After Manzikert- Romanorum Redividus

[Tweety]

The Roman Empire, or her remains, has been blown on Fortune’s wind of late, indeed, they have been for many centuries, what were once provinces are now in the hands of the more successful barbarian warlords. What was once the homeland of barbarians and blood-drinkers now claims to be the true descendants of Rome. And what is the true descendant of the Empire is reduced to Greece, having been battered by Turks and Normans, far from the height of a thousand years previously. Banished from the city of seven hills, split by religion from Europe and the Near East, the Basils, through a series of defeats and internal struggles, have arrived in the worst predicament perhaps, since the Republic was founded by Romulus and Remus two thousand years hence.
This is not a tale of how this came to be, but a tale of how it was sought to reverse it, told by many men’s own tales, countless men, and this process, some would call it the Komnenian Restoration, but some, some would call it what Alexios himself called it:

Romanorum Redividus

Rome Rebuilt

Go Forth and Conquer what is Rightfully Yours



After Manzikert, the Tale of the Basils of Constantinople

The Basilea ton Romaion, the remnants of the Empire that had spanned from Hadrian’s Wall to Egypt, from Gibraltar to Hatra, seven hundred years ago much land had been taken by barbarian hordes: The Huns, The Vandals, The Visigoths, some regions had fallen to their own people, Brittania, but it had all gone, even Italia and Rome. Reduced to Macedonia, Graecia, Anatolia, Syria and Thracia, they retreated to lick their wounds. Justinian had tried to reclaim the Empire, but one great leader was not enough, the Exarchate of Ravenna fell. Barbarians still pushed at the northern border over the Danube. And then, Islam exploded onto the world. Sicily fell into the infidel hands, following the God, Allah, and the prophet Muhammad, in a few hundred years that controlled a territory that could perhaps have rivaled Rome’s once. There was a long and lengthy stalemate, until the eleventh century. When an evil race from the east came down from the steppes, the Turks, they slew and killed, like the Sassanids of old, and in 1071 Anno Domini, in the culmination of many conflicts across Anatolia, the evil Turks, led by Alp Arslan faced the cream of the Roman army led by Romanus IV, the current Basil and his co-general and direct rival Andronikas Doukas, the Roman army consisted of 65,000 men, the Seljuks where thought to be elsewhere. The army was strong, but the Armenian general Joseph Tarchaneiotes was given half the force, and they disapeared, presumed to have deserted or died. So the Romans where left with around 37,500 troops, they marched, and on August 26th met the Seljuk field army. Many Seljuk mercenaries had deserted when they met their kin, and the Romans were greatly weakened, but still outnumbered the Turks, however, the hit and run horse-archer tactics of the Turks slaughtered the Romans, and defeated, Romanus taken prisoner, and the Empire in dissarray.

1071 Anno Domini


BasilRomanusIV had returned to Constantinople blinded by the Turks, and was deposed by his own people and the rival Doukas, he was exiled and died of an infection of his eye wounds shortly afterwards. The city was in disaster, the centre of the Empire, her Anatolian heartlands were torn from her, still beating, the themes fell, the cities of Trebizond and Sinope were the last holds in Anatolia, it was a great catastrophe. The Seljuks ran rampant, the Frankish mercenaries that had fought at Manzikert had deserted and forged their own Kingdom in Galatia, it was the worst possible situation. Doukas proclaimed himself Basil, and reigned for a further seven years, although he was an awful Basil, and even in that year Bari fell to the Normans in Italy, the last foothold on the peninsula. The Bulgarians revolted, although it was suppressed, and in 1073, Isaac Komnenus led an unsuccessful attempt to reclaim Anatolia. The Empire was falling.


1078 Anno Domini


Nikephoros Botanieates rebelled in 1078, and marched on Nicaea where he announced that he was the true Basil, Doukas abdicated, becoming a monk, and Nikephoros became Nikephoros III. He was aided greatly by AlexiosComnenus, who, after stopping rebellions in the Balkans and Greece , deposed his superior in 1081, in view of the Normans crossing the Adriatic, who he faced at Dyrrachium, he had fought before, having served well against the Turks and also for Doukas, by Dyrrachium was the first battle of his reign. He lost, and retreated, and only with luck did the Empire survive, the Normans returning to Italy to aid their ally the Pope against the German pretenders to the Roman Empire, he left his vassal in control, but a series of Roman attacks forced him to cede Thessaly, Macedonia and Epirus to the Basil.


1083 Anno Domini


Alexios had a dream, that of restoring the Roman Empire, he wanted to quash the petty disputes and various factions holding them back, to inspire fervour of restoring the Empire, to make every serf, every foot-soldier, every noble to dream of the Empire being restored, he knew he could not do it on his own, and his entire line would be the future, but he was set to conquer as he could. And his dream was called:

Romanorum Redividus

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This is an introduction to my first AAR, as you probably guessed I'm the Byzantines, and it will be very stroy-based and not entirely faithful to my campaign.

[Lt. Pinard]

I love the Byzantines. Seems like you have a very good writing style as well.

Look forward to reading more

[Tweety]

Thank you, there's a lot more on TWC (Click me) if you're interested.
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Romanorum Redividus
Roma Rebuilt

The Eastern Mediterranean, 1083 AD

Alexios would do all he could to reclaim the Empire he saw as rightfully his, and the first step was a gathering of an army worthy of reclaiming Anatolia. He could raise 60,000 men, but it would take time, Alexios needed his attempt to be the best, the greatest, standing head and shoulders over Justinian’s ‘renovatio imperii’ he would recover the lands lost at Manzikert, he would be the first Roman Emperor to march into Rome for five hundred years. He would have the Pope on his knees, begging for forgiveness. The first step was the renew alliances in the west, with to Genoese, the Franks that claimed to be the true successors of the Roman Empire, in a land which had rarely been under her sway, and the Pope, who would fall. The Danube border was secured, with Greeks being sent to pacify Bulgaria, and border castles put up against Illyria and Dalmatia. The powerful factions of Constantinople would feud long over the army, and it had already ensued after Alexios announced his dream.

Constantinople, the House of Flavius Balgiarotes, August 26th

Flavius Balgiarotes had a large family, he was wealthy and very influential in the capital, he was very popular, well respected within his district, and out of it too. The citizens knew he could deal with an unwelcome visitor, and doubtless an intruder body would be floating in the Bosporus before nightfall. And so the stranger climbing over the perimeter walls and leaping into the manicured garden was ignored, it was common knowledge that Flavius could deal with it.
Michael Phillipus walked up to the fine door with it’s stained glass windows, and knocked loudly, Flavius’ personal Varangian Saxon guards looked round and yelled in their own coarse tongue at him, but he stood completely still, and when the door opened he walked calmly in it with a confident gait. The guards, perplexed, returned to their post, if Flavius wished to entertain guests he would have told them, but he could deal with him if he was going to let him into the house.

The Drinking Room, the House of Flavius Balgiarotes

Michael Phillipus was handsome, tall and well-built, and he exuded a sense of self-confidence and power, indeed, he was one of the most powerful men in the Angeloi families, his branch had a claim to the Imperial throne through marriage, and held high favour with the Basil. His reputation was that of a handsome political genius, and Flavius Balgiarotes held that in mind as he looked across the low parley table, raising a hand to the servant that brought in the wine. He knew that he had to concentrate, as he had been for the last decade, in Constantinople it was not Turks you feared, the triple walls and legacy of ‘The City’ saw to that, but the schemes of other noble families, the citizens respected him, even revered him, but every family in the city wanted some Balgiarote blood, this feeling had been heightened when his nephew had caused a rebellion in Morea, and it was because of this that a guard now watched attentively from the wall. Flavius watched as Phillipus took some wine and examined the room, from the mosaics of saints to the rich windows and beautifully carved furniture. Flavius waited a while before speaking, his voice purred, and had a small hint of warning in it, “What brings you to parley here?”
Phillipus took a gulp of wine, and leant over the table: “This is good wine, where is it from?” he had a light, dancing voice, and a cultured accent typical of the Angeloi
“Italy, near Brindisi, my merchants have spent many years searching, and this is the fruit, but you cannot have come here to congratulate my merchants on garnering wine, why are you here truly, Phillipus, and why did you not knock on the front gate like a civilized guest?” the dangerous undertow of Flavius’ voice became more eminent
“If you denounce my mode of entrance, then I may not tell you what I came to if you are not more civilised, and why dampen the meeting with guards,” he cast the guard a cheery smile, “when it dampens this peaceful meeting so?”
“Because, Michael,” Flavius was visibly restraining the tension, an own goal, Phillipus thought, “Half the people in this city are after my blood, take as hospitality enough that I let you use the golden goblets of my family and not the wood I show ambassadors of the Juliani, and the trust of neglecting a guard I can scarcely afford to my own son, and it is only twenty years ago that an assassin bearing the Phillipus coat of arms entered my bedchamber, so don’t try and coax me into giving you another chance.”
Phillipus smiled, “You say half the nobles are out for your blood? Well then, I wouldn’t turn down Manuel Angeloi’s offer of an alliance then would I, if I were you? We heard you speaking out against the Basil, a brave move, although perhaps we all wish to see the Empire restored, but Manuel too is against the decision, and he, also on behalf of the and the Valsamon and Platorius families, to join the ‘Byzantine league’.”
Flavius choked violently, “I thought Byzantine was merely what the ancients called the city, when her realm was only the city itself! Not something to aspire to, at least by it’s name, tell me more, Phillipus.” A servant walked in and took away the wine to refill it, Phillipus acknowledged him, but Flavius was transfixed on the man opposite him’s face, he barely noticed as the servant teased the goblet from his hands, “More wine sir?”
Flavius nodded, but didn’t look up, “Tell me, Phillipus.”
“Well, as you said, Byzantium, what we call the Kingdom of Byzantine, was merely the city itself, and a few Greek towns in Asia Minor and Thrace but they were rich, and the founder in legend, King Byzas, having sailed from a small town near Athens, was told by the Oracle the found a city opposite the blind. He found ‘the blind’ at Chalcedon...”
“Chalcedon, the district on the opposite side of the strait?” Flavius was all ears, he had never heard the legend of the city before, and if he had he would have been a child in bed, drowsy, but now he was attentive.
“Yes, it was there he found ‘the blind’, for the city had been built in Asia Minor, just opposite clearly better land on the opposite shore of the Bosporus, and so the city came to be. They were conquered by the Romans around fifty years after Christ was born. But the name is inconsequential, we are working to undermine the attempt to restore the Roman Empire, as we believe it would result in eventual defeat and the final Fall of Rome, we aim to besiege the Basil in his palace when he next speaks of ‘Romanorum Redividus’, we have a thousand men already, and the hundred in your service would be a great gift indeed to the effort, as head of the Balgiarote family, do you agree to join the Byzantine league?” Phillipus knew he had won before Flavius opened his mouth, the fervour and excitement in his eyes, and beneath that, the determination,
“So I have friends in the City once again, I accept.”
“Shake.” Phillipus extended a hand, which Flavius took, and shook enthusiastically, “Come to the house of Mikhail Szekeres the Kievan, on September 2nd, where you will be given your contract, don’t forget, Flavius.”
“I won’t don’t worry. You may leave Phillipus.”
And so the figure left the house, through the gates, and the citizens gave him funny looks, but ignored him, maybe Flavius had a powerful friend?

The Informer’s Room, the Basil’s Palace, Constantinople

The Informer, Ioannes Palaelogus, leant back in his chair, and at the Basil’s order, told him all. “The Angeloi, the Balgiarotes, the Valsamon and Platorius, the Szekeres, the Tarchianotes. They are all plotting against the ‘Redividus’ they are powerful, be wary.”
“Oh, I only need to know.” The Basil smiled, and the Informer shivered.

The House of Mikhail Szekeres, Council Chamber, September 2nd

The Szekeres were descended from a Kievan diplomat that had stayed in the City, and were very wealthy, with vast estates in Greece and Thrace to their name, having married well and got into the right movements. They could also afford one of the largest, and most lavish, manors in the upper echelons of Constantinople, with a sumptuous banquet room and its own shining great hall, they also owned the best council chambers in the City, besides the official one used by the Basil and his authorised meetings. But this was no authorised meeting, but for all the decorations and rich display it would never be guessed that here was the heart of a rebellion. Although in the City it would merely be called an ‘alternative’.
Mikhail Szekeres had invited fifty people to the council, with eleven heads of family and forty-four heads of branch-offs, and five scribes, the Szekeres, the Angeloi, the Valsamon, the Platorius, the Balgiarotes, the Evgenikos, the Gavras, the Apakaukos, the Manatios, the Paidianitis and the Tarchaniotos all had arrived, and were represented, with the major branches of Phillipus and Vryennios given semi-head status. Nearly all of the bureaucracy and aristocracy was related in some way or form, and among the feast provided by the Szekeres family groups formed, although the heads: Mikhail Szekeres, Manuel Angeloi, Aleksandros Valsamon, Epiphanios Platorius, Flavius Balgiarotes, Iakovos Evgenikos, Iosif Gavras, Frankoulis Apakaukos, who was descended some said, from Charlemagne, Elias Manatios, David Paidianitis and Evdaemon Tarchaniotos sat at the high table, with Michael Phillipus and Dionysios Vryennios beneath them, and down the table sat every other head of branches, an air of power and money, the sound of light debate, and five scribes sat at lecterns, scribbling away at parchment.
After a while and much merriment and feasting, although it had been underlain with the seriousness of business, Mikhail Szekeres ordered servants to take away the remains of the banquet, and the chatter died down as he stood and raised a hand, and his voice. “Heads of the Byzantine League, you have each brought with you the most prominent four branches of your families, we are here to decide on the plan of action against the Romanorum Redividus, as we know, and Alexios has a dream. To restore the Roman Empire of her heyday, he has conned the city into believing this is not only the ideal it is, but also feasible. This it is not, the army he seeks to raise would not be invincible, however many Kataphracts and Varangians are in it, it would eventually be defeated, and where would that leave us? Hiding in the City, no army to protect us, and those who killed the Basil returning with a vengeance. We must stop this foolery.”
Szekeres sat, and gestured to Manuel Angeloi to speak.
“Men, each of the founders will speak, and as the first to speak I wish to acknowledge Michael Phillipus, Ioannes Strymon, Ioannes Chrysanthemum and Tyrennhios Tatziaokes as heads of the four most prominent branches, and to announce the decision we came to when we discussed this matter with the Valsamon and Platorius, and I assume that I speak also for them.” He glanced at them and they nodded, “When I say that we should use the thousand and a hundred men we have gathered between us and the Balgiarotes, alongside any men those who would agree with us, to besiege the Basil in his palace after his next public announcement of the ‘Redividus’, his army has not yet started to gathered, and our men have fought enough to overcome any militia rabble the Basil can use with his kataphracts and Varangians, we could take the throne, and vote on the Basileus.” Angeloi sat, his deep, calm, confident voice still speaking passionately in all the heads of those in the hall.
Mikhail Szekeres stood, “Ponder those words well, four of your heads have gathered men, who wishes to contribute more, raise your hands, heads.” Every head raised their hands, the Evgenikos, two hundred men the Gavras, four hundred, the Apakaukos, five hundred, the Manatios, three hundred, the Paidianitis, four-hundred and the Tarchaniotos, providing two-hundred, 3,300 men in total, and outside the battlefield and among the feuds of Constantinople that was a formidable force. Mikhail Szekeres waited for the cheers to abate before speaking again, “Alexios is going to speak once more on September the 7th, I wish you all to report to me or before then with your men, be ready at the basil’s speech, and now I offer a chance for anyone to speak, and there will only be one more thing to be voiced, by one more person, all raise your hand and I will choose.” Only Flavius Balgiarotes raised his hand, he did not wait for Szekeres to allow him to speak, “Thank you, host, as the only man who has put himself forward I see fit to speak. As you know, the Balgiarote name has been crushed into the dirt by my nephew, having encouraged a rebellion in Morea, as a result my family has been the scapegoat for just about every crime or misdemeanour in the City, we have been shunned and some of us have been killed, doubtless some of you here are guilty. But I do not wish to press charges, I wish to congratulate you all on choosing the right thing, many families will oppose, but the element of surprise must not be lost, be silent, be secret, and be safe. When Michael Phillipus extended the hand of friendship I took it, but please, do not ask anyone to join us, they could be working for the Basil, and we will be crushed beneath his foot if this is not a secret. Remember, the Fall of Rome can only be prevented by the success of the Byzantine League, now go, and work in God’s name, in Rome’s name.” he inclined his head as the crowd clapped politely, and sat, allowing Szekeres to speak.
“Council adjourned, we march on the basil’s palace in five days, you may leave.”[/FONT]