Sack of Urceopolis
 | This article is a work-in-progress because it is incomplete and pending further input from an author. Note: The contents of this article are not considered canonical and may be inaccurate. Please comment on this article's talk page to share your input, comments and questions. |
| The Sack of Urceopolis | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of The Fall of Great Levantia | |||||||
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Great Levantia | Tribes of Goths and Celts including Caens, and Feinii | ||||||
The Sack of Urceopolis on March 15th, 434 AD was undertaken by a coalition of invading Celtic and Gothic peoples including the Feinii, and Caens led by TBD. Urceopolis, the capital of Great Levantia and the centerpiece of the empire. The sack was a major shock for contemporaries within or outside the empire alike. The Sack of Urceopolis was seen as a major landmark in the fall of Great Levantia.
Background
The Celtic tribes, along with many of the native Levantines had undergone massive technological, social, and economic changes due to contact with Great Levantia, through the 1st - 4th centuries, their populations, economic production, and tribal confederations grew, and their ability to conduct warfare grew to the point of challenging Great Levantia.
By 280 AD, several Gothic and Celtic tribal chiefs and kings had taken these opportunities to raid the wealthy and increasingly undefended lands, and in order to make peace, Levantine Emperors had to make treaties and agreements that would become far less favorable as time went on. Eventually, chiefs would start making deals with Great Levantia in exchange for their wealth and lands, they would help protect Levantine lands in their own territories as Foederati.
The Great Confederation's Invasion
As internal divisions and fracturing of Great Levantia continued and the death of the previous emperor, various foederati, including the Caens and some Feinic Celts among others, legally sworn to military service to protect Great Levantia rose up in an allied revolt or a Foederati Rebellion after considering their treaty with the former Emperor concluded. This uprising and allience of the foederati would come to be called the Great Confederation against Great Levantia and its legions.
For much of it's existence the Great Confederation's member armies acted mostly independently, invading the imperial heartland from different corners of the empire, cutting swathes deeper into Great Levantia and building in size as it made its way. However, the several of the largest tribal armies joined on the Urce River, south of Urceopolis in order to march on the city itself.
-Could be a romantic event that leads to Pan-Celticism and Pan Gothism later, but also possibly the eventual collapse of the Confederation be the start of animosity between the different groups
The First Siege of Urceopolis
-Miraculously ended without spilling blood because of ransom and overtures by the Pope
The Second Siege of Urceopolis
Two years later, the Confederation returned after being insulted by Levantine diplomats and possibly an attempted assasination/betrayal/sabatoge- no papal overtures or ransom can spare the wroth- some sort of betrayal occurs that breaks Urceopolis open to the invaders
The Sack of Urceopolis
Begins on March 15th, the Ides of March and continues for five days after, possibility of the Emperor/Imperial Family and even the Pope being caught in the bloodbath
Aftermath
Contemporaries and writers throughout history mark this as a dark day in history, the end of an era despite Great Levantia, bringing shock to contemporaries, friend or foe of the Empire.
Confederation breaks apart some point after this, carving up separate kingdoms across Great Levantia.
Ides of March are remembered as a tragic day and a treacherous day, Beware the Ides of March etc