Talk:History of Caphiria

The history of Caphiria has been among the most influential to the modern world, from the spread of the Latin language and Romance languages as a result to the creation of the Imperial Church to its vast contributions to modern government, law, politics, engineering, art, literature, architecture, technology, warfare, religion, language, and society.

Caphirian history is traditionally divided into nine distinct historical eras:

• The Prehistoric era, covering Caphiria's earliest inhabitants and the establishment of the Latinic people.

• The Kingdom era (480 BC - 370 BC), covering the formation of the city-state of Caphiria in 480 BC and characterized by a monarchical form of government in which according to tradition, Lanintius was the first of five Kings.

• The Republic era (370 BC - 414 AD), which commenced in 370 BC when kings were replaced with rule by elected senators. The period, which lasted 783 years, was marked by vast expansion of Caprivian territory, regional dominance, and eventually over the entire Ecinis Sea and parts of the Kindreds Sea and Great Lakes.

• The Principate era (414 - 1070 AD), marked by a series of civil wars and internal political conflict, centers around the reorganization of the Republic and creation of the Constitution of Caphiria. This era also marks the early stages of the city-state evolving into a proper empire, with vast territorial holdings, hegemony over Latium, and was among the most powerful economic, cultural, political and military forces in the world of its time.

• The Civil War era (1070 - 1115 AD), covers a dozen or so civil wars that took place over a period of four decades as contention for leadership and political groups vied for control over the massive and wealthy state. The most famous of these was between Marius Oratonius and Quinus Sator Alercius and the subsequent war between their successors and die hard loyalists. This led to the state splitting into two: a monarchy in the north and a republic in the south.

• The Reformation era (1115 - 1456 AD), begins with the reunification of the state into the Imperium, a hybrid political system that solved the crisis of the civil war. This new government retained Republic era bodies such as the Senate, but separated it into two distinct representative bodies, the Curiate Assembly and the Consular Congress. Conversely, the powers of the Imperator were increased even more from the Principate era. All of this was formally codified with the introduction of the Constitution of Caphiria which sought to eliminate the constant power struggles and conflict.

• The Dominate era (1456 - 1615 AD) is marked by its cultural and political achievement, becoming the symbol of artistic and cultural influence. This period is characterized by the rediscovery of classical Latin philosophy which encouraged a new thinking that became manifested in art, architecture, politics, science and literature. This era marks the transition from the Middle Ages to modern Caphiria.

• The Pontificate era (1615 - 1872 AD), is defined by the Great Schism of 1615, the break of communion between what are now the Levantine Catholic Church and the Imperial Church. The Schism was the culmination of theological and political differences between the traditional (Levantine Catholicism) and the new age of thinking that was permeating Caphirian culture and society as a result of the Dominate era which had developed over the previous centuries. As a result, this era marks the combination of the secular and religious authorities, creating a caesaropapist form of government, which meant emperors were regarded as greater than other mortals, though not quite as deities. As time went on, the identity of the imperatorship with the papacy became less clear and after a peaceful coup, the emperor became recognized more for his legal authority, rather than his religious one.

• The Mandatum era (1872 - present), covers the 18th century to present day. This period can be characterized as the shift from regional hegemon to global superpower. Caphiria played a major role in the Great War, notably as the first nation to use nuclear weaponry. Kiravia and Caphiria emerged as superpowers following the end of the 20th century and has maintained a mostly friendly relationship with it, confronting indirectly during the Space race, proxy wars, and propaganda campaigns.

Classical imperium

• lasts from whenever until 1040 when the crisis of the 3rd century type event shatters the empire. the classic imperium i would guess fell under the combined weight of increased muslim raids and the establishment of more organized better armed slavic groups combined with typical internal pressures of disease, famine, debasement, etc.

• This would be the logical reason for the crusades to occur a few decades later. ostensibly called to help protect Venceia but becoming a whole other thing.

First dark period

- 3 empire fragments under constant harassment from both muslims and slavs. You could also have a cartadanian population influx of people fleeing the southern and eastern parts of modern caphiria.

Second imperium

- 1124-1330 2 of the 3 empire fragments are rejoined and gradually reconquer some parts and expand out elsewhere. Cartadania is more settled during this period.

Second dark period

- Empire entirely fragments under internal political disorder. the caphirian "core" region - that coastal bit around Venceia north of the mountains - is basically ruled as a classical republic by the senate. Most provinces become pseudo independent warlord states. Eventually a latino-slavic warlord marches north and conquers the republic but rather than sacking Venceia he stands outside of it and accepts, under force of arms, the imperial title from the senate. The Pope recognizing the new dynasties after both dark periods would be good to legitimize continuity of government. There is probably an air of romance in some political quarters about the second dark period when the senate ruled the capital/core region but the majority recognize it for what it was - an oligarchical period where the Empire was at its lowest. The latino-slavic dynasty lore could intermix nicely with Romanian border NPCs. I also think that dynasty could create some fresh institutions for you historically or even just like random slavic loanwords for assistants of magistrates, some officers, etc.

Third imperium

- 1392-1782 - this is a somewhat stable version of the empire reunified under the latinized slavic dynasty but with a lot of breakaways. The schism happens here. Plebeian assembly meets for the last time although it became popular during an attempted coup against the main ruling dynasty of the time. During this time the first concepts of a rotating imperial office - which we discussed - came about after the end of the slavic dynasty. The veltorine uprising occurs and cleaves the empire in two.

Fourth imperium

- 1783-present - major reform efforts are launched after the loss of the veltorine war. No discontinuity of government but a new Imperium is proclaimed anyway on the back of reforms and return to wholly caphiric ruling dynasties and families. Most lasting slavic dynasty traces are removed. the fourth imperium would give rise to the national assembly.