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Great Levantia: Difference between revisions
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==== Loss of Gaul ==== | ==== Loss of Gaul ==== | ||
==== Rump Empire ==== | ==== Rump Empire ==== | ||
Following more than a century of military setbacks and establishment of barbarian kingdoms within the traditional boundaries of Great Levantia, central authority began to collapse beginning in around 480 AD. By this time, Great Levantia was mostly contained to the northern two-thirds of modern [[Urcea]], most of [[Burgundie]] and most of [[Dericania]]. The province of [[Pralia Mountains|Pralia]] Maritima - an area approximately encompassing modern [[Roscampus]], [[Lower Carolina]], and southern [[Carna]] - declared that it would appoint its own governors internally in the year 482, denying the right traditionally reserved only to Imperial authorities. When the Imperial appointed governor died in 484, an Imperial army tried and failed to force a new appointee there, with the Imperator suing for peace. The capitulation of the Imperial court lead to most other provinces assuming responsibility for their own governance and protection. The transition to local rule occurred rapidly between 484 and 490, with most provinces ceasing sending taxes on to [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] in the latter year. From 490, the authority of the Emperor in [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] covered about the eastern half of the modern [[Archduchy of Urceopolis]] and the direct areas of the [[Urce River]] valley . A second campaign waged in 492 to reestablish control failed and saw the Emperor Candidius, deposed. Provincial armies besieged Urceopolis in 492 and induced the [[Levantine Senate]] to recognize an Imperial bureaucrat named Silvanus as Emperor. Distrusted by the Urceopolitans, Silvanus recognized the total autonomy of the provinces but made serious efforts to reform the Imperial "core lands" he had direct control over in order to potentially strengthen the power of the Imperial office. Silvanus built the last aqueduct in 496 and reinforced the city walls. As a career administrator, Silvanus attempted to streamline Imperial governance and eliminated many extraneous court positions, angering prominent Urceopolitan families. He also made efforts to reform taxation and remove some privileges for those in Urceopolis in order to refill the Imperial coffers. | Following more than a century of military setbacks and establishment of barbarian kingdoms within the traditional boundaries of Great Levantia, central authority began to collapse beginning in around 480 AD. By this time, Great Levantia was mostly contained to the northern two-thirds of modern [[Urcea]], most of [[Burgundie]] and most of [[Dericania]]. The province of [[Pralia Mountains|Pralia]] Maritima - an area approximately encompassing modern [[Roscampus]], [[Lower Carolina]], and southern [[Carna]] - declared that it would appoint its own governors internally in the year 482, denying the right traditionally reserved only to Imperial authorities. When the Imperial appointed governor died in 484, an Imperial army tried and failed to force a new appointee there, with the Imperator suing for peace. The capitulation of the Imperial court lead to most other provinces assuming responsibility for their own governance and protection, such as in [[Harren]] in 486. The transition to local rule occurred rapidly between 484 and 490, with most provinces ceasing sending taxes on to [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] in the latter year. From 490, the authority of the Emperor in [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] covered about the eastern half of the modern [[Archduchy of Urceopolis]] and the direct areas of the [[Urce River]] valley . A second campaign waged in 492 to reestablish control failed and saw the Emperor Candidius, deposed. Provincial armies besieged Urceopolis in 492 and induced the [[Levantine Senate]] to recognize an Imperial bureaucrat named Silvanus as Emperor. Distrusted by the Urceopolitans, Silvanus recognized the total autonomy of the provinces but made serious efforts to reform the Imperial "core lands" he had direct control over in order to potentially strengthen the power of the Imperial office. Silvanus built the last aqueduct in 496 and reinforced the city walls. As a career administrator, Silvanus attempted to streamline Imperial governance and eliminated many extraneous court positions, angering prominent Urceopolitan families. He also made efforts to reform taxation and remove some privileges for those in Urceopolis in order to refill the Imperial coffers. | ||
==== End of the Empire ==== | ==== End of the Empire ==== | ||
The reforms of Silvanus significantly angered the noble families of Urceopolis, not only due to fact that the nobility were targeted but also because it was clear the Imperial court and its policy aims were becoming an anachronism. The rest of Great Levantia was now under barbarian occupation or a functionally independent province; accordingly, the Imperial court was raising funds for a project that had failed and served no purpose. Accordingly, the nobles launched a conspiracy which deposed the Emperor Silvanus on 22 May 502. Rather than replace him, however, they left the office vacant and distributed the various regalia and other court objects to the provincial governors. The nobles established a new [[Duchy of Urceopolis]] under the leadership of an elective ''Dux''. Many of the outlying cities and areas of the remaining rump Empire did not participate in this new govenrment, instead finding protection under the provincial leaders. The new Duchy was a loosely organized government intended to serve the interests of the nobility, but the competing interests of the nobility lead to an extremely weak government. By 550, the [[Urce River]] area was dotted with only loosely affiliated fortified noble estates and [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] was largely abandoned due to continuing violence and also due to the aqueducts having been destroyed in one of the noble feuds that ensued. | The reforms of Silvanus significantly angered the noble families of Urceopolis, not only due to fact that the nobility were targeted but also because it was clear the Imperial court and its policy aims were becoming an anachronism. The rest of Great Levantia was now under barbarian occupation or a functionally independent province; accordingly, the Imperial court was raising funds for a project that had failed and served no purpose. Accordingly, the nobles launched a conspiracy which deposed the Emperor Silvanus on 22 May 502. Rather than replace him, however, they left the office vacant and distributed the various regalia and other court objects to the provincial governors. The nobles established a new [[Duchy of Urceopolis]] under the leadership of an elective ''Dux''. Many of the outlying cities and areas of the remaining rump Empire did not participate in this new govenrment, instead finding protection under the provincial leaders. The new Duchy was a loosely organized government intended to serve the interests of the nobility, but the competing interests of the nobility lead to an extremely weak government. By 550, the [[Urce River]] area was dotted with only loosely affiliated fortified noble estates and [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] was largely abandoned due to continuing violence and also due to the aqueducts having been destroyed in one of the noble feuds that ensued. | ||