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Russia is declared. But not as the Third Rome I presume.;)
 
Holy Mother Russia and the Roman Empire back to back, what madness has the world come to. A showdown between the Orthodox empires should provide for a real mother of all battles, not just for temporal supremacy, but for cosmic supremacy as well! :cool:
 
Russia is declared. But not as the Third Rome I presume.;)
Of course not! Why would you even suggest such blasphemy???

Considering the Golden Horde's merely calling themselves an Empire led to the Empire crushing them and building up Muscowy, I don't think Russia would risk it. Not yet, at least.

Holy Mother Russia and the Roman Empire back to back, what madness has the world come to. A showdown between the Orthodox empires should provide for a real mother of all battles, not just for temporal supremacy, but for cosmic supremacy as well! :cool:
That's what I hope. can't have the future of this series be boring.
 
75. 'Murica
'Murica

Konstantinos was enjoying an extended time of peace. He needed to enjoy it, for this peace would be there if he liked it or not. He was not foolish enough to continue waging war while his reputation suffered so. He used this time to tighten relationships in the court, keeping the nobles ever more engaged. If this meant excluding the rich, they could be trusted to find their own rewards.
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During this time, Russia made war on the Golden Horde for the last of their territory. It did Konstantinos' reputation no harm to send officers into the field, so he did so, eager to hear reports of the action.
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As the reports came, he excitedly worked with the Scholai Palatinae to find ways improving the Legions' abilities to wage war. They devised the idea of creating a specific corps of engineers, who would be specifically trained in how to create defenses…and how to destroy them. The Imperial Corps of Engineers was born.

Shortly after the Golden Horde successfully sued Konstantinos for peace, the Cherokee used the promise of a federal-style government to convince their territories to organize as a modern nation-state. The United States of America had come into existence.
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And shortly after this was done, Konstantinos decided his reputation had sufficiently recovered. War was made in the West Rhine region.
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The first Rhineland War saw Lower Lorraine completely annexed and Upper Lorraine pushed back to their capital and surrounding lands.
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The second Rhineland war soon after declared against Bavaria. This one saw the province of Worms taken.
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The Legions used their experience from this war to reorganize yet again, taking advantage of the engineering works that they often had available now.
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During the peace after this war, Konstantinos died peaceably. Konstantios XII was now emperor, his ten year old son Konstantinos the heir.
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Over there! Over there! Send the word, send the word, over there! (in reverse) :rofl:
 
Konstantios, Konstantinos, Konstantios, Konstantinos... We've still got the whole of the 18th Century to go!
 
What. Rome must crush these upstart Americans with their ideas of 'freedom'!
What govtype are they?
 
What. Rome must crush these upstart Americans with their ideas of 'freedom'!
What govtype are they?

The United States of America will go crusading "over there" and liberate Europe, and all of Rome's colonies, from the shackles of despotic tyranny! Even more reasons for Americans to hate the agents of Rome, of course, in this context, they're not referring to us Papists. :p
 
Well, that's mind-blowing. A USA created by the Cherokee. Still feels right, though.
 
That's an intriguing version of the USA.:D
 
Over there! Over there! Send the word, send the word, over there! (in reverse) :rofl:

Would you believe I had to google this to get the reference? I'm not sure if not knowing it is an age thing, a California thing, or just a me thing.

Konstantios, Konstantinos, Konstantios, Konstantinos... We've still got the whole of the 18th Century to go!

I'm torn between letting it continue for the lulz, or editing it back to the normal Greek rules.

What. Rome must crush these upstart Americans with their ideas of 'freedom'!
What govtype are they?

All the new American nations are noble republics. Not sure about England.

The United States of America will go crusading "over there" and liberate Europe, and all of Rome's colonies, from the shackles of despotic tyranny! Even more reasons for Americans to hate the agents of Rome, of course, in this context, they're not referring to us Papists. :p

This. Though I'm sure I'm fine for ~70 years if I leave their sailors alone. I'd better be out of the Americas by 1823, though, or things are liable to get nasty.

Well, that's mind-blowing. A USA created by the Cherokee. Still feels right, though.
That's an intriguing version of the USA.:D
I wanted something than the usual mess in the Americas (both border-wise and colonization-wise), thus four different regional powers formed by locals. Also, it leaves room for some new powers to arise in Vic2.
 
76. To the Rhine
To the Rhine

Konstantios XII inherited an Empire with an imperative to conquer all the way to the Rhine. This was very nearly done, but the Kingdom of Schwyz held some of those lands and was heavily influenced by the Netherlands.
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Schwyz would accept nothing but full defeat. The Netherlands took much more fighting and besieging, but in the end, they gave up Breda and Limburg (the Imperial Corps of Engineers having better surveyed the regions of the Low Countries and redrawing the borders on the official Imperial maps[1]).
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The third Rhineland war was fought against Thuringia for Mainz. The war was straightforward, and Mainz was taken.
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The fourth Rhineland war was fought against Upper Lorraine to annex the rest of their territory. While they fell quickly, their allies took a little longer but soon all agreed to white peaces.
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There was a time of peace, but in late 1734, a Russian war against Novgorod escalated into a war between Russia, The Empire, and most of the Empire's allies against Peru, England, and Novgorod.
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X. Legio was sent to take England's African holdings. Several other Legions were sent to the Americas, to fend off Peru and to take as much as they could from England. But they had to move cautiously, as the English fleet was even more mighty than the Imperial fleets, which lost two battles to the English.

Novgorod was left to Russia. At least until a Novgorod army was spotted marching through Lombardia. XII. Legio and XXIII. Legio soon outmaneuvered this small force, besting them in battle.

The northwestern Americas fell to XXII. Legio.
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But while VI. Legio destroyed several Peruvian armies in La Plata, English armies were able pour over the border and take much Imperial territory.
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The English armies were harder to defeat, but VI. Legio eventually did the job.

XXII. Legio made a bold strike toward the Hawaiian islands, but an English fleet drove them away before they could land. Many transports were sunk, thousand of soldiers drowning at sea.

X. Legio was able to take all of England's new colonies in the South Pacific. After doing so, it moved towards north-eastern Asia.
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Once any English colonies that could be seized had been taken, Konstantios finally agreed to a peace with Peru. A peace that gave the Empire the few English lands in the Indian Ocean that had not already been taken.
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While the Legions were shipped home and brought back to full strength, a more maneuverable mortar was developed and distributed.
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Konstantios was waiting for his reputation to improve when Adal attacked Mutapa. Russia came to Mutapa's defense, and the next thing anything knew, the Empire was leader in a much broader war.
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Fortunately, Ethiopia could be bought off for 50 gold. A small price to keep the Empire's ally in the Empire's camp. Bavaria was forced to give up Pfalz, the very province that Konstantios had been planning to start a war over in the near future.
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With this, the West Rhine was recovered. Parliament was disappointed when Konstanios declared that no more war would be made in Europe to recover ancient territories:
"We have regained our ancient lands. We do not wish any more German lands or subjects. The Germans have from ancient times been entirely ungovernable, and more recent history demonstrates no end to their chaos. It were best we leave them to their own devices."

Upon hearing this, Pieter von Zwiebrücken declared that the Netherlands were a nation where all Germans could live, free from Roman oppression.
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When the Imperial parliament asked Konstanios to capture Lothian from Scotland, he refused and refused to hear any new requests for years.

Baden gave up some land claims and much of their treasury. And eventually Adal was forced to release Swahili, give a little of the south African coast to the Empire, and give up their claims on other lands the Empire had taken previously.
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There was a time of peace, but eventually Konstantinos Doukas, heir to the Empire, died in a hunting accident. Konstantios was not entirely convinced of the accidental nature of this death, remembering both the way that several recent emperors had died of 'natural causes' and of the way parliament had recently been denied. The resulting purges of the nobility were mercifully minor, and the effects less than rebellious, as their families' new cadet branches eagerly joined the glory of the Imperial Court. But several who were almost certainly innocent had been caught up in the purge, and many nobles were uneasy about coming to the Emperor's notice.
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The young Theodoros was immediately declared heir, though he may have learned the wrong lessons from the events that led to his elevation.

When parliament was again allowed to suggest ideas, they asked for the annexation of Austria, and were again rejected and ignored. Konstantios spent nearly a decade focusing on building the Empire's infrastructure and institutions. These years were peaceful and unsurprising. Until Konstantios XII wrote his most famous of letters.


[1] I've started doing test conversions to Vic2, and boy do some of those regions change in shape between the games. I'm adjusting EU3 a bit to match.
 
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Dat puny, little, unnoticeable Germany.:p
 
I got the reference, and I'm barely in high school. :p
Byzantium's steamroller is working fully, it seems! Next you'll be landing on the moon. :D
 
Dat puny, little, unnoticeable Germany.:p
I'm really really hoping they take advantage of all those new cores.

I got the reference, and I'm barely in high school. :p
Byzantium's steamroller is working fully, it seems! Next you'll be landing on the moon. :D
Oh, good. I couldn't think of a way to make it more obvious with being too over the top. Then again, most of my titles are already too over the top, I fear.

And yes, soon the Empire can into space.
 
77. The Epistle to the Empire
The Epistle to the Empire

Konstantios, XII of his name, Basilious

Landholders, businessmen, plantation owners of the Empire, I remind you of St. Paul's letter to Philemon:


Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,​
To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker—also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home:​
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.​
I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.​
Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.​
I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever—no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.​
So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.​
And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.​
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.​
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.[1]​


As Philemon owed St Paul his very self, you owe the Empire (and thus me) your prestige and wealth. As St. Paul did, I insist that as Emperor, I could order you to do what you ought to do, but I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. I appeal to you for my long-suffering subjects, the slaves. Are they not sons of God, as you are? Were they not put into your power than they might learn their place in Christ? Therefore I implore you that you now treat them as dear brothers[2], rather than as slaves. I write this confidently to you, knowing you also would do more if I asked.



Konstantios, XII of his name, Basilious

Sealed orders to the Commanders, Centurions, and Legionaries of the Empire

My command went to the Empire to free the slaves, an iron-fisted command in a glove of velvet. It has been a year since the command was given.

Any slaveholder you can reach who has shown mercy, you shall show mercy. Remove them and their families from reprisal, and place them as officers or governors. For did not Christ insist that those who humbled themselves might be glorified?[3]

As for those who have refused to give up their terrible ways: did not Christ warn that the last would be first and the first would be last?[4] Therefore in such cases, make the slaves the owners and the owners the slaves. Make those who sell slaves to be sold as slaves, and those slaves being sold to gain the profit.

Once it is done, there shall be no new slaves. Those who seek to make new slaves will incur these punishments and more.



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[1]The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers: 2001.
[2]The Greek word used here can refer to both male and female siblings.
[3]A reference to Luke 14:7-11, and perhaps also Luke 14:12-14.
[4]Matthew 19:30-20:16
 
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It occurs to me that this is a world where chapter and verse divisions of the Bible never happened (though a quick wikipedia read on the history suggests a different form of subdividing large passages may have developed). It probably means people would have a better grasp the whole of a passage (no more proof texting!), but I feel sorry for the poor scholars who have legitimate reasons to cite specific sections and now have no good means to do so.
 
That was an interesting change to your usual format, Idhrendur. :) Two things though:

Firstly, have you considered using Greek numerals, where XII (12) would instead be written as IB', assuming of course the use of the much easier to type modern keraia instead of the Byzantine overbar?

Secondly, in the letters of Konstantios, did you mean basileus, rather than basilious? In modern Greek (and quite possibly Byzantine Greek), it's pronounced something close to 'vas-i-lefs', but in Classical Greek, it would be closer to 'bassi-loose'. (It should rhyme with Zeus at any rate.)
 
Ooh, the plantation owners in the New World aren't gonna like that.

Also, what year is it?