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Description

I did a map on the Gothic Empire once upon a time:fav.me/dadj4mx . I took interest in it again and decided to make some further history on it.

Founding the Gothic Empire:
The Visigoths under Alaric II had been ruling most of Hispania, all of Aquitania, and Septimania. When Theoderic the Great came to power, he sought to expand his rule over the Visigoths. However, this was halted by the pressing concern of the Franks. Clovis was a King of the Franks who was campaigning against Sygarius's realm and annexed it. Theoderic, seeing an opportunity, pledged support to Alaric if Alaric agreed to accept his suzerainty over the Visigoths. Alaric never accepted it at first but the Frankish King seemed ambitious enough to invade his realm. Alaric agreed in A.D. 500 in exchange for Theoderic's daughter, Theodegotha, and Theoderic became the indirect Emperor of the Goths. While originally just a title, Theoderic was quick to secure power for himself. When the Franks subdued the Alamanni, he and Alaric vassalized the Vandals and Burgundians, the latter agreeing to it in defense of their own realm and the marriage of Theoderic's daughter Ostrogotho. Next, they built several large armies of multi-ethnic soldiers, and stationed a large portion of these troops in Aquitania, under the command of Alaric. Theoderic solidified these alliances with further defensive pacts that would later defend the Vandals from the Byzantine Invasions. Alaric made peace with the Vascones and Cantabrians, making them vassals and formally incorporating more soldiers into the main army. When the war between the Franks and Goths finally arrived, the Goths were very well prepared. The Goths massacred the Frankish army down to the last soldier at the battle of Vouille, leaving Clovis I to retreat back into his territory. This came at the price of Alaric's life, which was the reason for the slaughter of the enemy forces. This played into Theoderic's hands perfectly, as he became the sole ruler of the Gothic Empire. However, the Visigoths weren't comfortable with this new Emperor in charge. He seemed very ambitious and was an Ostrogoth from a whole other family line. To ease the concerns, Theoderic made Gesalec the King of the Visigoths temporarily, before having him assassinated secretly in 513. By that point, Theoderic's power was solidified and the Visigoths were more comfortable being under another Gothic ruler. Thus, Theoderic's Empire would rule and grow for another 200 years before its destruction finally by the Franks.

Western Roman Empire: Honorius was having great difficulty in holding his possessions together, especially with the Visigothic sack of Rome in 410. He had been forced to abandon several western possessions already and was now facing the possible end of Roman rule in Italy, and his forces he had already, were stretched thin. Luckily for him, the Visigoths left Italy shortly after the sack of Rome and allowed him to consolidate his holdings in Italy at the expense of the rest of the Roman territory in the west. When Honorius died, Italy was under Roman hands. Valentinian III was in charge but now faced the worst nightmare of his nation. The Huns were advancing into the Empire. He couldn't fund the military properly and there was a lot of fear with the Hunnic invasion occuring. When his sister betrayed him, Valentinian had to fight against the huns. Through the success of Pope Leo the Great and other negotiators, Atilla had left Rome alone. Unfortunately, for the two Emperors, their lifespans did not continue long after the peace. Petronius Maximus murdered Valentinian in 455 and Atilla died two years before. Upon their deaths, their realms crumbled. Germanic tribes revolted against the Huns and the Huns were reduced to their holdings in Dacia. Likewise the Vandals sacked the city of Rome a few months later, and the Western Empire finally died when Odoacer took hold. Odoacer was originally accepted by the Eastern Emperor Zeno, and was considered to be a very decisive ruler. Despite being an Arian Christian, he had great relations with the Orthodox Church. When he started going against Emperor Zeno, he had crossed a line. Zeno had been in combat with Leontius and Illus, the former a usurper and the latter a general supporting him. Odoacer had attacked Eastern holdings and this upset Zeno. Zeno asked the Ostrogoths to invade his holdings, and in 493 they did under Theoderic the Great.

Britain: Before even the collapse of the Empire occurred, the Western Roman Empire was having great difficulty holding itself together financially and militarily. The Theodosian dynasty was weakening in power and the result was the Germanic tribes migrating inside scraping it up. In order to help better rule his Empire, Honorius (Western Roman Emeperor) gave military power and control to other members of his family and some to members of the preceding dynasty . In Britain and Gaul, he gave political and military control to Gratian, who had managed to survive Magnus Maximus's invasion but had also lost his title of Western Roman Emperor. Gratian and his consort Laeta ruled Britain and Gaul up until the Germanic invasion in the early 400's. Gratian went to battle against them in Gaul but found himself hopelessly outmatched. Rule now had to be passed onto Gratian's son, Flavius Primus, who was only 17, retreated to his holdings in Britain, causing most of Gaul to fall to the Germanic tribes. Primus and some of his generals were afraid that the Germanic tribes might turn North to attack their last holdings in Britain, which was already being raided by the Irish and Pictish. They decided that it would be best to break temporarily with the Western Empire and formed a Romano-British, something that ended up becoming permanent when Honorius gave told the Roman cities in Britain to fend for themselves. Primus died in 443 and was succeeded by Gratian II, who happened to be very paranoid over the success of the Germanic forces. He favored a strong military government and total control, but unlike his predecessors, was not happy with Christianity. During his 25 year rule, he accumulated more political and military control over his subjects, and put many Christians to death. He also fortified his realm and repulsed the Celtic raiders. His popularity shifted from good to bad because of this heavy military control, but there was a line crossed when he executed the Christian wife of a Celtic general. In 468, he was usurped by that same general, Caratacos, who instead formed his own dynasty of Kings. However, his new Kingdom would have to face the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in a fight to keep their homeland, and in addition, would have to make an uneasy alliance with the Kingdom of Strathclyde to the North. But, it would resist the Germanization of Great Britain and make the isles the last homelands of the celts.

Other events:

- Alanian Kingdom, Crimean Kingdom of the Goths, Gepids, and Lombardian Kingdoms flourish with the decline of the Hunnic Empire.

- Eastern Hunnic Empire and the Sassanids go to war 20 years after the Byzantines recognize Sassanid control of Armenia

- Zeno secures power for himself over the Byzantine Empire.

- Creation of the Saxon Kingdom

Description

I did a map on the Gothic Empire once upon a time:fav.me/dadj4mx . I took interest in it again and decided to make some further history on it.

Founding the Gothic Empire:
The Visigoths under Alaric II had been ruling most of Hispania, all of Aquitania, and Septimania. When Theoderic the Great came to power, he sought to expand his rule over the Visigoths. However, this was halted by the pressing concern of the Franks. Clovis was a King of the Franks who was campaigning against Sygarius's realm and annexed it. Theoderic, seeing an opportunity, pledged support to Alaric if Alaric agreed to accept his suzerainty over the Visigoths. Alaric never accepted it at first but the Frankish King seemed ambitious enough to invade his realm. Alaric agreed in A.D. 500 in exchange for Theoderic's daughter, Theodegotha, and Theoderic became the indirect Emperor of the Goths. While originally just a title, Theoderic was quick to secure power for himself. When the Franks subdued the Alamanni, he and Alaric vassalized the Vandals and Burgundians, the latter agreeing to it in defense of their own realm and the marriage of Theoderic's daughter Ostrogotho. Next, they built several large armies of multi-ethnic soldiers, and stationed a large portion of these troops in Aquitania, under the command of Alaric. Theoderic solidified these alliances with further defensive pacts that would later defend the Vandals from the Byzantine Invasions. Alaric made peace with the Vascones and Cantabrians, making them vassals and formally incorporating more soldiers into the main army. When the war between the Franks and Goths finally arrived, the Goths were very well prepared. The Goths massacred the Frankish army down to the last soldier at the battle of Vouille, leaving Clovis I to retreat back into his territory. This came at the price of Alaric's life, which was the reason for the slaughter of the enemy forces. This played into Theoderic's hands perfectly, as he became the sole ruler of the Gothic Empire. However, the Visigoths weren't comfortable with this new Emperor in charge. He seemed very ambitious and was an Ostrogoth from a whole other family line. To ease the concerns, Theoderic made Gesalec the King of the Visigoths temporarily, before having him assassinated secretly in 513. By that point, Theoderic's power was solidified and the Visigoths were more comfortable being under another Gothic ruler. Thus, Theoderic's Empire would rule and grow for another 200 years before its destruction finally by the Franks.

Western Roman Empire: Honorius was having great difficulty in holding his possessions together, especially with the Visigothic sack of Rome in 410. He had been forced to abandon several western possessions already and was now facing the possible end of Roman rule in Italy, and his forces he had already, were stretched thin. Luckily for him, the Visigoths left Italy shortly after the sack of Rome and allowed him to consolidate his holdings in Italy at the expense of the rest of the Roman territory in the west. When Honorius died, Italy was under Roman hands. Valentinian III was in charge but now faced the worst nightmare of his nation. The Huns were advancing into the Empire. He couldn't fund the military properly and there was a lot of fear with the Hunnic invasion occuring. When his sister betrayed him, Valentinian had to fight against the huns. Through the success of Pope Leo the Great and other negotiators, Atilla had left Rome alone. Unfortunately, for the two Emperors, their lifespans did not continue long after the peace. Petronius Maximus murdered Valentinian in 455 and Atilla died two years before. Upon their deaths, their realms crumbled. Germanic tribes revolted against the Huns and the Huns were reduced to their holdings in Dacia. Likewise the Vandals sacked the city of Rome a few months later, and the Western Empire finally died when Odoacer took hold. Odoacer was originally accepted by the Eastern Emperor Zeno, and was considered to be a very decisive ruler. Despite being an Arian Christian, he had great relations with the Orthodox Church. When he started going against Emperor Zeno, he had crossed a line. Zeno had been in combat with Leontius and Illus, the former a usurper and the latter a general supporting him. Odoacer had attacked Eastern holdings and this upset Zeno. Zeno asked the Ostrogoths to invade his holdings, and in 493 they did under Theoderic the Great.

Britain: Before even the collapse of the Empire occurred, the Western Roman Empire was having great difficulty holding itself together financially and militarily. The Theodosian dynasty was weakening in power and the result was the Germanic tribes migrating inside scraping it up. In order to help better rule his Empire, Honorius (Western Roman Emeperor) gave military power and control to other members of his family and some to members of the preceding dynasty . In Britain and Gaul, he gave political and military control to Gratian, who had managed to survive Magnus Maximus's invasion but had also lost his title of Western Roman Emperor. Gratian and his consort Laeta ruled Britain and Gaul up until the Germanic invasion in the early 400's. Gratian went to battle against them in Gaul but found himself hopelessly outmatched. Rule now had to be passed onto Gratian's son, Flavius Primus, who was only 17, retreated to his holdings in Britain, causing most of Gaul to fall to the Germanic tribes. Primus and some of his generals were afraid that the Germanic tribes might turn North to attack their last holdings in Britain, which was already being raided by the Irish and Pictish. They decided that it would be best to break temporarily with the Western Empire and formed a Romano-British, something that ended up becoming permanent when Honorius gave told the Roman cities in Britain to fend for themselves. Primus died in 443 and was succeeded by Gratian II, who happened to be very paranoid over the success of the Germanic forces. He favored a strong military government and total control, but unlike his predecessors, was not happy with Christianity. During his 25 year rule, he accumulated more political and military control over his subjects, and put many Christians to death. He also fortified his realm and repulsed the Celtic raiders. His popularity shifted from good to bad because of this heavy military control, but there was a line crossed when he executed the Christian wife of a Celtic general. In 468, he was usurped by that same general, Caratacos, who instead formed his own dynasty of Kings. However, his new Kingdom would have to face the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in a fight to keep their homeland, and in addition, would have to make an uneasy alliance with the Kingdom of Strathclyde to the North. But, it would resist the Germanization of Great Britain and make the isles the last homelands of the celts.

Other events:

- Alanian Kingdom, Crimean Kingdom of the Goths, Gepids, and Lombardian Kingdoms flourish with the decline of the Hunnic Empire.

- Eastern Hunnic Empire and the Sassanids go to war 20 years after the Byzantines recognize Sassanid control of Armenia

- Zeno secures power for himself over the Byzantine Empire.

- Creation of the Saxon Kingdom