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  Relating to this, my fellow senators, I would proudly like to say that during my service in the Imperial Senate, I took the initiative in restoring the Pentarchy. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our empire's economic growth and religious unity, improvements in our scholastic system. NewMars fucked around with this message at 08:54 on Apr 16, 2014 |
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Apr 16, 2014 08:50
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OOC: Losing our majority in the senate for no reason, goons confirmed for worst politicians. Come on man.
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Apr 16, 2014 08:59
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JT Jag posted:
 Hmm. In part, you are correct: We certainly got what we wanted. On the other hand, we would make for very poor allies if we did not also support you in your own goal. We have Jerusalem and Alexandria as exarchates. It is in both our interests that we consolidate our presence in these regions so as to afford these patriarchs greater protection. This will also allow the spread of the teachings of the church unified to those under the yoke of the caliph. As this will also progress towards the restoration of the Empire, it is in your best interest as well. Our interests do still coincide.
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Apr 16, 2014 09:08
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PART TWENTY-THREE: The Old Byzantine in a Time of Strife (1313-1341) From the archives of the Black Chamber, a speech from Anatolios Devetzis, a leading member of the New Byzantine party of the Senate.  Where did it all go so wrong? The Old Romans and the New Byzantines used to have so much common ground. If you go back and read the histories of an earlier, more civilized epoch of imperial history, you can find numerous occasions where the interests of the two rival parties dovetailed. They both believed in a secular, orderly empire, where a competent administrative apparatus presided over a vast multicultural population. Many peoples, many faiths, beholden not to a chaotic patchwork of doukes and exarchs, but a true state. We differed— quite vehemently-- on the nature of that state. We looked to a Byzantine future, while the Old Romans sought to restore the glories of antiquity. But one thing united us: a dissatisfaction with the status quo, a belief that things could be better than they are. Now the Old Romans have grown fat and complacent, as the Milvians and gloomy clergymen who follow them everywhere worm their way deeper and deeper into public life. What happened? I, for one, blame the Pope.  Hyginus II. Hyginus the Wicked. A maimed, cynical, kinslayer. A man whom, tasked with leading a Christian church, saw fit to amass a personal fortune of over 75,000 ducats, and yet still found himself driven by envy. And then, meanwhile, there was Valeria II, Valeria the Brave, who ruled the city of Rome, who had liberated Antioch, who had claimed Alexandria and Jerusalem for Christendom. If a few Miaphysites and Knights Hospitaller had been massacred, well, that's the price of doing business. Is it any wonder that the rulers of Europe turned away from Orbetello and began to see the empire as the natural leaders of the Christian world? Arnulf II von Habsbug, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, quickly fell in line, hoping that affiliation with a new church would be the salvation his decaying empire so desperately sought.     In the British Isles, only King Constantine IV of Scotland retained his fidelity to the Pope of Orbetello. Constantine! Perhaps he remembers his namesake famously putting his personal religious convictions over political expedience. Queen Áine of Wales, whose Komnenoi forebears had previously abandoned Orthodoxy to better rule over the Welsh, was no stranger to placing political expedience over religious conviction.  Christina of Strathearn, Queen of an Ireland which had been little more than a theater of battle for Wales and Scotland's imperial ambitions, followed suit.  Arthur the Wise had the wisdom to see which way the wind was blowing.  King Édouard of France, deathly ill and cripplingly depressed, was dragged out of his deathbed to rededicate the half-constructed Notre Dame cathedral to his new church.   King Riok of Brittany, perhaps feeling a little sheepish about his nation's role in the Byzantine wars whose ultimate aim was the dissolution of Catholicism, swore he'd been Orthodox all along, and was simply waiting until the time was right to reveal it.  In Iberia, the Queen of León remained true to the faith that had been her nation's armor in its centuries of war against the Moors and Andalusians. She found herself contemplating a future in which the kings and queens that had once been her allies now considered her a heretic beneath contempt.   Now, in our empire, even under the Milvian-Old Roman coalition, there was— and, in truth, continues to be— a tolerance for different faiths. In this Senate chamber before me I see Italian Catholics, Sunni Turks, Jews, Miaphysites, Iconoclasts, and even a few Tengri from the steppes who remain true to the old ways. I am proud that the empire is one in which we have all been allowed the opportunity to make something of ourselves— an empire where an elite education means being equally conversant in Greek, Latin, and Arabic. But the rest of Christendom isn't like that. In most countries, the religion of the King is the religion of his vassals, and the religion of his vassals is the religion of their people. Our religious revolution— in addition to the bloodshed and misery of the wars that made it possible— precipitated a wave of religious persecution across Europe, unlike anything since the reign of Galerius. Or, perhaps, Theodosius. Is that an example that strikes a chord with you Old Romans?  Meanwhile, Valeria II grew increasingly secluded. She barred the doors of the Hagia Sophia, and walked its darkened halls alone. She spent days at a time in intense theological discussions with the Patriarch of Constantinople.  Finally, she re-emerged. The Patriarch declared that she would henceforth be known as Valeria the Saint. Never mind that in the Orthodox Church, a "saint" is generally thought to be someone sanctified by the Holy Spirit, whose glorification is made manifest by divine miracles! Never mind that these miracles are posthumous. For the scripture had been examined and theological arguments constructed to promulgate a new doctrine: the Doctrine of the Living Saint. After all, it was only right that Christendom venerate the woman who had done such great works on its behalf. Who else but a saint could win several wars and discredit a corrupt and venal Pope in exile?  Even after all this, the Senate's lust for holy war could not be slaked. The Black Sea must be a Roman lake, they said! And so, the sainted Valeria, having done the Lord's work, set off to do the work of the merchant princes of Belgorod and Crimea.   Truly, a stirring and hard-fought victory for the forces of righteousness. Could anybody other than a living saint triumph over such impossible odds?   But at least this new conquest would be a Republic! You see, St. Valeria was looking out for the New Byzantines who had built the Komnenian state.  The empire was larger than it had been for centuries. But at what cost? Was it worth sacrificing what made us Byzantines?  Queen Aine, pleased to suddenly find herself the relative of the world's only Living Saint, asked that her most blessed cousin please intervene in a petty dynastic squabble for what was left of Wales.  St. Valeria, relishing her role as the most powerful person in the Europe, marked the 20th anniversary of her reign by setting sail for Wales.  Meanwhile, the Prince of the Republic of Crimea— no doubt motivated solely by honest religious sentiment, rather than increasing his share of the Black Sea trade— won a private war against the rump Tengri Crimean kingdom.  In yet another daring feat of tactical mastery and personal bravery, St. Valeria slaughtered the Welsh rebels and imprisoned their leader. The Lord's work!   I won't deny that the exercise did much to improve our logistical expertise and military organization, but...  The theological contortions necessary to prop up the Doctrine of the Living Saint improved our religious organization. Perhaps, then, the New Byzantine tenet that progress is an inherently good thing isn't true. Perhaps it is possible to progress in an incorrect direction.  Still, at the very least, Valeria did recognize that the greatest threat facing the empire was the concentration of multiple titles in the hands of single doukes or doukessas. I myself voted to impose the Empress's Peace on the vassals of the empire, and I'd do it again.   The vassals of the empire were not pleased with this innovation.  Simultaneously, the Kievans asked their Orthodox brothers and sisters in the empire to aid in a war of aggression agains their Orthodox brothers and sisters in Poland.  Whatever else I'll say about Valeria, I'll grant that she knew how to bring a war to a speedy conclusion.     With Belgorod taken care of, it was Poland's turn.  The war was turned around in short order, and the world once again learned that Byzantium's strength extended far beyond its borders.   But could this strength bring peace? Was the martial vigor of St. Valeria preferable to the statesmanship of Trajan II?  Of course not. The doukes saw the exertions of the army as a sign of weakness, a signal to strike.  Kiev vowed to aid its Orthodox brothers and sisters in the empire in its war against its Orthodox brothers and sisters in Greece.  The Byzantines fought in the steppes...  In the heartland of Italy...  Along the Aegean coast...  And, with the armies of Rome thus occupied, the Fatimid Caliph saw an opportunity to mend his shattered realm.  The forces garrisoning Alexandria did what they could...  But the bulk of the army remained in Europe, fighting doukes.  After decades of nearly continuous war, the coffers of the empire were nearly empty.  Fortunately, as a living saint, Valeria knew how to raise more money— selling her daughter to an English prince, for example.   Still, I won't judge Valeria too harshly. Since there's nothing worse than a Doux, and I certainly appreciate her efforts in keeping their ilk down.  And after that, the civil war was going well. Valeria's personal army was winning battle after battle in Italy--  While the Kievans crossed Greece and worked to reverse rebel gains in Anatolia.  The news from Egypt was substantially less encouraging.  And the empire learned the price of Crimea's folly— thanks to their private wars of expansion, Byzantium now shared a border with the Golden Horde.  Tsar Sudislav of Yaroslavl realized that a powerful Golden Horde would mean very bad things for Kiev.  But Byzantine forces had problems closer to home, and could do very little to help the northern frontier.  Symeon Margunios, doux of the Aegean Islands, finally surrendered in 1323, perhaps aware of the price the entire empire was paying for his ambition.  In the north, the Golden Horde easily scattered the poorly trained armies of Kiev, and began their bloody conquest of the Prince of Crimea's hard-won territory.  The remaining Kievans slunk south, hoping for better luck against the Fatimids.  With the Shia jihad in the south, and the Mongol holy war in the north, the Orthodox world scrambled to build the sorts of institutions the Pope had cultivated over centuries of crusades and jihads. With the expansion of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre, there were now two Orthodox holy orders. For all of Europe.  Still, it was something. The Brotherhood was raised to fight alongside the Valerian Order.  Valeria considered her Alexandrian conquests more important than the Prince of Crimea's pride, and sent her forces south. The Khan was able to force an end to the war shortly thereafter.  Gerasimos Komnenos, Valeria's son, was sent to found a new monastic order— the Order for the Sainted Emperors. They were devoted to those who, when blessed with dominion over the Roman Empire, used that temporal power for the Lord's work, and were glorified by God for their efforts. St. Constantine the Great is venerated, of course. You've no doubt seen the Order's icons of Justinian in their chapels. Unlucky Constantine VI gets his due, of course. St. Kaisarios Komnenos figures heavily in their devotions, of course, since at least the Church had waited until that moody, enigmatic genius had died before declaring him a saint. And Valeria, the Living Saint. A saint is a saint. For the first time since Constantine dispensed with the imperial cult— that blunt instrument of persecution wielded against the early church wielded by many a pagan despot— the emperors were made objects of religious veneration. The church of the Milvians was taking on an increasingly Old Roman character.  And yet, even as the Church was slowly corrupted, Orthodox realms clamored to aid in the defense of Egypt.  And with their help, the tide turned in a war that was nearly lost.  Valeria continued to demonstrate that there was nowhere she felt more comfortable than on the field of battle.    The new Caliph's regents realized that, with the civil war over and the Mongols satisfied with their new conquest, their window of opportunity had closed, and a white peace was concluded.   Thousands of Byzantines lying dead in the fields of Greece and Italy, victims of a civil war fought over the law of the Emperor's Peace. A vast swath of steppes lost to the Golden Horde. Byzantium dominion over Egypt barely preserved by a status quo ante bellum truce. Clearly, a time for a Roman triumph.  All men must die.  And then... for a time, it seemed like there would be peace. The great men and women of the empire turned to long-neglected arts of philosophy and farming. The gentle pursuits of a great civilization.   But war was in the Empress' heart, and war was what the Senate desired above all else. "Did we not call for the reconquest of all of Italy?" asked the Senators. Valeria happily obliged.  And then, something strange happened. Something I can only describe as a miracle. The new pope, Marcellus II, put the ill-gotten fortune of his venal predecessors to use and assembled one of the largest armies of the age out of the hundred thousand mercenaries who remained loyal to the Catholic church, even if the kings and lords of Europe had abandoned it.  Marcellus could maintain this army more or less indefinitely, such was the wealth hidden in the vaults of Orbetello.  Rome was effortlessly occupied, while an unwieldy Byzantine military apparatus struggled to organize itself for an expedition to Italy.  The navy tried its best to move army after army across the Adriatic--  The Catholics pounced on the disoriented and disorganized Byzantines.  Princess Iouliana, heir to the empire, was slain by the Papal forces.  Valeria personally slew her daughter's killer.  But it would do little good, as fresh mercenaries from all corners of Christendom flocked to defend their Pope.  Months into the humiliating Papal occupation of Rome, Valeria was forced to surrender to Marcellus.  He extracted a heavy indemnity, and the empire sank into lawlessness.    Valeria II, the Living Saint— forced to ask her doukes for handouts.  The Golden Horde, noting that the northern frontier was once again undefended, declared war.   But the empire couldn't even afford to chase off petty thieves and bandits, much less defeat the Mongols.  Unable to take any effective action against the Mongols, Valeria II fussed over the details of her pet religious projects— the Order of the Sainted Emperors, the Doctrine of the Living Saints, her new Pentarchy... while the steppes were pillaged and robbers preyed on citizens in the beating heart of the empire.  Not a single Byzantine army was raised to face the Mongols. Defense of Azov was left to Kiev, and the vassals of the region. Nothing but grist for the Mongol mill.  And yet, even with the empire in such dire fiscal straits, Valeria prioritized her church over the merchants whose wealth had bankrolled her conquests and kept her troops paid through her civil wars.  So the war against the Mongols was lost without Valeria II fighting a single battle.  Finally, something in her broke.   The fire in her heart burned out. She'd tested the strength of her empire, and accomplished great and terrible things-- but, ultimately, found its limit. Better to see to the simple things. The Order of the Sainted Emperors began releasing beautiful illuminated manuscripts in Arabic, Greek, and Latin.  She made friends with many of the prominent Jewish members of the Senate, fascinated by their ancient religion.  Her martial abilities were put to use not seizing foreign lands or slaying doukes, but chasing down bandits and highwaymen.  But she was discontent. Wasn't an empress meant for greater things?  And so, when her brother-in-law, Tsar Sudislav of Yaroslavl, beseeched the Empress for aid in his war against the Gauhar Ayin Empire, she relished the chance to once more face worthy foes on the battlefield.  While in the far west, León learned the price of turning its back on the Pope and his crusading armies...   Catholic Scotland was rapidly making gains against its Orthodox neighbors.  Meanwhile, St. Valeria fought not for any material gain to the empire, but simply to fight.   Still shaken by the death of Iouliana, Valeria let her new heir do as she pleased.  So, when Valeria II finally died on January 2, 1341, it was this deceitful, cynical child that ascended in her place.   The empire mourns for the loss of its living saint. I mourn for the New Byzantium our forebears dreamed of in the time of Iouliana the Great. They believed in an empire of many peoples and ideas, and empire of law, and reason, and progress. I see, now, that my fellows have abandoned this dream. For this is not an age of reason. It is an age of war. An age of religious persecution. An age of false saints and hollow icons. An age of strife. And, in this age of strife, I now see that I am called to advocate for true religion.  Postscript: The records of the Black Chamber indicate Senator Devetzis died one day after delivering this speech.  Assassination Scorecard: Tsars Killed: 2 Badshahs Killed: 2 Sultans Killed: 7 Nosy Chancellors Killed: 2 Katepanos Killed: 1 Mad Bishops Killed: 1 Adventurers Killed: 1 Battle Scorecard Badshahs Killed: 1 Sultans Killed: 1 Katepanos Killed: 1 That guy who killed our genius heir: 1 OOC: About that war with the Pope-- I have literally no idea how the warscore suddenly became -100 just from them occupying the province of Rome for a while. But they would have just beaten us normally with an army that big if the AI were smart enough not to just let it attrit down to nothing by standing in one province for months, so I just let it stand. Empress Theonora fucked around with this message at 09:55 on Apr 16, 2014 |
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Apr 16, 2014 09:40
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My fellow senators. What in the name of Christ just happened!?
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Apr 16, 2014 09:52
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 Pride goeth before destruction - so speaks Proverbs. Did I not warn of the incoming hordes and the chaos they would bring? Dark times are indeed ahead, senators. In other news, I am glad to see the success of King Constantine of Scotland. At least somebody managed to successfully stay true to their faith instead of caving to the demands made by what basically amounts to the Imperial Army.
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Apr 16, 2014 09:55
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(OOC talk) When I proposed an Old Roman/Milvian coalition, I knew from the get-go that it might dissolve once we got to this point; I even said so in my proposal. That said, the territories we have to take to end the Schism are also among the territories we need to take to Restore the Roman Empire, so I figured it was worth it - we're a good ways closer to the Old Romans' goal, and now that the Milvians' goal has been achieved, it's possible that at least some faction of their membership will stick around and help us keep the majority. Edit: Ooo, update! Yeah, something tells me "and then we blobbed over the whole map forever" is not how this game is gonna go...
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Apr 16, 2014 09:59
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NewMars posted:
It seems that the wickedness of the Catholic church knows no bounds. Denied his "right" to rule over the people of Europe, the Popes contented themselves to making away with the wealth of churches and concentrating it for themselves. A harsh day indeed. Although I think, between our former senator and men like Senator McD, that we know see the true color of New Byzantines: that of mincing cowards, traitors and Papists that have long since fallen out of favor with Christ, confusing wickedness with miracles and the salvation of greed the likes of which could only be known to the Devil with the favor of Christ. It sickens me. The Empire has suffered bad times previously. Even as great an Emperor as Augustus suffered a mighty blow from the hordes of barbarians at Teutoburg Forest. Do you know what we did, my fellow Senators? Do you know what our Emperors did, and will do? We dusted ourselves off, cleaned off our blood, raised new legions and we kept moving forward. A setback is just that: a setback. And although our Empress is not as holy as her divine mother, she retains much of her mother's intelligence, if not as great as either Valeria II's or her sister's. She will prove herself and the Empire will rise once again. New Byzantines would have you look at this and give up, have you just throw up your hands and then shove your thumbs up your asses. But that, isn't not what Romans do. It is not even what Byzantines do, despite what those fools in the New Byzantines might have you believe. We will dust ourselves off. We will recover, with the Empress's Peace, and we will avenge Azov, we will avenge Crimea and we will avenge Rome. Barbarians and Wicked Papists have not stopped the family Komnenos before. They will not stop us now. Skyfinder fucked around with this message at 10:07 on Apr 16, 2014 |
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Apr 16, 2014 10:05
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 ...Well, I think we're about to live in some interesting times. And not to second guess the most holy and sorely missed Empress but when we called for more republics... another Black Sea republic was not necessary what we had in mind. Still, the world shares our faith now. Well, most of it that matters. This makes trade easier.
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Apr 16, 2014 10:15
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Heh... heh heh... ah ha ha *starts rolling on the chamber floor in hysterical laughter*
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Apr 16, 2014 10:26
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Interesting. Bereft of false respect, the pope instead uses his ill-gotten gains to prop up his cause with sellswords. Only those who fight for coin will aid the catholic banner now, that and perfidious Alba. We now need to consolidate: Shoring up our frontier with the Mongols is a priority if we can, we need to blunt them at source, convert them perhaps.
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Apr 16, 2014 11:00
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Skyfinder posted:
You presume much Senator Skyfinder, far too much but... I cannot refute that the New Byzantines have been laid low by these wretches. Am I the only one who carries our noble party's vision? To see our Empire not beholden by the archaic baggage that holds it back? Certainly I do not mean to say that everything old is bad and the Old Romans are not possible of innovation but I think we can both agree that the theme system no longer serves a purpose to the crown. The aging laws that prevent our Emperors and Empresses from effectively governing the Empire MUST be struck from the books and new ones written to lead us all to a more robust, more stable Byzantine Empire. This is why I have campaigned against the doukes time and time again, just as my father and his father have. Their removal is the number one priority of the New Byzantines and anyone in the party who does not agree is no New Byzantine! The Inclusionists, while soft are still a workable faction with in the party but if they so much as even hint at being tolerant of the doukes and most vile of catholics then they must be cast out into the abyss of the Discordians! I look forward to seeing you Old Romans guide the Empress to our avenge losses so that one day, when the time is right and God is willing, it can be the New Byzantines to reforge the apparatus of the state; one free of the doukes.
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Apr 16, 2014 11:20
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j00rBuDdY posted:This is why I have campaigned against the doukes time and time again, just as my father and his father have. Their removal is the number one priority of the New Byzantines and anyone in the party who does not agree is no New Byzantine! The Inclusionists, while soft are still a workable faction with in the party but if they so much as even hint at being tolerant of the doukes and most vile of catholics then they must be cast out into the abyss of the Discordians! Not sure if you got the memo, but the Inclusionists are a cross-party faction, not a sub-party. As such, you can't really get rid of us. What party I choose to associate with while also being a member of the Inclusionists is my business. If we were a sub-party, I would probably concede your point, but we're not.
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Apr 16, 2014 11:28
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Hmm. I suppose I missed that. My apologies then.
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Apr 16, 2014 11:48
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j00rBuDdY posted:They must be cast out into the abyss of the Discordians!  That's Mister Abyss to you, buddy.
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Apr 16, 2014 11:52
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I think it is obvious by now that the Papacy is Satan's greatest tool on Earth. Having lost his spiritual and temporal authority over the west the Devil has hidden in his hole in Orbetello like the snake that he is, guarding his precious hoard and waiting for his chance to strike. But his wealth did not materialise from nothing; it accumulated by siphoning the dues gathered by latins across the world. Even now the remaining latins provide him with patronage. Should we wish to root him out entirely we must either be prepared to face with the power that that sort of money can purchase, or break his remaining pillars of support and play the long game as his treasury is slowly but surely spent.
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Apr 16, 2014 11:58
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Or, failing that, buy up half his army before declaring war, they are, after all, mostly mercenaries.
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Apr 16, 2014 13:04
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My fellow senators, it now becomes obvious that our situation is still fragile, despite the great victories that have been won, despite the restoration of the pentarchy and of the ascension of orthodoxy, despite the conquest of Italia and the constant defeat of the muslim empires of the near east we can still be laid low by our own pride and self assurance. It was, in fact wrong for us to widely proclaim the empress a living saint, it has only weakened the true faith in the west, it was foolish of us to continually antagonize the doukes without providing a curb on their powers and it was madness to believe that this amount of expansion would not catch up with us. What we need, now more than ever, is to reign ourselves in and re-establish our power base. This may not make for great tales or triumphs that the Old Romans so enjoy, but it is necessary that we improve the lot of our peasantry, that we begin a rebuilding effort, that we relight the lamps of knowledge and that we stand in firm defense of what has been won. Do we truly wish ours to be a reign of another Julian or Justinian? To see great powers brought against us and scatter us to the four winds based on the ever expanding need for conquest? I say loudly that we do not. Senators of Rome and of Byzantium, we must consolidate, in the name of sanity we must go home and repair our house before we return conquering heroes to naught but empty fields.
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Apr 16, 2014 13:24
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 Listen to these cowards! How can any of you believe your ears! Let us consider some of the great defeats of our history: Cannae, Teutoburg Forest, Adrianople, and finally, Manzikert! Yes, Manzikert, where noble Romanus was abandoned by the Doukas, after which the cowardly accountants and intellectuals of their regime threw open the gates of Anatolia to the Turk! The New Byzantines are the Doukas faction reborn: they would have us wallow in decadence rather than fight, they would see all of our accomplishments undone! They do not believe in our destiny. They believe in nothing but their own comfort and power! They no doubt bribed the doukes to get their power and comfort, sacrificing, just as they did at Manzikert, the Empire for its crown! Personally, I will not rest until the Mongols are humbled, the Pope is executed, and every single traitor is laid low! Our destiny rides out before us: will we allow the Empire to be fettered by New Byzantine chains, or will we seize it? We must take what is ours!
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Apr 16, 2014 15:39
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We are not overextended, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate. I suggest instead that our ambitions have been too small. Did not Rome, in centuries past, own near all of Europe? I suggest to you that what we need to ensure our stability is not to coddle our rivals and build up from within, but rather to expand outward and destroy all credible threats to our greatness! Let us return to the borders we enjoyed during the reign of Emperors like Hadrian! Let our ambitions expand beyond them, even. Combined with reforms to destroy the power of the doukes, we shall stand astride the world like a colossus. NOW is the time!
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Apr 16, 2014 15:58
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Lord Cyrahzax posted:
Ignoring that you seem to have fallen into pure bloodlust, would executing the Pope not just result in another Pope showing up for us to butt heads with?
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Apr 16, 2014 17:56
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Flesnolk posted:
Well, I suppose. But then we would have the pleasure of executing a new one every day, yes?
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Apr 16, 2014 18:51
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I support the idea of terminating the papacy one pope at a time till we have enough resources to fight the greed demons army, we should also put our balance back in order and find ways to save up on spending and to make sure we take lands that have adequate wealth.
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Apr 16, 2014 19:26
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PART TWENTY-FOUR: The Long and Glorious Reign of Valeria III (1341-1342) Excerpts from the catalog of the London Museum of Antiquities landmark exhibition The Golden Age of the Komnenoi: Treasures of Medieval Rome The Golden Age of the Komnenoi is generally thought to have ended with the death of Valeria II in 1341. Her successor, Valeria III Komnene, is one of the most poorly attested rulers in Roman or Byzantine history. We are pleased, however, to prevent a selection of artifacts acquired by the museum which shed some light on this enigmatic period. Portrait of the Empress Constantinople, 1341 Fresco de Conteville Collection, Essex Museum of Art. This portrait of the then-thirteen year old empress is marked by the increasingly Classicized style which characterized the secular art of her grandmother's reign, as opposed to the more abstracted representations of the human form which continued to be developed in Byzantine icons and devotional artwork. It was likely commissioned by an Old Roman senator on the occasion of her coronation.  Hyperpyron of Doukessa Hypatia Rome, 1341 Gold Gift of the City of Rome municipal government The hyperpyron was a new denomination of currency introduced by Alexios I Komnenos following the debasement of the solidus over the prior centuries. Interestingly, while this coin was struck during the reign of Valeria III, it features the image of Valeria's regent, Hypatia di Pistoia. The Doukessa of Calabria and Spoleto, di Pistoia was a typical member of the Greco-Italian aristocracy of Byzantine Italy. The portrait of Hypatia on the obverse shows the doukessa in profile, as was typical of coins minted under Old Roman influence from the reign of Trajan II onwards, breaking with the earlier Byzantine convention of depicting portraits on coinage head-on. The reverse shows the winged angel of victory who had become an unofficial symbol of the Old Romans.  Illuminated Manuscript Modena, 1341 Ink on Paper Museum of Antiquities, London This manuscript came from the library of Doux Bérard of Modena, who was put in charge of the young empress's education. Descended from the Norman-Occitan aristocracy which was ascendant in southern Italy following the dynastic marriage of the de Hauteville and de Toulouse families, the de Lodis retained their positions under Byzantine rule. Perhaps the teenage empress studied this manuscript, demonstrating Byzantine mastery of Arabic calligraphy, under Bérard's tutelage.  Defaced bust of Bérard di Lodi Constantinople, 1341 Marble Gift of the Byzantine Historical Society, Constantinople. This bust, commissioned in honor of Valeria III Komnene's tutor Doux Bérard, has had its eyes, ears, nose, and mouth chiseled off. The damage was contemporary to its sculpting, and was perhaps a reaction the Doux's leading role in the civil war which broke out several months into his ward's reign.  Medallion of Pope Celestine III Orbetello, 1341 Silver and Gold Courtesy of the Vatican Collection Pope Celestine III continued the aggressive military posture of Marcellus II, utilizing the vast wealth of the Papal State to fund a large mercenary army. His attack on the rebelling Patriarch of Rome figured heavily in Imperial strategy in the civil war— if the Byzantines were unable to restore imperial authority to Rome before the Pope conquered it, it might very well have been lost for good.   Varangian Helmet Bobbio, 1342 Steel Gift of the Varangian Heritage Foundation, Constantinople The Battle of Bobbio is extremely poorly documented, but from the sheer number of traces of it found in archeological excavations in the area, it was likely one of the most significant of the battle. The damage to this helmet suggests that the Varangian guardsman who wore it was trampled underfoot by a horse. However, he was one of the few imperial casualties— the vast majority of the remains unearthed at Bobbio belonged the armies of the rebel doukes.    Hunting Scene Calabria, 1342 Mosiac Courtesy of the Di Pistoia Museum While the young empress was in Italy for the civil war, under the careful watch of her regent, Hypatia di Pistoia, she was carefully kept insulated from the bloody business of war. Hers was a carefree existence of feasting, riding, and hunting. This colorful mosaic shows the young empress and her entourage engaged in a lively pursuit of a majestic white stag. Their carefree demeanor and sumptuous court dress suggest that the artist of this mosaic was heavily influenced by similar art dating from the reign of Trajan II. This playfulness is tempered by the depiction of Saint Valeria in a more severe iconic style gazing down protectively at her granddaughter and her friends.   
Empress Theonora fucked around with this message at 21:08 on Apr 16, 2014 |
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Apr 16, 2014 20:46
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Wow, things really have not been going well ever since that "mending"... I wonder if somebody is trying to tell us something...
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Apr 16, 2014 20:55
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I suppose that with the recent tragedies that have befallen the empire, there is little else to do but wait. Did we expand too quickly? Kill too many? I do know one thing though. The line that has held this senator's seat for the past few generations will no longer by Byzantine or Roman. Go Team Discord! Woo!
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Apr 16, 2014 21:03
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 *the senator stumbles into the chamber, a empty bottle of wine in his hands. He sits at his place and stares across the chamber* I shot a kid. She was 13 years old. *rubs temples* You know, when you're a rookie, they can teach you everything about bein' an assassin except how to live with yourself. Ακολουθώ τη βούληση της Μαύρης Επιμελητηρίου. *opens another bottle of wine and starts chugging*
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Apr 16, 2014 21:11
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Haha, I knew we were in for some fun when Valeria's genius daughter died in battle.
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Apr 16, 2014 21:23
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Hitlers Gay Secret posted:
You won't have to worry about that for long, lackey of the Doukes. STONE HIM!
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Apr 16, 2014 21:24
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May Empress Gabrielia find this "hunter" and send his soul screaming to Hell where he belongs, and may God grant her the wisdom to find those who gave him his orders, so they can accompany him in fiery eternity.
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Apr 16, 2014 21:29
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TheMcD posted:
Yes, yes, you're a papist, we know.
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Apr 16, 2014 21:32
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Yvonmukluk posted:You won't have to worry about that for long, lackey of the Doukes. Heh, if you thought the Doukes wanted her gone, you're as stupid as them. It's all politics my friend. Best be careful lest this chamber collapse like a house of cards.
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Apr 16, 2014 21:42
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Ὃς δ’ ἂν σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς ἐμέ, συμφέρει αὐτῷ ἵνα κρεμασθῇ μύλος ὀνικὸς εἰς τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ καταποντισθῇ ἐν τῷ πελάγει τῆς θαλάσσης. We must stay our course and redouble our efforts, and be steadfast. Our enemies are willing to murder innocent Christian children: I for one am forever willing to oppose those who deem that acceptable.
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Apr 16, 2014 21:47
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 Can we finally get the makeover going? Or do you want some more blood to paint the floor before we all understand that this is no way to conduct politics, and sanctioning it by the state is just begging for it to happen again?
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Apr 16, 2014 21:53
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Hitlers Gay Secret posted:
"the senator" what the gently caress even is the senate, at this point
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Apr 16, 2014 22:05
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I fear that it is about to be dissolved. I hope that it is about to be purged.
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Apr 16, 2014 22:08
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DentedLamp posted:"the senator" It's the exact same thing it's always been, a bunch of presumptuous, drunken jackasses with a tendency to split up and angrily discuss those splittings.
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Apr 16, 2014 22:12
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Yvonmukluk posted:You won't have to worry about that for long, lackey of the Doukes. Just blind and castrate him and make him live with the shame.
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Apr 16, 2014 22:13
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TheMcD posted:
Claiming to have assassinated the empress is a bit presumptuous...
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Apr 16, 2014 22:19
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(OOC: Who was likely actually behind the assassination? The new empress?)
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Apr 16, 2014 22:21
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