Lord Valentine said:
We're just rooting for the underdog. It's the way the universe works...
A History of Byzantium
- Thread starter VILenin
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We're just rooting for the underdog. It's the way the universe works...
Yeah but I somewhat have the feeling that if he had not been a conquering hero he would have inspired less ardent support. But anyway as long as a competent Emperor comes to the throne in the end (and the question of succession does not rip the Empire apart) I will be happy.cthulhu said:We're just rooting for the underdog. It's the way the universe works...
~Lord Valentine~
Caught up once again myself, VLLenin and this remains well structured and written. The intrigues between the brothers is sure to plague the Empire until at least one of them dies, I suspect.
Ok, now time for some feedback.
crusaderknight: Well Kosmas is the superior general but Theodoros has his own qualities. He's the better plotter for one.
stnylan: Yes, if heretic hunt got out of control it could end badly. Fortunately this is more of a case of using a convenient excuse. Now if only someone had remembered to tell the plebs that.
terraferma: Wow, I certainly didn't expect this level of antipathy towards Eudokia! She's cold and ruthless, sure, but it's for her familial interests and that's not really any different then most people of the day. She just happens to be better at it than most. Still, I'm glad to be getting such a great response from you guys!
cthulhu: Not quite. Being almost like the anarchists of Medieval era Byzantium means we probably won't be seing a Bogomil Emperor any time soon.
General_BT: Well, I would say Anastasia and Eudokia are definitely cut from the same cloth, that cloth being the Imperial Purple! They either would have gotten along well or killed each other.
Chief Ragusa: No, Kosmas first and only real love is soldiering. And Eudokia's too shrewd for something like that.
Draco Rexus: You ain't kidding. No backlash against her, for now at least.
RGB: Poetic justice won't be coming for Eudokia this time around.
stnylan: And there in lies the rub. I might drop a hint as to how this turns out be redirecting the reader to the chapter title.
cthulhu: I can see it now: Kosmas openning relations between Byzantium and China!
Fulcrumvale: Glad to have you aboard!
crusaderknight: If I might indulge in some foreshadowing/spoilers... This campaign will answer the question of succession.
General_BT: Might as well make those smelly infidels good for something, like killing off troublesome family members!
Lord Valentine: I'm glad to see at least one person siding with Theodors, or at least giving him some benefit of the doubt. He certainly wouldn't be the first Emperor to be overshadowed in part by a formidable wife.
coz1: Coming from a writer of your calibre that's quite a compliment! Thank you much!
crusaderknight: Well Kosmas is the superior general but Theodoros has his own qualities. He's the better plotter for one.
stnylan: Yes, if heretic hunt got out of control it could end badly. Fortunately this is more of a case of using a convenient excuse. Now if only someone had remembered to tell the plebs that.
terraferma: Wow, I certainly didn't expect this level of antipathy towards Eudokia! She's cold and ruthless, sure, but it's for her familial interests and that's not really any different then most people of the day. She just happens to be better at it than most. Still, I'm glad to be getting such a great response from you guys!
cthulhu: Not quite.
Being almost like the anarchists of Medieval era Byzantium means we probably won't be seing a Bogomil Emperor any time soon.General_BT: Well, I would say Anastasia and Eudokia are definitely cut from the same cloth, that cloth being the Imperial Purple! They either would have gotten along well or killed each other.
Chief Ragusa: No, Kosmas first and only real love is soldiering. And Eudokia's too shrewd for something like that.
Draco Rexus: You ain't kidding.
No backlash against her, for now at least.RGB: Poetic justice won't be coming for Eudokia this time around.
stnylan: And there in lies the rub. I might drop a hint as to how this turns out be redirecting the reader to the chapter title.
cthulhu: I can see it now: Kosmas openning relations between Byzantium and China!
Fulcrumvale: Glad to have you aboard!
crusaderknight: If I might indulge in some foreshadowing/spoilers... This campaign will answer the question of succession.
General_BT: Might as well make those smelly infidels good for something, like killing off troublesome family members!
Lord Valentine: I'm glad to see at least one person siding with Theodors, or at least giving him some benefit of the doubt. He certainly wouldn't be the first Emperor to be overshadowed in part by a formidable wife.
coz1: Coming from a writer of your calibre that's quite a compliment! Thank you much!
Wow. Great stuff!
It's been quite a while since I've dropped in over here, but I figured with all the taunting you give me in my AAR the least I could do is return the favor!
VILenin, your writing, and grasp of the important and telling elements of history and the game are terrific!
Keep it up!
Rensslaer
It's been quite a while since I've dropped in over here, but I figured with all the taunting you give me in my AAR the least I could do is return the favor!
VILenin, your writing, and grasp of the important and telling elements of history and the game are terrific!
Keep it up!
Rensslaer
Just wanted to post an FYI; I've started a new job which is considerably more demanding than my previous one. That's why updates are more irregular then usual. Hopefully though I'll be posting the rest of the current chapter this week.
And thanks for dropping by Rensslaer. If you don't have time to read you can always confine yourself to heckling like I do in the Sforza thread!
And thanks for dropping by Rensslaer. If you don't have time to read you can always confine yourself to heckling like I do in the Sforza thread!
I hope the new job, in addition to being more demanding, is more rewarding too (in either money or satisfaction, or even both!).
We will eagerly await.
We will eagerly await.
Congrats on the new job... ifin it should be a congrats.
We will, like stnylan correctly mentioned, eagerly await yer return.
We will, like stnylan correctly mentioned, eagerly await yer return.
Chapter IX (iii)
The disintegration of the Fatimid Caliphate had continued apace over the last decade. Though the crusade had failed to capture Jerusalem and in the end had accomplished very little for Western Christendom, it had added fuel to the fire of rebellion in the Muslim provinces of the Levant. The failure of the Fatimids to drive out the crusaders had spurred further breakaways. The fragmentation of the region had now reached an extreme, leaving the whole area open to attack. With his military efforts in the west stymied for now, Alexius decided to turn his attention back to the eastern provinces, where his neighbors’ weaknesses could no longer be ignored.
The summer of 1098 saw an Imperial army of some twenty thousand mustering and heading east. Under the overall command of Alexius himself, both Kosmas and Theodoros commanded contingents. Their wives were not invited. Out in the field Alexius could keep an eye on both his sons and, hopefully, keep them from causing any trouble. The Empress Maria was left as regent in the capital; her primary responsibility lay in keeping an eye on Eudokia Kantakouzenos. As always, there was a degree of risk involved when a Byzantine Emperor left his capital. Alexius, however, was betting that without the presence of the two princes to rally behind their supporters would stay quiet.
The Byzantine army moved rapidly through Anatolia, encountering the first signs of Fatimid resistance in January of the new year. A small Muslim army was encountered near Hama just south of Aleppo and was quickly routed and the Byzantine army gave chase, the Basilues and his bodyguard in the lead. Then, during the pursuit, an arrow from a fleeing Arab horse archer struck Alexius under the left arm. The wound seemed slight at first but became worse as the days went on. The doctors believed a fragment of the arrow head was lodged in the Emperor but they were unable to find it to remove it. But even as his health deteriorated Alexius tried to push the army forward. He had already been forced to abandon one campaign and was determined not to do so a second time. It turned out he was to have no choice in the matter. The wound became infected and it was soon clear that he was no longer physically capable of commanding. His sons jointly decided to turn back to Constantinople after making peace with the Fatimids for a token amount of land.
For the next two months Alexius lay in his sickbed, his illness giving way to pneumonia, while all of Constantinople held its breath. Many expected violence upon his death, if not a full-fledged civil war. But the Basileus was now beyond such concerns, focused now on making his peace with God. Finally, in May, he recognized his death was imminent. Calling the Patriarch and his sons he removed the diadem for the last time and gave it to Theodoros, adding one last entreaty that he put this conflict with his brother behind him. He died the next day.
Alexius Comnenus had been the most successful Emperor since Basil (his uncle Isaac had been effective but had only ruled for five years) in changing the fortunes of the Empire, showing remarkable energy in tackling the military and economic challenges that were in front of him. Of these two he was rather more successful with the latter, proving himself to be an extremely gifted administrator. It is ironic, though, since he had initially risen to prominence as a successful general that his military objectives abroad eluded him. Still, he had continued the reforms of the army and navy, leaving it immeasurably stronger then they had been a quarter of a century ago. If his success were not stunning they were significant nonetheless; as recent history had proven, Byzantium could have done far worse.
The disintegration of the Fatimid Caliphate had continued apace over the last decade. Though the crusade had failed to capture Jerusalem and in the end had accomplished very little for Western Christendom, it had added fuel to the fire of rebellion in the Muslim provinces of the Levant. The failure of the Fatimids to drive out the crusaders had spurred further breakaways. The fragmentation of the region had now reached an extreme, leaving the whole area open to attack. With his military efforts in the west stymied for now, Alexius decided to turn his attention back to the eastern provinces, where his neighbors’ weaknesses could no longer be ignored.
The summer of 1098 saw an Imperial army of some twenty thousand mustering and heading east. Under the overall command of Alexius himself, both Kosmas and Theodoros commanded contingents. Their wives were not invited. Out in the field Alexius could keep an eye on both his sons and, hopefully, keep them from causing any trouble. The Empress Maria was left as regent in the capital; her primary responsibility lay in keeping an eye on Eudokia Kantakouzenos. As always, there was a degree of risk involved when a Byzantine Emperor left his capital. Alexius, however, was betting that without the presence of the two princes to rally behind their supporters would stay quiet.
The Byzantine army moved rapidly through Anatolia, encountering the first signs of Fatimid resistance in January of the new year. A small Muslim army was encountered near Hama just south of Aleppo and was quickly routed and the Byzantine army gave chase, the Basilues and his bodyguard in the lead. Then, during the pursuit, an arrow from a fleeing Arab horse archer struck Alexius under the left arm. The wound seemed slight at first but became worse as the days went on. The doctors believed a fragment of the arrow head was lodged in the Emperor but they were unable to find it to remove it. But even as his health deteriorated Alexius tried to push the army forward. He had already been forced to abandon one campaign and was determined not to do so a second time. It turned out he was to have no choice in the matter. The wound became infected and it was soon clear that he was no longer physically capable of commanding. His sons jointly decided to turn back to Constantinople after making peace with the Fatimids for a token amount of land.
For the next two months Alexius lay in his sickbed, his illness giving way to pneumonia, while all of Constantinople held its breath. Many expected violence upon his death, if not a full-fledged civil war. But the Basileus was now beyond such concerns, focused now on making his peace with God. Finally, in May, he recognized his death was imminent. Calling the Patriarch and his sons he removed the diadem for the last time and gave it to Theodoros, adding one last entreaty that he put this conflict with his brother behind him. He died the next day.
Alexius Comnenus had been the most successful Emperor since Basil (his uncle Isaac had been effective but had only ruled for five years) in changing the fortunes of the Empire, showing remarkable energy in tackling the military and economic challenges that were in front of him. Of these two he was rather more successful with the latter, proving himself to be an extremely gifted administrator. It is ironic, though, since he had initially risen to prominence as a successful general that his military objectives abroad eluded him. Still, he had continued the reforms of the army and navy, leaving it immeasurably stronger then they had been a quarter of a century ago. If his success were not stunning they were significant nonetheless; as recent history had proven, Byzantium could have done far worse.
Aha. I guess the campaign will have to be cut shorter to deal with the inevitable unrest.
So Theodoros is Basileios now, eh? I wonder if Kosmas will simply let it happen, or if he will do anything about it?
Sure enough time will tell if the relative peace will last and whether Byzantium's fortunes will chnage or not. Hopefully it only gets better.
<Stewie Griffin's voice>Time for Kosmas to topple his brother...yes.</Stewie Griffin's voice>
Not a real update, just a little Rome-inspired drabble I wrote, but maybe you'll enjoy it anyway.
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Lament to Victory
Where once of old our armies reach'd
From Atlantic to far Eastern lands,
Our ships sighted off ev'ry beach
Filled with coin outnumbering sand.
To fill our vaults with porphyry,
All manner of stones from Pluto's grip,
Silver flowing resplendantly
Would come to Rome with every trip.
And in that time our Eagles soard
O'er every peak of every realm.
Foes would flee at Rome's great roar,
The World a ship, and we the helm.
But lo! The field of Mars now lies
Fallow and sowed with salty grain.
Empty but for vermin and flies,
A monument to loss and pain.
Where now is our Imperium
Bequeathed to Aeneas' childern
By Mars himself, ad Infinitum,
Dominion that would never end?
Conquered now is Conqueror;
The War that ages long we wrought
Agaisnt the German, Celt and Moor
Has at last to Rome been brought.
Oh Romulus should weep to see
The ruin that now spreads to all,
And humbles his once great city
Which rose so far only to fall.
Where once of old our armies reach'd
From Atlantic to far Eastern lands,
Our ships sighted off ev'ry beach
Filled with coin outnumbering sand.
To fill our vaults with porphyry,
All manner of stones from Pluto's grip,
Silver flowing resplendantly
Would come to Rome with every trip.
And in that time our Eagles soard
O'er every peak of every realm.
Foes would flee at Rome's great roar,
The World a ship, and we the helm.
But lo! The field of Mars now lies
Fallow and sowed with salty grain.
Empty but for vermin and flies,
A monument to loss and pain.
Where now is our Imperium
Bequeathed to Aeneas' childern
By Mars himself, ad Infinitum,
Dominion that would never end?
Conquered now is Conqueror;
The War that ages long we wrought
Agaisnt the German, Celt and Moor
Has at last to Rome been brought.
Oh Romulus should weep to see
The ruin that now spreads to all,
And humbles his once great city
Which rose so far only to fall.
Impressive, but I dare say what occurs in the next few years will be even more impressive!
And thus the second problem with leaving the city - a potential fatal wound. Let's hope the brothers truly can put their differences aside. But I am not holding my breath.