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Description
A part of my alternate history timeline, The Dividing Line.

Previous Map: [link]

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In the late 5th century AD, an uneasy peace settled around the great nations of the Mediterranean. The only empire capable of waging full war at the time, Sassanid Persia, was content to rest on their laurels for a time and reap the benefits of their trade routes. The Roman successors were both too exhausted by their own wars, and the New Roman Confederacy was fighting to keep from falling apart.

A few small conflicts arose outside the borders, however. Many of the ‘barbarian’ tribes were beginning to consolidate their power and drive the other tribes from their lands. The Franks, Danes, and Suiones to the North grew into independent kingdoms, exerting their influence on the surrounding lands as Frankia, Danemarken, and Svea Rike, respectively.

But Alexandria would not be content with a few haphazard expeditions down the West African coast, nor would Persia’s hunger for territory and further wealth be sated. In 511 AD, the growing Alexandrian province of Tabuk expressed a wish to secede from the empire and become and independent state allied with the Sassanids.

The two great empires wasted no time raising armies and marching for Tabuk, the Alexandrians for reclamation, and the Persians for the defense of a new and powerful ally. The Persian cavalry-centered forces obliterated the outdated and obsolete Alexandrian infantry, and the Sassanids seized the opportunity to overrun Egypt. The war known as the Conquest of Aegyptus lasted only a few months, and ended with the complete loss of the Roman successor’s capitol province. Cyprus rebelled as well, and the Constantinians reconquered Crete.

But the empire would not allow itself to die. The Carthaginian Princes, as they had become known, were quick to reform the government at their city, eager to gain the prestige of the Emperors. Carthage was renamed Neo-Alexandria, and the Princes fought to keep a hold of Sicily, which wanted to join the New Roman Confederacy. The young league fell apart in the fighting. Italia welcomed Sicily with open arms like a little brother, and fought tooth and nail to protect it as part of a new, centralized Federation. The Iberians, however, felt that it was in their best interests to forsake their confederate allies and form the Iberian League, allying with Alexandria. The territories around old Gaul rid themselves of the name of New Roman Confederacy and instead formed the Neo-Gallic Federation, quickly becoming the dominant power in Western Europe, although they stayed neutral in the War of the Sicilian Secession.

While Alexandria was undoubtedly the loser of this war as well, the reforms of the Carthaginian Princes would save the empire from destruction in a later war with the Constantinians in 523. Meanwhile, the Berber tribes under Alexandrian taxation began to coalesce into small, localized kingdoms, collectively called Neo-Numidia.

A number of small wars pop up between the great powers and the barbarians, but things are once again mostly quiet until Cesaros of Athens makes a discovery that leads the rebirth of Constantinopolis. In 588, while working in his workshop, Cesaros discovered a mixture of chemicals that would constantly burn with a bright, intense fierceness. He calls the substance Pyrkagia tou Theou, or the “Flame of Our Lord.” The Emperor quickly recognizes the potential of an unquenchable flame, and gives Cesaros the task of weaponizing it. Deeming it too dangerous to move him from Athens to Constantinopolis, Emperor Kratorian instead set him up inside the Athenian Acropolis, fortifying the hill into a citadel and giving him a special workshop within it. In 590, once the primitive flamethrower was ready for mass production within the city, Kratorian equipped half of an army with it and sent them out to “reconquer the lands that were held by our ancestors, and to claim the lands to be settles by our sons.”

The following series of wars resulted in massive victories for the empire, mostly against the remnants of the old Hunnic Empire. By the year 603, the Constantinian Empire had won tremendous territories and allowed the Flaming Legion, as the flamethrowers were called, to rest and called a peace. This was a prideful mistake, as many of the disorganized Germanic tribes, as well as others, were beginning to band together.

But the greatest threat to the established kingdoms and empires would come from the South. In 624, on the hot Arabian Peninsula, the great Muhammad was beginning to forge his empire, the kingdom of God on Earth. This was the birth of Islam, and the Arab Empire. By 632, the Prophet had conquered almost the entire peninsula, and found himself caged.

Tabuk had become a powerful nation, boasting trade routes via the Red Sea as far as Madagascar and India. Their armies of Arab mercenaries and non-Muslim refugees were a force to be reckoned with. And beyond Tabuk lay their great ally, the Sassanid Persians. A mighty empire at the height of their power and influence, it seemed only a fool would dare risk war with the mighty Persians.

Muhammad died in 633, leaving his mighty empire with his Caliphs. But there is little rest for the followers of Allah, and they prepare to spread the word of their God… be it from the mouth, or on the tip of a sword.

Description
A part of my alternate history timeline, The Dividing Line.

Previous Map: [link]

Next Map: [link]

In the late 5th century AD, an uneasy peace settled around the great nations of the Mediterranean. The only empire capable of waging full war at the time, Sassanid Persia, was content to rest on their laurels for a time and reap the benefits of their trade routes. The Roman successors were both too exhausted by their own wars, and the New Roman Confederacy was fighting to keep from falling apart.

A few small conflicts arose outside the borders, however. Many of the ‘barbarian’ tribes were beginning to consolidate their power and drive the other tribes from their lands. The Franks, Danes, and Suiones to the North grew into independent kingdoms, exerting their influence on the surrounding lands as Frankia, Danemarken, and Svea Rike, respectively.

But Alexandria would not be content with a few haphazard expeditions down the West African coast, nor would Persia’s hunger for territory and further wealth be sated. In 511 AD, the growing Alexandrian province of Tabuk expressed a wish to secede from the empire and become and independent state allied with the Sassanids.

The two great empires wasted no time raising armies and marching for Tabuk, the Alexandrians for reclamation, and the Persians for the defense of a new and powerful ally. The Persian cavalry-centered forces obliterated the outdated and obsolete Alexandrian infantry, and the Sassanids seized the opportunity to overrun Egypt. The war known as the Conquest of Aegyptus lasted only a few months, and ended with the complete loss of the Roman successor’s capitol province. Cyprus rebelled as well, and the Constantinians reconquered Crete.

But the empire would not allow itself to die. The Carthaginian Princes, as they had become known, were quick to reform the government at their city, eager to gain the prestige of the Emperors. Carthage was renamed Neo-Alexandria, and the Princes fought to keep a hold of Sicily, which wanted to join the New Roman Confederacy. The young league fell apart in the fighting. Italia welcomed Sicily with open arms like a little brother, and fought tooth and nail to protect it as part of a new, centralized Federation. The Iberians, however, felt that it was in their best interests to forsake their confederate allies and form the Iberian League, allying with Alexandria. The territories around old Gaul rid themselves of the name of New Roman Confederacy and instead formed the Neo-Gallic Federation, quickly becoming the dominant power in Western Europe, although they stayed neutral in the War of the Sicilian Secession.

While Alexandria was undoubtedly the loser of this war as well, the reforms of the Carthaginian Princes would save the empire from destruction in a later war with the Constantinians in 523. Meanwhile, the Berber tribes under Alexandrian taxation began to coalesce into small, localized kingdoms, collectively called Neo-Numidia.

A number of small wars pop up between the great powers and the barbarians, but things are once again mostly quiet until Cesaros of Athens makes a discovery that leads the rebirth of Constantinopolis. In 588, while working in his workshop, Cesaros discovered a mixture of chemicals that would constantly burn with a bright, intense fierceness. He calls the substance Pyrkagia tou Theou, or the “Flame of Our Lord.” The Emperor quickly recognizes the potential of an unquenchable flame, and gives Cesaros the task of weaponizing it. Deeming it too dangerous to move him from Athens to Constantinopolis, Emperor Kratorian instead set him up inside the Athenian Acropolis, fortifying the hill into a citadel and giving him a special workshop within it. In 590, once the primitive flamethrower was ready for mass production within the city, Kratorian equipped half of an army with it and sent them out to “reconquer the lands that were held by our ancestors, and to claim the lands to be settles by our sons.”

The following series of wars resulted in massive victories for the empire, mostly against the remnants of the old Hunnic Empire. By the year 603, the Constantinian Empire had won tremendous territories and allowed the Flaming Legion, as the flamethrowers were called, to rest and called a peace. This was a prideful mistake, as many of the disorganized Germanic tribes, as well as others, were beginning to band together.

But the greatest threat to the established kingdoms and empires would come from the South. In 624, on the hot Arabian Peninsula, the great Muhammad was beginning to forge his empire, the kingdom of God on Earth. This was the birth of Islam, and the Arab Empire. By 632, the Prophet had conquered almost the entire peninsula, and found himself caged.

Tabuk had become a powerful nation, boasting trade routes via the Red Sea as far as Madagascar and India. Their armies of Arab mercenaries and non-Muslim refugees were a force to be reckoned with. And beyond Tabuk lay their great ally, the Sassanid Persians. A mighty empire at the height of their power and influence, it seemed only a fool would dare risk war with the mighty Persians.

Muhammad died in 633, leaving his mighty empire with his Caliphs. But there is little rest for the followers of Allah, and they prepare to spread the word of their God… be it from the mouth, or on the tip of a sword.