An Age of Miracles: The Revival of Rhomanion
- Thread starter Basileus444
- Start date
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That's not the point. How can we assume that an earthquake is not random and hence must happen at the same ITTL but at the same time modern science cannot predict it, even though one can measure temperatures, pressure, material flow, magnetic field changes... ? I'd rather think that while you can measure the potential for an earthquake, the point in time has a random element.
I can't believe your first post in this thread in three months is about that, even after all the interesting changes in the TL.
Maybe you should make the distinction between constructive criticism and hassling. Just a suggestion.
And BTW maybe you don't remember the ruckus it happened when B444 proposed to split in two China (I wasn't online and I skipped through it, but I do).
And it's a testament how good B444 as a writer is to accept criticism and act on it. Not everyone does that.
EDIT: on this matter, Andreas Niketas and Andreas the Jokester are fighting for their lives in the polls. Let's give them a hand.
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Last update edited to reflect changes.
I'd say 'irked', since the whole thing didn't seem like a big deal to me: 'does it really matter that it was an earthquake that killed a hundred thousand people, not a fire?' Not really, and that's why the 1509 earthquake is cocktail party trivia at best, it killed some people but led to no societal changes or killed anybody important.
And since I, as the author, decide whether or not an earthquake does those things (hence whether or not it is historically important), it just seemed easier to invent important earthquakes rather than looking at OTL ones and going, this one important, that one not, that one not, this one important, etc...
Also I wanted to injure Theodoros with blunt trauma. Rubble falling on him from an earthquake does that easily, fire not so much. Hence the little bit with the panicked mob. But I will say that the attempt on Theodoros was NOT deliberate. We know there is more to Theodoros than he seems, but I've been dropping hints heavily, whilst for everyone around him, those hints are buried under fifty years of inanities. Alexeia has suspicions, but no more than that.
I will make the note that to me, a lot of the difference between constructive criticism and hassling can be in the presentation. Snappy comebacks fall more towards the latter, and make me more inclined to snap back rather than listen; it's in my nature to be contrary at times (this whole TL could be considered a facet of that when you consider the POD and premise).
I'd say 'irked', since the whole thing didn't seem like a big deal to me: 'does it really matter that it was an earthquake that killed a hundred thousand people, not a fire?' Not really, and that's why the 1509 earthquake is cocktail party trivia at best, it killed some people but led to no societal changes or killed anybody important.
And since I, as the author, decide whether or not an earthquake does those things (hence whether or not it is historically important), it just seemed easier to invent important earthquakes rather than looking at OTL ones and going, this one important, that one not, that one not, this one important, etc...
Also I wanted to injure Theodoros with blunt trauma. Rubble falling on him from an earthquake does that easily, fire not so much. Hence the little bit with the panicked mob. But I will say that the attempt on Theodoros was NOT deliberate. We know there is more to Theodoros than he seems, but I've been dropping hints heavily, whilst for everyone around him, those hints are buried under fifty years of inanities. Alexeia has suspicions, but no more than that.
I will make the note that to me, a lot of the difference between constructive criticism and hassling can be in the presentation. Snappy comebacks fall more towards the latter, and make me more inclined to snap back rather than listen; it's in my nature to be contrary at times (this whole TL could be considered a facet of that when you consider the POD and premise
).Well, first Portugal has Oran to burn down first, and after that I don't think they would want another war that would impede their exploration efforts.
Funny, I draw the exact opposite conclusion... once the corsairs are dealt with the only rivals are the Andalusi and the Ethiopians. But if Portugal and Castille partner up the first one won't be a particular problem (they'll carve their own niche and that's it, I can definitely see a kind of compromise like Spain and Portugal did in OTL), but the latter are strong rivals in multiple theatres. Conflict won't happen the next day after the fall of Oran, but I'd say we should see at least a couple of wars before the century is over.
Really? I'd say the Portuguese have more to lose than they have to gain. Ethiopia has better power projection in the Indian Ocean, for one, and if Portuguese trade convoys are going to have to battle their way into Asia, Portugal's costs are going to go up. Not to mention the lack of bases Porutgal has in the East, and frankly, Portuguese access to the East is probably more important/valuable than Ethiopian access to the Atlantic, anyway. Add to the fact that Portugal also has the New World to focus on.....
Anyway, Asia's a big place, I'm sure there's enough ports to go around trading in. Or the Portuguese could ally with another Atlantic power to divert some more of its forces into the East.
Could be. Without knowing the extent of Portuguese efforts into the new world we don't really know the whole playing field.
Where is the end of the third round? I need to have the promised map and new world update!
About the Alliance you mention... a deal with the Andalusi would calm things down quite nicely in Central/southern Atlantic.
Where is the end of the third round? I need to have the promised map and new world update!
About the Alliance you mention... a deal with the Andalusi would calm things down quite nicely in Central/southern Atlantic.
Could be. Without knowing the extent of Portuguese efforts into the new world we don't really know the whole playing field.
Where is the end of the third round? I need to have the promised map and new world update!
About the Alliance you mention... a deal with the Andalusi would calm things down quite nicely in Central/southern Atlantic.
Yeah, there's plenty of options for a balance of power in the Atlantic for Portugal. A detente with Al-Andalus is one. A naval alliance with another Atlantic power is another. But for now, Portugal's close ties to Castile is a good start.
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Evilprodigy
Donor
With the talk about Portugal and Ethiopia I have to ask, do either of them have any ports at OTL Cape Town or Walvis Bay?
Both are prime areas for stopping ports and with ships crossing the Cape they would be useful and could seriously aid in exploitation of the opposite Ocean. Personally I would prefer a Roman South Africa, because GOLD!
Both are prime areas for stopping ports and with ships crossing the Cape they would be useful and could seriously aid in exploitation of the opposite Ocean. Personally I would prefer a Roman South Africa, because GOLD!
Don't have the specifics narrowed down yet, but I am planning for an Ethiopian-Portuguese War within the next thirty years. Portugal's about to flood the Indian Ocean. Even dealing with the corsairs isn't being allowed to interrupt that.
So far no settlements on the Cape, but a Portuguese one will be popping within the next fifteen years, probably with some posts on eastern Madagascar as well.
"The more people I know, the more I like my rhinoceroses,"-The Zookeeper Prince
The White Palace, Constantinople, January 5, 1536:
Alexeia took a sip of the hot kaffos. The warmth felt good. It had been cold ever since the great fire, and today had been the first day when she couldn’t smell the soot in the air. She flipped the page, reading…A state that cannot tax its rich is weak. A state that will not tax its rich is stupid. There was a knock. “Enter.”
The door to her chamber opened and Andreas Drakos stuck his head in. “Empress, Prince Theodoros is here to see you as requested.”
“Send him in,” she ordered. As the droungarios left, she closed the book. It was a partial compilation of the notes of Theodoros IV, assembled by her father; he died before he finished.
A moment later the door opened again and Prince Theodoros, eldest living son of Andreas Niketas, hobbled into the room on a wooden cane. He looked…old. Which would seem rather obvious, since he was just a few months shy of his 69th birthday, but somehow Theodoros had always seemed younger than he really was. Perhaps the lack of any chittering entourage? It was the only time Alexeia had seen him without any animals, not even a blackbird perched on his shoulder whispering in his ear. Which is an ominous image when you think about his mother…
He bowed, and Alexeia nodded in the direction of a cushioned chair set up for him. He fell into it with a grunt of relief and pain. They were alone in the room; Giorgios Laskaris and Andreas Drakos were just outside. Her uncle had requested it that way. That had almost made her reject the idea immediately, but…Curiosity; I want to know what this is about. He’s never done anything like this to my knowledge.
“Would you like some kaffos, Uncle?” she asked.
“No, thank you,” Theodoros coughed. The cloth he coughed into now had specks of blood on it.
Alexeia pushed off the blanket, slinging it over the armrest, as she got up and walked to the fire crackling in the fireplace. There was an iron plate placed over it, on which she kept her pot of kaffos to keep it hot. Picking up a pair of tongs to hold the container, she poured herself another cup. She could’ve had servants do that for her, but she didn’t much see the point of that. Her great-grandfather wouldn’t have approved for certain; he hated paying for superfluous servants.
She turned to Theodoros, starting to take a sip…and almost dropped the cup. A few hot drops sloshed out, landing on her hand. Ignoring them, she nonchalantly walked back to her chair, set the cup down on her nightstand, and wiped off the droplets. Sitting down, she pulled the blanket over herself as if nothing were amiss, took a drink, and said, “Prince Theodoros Komnenos, a pleasure to meet you. The real you, that is.”
Theodoros smiled briefly. The dull, vacant look he had shown the world for over sixty years was gone. No longer did a cow stare out from those gray eyes; now it was a wise, old cat. “You are a smart one,” he said. “Nikephoros had an inkling, every now and then, but no more than that.”
“Well, you did seem to slip up every now and then, but I’d bet that was deliberate.”
“A little reward for your intelligence, Empress. People here are idiots. I have the reputation for being a fool, so people think I’m a fool. I can barge in, order troops and officials around like I’m Andreas Niketas reborn, and people still think I’m a fool. Morons.”
“So why the act? Your claim to the throne is stronger than mine. Stronger than my father’s, for that matter.”
“I was under orders.”
“Whose?”
“My mother’s.”
Alexeia blinked, and frowned in puzzlement. “She arranged this. Why?”
Theodoros smiled again, the unsettling grin of a lion. “She wanted her line on the throne. When I was young, the duo of Demetrios and Zeno seemed unassailable. So instead of raising up a normal son, she raised me up to be her secret weapon. To ensure that somehow, someway, her line would be on the throne.”
“But why not come forward later, once my father was Kaisar?”
“Because he was of the blackbird’s line. As was Nikephoros, as are you. Therefore it was not necessary to come forward. Better to remain in the shadows.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’ve been playing us from the start.”
“Yes, yes I have.”
Alexeia took a deep breath to calm herself down. “Father was ill. Even if Nikephoros had not murdered him, he wouldn’t have lasted much longer. And with no Nikephoros, if my brother and I were usurped, it would not be by a member of Kristina’s line.” Theodoros nodded. “So I take it you arranged the death of Petros Doukas.”
Theodoros grimaced. “Yes, I did. Unfortunately not fast enough, but I did.”
“We understand,” Alexeia said coldly. “And you are dismissed.” Theodoros started to rise, but first hacked another bloody cough into his handkerchief. “But first, why did you tell us?”
“Because for once, I didn’t feel like playing the idiot. And I thought you should know that I am not your enemy. I’m leaving Constantinople, and I have no intention of ever coming back.”
She squinted at him. “There’s more you’re not telling me.”
“Of course. Would you expect it otherwise?”
She smiled faintly. “No. Very well then, you may go.” Theodoros shuffled off, but just before he reached the door Alexeia spoke again. “But I’m still going to keep an eye on you.”
Theodoros smiled. “I would be disappointed in you if you didn’t.”
As her uncle exited, Alexeia turned again to the words of her great-grandfather. On Foreign Policy: If one does business with someone who does not speak German, learn a few key phrases and say them during negotiations. Even if one is actually saying ‘I am a cute, fluffy bunny,’ the German tongue will still intimidate your opponent and help to bend them to your will. It is a funny language that way.
Theodoros winced as he exited the chamber. Neither guard made a move to help him. Good. That is not their duty. He started walking, leaning heavily on his cane. His niece was right; he hadn’t told her the whole truth, about why he’d exposed his lifelong secret. He had keep his mother’s task, her great assignment for him, but at a terrible cost. He had killed Irene, his wife, personally because she threatened to push him into the limelight. He still remembered that nightmarish day. It was a terrible thing he had done, but he couldn’t bear to arrange for someone else to kill her. Yes, her ‘exploitation’ of him had not been planned, but there had been some feelings for her.
And for his two sons. But a fool could not make a good father, so he left them. He had not killed them, like he had their mother, but he had abandoned them. Not having a family was the price he had for his great disguise. He looked back at the Empress’ chambers. But if I had had a daughter…
That wasn’t an entirely fair train of thought. He had chosen to remain in this life, partly because he cared to. Only four people had thought him simple and still called him friend and brother, Demetrios, Eudoxia, Herakleios, and Andreas Angelos. All shunned by society, too un-ambitious, too weak, too illegitimate, they said. Yet it was only them, and his animals, who had treated him well.
He was tired of that, so very tired. He coughed again into his handkerchief, a few more specks of blood staining it. He no longer had the strength to be the Empire’s Atlas. He had nudged Nikephoros towards the dynatoi plot, helped make it surface before it was ready. And he was tired of that. He wished Alexeia well, but at the same time…I am sick of this place.
Fyodor was a problem, and there was always Stefanos Doukas lurking in the shadows. Alexeia might handle them, with some help. He had arranged for some help, but no more. Let the line of Kristina rise or fall on its own merits. And if the worst should come…
For it was not just for his mother that he had been the fool for sixty years, but his father as well. Andreas had thought him simple as well, but woe to anyone who dared say so in his presence. And it always to him that Andreas first gave presents and greetings when he returned from his provincial circuits.
But it was more than just that. He had seen his father on his battlefield, and he knew, in a way no historian or chronicler could ever hope to understand or convey, why the soldiers of Andreas adored and worshipped him. For on the battlefield, Andreas Niketas was nothing less than great, the way his voice cut through even the mightiest enemy volley, the way he maneuvered troops and formations, as easily as if he was rearranging furniture. Theodoros had seen that, and swore to maintain his legacy, no matter the vanities and foibles of weak and petty creatures.
So men did not just seem like fools to him, but shadows as well. He looked back. He too had made special arrangements, not as grand or cruel as his mother, not for her, but for his father. Nothing much but the mere planting of a seed. But it would grow, if need be. The Empire always conjured up a hero in her hour of need. And if the House of Komnenos should fall, there were equally grand and noble lines to take up the Empire’s banner. For are we not all children of Andreas?
Theodoros looked at Giorgios Laskaris and Andreas Drakos. Most men seemed like shadows to him, but not all.
1536: Theodoros does not actually leave Constantinople until the spring, when he departs with his menagerie. He retires to his sprawling animal park near Aleppo, breeding rhinoceroses and elephants in captivity at a rate unmatched until the twentieth century. Contrary to some laymen’s belief, this does not help the Imperial exchequer. All of Theodoros’ animal-related endeavors he funded himself, largely from the revenues from land grants bequeathed by Andreas Niketas, Demetrios, and Herakleios.
On the other side of Asia, a peasant revolt sparked by poor harvests is put down with terrifying speed by provincial Wei troops and the Eleventh Banner Army. The Tieh dynasty is only a hundred years old, and is clearly nowhere near its expiration date.
The devastation of Constantinople completely ruins the Imperial treasury. Rebuilding efforts force further austerities, and the eastern fortress program again receives further cuts. The Herakleian Walls are undamaged, but deaths to work details necessarily slows construction. However not all programs are a loss. One that is cut is the program known in the present as the ‘rocket trooper’ program. It was an attempt to use rockets to fly soldiers over walls into fortresses, but was abandoned given a complete inability to steer or brake the projectiles, which were tested with pigs.
The fire also destroys Andreas Angelos’ plan for reviving the Imperial Navy. Ships were lost, but also naval supplies and skilled workmen from the half-wrecked Arsenal. Reluctantly he reports that until 1545 at the earliest, due to the lack of skilled artisans, sailors, and marines, he cannot guarantee that the Imperial Fleet can defend trans-Cretan (waters outside the Aegean, Marmara, or Black Seas) territories against a hostile fleet.
It soon becomes apparent that some fanatical Muslims are responsible for starting the fire. In the Fourth Nullification Act, all Muslims are expelled from Constantinople with all their properties confiscated, and all their mosques shut down. They are also barred from Trebizond, Smyrna, Antioch, and Alexandria (a clause supported by many Alexandrians, who approve the removal of economic competition). Also all Imperial Muslims save those of recognized frontier tribes are barred from owning horses, more than two hundred cattle, five hundred sheep and/or goats, or three hundred donkeys, camels and/or mules.
All surplus has to be sold to the government at set prices significantly below market value, and the government then turns around and sells them at a significant profit (some to the Spanish Alliance as food-stocks for the Oran expedition). The funds go toward restoring Constantinople. Some Muslims in protest slaughter their animals instead, and have all their goods confiscated as punishment.
The figures for allowed Muslim livestock are double that of the original draft. Their raise is owed to Andronikos of Chalkis, who has been growing increasingly close to the Empress. That relationship brings up the issue of Alexeia’s lack of a husband or heir, which has been a concern ever since her accession, but a topic everyone has quickly learned not to broach unsolicited with the Empress.
The most frequently mentioned suitors are Demetrios Komnenos, the sixteen-year-old son of Andreas of Egypt, Isaakios Angelos, Giorgios Laskaris, and Michael Doukas, the first cousin and closest living male relative to Stefanos Doukas. Alexeia does not want any of them as husband. There is also the fact that each represent a powerful faction in the Empire, and she is not inclined to strengthen any of them.
So she chooses a nobody, and on October 15, she marries Andronikos of Chalkis, who bears the very fresh titles of Komes (Count) and Tribounos (Tribune), both of which are purely honorary titles. It is a brilliant, lavish, and expensive ceremony, with the popular historical view that she is compensating for the low-born nature of her consort. Still the spectacle is not enough for some to not notice that the Empress seems a little fuller in the belly come the ceremony.
Despite the new titles, Andronikos is merely titled ‘the Imperial Consort’. In processions he does not sit beside his wife, but is behind all Komnenoi, the Megas Domestikos, Megas Doux, and any Patriarchs, but prior to all other military, administrative, and clerical officials. He also has no claim to any imperial estates or property. Even so, the marriage is ill-viewed by many of Constantinople’s dynatoi, who forget (or ignore) their mostly-plebeian origins in their disapproval.
Eleven days later, Prince Bayezid in Hormuz signs a secret accord with two Jewish envoys from Milan. In it, he pledges that once he is sultan, a secret offensive alliance will be in effect between the Ottoman Empire and Milan.
On December 20, Sultan Suleiman “the Magnificent”, Conqueror of Persia, Builder of a Thousand Mosques, the Lawgiver, breathes his last in the Topkapi Palace of Baghdad.
Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Considered the third of the Great Osmanlis, after Osman I and the Deliverer.
So far no settlements on the Cape, but a Portuguese one will be popping within the next fifteen years, probably with some posts on eastern Madagascar as well.
"The more people I know, the more I like my rhinoceroses,"-The Zookeeper Prince
The White Palace, Constantinople, January 5, 1536:
Alexeia took a sip of the hot kaffos. The warmth felt good. It had been cold ever since the great fire, and today had been the first day when she couldn’t smell the soot in the air. She flipped the page, reading…A state that cannot tax its rich is weak. A state that will not tax its rich is stupid. There was a knock. “Enter.”
The door to her chamber opened and Andreas Drakos stuck his head in. “Empress, Prince Theodoros is here to see you as requested.”
“Send him in,” she ordered. As the droungarios left, she closed the book. It was a partial compilation of the notes of Theodoros IV, assembled by her father; he died before he finished.
A moment later the door opened again and Prince Theodoros, eldest living son of Andreas Niketas, hobbled into the room on a wooden cane. He looked…old. Which would seem rather obvious, since he was just a few months shy of his 69th birthday, but somehow Theodoros had always seemed younger than he really was. Perhaps the lack of any chittering entourage? It was the only time Alexeia had seen him without any animals, not even a blackbird perched on his shoulder whispering in his ear. Which is an ominous image when you think about his mother…
He bowed, and Alexeia nodded in the direction of a cushioned chair set up for him. He fell into it with a grunt of relief and pain. They were alone in the room; Giorgios Laskaris and Andreas Drakos were just outside. Her uncle had requested it that way. That had almost made her reject the idea immediately, but…Curiosity; I want to know what this is about. He’s never done anything like this to my knowledge.
“Would you like some kaffos, Uncle?” she asked.
“No, thank you,” Theodoros coughed. The cloth he coughed into now had specks of blood on it.
Alexeia pushed off the blanket, slinging it over the armrest, as she got up and walked to the fire crackling in the fireplace. There was an iron plate placed over it, on which she kept her pot of kaffos to keep it hot. Picking up a pair of tongs to hold the container, she poured herself another cup. She could’ve had servants do that for her, but she didn’t much see the point of that. Her great-grandfather wouldn’t have approved for certain; he hated paying for superfluous servants.
She turned to Theodoros, starting to take a sip…and almost dropped the cup. A few hot drops sloshed out, landing on her hand. Ignoring them, she nonchalantly walked back to her chair, set the cup down on her nightstand, and wiped off the droplets. Sitting down, she pulled the blanket over herself as if nothing were amiss, took a drink, and said, “Prince Theodoros Komnenos, a pleasure to meet you. The real you, that is.”
Theodoros smiled briefly. The dull, vacant look he had shown the world for over sixty years was gone. No longer did a cow stare out from those gray eyes; now it was a wise, old cat. “You are a smart one,” he said. “Nikephoros had an inkling, every now and then, but no more than that.”
“Well, you did seem to slip up every now and then, but I’d bet that was deliberate.”
“A little reward for your intelligence, Empress. People here are idiots. I have the reputation for being a fool, so people think I’m a fool. I can barge in, order troops and officials around like I’m Andreas Niketas reborn, and people still think I’m a fool. Morons.”
“So why the act? Your claim to the throne is stronger than mine. Stronger than my father’s, for that matter.”
“I was under orders.”
“Whose?”
“My mother’s.”
Alexeia blinked, and frowned in puzzlement. “She arranged this. Why?”
Theodoros smiled again, the unsettling grin of a lion. “She wanted her line on the throne. When I was young, the duo of Demetrios and Zeno seemed unassailable. So instead of raising up a normal son, she raised me up to be her secret weapon. To ensure that somehow, someway, her line would be on the throne.”
“But why not come forward later, once my father was Kaisar?”
“Because he was of the blackbird’s line. As was Nikephoros, as are you. Therefore it was not necessary to come forward. Better to remain in the shadows.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’ve been playing us from the start.”
“Yes, yes I have.”
Alexeia took a deep breath to calm herself down. “Father was ill. Even if Nikephoros had not murdered him, he wouldn’t have lasted much longer. And with no Nikephoros, if my brother and I were usurped, it would not be by a member of Kristina’s line.” Theodoros nodded. “So I take it you arranged the death of Petros Doukas.”
Theodoros grimaced. “Yes, I did. Unfortunately not fast enough, but I did.”
“We understand,” Alexeia said coldly. “And you are dismissed.” Theodoros started to rise, but first hacked another bloody cough into his handkerchief. “But first, why did you tell us?”
“Because for once, I didn’t feel like playing the idiot. And I thought you should know that I am not your enemy. I’m leaving Constantinople, and I have no intention of ever coming back.”
She squinted at him. “There’s more you’re not telling me.”
“Of course. Would you expect it otherwise?”
She smiled faintly. “No. Very well then, you may go.” Theodoros shuffled off, but just before he reached the door Alexeia spoke again. “But I’m still going to keep an eye on you.”
Theodoros smiled. “I would be disappointed in you if you didn’t.”
As her uncle exited, Alexeia turned again to the words of her great-grandfather. On Foreign Policy: If one does business with someone who does not speak German, learn a few key phrases and say them during negotiations. Even if one is actually saying ‘I am a cute, fluffy bunny,’ the German tongue will still intimidate your opponent and help to bend them to your will. It is a funny language that way.
* * *
Theodoros winced as he exited the chamber. Neither guard made a move to help him. Good. That is not their duty. He started walking, leaning heavily on his cane. His niece was right; he hadn’t told her the whole truth, about why he’d exposed his lifelong secret. He had keep his mother’s task, her great assignment for him, but at a terrible cost. He had killed Irene, his wife, personally because she threatened to push him into the limelight. He still remembered that nightmarish day. It was a terrible thing he had done, but he couldn’t bear to arrange for someone else to kill her. Yes, her ‘exploitation’ of him had not been planned, but there had been some feelings for her.
And for his two sons. But a fool could not make a good father, so he left them. He had not killed them, like he had their mother, but he had abandoned them. Not having a family was the price he had for his great disguise. He looked back at the Empress’ chambers. But if I had had a daughter…
That wasn’t an entirely fair train of thought. He had chosen to remain in this life, partly because he cared to. Only four people had thought him simple and still called him friend and brother, Demetrios, Eudoxia, Herakleios, and Andreas Angelos. All shunned by society, too un-ambitious, too weak, too illegitimate, they said. Yet it was only them, and his animals, who had treated him well.
He was tired of that, so very tired. He coughed again into his handkerchief, a few more specks of blood staining it. He no longer had the strength to be the Empire’s Atlas. He had nudged Nikephoros towards the dynatoi plot, helped make it surface before it was ready. And he was tired of that. He wished Alexeia well, but at the same time…I am sick of this place.
Fyodor was a problem, and there was always Stefanos Doukas lurking in the shadows. Alexeia might handle them, with some help. He had arranged for some help, but no more. Let the line of Kristina rise or fall on its own merits. And if the worst should come…
For it was not just for his mother that he had been the fool for sixty years, but his father as well. Andreas had thought him simple as well, but woe to anyone who dared say so in his presence. And it always to him that Andreas first gave presents and greetings when he returned from his provincial circuits.
But it was more than just that. He had seen his father on his battlefield, and he knew, in a way no historian or chronicler could ever hope to understand or convey, why the soldiers of Andreas adored and worshipped him. For on the battlefield, Andreas Niketas was nothing less than great, the way his voice cut through even the mightiest enemy volley, the way he maneuvered troops and formations, as easily as if he was rearranging furniture. Theodoros had seen that, and swore to maintain his legacy, no matter the vanities and foibles of weak and petty creatures.
So men did not just seem like fools to him, but shadows as well. He looked back. He too had made special arrangements, not as grand or cruel as his mother, not for her, but for his father. Nothing much but the mere planting of a seed. But it would grow, if need be. The Empire always conjured up a hero in her hour of need. And if the House of Komnenos should fall, there were equally grand and noble lines to take up the Empire’s banner. For are we not all children of Andreas?
Theodoros looked at Giorgios Laskaris and Andreas Drakos. Most men seemed like shadows to him, but not all.
* * *
1536: Theodoros does not actually leave Constantinople until the spring, when he departs with his menagerie. He retires to his sprawling animal park near Aleppo, breeding rhinoceroses and elephants in captivity at a rate unmatched until the twentieth century. Contrary to some laymen’s belief, this does not help the Imperial exchequer. All of Theodoros’ animal-related endeavors he funded himself, largely from the revenues from land grants bequeathed by Andreas Niketas, Demetrios, and Herakleios.
On the other side of Asia, a peasant revolt sparked by poor harvests is put down with terrifying speed by provincial Wei troops and the Eleventh Banner Army. The Tieh dynasty is only a hundred years old, and is clearly nowhere near its expiration date.
The devastation of Constantinople completely ruins the Imperial treasury. Rebuilding efforts force further austerities, and the eastern fortress program again receives further cuts. The Herakleian Walls are undamaged, but deaths to work details necessarily slows construction. However not all programs are a loss. One that is cut is the program known in the present as the ‘rocket trooper’ program. It was an attempt to use rockets to fly soldiers over walls into fortresses, but was abandoned given a complete inability to steer or brake the projectiles, which were tested with pigs.
The fire also destroys Andreas Angelos’ plan for reviving the Imperial Navy. Ships were lost, but also naval supplies and skilled workmen from the half-wrecked Arsenal. Reluctantly he reports that until 1545 at the earliest, due to the lack of skilled artisans, sailors, and marines, he cannot guarantee that the Imperial Fleet can defend trans-Cretan (waters outside the Aegean, Marmara, or Black Seas) territories against a hostile fleet.
It soon becomes apparent that some fanatical Muslims are responsible for starting the fire. In the Fourth Nullification Act, all Muslims are expelled from Constantinople with all their properties confiscated, and all their mosques shut down. They are also barred from Trebizond, Smyrna, Antioch, and Alexandria (a clause supported by many Alexandrians, who approve the removal of economic competition). Also all Imperial Muslims save those of recognized frontier tribes are barred from owning horses, more than two hundred cattle, five hundred sheep and/or goats, or three hundred donkeys, camels and/or mules.
All surplus has to be sold to the government at set prices significantly below market value, and the government then turns around and sells them at a significant profit (some to the Spanish Alliance as food-stocks for the Oran expedition). The funds go toward restoring Constantinople. Some Muslims in protest slaughter their animals instead, and have all their goods confiscated as punishment.
The figures for allowed Muslim livestock are double that of the original draft. Their raise is owed to Andronikos of Chalkis, who has been growing increasingly close to the Empress. That relationship brings up the issue of Alexeia’s lack of a husband or heir, which has been a concern ever since her accession, but a topic everyone has quickly learned not to broach unsolicited with the Empress.
The most frequently mentioned suitors are Demetrios Komnenos, the sixteen-year-old son of Andreas of Egypt, Isaakios Angelos, Giorgios Laskaris, and Michael Doukas, the first cousin and closest living male relative to Stefanos Doukas. Alexeia does not want any of them as husband. There is also the fact that each represent a powerful faction in the Empire, and she is not inclined to strengthen any of them.
So she chooses a nobody, and on October 15, she marries Andronikos of Chalkis, who bears the very fresh titles of Komes (Count) and Tribounos (Tribune), both of which are purely honorary titles. It is a brilliant, lavish, and expensive ceremony, with the popular historical view that she is compensating for the low-born nature of her consort. Still the spectacle is not enough for some to not notice that the Empress seems a little fuller in the belly come the ceremony.
Despite the new titles, Andronikos is merely titled ‘the Imperial Consort’. In processions he does not sit beside his wife, but is behind all Komnenoi, the Megas Domestikos, Megas Doux, and any Patriarchs, but prior to all other military, administrative, and clerical officials. He also has no claim to any imperial estates or property. Even so, the marriage is ill-viewed by many of Constantinople’s dynatoi, who forget (or ignore) their mostly-plebeian origins in their disapproval.
Eleven days later, Prince Bayezid in Hormuz signs a secret accord with two Jewish envoys from Milan. In it, he pledges that once he is sultan, a secret offensive alliance will be in effect between the Ottoman Empire and Milan.
On December 20, Sultan Suleiman “the Magnificent”, Conqueror of Persia, Builder of a Thousand Mosques, the Lawgiver, breathes his last in the Topkapi Palace of Baghdad.
Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Considered the third of the Great Osmanlis, after Osman I and the Deliverer.
theodoros managed to breed elephants in captivity? we cant even do that now. he must be good with animals.
and, uh, the Roman Empire needs to rebuild the navy big time.
and, uh, the Roman Empire needs to rebuild the navy big time.
I liked the reflection on Theodoros' life. For a second I was afraid it would be too weird, but it is decidedly in keeping with Kristina's behavior and personality, and Theodoros own regrets at the lifestyle gave it a very bittersweet down to earth feel. I know he has his fool's image to keep up, but has he left his own descendants with enough resources to potentially be a force in the future, or are they set to fade and or go extinct within a generation? I would keep them around in obscurity if you haven't got plans for them, just in case you ever want some obscure claimants ala OTL Henry VII, but of course it's your call.
I know he's obviously low born, but what did Andronikos of Chalkis do before the Empress warmed up to him, and how did they meet? Not that it's likely to change all that much, but it does make a difference whether he is a palace servant or a merchant prince, so I'd like to know.
Forgive me, but there is a little part of me that always wants to get inside a good author's process, so, was Theodoros' playing dumb rather than being dumb decided on when you first had him born, or was it at a later time like when Nikephoros reflected on not knowing who killed his wife, or later still like when Alexios recieved the mysterios blackbird?
I know he's obviously low born, but what did Andronikos of Chalkis do before the Empress warmed up to him, and how did they meet? Not that it's likely to change all that much, but it does make a difference whether he is a palace servant or a merchant prince, so I'd like to know.
Forgive me, but there is a little part of me that always wants to get inside a good author's process, so, was Theodoros' playing dumb rather than being dumb decided on when you first had him born, or was it at a later time like when Nikephoros reflected on not knowing who killed his wife, or later still like when Alexios recieved the mysterios blackbird?
He pratically abandoned his sons to themselves and now it's clear why the became such wretched individuals. They won't be player at all, I guess they have been given resources, but for material needs, not for power play (that would go against Kristina's rules).
If I recall right Andronikos is the singer/musician Thedoros hired for his rhinos (obviously a play to plant him near Alexeia).
The level of Theodoros' play is astounding, his loyalty to his parents...
May he live a peaceful retirement.
About the seeds he planted... Andronikos is the most obvious, I guess to steer her in the right direction (like lessening a bit the discrimination on muslims), others are more hidden.
Interesting views on most other people... "shadows" except a certain couple... if that's a not a heavy "foreshadowing" (sorry, I couldn't resist
).And now we have the second mention of eastern fortresses being neglected and Bayezid is now Sultan
... Third round in 3, 2, 1...
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Giving Theodoros' own sons power would not be beyond his mother's rules, being that her rules were keep my descendants on the throne at all costs, and those are her grandsons. As for them being wretched individuals, I was more meaning that their children could become players in the future, given that there is nothing about being terrible that prevents your having children, nor that guarantees that those children will follow in their fathers' footsteps. As the ToT wears on, we have been reduced from Andreas' original massive number of descendants to a mere four lines with claims on the throne. These lines are the Egyptians, Theodoros kids, Alexia, and the Angeloi (I omit the Arelates for obvious reasons). If Alexia fails to produce an heir, then Theodoros own children are all that's left of Kristina's line, and if Theodoros or any of his loyal associates are still in buisness when that happens, then they are sworn to place his children on the throne at all costs. besides, the Egyptians are closet copts and the Angeloi are illegitimate, which would go a long way towards levelling the playing field for Theodoros' progeny.
Thanks about Andronikos. That certainly explains allot.
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