The Grand Realm of Lusogothia
The world where Lusogothia is set certainly bears some similarities to our current world. However, at an unexpected point in history, the Old World found the New World. The Americas, also known as the Great Arcadia, was discovered in 97 A.D. by a Roman navigator known as Julianus Accoleius Laetinianus. Julianus Laetinianus was not a renowned explorer, instead, he was a rather unskilled admiral who once was hired by the Roman emperor Domitian to find new lands to conquer. Laetinianus was sailing close to the coast of Africa when a storm blew his fleet away from the African coast. Although many ships sank, the fleet managed to find land after the storm. However, the land was not in Africa - it was an entirely new continent...
Upon the return of Julianus, Roman emperor Trajan decided to organize a mission to explore the new land. While effective colonization of the new continent only began much later, in 129 A.D., the Romans traded with the natives of the new land. The continent was named Caesariatica in honor of the Roman emperor.
The Beginning of Roman Colonization
The first Roman settlements were located on the coast of Venezuela and the Brazilian northeast. From Venezuela, in the port town of Caracae, the Romans would launch expeditions toward the Caribbean (called the Occidentalian Sea) and North America (called Trajania), mapping the region for future incursions. From the Brazilian northeast, Roman fleets would sail all the way down to Patagonia (called Manonisia). As more and more fleets and legions of expugnators explored Caesariatica, settlements spread out down the Brazilian coast. The first settlements were founded by immigrants coming from Hispania and Mauretania, with a minority of settlers coming from Dalmatia, Anatolia, and Gallia.
In the beginning, Brazilian and Venezuelan colonies were focused on producing goods, which in turn would be sold to Roman territories in the Old World. Spices, sugar, and nuts (such as peanuts and Brazil nuts) were specifically the most sought-after products and were grown in the colonies. The Romans also searched for gold and silver mines. The Julianian Exchange was the name given to the intense exchange of plants, animals, humans, and cultures that took place in the Roman colonization of Great Arcadia.
Maximum extent of Roman colonies in Caesariatica, 300 A.D.
With the Third Jewish Revolt and the destruction of Jerusalem in 135 A.D., many Jews immigrated to the colonies, thus fleeing persecution and slavery. Something similar would be seen during the Crisis of the Third Century, as immigrants from all of the Roman Empire began to immigrate to the colonies. Although many Amerindians were enslaved by the Romans, the few who remained free were integrated into the colonies, and many of them intermarried with the settlers. It was also common for settlers to marry a settler of a different background, forming families of mixed ancestry. This led to the creation of a multicultural society interwoven with marriage ties. It wasn't uncommon to find families composed of five or six different backgrounds. In the end, this led to the creation of completely new cultures, independent from those of the Old World.
Coastal Settlement
150 A.D. - 200 A.D.
150 A.D. - 200 A.D.
During the first century of colonization, settlements were restricted to the coasts of Brazil, the Guyanas, and Venezuela. initially, the Romans traded with the natives. However, as the settlements started growing and became profitable, a number of hostile Amerindian tribes began raiding the settlements. This provoked the ire of the Romans, who in turn attacked the Amerindians, killing and enslaving them. Entire Amerindian ethnicities were enslaved by the Romans, especially those that practiced anthropophagy, a custom denounced by the Romans as "barbaric". As time progressed, the Romans advanced towards the Caesariatican hinterland.
The economy of the early settlements was based on the exportation of goods to the Roman Empire. Exotic foods (such as pineapples, cocoa, vanilla, peanuts, and dragon fruit) had a high demand. In Brazil (Brasilia), several towns were built solely for the purpose of raising parrots and other exotic animals, in turn selling them to Europe. From the New World, several crops also spread to Europe and Asia. Spices, tomato, potato, and corn altered forever the cuisine of the old world.
The new world was introduced to new crops, such as bananas, coconut, grapes, coffee, and sugarcane. These crops from the old world would be commonly found in the plantations of Caesariatica. Waves of slaves coming from Eastern Europe, the Germanic tribes, and the Middle East also were brought by the Romans to work on the farms. In the first century of Roman colonization, approximately 80% of the Amerindian population of Great Arcadia died from diseases brought by the Europeans. Many others also died from the constant wars and military expeditions waged by the Romans, who sought to enslave the Amerindians and, literally, clear space for new settlements so that the demand of the Roman Empire for colonial goods would be met.
The Amazon War
200 A.D. - 220 A.D.
200 A.D. - 220 A.D.
In the year 198 A.D., Roman general Quintus Brucetus organized an expedition in order to map the Amazon River. The 500-day Expedition, as it became known, was a tremendous success. However, the Romans encountered a kingdom whose leadership looked nothing like the rest of the Amerindians. The leadership was fair-skinned, with long dark beards and curly hair, a contrast to the natives, who had dark skin, straight hair, and were beardless. Upon close inspection of the society, the Romans discovered that such a kingdom was not native to that land - instead, it was founded by lost descendants of Phoenician explorers. Somehow, before Rome became an empire, the Phoenicians already had reached the so-called "New World" and founded the Kingdom of Gebalia.
The Romans deemed the Phoenicians as an immediate danger to Roman colonies in Caesariatica, and as such, a war between the Romans and the lost descendants of the Phoenicians became inevitable. In 200 A.D., the Romans boarded Phoenician vessels, thus starting the Amazon War. The military conflict was a series of naval battles in the Amazon River, which were often followed by Roman raids on Phoenician settlements. In 205 A.D. the Phoenicians managed to defeat the Roman fleet sailing towards their capital, Hadyat. This turned the tide of the war in favor of the Phoenicians, who then embarked on a violent campaign against Roman settlements and ports in the Amazon rainforest.
However, the Roman general Quintus Brucetus was able to forge deals with neighboring Amerindian groups, who were discontent with the rule of the Phoenician Kingdom of Gebalia. With the support of the local tribal chiefs, Brucetus mustered an army of 50,000 men, all of them familiar with the Amazonian environment and geography. By 210 A.D., the tide of the war had become favorable for the Romans, and once again, they were on the offensive. This time, the Gebalians were tired and had no allies. Despite the Gebalian capital Hadyat being captured and burned in 212 A.D., the Gebalian king resisted for another eight years, roaming the Amazon Rainforest before being captured and executed by Amerindians allied to the Romans.
Settlement of the Hinterland
220 A.D. - 340 A.D.
220 A.D. - 340 A.D.
As the Roman Empire entered a state of crisis, hundreds of thousands of citizens began to flee to the colonies of Caesariatica. Although the trip was not easy and these pioneers had the extra factor of having to adapt to an entirely new land, it was better than being at the mercy of lunatic generals who liked to proclaim themselves emperors. The Roman colonies had a fairly high degree of autonomy, which meant they were somewhat safe from the abuses that were persistent in the Old World. As the Amerindian population dwindled and the number of Roman settlers began to grow exponentially, the expugnators promoted the settlement of the hinterland.
During the colonization of the Hinterland, a process of urbanization took place in the coastal regions. Since the production of agricultural goods was no longer lucrative given the profound state of crisis in Europe and the Middle East was engulfed, the local settlers and pioneers turned to manufacture and commerce. This enriched the inhabitants and developed the land of Caesariatica, causing a decline in the Latifundia system that dominated the Roman colonial economy. The peak in urbanization in the Roman colonies contrasted with the process of deurbanization that happened in the late Roman Empire.
By the half of the 4th Century, Roman Caesariatica was already catching up with the development levels of Europe and the Middle East. However, a new religion was all the rage in Europe: Christianism. The formerly persecuted religion now had been declared the official religion of the Roman Empire. The results of such a decision would be immediately felt in the Colonies, where the majority practiced a plethora of pagan faiths.
End of the Colonial Period
340 A.D. - 470 A.D.
340 A.D. - 470 A.D.
As Christianism began to flourish in the Roman Empire, the most devout pagans moved to Caesariatica, where freedom of religion (and, specifically, freedom from religious fanaticism) was a reality. However, that changed when Emperor Constantius II attempted to bring the colonies into the central administration of the Roman Empire. What followed was a massive influx of Christians, who then immediately clashed with the local population of the colonies. The colonial elite, angry with the recent influx of Christians and displeased with the loss of profits, began a long process of independence, known as the Caesariatican Wars.
In 456 A.D. the county of Saleia, a poor and underpopulated region in the colony of Ibirapunia, declared independence. Led by the mayor of Marapia, Latronius Appelenius, Saleia took advantage of the infighting taking place in the colonies and allied itself with other counties. Following the end of Roman colonial rule in the continent by 470 A.D., the Republic of Saleia was established. It had a unique government - Saleia was a confederation of peasant councils and cities, where power was held by the legislative, not a person. Few knew what to expect from the poor, small, and recently independent country.
Republic of Saleia
470 A.D. - 600 A.D.
470 A.D. - 600 A.D.
Saleia, in the beginning, was inhabited mostly by pagan Lusitanians and Iberians. Most of them followed Hellenism, however, a minority of them were also Druidistic or Christian. The initial years were prosperous, however, the growth of the Christian community led to religious violence. In 483 A.D. a Christian village was razed by a mob after one of its villagers supposedly desecrated a Hellenistic shrine. This marked the beginning of the Saleian Christian War. Between 484 and 493 A.D., much of the Christian population of Saleia was driven out of the country, while many were enslaved. Christianism was banned and the punishment for practicing it was death.
At the very beginning of the 6th Century, Saleia began to expand its borders. After subjugating the feudal county of Anasia in 500 A.D., the peasants of Anasia massed to support Saleia and its proto-democratic government. News about a "peasant republic" spread beyond the Ducks' Lagoon, reaching lands as far as Jupiterra to the south and Intaporia to the north. From 500 A.D. to 520 A.D. Saleia went on a conquest spree against its neighbors. In 523 A.D., however, a coalition of five countries sought to end the peasant republic. They failed, and by the end, Saleia grew even stronger. The growth of the Judaic Kingdom of Midshen to the south, however, threatened the peasants. To fortify their position, Saleia decided to conquer the Green Sierra, a hilly region that provided a good spot for a capital. The Sierra was sparsely populated, and its population was comprised mostly of isolated indigenous peoples. The Conquest of the Green Sierra, also known as the Sierra War, proved to be decisive in Saleian history. In 534 the first tribes and villages were subjugated. In 536 the duchy of Talabriga went to war against Saleia due to Saleian raids conducted on its villages. Talabriga lost the conflict, also losing much of its territories in the war. The conquest of Green Sierra only ended in 570, and by that time Saleia was already a regional power. The peasant republic, however, suffered a big defeat against Midshen in 575, in which Midshen annexed most Saleian territories all the way up to the Guahiba River. Many people fled from the annexed territories to Green Sierra, depopulating "old" Saleia.
By the year 600 Saleian politics were getting polarized, and factionalism was tearing the country apart. The vassal of a coastal kingdom next to Saleia, Amalaric Totiling, a duke of a traditional Germanic family of trading nobles, decided to create his own kingdom, and Saleia was the perfect target. By forging an alliance with the Urban Faction of Saleia, the Totiling Conquest of Saleia was fairly easy. Saleia still existed, but instead of being a Hellenistic semi-democratic republic, it became a plutocratic monarchy. In the year 616, Amalaric decided to conquer his former liege, King Fravitta Gebering, and after winning the war, Saleia obtained access to the sea. Amalaric died shortly after such conquest. The power vacuum accompanied by his death led to the Brothers' War, in which Amalaric's sons Winguric and Gesimund tore the country apart, fighting for the Saleian crown. According to the inheritance laws, the country was to be split among the brothers, but neither Winguric nor Gesimund wanted to divide the country. After nine years of civil war, Midshen decided to intervene in the war, invading Green Sierra. Seeing the Judaic invasion as a greater threat, Winguric and Gesimund formed a temporary alliance and defeated Midshen in the Battle of Volcina. The heirless Midshenite king, Elchanan Lapid, was killed in Volcina, and the Mideshenite invasion was defeated.
Kingdom of Saleia - Totiling Dynasty
600 A.D. - 830 A.D.
600 A.D. - 830 A.D.
In the end, the Totiling brothers agreed to split Saleia, although the divided country won't last much longer: in 645 Gesimund died without heirs, and as a result, Winguric inherited the Kingdom of Noramina. As a king of two countries, Winguric decided to merge both titles, and altered the inheritance law of Saleia. Although this displeased his younger sons, at least Saleia would be stronger if kept united. Winguric died in 652, and his son Hildebrand was crowned king. The rule of Hildebrand was marked by his aggressive military campaigns against Midshen. He led three wars against Midshen, in which the territories of Old Saleia were recovered and more territories all the way down to the Jagaran River were conquered. In the last expedition, Midshen was turned into a tributary of Saleia, and every 12 months Midshen would have to offer silver, cattle, and horses to Saleia
Upon Hildebrand's death in 687, Midshen broke free from its tributary status, although the Saleian king Agriwulf would lead a final invasion against Midshen in 694. After two years of war in the Uruguayan plains, Midshen ceased to exist - its nobility was stripped of its property and much of the population was enslaved. The Jewish population would prove to be restless, and the Saleian crown had to fight four Jewish rebellions just in the first century of rule over the region. Following the razing of a Jewish village in 735, the rebellions grew even stronger, and the ruling Saleian king, Suatrius the First, decided to compromise with the Jews. They were given partial autonomy - they no longer had to contribute with levies and taxation was reduced, although now they would have to accept Germanist conversion missions. Suatrius hoped that, once the Germanist priests managed to set foot in Jewish villages, it would be only a matter of years for the conversion of Jews into Germanists. This did not materialize, however, as the Jews are known for their strong faith and resistance to religious persecution. The Germanist missions in Uruguay were a waste of resources and time, and they would be abandoned following the last Jewish rebellion in 795.
To the south of the Platine River, the natural frontier between Saleia and Jupiterra, there was rich soil and one of the best natural ports of Cesariatica, the city of Bonae Aurae. Jupiterra was one of the few countries in the New World where the majority of the population was from Italia. The merchant republic thrived from the profits of trading with the east coast of Cesariatica, trading goods coming to and from the indigenous nations of the Andes, such as the Tiwanaku Empire and the Wari Nation. The Jupiterrans managed to establish trading lines secure from the Guarani, an indigenous group that became a warring nomad society after capturing horses brought by the Romans. The Guarani were horrific raiders, who brought destruction and misery to traders, villages, towns on the Eastern borders, and even Andine cities. Tales of their misdeeds are told from Caracae to Bonae Aurae, and many mothers use the legendary Guarani king Arasunu as the villain in kids' stories, in which he becomes a bogeyman-like figure.
In 789 king Alatheus launched an invasion against Jupiterra, citing trade disputes between Saleia and the ruling merchant family of Jupiterra. Despite overwhelming odds - a small and inexperienced fleet coupled with stormy weather - Saleia defeated Jupiterra, which allowed for the naval invasion of 30,000 soldiers in the surroundings of Bonae Aurae. The Battle of Bonae Aurae on the cold afternoon of 7 July 789 saw the capture of the Jupiterran president. Alatheus convinced Ursinus Balbus to surrender with the following terms: the Jupiterran merchant families will get to keep most of their property intact, although Jupiterra will be directly controlled by Saleia and reparations shall be paid in the form of tribute for the following thirty years. Without another viable alternative, Balbus surrendered. The conquest of Jupiterra marked the beginning of a new era for Saleia, a period of unforeseen riches and development. The flow of goods, people, information, knowledge, and resources turned Saleia into one of the wealthiest realms in Cesariatica. This allowed for an easier time when crushing rebellions and dealing with foreign threats, such as the Christian Kingdom of Marsonia, which saw the Saleian territory of Turmen as part of Marsonia due to its large Christian population. The Marsonians were eventually defeated and then conquered, an act that led to the further conquest of other territories in the north, stopping in 920 with the Conquest of Neo Armorica.
Kingdom of Saleia - Corvinus Dynasty
830 A.D. - 1040 A.D.
830 A.D. - 1040 A.D.
In 830 a noble-led revolt against King Winguric II caused the end of the Totiling dynasty. The revolt was led by a group of discontent nobles, many of them which were part of the merchant families of Jupiterra. After the extermination of the Totilings, Silvius Corvinus was put on the throne. The elder of the Corvinus trading family, Silvius was unpopular among the Germanic nobility, and it was possible that Saleia would fall apart if Silvius didn't die in 832. He was succeeded by Diomedes, a rather young and unskilled man who was more interested in studying and reading than ruling. Diomedes noted that religious tensions were at a breaking point, and he brought an unorthodox solution to the problem: create a new religion, a blend of the faiths of the majority of the population. On June 835, Diomedes allegedly was visited by Narecan, the God-King of Arcadia, the place where virtuous men and women would dwell after death. Narecan urged Diomedes to spread his word, as he could not do it by himself due to the Universal War, in which good spirits and bad spirits were fighting for control of heaven and hell. He could not risk leaving Arcadia and instead choose Diomedes - "the most capable man" - to share the word of the Honorable Mister.