Rome 413 AD (big map)

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EDIT: changed the Balkan a bit

Chapter IX: Borders of the Empire

„Poor old ship, the sailors left you to the pirates.“ – Gerontius

Emerita Augusta, capital of Lusitania and close to the last legions in southern Hispania, received in the spring of 412 AD apocalyptical news: Several ships got attacked near Olisipo by Germanic pirates. It is not clear who exactly did it, if it were the Saxons or Franks than it would mean that they came as south as never before, if it were the Vandals than not even the Atlantic coast would be safe from them anymore. What matters is that Lusitania is now not anymore a relatively peaceful place in this sea of war. Several years ago Alaric troops crossed the mountains in the north but they moved back to Gallia as they destroyed Mallius’ empire. Especially Lusitania and its capital Emerita stayed pretty unharmed during this campaign but now Hispania is nearly without defence. Honorius moved the most legions to Africa, where they got destroyed, and only a few troops stayed on the peninsula.

Gerontius, Comes of the Hispanian legions, used the insecurity and the rumours in the city of Emerita to claim for himself to be the protector of the local Roman population from all foreign powers, including the emperor in Arelate. His inspiration was probably Constantinus, the Roman emperor of Britannia, who stayed on the island and secured it instead of getting drawn into the conflicts of the mainland. Also Postumus’ Gallic Empire, of the third century, could have been an example of an independent but still Roman state and even the Germanic ruler, which dominate the collapsing empire now, act like independent kings in their territory. The next logical step for a Roman general could only be to grab land from the empire before the barbarians do. Not that Gerontius would have hated Germanics – he had many foreign soldiers in his troops – no, he just didn’t believe that they could be leaders of some civilized state. The current empire under Honorius was for him nothing but an old sinking Gothic ship, which was once made by Romans and still sails under the builder’s flag.

Filigund, king of the Silingi and Alani, was the first to call Gerontius, Rex Hispanorum. Gerontius himself claimed to be emperor, even if the title of a king would have been more appropriated. He would of course not deny the rule over the whole Roman world, if it would fall into his hands, but he is smart enough to know that the time of the great empires is over, at least in the west. On his coins he appears with the title of the Restorer of Hispania - more a plan for the future, than an achievement - but still a pleasant title for the ruler of the peninsula. Nevertheless around the whole Mediterranean he was soon known as the King who is Roman but still is fighting the empire. The novelty was not, that he fought the empire but that he was Roman. That barbarians broke free from Rome, like Alaric did or Gainas, was nothing new, but that a Roman general would do that, didn’t happen for 150 years and was already forgotten for the most people. Constantinus in Britannia was no shock for the Romans, he still claimed to rule the whole empire, but Gerontius was for only claiming a part. He was a sign of the decline of the west.

Alaric, King of the Goths and Magister Militum, died in the winter of 413. The Goths thought Alaric’s successor, Odo, would be granted the title of the Magister Militum but empress Flavia was able to convince Honorius to proclaim Asterius, leader of the Italian troops, new general of the west. With this decision Flavia was planning to reduce the German influence in the empire and even succeeded in some way with it; Odo broke with Rome. The Second Gothic War begun.

Asterius moved the emperor’s court back to Mediolanum and begun to concentrate his troops in the Rhone Valley. Further to the north-west Odo united his forces with the ones of Filigund in the meantime. The King was also in contact with the leaders of the Franks, which stayed officially on Rome’s side but actually acted neutral in the war and didn’t attack the Goths. The Burgundians on the other side were sending troops to Asterius, they formed together with Hunnish and Alemannian forces the backbone of the Roman army.

As the first snow fell in the year 413 the Western Empire was already collapsing: Hispania and Gallia are in revolt, Africa is free from Roman forces, Britannia is de facto independent and Dalmatia is ruled by the East. Honorius, Arcadius, Flavia, Asterius Odo, Geiseric, Filigund, Gerontius; all of them decide over the fate of the Roman world.

Map 

The Western and parts of the Eastern Roman Empire in 413 AD.

Red=Western Empire; Striped/Outline=other foederati

Purple=Eastern Empire; Striped=foederati
Brown=Vandals

Green=Hispanian Empire
Blue=Gothic Empire
Magenta=Britannian Empire
Yellow=Gepids

Chapter VIII: The head of Mallius

„A head is a head and a lie is a lie.“ – Honorius

Gainas smashed the rests of Mallius Theodorus’ empire in the battle of Hippo in 408 AD. By then Numidia was already conquered by the Vandals and after the battle the Mauritanian coast fell also back to the empire. At Hippo even Mallius’ general died, but not, and that drove Gainas mad, the Usurper himself. Nobody actually knew where he was; maybe he was already dead and rotted in the dessert. But as long as there were no evidences of his death he would be a major problem for Gainas. The Mauritanian tribes, that raided the Vandalo-Roman coastal cities, never claimed to act on Mallius’ command and he wasn’t seen with them but people on Honorius’ court nevertheless suggested again and again that Mallius’ was behind their attacks and accused Gainas, to be unable or unwilling to finally find and kill the usurper.

In the winter of 408/409 Gainas made a radical decision; he sent his guard out in Sicilia and Carthago to find a man who should look as close to the usurper himself as possible. The guards took coins of Mallius’ image with them and studied the artworks that showed him before they left the palace.  Three weeks later they arrived with an old peasant, around Mallius’ age, who, even if he worked his whole life, had soft and pale skin. His eyes, nose and mouth looked like the ones of the usurper, only his haircut and his beard didn’t seem like Mallius at all, but a scissor here and there and he seemed pretty imperial. After the scissors the sword came and Gainas had a head he could proudly send to the Emperor in Arelate.

It was a dangerous and maybe mad plan to actually claim that this would be the head of Mallius Theodorus, but Gainas hoped on the one hand that no one would notice that it isn’t Mallius and on the other that even if the Emperor would notice that he wouldn’t do anything because he would be satisfied with this solution. But Gainas was wrong, many people on Honorius’ court had seen Mallius before, they knew how he looked like, were aware of the little details of his face and could tell that this is not the usurper. Gainas attempt to fool the Emperor didn’t stay a secret, the news spread over the Empire and Honorius had to act. It was thanks to the influence of the young Empress Flavia, that the Britannian usurper Constantinus was spared by Honorius forces for now. The fleet which was built on the channel coast in the last years to challenge Constantinus’ fleet, which was actually the former Roman fleet in this area, was moved further to the south, in order to bring Honorius armies from Hispania to Mauretania. From here on they were supposed to fight their way through northern Africa to Carthago and find Mallius and destroy the Vandals.

Before even a single battle was fought Gainas was found dead in Carthago, killed by conspirators, whose goal it was to prevent a war with Rome and the potential fall of the Vandal Empire. It was rumoured that the head of the conspiration was King Godigisel himself, who tried to escape out of the shadow of his popular advisor and general. Only a few days later the King was dead, assassinated but no one knew who was behind it. The King’s son and designated heir Gunderic, claimed that his brother Geiseric would be his father’s murderer. Geiseric on the other hand accused Gunderic of killing their father and Gainas, who was Geiseric’s patron. Supported by the Gainasian group in Carthago Geiseric ordered to kill Gunderic and his family. He also organised the marriage between him and Gainas’ daughter, which included killing her husband. After eliminating his enemies in the Empire, he changed the course of foreign policy. He allied with the Mauretanians against the Romans and promised them the land west of Caesarea and also the hinterland apart the coast east of it.

In the summer of 409 the Roman fleet was defeated by the Vandals near Sardinia, mostly because of the lack of experience on the Roman side. The most of the surviving ships switched sides and conquered, instead of Africa, Sardinia. On land the Romans also lost their luck and were beaten, after first successes, by united Vandal and Mauretanian forces. In the end of the year the last Roman forces were driven out of Mauretania. Even Tripolitania, which was not under Vandalian control before the war, was conquered by Geiseric. In the first months of 410 also Corsica and the Balearic Islands fell to the Vandals. The rests of the Imperial fleet were smashed in the summer and Rome suffered under starvation and plagues, caused by the blockade of Ostia and Portus by the Vandals.

Honorius showed unable to handle the situation, especially because the Empire’s legions were needed on the northern border against the rebellious Germanics. In the middle of this unstable situation, two children were born in the spring of 411, two sons, one to Honorius, named Theodosius, one to Geiseric, named Gainas.

Map 

The Western and parts of the Eastern Roman Empire in 411 AD.

Red=Western Empire; Light Red=Goth; Striped=other foederati

Brown=Vandals

Purple=Eastern Empire
Magenta=Britannian Empire
Yellow=Gepids