Mediolanum
is the crown jewel of the West, seat of the Emperor, magnificent centre of the
Roman world. At least centre of Honorius’ part, a shrinking part; the Emperor
is young and weak and his enemies know that. Dalmatia, the bloody, rural and
devastated opposite of the capital, is lost for the West. Troops conquered it
in the name of Arcadius and the Eastern Empire and now a barbarian is sitting
on the throne of Diocletian, Alaric king of the Goths, foederati of the East.
While Arcadius is sending one of his advisors to rule for his younger brother.
Stilicho’s
blood wasn’t even dry yet but the Illyricum already partitioned. Alaric, now
ruler of Dalmatia and the western part of Dacia, granted Gainas the rule over
the land between Dravus and Savus – minus the area around Sirmium – and the
province of Moesia. Siscia was chosen as Gainas residence. The cities location
is symbol of his ambitions, on the bank of the Savus, far away from the save lands
of Moesia, on the border to Honorius’ Pannonia, ready to be the centre of a new
independent kingdom. North of Gainas realm the Hasdings live, Vandals, unable
to resist the pressure of the Huns, which move slow but steady in their
direction. They could be the backbone of his dreams, of his Empire.
The death
of Stilicho may be the dream of some people, of his enemies, of Gainas, of the Senators
but it was the start of a nightmare for Eucherius, his son. His father’s
supporters saw the young boy as a Roman, his father’s enemies as a Barbarian. He
and his mother, Serena, a cousin of Honorius, are seen as enemies of the Empire,
his death father seen as a betrayer, who wasn’t able or willing to destroy the
Goths. 2 1/2 months after Stilicho’s death the child, his mother and his
sisters flew from Mediolanum, shortly before Arcadius’ advisor Saturninus arrived
to rule the West as the new regent for the young Emperor Honorius. Saturninus,
supported by the anti-Gothic groups in the Empire, begins to concentrate troops
in northern Italia expecting King Alaric or his Dux Gainas to invade Pannonia
or the plain of the Padus in the near future. Planning to defeat the Goths in one
final battle and to destroy the potential thread of the Empire, he neglects the
limes and loses the focus on the border provinces, which are threatened by the
Germanic tribes.
In Carthago
Gildo, a general of Moorish origin, rules, controlling Roman Africa and not
being known for being very loyal but very selfish and opportunistic. As
Eucherius arrives at his palace in Carthago, he grants him exile and swears
revenge for the disrespectful treatment of his family. Africa, the bread basket
of the Empire, breaks away, so does the Rhine border a few weeks later, while
Pannnonia sinks into anarchy. The remnants of Stilicho’s army are plundering northern
Dalmatia and southern Pannonia since the death of their general, led by a Roman
named Flavius Maximinianus. After a skirmish
between them and the Hasdings, Hasding-King Godigisel agrees to ally with
Gainas against Maximinianus’ troops. Saturninus, misinterpreting the Gothic
troop movement, leads the half of his army to Pannonia, while the rest prepares
to sail to Africa. Noticing the Roman troop movement Alaric decides to finally
break with Arcadius, because Saturninus’ troops are marching against the Goth
and that not only for Honorius’ interests but also for Arcadius’. The end of
the Goth-King would be favourable for both brothers. If Alaric wins this war it
could mean the end of the Theodosian Dynasty, atleast in the West.
Map
The Western and parts of the Eastern Roman Empire in 399 AD.
Red=Western Empire; Lighter Shade=Foederated Franks and their influence
Purple=Eastern Empire
Blue=Empire of Alaric; Lighter Shade=Gainas/Hasdingi
Gold=Area controlled by Gildo
also showing the Germanic tribes on that crossed the Rhine
Blue=Empire of Alaric; Lighter Shade=Gainas/Hasdingi
Gold=Area controlled by Gildo
also showing the Germanic tribes on that crossed the Rhine
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