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==History== | ==History== | ||
Patraja has generally been considered a black sheep of the Sarpedonian continent, continually attempting and failing to unify into one national state. With a famed history of both republicanism and monarchism, as well as experimental forms of governance and confederacy, Patraja has had an equal mixture of eras of development and unification along with eras of chaos and invasion. | Patraja has generally been considered a black sheep of the Sarpedonian continent, continually attempting and failing to unify into one national state. With a famed history of both republicanism and monarchism, as well as experimental forms of governance and confederacy, Patraja has had an equal mixture of eras of development and unification along with eras of chaos and invasion. | ||
===Latin Migration and The Zanaeslav Union=== | ===Latin Migration and The Zanaeslav Union [??? BC - 260 BC]=== | ||
Patraja was originally settled as a Latin-Slavic warground after the collapse of the short-lived Kingdom of Patraea. In this melting pot of aggressive warring areas and mixing tribes, the unique Latinic-Slavic culture of Patraja first emerged in peace during the Zanaeslav Agreements, or the Union of Peace, which lasted from 312 BC to 289 BC. This tribal agreement of union and confederacy was a general peace and customs agreement and began the first sightings of a unique Patrajan culture, with an increase in migration and intermixing between the native Slavic and immigrating Latin peoples. The northern sections of Patraja in particular, though sharing a distinctly-Latin lean, were the first to unify into what was considered a true Patrajan nation. This area, perhaps in accordance to this, also partook very little in the chaos that followed after the collapse of the Agreements. Through various Latin, or perhaps Slavic, provocations unknown to historians at this time, the Agreements collapsed into tribal anarchy once more, lasting from 289 BC to 260 BC. Not much is known about the early history of the Latins and Slavs within the southern Sarpedonian continent, and even less is known about the various details leading up to the first signs of organization, but after 260 BC, more clear signs of both Patrajan culture and governance emerge. | Patraja was originally settled as a Latin-Slavic warground after the collapse of the short-lived Kingdom of Patraea. In this melting pot of aggressive warring areas and mixing tribes, the unique Latinic-Slavic culture of Patraja first emerged in peace during the Zanaeslav Agreements, or the Union of Peace, which lasted from 312 BC to 289 BC. This tribal agreement of union and confederacy was a general peace and customs agreement and began the first sightings of a unique Patrajan culture, with an increase in migration and intermixing between the native Slavic and immigrating Latin peoples. The northern sections of Patraja in particular, though sharing a distinctly-Latin lean, were the first to unify into what was considered a true Patrajan nation. This area, perhaps in accordance to this, also partook very little in the chaos that followed after the collapse of the Agreements. Through various Latin, or perhaps Slavic, provocations unknown to historians at this time, the Agreements collapsed into tribal anarchy once more, lasting from 289 BC to 260 BC. Not much is known about the early history of the Latins and Slavs within the southern Sarpedonian continent, and even less is known about the various details leading up to the first signs of organization, but after 260 BC, more clear signs of both Patrajan culture and governance emerge. | ||
===The First Kingdom and Republic of Peoples=== | ===The First Kingdom and Republic of Peoples [260 BC - 70 BC]=== | ||
In 260 BC, the Patrajan tribal anarchy seemed to have come to a halt for the last time in history. A tribal chief, likely from a northern section of the region, named Anaeron, managed to gain control over the former-Union tribal lands through a mixture of bribery and war. Many attribute this seemingly-quick and absurdly-large endeavor to the man's cutthroat political strategies, though not much is known. After the conquest of most of the preliminary areas of what is considered Patraja minor today, Anaeron formed the Kingdom of Patarija, which he ruled from 260 BC until his death in 235 BC. This period of time began what is generally referred to as the First Golden Age of Patraja, where the actual culture of classical Patrajan as many know it today was formed. With a rudimentary-but-secure border preventing further Latin migrations from disorganizing local Slavic groups, King Anaeoron promoted a vast amount of cultural interludes between the populations. Many historians today consider this to be one of the earliest observations of intentional eugenic actions and laws. Indeed, at the height of the push for cultural integration in 245 BC, a new set of decrees generally referred to by historians as the Marriages of Culture Laws, King Anaeron passed orders of a minimum number of inter-cultural marriages to be reached per year. At the height of these demands, an inter-cultural marriage rate of 15% was often demanded. Many historians accuse this action, along with other strange acts of tyranny, such as the ill-funded Anaeoronic Walls, as proof of a declining mental state in the first King in his later years. King Anaeron from old age and passed on his Kingdom in the first peaceful transition of power in Patraja towards his son, Maxin. | In 260 BC, the Patrajan tribal anarchy seemed to have come to a halt for the last time in history. A tribal chief, likely from a northern section of the region, named Anaeron, managed to gain control over the former-Union tribal lands through a mixture of bribery and war. Many attribute this seemingly-quick and absurdly-large endeavor to the man's cutthroat political strategies, though not much is known. After the conquest of most of the preliminary areas of what is considered Patraja minor today, Anaeron formed the Kingdom of Patarija, which he ruled from 260 BC until his death in 235 BC. This period of time began what is generally referred to as the First Golden Age of Patraja, where the actual culture of classical Patrajan as many know it today was formed. With a rudimentary-but-secure border preventing further Latin migrations from disorganizing local Slavic groups, King Anaeoron promoted a vast amount of cultural interludes between the populations. Many historians today consider this to be one of the earliest observations of intentional eugenic actions and laws. Indeed, at the height of the push for cultural integration in 245 BC, a new set of decrees generally referred to by historians as the Marriages of Culture Laws, King Anaeron passed orders of a minimum number of inter-cultural marriages to be reached per year. At the height of these demands, an inter-cultural marriage rate of 15% was often demanded. Many historians accuse this action, along with other strange acts of tyranny, such as the ill-funded Anaeoronic Walls, as proof of a declining mental state in the first King in his later years. King Anaeron from old age and passed on his Kingdom in the first peaceful transition of power in Patraja towards his son, Maxin. | ||
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In 135 BC, plague arrived to Patraja for the first recorded time. Different diseases had swamped the nation, particularly in the minor eastern marshes, but all historical factors indicate that this plague was mostly caused from minor offensives from western invaders. The foreign nature of the plague has often been theorized to have been able to be traced to an off-continent area, probably spread by regular and migration and trade to the west. Modern virologists and bacteriologists, in consultation with the Institute of Patrajan National History, have concluded that the most approximate area of the plagues origins were somewhere around modern-day Takkata Loa. The foreign nature of the plague is said to have contributed to the largest drop-off in proportional Patrajan population in history. From 135 to about 119 BC, a period of mass plague death enveloped the country. In 125 BC, the Konsalar gathering elected former military leader Opirus as Dictator-Konsal, an essentially-unconstrained position, to deal with the issue. In response, Konsal Opirus began one of the largest anti-viral mass-culling campaigns of ancient history, supposedly killing and then burning the corpses of up to several thousand infected peoples. From 124 BC towards the end of the plague in 119 BC, this seemed to have a noticeable effect. After the end of plague period, Konsal Opirus resigned from his position as both dictator and Konsal, spending the rest of his days as a farmer. | In 135 BC, plague arrived to Patraja for the first recorded time. Different diseases had swamped the nation, particularly in the minor eastern marshes, but all historical factors indicate that this plague was mostly caused from minor offensives from western invaders. The foreign nature of the plague has often been theorized to have been able to be traced to an off-continent area, probably spread by regular and migration and trade to the west. Modern virologists and bacteriologists, in consultation with the Institute of Patrajan National History, have concluded that the most approximate area of the plagues origins were somewhere around modern-day Takkata Loa. The foreign nature of the plague is said to have contributed to the largest drop-off in proportional Patrajan population in history. From 135 to about 119 BC, a period of mass plague death enveloped the country. In 125 BC, the Konsalar gathering elected former military leader Opirus as Dictator-Konsal, an essentially-unconstrained position, to deal with the issue. In response, Konsal Opirus began one of the largest anti-viral mass-culling campaigns of ancient history, supposedly killing and then burning the corpses of up to several thousand infected peoples. From 124 BC towards the end of the plague in 119 BC, this seemed to have a noticeable effect. After the end of plague period, Konsal Opirus resigned from his position as both dictator and Konsal, spending the rest of his days as a farmer. | ||
The Republic of Peoples functioned in relative normality afterwards, most notable expanding to its largest extent at around 100 BC, taking up around 90% of the current area of the nation of Patraja. In 90 BC, in response to quickly-centralizing | The Republic of Peoples functioned in relative normality afterwards, most notable expanding to its largest extent at around 100 BC, taking up around 90% of the current area of the nation of Patraja. In 90 BC, in response to quickly-centralizing neighboring nations, the Republic of Peoples gathered the Konsals once more to unanimously reform the Republic once more. The system formed in what is not referred to as the One Konsal Reforms of 90 BC is best described today as an administrated presidential dictatorship. Every two years, the Konsals of each regional tribality elected a singular leader from amongst their own, with their own directly-administrated lands as well as legal influence over the entirety of the nation. This system of electing a single Konsal as near-dictator, but without bestowing the official and full-fledged title of Dictator-Konsal, is often cited for two vital future influences. Firstly, it is from this system of a layered administrational system that many historians believe began Patraja's transition towards feudal-medieval structures, and what ensured their future success with the notoriously slow-moving Patrajan culture. Secondly, it is theorized that the Republic's downfall, taking place only 20 years after these reforms, was largely caused by the imbalance of power set up in the new structure. Though some attempt at both elections and counter-weights with an administrational system over the lead Konsal was made, it proved to not be enough to both centralize and preserve the Republic of Peoples. | ||
In 70 BC, a rogue Konsal named Patrinus was elected and declared the new continuation of the first Kingdom of Patarija. Though not much is known about the strangely-swift and smooth process of this action, many scholars argue that a rudimentary system of legal proofs was used by Patrinus to declare the Kingdom a non-dead entity. Whether this was through the production of a newly-deceased heir or some obscure transitional document from the First Kingdom to the Republic of Peoples is unknown. In whatever direction this supposed proof took form, the Konsal's actions flew by the antiquated enforcement systems in an easy manner. Some reports of the time indicate a pro-republican rebellion or two, but all were put down quite easily. The new King Patrinus had redeclared the Kingdom of Patarija successfully - for the sake of simplification and de-facto notation, however, this kingdom shall be referred to as the Second Kingdom of Patarija. King Patrinus had declared himself king at only the age of 35. | |||
===The Second and Third Kingdoms, Christianization, and Invasion=== | ===The Second and Third Kingdoms, Christianization, and Invasion=== | ||
'' | With a new kingdom thoroughly secured by 69 BC, King Patrinus made himself known as one of the greater late-pagan medieval kings quite quickly. With a quickly-centralizing rank of loyal Konsals (still called so for the sake of both continuity and tradition), Patrinus was quick to preserve some precedent of the Republic of Peoples through a religious manner. Forming the office of ''Repraesentativic Deoricom'', or the "Representative of the Gods", Patrinus effectively tied local Patrajan religiosity to the state and monarchy itself through an essentially-decorative title bestowed upon one of the Konsals through an elected assembly of all nobles. Despite the relatively-small impact the actual title had on politics, however, it strengthened the pagan character of the nation immensely, and found itself as a useful office that transitioned even past the christianization of the nation. | ||
===Northern Latin Imperial Occupation, | |||
In 66 BC, King Patrinus also made moves to quell local unrest, and to further bring the nation to a more modern, developed stage, constructing vast amount of roads and establishing what was at the time called "an untold amount" of tax offices, sheriff's buildings, and royal armories and barracks across the nation. It seemed that within a single decade, the previously-rural and decentralized nation of Patraja was becoming a late antiquity-era gold standard for how to run a nearly-feudal society. Already, the Konsal's workload was beginning to be too heavy to bear - particularly with royalist-ordered expansions - and Konsal's were already delegating powers to new ''Konsalis Minorisae'', or "small" and "minor" Konsal's. This system, as told by Professor Markin Totravki at the Institute of Patrajan National History, was "essentially medievally-monarchical in its structure and enforcement, republican in naming and tradition, and deeply ancient in religiosity and worship." A unique system, it would seem, that paid dividends. | |||
In the first war since the Republic of Peoples' defense against western invaders, the regime of King Patrinus and his self-dubbed House of Kennonia was undoubtedly legitimized for the last time in the man's rule. Taking place in the year 62 BC, the newly-reformed systems of the kingdom were put to the test by a first-time invasion from the Northeastern Greeks, whose colonies in the area had already sprung into full-grown, expanding fiefdoms. An altercation between one relatively large section of those united fiefdoms, supposedly instigated by King Patrinus himself, sent Patraja into war against the Greeks. In 62 BC, Patraja itself had its borders violated for the first time in decades. However, the lack of initial defense was not necessarily a mistake; overwhelmed with the size of their new conquest, the lack of supplies, and the shockingly-minor scavenging that could be done even on minor towns, the Greeks seemed both stressed and out of their step after even a dozen kilometers into the nation. Nearly 50 kilometers in, and reports of starvation became as numerous in fatalities as the number of stranded Patrajan soldiers killed. In this situation, nearly a month after the start of the war and with no large battle, King Patrinus made his mark as a devastating and environment tactician. | |||
With the countryside known to half the soldiers like the backs of their hands, the King attacked the large Greek force in multi-staged prongs of battle. Whilst the Greeks had been spent fighting lone wolf units and attempting to find a capital that, at the time, did not exist in anything but ceremonial naming, King Patrinus had been gathering as many men as humanly possible. With the new year over, and 61 BC beginning, the freezing Greeks in the north were attacked by the well-rested Southern Patrajans, and the acclimated Northern Patrajans. The overrun of Greek units was disastrous, and has been one of the deciding plays of history that essentially barred any Greek or Hellenic-descendent ancestry from advancing to the south of Sarpedon. The victory celebrations of a war won in less than a year supposedly took place across a period of time longer than the war itself. King Patrinus had won the only war of his reign in such a manner that it justified the rule of the House of Kennonia for centuries to come. | |||
King Patrinus ruled with both an iron fist and an adoration from his populace for decades more. By the end of his reign, Patraja wasn't to the standards of the top late antiquarian nations, but was certainly a notable one. King Patrinus died at age 60 from a natural wound sustained during practice and, supposedly, a clinically-malnourished infection to a broken left leg, in 45 BC. His grandson, Avinnic, was put into place as King at age 19 instead of Patrinus' son, Teterin, for his notable talent in both military and administrational capability. Teterin, for all the training done under his father during his Konsalar and royal years, was sent into a supposed rage, and jailed by his own son. The exact death date of Teterin, son of Patrinus, is unknown, as it was said that King Avinnic had ordered the man to be fed and given water once a week, and to be further forgotten by all past that point. Noted for his ruthless rule, Avinnic's sentence on his own father hours after his coronation outlined his intentions for the kingdom clearly and fully. | |||
In 44 BC, Avinnic was elected, possibly through a mixture of bribery and threats, to be the Representative to the Gods, holding within him both a royal power and a divine representation - at least to the people of Patraja. Ironically, despite the bombastic introduction of King Avinnic of House Kennonia, not much is known about his reign. It was said, by all means, to be a more ruthless, profitable continuation of the rule of Patrinus, lacking in any war but deep in slave-made expansions to infrastructure and resources. In 37 BC, despite the advantages of the lack of a capital, King Avinnic ordered the abandonment of the previous ceremonial capital, Initerij, to the building location of a newer, grander capital to the south, not far from the current-day Karneja. Its name was Karinnja, and its foundation was considered the essential start of the current city of Karneja. The capital reportedly finished early construction in 30 BC, and would be occupied by monarchs of Patraja until the eventual annexation and division of the nation in 829 AC. | |||
At age 40, in 24 BC, King Avinnic passed what was officially called the Religious Enforcement Articles. As Representative to the Gods, Avinnic had essentially reformed the previously-ceremonial institution to a genuine enforcement and regulatory force in charge of religion within Patraja. With representatives sent to each Konsal, even the Minor Konsals, the influence of the new office could not be understated. This de-facto change in religious enforcement was made de-jure in 24 BC with the articles. Within the year, severe punishment, even burnings at stakes, occurred in the name of a centralizing Patrajan religion. Though some Konsals notably wrote in uncovered private journals of their disdain for the practice, from the "peak years" of the articles, from 24 BC to 14 BC, the religion of Patraja had been strengthened in its loyalty to the monarchy and to the king. A new Royal Cult of Kennonia was emerging, seeing the Second Kingdom as the essential, perfected incarnation of Patraja as a nation. Compared to the state of the Republic of Peoples, this wasn't essentially hard to see as being believable, but crucial errors were made in the isolationist policy of Avinnic's severe zealousness, and the country's stalwart attitude; it had become unfathomably unpopular. Moreso with the nations influenced by the newly-forming proto-religion of Jesus Christ. | |||
In 0 BC/0 AC, the death and reported rebirth of Christ had a massive impact on the world. The aging King Avinnic, aged 64, first heard of the news of the formation of several organized sects around the man weeks after it became known. According to reports captured even by servants of the man, the king was flown into a blind rage. Whether or not King Avinnic knew the potential impact of a new, uniform, international religion on his religiously-centralized and defined governance was unknown, but his actions after seemed to be ones of a man in a rage to keep the crown. Hours after the reports of an essentially-united religious front of Christians, King Avinnic drafted the Second Articles of Religion, banning Christianity from the state and populace to degree unknown even to the first Articles' enforcement. Hundreds were killed until the death of King Avinnic at age 70, in the year 6 AC. Continuing with the supposed tradition of the House of Kennonia, Avinnic gave the Second Kingdom of Patarija to his zealous grandson over his own, son. The new King Valerijin is known as the final king of a pagan Kingdom of Patarija. Despite the infrastructure set up by his grandfather and his own continued zealous fights against Christianity, King Valerijin received continued reports of spreading Christian thought from the years of 6-16 AC. Punishments were doled out, but all that was done was to force Christians underground. | |||
The most particular spread of Christianity occurred in Western port-towns across the Pelian Channel, where word from neighboring continents and nations spread quickly. Things escalated in 18 AC as a public and unafraid Church of Patrajan Christians was declared in the same western regions. Though officially a collection of believers, the armament and clearly-defined boundaries of the CPC made it more of a proto-statist entity in direct opposition to the pagan Second Kingdom. In 19 AC, as the CPC spread in both number and territory across the western coasts, King Valerijin declared unofficial war against what he notably described as "a pretended-area of spineless heretics." The CPC's organization and near-statehood, meanwhile, made it more of a proto-crusader state than a defensive commission of churches. Led by several local theological rulers, it can perhaps also be described as one of the first Christian theologically-based governments. The Christianization of Patraja, taking place between 0 AC and 92 AC, therefore almost directly correlated with the Churchhood-Royalist War, taking place from 19 AC to 32 AC. Patraja's Christianization, as described by foreign historical specialist Matthew Welling, was "a religious war of total conversion and total victory, rather than a spread of ideas...Patraja's origins as a nation of Latinic religiosity and Slavic toughness perhaps even started out...after the total war for religion so early in its history." | |||
The war between the semi-organized confederacy of Churches, self-interested and believing Konsals, and minor unloyal leaders, against the Second Kingdom, took place between 19 AC and 32 AC, and enveloped all of Patraja. However, at the end of it all, and through heroic and villainous actions on both sides, Christian proto-crusaders had won against the Second Kingdom, through a combination of early guerilla tactics, infighting and indecision within the Second Kingdom, along with foreign support from Christians of more peaceful and converted areas. In 32 AC, Christian forced made their way into Karinnja and declared the city theirs. King Valerijin fought on for a reported two more months, even adopting a guerilla leaders' tactics of constant movement and lack of centralized force for a while, but was soon captured on a route to the North - presumably on his way to escape to the more pagan-friendly Greek areas against which his great-great grandfather had fought years ago. The plan of the king is unknown; whether he simply sought to go into exile or to summon up support didn't matter to the newly-consolidating Christian forces. | |||
In 32 AC, former King Valerijin was brought to a tribunal of rebel Konsals, Minor Konsals, vital Christian leaders, and several theologians, and was given a choice of either death at the cross, or to renounce, repent, and spend the rest of his days within a rotating list of dungeons. Valerijin chose the former, and was burnt in public days later to a crowd of thousands. | |||
After the essential collapse of the leadership of the Second Kingdom, the swearing of loyalty and conversion of several Konsal's from the old regime, the Church of Patrajan Christians as it was known from 18 AC collapsed in on itself. Though the country was stable, with a semi-functioning provisional government only really capable of meager tax collection and border enforcement, decisions had to be made quickly about the formation of a new Christian state. It was not, according to sources, just a matter of creating a strong state, but a matter of the conversion of the whole nation. Patraja, at its core countryside, was still a deeply-pagan nation, and revolts in an adapted guerilla-style from those areas would not bode well for the organization of a new state. Some from the time, including a local self-proclaimed Cardinal Parin, argued that "if action is not taken within the year, we will be in a slow-war against the pagans for another century." | |||
Action was, however, taken. After much deliberation, the Church and local authorities had agreed upon a creation of a new kingdom, for the sake of continuity with the positional traditions of the Patrajan state, and to conform to the expectations of the public. The transformation of Patraja to a fully-theologian state was briefly considered, but quickly shot down by the wishes of former Konsals to keep their centuries-old powers over regional affairs. In 33 AC, the public was informed of the creation of the Kingdom of Patraja - the first use of the now-modern term for the nation. Though the name is different, the title of the Third Kingdom will be used for brevities sake. | |||
Weeks later, the public was told news of the selection of a new King; a relatively obscure war hero whose original name, in one way or another, is unknown to this day. The man took the moniker of King Paul I of the Kingdom of Patraja, and was coronated in late 33 AC. The third, Christian kingdom of the Patrajans had begun. | |||
The first order of affairs for King Paul was the reinstatement of Patrajan bureaucracy. Though many Konsal's had defected to the Christian forces during the war, most from the old regime had been either imprisoned or executed, or had fled into exile. Though the constant offerings of a larger division of affairs to the remaining Konsal's was, to Paul, an "appealing offer in its simplicity and ease," warnings of the deposition of the unknown king had made him essentially reorganize the unoccupied territories. Tempted to undermine the centuries-old and pagan-originated title and office of "Konsal," these new territories were not given to new Konsal's, but to new ''Barons, Counts, and Dukes,'' following the common naming trends of the time. This was, in a mild and unspoken way, deeply upsetting the old guard of the nation, who saw the majority of Patrajan territory divided into fiefdoms that did not resemble their own. Though Christians themselves, the Konsal's still seemed equally religiously-dedicated to the state traditions observed in Patraja since the Republic of Peoples. A Konsalar rebellion, or at least mass friction, was to be expected within the nation - but not soon. | |||
The second and perhaps most-vital order of affairs for the new kingdom was the Christianization of Patraja. Though nearly all major cities and towns were vastly Christian by this point, whether through force or genuine mass conversion, the countryside remained a staunch pagan area of resistance. The temptation to King Paul I was, once more, presented as an easy religious war of persecution. However, a softer approach was taken. The newly-refurbished tax system was put to work; pagans were taxed at higher rates, for more actions, and across more areas. The deployment of standing minor armies were used; pagans were often drafted into low-level positions, possibly to simply die in battle if needed, but constantly surrounded by pastors. A campaign of effortless propaganda was also put into place; Patraja had Christian conversion missions be sent into its own territory. This strategy of the use of soft power rather than military persecution paid off in dividends, but not entirely in Paul I's life. This new formation of soft power was observed by Paul's descendants, Paul II and Constian I, until the eventual conversion of Patraja ended in about 92 AC. This "soft conversion," with seemingly no true beginning or end, was brought to end by King Constian I at his deathbed in 103 AC, where most laws against paganism were allowed to be conveniently forgotten, and all missions of conversion slowly defunded and stopped by his successor, his nephew, Paul III. Anti-pagan persecution and missions still occurred, naturally, and the practice of Patrajan pagan religion itself continued even to this day, but by the start of the 2nd Century, the religious conflict of Patraja was allowed to be quietly forgotten and shelved to history in what was then often called "The times before God." | |||
===Northern Latin Imperial Occupation, The Occupied Duchies, and Minor Independence Periods=== | |||
''Did your country ever have a period of significant decline or internal struggle?'' | ''Did your country ever have a period of significant decline or internal struggle?'' | ||
===Fifth era=== | ===Fifth era=== | ||