13,595
edits
Julian dynasty: Difference between revisions
m
→Ronan
m (→Harren) |
m (→Ronan) |
||
| (6 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 34: | Line 34: | ||
The exact ancestry of the Julian dynasty - and the [[Julii (Estate)|Julia gens]] of [[Great Levantia]] generally - are unknown. Several mythical origin stories from the Medieval period indicate that they were the first [[Latinic people|Latinic]] settlers from [[Adonerum]] to both discover and settle [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]], although this story is considered by most modern historians to be a fabrication. The first historical record of the Julii occurs in 327 BC with one of its members being recorded as serving as {{wp|Praetor}} that year. The Julii continued as a relatively obscure noble family of [[Great Levantia]] for most of its existence, but historians believe the family's continued existence through the fifth century AD suggests it to be a relatively prodigious and wealthy - if politically irrelevant - family. The leading family of the Julii - the ''Julii Cicurini'' - eventually built the fortified [[Julian Palace|Domus Julii]] on the [[Urceopolis_(City)#New_City|Caeline Hill]] section of [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] in the early sixth century as fortified noble complexes in the declining city were becoming increasingly common after the collapse of [[Great Levantia]]. | The exact ancestry of the Julian dynasty - and the [[Julii (Estate)|Julia gens]] of [[Great Levantia]] generally - are unknown. Several mythical origin stories from the Medieval period indicate that they were the first [[Latinic people|Latinic]] settlers from [[Adonerum]] to both discover and settle [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]], although this story is considered by most modern historians to be a fabrication. The first historical record of the Julii occurs in 327 BC with one of its members being recorded as serving as {{wp|Praetor}} that year. The Julii continued as a relatively obscure noble family of [[Great Levantia]] for most of its existence, but historians believe the family's continued existence through the fifth century AD suggests it to be a relatively prodigious and wealthy - if politically irrelevant - family. The leading family of the Julii - the ''Julii Cicurini'' - eventually built the fortified [[Julian Palace|Domus Julii]] on the [[Urceopolis_(City)#New_City|Caeline Hill]] section of [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] in the early sixth century as fortified noble complexes in the declining city were becoming increasingly common after the collapse of [[Great Levantia]]. | ||
The Julian dynasty is considered to be the | The Julian dynasty is considered to be the descendants of the first [[Archduchy of Urceopolis|Archduke of Urceopolis]], [[Gaius Julius Cicurinus]], who was later canonized as Saint Julius of the Caeline. Accordingly, the Julian dynasty is differentiated from the rest of the Julii generally by descent from the ''Julii Cicurini'' and specifically by either direct female or indirect fraternal relation to the Saint. | ||
The "Julian legend" was a popular story in the early medieval period that suggested the Julii were the first clan with a paterfamilias to become Christian. According to this legend, in 202 AD, Gnaeus Julius Cicurinus converted to Christianity. He is supposed to have been killed by a family member in 205 AD for abjuring the family’s household gods and the state god, but legend claims he faked his death and continued to direct his family in secret until his death in 243 AD, making the Julii crypto-Christians. The legend persisted in popular imagination until the 7th century, with “Saint Cicurinus” emerging as a folk saint. | The "Julian legend" was a popular story in the early medieval period that suggested the Julii were the first clan with a paterfamilias to become Christian. According to this legend, in 202 AD, Gnaeus Julius Cicurinus converted to Christianity. He is supposed to have been killed by a family member in 205 AD for abjuring the family’s household gods and the state god, but legend claims he faked his death and continued to direct his family in secret until his death in 243 AD, making the Julii crypto-Christians. The legend persisted in popular imagination until the 7th century, with “Saint Cicurinus” emerging as a folk saint. | ||
| Line 53: | Line 53: | ||
====Aleckán==== | ====Aleckán==== | ||
====Cónn==== | ====Cónn==== | ||
The '''House of Cónn''' was a dynasty established by King Constantine I (r. 1214-1231). Most historians describe it as a cadet branch of the [[House of Harren]]; the fifth daughter of King Aedanicus II (r. 1118-1131), named Odia (1119-1182), was married to Cónn, a prominent noble of the castle of Holmfilth in modern [[Westglen]], in the year [[1139]]; this marriage was arranged by her uncle, King Niall I. Cónn, later referred to as "Cónn the Elder", had a son named Brian in [[1140]]. He had a grandson, also named Cónn, born in [[1181]]. | |||
Although Cónn and his kin were descended from a relatively recent King, they had become an obscure noble family by the end of the 12th century as the [[Urce River]] had been brought more firmly under the Urcean crown. Accordingly, Cónn (sometimes called "Cónn the Younger") spent his energies consolidating local estates and building a strong inheritance for his family without concern for Royal politics. In [[1209]], King Niall III conveyed on Cónn the title of Count Palatine of Holmfilth, recognizing the energetic efforts of Cónn to gain greater power and recognition. King Niall's reign as Apostolic King and [[Emperor of the Levantines]], combined with his heavyhanded nature, made him extremely unpopular with Urcea's [[Social_class_in_Urcea#High_Optimate|Optimates]] as a time when Count Cónn grew in popularity and noteriety. King Niall III died in [[1214]] and Optimates within [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] invited him to take the throne rather than the [[House of Aleckán]]'s heir, Prince Donnchad. Cónn accepted and was crowned Constantine I, establishing the Cónn as a new Royal house within the Julian dynasty. His acceptance of the crown unwittingly began two centuries of dynastic struggle between the Cónn and Aleckán families. | |||
Constantine I's son, Aedanicus III, ruled from 1231 through 1253. He was plagued with various mental health issues which culminated in early onset senility by the late 1240s. His inability resulted in Prince Donnchad of the Aleckán deposing him in [[1253]], though he was allowed to keep his life and even life in the [[Julian Palace]] until his natural death in [[1257]]. Aedanicus III's son, Adrian, recognized the graciousness of the act and disavowed his claim to the throne. He befriended Donnchad's son, Riordan [[House of Aleckán|Aleckán]], who became King Riordan IV in [[1266]]. Controversially, Riordan IV named his friend Adrian, rather than his brother Niall, as his heir, and Adrian assumed the throne in [[1275]]. He was unable to produce an heir of any kind, creating succession issues, but ruled relatively successfully for 37 years, dying in 1312. The next Cónn heir was also named Adrian (sometimes referred to as "the Younger"), whose relation to Adrian I was unclear but many historians believe he was a second cousin. Adrian the Younger took the throne after an 18 year period of Aleckán rule, killing the Aleckán King Lucás I in [[1330]]. | |||
An old man by the time he took the throne, King Adrian II died in 1339 after nine years on the throne and had no children. His death, with other factors, inaugurated the [[Saint%27s_War#Third_Phase:_Great_Interregnum|Great Interregnum]] in [[1339]], a 63 year period of division in Urcea, in part because Adrian had no consensus heir. This Interregnum was the final phase of the struggle between the Aleckáns and Cónns known as the [[Saint's War]]. A civil war broke out between possible Cónn claimants between Adrian's death in August and the end of the war in Deceber, when a man named Caelian Cónn took [[Cálfeld]] and the Grand Duchy of [[Harren]], at which time he was recognized as head of the Cónn faction. Caelian Cónn's relation to the previous Cónn Kings is unclear, but newly uncovered evidence in [[2006]] suggests he was a descendant of Constantine I. Caelian Cónn was of uncertain age at the time of his accession as Grand Duke, but he died in [[1359]]. Caelian's son, Brian, led the faction until his own death in [[1382]] and was succeeded by his son, Aedanicus (1361-1402). Aedanicus had no sons and one daughter, Eileen. It briefly appeared that he might emerge victorious with the extinction of the Aleckán line in [[1392]], but a new Aleckán cadet branch known as [[House de Weluta]] continued the conflict. The de Welutas defeated Aedanicus's forces and besieged Ardricampus; Aedanicus threw himself from the walls at the end of the siege, ending the Cónn line which began with Caelian. The leader of House de Weluta, Lucás, married Eileen Cónn in [[1402]]. This functionally unified the Cónn and Aleckán families and ended the Saint's War. The remaining members of the Cónn extended family at Ardricampus were sent into exile in [[Dericania]], where some of them integrated into the broader noble families there. | |||
The status of the Cónn as "senior house" of the Julian dynasty has been greatly disputed by both contemporaries and modern historians. Throughout the [[Saint's War]] period, the Aleckán family retained the title of Custóir of the [[Julii (Estate)|Julii]], functionally making them the head of the extended Julian family. The Cónn were unable to dislodge the Aleckáns from that office due to the fact that a majority of the extended Julian estate supported the Aleckáns. The junior familial nature of the Cónn was a source of significant political embarassment throughout the Saint's War, and as stated historians are divided on whether or not they ever rose to the level of "senior house" despite having held the Apostolic Kingship. | |||
====Harren==== | ====Harren==== | ||
The '''House of Harren''' was a cadet branch of the senior House of Julius and, eventually, the senior house of the dynasty for a time. It was established in [[761]], when Mettius Julius Cicurinus, brother of [[Gaius Julius Cicurinus]], was [[Early_history_of_Urcea#A_new_Urceopolis|invested]] as Duke of [[Harren]] by [[Conchobar I, Emperor of the Levantines]]. Mettius and his successors governed the Duchy of Harren directly for over a century and half, and during that time its leading men gradually married into the local nobility as well as women of the [[Ionian Plateau]], creating a drastic ethnic and cultural difference between the Harrens and the senior branch of the family in [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]]. During their time ruling Harren, the family became closely associated with [[Cálfeld]]. | The '''House of Harren''' was a cadet branch of the senior House of Julius and, eventually, the senior house of the dynasty for a time. It was established in [[761]], when Mettius Julius Cicurinus, brother of [[Gaius Julius Cicurinus]], was [[Early_history_of_Urcea#A_new_Urceopolis|invested]] as Duke of [[Harren]] by [[Conchobar I, Emperor of the Levantines]]. Mettius and his successors governed the Duchy of Harren directly for over a century and half, and during that time its leading men gradually married into the local nobility as well as women of the [[Ionian Plateau]], creating a drastic ethnic and cultural difference between the Harrens and the senior branch of the family in [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]]. During their time ruling Harren, the family became closely associated with [[Cálfeld]]. | ||
In [[922]], the senior House of Julius died out, leading to the House of Harren inheriting the [[Archduchy of Urceopolis]]. The first Harrens would continue to govern from Cálfeld until unrest forced them to relocate to Urceopolis. The Harrens ruled what would become Urcea from 922 until about the middle of the 12th century, when they died out due to a dynastic crisis. The Harrens are relatively unique among Julian dynastic families as many of them had no direct descent from Gaius Julius Cicurinus himself; the first Harren Archduke to have any direct relation was Niall II, who became Archduke in [[930]]. This fact, combined with their associations with the east and Gaelicization, led many in Urceopolis to view the Harrens as partly illegitimate. | In [[922]], the senior House of Julius died out, leading to the House of Harren inheriting the [[Archduchy of Urceopolis]]. The first Harrens would continue to govern from Cálfeld until unrest forced them to relocate to Urceopolis. The Harrens ruled what would become Urcea from 922 until about the middle of the 12th century, when they died out due to a dynastic crisis. The Harrens are relatively unique among Julian dynastic families as many of them had no direct descent from Gaius Julius Cicurinus himself; the first Harren Archduke to have any direct relation was Niall II, who became Archduke in [[930]]. This fact, combined with their associations with the east and Gaelicization, led many in Urceopolis to view the Harrens as partly illegitimate. The Harrens were the first Royal dynasty of Urcea, being directly given the new Kingdom in the [[Golden Bull of 1098]]. They would rule the unified Kingdom for the next five decades. King Aedanicus II (r. 1118-1131) began succession issues during his reign, with eight daughters and no sons, though many future Kings and cadet branches would trace their origin to one of his eight daughters. His brother, King Niall I (reigned 1131-1146), while successful, proved to be the House's undoing. His death, followed in quick succession by the death of his two reigning sons, Riordan III (r. 1146-47) and Niall II (r. 1147-53) marked the end of the direct male line of the family. The inability of daughters to inherit led to a three year interregnum that ended with the unrelated [[House of Aleckán]] assuming the throne in [[1156]]. Relatives of the House of Harren would eventually be restored to the Urcean throne with the rise of King Constantine I of the [[House of Cónn]] in 1214; Constantine could unambiguously trace his ancestry back to the fifth daughter of King Aedanicus II, Princess Odia (1119-1182). After the [[Saint's War]], the marriage of a daughter of the Cónn family into [[House de Weluta]] ensured the permanent matrilineal descent of all future Urcean Kings from the House of Harren. | ||
In its earliest form, this house was simply referred to as the "Julii Cicurinii Orienti" (eastern Julii Cicurinii) for a time until it gradually took on the name of the place it governed. Some pre-20th century historians refer to this house as the "Mettids" due to its founder. Like the senior House of Julius, the House of Harren existed in a time prior to the advent of {{wp|heraldry}}, and typically the generic arms of the dynasty are used to denote its rulers. | In its earliest form, this house was simply referred to as the "Julii Cicurinii Orienti" (eastern Julii Cicurinii) for a time until it gradually took on the name of the place it governed. Some pre-20th century historians refer to this house as the "Mettids" due to its founder. Like the senior House of Julius, the House of Harren existed in a time prior to the advent of {{wp|heraldry}}, and typically the generic arms of the dynasty are used to denote its rulers. | ||
| Line 76: | Line 86: | ||
[[Category: Urcea]] | [[Category: Urcea]] | ||
[[Category: History of Urcea]] | [[Category: History of Urcea]] | ||
{{Template:Award winning article}} | |||
[[Category:2023 Award winning pages]] | |||
[[Category:IXWB]] | [[Category:IXWB]] | ||