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Description
Here's a new map-profile and something of a surprise and personal project done over the past few weeks of free time. This one was based on a peculiar "What if?" alternate history scenario: What if the (Western) Roman Empire didn't entirely fall? What if the Roman remnant of Soissons, which managed to outlast the fall of Rome in AD 476 for some years before finally collapsing ( www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingLis… ) , was not only more stable and self-sustaining, but also thrived?

The end result, after a few rewrites, is a Europe where "Gallia" is a Western version of the Greek/Hellenistic Byzantine Empire (Rhomaion), but one that's stayed "close" to its Roman origins. Where both Empires managed to endure and prosper. With Latin in Gallia still becoming much like what real life would call French. And a few nods here and there to Valkyria Chronicles...partly because I couldn't resist.

In any case, this isn't meant to be a political or propaganda piece. This is a work of fiction, though if there are any warnings, it would be gratuitous use of French and French-based versions of Latin and other names, as well as Greek.

And without further ado, please enjoy!

(EDIT: Slight text corrections.)

(UPDATE: Tweaked and adjusted the map to be more readable and to correct any errors remaining. I like to apologize for any inconveniences. Still, hope the revised version is better!)

------

“Morituri te salutant.* Roma Invicta.”

So go phrases from the age of Antiquity. From a time when Rome stood proud over the known world, the might of Roman culture – and legions felt far and wide. But this tale begins after those days of Pax Romana ended. Barbarians marauded the frontiers. The heirs of Caesar and Augustus had split the Empire into two: one from Rome, the other from Constantinople in the East. All while the once-unmatched legions desperately struggled, to the point of being ordered to withdraw from Britannia in Anno Domini 388. Rome itself fell to Germanic tribes in A.D. 476, while the East endured. But even as Romulus’ seven hills burned, it wasn’t the end of the West.

Even as order broke down and barbarians moved deep into the West, much of northern Gallia still remained under Roman control. Much was done from sending whatever legions remained available to ensuring a steady territorial link for as long as possible. By the time Imperator Majoran appointed a loyalist aristocrat named Aegidius as magister militum and Dux (“military provincial governor”) in A.D. 457, there was enough to not only fend off the neighboring Franks and Visigoths but also maintain a stable enclave. Which proved to be a Godsend, even as Gallia was cut off soon after. Aegidius’ son and successor, Syagrius further stabilized and solidified Roman rule even as Rome fell. This was helped along by a series of decisive battles, especially against the Frankish “king,” Clovis. Thus despite the trials, a domain of the West triumphed, with Syagrius declaring himself Imperator in Lutetia Parisiorum in A.D. 490, known to history as the Imperial Declaration.

All that happened over a millennium ago. Time passed. New faiths and realms rose and fell. Monarchs, warlords and common men alike lived and died. Great events the likes of which the classical poets could only dream of came to pass, for good and ill. But Rome endures still. It is now A.D. 1800, or if one counts with the pre-Christian calendar, 2553 A.U.C. Two Empires reign in Europe. Empires both different and yet much alike.

Most foreigners know the Empire in the West as Gallia. Under the reign of the relatively young Imperatrice Cordélia II since the passing of Empereur Charles-Antoine IV, it is among the leading “Concord of Great Powers” on the continent and a prime example of so-called “Mixed Republican Monarchy.” Although influenced by the Germanic tribes Syagrius and his heirs fought like the Franks and Anglo-Saxon peoples, much of Gallia’s traditions, culture and politics are a direct continuation of old Rome. Just as Gallois is descended from Latin (which remains in use as a ceremonial tongue), the Gallian system of allied realms and self-governing if semi-feudal foederati/fédérales can be traced back to the foederati domains of the old Empire. Even the Senat and Légions have endured and evolved; its lanciers and fusil-légionnaires are as formidable as its Senator-Consuls and patriciens. Indeed, Gallians continue to take pride in their ever-developing heritage and prowess, even as like Caesar of old, their eyes turn to expanding the outré-mer colonies across the Atlantic.

At the other end of what was once called Mare Nostrum is Rhomaion, the Empire in the East. Konstantinoúpolis and much of the old Hellenistic world, unlike Rome never fell to barbarians or invading rivals. Now under the long-reigning if stubborn Basileus Iōannēs IV Alexios, the Rhomaioi remain one of the premier Great Powers, even if generations of peculiar changes have left their mark. Its people, even of the semi-independent frontier themata speak Greek instead of Latin. Compared to Catholique if largely secular Gallia, the line separating the Basileus’ nominally absolute rule, the realm’s complicated bureaucracy and its powerful Orthodox Church is thin. But Constantine’s heirs nonetheless infuse much of Rome’s legacy and knowledge with Hellenistic and Christian influences, as well as borrowings from their Turkic and Persian rivals further east. Be it the records of Aristotle and Alexander the Great, secrets like the elusive “Greek Fire,” the endurance of Roman law or its sheer persistence on and off the battlefield. In fact, Rhomaioi diplomats and leadership, for all their nigh-infamous complexity have shown themselves to be a match for even the most stubborn of enemies. That is to say nothing of its diverse cultural offerings or machinations across the Eastern regions of the continent.

At various eras, these two “sibling” Empires’ relationship can be described as both complicated and intertwined. Their rivalry is legend among the Great Powers, the dispute over the Principauté de l'Afrique being just the latest in a long saga. But even in the lowest of times, neither realm desired the other to be fully destroyed. For despite their differences, the passing of history or their diverging cultures, they are at once partners, competitors, enemies, friends and ultimately, Roman. The true inheritors of Caesar and the Pax Romana, no matter what political pretentions the Pope in Rome may harbor. Even if the Empires’ combined clout is far from uncontested.

Across the continent, myriad nations and realms have emerged since the near-extinction of the West, some counting as Great Powers in their own right. To the east of Gallia, the Deutsche peoples are united under the Vereinigte Königreiche, a Germanic confederation that is the latest attempt to fashion themselves as Rome’s successor; indeed, the Franks’ descendants in Frankland still bear resentments over the Gallians. Across what was once called the Oceanus Britannicus, Alba and Englaland remain in fierce competition with both each other and the lands “reclaimed” by Gallia in the Sixth-Eighth Centuries A.D. In Iberia, a strenuous compromise between the Catholique kingdoms of the north and the Moslem realm of Al-Andalus continues on as a triumph of both Rhomaioi diplomacy and Gallian intervention. While in the Eastern regions of Europe, the realms of the Slavic Polska and nomad-descended Magyar stand mighty where most other states are either beholden or outright claimed by the Scandinavian Svenskt Unionen, Deutsche peoples, Rus lands and Rhomaion. And caught in between are the domains of Italia, the original Roman heartland. Aside from the Papal domains around Rome and the Gallian-Rhomaioi spheres, seemingly small lands like those of Venesia’s republican Doges have succeeded in expanding their prestige through connections, trade and industry.

The long centuries since the dark times have likewise seen other developments that would astound or surprise the ancients. The survival of West and East in those distant, chaotic ages preserved the wisdom and order of Antiquity, from which later generations would build their achievements. Medicines and advanced sanitation have extended standards of living beyond that of the Patricians and Imperators of old, despite the occasional menace of plague or drought. Across Europe, the steam-powered gears of industry have been in motion since the 14th-15th Centuries A.D. while networks of trade reaching far across the world bring in ideas, people and wealth unimagined. The prevalence of naphtha and poudre noire have since brought mighty guns and cannon into the fray, though have not replaced cavalries or the need for bladed arms. Long gone as well is the need for slaves or indentured tenancies as far as the concerns of freemen of all strata and most realms are concerned, although the “purer” feudal domains retain what is deemed “serfdom.” While meritocracy and female enfranchisement continue to spread both within and from the two Empires, to the point that a woman’s likelihood of being an owner of a merchant company, Senator or even a soldier in her own right is increasing. To say nothing of the achievements in philosophy, astronomy and the arts. Or the discovery of a new, glowing mineral called ragnesium that could revolutionize civilized life forever.

But to speak that all’s well with the world even in light of all that was said would be false. Europe may be at peace, but clouds are brewing. Ones far beyond the squabbles of republicans and monarchs, the scourge of raiders or colonial disputes in far-off lands. The Novgorod Rus, Scandinavians and Deutsche are forming an “Europan Alliance” that could rival the Empires far more formidably. Their growing clout on the eastern realms of the continent is reaching closer to Rhomaion’s sphere, the Basileus worrying of a possible invasion. Gallia meanwhile, for all its prosperity is beginning to show signs of discord as a power struggle brews in the Senat and plots to manipulate Imperatrice Cordélia II are uncovered. Plots allegedly spurred by rumors that that the ruling Dynastie Aurélien, whose lineage goes back to same aristocratic background as Syagrius, are descended from the Frankish king Clovis and even Juifs.

In any case, these are peculiar times. And as Deutsche soldiers and knights start massing on the frontier, the dogs of war grow restless. It comes as little surprise then that recently, a female reporter from the Bretagne provinces named Irene Ellet quoted a telling line from a newly formed Légion currently being trained close the Gallian capital of Lutèce-Paris. Made of young men and women from along the border with Frankland, the following was uttered, echoing memories of their distant ancestors:

“Ceux qui vont mourir te saluent. Gallia Victoire."

*Morituri te salutant is part of a famous phrase from the Roman Empire, usually translated in English as "We who are about to die, salute you." It also means the same in French.

Description
Here's a new map-profile and something of a surprise and personal project done over the past few weeks of free time. This one was based on a peculiar "What if?" alternate history scenario: What if the (Western) Roman Empire didn't entirely fall? What if the Roman remnant of Soissons, which managed to outlast the fall of Rome in AD 476 for some years before finally collapsing ( www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingLis… ) , was not only more stable and self-sustaining, but also thrived?

The end result, after a few rewrites, is a Europe where "Gallia" is a Western version of the Greek/Hellenistic Byzantine Empire (Rhomaion), but one that's stayed "close" to its Roman origins. Where both Empires managed to endure and prosper. With Latin in Gallia still becoming much like what real life would call French. And a few nods here and there to Valkyria Chronicles...partly because I couldn't resist.

In any case, this isn't meant to be a political or propaganda piece. This is a work of fiction, though if there are any warnings, it would be gratuitous use of French and French-based versions of Latin and other names, as well as Greek.

And without further ado, please enjoy!

(EDIT: Slight text corrections.)

(UPDATE: Tweaked and adjusted the map to be more readable and to correct any errors remaining. I like to apologize for any inconveniences. Still, hope the revised version is better!)

------

“Morituri te salutant.* Roma Invicta.”

So go phrases from the age of Antiquity. From a time when Rome stood proud over the known world, the might of Roman culture – and legions felt far and wide. But this tale begins after those days of Pax Romana ended. Barbarians marauded the frontiers. The heirs of Caesar and Augustus had split the Empire into two: one from Rome, the other from Constantinople in the East. All while the once-unmatched legions desperately struggled, to the point of being ordered to withdraw from Britannia in Anno Domini 388. Rome itself fell to Germanic tribes in A.D. 476, while the East endured. But even as Romulus’ seven hills burned, it wasn’t the end of the West.

Even as order broke down and barbarians moved deep into the West, much of northern Gallia still remained under Roman control. Much was done from sending whatever legions remained available to ensuring a steady territorial link for as long as possible. By the time Imperator Majoran appointed a loyalist aristocrat named Aegidius as magister militum and Dux (“military provincial governor”) in A.D. 457, there was enough to not only fend off the neighboring Franks and Visigoths but also maintain a stable enclave. Which proved to be a Godsend, even as Gallia was cut off soon after. Aegidius’ son and successor, Syagrius further stabilized and solidified Roman rule even as Rome fell. This was helped along by a series of decisive battles, especially against the Frankish “king,” Clovis. Thus despite the trials, a domain of the West triumphed, with Syagrius declaring himself Imperator in Lutetia Parisiorum in A.D. 490, known to history as the Imperial Declaration.

All that happened over a millennium ago. Time passed. New faiths and realms rose and fell. Monarchs, warlords and common men alike lived and died. Great events the likes of which the classical poets could only dream of came to pass, for good and ill. But Rome endures still. It is now A.D. 1800, or if one counts with the pre-Christian calendar, 2553 A.U.C. Two Empires reign in Europe. Empires both different and yet much alike.

Most foreigners know the Empire in the West as Gallia. Under the reign of the relatively young Imperatrice Cordélia II since the passing of Empereur Charles-Antoine IV, it is among the leading “Concord of Great Powers” on the continent and a prime example of so-called “Mixed Republican Monarchy.” Although influenced by the Germanic tribes Syagrius and his heirs fought like the Franks and Anglo-Saxon peoples, much of Gallia’s traditions, culture and politics are a direct continuation of old Rome. Just as Gallois is descended from Latin (which remains in use as a ceremonial tongue), the Gallian system of allied realms and self-governing if semi-feudal foederati/fédérales can be traced back to the foederati domains of the old Empire. Even the Senat and Légions have endured and evolved; its lanciers and fusil-légionnaires are as formidable as its Senator-Consuls and patriciens. Indeed, Gallians continue to take pride in their ever-developing heritage and prowess, even as like Caesar of old, their eyes turn to expanding the outré-mer colonies across the Atlantic.

At the other end of what was once called Mare Nostrum is Rhomaion, the Empire in the East. Konstantinoúpolis and much of the old Hellenistic world, unlike Rome never fell to barbarians or invading rivals. Now under the long-reigning if stubborn Basileus Iōannēs IV Alexios, the Rhomaioi remain one of the premier Great Powers, even if generations of peculiar changes have left their mark. Its people, even of the semi-independent frontier themata speak Greek instead of Latin. Compared to Catholique if largely secular Gallia, the line separating the Basileus’ nominally absolute rule, the realm’s complicated bureaucracy and its powerful Orthodox Church is thin. But Constantine’s heirs nonetheless infuse much of Rome’s legacy and knowledge with Hellenistic and Christian influences, as well as borrowings from their Turkic and Persian rivals further east. Be it the records of Aristotle and Alexander the Great, secrets like the elusive “Greek Fire,” the endurance of Roman law or its sheer persistence on and off the battlefield. In fact, Rhomaioi diplomats and leadership, for all their nigh-infamous complexity have shown themselves to be a match for even the most stubborn of enemies. That is to say nothing of its diverse cultural offerings or machinations across the Eastern regions of the continent.

At various eras, these two “sibling” Empires’ relationship can be described as both complicated and intertwined. Their rivalry is legend among the Great Powers, the dispute over the Principauté de l'Afrique being just the latest in a long saga. But even in the lowest of times, neither realm desired the other to be fully destroyed. For despite their differences, the passing of history or their diverging cultures, they are at once partners, competitors, enemies, friends and ultimately, Roman. The true inheritors of Caesar and the Pax Romana, no matter what political pretentions the Pope in Rome may harbor. Even if the Empires’ combined clout is far from uncontested.

Across the continent, myriad nations and realms have emerged since the near-extinction of the West, some counting as Great Powers in their own right. To the east of Gallia, the Deutsche peoples are united under the Vereinigte Königreiche, a Germanic confederation that is the latest attempt to fashion themselves as Rome’s successor; indeed, the Franks’ descendants in Frankland still bear resentments over the Gallians. Across what was once called the Oceanus Britannicus, Alba and Englaland remain in fierce competition with both each other and the lands “reclaimed” by Gallia in the Sixth-Eighth Centuries A.D. In Iberia, a strenuous compromise between the Catholique kingdoms of the north and the Moslem realm of Al-Andalus continues on as a triumph of both Rhomaioi diplomacy and Gallian intervention. While in the Eastern regions of Europe, the realms of the Slavic Polska and nomad-descended Magyar stand mighty where most other states are either beholden or outright claimed by the Scandinavian Svenskt Unionen, Deutsche peoples, Rus lands and Rhomaion. And caught in between are the domains of Italia, the original Roman heartland. Aside from the Papal domains around Rome and the Gallian-Rhomaioi spheres, seemingly small lands like those of Venesia’s republican Doges have succeeded in expanding their prestige through connections, trade and industry.

The long centuries since the dark times have likewise seen other developments that would astound or surprise the ancients. The survival of West and East in those distant, chaotic ages preserved the wisdom and order of Antiquity, from which later generations would build their achievements. Medicines and advanced sanitation have extended standards of living beyond that of the Patricians and Imperators of old, despite the occasional menace of plague or drought. Across Europe, the steam-powered gears of industry have been in motion since the 14th-15th Centuries A.D. while networks of trade reaching far across the world bring in ideas, people and wealth unimagined. The prevalence of naphtha and poudre noire have since brought mighty guns and cannon into the fray, though have not replaced cavalries or the need for bladed arms. Long gone as well is the need for slaves or indentured tenancies as far as the concerns of freemen of all strata and most realms are concerned, although the “purer” feudal domains retain what is deemed “serfdom.” While meritocracy and female enfranchisement continue to spread both within and from the two Empires, to the point that a woman’s likelihood of being an owner of a merchant company, Senator or even a soldier in her own right is increasing. To say nothing of the achievements in philosophy, astronomy and the arts. Or the discovery of a new, glowing mineral called ragnesium that could revolutionize civilized life forever.

But to speak that all’s well with the world even in light of all that was said would be false. Europe may be at peace, but clouds are brewing. Ones far beyond the squabbles of republicans and monarchs, the scourge of raiders or colonial disputes in far-off lands. The Novgorod Rus, Scandinavians and Deutsche are forming an “Europan Alliance” that could rival the Empires far more formidably. Their growing clout on the eastern realms of the continent is reaching closer to Rhomaion’s sphere, the Basileus worrying of a possible invasion. Gallia meanwhile, for all its prosperity is beginning to show signs of discord as a power struggle brews in the Senat and plots to manipulate Imperatrice Cordélia II are uncovered. Plots allegedly spurred by rumors that that the ruling Dynastie Aurélien, whose lineage goes back to same aristocratic background as Syagrius, are descended from the Frankish king Clovis and even Juifs.

In any case, these are peculiar times. And as Deutsche soldiers and knights start massing on the frontier, the dogs of war grow restless. It comes as little surprise then that recently, a female reporter from the Bretagne provinces named Irene Ellet quoted a telling line from a newly formed Légion currently being trained close the Gallian capital of Lutèce-Paris. Made of young men and women from along the border with Frankland, the following was uttered, echoing memories of their distant ancestors:

“Ceux qui vont mourir te saluent. Gallia Victoire."

*Morituri te salutant is part of a famous phrase from the Roman Empire, usually translated in English as "We who are about to die, salute you." It also means the same in French.