History of Urcea (800-1098): Difference between revisions

(3 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)

Line 1:

The '''History of Urcea from 800 to 1098''', sometimes also called the '''Archducal Period''', consists of period of time from the death of [[Gaius Julius Cicurinus|Saint Julius of the Caeline]] in 800 AD to the proclamation of the [[Golden Bull of 1098]]. This period saw the rise of the [[Julian dynasty]] within the newly established realms of the [[Archduchy of Urceopolis]] and the [[Grand Duchy of Harren|Duchy of Harren]], and additionally saw the growing power of the [[Julian dynasty]] within the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]]. During this period, the [[Holy Levantine Empire|Levantine Empire]] disintegrated and was partially reunited. The two Julian realms were united in 922, forming a powerful constituent part of the rapidly weakening Southern Kingdom of the Levantines. This period saw the first [[Emperor of the Levantines]] of the [[Julian dynasty]], confirming their rapid ascent. In the midst of a civil war that threatened the existence of the Levantine Empire, Emperor Saint Charles II offered the Royal dignity to the Julians in exchange for their support. In 1098, the two Julian realms were united and the [[Julian dynasty]] assumed the Kingship of [[Urcea]] that year, marking the formal foundation of the country.

The Archducal Period is covered extensively in the [[Riparian Chronicle]], which remains the major source for modern histories on the topic.

== Urceopolis and the Empire ==

Though the Conine Dynasty established the Imperial court in the city of [[Corcra (City)|Corcra]], [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] remained the largest city in the Empire and the most powerful vassal the Emperor could call on. This would occasionally lead to friction between the Archdukes and the Emperor; the [[Julian dynasty]] was briefly deposed following a failed rebellion and the death of Archduke Conchobar in [[865]], leading to a local noble of the Scipii estate, Scipio Aedanicus, to be elected by the the city’s leading families upon the request of the Emperor that year. Aedanicus was resisted by the Julians - both those in the city as well as those based in [[Harren]] by force of arms and received no assistance from the Emperor on whose support he relied, and consequently the Julians were reestablished by [[868]]. No other direct conflict between the Archdukes and the Emperor would occur, as a more friendly and symbiotic relationship between Urceopolis and Corcra became established.

Line 8:

Line 9:

The relationship between the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines|Southern King of the Levantines]], also known as Carolina, and Archdukes of Urceopolis, unlike that of Urceopolis and the Empire, was fraught with hostility. While the greatest extent of this would come during the Yustonese Succession, the Kings of Carolina often worked to pit the Archduke against the [[Pope]] to weaken both and politically fragment the most populous region of the Kingdom. In 915, the new [[Duchy of Transurciana]] was split from the Archduchy comprised of most of the Archducal lands southeast of the [[Urce River]], comprised of a number of Gael-descended counties settled by the conquest of [[Conchobar I, Emperor of the Levantines]]. While the Duchy was given back to the Archduke, the King gave special privileges and right of appeal to the Pope to the counts within the Duchy, creating what amounted to a Papal zone of control extending southeast of [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] itself. This decision, besides being a shrewd political move, recognized many of the traditional political rights the Pope had accured in the region since the 6th century. Control of this territory would remain a difficult issue for the [[Julian dynasty]] for the next several centuries.

917 AD was a momentous year, both for the [[Urceopolis (Archduchy)|Archduchy of Urceopolis]] and the [[Holy Levantine Empire]]. The Tribal Assembly of Urceopolis, which was an ancient institution dating back to antiquity and was a critical institution in the middle period of [[Great Levantia]], met for the last time. This momentous occasion is perhaps only notable in hindsight, as the Assembly was never formally dissolved and instead faded into obscurity as the eligible voters were spread further and further from [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]], making meetings of what was once a "popular urban assembly" impossible. For the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], the Empire was divided among the sons of Emperor Brian III according to the traditional practice of inheritance dating back to [[Gallawa]]. This division - and the subsequent inability to decide which son of Brian III would become Emperor - ~~lead~~ to the functional disintegration of the Empire. This left the Archdukes owing their allegiance to the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]], also known as ''Carolingia'' or ''Carolina'' due to the name of its first king, Charles. Within this Southern Kingdom, the Archdukes found themselves to be nearly on par with the King in terms of wealth and manpower, leading to a troubled relationship between the two lines of rulers for the entirety of the Kingdom’s existence.

917 AD was a momentous year, both for the [[Urceopolis (Archduchy)|Archduchy of Urceopolis]] and the [[Holy Levantine Empire]]. The Tribal Assembly of Urceopolis, which was an ancient institution dating back to antiquity and was a critical institution in the middle period of [[Great Levantia]], met for the last time. This momentous occasion is perhaps only notable in hindsight, as the Assembly was never formally dissolved and instead faded into obscurity as the eligible voters were spread further and further from [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]], making meetings of what was once a "popular urban assembly" impossible. For the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], the Empire was divided among the sons of Emperor Brian III according to the traditional practice of inheritance dating back to [[Gallawa]]. This division - and the subsequent inability to decide which son of Brian III would become Emperor - led to the functional disintegration of the Empire. This left the Archdukes owing their allegiance to the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]], also known as ''Carolingia'' or ''Carolina'' due to the name of its first king, Charles. Within this Southern Kingdom, the Archdukes found themselves to be nearly on par with the King in terms of wealth and manpower, leading to a troubled relationship between the two lines of rulers for the entirety of the Kingdom’s existence.

== Harrenic Succession ==

Line 16:

Line 17:

Niall II's abdication elevated Caelius IV as Archduke and Duke, at least in name. The abdication of Niall presented an opportunity for prominent magnates of the [[Archduchy of Urceopolis]] to revolt against the continuation of the personal union, as many deeply resented being ruled from Cálfeld. Unlike previous attempts to meddle with the united Julian realms, the Southern King of the Levantines pledged neutrality in the succession after having extracted Niall's agreement to abdicate. This left the rebels in the Archduchy relatively isolated, but their power and influence nonetheless made the rebellion a considerable threat to the continuation of the united Julian realm. The rebels elevated a man named Esquilinus, a noble descended from [[Saint Julius of the Caeline]] in the female line, as nominal Archduke. The so-called Esquiline Rebellion lasted from Niall's abdication in [[956]] until late [[959]], when Duke Caelius defeated the rebels near the modern site of [[Castle Welute]] on the [[Urce River]] and forced Esquilinus into monastic life, though his followers within the [[Julian dynasty]] would continue to clandestinely support Esquilinus and his family for decades to come. The rebels recognized Caelius as Archduke on 4 October [[959]]. Although most historians do not count Esquilinus among the line of Urceopolitan Archdukes, a minority position holds that he held the position both de facto and de jure according to the existing Archducal political apparatus. After the conflict, Caelius decided to move his court to [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] in order to placate the local nobility and ensure the longterm viability of the House of Harren as Archdukes. Although the decision was welcome, the more overtly Gaelicized Harrens are recorded to have been "shocking" to the Urceopolitan gentry, and for decades to come the ruling family were viewed as relatively backwards by their most influential subjects.

The nature of the union between Urceopolis and Harren has been questioned by historians since the 20th century. It is almost certain that the union, at least in its early stage, was not a {{wp|personal union}} as such unions would later be come to understood or indeed was then-familiar to the authors of the [[Riparian Chronicle]], from whom the history of the succession is known. Modern reconstructions of this union suggest that the senior man in the House of Harren would gain the Urceopolitan Archduchy and a kind of "clan suzerainty" over a lesser man (or senior male heir) governing Harren on his behalf. The senior ruler, viewed by later historians to be the sole ruler, likely was also invested as appointed governor of both territories in the name of the Southern Levantine King or [[Emperor of the Levantines]] after [[965]]. This reconstruction is largely based on the prominence of younger brothers or male heirs within the lives of the joint Urceopolitan-Harrenic rulers during the 10th century, suggesting that they ruled Harren and acted on behalf of the Urceopolitan Archduke. After the restoration of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] and further development of its legal institutions and the laws of {{wp|feudalism|feudal governance}} in general, this union probably did evolve into a true personal union by the mid-11th century, well ahead of the [[Golden Bull of 1098]], as other Harrenic men besides the Archduke disappear from the narrative around [[1020]].

== Restoration of the Empire ==

Since the unity of the Archduchy of Urceopolis with the Duchy of Harren, the rulers of the Julian dynasty had increadingly chafed under the control of the Southern King of the Levantines - a member of the [[Conine dynasty]] - based in [[Carolina]]. As the Southern Kings had forced his father into a monastery, Archduke Caelius IV held decidedly negative view of Royal authority, and looked for an opportunity to avenge his father. The opportunity arrived in [[963]], as the [[Eastern Kingdom of the Levantines|Eastern King of the Levantines]], a [[Derian people|Derian]] named [[Leo I, Emperor of the Levantines|Leo]] launched an invasion of the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]] in an attempt to reclaim the Imperial title. The Southern King and Eastern King would clash in a number of dramatic battles in the [[Transionia]] region before Caelius IV announced his allegenience to Leo. Caelius led the Julian forces past the [[Northgate]] and into [[Carolina]] in February [[965]], setting the Royal court to siege. As Royal forces raced back to lift the siege, they were caught between Julian and Eastern forces and crushed at the Battle of Nitcus on 30 April [[965]]. After the battle, the remaining Conine nobles surrendered and recognized Leo I as Southern King of the Levantines. Leo entered [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] on 24 May and was crowned [[Emperor of the Levantines]], restoring the [[Holy Levantine Empire|Levantine Empire]] following a 48 year interregnum. Leo's victory meant the end of a distinct Southern Kingdom and Court as Imperial power was centered in [[Corcra (City)|Corcra]]; higher political authority moving far to the east meant that, going forward, the rulers of the Julian realm would enjoy a freer hand and the end of Royal interference in the succession.

[[File:Weltchronik Fulda Aa88 168r detail.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The assassination of Archduke Caelius IV.]]

Caelius IV spent the remaining years of his reign combatting domestic conspiracies against him by the family of Esquilinus, the Archduke claimant defeated in the late 950s. Caelius faced a revolt of Esquilinus's brother and brother-in-law in [[971]] and defeated the rebel faction in late 971, after which time he decided to launch a small purge of the Esquiline family. Most notably, Esquilinus - still living as a monk - was strangled in January [[972]]. The killing of a monk, even a political rival, shocked both the public and nobility in [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]]. The strangulation led to many of Caelius's close allies to abandon him, as his quest for vengence was viewed to be immoral, illegal, and a sign of possible madness. Esquilinus's nephew Comedan, son of his sister, snuck into the [[Julian Palace]] on 19 March [[972]] and assassinated Caelius. Caelius was succeeded by his son Julius III, who was generally affable and liked by most of those who had abandoned Caelius. Wisely, Julius decided not to pursue the same level of paternal vengence that his father had: Comedan was executed, but rumors regarding those who had allowed him into the palace were not pursued. Being just 20 years old upon the time of his accession, Julius would mend most broken relationships and end the longrunning Esquiline conspiracy, and would also continue his father's practice of ruling from Urceopolis.

Line 27:

Line 30:

== Late Archducal period ==

By the late 11th century, the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] had already approached something resembling its territorial peak; the Luciusian Dynasty had conquered the area of modern northern [[Fiannria]], an area that had eluded central authority for nearly a millenia. This area was, at that time, part of a larger region commonly known as Ultramurus, that is, “beyond the wall”, referring to the walls constructed by [[Great Levantia]] to signify their northern borders, which today is referred to as [[Ultmar]]. Within the Empire, the position of the Archduchy-Duchy continued to grow, acquiring several lands and titles outside the traditional geographic boundaries of Urceopolis-Harren. Additionally, the Golden Bull of 1043 also set the amount of electors at 9; neither Harren nor Urceopolis were granted the electoral dignity as it was thought to be a way to balance its power relative to the rest of the Empire. This ~~lead~~ to a century's-long goal on the part of the [[House of Harren]] to acquire a vote for Emperor, either by a change to the law or by inheritance.

By the late 11th century, the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] had already approached something resembling its territorial peak; the Luciusian Dynasty had conquered the area of modern northern [[Fiannria]], an area that had eluded central authority for nearly a millenia. This area was, at that time, part of a larger region commonly known as Ultramurus, that is, “beyond the wall”, referring to the walls constructed by [[Great Levantia]] to signify their northern borders, which today is referred to as [[Ultmar]]. Within the Empire, the position of the Archduchy-Duchy continued to grow, acquiring several lands and titles outside the traditional geographic boundaries of Urceopolis-Harren. Additionally, the Golden Bull of 1043 also set the amount of electors at 9; neither Harren nor Urceopolis were granted the electoral dignity as it was thought to be a way to balance its power relative to the rest of the Empire. This led to a century's-long goal on the part of the [[House of Harren]] to acquire a vote for Emperor, either by a change to the law or by inheritance.

During this period, Urcean nobles began their participation in the [[Crusades]] as part of a general effort by the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] to turn back the influence of the [[Oduniyyad Caliphate]] in Sarpedon and elsewhere. Beginning in 1084 with {{wp|Pope Gregory VII}}'s call for the [[Crusades#First_Crusade_(1084)|First Crusade]] - a campaign for the restoration of Christendom in [[Sarpedon]] - the Archduke-Grand Duke of Urceopolis, Riordan II, fought in several campaigns before returning to [[Levantia]] in 1097, accumulating a great deal of prestige for himself and his dynasty following several successful battles fought in northeastern Sarpedon. Simultaneously, the [[Kingdom of Culfra]] began to [[Fiannria#The_Realm_of_Culfra_and_the_Crusades|openly discuss separating]] from the Empire altogether or deposing the [[Collegial Electorate]] in favor of a hereditary northern King, and by 1096 began to march for Corcra. Freshly off campaign and with his resources having been spent for the crusade, Riordan II pledged neutrality, which would have weakened the Imperial cause to the point in which a dissolution of the Empire could have plausibly occurred. The Emperor [[Charles II Luciusian]] began to seek ways of winning the Urceopolitan monarch back to his side, and settled on an offer of Kingship and consolidation. Citing the recent canonization of St. Julius I, the pious prestige accrued during the recent [[Crusades|Crusade]], and the considerable lands and titles his successors had acquired, the Emperor offered Riordan a Kingship of a reduced part of the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]] to be nominally part of a new [[Imperial Kingdom of Urcea|Kingdom of Urcea]]. Riordan accepted, and Emperor Carles II issued the [[Golden Bull of 1098]], which created the Kingdom and consolidated all of Riordan’s holdings under him and compelling the other vassals in the region to be nominally subservient to him. With the support of the new Julian Crown, the Imperial faction won the war. Riordan I (adopting new regnal numbering) styled himself Apostolic King in light of his holy ancestor, and the title remained from that point onward.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Template:History of Urcea sidebar}}
 The '''History of Urcea from 800 to 1098''', sometimes also called the '''Archducal Period''', consists of period of time from the death of [[Gaius Julius Cicurinus|Saint Julius of the Caeline]] in 800 AD to the proclamation of the [[Golden Bull of 1098]]. This period saw the rise of the [[Julian dynasty]] within the newly established realms of the [[Archduchy of Urceopolis]] and the [[Grand Duchy of Harren|Duchy of Harren]], and additionally saw the growing power of the [[Julian dynasty]] within the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]]. During this period, the [[Holy Levantine Empire|Levantine Empire]] disintegrated and was partially reunited. The two Julian realms were united in 922, forming a powerful constituent part of the rapidly weakening Southern Kingdom of the Levantines. This period saw the first [[Emperor of the Levantines]] of the [[Julian dynasty]], confirming their rapid ascent. In the midst of a civil war that threatened the existence of the Levantine Empire, Emperor Saint Charles II offered the Royal dignity to the Julians in exchange for their support. In 1098, the two Julian realms were united and the [[Julian dynasty]] assumed the Kingship of [[Urcea]] that year, marking the formal foundation of the country.
+The Archducal Period is covered extensively in the [[Riparian Chronicle]], which remains the major source for modern histories on the topic.
 == Urceopolis and the Empire ==
 Though the Conine Dynasty established the Imperial court in the city of [[Corcra (City)|Corcra]], [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] remained the largest city in the Empire and the most powerful vassal the Emperor could call on. This would occasionally lead to friction between the Archdukes and the Emperor; the [[Julian dynasty]] was briefly deposed following a failed rebellion and the death of Archduke Conchobar in [[865]], leading to a local noble of the Scipii estate, Scipio Aedanicus, to be elected by the the city’s leading families upon the request of the Emperor that year. Aedanicus was resisted by the Julians - both those in the city as well as those based in [[Harren]] by force of arms and received no assistance from the Emperor on whose support he relied, and consequently the Julians were reestablished by [[868]]. No other direct conflict between the Archdukes and the Emperor would occur, as a more friendly and symbiotic relationship between Urceopolis and Corcra became established.
@@ Line 8: / Line 9: @@
 The relationship between the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines|Southern King of the Levantines]], also known as Carolina, and Archdukes of Urceopolis, unlike that of Urceopolis and the Empire, was fraught with hostility. While the greatest extent of this would come during the Yustonese Succession, the Kings of Carolina often worked to pit the Archduke against the [[Pope]] to weaken both and politically fragment the most populous region of the Kingdom. In 915, the new [[Duchy of Transurciana]] was split from the Archduchy comprised of most of the Archducal lands southeast of the [[Urce River]], comprised of a number of Gael-descended counties settled by the conquest of [[Conchobar I, Emperor of the Levantines]]. While the Duchy was given back to the Archduke, the King gave special privileges and right of appeal to the Pope to the counts within the Duchy, creating what amounted to a Papal zone of control extending southeast of [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] itself. This decision, besides being a shrewd political move, recognized many of the traditional political rights the Pope had accured in the region since the 6th century. Control of this territory would remain a difficult issue for the [[Julian dynasty]] for the next several centuries.
-AD was a momentous year, both for the [[Urceopolis (Archduchy)|Archduchy of Urceopolis]] and the [[Holy Levantine Empire]]. The Tribal Assembly of Urceopolis, which was an ancient institution dating back to antiquity and was a critical institution in the middle period of [[Great Levantia]], met for the last time. This momentous occasion is perhaps only notable in hindsight, as the Assembly was never formally dissolved and instead faded into obscurity as the eligible voters were spread further and further from [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]], making meetings of what was once a "popular urban assembly" impossible. For the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], the Empire was divided among the sons of Emperor Brian III according to the traditional practice of inheritance dating back to [[Gallawa]]. This division - and the subsequent inability to decide which son of Brian III would become Emperor - lead to the functional disintegration of the Empire. This left the Archdukes owing their allegiance to the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]], also known as ''Carolingia'' or ''Carolina'' due to the name of its first king, Charles. Within this Southern Kingdom, the Archdukes found themselves to be nearly on par with the King in terms of wealth and manpower, leading to a troubled relationship between the two lines of rulers for the entirety of the Kingdom’s existence.
+AD was a momentous year, both for the [[Urceopolis (Archduchy)|Archduchy of Urceopolis]] and the [[Holy Levantine Empire]]. The Tribal Assembly of Urceopolis, which was an ancient institution dating back to antiquity and was a critical institution in the middle period of [[Great Levantia]], met for the last time. This momentous occasion is perhaps only notable in hindsight, as the Assembly was never formally dissolved and instead faded into obscurity as the eligible voters were spread further and further from [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]], making meetings of what was once a "popular urban assembly" impossible. For the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], the Empire was divided among the sons of Emperor Brian III according to the traditional practice of inheritance dating back to [[Gallawa]]. This division - and the subsequent inability to decide which son of Brian III would become Emperor - led to the functional disintegration of the Empire. This left the Archdukes owing their allegiance to the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]], also known as ''Carolingia'' or ''Carolina'' due to the name of its first king, Charles. Within this Southern Kingdom, the Archdukes found themselves to be nearly on par with the King in terms of wealth and manpower, leading to a troubled relationship between the two lines of rulers for the entirety of the Kingdom’s existence.
 == Harrenic Succession ==
@@ Line 16: / Line 17: @@
 Niall II's abdication elevated Caelius IV as Archduke and Duke, at least in name. The abdication of Niall presented an opportunity for prominent magnates of the [[Archduchy of Urceopolis]] to revolt against the continuation of the personal union, as many deeply resented being ruled from Cálfeld. Unlike previous attempts to meddle with the united Julian realms, the Southern King of the Levantines pledged neutrality in the succession after having extracted Niall's agreement to abdicate. This left the rebels in the Archduchy relatively isolated, but their power and influence nonetheless made the rebellion a considerable threat to the continuation of the united Julian realm. The rebels elevated a man named Esquilinus, a noble descended from [[Saint Julius of the Caeline]] in the female line, as nominal Archduke. The so-called Esquiline Rebellion lasted from Niall's abdication in [[956]] until late [[959]], when Duke Caelius defeated the rebels near the modern site of [[Castle Welute]] on the [[Urce River]] and forced Esquilinus into monastic life, though his followers within the [[Julian dynasty]] would continue to clandestinely support Esquilinus and his family for decades to come. The rebels recognized Caelius as Archduke on 4 October [[959]]. Although most historians do not count Esquilinus among the line of Urceopolitan Archdukes, a minority position holds that he held the position both de facto and de jure according to the existing Archducal political apparatus. After the conflict, Caelius decided to move his court to [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] in order to placate the local nobility and ensure the longterm viability of the House of Harren as Archdukes. Although the decision was welcome, the more overtly Gaelicized Harrens are recorded to have been "shocking" to the Urceopolitan gentry, and for decades to come the ruling family were viewed as relatively backwards by their most influential subjects.
+The nature of the union between Urceopolis and Harren has been questioned by historians since the 20th century. It is almost certain that the union, at least in its early stage, was not a {{wp|personal union}} as such unions would later be come to understood or indeed was then-familiar to the authors of the [[Riparian Chronicle]], from whom the history of the succession is known. Modern reconstructions of this union suggest that the senior man in the House of Harren would gain the Urceopolitan Archduchy and a kind of "clan suzerainty" over a lesser man (or senior male heir) governing Harren on his behalf. The senior ruler, viewed by later historians to be the sole ruler, likely was also invested as appointed governor of both territories in the name of the Southern Levantine King or [[Emperor of the Levantines]] after [[965]]. This reconstruction is largely based on the prominence of younger brothers or male heirs within the lives of the joint Urceopolitan-Harrenic rulers during the 10th century, suggesting that they ruled Harren and acted on behalf of the Urceopolitan Archduke. After the restoration of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] and further development of its legal institutions and the laws of {{wp|feudalism|feudal governance}} in general, this union probably did evolve into a true personal union by the mid-11th century, well ahead of the [[Golden Bull of 1098]], as other Harrenic men besides the Archduke disappear from the narrative around [[1020]].
 == Restoration of the Empire ==
 Since the unity of the Archduchy of Urceopolis with the Duchy of Harren, the rulers of the Julian dynasty had increadingly chafed under the control of the Southern King of the Levantines - a member of the [[Conine dynasty]] - based in [[Carolina]]. As the Southern Kings had forced his father into a monastery, Archduke Caelius IV held decidedly negative view of Royal authority, and looked for an opportunity to avenge his father. The opportunity arrived in [[963]], as the [[Eastern Kingdom of the Levantines|Eastern King of the Levantines]], a [[Derian people|Derian]] named [[Leo I, Emperor of the Levantines|Leo]] launched an invasion of the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]] in an attempt to reclaim the Imperial title. The Southern King and Eastern King would clash in a number of dramatic battles in the [[Transionia]] region before Caelius IV announced his allegenience to Leo. Caelius led the Julian forces past the [[Northgate]] and into [[Carolina]] in February [[965]], setting the Royal court to siege. As Royal forces raced back to lift the siege, they were caught between Julian and Eastern forces and crushed at the Battle of Nitcus on 30 April [[965]]. After the battle, the remaining Conine nobles surrendered and recognized Leo I as Southern King of the Levantines. Leo entered [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] on 24 May and was crowned [[Emperor of the Levantines]], restoring the [[Holy Levantine Empire|Levantine Empire]] following a 48 year interregnum. Leo's victory meant the end of a distinct Southern Kingdom and Court as Imperial power was centered in [[Corcra (City)|Corcra]]; higher political authority moving far to the east meant that, going forward, the rulers of the Julian realm would enjoy a freer hand and the end of Royal interference in the succession.
-[[File:Weltchronik Fulda Aa88 168r detail.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The assassination of Archduke Caelius IV.]]
+[[File:Weltchronik Fulda Aa88 168r detail.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The assassination of Archduke Caelius IV as it appeared in a [[History_of_the_Kings_of_Urcea#Mythological_insertions|dubiously sourced later history.]]]]
 Caelius IV spent the remaining years of his reign combatting domestic conspiracies against him by the family of Esquilinus, the Archduke claimant defeated in the late 950s. Caelius faced a revolt of Esquilinus's brother and brother-in-law in [[971]] and defeated the rebel faction in late 971, after which time he decided to launch a small purge of the Esquiline family. Most notably, Esquilinus - still living as a monk - was strangled in January [[972]]. The killing of a monk, even a political rival, shocked both the public and nobility in [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]]. The strangulation led to many of Caelius's close allies to abandon him, as his quest for vengence was viewed to be immoral, illegal, and a sign of possible madness. Esquilinus's nephew Comedan, son of his sister, snuck into the [[Julian Palace]] on 19 March [[972]] and assassinated Caelius. Caelius was succeeded by his son Julius III, who was generally affable and liked by most of those who had abandoned Caelius. Wisely, Julius decided not to pursue the same level of paternal vengence that his father had: Comedan was executed, but rumors regarding those who had allowed him into the palace were not pursued. Being just 20 years old upon the time of his accession, Julius would mend most broken relationships and end the longrunning Esquiline conspiracy, and would also continue his father's practice of ruling from Urceopolis.
@@ Line 27: / Line 30: @@
 == Late Archducal period ==
-By the late 11th century, the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] had already approached something resembling its territorial peak; the Luciusian Dynasty had conquered the area of modern northern [[Fiannria]], an area that had eluded central authority for nearly a millenia. This area was, at that time, part of a larger region commonly known as Ultramurus, that is, “beyond the wall”, referring to the walls constructed by [[Great Levantia]] to signify their northern borders, which today is referred to as [[Ultmar]]. Within the Empire, the position of the Archduchy-Duchy continued to grow, acquiring several lands and titles outside the traditional geographic boundaries of Urceopolis-Harren. Additionally, the Golden Bull of 1043 also set the amount of electors at 9; neither Harren nor Urceopolis were granted the electoral dignity as it was thought to be a way to balance its power relative to the rest of the Empire. This lead to a century's-long goal on the part of the [[House of Harren]] to acquire a vote for Emperor, either by a change to the law or by inheritance.
+By the late 11th century, the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] had already approached something resembling its territorial peak; the Luciusian Dynasty had conquered the area of modern northern [[Fiannria]], an area that had eluded central authority for nearly a millenia. This area was, at that time, part of a larger region commonly known as Ultramurus, that is, “beyond the wall”, referring to the walls constructed by [[Great Levantia]] to signify their northern borders, which today is referred to as [[Ultmar]]. Within the Empire, the position of the Archduchy-Duchy continued to grow, acquiring several lands and titles outside the traditional geographic boundaries of Urceopolis-Harren. Additionally, the Golden Bull of 1043 also set the amount of electors at 9; neither Harren nor Urceopolis were granted the electoral dignity as it was thought to be a way to balance its power relative to the rest of the Empire. This led to a century's-long goal on the part of the [[House of Harren]] to acquire a vote for Emperor, either by a change to the law or by inheritance.
 During this period, Urcean nobles began their participation in the [[Crusades]] as part of a general effort by the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] to turn back the influence of the [[Oduniyyad Caliphate]] in Sarpedon and elsewhere. Beginning in 1084 with {{wp|Pope Gregory VII}}'s call for the [[Crusades#First_Crusade_(1084)|First Crusade]] - a campaign for the restoration of Christendom in [[Sarpedon]] - the Archduke-Grand Duke of Urceopolis, Riordan II, fought in several campaigns before returning to [[Levantia]] in 1097, accumulating a great deal of prestige for himself and his dynasty following several successful battles fought in northeastern Sarpedon. Simultaneously, the [[Kingdom of Culfra]] began to [[Fiannria#The_Realm_of_Culfra_and_the_Crusades|openly discuss separating]] from the Empire altogether or deposing the [[Collegial Electorate]] in favor of a hereditary northern King, and by 1096 began to march for Corcra. Freshly off campaign and with his resources having been spent for the crusade, Riordan II pledged neutrality, which would have weakened the Imperial cause to the point in which a dissolution of the Empire could have plausibly occurred. The Emperor [[Charles II Luciusian]] began to seek ways of winning the Urceopolitan monarch back to his side, and settled on an offer of Kingship and consolidation. Citing the recent canonization of St. Julius I, the pious prestige accrued during the recent [[Crusades|Crusade]], and the considerable lands and titles his successors had acquired, the Emperor offered Riordan a Kingship of a reduced part of the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]] to be nominally part of a new [[Imperial Kingdom of Urcea|Kingdom of Urcea]]. Riordan accepted, and Emperor Carles II issued the [[Golden Bull of 1098]], which created the Kingdom and consolidated all of Riordan’s holdings under him and compelling the other vassals in the region to be nominally subservient to him. With the support of the new Julian Crown, the Imperial faction won the war. Riordan I (adopting new regnal numbering) styled himself Apostolic King in light of his holy ancestor, and the title remained from that point onward.

History of Urcea (800-1098): Difference between revisions

Navigation menu

Search