Patraja: Difference between revisions

[[File:FirstSecondKingdoms.png|thumb|Reconstruction of the banner of the First and Second Kingdoms of Patraja. The original monarchical flag was used in the Kennonia monarchy for the purposes of legitimacy.]]

===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.

King Maxin very much followed in his father's footsteps, continuing the First Golden Age of cultural integration and nation-building. In 230 BC, as an early act in his rule, he centralized the rule of the Kingdom by forcefully merging various bordering tribes into singular Dukjels - precursors to Late Antiquarian and Medieval duchies - to be ruled by one man instead of many. Because of this strategy, the Maxinian legal system had a much better implementation than the Anaeoronic systems, and various laws were passed. In 228 BC, shortly after the completion of the reorganization of the Kingdom, Maxin ordered the relocation of resources from the Anaeoronic Walls to the new Maxinian Walls to the north, which were completed within three years of their start. These walls were highly effective, if crude, methods of keeping out persisting Latinic migrations. King Maxin died in early death in 210 BC due to wounds sustained in battle after a regular conflict with western tribal leaders, and passed away with no apparent heir. After an interlude period of near-anarchy in the Kingdom, a nephew named Proktrii was found as an heir to Maxin.

Taking the throne at only 17 years old, Proktrii instantly showed an exhibition for being the opposite of his predecessors. Raised in a Latin home, the new king always showed a favor to the Latinic settlers of the north of the nation, and even instituted controversial amendments to the Marriages of Culture Laws that favored Latin-headed marriages. This new court culture of clear bias and a more reckless attitude also led to a reported distraction from state affairs and a new focus on the benefits to the king. The remnants of the first royal castle of Patraja, unearthed for the first time in 2022 AC, show signs of construction around the period that would confirm that Proktrii nearly quadrupled the size of his primary realm during a very short period of time. According to rare eyewitness accounts of the time, such as those in the Tablets of Warenus, a visitor from the neighboring southern islands, the court culture of King Proktrii regularly engaged in more salacious and dramatic affairs such as orgies and drama than before. Though sexual exploits were of no surprise in any court at the time, many say that the situation in the Kingdom of Patarija took an even more extreme turn. By all evidence, King Proktrii exhibited a much looser and less focused rule than his uncle, and an unclear moral code that exhibited itself for the first, and last, time in public in 190 BC.

In 190 BC, King Proktrii raped a publicly-lauded courtier and administrator today known as being called Mariana. The Rape of Mariana by Proktrii was soon shown to the public by an unknown source, leading to widespread outrage and a martyrization of Mariana by the common classes of the kingdom. Within the year, mobs had regularly gathered, and force was being used on them when it was able. At the end of 190 BC, one of these mobs successfully stormed the royal castle and killed King Proktrii. The lineage of Anaeron is thought to have ended here, though some evidence of illegitimate children involving Proktrii still remain. From the years of 190 to 188-187 BC, the nation of Patarija descended into chaos once more. As chaos increased, historical records decreased, almost to the standards of the larger anarchy of the Latin Migration period. What is known, however, is that the conflicts of this time were much more massive and exhaustive than before.

Whereas previous boons of conquest were individual tribes, the creation of a Kingdom of Patarija had shown to local leaders that an entire nation could be won, or simply claimed, through conquest. Because of this, many battles were essentially fought to the death, and the local area of the former royal family was in a course of constant contention. It had seemed that whoever held the former royal realms could declare themselves King at any time. During this 2-3 year period, some reports say that there were about a dozen self-declared Kings of Patarija, with some existing at the same time as one another. After years of exhaustive conflict, which ravaged and opened up the nation to a variety of foreign intrusions, some form an armistice was reportedly agreed upon in 188-187 BC. From here, a small confederation of tribes informally referred to as the Patrajan Republic of Peoples was formed out of mainly-northern and central areas of the nation, dead-bent on a seemingly-impossible goal of a reunion of the Patrajan people. Whether this Republic of Peoples was a confederation of pragmatic manipulation by a few important leaders, or a genuinely-idealistic national union, is unknown. However, most historians tentatively describe this as the first era of democracy within Patraja.

From 188-187 BC to 180 BC, this Republic took up essentially all of the former-Patarijan lands belonging to the Kingdom. The most notable battle, taking place in the west in 181 BC, often referred to as the turning point of Patrajans as a people, was ironically held against a massive and unknown group of western invaders, famous at the time for a wish to expand fully into the devastated Patrajan areas. The current identity of the invasion force is either unknown or conflicting. Despite an outnumbered force, the Republic of Peoples successfully defended itself, taking heavy casualties but effectively dissuading a secondary invasion attempt due to the fierceness of the defense. The western border in which this battle took place is often referred to as the Western Reaches of Antiquarian and Medieval Patraja, though that western border has since increased past those bounds.

From 180 BC to 70 BC, Patraja existed as a slowly-unifying loose Republic, governed mainly by individual Konsals (an Old Patrajan term for Consul) which united various tribes under a single speakers banner. At most times in the Republic, there were a variety of Konsals competing for influence. During other, rarer times, particularly during conflict, there was a singular Konsal of all tribes, thought to be the national figurehead-leader of the time. Realistically, however, no national leadership ever rose forth until the Voting Measures of 145 BC.