Alright so here's a start, hopefully it's good, feedback is appreciated. There is no specific POD but instead a series of differences, some small, that lead to a bigger general difference.
The Rise to Prominence of Roman Dalmatia (AD 284-476)
- Almost immediately upon the onset of his reign in 284 AD, Diocletian, the new Roman Emperor, begins to construct a palace in the city of Spalatum (OTL modern day Split) on the Dalmatian coast.
- The palace is completed in record time and by 294 AD it is finished, furnished, and ready for use by the Roman Emperor. The sight of the palace is enough to inspire the loyalty of the people of Spalatum and Roman citizens from up and down the Dalmatian coast travel great distances to see the magnificent palace, considered by many at the time the greatest piece of Roman engineering outside of Italy.
- Following the completion of the palace, Diocletian begins to frequent it and the surrounding city quite often, preferring it as a getaway from the hectic and frequently dangerous life of the emperor in Rome. This common presence of the emperor and all the other persons his presence entails leads to a boom period for the city, as its political importance increases and economy grows.
- Spalatum receives another big break when, in 301 AD, Diocletian decides to take advantage of the city's location near the center of the empire, combined with his strange love for the city, and uses it as the location of a series of annual meetings between himself, now the Augustus of the east, and Maximian, Augustus of the west. This further fuels the boom period as the city begins to attract more wealthy and powerful Romans looking to get away from Rome itself.
- In 305 Diocletian dies and a year later Constantine comes to the throne. For the first 4 years of his reign Constantine remains in charge of only the west half of the empire. During this time Constantine also frequently visits Diocletian's palace in Spalatum as it sits directly between the two halves of the empire.
- Later in his reign, during the building stages of Constantinople, Constantine sees the advantageous position of Spalatum and uses imperial funding to improve docks and trading ports there. He sees its central point in the combined empires as a good location for a trade hub between the western and eastern capitals.
- Following Constantine's death the city becomes exactly that, a trade hub, and a very wealthy one at that. It's fortunes are also aided by the mountains that sit almost immediately to it's east and continue up and down the Dalmatian coast, shielding the city from war and rebellion that damages much of the rest of the Roman Empire.
- In 380 AD Emperor Theodosius I choses Spalatum as the sight for the construction of the Cathedra de Christa, or Seat of Christ, which would be come commonly known as simply the Cathedra. The Cathedra is architecturally more akin to classical temples and is actually loosely modeled off the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. It's official purpose is to 'outshine' the temples of old and serve as an example of what the church can achieve. The city is chosen as the sight for the massive structure reportedly due to its protected position, its prominence, and it's strong sense of Christianity (almost the entire region was solidly Christian by this time).
- Around this period a young Matinus Mandamus comes to the governorship of Dalmatia at the age of only 16. Matinus has been, since a young age, obsessed by the stories of the old Great Library of Alexandria. Almost immediately upon his rise he begins working with the emperor to build a series of libraries in Spalatum with the goal of collecting a copy of almost every important work and piece of knowledge in the Roman Empire. Though it was never nearly complete at this task, over the next century the Libraries of Matinus, as they became known, came to house, by far, the largest collection in the western world.
- During the 5th century both the Visigothic and Hunic invasions failed to capture the city. The Visigothic was repelled in the mountains outside the city and the Huns, who relied heavily on cavalry, chose to move around those mountains. This preservation of the city led to further growth and prominence and by the mid-century many are referring to it as one of the "3 Romes," Rome, Constantinople, and Spalatum.
- After both the Huns and Visigoths fail to capture Dalmatia, the West Roman Emperor Majorian begins the construction of two walls connecting the Dinaric Mountains, which border Dalmatia to the east, with the sea in both the north and south. Though not especially huge, these walls essentially turn Spalatum and Dalmatia as a whole into the best defendable place in the Western Roman Empire.
- The walls, known collectively to history as Majorian's walls, are completed by 462. The emperor then raises a large garrison there which is not to ever be used on the defensive but only the defensive. The hope is that if Rome falls Spalatum will be able to survive as a small haven of Romanism in a post-Roman world.
- In 476 Rome the Western Roman Empire finally falls. However Majorian's Walls and the defensive plans allow for the survival of Dalmatia free from barbarian conquest. That year Magnimous is crowned as the first king of the new Roman Kingdom of Dalmatia, as it is officially known. Western Europe is entering into a new era, one without a Roman Empire, however not all traces of Romanism have been destroyed. Dalmatia, with Spalatum at it's center, now stands as beacon of hope through the dark ages, however it also stands as a target for greedy and ambitious kings.
The Rise to Prominence of Roman Dalmatia (AD 284-476)
- Almost immediately upon the onset of his reign in 284 AD, Diocletian, the new Roman Emperor, begins to construct a palace in the city of Spalatum (OTL modern day Split) on the Dalmatian coast.
- The palace is completed in record time and by 294 AD it is finished, furnished, and ready for use by the Roman Emperor. The sight of the palace is enough to inspire the loyalty of the people of Spalatum and Roman citizens from up and down the Dalmatian coast travel great distances to see the magnificent palace, considered by many at the time the greatest piece of Roman engineering outside of Italy.
- Following the completion of the palace, Diocletian begins to frequent it and the surrounding city quite often, preferring it as a getaway from the hectic and frequently dangerous life of the emperor in Rome. This common presence of the emperor and all the other persons his presence entails leads to a boom period for the city, as its political importance increases and economy grows.
- Spalatum receives another big break when, in 301 AD, Diocletian decides to take advantage of the city's location near the center of the empire, combined with his strange love for the city, and uses it as the location of a series of annual meetings between himself, now the Augustus of the east, and Maximian, Augustus of the west. This further fuels the boom period as the city begins to attract more wealthy and powerful Romans looking to get away from Rome itself.
- In 305 Diocletian dies and a year later Constantine comes to the throne. For the first 4 years of his reign Constantine remains in charge of only the west half of the empire. During this time Constantine also frequently visits Diocletian's palace in Spalatum as it sits directly between the two halves of the empire.
- Later in his reign, during the building stages of Constantinople, Constantine sees the advantageous position of Spalatum and uses imperial funding to improve docks and trading ports there. He sees its central point in the combined empires as a good location for a trade hub between the western and eastern capitals.
- Following Constantine's death the city becomes exactly that, a trade hub, and a very wealthy one at that. It's fortunes are also aided by the mountains that sit almost immediately to it's east and continue up and down the Dalmatian coast, shielding the city from war and rebellion that damages much of the rest of the Roman Empire.
- In 380 AD Emperor Theodosius I choses Spalatum as the sight for the construction of the Cathedra de Christa, or Seat of Christ, which would be come commonly known as simply the Cathedra. The Cathedra is architecturally more akin to classical temples and is actually loosely modeled off the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. It's official purpose is to 'outshine' the temples of old and serve as an example of what the church can achieve. The city is chosen as the sight for the massive structure reportedly due to its protected position, its prominence, and it's strong sense of Christianity (almost the entire region was solidly Christian by this time).
- Around this period a young Matinus Mandamus comes to the governorship of Dalmatia at the age of only 16. Matinus has been, since a young age, obsessed by the stories of the old Great Library of Alexandria. Almost immediately upon his rise he begins working with the emperor to build a series of libraries in Spalatum with the goal of collecting a copy of almost every important work and piece of knowledge in the Roman Empire. Though it was never nearly complete at this task, over the next century the Libraries of Matinus, as they became known, came to house, by far, the largest collection in the western world.
- During the 5th century both the Visigothic and Hunic invasions failed to capture the city. The Visigothic was repelled in the mountains outside the city and the Huns, who relied heavily on cavalry, chose to move around those mountains. This preservation of the city led to further growth and prominence and by the mid-century many are referring to it as one of the "3 Romes," Rome, Constantinople, and Spalatum.
- After both the Huns and Visigoths fail to capture Dalmatia, the West Roman Emperor Majorian begins the construction of two walls connecting the Dinaric Mountains, which border Dalmatia to the east, with the sea in both the north and south. Though not especially huge, these walls essentially turn Spalatum and Dalmatia as a whole into the best defendable place in the Western Roman Empire.
- The walls, known collectively to history as Majorian's walls, are completed by 462. The emperor then raises a large garrison there which is not to ever be used on the defensive but only the defensive. The hope is that if Rome falls Spalatum will be able to survive as a small haven of Romanism in a post-Roman world.
- In 476 Rome the Western Roman Empire finally falls. However Majorian's Walls and the defensive plans allow for the survival of Dalmatia free from barbarian conquest. That year Magnimous is crowned as the first king of the new Roman Kingdom of Dalmatia, as it is officially known. Western Europe is entering into a new era, one without a Roman Empire, however not all traces of Romanism have been destroyed. Dalmatia, with Spalatum at it's center, now stands as beacon of hope through the dark ages, however it also stands as a target for greedy and ambitious kings.
