An Age of Miracles Continues: The Empire of Rhomania

[Curtain Jerker]

Until the narrative portion of the update I was convinced Odysseus would return the favor from the early 1630s and make the Ottomans into "half handers" or whatever the exact term was.

This is a sorta Cabinet War: smallish, highly professional and well-led armies fighting a relatively limited war. A far contrast (so far) from the total war of the 1630s.

 

[Basileus_Komnenos]

However that is Armenians who have converted to Orthodoxy. For those who remain faithful to the Armenian Church, their rights to religious worship are allowed, but they’re second-class citizens.

I feel like they should have way more leeway than that considering how Armenia is one of the more well-integrated regions of the Empire politically and culturally speaking. There were many Emperors within the Empire's history of Armenian origin after all. The Macedonian dynasty originates with Basil I who was an Armenian peasant. Though I think Constantine VII tried to smooth out his grandfather's pedigree by claiming some distant relation to Armenian nobility.

So rather than really second class citizens there should rather be some more minor stigma towards the Armenian Church kind of like how in the German Empire there was a little bit of tension between the more Protestant North and Catholic South. Both were still German citizens though.

 

[ImperatorAlexander]

So far Odysseus' goals aren't very destructive, but the demand to install Iskander the younger onto the throne will probably be the thing that extends the war until a decisive end.

But I'm yet to see the "Wrath" part of this War.

 

[Tuna-Fish]

But I'm yet to see the "Wrath" part of this War.

My prediction: Iskandar the younger is going to recruit the prisoners into his own army, and soon after will get killed by his own troops for being a Roman patsy. Seeing his best friend die like that, and his dreams of a permanent alliance on the eastern border die with him, Ody goes "so that's how it goes, apparently we can't be friends after all" and just starts wiping out the opposition.

 

[Evilprodigy]

I feel like they should have way more leeway than that considering how Armenia is one of the more well-integrated regions of the Empire politically and culturally speaking. There were many Emperors within the Empire's history of Armenian origin after all. The Macedonian dynasty originates with Basil I who was an Armenian peasant. Though I think Constantine VII tried to smooth out his grandfather's pedigree by claiming some distant relation to Armenian nobility.

So rather than really second class citizens there should rather be some more minor stigma towards the Armenian Church kind of like how in the German Empire there was a little bit of tension between the more Protestant North and Catholic South. Both were still German citizens though.

You're comparing apples and oranges here. You say there was only a little bit of tension in Germany but that was only because of the existence of nationalism. We are two hundred years before that.

Before then some of the most destructive Wars in European history until Napoleon were fought between North and South Germany. Until the age of nationalism based on nationhood, race, or secular citizenship comes around the current community organization of the European world is via the church. Just look at how Anglicans and Puritans were treated during the course of the English Civil War, as well as other Protestants like the Scottish Church in the Bishops' War. Or one of the many French Wars of religion, the eighty Years War, or any other one of a litany of conflicts from this century all based around religion.

It makes absolutely perfect sense that people who do not describe to the state's chosen ideology, that being the Greek Orthodox Church, are not treated very well.

 

[Coyote_Waits]

I wouldn't even say the Oriental Orthodox Armenians are "not treated very well." By the standards of the time they are treated quite well. They face no enslavement or genocide. They are not subject to policies like OTL janissaries. Their mistreatment is basically paying a higher tax rate and discrimination in state employment. It's not ideal in the modern sense but by the standards of the time, and previous times, its downright enlightened. Now the Arab Muslims in the Roman Levant are in a different position entirely...

 

[Evilprodigy]

I wouldn't even say the Oriental Orthodox Armenians are "not treated very well." By the standards of the time they are treated quite well. They face no enslavement or genocide. They are not subject to policies like OTL janissaries. Their mistreatment is basically paying a higher tax rate and discrimination in state employment. It's not ideal in the modern sense but by the standards of the time, and previous times, its downright enlightened. Now the Arab Muslims in the Roman Levant are in a different position entirely...

I was giving a blanket statement at the end there, not directly speaking about the Armenians. It's all par for the course for the time period frankly.

 

[Stark]

Rugged but competent and important victory for Ody, in an imperfect situation. Good job with battle, great job with avoiding pursuit and overextension.

 

[Bergioyn]

My prediction: Iskandar the younger is going to recruit the prisoners into his own army, and soon after will get killed by his own troops for being a Roman patsy. Seeing his best friend die like that, and his dreams of a permanent alliance on the eastern border die with him, Ody goes "so that's how it goes, apparently we can't be friends after all" and just starts wiping out the opposition.

Given the nature of the TL I wouldn't be surprised if you were correct. Either way, it's going to be interesting to see how things develope.

 

[Grammar Kaiser]

If Iskandar Jr. goes out like that I'd expect each Persian attempt at negotiations to end with Ody going "the slaughter only stops when Iskandar is restored to the throne."

Kind of like Enigo Montoya saying "I want my father back you son of a b××××" when the six fingered man is begging for mercy.

 

[Denliner]

Killing Iskandar would be one way to make this war ten times worse for everyone involved....

I agree that it might be some random mook that kills him instead of an assassin sent by Ibrahim. Keeping him alive is key to his plans as a bargaining chip as the war becomes untenable for Odysseus. Without Iskandar, Ibrahim is probably done for.

 

[Bergioyn]

Hopefully he survives.

 

[Lascaris]

Khosrow II. Just saying.

 

[Frame]

I wonder how much of the indigenous Incan ruling class has been preserved under Mexican rule

 

[Daylight Savings]

I wonder how much of the indigenous Incan ruling class has been preserved under Mexican rule

I suspect as many as possible. Quite a few will die of disease and some will not submit, but I think the current Mexican state has been co-opting existing power structures as much if not more so than OTL Spanish.

 

[Grammar Kaiser]

Yeah a lot of the Inca's culture and society stuck around until a rebellion in the 1780's or 60's or thereabouts cuased Spain to put its foot down on Inca culture.

 

[minifidel]

The Spanish basically kept the Incan mita system but made it 10x harsher, so it's likely that the Mexicans - who probably won't be displacing as many of the local nobles - would do the same. The Incan administrative system was incredibly robust, and I can even picture some of that influence flowing back to Mexico and resulting in innovations like its post/courier system, its crops and its cultivating techniques spreading rapidly in Mexico proper.

 

[Frame]

I wonder what the administrative language is in mexico. Its prolly been said but I imagine its either Occitan or Nahuatl

 

[Cryostorm]

Probably a mix of both but heavily Nahuatl since they didn't have the backing of the Aquitaine state the way Cortes had Spain. Though Quechua and some Mayan words might be making their way in, as well as Greek.

 

[EvilJam]

In terms of the Little Ice Age - it's going to be bad, but hey! At least they have the Vlachs who will slave themselves to feed the every-hungry cities of the Aegean basin.