The Queen of Cities: A Byzantine AAR

[Specialist290]

It seems that despite all the turmoil in his personal life, Adrianos II's reign was generally successful. If anything, he'll probably be remembered fondly simply because he lived long enough for his heir to actually come of age, sparing the empire from having to undergo yet another regency and the potential disasters that those always court. It might be a bit much to hope for, but perhaps he'll become the Philip to Valerios's Alexander.

I'm also liking the recap, and how it ties together all the events of the different reigns over the century into a coherent whole. Definitely something I'd expect to see written in an actual history book

 

[RossN]

Volume VI

Part One - The Triumph of Valerios

The Emperor Valerios in 998 AD.​

Valerios sailed into Constantinople in January 998 already a monarch. With his marriage to Judith he had become titular King of Italy though in practice all power remained with the Queen; the Italians had been ruled by the Karlings for two centuries and were slow to warm to an arrogant foreign born Greek speaking prince (who in turn regarded the Italian nobles as hopelessly crude and rustic.) Nor were relations between husband and wife easy. Queen Judith had little interest in men and after producing two children considered her marital duties more than done. Even then matters might not have been so bad if the two had not quarrelled over religion. Valerios was not irreligious exactly but he regarded the business of the Churches with a cynical eye that infuriated the more conventionally pious Judith. By the time Valerios was summoned back to Constantinople relations were so frosty Judith did not even deign to see her husband off as he boarded ship.

Valerios was the son of Adrianos II and Matturrkka a Hungarian noblewoman who had accompanied Adrianos' sister Anna (who had been Queen of Hungary) on a visit to her brother's court. Born out of wedlock but with such a strong look of his father to him a blind man would have known the truth the young prince had never been expected to inherit, though he was capable and clever. Only the tragic death of his brother Herakleios had pushed him suddenly into the limelight. Married to the Queen of Italy at the age of sixteen the Senate considered him an unknown quality, though he had been the choice of Adrianos over his legitimate half-brothers Kyrillos and Phokas.

Queen Judith of Italy in 998 AD.​

The young Emperor wasted no time in dealing with the Muslim invasion, even ignoring a request for aid in one of his wife's innumerable petty wars in Europe (something which did nothing to improve relations between the two.) The back of the Mahdis had been broken at Zweitina, but it would still take several months and lesser battles before the Caliph's envoys were prepared to sign a peace treaty[1]. The reaction in Constantinople was one of almost hysterical relief; to Valerios' flattered surprise the Senate voted him a Triumph. The Mahdi Caliphate had suffered a great blow its prestige but Rome certainly had won greater victories. Still he recognised what the people wanted and needed after the stresses of the invasion and the death of his father. On 17th August 998 the Emperor rode through the streets of his capital and round the Hippodrome on a white stallion, followed by the Varangian Guard, their weapons garlanded with flowers. Important Mahdi prisoners were led in chains to the grim Prison of Symeon[2] (to be ransomed rather than executed - Valerios needed the money.) Hundreds of thousands of citizens turned out to cheer and weep at their delivery and Valerios's popularity soared.

The war won the Emperor paid the traditional pilgrimage to Antioch but he was already planning a campaign of his own. In February 999 the Romans invaded the lands around Jerusalem, determined to win the Holy City from the Muradids. Judea had been under Muslim control for centuries but Jerusalem remained the single most revered site in the Christian world. Valerios might have been a cynic when it came to Church politics but he was a sincere believer in his own way. Perhaps too he desired a chance to shine on his own terms rather than assume responsibility for his father’s victory.

The Jerusalem Campaign (which also included Acre and Hebron) was one of the most gruelling in Roman history. Judea was suffering under the worst typhoid outbreak in living memory and thousands of Roman soldiers fell ill and died, illness and the exhaustion of fighting in the mountains reaping a terrible toll. In November the Emperor himself fell desperately ill and for almost a week his life - and the Empire - hung in the balance. Had he died the Senate would almost certainly have raised Leon the fifty one year old Doux of Crete to the purple[3]. Mercifully Valerios recovered and on 1st January 1000 the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem in an all out assault. Valerios managed to restrain his soldiers from commiting a wholesale massacare of the infidels but the inhabitants were mercilessly looted of their possessions and then expelled.

Patriarch Polykarpos of Jerusalem.​

The following month Rammala fell and in March Valerios' army, though much diminished through disease, decisively defeated the Muradids at Tiberias. In May Caliph Faruk's envoys officially surrendered Judea to the Romans. Valerios appointed a Sicilian Greek priest named Polykarpos to the throne of the Patriarchate and gave him control over Acre and Hebron along with Jerusalem itself. It was a wise choice: Polykarpos was a zealous theologian but no weakling, highly intelligent and ambitious. Hopefully Jerusalem would prosper under his rule, as Antioch had under Patriarch Bardas.

The recapture of Jerusalem was greeted with joy in Constantinople and across western Christendom but in strategic terms it was of less obvious benefit. Antioch had been a rich city in her own right, while Judea was famously impoverished, with only the port of Acre promising wealth. The terrible impact of the typhoid outbreaks had killed more Roman soldiers than the war against the Mahdi Caliphate and it would be years before the army truly recovered. Even the inhabitants of the region were mostly Muslims, save at Acre which had remained a Christian stronghold.

As the weary Roman army returned home Valerios abandoned any plans he might have entertained for any expansion in the near future. With his own power and popularity ensured it was time to concentrate on rebuilding the Empire from the inside.

Judea in 1001 AD.​

[1] Technically a White Peace, but given the Mahids invaded me it was still a good result for Valerios in prestige and piety.

[2] Based on the real life Prison of Anemas but built earlier (by the Emperor symeon obviosly). I needed a place to hold the many prisoners I took!

[3] Doux Leon is a Makedon (descended from Basileios' brother Bardas) so it would not have been game over had Valerios died, but hopefully he'll stick around long enough for me to change the ineritance laws!

 

[RossN]

GulMacet: My missionaries have mostly been converting conquered Muslims though the Georgians do send out missionaries. The Duke of Crimea is a convert from Tengrism.

Viden: Heh, there we go!

guillec87: It is possible but it depends on how Eusebios turns out and/or if Valerios and Judith have other children.

Stuyvesant: I'm flattered! Have fun!

I find the time period very interesting. The Empire is a bit stronger than in the Alexiad era but not so powerful it isn't a challenge.

Specialist290: Thank you!

Yes I think Adrianos had a very good reign and will be recalled fondly, even if his tragic later years are hard to forget.


On a personal note today is my 33rd birthday. Go me!

 

[Specialist290]

Happy birthday!

It's a shame Valerios already had his triumph at the beginning of his reign, because the reclamation of Jerusalem would certainly be considered worthy of one in and of itself! Looks like he's off to a good start out of the gate; hopefully he can maintain the pace for the rest of his run.

 

[Henry v. Keiper]

A big price to pay? Yes, but a psychological victory that I would imagine would carry positive results for the empire's later years.

Also, getting rather close to the historical dating of the schism

 

[guillec87]

I think the Italian and Green thrones mustbe ensured by anymeans

 

[Stuyvesant]

Congratulations!

It's always good if the Empire can reclaim Jerusalem, but the ever-stretching border with the Muslims is getting more and more noticeable. Here's hoping that the Mahdi Caliphate has been sufficiently humbled that the truce will hold, because with your army ravaged by typhus, I don't think you're in the best position to defend that long and poor limes of the eastern borders...

 

[Asantahene]

Good work my Emperor!

And happy birthday Ross!

I echo the words above about that long thin border with the infidels in the holy land. That'd going to be difficult to hold. Also what are the Catholics thinking and feeling about the capture of large parts of Outremer by the Orthodox Church? They've been strangely quiet...

 

[Nikolai]

Happy birthday!

AS Stuyv says, the border is getting long. Perhaps some strategic depth is in order?

 

[DKM]

Happy Birthday Ross!

I would suggest capturing the rest of Syria on the Eastern Front.

 

[unmerged(58610)]

Happy Birthday

Adrianos did have a successful reign even though it was marred in personal tragedy in later years. Two impressive victories to start off the reign of Valerios. Here's hoping the Muradids fall apart. The way to Alexandria is open, if Valerios is capable of strengthening the Empire ie have a bigger retinue. Those free troops must have been severely depleted by the disease in Judea and as you've said they formed the bulk of your imperial forces as opposed to those of your vassals, their loss reduces the number of offensives the Empire can mount. Again, here's hoping the Empire is strong enough to fight off two caliphates and maintain internal cohesion. Valerios is both a bastard and half Hungarian. There are plenty of legitimate and full blooded Makedonian dynasts knocking around the empire. I wouldn't put it past Leon to try to stage a coup.

 

[guillec87]

hey, I didn't salute you! Happy Birthday!

 

[RossN]

Part Two - Settling the Succession

Early Eleventh Century mosaic of the Emperor Valerios.​

The Emperor Valerios did get to enjoy peace for very long. The Muradids invaded Georgia in 1002 AD and the Romans found themselves reluctantly drawn into the fighting to stop their fellow Orthdox Christians from being overrun. After the losses in the Judean War Valerios was unwilling to raise the levies from the themes but fortunately the highly experienced veterans of the Tagmata and the Varangian Guard managed to turn the tide. The Muradids finally abandoned their invasion in August 1004. The Romans did not emerge unscathed but suffered far less than in Judea and gained the deep gratitude of the Georgians.

Meanwhile Valerios had founded new bishoprics at Caesarea of Lebanon in 1003 and Gabala in 1005[1]. He might be a cynic but Valerios was very keen to win the lasting friendship of the Orthodox Church, which besides being a vital ally was necessary to keep order in newly conquered lands. The city of Jerusalem itself had swiftly adopted Christianity and in December 1003 the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre was reorganised into a military wing. Deeply impressed Valerios reorganised and enlarged the Tagmata[2]. In future the Romans would return to relying on a highly trained standing army, bolstered by the Brotherhood and the Varangians rather than the levies, save in the most desperate cases.

The Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre.​

Not that Valerios planned on going to war any time soon. Only the disastrous consequences of doing nothing as Georgia went under had persuaded Valerios to intervene there. Otherwise he was painfully aware that Rome needed a few years of peace to recover. Besides the succession question was beginning to get acute. The Senate had voted for him but they seemed less inclined to support the claims of Prince Eusebios, Valerios' young son. To begin with the Prince was entirely unknown, born and raised at the Italian court of his mother, a woman who was herself unpopular in the Empire. Eusebios had never so much as visited Constantinople. He was also a mere boy and should Valerios die through mishap no one welcomed the prospect of regency. For a time Doux Leon had been the favourite of the Senate but after his death a bewildering succession of nobles rose and fell as potential candidates for the purple. The very real prospect rose of the Makedons losing the throne if it came to a vote.

In desperation Valerios appointed his younger half-brother Phokas as Caesar and his nominated heir in January 1006. Phokas was a great soldier and born to the purple (which even Valerios himself could not claim), but he was greedy, arbitrary and deceitful and his cruelty to his slaves was the stuff of horrified gossip in the Forum. Only his unquestionable legitimacy and military abilities made him a possible future Emperor, but perhaps they were enough. The Senate indicated they would vote for Phokas if needed.

Prince Phokas in 1008 AD.​

Yet Valerios was determined on Eusebios. Though Judith thwarted his request to bring the boy to Constantinople the Emperor marshalled an army of theologians and politicians to argue his case in the Senate. His greatest ally was his own popularity; Valerios was the defeater of the Madhis and the conqueror of Jerusalem. While many in the army leaned towards the warlike Phokas they loved their young Emperor and were prepared to listen to him as he advocated reintroducing hereditary succession.

Perhaps the Emperor already knew his days were numbered, though he gave no sign of any illness in public, a tall man, proudly bearded in the manner of the older Emperors, as comfortable in the splendid robes of state as in the glittering armour crafted for his father in his youth. Yet it was an illusion - Valerios’ health had never truly recovered from the attack of typhoid in the Judean War. In June 1006 he had fallen so ill he was bedridden for days. He recovered but fell ill again in May 1007, this time so badly the Imperial doctors feared for his life. By June it was clear the Emperor had contracted pneumonia.

Even as his health deteriorated Valerios attended the Senate daily, arguing forcefully but soundly about the benefits of primogeniture. He spoke often Italy, of the great wealth and man power of that country, a country that would be inherited by Eusebios come what may. It was a very clever tactic; the greedier Senators dreamt of Italian money pouring into the Imperial treasury, of restoring the conquests of Justinian without spilling a single drop of roman blood. The more paranoid (or depending on your point of view clear sighted) in the Senate instead had a vision of King Eusebios of Italy invading the Empire, seeking the purple at sword point as Porphyrios had done.

It was enough. On 2nd Feburary 1008 the Senate voted to change the law, specifying that the purple would automatically pass to the late Emperor’s closest male relative, starting with his eldest son or eldest brother should he have no son. Valerios had to be told by messenger as he was too ill to leave the Grand Palace. On 2nd March he breathed his last, choking breath in his bedchambers, the Patriarch of Constantinople and Prince Phokas at his side. He was thirty five and under the new law the thirteen year old Eusebios became Emperor… with Prince Phokas as his regent.

Valerios’s reign had been brief, just ten years but it had been eventful. The defeat of the Mahdi, the rescue of Georgia and the reorganisation of the army had been great accomplishments. It was the recovery of Jerusalem that Valerios would always be remembered for, ironic given the Emperor’s own cynicism. He had been a good and intelligent monarch and his loss was a grave blow to the Roman Empire.

The Emperor Valerios at the time of his death.​

[1] Temples I constructed in Tripoli and and Tortosa respectively.

[2] Increased military technology allowed me to expand my retinues. I now have about ten thousand retinue troops split amonst all groups (including the Byzantine only Cataprachts).

 

[RossN]

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes! It was a good one.

Specialist290: Unfortunately he didn't live that long though I regard stopping the Muradids conquering Georgia as a big success.

Henry v. Keiper: Very true. Now of course we have an 'Italian' on the throne (who is Greek Orthodox but still).

guillec87: heh, well things certainly seem to be going that way!

Stuyvesant: I'll give it some thought though I have a lot of borders that need attention!

Asantahene: I think we'll be seeing more on that relatively soon.

Nikolai: So Outrejordan?

DKM: Hmm... that would be an ugly border and push me far deeper into the east than I'm planning for now.

Chief Ragusa: Well Valerios lived long enough to change the succession law but it was a very closely run thing!

 

[Nikolai]

I'm thinking the eastern borders of Trajan.

 

[Specialist290]

Valerios, we hardly knew ye -- you burned bright, but also burned out quickly it seems.

It appears the Curse isn't truly gone, it just decided to take a generation off.

 

[guillec87]

Mesopotamia, Georgia and Armenia shouild embrace Roman rule again

 

[Stuyvesant]

I'm thinking the eastern borders of Trajan.

Considering the Roman Empire in its prime, stretching from Scotland to Arabia, couldn't hang on to those lands, I think it might be a wee bit overambitious in the Empire's current state. Still, there's no law against dreaming big.

Another Emperor bites the dust. For a relatively short reign, he accomplished a lot, and he managed to get the succession worked out shortly before he died. Not bad, not bad at all.

 

[guillec87]

Considering the Roman Empire in its prime, stretching from Scotland to Arabia, couldn't hang on to those lands, I think it might be a wee bit overambitious in the Empire's current state. Still, there's no law against dreaming big.

Another Emperor bites the dust. For a relatively short reign, he accomplished a lot, and he managed to get the succession worked out shortly before he died. Not bad, not bad at all.

I al quite sure Traían would have found the way... Sadly he diez and Hadrian did not want problema... Few years later Lucius Verus conquered it again but that time plage stroke

 

[Maciej-Kamil]

It's a very good AAR! I hope, that one day the East will retake West.