Apokatastasis - Macedonian Glory in the Byzantine Empire
- Thread starter Lucius Sulla
- Start date
-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Oh, I just use some screenshot capture from google maps from roughly the site of the battle, modify it a bit with paint shop pro and then draw squares and lines on it...
Same with the tittle card, just used the banner from a nice image of a byzantine soldier I found googling around, and using some byzantine font with golden esculpture texture with the same program, and some meanders I found for the patterns (which I will probably use soon, they look neat, I think).
Yup, nearly there, you will see next chapter.
Excellent and very professionally-made AAR, only marred by those abhorrent Mediterranean portraits that make the fair byzantines look like 500-year-old mummies.
-------------
Appearance of Herakleios, Emperor of Byzantium (c.575-641): "Robust, with a broad chest, beautiful blue eyes, golden hair, a fair complection, and a wide thick beard." (From the Historia of Leo Grammatikos)
Appearance of Zoe, Empress of Byzantium, daughter of Emperor Constantine VIII, wife of Emperors Romanos III, Michael IV, and Constantine IX (978-1050): "[She was] naturally more plump, although she was not strikingly tall. Her eyes were large, set wide apart, with imposing eyebrows. Her nose was inclined to be aquiline, without being altogether so. She had golden hair, and her whole body was radiant with the whiteness of her skin." (From the Chronographia of Michael Psellos (c.1017-c.1080)
A mosaic in Hagia Sophia of golden-haired Irene, wife of Ioannes Komnenos and mother of Manuel Komnenos:
http://www.pallasweb.com/p/eirene1.jpg
And an image of Emperor Ioannes Komnenos from same source:
http://www.pallasweb.com/p/john1.jpg
Last edited:
And to add to your fine research, I must inform anyone that wants to barge in here shouting about the very dark portrait of Manuel I Komnenos.
While Manuel was indeed dark, this is due to a combination of genetics and campaigning forever in the sun, getting a tan, more than most other emperors.
Looking at portraits of other emperors and civil servants of the Empire shows that most have the same complexion that Joseph Stalin or Angela Merkel or, hell, even Kirk Douglas had.
Saying that all Byzantines were so dark because Manuel was dark is like saying that all U.S. presidents were as dark as Obama, just because.
I heard there was the fact also that some of the images that inspired our Swedish overlords (tongue on cheeck for that, I warn :rofl
to consider mediterraneans so dark is due to the fact of aging in the mosaics and paint. Our very very beloved Swedish overlords. As it was said before, it's amazing how the skin tone of the mediterrenean portraits is actually darker than that of arab portraits...Anyway, I'm writing the new chapter right now, hope to turn conversation from this currently dead horse, discussion wide
.
CHAPTER 6: THE PRICE OF GLORY (920-928)
January 3th, 925
Gardens of the Imperial Palace
When Ioustinnianos cried out he could only sigh at the enthusiasm of the three imperial princes. Theodoros was the worse, by far, the little devil as adventurous in court as in the training field, and he was just eleven years old! His older brother Michael was quite more calmed, but oddly enough he usually he preferred his younger brother to take the lead in their little adventures in the palace. He still remember the angry speech that the Basilissa Eirene had given them when the imperial court had found out that Michael and Theodoros had climbed onto the roof of one of the buildings to cheer to the imperial parade after the victory at Giurgiu against the Magyars. The empress nearly had an attack as the imperial couple were waving from their chariot... and suddenly raising her eyes saw her two older sons cheering at them from no less than fifty feet high!
As the head of the imperial diplomacy, and after a first education of the princes at the hand of their own parents, the princes had been entrusted to their care. Emperor Leo was a man with a natural charm and a kind and honest disposition, but his political expertise had always been... lacking, thanks to Basil's neglect, the old always having wanted his sons to be great military leaders like himself. He would make sure that their sons would be prepared, to take the reins of the empire and continue a good government that had perdured since... the unfortunate incident with the late emperor Michael, for whom he had no doubt that prince Michael had been named. It's not that anybody cared about the emperor's true parentage anymore. Well... that was not correct. It was clear that the Basileus Leo cared. That and the tales of the cowardice of his older brother and himself at that fateful day in Crete. It was nearly heartwarming how the emperor started to get interested for the first time in his life for riding and hunting. Nearly, indeed, as the emperor was severely lacking in martial prowess, with his thin and elegant but severely untrained figure.
He could not blame him, with all the ways that the Strategos Theodosios' name was blessed everywhere in the empire. He could not blame the man for his urge to retire after his great victories in every corner of the empire. And Theodosios certainly was getting the feel of how nervous his triumphs were provoking in the emperor's spirit. He tried at every moment to reassure the imperial family and servants such as himself that he had no intent for the empire or for further glory. Ioustinianos did not doubt that. The man enjoyed war and slaughter, strategy and command as no other but the old Basil had... but he had a very severely distate for the matters of church and state that knew would provoke him huge troubles if he would ever manage a succesful rebellion. It was a great testament to the man's wits that he himself realized that. And it was hard, with the huge victory north of the Danube. The magyars had invaded the empire and had to be punished, their lands taken and pacified. There was just case, and the lands north of the Danube had been conquered by the great Trajan of the old empire, after all. The fact that the Great Khan of the Cumans in the steppes had sent a wave of paganism, formalizing and denying the true religion of Christ in ways that he had never been seen before and that reminded of the Zoroastrism of old that had impulsed the persians before the arabs to be the boogeyman of the empire had impulsed Leo to act and to nearly beg Theodosios to postpone his retirement and lead the Roman troops to victory again.
At the bridge of Giurgiu, the imperial troops had crossed the Danube and faced the gathered magyar army. And again the Doux of Dyrrachium had brilliantly outmatched them. His victory was so complete that the now so called king of the Hungarians had sent a plead for mercy to the emperor Leo, no doubt scared by the tales of the punishments that Theodosios inflicted to those defeated by him. Leo could only smile at such plead, but when the general returned to the City to surrender the spoils to the Basileus, there was a funny glitch in Leo's eyes that made this time the general find the first excuse to return to his lands by the Adriatic and forget about the glory, to live a quiet family life and manage his lands.
Then there had been that disgraceful matter with the pirates. When the emperor had learnt that the greek fire's formula had been lost, and that a vile pirate petty king was ransoming the formula and one of the last men that had been able to manofacture it, he had become so scared that he had accepted all the petitions of the man and paid a fortune in gold to the vile criminal, despite the petitions of the court to the contrary. It was in his instincts to appreciate and encourage beauty... but courage was not a thing that came naturally to him, the man could just not prevent it. Even when he was trying pretty hard now. He could see worrying signs, how the emperor played with wooden soldiers and stared thoughtfully at the map of the southern borders of the empire. The man was not meant for war, and he was trying every way to tell him that in any way he could find to not offend him. And Ioustinnianos was good for subtle things. Unfortunately that was the very same reason he had to instruct the princes now.
Finally he could catch up with the young men and exclaim with his usually suave but slightly exasperated tone "Michael! It's the time for your latin lessons! You should bring your brothers now with you... your mother will be greatly displeased with you if you lack in your education."
The heir to the throne freeze... the boy was as deliriously brave as his brother Theodoros, but he had always been painfully shy regarding women. And that include even his mother and his older sisters, now queens in the latin countries of Castille and Moravia, the emperor seeding allies in case that line of descendants of the so called emperor of the West would turn upon them. He gulped and froze and said "Oh, don't get like that, Magistros... Theodoros... and bring Eusthatios with you! Come on..., you heard our teacher..."
Theodoros emerged from the hedges, his tunic torn at the edges after his usually daring running around the gardens, the way he sparred with branches of trees with his older brother "Aw... come on... latin is so boring..." The teacher looked at them grimly "Latin is the tongue of your forefathers, and of the old empire, you should know it as well as your athican greek, my prince." Still, he could not be hard with those two. They were both just as brave and gallant, even when in the case of Theodoros to the point of being an incurable heavy prankster with the safe knowledge that his older brother would take the fall for him. But both were kind hearted and honest, and it was truly very easy for him to look through any of Theodoros mischief. The young man had practically begged him and cried him that he was the one responsible for a particularly bad prank when both Ioustinianos and the empress Eirene had decided to separate Michael from his brother. And both were, despite their protests, very brilliant students. Natural learners. He reflected on the fact that if they had not been born in the purple, but in his same circunstances they probably would have ended eunuchs and imperial bureaucrats as himself.
"Where is your little brother...? You need to come all to class"
Theodoros shrugged "Dunno... he said he was tired of the game and of us and left for the palace..."
Eusthatios... at eight years old it was clear not only that he was not half as brilliant as his older brother. He knew that the spotlight was not on him, and the boy nearly hated his brothers at the natural way they disregarded himself. He was probably the one closer in temperament to his father, but the fact that Leo had only eyes for the Imperial Prince Michael drove him mad. Theodoros simply did not care. He was the brightest and the favourite of his mother, and he just simply did not care he would not be emperor. Poor Eusthatios, at even this tender age knew in his bones he was the... unfavourite, and was getting really resented about it. But nothing that he could prevent in his classes. He gestured for one of the servants and ordered with a frustated sigh for the younger prince to be fetched, while he gestured for the two princes to come and follow him back to the ever boring latin.
January 19th, 927
Haifa, Palestine
Everybody had advised him not to do this. His beloved wife Eirene had pleaded him to stay at the City with her, to let his generals take the campaign as he always had. But this time was different. This time it was the campaign for Jerusalem. He could not leave this holy task to any other. And he had been learning so much during the last years. He would shut those laughs that still resounded in his ears, the laughing of that blasted pirate king taking his gold, telling him he had known that Leo would be a good boy and not dare to try anything foolish. Well, it was time to try something 'foolish'. When he would enter in the holy city of Jerusalen, with the people waving branches of palm trees for him, nobody would dare to say a word against him, or remember those blasted events in his past.
The campaign had gone very well so far, and the weather was fair enough in the winter months to allow the sieges and campaign to be sustained. The Tagmata had put siege to the fortress of Acre during the spring, and in months the fortress had fallen. In the east, the theme armies of the province of Syria and Anatolia had defeated south of Damascus the arab Ismailid army south of Damascus, and he had just arrived with his varangian guard to lay siege to the fortress of Haifa, that presided south of the bay as much as Acre presided the north. If it could be secured, the whole fleet could winter here and provide the necessary supplies to go onwards south... to Jerusalem!
The armies of the Theme, leaded by the doux Antonios of Koloneia, leader and Strategos of the Armenian themes and a man who had fought against Georgians and Arabs during all his life, lacking half his right arm to show for it, had earnt a victory south of Damascus just one hundred days ago, which made him fear that the glory of this campaign would be denied to him, that the low voices and the whispers in the court would say that the Emperor had come again for a won campaign. But he had learnt that the Sultan of Egypt had come from the south to help the Ismailid Caliph, enemy as he was of his, united against him to defeat the christians.
Well, the Sultan had come to find himself badly surprised. The byzantine army was twice the size of theirs. But the situation of the city of Haifa was desperate, and the Sultan knew it. Praying to Allah, he knew he had to try to stop the christians, as if Haifa fell, they would pour from the sea as locusts, heading to the third holiest city in the world. The staff of the Emperor could see how happy was the emperor, and they could only be relieved at the fact this would be an easy victory. The imperial Tagmata, with a contingent of more than three thousand heavy cavalry would crush the egyptians and their arabian allies. They had realized that the emperor was... poor in tactical knowledge, but at the very least the leaders of the wings were highly competent. In his dreams of glory the emperor was going to be in the very center, surrounded by his Varangian guard. And after all the battle plan was simple and fool proof. The muslims were desperate, and they could only rush to reinforce the siege before the unavoidable assault.
Leo could feel the excitement of the battle, and again could feel the fear he felt so long ago in Crete as the center started to advance to match the egyptian infantry. But how could he fear, as at his left the thunder of the cataphracts reached his ear? And with him surrounded by the tall and fierce Varangian officers? He did not falter this time, despite his nerves, and raises his sword up into the air, to be answered with cheers from his men. His men... it was so intoxicating. No wonder his father and men like Theodosios would feed themselves in such unequaled sensations.
A battle was more chaotic than he ever thought, and he could again feel that disgraceful sensation creeping up his spine... and his bowells. Even when his horse was always selected by its calmness, the beast was moving nervously as the sounds of fight were resounding all over the front as the men clashed. For an hour he could only see... and not even that, as his left was clouded with dust and had no idea of how the battle was going there. Then, suddenly, he blinked as a cloud of dust passed before him... and the Egyptians troops that had been so far... suddenly were advancing so close, fighting with their spears against the wild axes and shields of the guards. They were... god, they were faltering! A... advancing towards him and the officers. At his sides the wild norsement laughed and readied on their horses, eager to join their men, but ordering the personal guard to protect the emperor.
But he would have none of that, not this time! He pressed his ankles towards the horse and cried, getting drunk with a strange mix of courage and fear, not wanting to fall into the later again. The horse rushed forward towards the line, and despite the trepidation in his bowells he could only smile at the cries of alarm of his officers, rushing to protect his sides. He reached the first enemy soldiers and managed to slash on the man's chest. It was so easy to strike here... to cut a man's life. He reached again to strike another muslim that tried to reach towards him. So easy...
He could never see the spear that was thrown towards him, just feel like shock as the metal pierced his chest, feeling the sudden weakness on his arms rather than the actual pain of the metal in his chest. He blinked and looked down, realizing how it was penetrating his flesh and into his chainmail easily. He reached to pull it off, but instead his body did not respond him... he just could feel himself slide... into darkness.
August 20th, 928
Imperial Palace, Constantinople
The coronation ceremony had been somber, and the circumstances of the crowning while as splendid as the late emperor Leo would have wished, was tainted with the knowledge that the war was uncertain in Jerusalem. The Basilissa Eirene had been governing in the year and a half of regency for his son Michael, and at least it could be said that the fight against the muslims for such an important cause as the recovery of Jerusalem was something that displaced everybody's mind from the chance to conspire and take advantage of such a young emperor.
It was the last night of celebration, and there was a huge banquet that welcomed all the greek notable families, when there was a clear turmoil coming from the palace. When there was a group of palace guards rushing towards the high table where the Dowager Empress and the young emperor and his brother the princes Theodoros and Eustathios were, both Ioustinianos and the Empress thought the worse, that there was some sort of palace coup, but when the men arrived, they stayed and it was clear that they were escorting a messenger.
The man knelt down humbly before the emperor and his mother, and only the prodding of Eirene made the surprised young Emperor of the Romans react "Speak, man! what's the matter, why are you altering the peace of these celebrations?"
The man cleared his throat and the sheer expression of happiness of the man, wearing the arms of the doux of Koloneia told them half the story "Sire... I have been sent rushing from the docks, sent from Acre in the fastest ship. There has been a huge battle by the fortress Mirabel, in the holy Lands. The armies of the cross faced in mighty battle the star of the Ismailids. And the true faith was proved right as the armies of the Crescent scattered to the winds! The city of Jerusalem surrendered after the mighty victory, and right now the Labarum is flying over the Antonia Fortress!"
Everybody was stunned, and several of the most faithful noblemen and noblewomen had fallen to their knees and were praying. Seizing the moment, the always skilful Empress raised and raised the arm of her elder son "God blesses the Emperor Michael and his mighty armies. God bless us all!"
There was a huge cheer, and tears and laughter filled the celebration. The echoes turned into waves, the waves into booms of joy exploding all over the city, resounding and extending themselves over all the Empire as the place of the Passion, the holiest city in the Earth had been finally recovered for Christendom.
CHAPTER 7: IN LOVE AND WAR (928-935)
March 1st, 929
Gardens of the Imperial Palace
It would be the last winter banquet, the streets of the City getting readied and adorned to welcome spring, and with spring the season for war and continue the campaign north. The celebrations had been a success and the power and legitimacy of Michael the fourth of his name as Emperor of the Romans was uncontested. He had been the favourite of his father, but now it was clear that his mother Eirene had decided to rather lean towards her older son. With her and his two cousins David and Chrysogonos, he was adviced and protected by his own family. David and Chrysogonos were the living image of ther granduncle the late Emperor Basil the Great. They were huge, boisterous and wonderful soldiers and generals. And the fact that during all the season of celebration they had formed the winning Tzykanion team with his brother Theodoros had sent the imperial family's popularity to unmatched heights. The cousins were the muscle, and there was no doubt that Michael and Theodoros were the brains. The serious mind of Michael and the mischevious thinking of his younger brother making the Makedon line look invincible. Even the winning team of several years, formed by the family and favourites of Empress Eirene, led by her own brother and thus uncle of the Emperor, was soundly defeated at the finals.
Many of the provincial judges and theme governors had already left, specially those in the southern and always uneasy frontier with the arabs. But Italy had been in peace for more than 40 years, and Neapolis and Sicily were enjoying a prosperity that would have not seemed possible generations ago. The relations with their latin northern neighbours were cordial, and even a delegation from the Bishop of Rome had arrived for the final banquets. The Empress Dowager Eirene was always looking for potential matches for his son. Some of the main noble lines in Anatolia had marriable daughters, but so far the emperor had proved an uncurable shiness regarding women. It did not help that his younger brother Theodoros, now sixteen years old, was the favourite in the court for the ladies, and at his young age had already broken a pair of hearts. Ah, he was entering the banquet hall now, and Eirene could only smile at his choice for a companion. The girl was his same age and was beautiful... a blonde, blue eyed angel, indeed. He had good taste for sure, and the young lady did behave gently and nicely at his side. They made a good couple.
It was then when he noticed that at his side her son the emperor had also noticed the blonde young girl and was... stared. It was as if a lightning had struck him. She looked alarm to follow his eyes and confirm that indeed he was staring at his brother's companion. And as the banquet continued, she could see how the emperor could never stop to glance at his brother's latest conquest. That could only spell trouble. And when the banquet finished and everybody started to leave, finally he grabbed his mother's arm and said "Who... who was with Theodoros? She certainly is not from our lands. I... I must know, mother."
Eirene sighed, noticing in his son's eyes the same look of longing that she always noticed in his father when he looked at her. He was lost in those blue eyes already... "That is Tiziana of Tusculum. She is here with the delegation sent by the Bishop of Rome. The Lords of Tusculum have... been controlling and imposing the Popes of the West for the last generations. Their women had not the... best of the reputations". Indeed, the mother of Tiziana was Marozia, who had been undisputed leader of Rome, and a woman of legendary beauty. There were very bad rumours about her, though, of how she had put lovers in the See of Rome itself. Tiziana was certainly not as much of a beauty as her mother and her older sister, but... it was clear she had a charm and a pair of ice blue eyes that certainly lingered in the men's minds and their imagination. "I... I must know her, mother... I don't care. She... when I saw her... mother... please, do help me... she must not leave, you must make her stay in the court! She... she must be mine." She was mother of both of them and sighed "She seems to be... quite entranced with your brother, Michael. Are you sure of this?" The emperor had never felt more sure of anything in his life "Please... she is the one. As you were father's. I know it in my heart, mother. And... Theodoros has so many women. He will forget her, I am sure of that..."
Well... Theodoros had been charming for many women indeed, and the little rascal had been fooling with servant girls since he was thirteen years old. He had charmed his mother from early age and had always been his favourite. But Michael... Michael was the emperor and he trusted her. There was no choice possible between them, despite her original leanings.
November 12th, 930
Gardens of the Imperial Palace
Theodoros had become much interested in matter of wars. As brother of the Emperor and his heir until he would marry and have offspring he had big responsibilities, and he was decided to not die in a battle as his father had. He had passed to the history as a glorious leader, with his death in the battle of Haifa, but he privately considered him a fool for charging that way with his varangian guard. His older brother Michael did not even want to even hear about the old stories that he was grandson of the previous Michael and not of Basil... and the fact that both of them, and their cousins, were brave and good with weapons and tactics as they could be, something they really showed in the Hippodrome's competitions. But even when the cousins were clearly Basil's style, huge and strong, he clearly believed they had inherited their martial wits from their mother side. After all, their maternal grandfather had been Megadoux and thus grand admiral of the imperial fleets, having all but expulsed the arabians from the East half of Our Sea.
And they had showed it, indeed. The past humiliations at the hands of the Black Sea pirates that had tormented their father Leo had decided Michael to impulse his conquests northwise. It was time to close the Pontus Euxinus, as their forefathers called the Black Sea, to pirates and barbarians. Cumans, Alans and Magyars were bad enough, but northmen pirates of the same lineages than their varangian guards descended from the rivers and into the sea, and they had raided the Anatolian northern coasts, with much cost for the imperial taxes. The invasion of the Magyars had given them the right excuse, and after having secured the provinces at the north of the Don, the imperial armies had pressed further north, destroying the magyar armies at Barlad, and starting to possition towards Crimea, once the king of the now so called hungarians had knelt and paid tithe to the Emperor.
He had been too busy, and he longed to see Tiziana again. He had been captured by those blue eyes, he knew it from the moment he had seen her with the Roman delegation. But the last year had been so difficult. Mother always had tasks for him, and while he was thankful that she had managed the young woman to stay in the court, he felt there was something odd with it all. When he finally saw both of them, his mother and his beloved, walking through the gardens in the distance he smiled and fastened his steps towards them and started to wave... then he froze.
The emperor was there waiting for both women, and was holding the reins of two beautiful grey horses. A horse and a mare, he could notice even from this distance. He noticed the smiles of his Tiziana and his brother. And suddenly understood. He felt... his sight go red with fury, and could not even react when he saw his brother and Tiziana riding toguether without noticing him. But his mother did notice him, and immediately came to block his way. It was a true testament to his patience, but he just stared into her eyes and spoke in the most calmed tone his could muster "Tell me, mother, that my brother the emperor is not taking what is not his."
Eirene looked at her son without any passion "I can't recall the moment she was yours, either. I must have missed the wedding". Theodoros swallowed the more insulting retort he just had formed in his mind... his mother was the only person who could call on his... well, his usual bullshit, so he went more to the point "You knew I was courting her. I... I have not tried to arrange anything because everybody was waiting for him to get a basilissa first. And because... god, mom. She follows the latin rite! I was trying to... to convince her, you know? And then to convince you to allow me to marry her. And now I find that your doubts were because you were helping Michael to get her for himself?!"
"He is the emperor... and... you know how he is with women. He fell in love and honestly, you had quite the flicker reputation. I could not count on your intent being... sincere. Your brother's is." Theodoros passed a hand on his head and said "And suddenly her being what she is is not a problem, right?!" Eirene looked at her impassively "She is a smart girl... she will recant, no matter how many bishops or Rome are or have been her cousins." The prince turned angrily but he found himself quite surprised as his mother grabbed him with a surprising strength for her sex and age.
"Look. You have always acted foolish, but you have never been a true idiot. Your brother has chosen, and if you don't want to break his heart one way or other, you will help him or you will leave. She will make a fine empress... we don't have to fish for inheritances and alliances and power, because we are the power. An empress has to be smart and help her husband... that's what I did for your father and that's what she will do. So, look into my eyes and tell me your decision."
Theodoros looked into his mother's eyes. He had never seen her so angry. Well, not with him, not at any rate. He thought well and swallowing his pride he said "I... leave."
The Empress Dowager nodded regally and said "I will arrange things. A marriage with a pretty girl that connects you to the Strategos of the south, and... well, your brother should appoint the new Strategos for the Jerusalem theme. A possition of great influence and responsability. A place where you could thrive. Now leave and don't even dare to go and speak with Tiziana."
October 9th, 934
Antonine fortress, Jerusalem
The place was still damn windy. The improvements on the battlements of the fortress were good, but the place was a thousand years old and it showed. He turned to Anatolios of Tripoli and examined the situation "The frontier is too quiet lately. No raids, no caravans... nothing. Do you think something is getting readied?" Anatolios shook his head "Don't know... I hear a lot of wild rumours... that takeover of the Caliphate some years ago... they did not quite slaughter all the Abbasids as the Abbasids did with the Ummayads, you know? It pays to be careful, with all the imperial army fighting north of the Black sea... do you have any news?" Theodoros reached for some documents "Yes... my cousins are shining in the campaign... my brother too, obviously. The basilissa just had a daughter too..." He tried the bitterness not to slip from his voice. To his utter vexation, Basilissa Tiziana and his brother seemed quite happy. And he had always thought she was the one... "Anyway, increase the scouts. We have to come down sooner or later. The pagans from the north have been taught a lesson and soon enough the sea will be closed to us. Then the armies will march to Askalon and to the East Bank. It's time we restore fully the province. Anyway, how is the new Patriarchate settling in?"
Theodors shrugged, he was usually not too interested in theology... for a member of the imperial house, that is "The population have come back to the true faith quite happily, it seems. Anyway there was always an abundant local population... it was clear that once we returned there would..."
His speech was interrupted by the sudden entry of a messenger. He was about to chastise him, but the man clearly was carrying an urgent message. He silently nodded and opened it, while the Doux of Tripoli just remarked "Those are bad news... maybe a great defeat in the north? Damn... we have not had those in a while." Theodoros seemed absorbed for a while, his eyes absorbing the document "My brother... he has fell very badly ill. I am his heir... yet, so I am recalled to the City with all haste, should the worst happen." The doux blinked "That bad? God, how old is he... two or three years older than you, right?" And the prince Theodoros was just in his early twenties. Theodoros nodded grimly "This is the handwritting of my mother. The situation must be really bad indeed. Ready everything... we are going back to the City."
Augutst 10th, 935
Imperial palace, Constantinople
The last months had been pure hell for Theodoros. His brother had died from his fevers six months past, but it was clear that the Basilissa Tiziana had been pregnant from him already. The fact that he had been able to conclude the conquest of Crimea was something that had not passed unnoticed to the nobles of the realm, who truly did not want such a long regency. Even his cousin Chrysogonos, once his brother's most fervent follower had decided to rather align with himself, not quite as the Sekallarios David, who had preferred to resign and return to the Benevento. His own faithful partisans during the years of strangement with his brother, Anatolios of Tripoli and Slavko of Rascia had eagerly encouraged him to take the empire for himself, and not have feelings for the offspring of his brother no matter what would come. And now the eunuchs of the palace were telling him that the new Dowager empress Tiziana, his own mother having died during his exile in Jerusalem after a bad fall from a horse, was having a very difficult birth.
He descended to the gardens closest to the Porphyria chamber, and waited nervously. Was god about to take him the thing he had come to love most? He had been kind and promised to be fair during the regency, brief as it could be if a girl would be born. And finally, a worried servant came, telling him that the empress had given birth to a boy... but she had become exhausted for such a long and hazardous birth. The physician, an eunuch from the court, wanted to talk with him private and urgently, though.
When he entered the chamber Tiziana was no longer there, and he felt sick at the sight of towels stained with her blood. It was a marvel that the empress had been able to survive the birth and would recover.. but the birth had been very hard and... the eunuch showed him the baby, clearly damaged. The physician chose his words carefully "My... prince. This little baby has been affected by such a difficult birth. I can see the signals, your highness. I have attended other births, and when this... has happened the baby has always grown to be... bent... many times retarded. Usually I would suggest the family just to cover his mouth and... let him go like a new angel to heaven, rather than to suffer in this land of sin. But..." he gulped and let Theodoros make the choice... a choice that could get him killed. Theodoros paled at seeing the baby, and then took long minutes to consider.
Then, he sighed, and with care he extended his hand to cover and grab the baby's mouth and nose, blocking it. The doctor nodded, guiding his hand and helping the whole ordeal to be as fast as it could be. Theodoros shed tears, but he realized he could never allow his brother to have his legacy. Two of the three persons he most loved were dead... and the third one should never learn of this. The doctor nodded and said "The baby died after the birth. His obvious defects were too much for him, everybody will understand that when they see him." Theodoros nodded, unable to speak after what he had done, waving the eunuch away... He was emperor now. And... he would divorce his wife and marry Tiziana. Yes, she had to be basilissa after this. Give birth to a true emperor.
Well, I don't see ANY way how this could ever come back to bite him in the ass. </sarcasm> Also, your imperial line seems to die young! Better hope for a good heir, and quickly.
Well, I am not really preparing the road for anything, since when I write a chapter I have played yet exactly to the end of that chapter. Anyway it has been the one
His dad Leo died in battle (and over 50 at that), and his grandad died of old age over 60 (and by game mechanics he was really his grandad, just used the whole thing from history books as such). Just bad luck I guess, and fortunately Theodoros was just as good (actually a bit better as he is not shy).EDIT: ok, I have played Theodoros and maybe you are more into something than I had thought...
Last edited:
Impressive, not even a single serious rebellion or murder attempt, well done. And well written to boot.
Education is everything, to be honest. Those good traits, and making sure that the emperor is born in the purple really helps. Also starting to put family members without claims (thanks to Basil's two brothers) in key possitions, although that has provoked a bit of a little problem as you will see soon, as a family member has gathered a bit too much for my taste thanks to a pair of deaths (don't know if accidental or otherwise).
When (and I hope it's 'when') I restore the Roman Empire, that super-broken augustus trait will kick in, and then it will be really hard to really have rebellions.
The only murder I have commited is that of baby Leo, because he was an imbecile and could have been my heir, and fortunately it has gone unnoticed. I stand to my promise to no save-scumming so I am trying to be careful. And my emperors seem to be dying on their own so...
I'm gathering morale to write the next chapter
I am pondering on doing a larger period based on the education, to provide another point of view.
I notice you have EU4 - that's not gonna delay our next chapter, is it ?
Ahem... maybe a bit. But just a bit. It's more the fact I am on summer holidays which is dragging things a bit. I have the basic script of the next chapter already written down, just gathering the right screens and so... I think I will have everything ready for post by saturday or sunday at most.
CHAPTER 8: NECESSARY REGRETS (935-955)
October 30th, 937
Frontier between Armenia and Syria
The imperial tent was full of activity. The men could not but get a breath after the ardorous mountanious campaign. Theodoros himself had to admit that the campaign to recover Armenia had been more difficult than he had expected. Supply wagons through the mountains had been a nightmare, and he had lost way more soldiers than he had expected. Still, while they were readying themselves for any retaliation he knew that was improbable. The news that the arabs had fallen into the most vicious and multiple sided civil war had been the spark that had provoked the war. In the past it had been the Roman internal problems what had benefitted the enormous and fast growth of the Caliphate. Now it was just fair in many ways that the opposite was happening.
The fifth fitna, he had learnt it was called. And it certainly sounded with enough of a punch to justify the terrible mess that the new Caliph had got himself into. He should have learnt from his predecessors the Abbasids in how they nearly wiped out the whole Umayyad family, the only ones to survive doing so in the other side of the sea. Instead he married into the family to justify and legitimize his throne. Something that Theodoros knew from the own Roman history that never quite worked too well.
He had governed with peace for decades, but when his main wife and her brothers had felt secure enough they had launched their own attempt for the throne. Which had led to the north and west of Persia declaring independence from the Caliphate, never easy under the Arabian yoke, and then the 'pure' arabian family of the Zeydids proclaiming himself in Mecca as the true Caliph. All in all a complete chaos that was destroying the lands of Persia, Arabia and Mesopotamia. Perfect for his porpouses. He had been barely prepared when the news arrived, but as soon as the Thagmata could be shipped to Jerusalem, all was put in motion. The Imperial Cataphracti swept to recover the East bank of the Jordan, and attack the holdings loyal to the Abbasid family. In a way he supposed the Caliph would have mixed feelings, looking how the Romans were neutralizing one of his worst enemies, while he was fighting the onslaught coming from the Arabian Zaydid, and had to recognize the claims of the de Facto independence of the many of the Persian Rebels.
He probably was not so happy as he learnt while he was fighting in Basora how the Emperor himself, at the head of his Varangian guard and the Anatolian and the new Georgian and Taurican themes invaded his loyal holdings in Armenia. He probably had judged the mountanious land secured and the passes treacharous and easy to defend. He was of course right, but even at the face of enormous losses the Emperor had managed to triumph, and after the rocky fortresses had fallen, he had set camp on the southern frontier of Syria, the start of the dessert, where he could see the arab army, whichever family colours it would be flying to come and try to recover their losses. They would be ready for them. But only news of more and more fighting along the Tigris and then down the persian gulf came.
When a messenger came galloping from the southwest he guessed that maybe the arabs would have decided to invade towards their lost Damascus yet again, but his thoughts were put to rest. Cheers erupted through the war camp at the news that back in the City a boy had been born to the Basilissa. He had not even known that Tiziana was pregnant! But the moment of birth made sense. The boy was healthy and the eunuch doctor had informed him that the boy was looking... well, great. As healthy and pretty as a baby boy should. That Eunuch. Had helped to keep a certain secret. He needed to be rewarded. But that for later.
It seemed his wife had decided for the name of Thomas in his absence. But he knew how to make up for something that still weighed heavily in his conscience. The arabs could fight his general... he needed to be home, to see, to raise the future emperor.
November 23rd, 939
City of Pescara, Kingdom or Italy
It was cloudy and there were hints of a storm coming, Iohannes thought it was the perfect weather for a dark conspiracy as this. The duke of Spoleto was late, and that worried him. There was something in this matter that escaped his intelligence, and that was not usual. As he usually did in such moments, he sat down calmed down and examined the facts one by one.
The so called Carolingian kingdoms of the West were as petty, treacherous and venal as they could be. The so called empire of the West had vanished in just a pair of generations, leaving just a host of kingdoms with cousins fighting between each other to try to reunify under their own petty crown the so called empire of Charles the Great. But so far nobody had managed even to get close to that target. If anything, the carolingians had only managed to... reproduce like locusts upon the land, filling half the territories of Gaul and Italy with family members. Each one of them with their heads filled with fantasy of being proclaimed emperor by the pope. The Papacy... that had fallen into the most abject corruption since the... family of the Basilissa had sinked their fangs into it and started to suck gold from all Europe through it. Not that he could say that in... polite circles, given the current good will between the current pope, who was second cousin to the Empress.
An empress that would have him killed if she ever knew that... but no, he had to forget that. He was lucky enough for having ascended so fast through the imperial administration as he had. His own medical experience had put him in the right place in the imperial palace to get into the trust of Basileus Theodoros. He had been reached to a legendary rank for Eunuchs like himself, being protomagistros of the empire, the chief advisor of matters of diplomacy. Only that sometimes entailed unsauvory business like this. But then duke Thomas of Spoleto would not dare to conspire with anybody else but a high ranking officer of the Empire such as himself. As many other, he was one of that huge Karling family, only this particular branch had lost their crown. His father had been king of Italy, but one of the continous interdynastic fights had a cousin usurp the crown of the south, backed by the pope himself, as duke Thomas' father had dispossed the Tusculani family of the duchy of Spoleto that had been hold so valiantly by the Alberic the Brave, great-grandfather of both the Basilissa and the Pope himself.
And now it had been the same family that would offer help for his reclamation of the iron crown of the lombards in exchange for the same family to recover their coveted duchy of Spoleto. Only, as usual, this was a double game. The emperor indeed wanted to recover the Spoleto for his wife and his son Michael, but it would be easier if the land would be in open rebellion before the Imperial Armies would move in. Pepin Karling, duke of Spoleto, would be given enough gold and empty promises but... ah, but here came the man.
"Your grace, I am glad your journey to Pescara has been without too much incidence."
The man winced, despising what this... Eunuch was, in many senses. Still, his private joy would be giving this... half man the sort of insults he desserved.
"Eunuch, let's get to the point. I have enough with your... greek diplomacy. I abhorr this sort of dealing as much as I detest your kind."
Iohannes could only sigh inward, keeping his best and most fake smile for the brutish frankish noble. "Ah, alas, your grace, I am afraid that I will have to do. The bags of gold are... readied. If you still want them for your campaign, that is."
Duke Pepin sneered "I heard there's an epidemy in your capital. That the emperor is ill. That the emperor is dead. And where will that leave me without his support, eh? With just what you lack in my hands, eh? I guess that would be a blessing for you, but it's quite a hard place for me to be."
"I assure you that while this epidemic of smallpox has swept through Thrace, the emperor has recovered and is well and ready to back you, your grace" Not without a price... the imperial family save the heir had got all ill, and the smaller baby girl had died to it, much to the sorrow of both Emperor Theodoros and Empress Tiziana. But the emperor had recovered, fortunately.
The duke grunted "So all is well, that is, if I have to trust that you bloody backstabbing Greeks are not doubleplaying me."
The eunuch could not help, despite his better judgement, to retort "You should be thankful we are not triple playing you, your grace. Or just went straight with you. You see, the imperial armies have quite the reputation in these days..." He did not have the humour to barter further with this barbarian so called Doux. He just peered through the window... and noticed how his guards were being fell by men in armour. He turned but it was too late... the feral smile of Pepin welcomed him and suddenly a sword went directly through his chest, piercing his lungs. He felt himself trying to cry in outrage, but only blood filled suddenly his mouth, overflowing his lips. He fell to the ground, as the frankish duke walked over him, savouring the moment.
"Fuck your imperial armies and fuck your emperor... you know, part of the price was actually killing you. Can you believe it? You truly are backstabbing bastards..."
At his last moments Iohannes the eunuch, protomagistros of the empire and previous head physician of the palace realized how the emperor had just waited to seal his lips for that night... permanently. He wanted to warn this barbarian that he was playing into the hands of the emperor as he had. That his very murder would be later used as a reason to vanquish him but... soon he could not even think. Soon he did not breath at all.
December 8th, 946
Imperial Palace, Constantinople
It was a cold day, but the air and the sky was clear and at least the winter sun warmed the parade as it marched through the fortress of the seven towers and the golden gate, adorned from the occasion. Following the same rout of Basil the Great, the emperor Theodoros could not feel but grateful to God for the honour and the glory bestowed to him. He knew this would be his greatest moment. Not even his victorious campaigns against the Arabs could compare to his brilliant victory of Frankopan.
The invasion of Spoleto had been easy, but the true masterpiece had been to lead the king of Italy and Lotharingia to fall in the belief that the northern frontier of the empire was vulnerable. It had taken a great amount of troop movements, but at the end, the carolingians had opted to invide Croatia to carve their way through the Adriatic coast, sure that the imperial army would be busy in central Italy. But that would not be the case. He had readied everything, and when the enemy army detected and pursued what they had thought to be the weakened armies of the north they did not realize how a vast imperial army, including the emperor himself and his personal guard were surrounding them through the northern Balkanic mountain passes.
The battle had been brilliant... a brilliant slaughter, but brilliant. Before they even noticed they were trapped from all directions... he could not have helped but to smile at the fact he had quite inspired himself in the now long past defeat of the pass of Varbitsa. He had learnt much from history, oh yes... to the point he had been digging up all the old military records of the next two centuries, from his grandfather's to the previous dinasties. The so called king of Lotharingia and Italy himself died in the massacre, and the child king left behind him could only surrender fully the Duchy of Spoleto to the claims of his wife and through her of his heir Michael.
Michael had been with him during the parade, smiling brightly at his father's side, and being proclaimed as Ceasar and official heir and despot of the Empire, just in case anyone had any doubt. He was a much admired youth, he had to admit. A very brave student of arms, and yet a very dilligent student of the faith and the languages of the empire. He was groing well and good and generously natured, too and if it was not for the fact he showed much more interest for the... things of the empire, quite more than the actual people and nobles, he would have been much more assured about his future as a monarch. But oh well, one can't control everything, he guessed, even being the most powerful monarch in the world. The young imperial prince was well loved by most of the court, and that was quite enough for him.
He would need all the legitimacy and love he would need with the disquietening news that had come from the north of the Black Sea. David of Benevento, his twice removed cousin had also won a brilliant victory from the empire, conquering the rest of Taurica and all but proclaiming himself Despot of the whole region. He had been one of the partisans of his brother during their time of... discontent, and he had been removed from the court for Theodoros own close council. They were not in the best terms, and certainly David could not claim the empire, descending from one of the brothers of his grandfather Basil the Great. But yet he had elevated himself over the possition of Doux and holded now a very significant power base that one day could turn against him. Or his son Michael. Not that David had given any signs of discontent, but... the fact that David still holded territories in Benevento and in Eastern Syria gave him a lot of reach.
Much more than he was comfortable with, that was for sure. But if he acted against his own kin... no, that would not be fair. And a powerful governor in the north, would be a good deterrent from the barbarians from the steppes. His own father hand considered reunifying the themes into the old and greater provinces, if the empire kept growing, but he could only hesitate at the idea. The theme system had worked well, and even when it made slower gathering troops for the war it ensured no governor felt powerful enough to challenge the emperor. He was lost in such meditations, knowing it could be a vital decision of the empire when he realized the parade was reaching the hippodrome, and an end. His wife was not there... and he did not look forward to meet her again.
The plague had hit the imperial family hard, and he had to thank God that Michael had not been affected. Still, both him, his wife and his two daughters were hit pretty bad. His younger daughter had died of the horrible smallpox plague, and his wife Tiziana... his wife Tiziana had become bitter and still fragile and badly recovered. They had quarrelled often from that point, and in a way he wondered if she had come to know certain... facts he had kept from her for a long time. Still, it was odd that she had not been in the box, nor their surviving daughter and his niece... the daughter of her first marriage. There was some... clear state of awkwardness in the guard of the box he immediately noticed, so as soon as he could get free of the parade he rushed to the private space in the hippodrome to see what would be happening. He found a quite disquietening scene there.
His wife was coughing badly, helped by the servants, and the princess his daughter was there crying at a side, also clearly holded by soldiers. At a side, a young and handsome varangian guard was also held, put down on his knees, and with clear signs of having been beat up. And his niece was at her mother's side, crying and pleading. At his side, prince Michael felt as shocked as he was at the strange scene, but wisely decided to stay behind of his father the emperor as he headed to see what the heck was happening.
There were many simultaneous protests, cries, insults filling the room in a moment and it showed the emperor's eminence in such matters that he carefully extracted the truth and imposed his authority. It seemed that the empress had caught princess Maria with one of the young Varangian officers in a very compromised possition. One of his best and a hero of the last battle. At first he would have thought that the drink and the excitement of the celebration would have taken the best of his daughter and the admittedly very handsome northman but... it seemed things had been going for a while. He sent his wife to rest, his daughter in house detention to her rooms, well kept and watched and the young and very foolish man to a cell. For the moment.
Michael was already thirteen years old, and passed after his father in the imperial private office. His father was... clearly agitated, but the man seemed not as mad as her lady mother about the whole fact. "Father... is Harald going to be... well, executed?" He did not like that. He quite liked the man, it had been one of his favourite instructors with the sword, some years ago. He had wondered indeed why his older sister was so keen on watching him train. Now he understood.
The emperor sighed "That's what your mother would want, for sure. But... what would you do yourself?" The young prince blushed... the emperor his father did not usually ask for his oppinion and he felt this was some sort of a test "I... eh... I quite like Harald. And... uh... well... he seems honest with sister, they look quite taken for each other. But he is... well, he is supposed to be noble in his lands but here... I would just banish him. Send him back to his lands under penalty of death and marry sister to one of the widowed Douxes" Theodoros smirked "Ah, the middle solution. To keep everybody content. Or moderately so. But that's not how things work in life. What would you really like to do?" Michael blushed "I don't see what's the harm of them... marrying. We could make him a doux or a count. He is a brave and loyal warrior and the empire could always use that. And I can see he would be very happy to convert for sister."
Theodoros smiled at that "Well, measure your decision. Who would love that sort of decision and who would hate it?" Michael thought about it "Mother would hate it for sure. He wanted sister to marry the king of Italy or of Burgundy or the like... the Varangians and the people would love it for sure, though. The governors... don't know, really." Theodoros nodded "The governors, all the strategos and judges, could not care less. You see, your mother still sees our rule as she was raised to see rule in her lands. She has a layer of our culture and our wisdom on her, true, and she is a smart woman, but... she is still the descendant of german barbarians. Lombards... Franks. She sees power in terms of family alliances, and if she would have had many sons she would have cried for me if I would have given you all the empire. She thinks our daughter should be queen, to marry at her level, as she does not understand a basic fact." That perked Michael's interest and said "What... is that, father?"
The Basileus of the Roman empire smiled "The fact that nobody is at our level. That varangian knight is as low compared to us as any of the douxes. Our line, you and me, my brother and my father and his grandfather, were chosen by god to return the empire to glory. To reclaim what was lost. To restore the kingdom of God on earth. And we can only be virtuous and kind and just and pious to pay him back, nothing else would do. The previous emperors were vain, proud and violent, cruel and venal... that's why the empire shrunk. Your mother would want your sister marry for a powerful alliance. But who could be considered our ally in the world? Nobody. If we lowered to accept the western barbarian kingdoms as equals... we would rennounce to our restoration. So what is the harm of Maria marrying Harald... let her be happy. And the varangians would be ever grateful to me... no, to you as you will announce my decision. I will make it known it was you who convinced me." He raised his hands and dismissed the sudden concern for a lie that his son showed "Oh, don't worry about that. You were in favour of it anyway. You will go now and announce the decision. Your mother will not speak with us... for a while, though."
January 2nd, 955
The plains south of Negev
As such the empress had never spoken to him again... the woman had got truly mad, and her health had diminished, still having never recovered after the smallpox plague. In a year she fell ill again and died. And he would never know how much she knew about... well, he always suspected that she had always loved her brother much more than himself. He had buried himself in his duties since then, unable to face certain questions that passing through the places she usually walked about would bring to his mind and soul. The conquest of the Alania, the Alan and Cuman tribes scattered before the might of the empire had taken his interest, while his son Michael proved an able administrator at home while he was away. Only the fortresses northeast of the Azov still ressisted... and the fact that the Ismailid Caliph had been overthrown and exiled and a yet new dinasty was keeping the arabs busy seemed like another good oportunity to face the Sultan of Egypt for the last southern fortresses south of Jerusalem.
His life was full of regrets. He thought he had accomplished... many things, indeed, in his two decades of holding the imperial crown. But he had never wanted this. His brother... his wife. It should have never been this way. Still, he had to center on the oncoming battle.
Ascalon and Darum had fallen to the imperial armies, both after costly and lengthy sieges. The Egyptians were proving quite a match for sure, much more than the arabians had been during the last generations. Much more warlike for sure. They certainly were much more stable than the Caliphate. And he could not forget that his father had died when they had faced him not so far from here, as allies to the Caliph in the conquest of Jerusalem. For some reason the very thought sent a shiver down his spine.
"Ready the cavalry on the right flank. I will stay with the guard in the center. All is ready, I trust?" His aides nodded, half bowing "All is readied, sire, all are just waiting for you." He could see the trust in their eyes. He had led him to victory before and... tough as the Egyptians were, they could not come here through the Sinai with enough numbers to have a real chance of victory. "Let's go then. Display the Labarum in my possition." He waved towards the great byzantine flag and proclaimed "In hoc signo vinces!" And the men cheered and repeated the latin battle cry, that extended through the troops. Still he had the sensation something was wrong, using the holy words, and realized this time would be the time he would pay for a dead infant... a betrayed councilor... a deceived wife, stolen from his brother's grave. He shook his concerns and went to battle. He had many regrets, too many. At least his son and daughter looked up and loved him. It was good to know that. Good enough.
The Empire strikes back!
That emperor held just long enough for the heir to grow up, better get him married fast
That emperor held just long enough for the heir to grow up, better get him married fast
The Empire strikes back!
That emperor held just long enough for the heir to grow up, better get him married fast
Oh, I really plan to marry him as soon as I continue the game tomorrow afternoon. Sorry for the delay for this last chapter, by the way, it was a whole 20 years and I struggled a bit about how to focus it.
In any case, there's not much risk right now to get game over, since I have a ton of heirs from my dinasty. Michael V got for some reason administrative education... level 2 at that. Sigh, thanks god for the really good traits, he still has diplomacy at 18, but I will have again to put at risk the next heir to get him back to diplomatic education 4, as his father and his uncle had.