but the look on the Emperor's face quickly ended that line of inquiry. Cicero had never seen Julius angry before; it was a sight to behold. He hoped he would never see it again.
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29 August 1441, a Roman monastery
Constantine was thrilled to enact his first official assignment outside of Florence. The Emperor had learned that the individual responsible for the propaganda was a monk who still had not accepted that the Pope was no longer the ultimate authority for Christians in the Empire. To make an example of the monk, the Emperor decreed that only monasteries which acknowledged the supreme authority of the Emperor in all religious matters would continue to be sanctioned in the Empire of Tuscany; all others would be closed, and their assets sold to raise revenues for the Empire.
Constantine knew the abbot of this monastery personally, in particular his so-called "secret" meetings that still prayed for the soul of the Pope and called on people to rise against Tuscany. It was a matter of great pleasure to hand him the Emperor's decree.
The abbot sputtered and demanded an audience with the Emperor immediately; Constantine merely nodded to the soldiers around him, who began dismantling the monastery, claiming valuables in the name of the Empire. Two particularly burly ones grabbed the abbot and dragged him off to the prison wagon; this rabble rouser would never see the light of day again.
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1 November 1444, the Imperial Throne Room
The Emperor had enjoyed over three years of peace and quiet. He'd even tracked down the Papal enclave in Northern Europe; while he did nothing about it yet, he made sure that he knew exactly where it was. A map hung in his personal chambers, to remind him of the man who still opposed the law and will of the Empire of Tuscany.
Cicero had a few moments ago brought him some unpleasant but not unexpected news; Leopold VIII officially became King of Sicily in a ceremony earlier that day. Julius had received an invitation to the ceremony; it merely addressed him as King of Tuscany and Naples, which was completely unacceptable. Some day, the Damned German Emperor would pay for these insults. Today was not that day, however. For now, he had to consider other options.
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10 May 1447, the Chancellor's office
Constantine was busily perusing a new announcement -- the formation of the National Bank of Tuscany -- when Cicero entered the office, a bit later than usual.
Cicero appeared years younger than he ever had before. When he saw his deputy, he greeted and embraced him. "Constantine, you have been a tremendous asset to this office. Without your help, this would be a much more difficult decision to make. As it is, I feel confident that I am making the right choice."
Constantine was confused. "Chancellor Cicero, I'm not sure I understand."
Cicero clapped the Greek on the back. "Constantine, I just resigned as Chancellor; you are my successor. I have not seen my son in years, and I want to retire to the estates I've earned through my years of service to two Emperors. The Emperor will confirm your appointment shortly; as of 1 January 1449, the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Empire of Tuscany, you are the Chancellor of the Empire. I wanted to retire immediately, but my last official act will be to officiate at the celebration and prepare the Emperor's speech; a fitting legacy, I think. Congratulations, Constantine."
Constantine was dumbfounded; he had no idea that Cicero was even considering retirement, let alone making him his successor. Cicero's own son, Agrippa, was considered by many to be the logical choice to replace his father, but Agrippa was too involved in the politics in Ancona to go to the Imperial capital. Constantine had clearly made the right choice by emigrating to Tuscany all those years ago; he only hoped that Cicero had also made the right choice.
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[1] He's a 4 shock general; 1 pip in Fire and 3 in Maneuver too.
[2] Datti would be the dynastic name; Leo I and Julius I are Dattis but Maso I was not.
[3] I had to choose either a collector or a treasurer to pass the Liquor Act; in retrospect, I probably should have gone with the Treasurer. Oh well, too late now :wacko:
[4] He's a level three philosopher, 1.5 prestige a year. The Master of Mint is also a level 3. The winner of the guess why Tuscany won't get Sicily any time soon contest was Michaelangelo. This is his character. Now, if I do something stupid, it's his fault!
His name is actually Ippolitio something; I edited his name in the save, so it'll be the wrong name for the 50 year update but right going forward.
[5] Graecus just means "Greek" in Latin. If you have a different Nomen, Michaelangelo, by all means PM me and I'll give you a new one. I reserve the right to pick your Cognomen, however.
I hope everybody enjoyed the return to form! The next update will be at the end of the week; it's a 50 year overview and the last appearance of Marcus Tullius Cicero in this AAR. I'll have to get some game play under my belt before I can do another story update.
