251-300 (Abrittus)

251
Roman Empire: Roman legions triumph over Gothic invasion troops led by King Cniva at Abrittus. Consequent military successes against the Carpi and later, in a joint campaign with several foederati, against another Gothic coalition, which now barely sought to defend its settlement nuclei, secures the Danubian border for a long time. Great numbers of slaves are brought into the Empire, while Rome`s allies are supposed to be relocated in the following year.

Emperor Decius founds the first Academia Martiana in Rome, a university for military strategy.

252
Roman Empire: Decius intensifies persecution of Christians. Several thousands killed, among them Cornelius, the new bishop of Rome, who had sought to both rehabilitate the "lapsi" (who had denied their faith in the face of persecution) and appease the imperial administration. Cornelius' appeasement had already led to the establishment of counter-pope Novatian, who did not want to reintegrate the lapsi. The Apostolic Church is split.

In increasing numbers, Christians flee the Empire and seek refuge in Arabia and Persia. Those who don't flee are forced to go underground.

All Carpi, Costoboci, Bastarnae and Roxolani as well as the largest part of the Gepids and Tervingian (= woodland) Goths are relocated; each single clan is split up upon Roman orders: while half of their members are settled in the Roman provinces of Dacia Superior and Dacia Inferior (the males having to serve in Roman military units composed of older colonists and the new arrivals), the other half is relocated to the region which had been part of Dacia Inferior between 106 an 117, where they are allowed to govern themselves. If they keep the peace with the Empire, Rome would use its (now quite large) military presence to protect its Gotho-Sarmato-Dacian client kingdom, too - but if they make any trouble, their relatives, factually held hostage by the Empire, would have to suffer the consequences (and with Decius the Cruel as Roman Emperor, one did not wish to imagine what these consequences might be).

253
Roman Empire: Alemanni intrude deep into Gallic and Raetic territory and raid Argentoratum and Cambodunum. Decius is determined to repeat his successful "Gothic strategy". Against advice from diplomats, spies and senators, who warn him of an impending Sassanid attack, Decius decides to sort out the weaker northern barbarians thoroughly first, so he would have his hands free to deal with the Sassanids later. He gathers eight legions and leads them into battle, confronting the first band of Alemanni in the land of the Raurici. The first quick success is followed by a series of more than twenty extremely one-sided battles, after which Gallia Belgica and Raetia-Vindelicia are cleared of Alemannic invaders, who are either killed or enslaved. Seven Alemannic "kings" had already been captured.

In Rome and especially in the Eastern provinces, calls to move the legions to the border with Persia become ever more urgent; the Alemanni, it is argued, have been shown not to represent a serious threat.

But Decius remains determined to root out the Alemannic problem just like he had done with the Goths. Acting on advice from the new Academia Martiana, Decius orders to prepare for war with the Sassanids only in the middle run by training new cavalry units which would be required to effectively beat the threat from the East.

His legions march into the Agri Decumates. Decius is outraged at the miserable state in which he finds the last outposts of Roman civilization there, and he is greeted by the remaining Roman settlers (and Romanised Germans and Celts) as the greatest hero of all times - no Roman Emperor had bothered to send troops to defend the Agri Decumates for two decades, let alone ride there with his legions himself. Throughout the Agri, small Alemannic villages have appeared, which Decius' legions now plunder and burn, marching the villagers to Roman vici and villae rusticae where Roman citizens "take care" of them. Where there are too few Romans to control the Alemanni, some Alemanni, who swore allegiance to the Roman Empire, are integrated into an auxiliares unit. At Arae Flaviae, the Roman legions encounter a larger group of armed Alemanni under yet another "war king" preparing to defend the land, and annihilate them as well. Decius orders to re-inforce the limes forts with new auxiliares and restore Roman civilization and infrastructure North of the Alps. While his popularity in Syria and Mesopotamia is dangerously low, Decius is celebrated as the best emperor of decades in the Balkans and in the Celtic provinces.

South of the Alps, his administration continues the persecution of Christians. Cornelius' successor as bishop of Rome, Lucius, is also killed. Jews, Zoroastrians and people from less Romanised areas who cling to their respective deities also suffer from harassment and persecution.

In Syria Palaestina, an underground Christian group led by a radical named Simon, who denounces the mon-episcopal church as "fat cowards" and deems active resistance against the "pagan tyranny" a Christian duty, appears.

Persia: Sassanid shah Shaipur puts invasion plans on hold to build up additional infantry units of exiled Christians.

254
Roman Empire / Sassanid Empire / Gothia / Bosporan Empire / Lasika:

The Roman Empire comes under attack from two sides. Remaining steppe Goths and / or Sarmatians attack Rome`s vassals, the Bosporan Kingdom. Although the latter can defend Chersonesos, a part of their navy is captured by the invaders and used in attacks against Rome`s Moesian and Thracian provinces.

Decius sends a considerable detachment of the Classis Romana into the Black Sea, which manages to confront a part of the raiders, while another part manages to escape and withdraws into the hinterland of relatively unprotected colonies on the Northern shore of the Black Sea.

While the navy is still on the Black Sea, the Sassanids attack. Within weeks, they have taken control of Mesopotamia, Armenia and Syria.

Decius decides that the Roman cavalry cannot yet put up with the Sassanids, and prefers to secure the Northern shore of the Black Sea first. This is no longer just heatedly disputed, though. Decius` opponents now take action.

Probus declares himself emperor in Byzantium. He leads several legions into battle against the Sassanids, but they are defeated at Barbalissos, and Probus is killed in the battle. Antiochia falls to the Sassanids.

Roman trade in the Eastern Mediterranean and on the Black Sea is highly endangered. This, together with the Sassanid occupation of territories that cut off Asia Minor from Arabia and Egypt, and the harsh quarantine measures imposed by Decius against the smallpox pandemia leads to shortages and growing dissatisfaction in the towns and cities of the East.

In the midst of this climate of chaos and decline, the Christian radical Simon finds growing numbers of followers among rural and urban people alike. But his greatest number of followers are slaves, for whom he demands immediate liberation.

After three months, though, Decius` campaign against the steppe Goths and Sarmatians (and possibly also Alani) is concluded successfully. Fresh masses of slaves are deported to Cilicia, but also to the hellenised cities on the Northern shore of the Black Sea, which Decius decides to strengthen with a larger and more permanent Roman naval presence. To this end, he renews Rome`s alliance with the Bosporan Kingdom and the Kingdom of Lasika.

255
Roman Empire / Persia: 16 legions with increased cavalries are sent into war against the Sassanids. Before the end of the year, Antiochia and the entire Mediterranean coast are regained.

256
Roman Empire: The war against the Sassanids drags on, mostly in the Armenian theatre of war, binding more and more resources. Disrupted trade, the destruction of war and heavy (and also quite arbitrary and inefficient) taxation decrease trade and living standards for the spoiled urban populations further.

In a series of suicidal attacks, the provincial governor of Syria Palestina and his guards in Antiochia as well as the priests of Roman temples in Pergamon are killed by Simonist Christian rebels.

257
Roman Empire: In February, a ceasefire between the Roman and Sassanid empires is negotiated, but both sides continue to build up for the next wave in this prolonged and costly war.

Simonist attacks have spread all across the Eastern part of the Empire. Following advice from the Roman Academia Martiana, Decius implements a counterinsurgency strategy that manages to reduce the guerrilla attacks, but heavily restricts civic life in the cities and kills many innocents, too.

Nevertheless, on August 20th, a suicide commando of approximately 50 Simonists manages to kill emperor Decius, their imperialist and anti-Christian nemesis.

The Senate elects Valerian as new Emperor. Shocked by the assassination by an Eastern sect in the heart of Rome, Valerian even toughens the counterinsurgency strategies.

Frankish invaders raid Germania Inferior and Gallia Belgica. Valerian decides that the Sassanid danger and the terrorist threat do not allow a large deployment of troops against the Franks.

Roman Empire / Gaul: After the Franks have reached Tarraco, and Saxons and Angles raid the Eastern shore of Britannia, and Rome still doesn't react, governors from the mostly Celtic provinces of Germania Inferior and Superior, Raetia, Gallia Narbonnensis, Gallia Lugdunensis, Gallia Belgica, Britannia, Aquitania, Hispania Tarraconensis, Lusitania and Baetica meet in Lutetia and rally behind Marcus Postumus, the governor of Germania Inferior, as new emperor of a breakaway "Imperium Romanum Galliarum".

258
Roman Empire: The empire descends into chaos.

Simonist guerrilla warfare has started to spread across Africa and into Italy. As public order breaks down, they are increasingly accompanied by slave rebellions.

In spring, the ceasefire is interrupted by a Sassanid attack in Syria, but restored after six weeks.

Two usurpers challenge Valerian in Italy - first Proculus, then Carus - both calling for action to regain control over breakaway Gaul. Valerian barely manages to hold on to power.

Saba: The influx of great numbers of (often well-educated) Christian refugees shows its effects: the King of Saba converts to a miaphysitic type of Christianity, and with him his entire beleaguered kingdom.

259
Roman Empire: While Gaul has managed to stabilise itself, restore order and trade, and fend off another Frankish invasion, the situation in the (rest of the) Roman Empire continues to worsen, especially after renewed Sassanid attacks.

Since the beginning of the triple crisis of Simonist / slave revolts, Sassanid war and the breakaway of Gaul, trade has more than halved empire-wide, and living standards in the cities have declined sharply.

For the first time in centuries, both uncontrolled riots and well-organised protest marches of Roman citizens are seen in the streets of Rome, Corinthia, Alexandria, Cyrene and Carthage. The revolutionary banner of the Simonists, the red cross, often flies above the heads of the protesting masses.

Also for the first time since the end of the republic, Plebeian Councils gather spontaneously on large public places in the context of the protest marches. In these councils, the political instability, overtaxation and endless usurpations are denounced, an end to the military counterinsurgency is demanded - and increasingly, opinions to end the Principate are voiced.

260
Roman Empire / Gaul: Valerian is assassinated by a usurper named Iulianus. Iulianus stops the counterinsurgency strategy and gathers legions for an attack on Gaul.

In Lutetia, Postumus plans his defenses. He anticipates a Roman attack in Gallia Narbonnensis and stations most of his troops there.

But Iulianus manages to surprise Postumus. The Roman legions march through Noricum and attack in the South-East of Gaul. In Bratananium, they encounter the Celtic army, and defeat them. Iulianus marches on Augusta Vindelicorum, lays siege to it and conquers the town. The Celtic defense proves too weak for the Romans in Cambodunum and Brigantium, too.

Postumus had to march his legions across the Alps. When Iulianus and his troops approach the land of the Raurici, they are finally faced by the main Celtic army, which manages to defeat the Romans at Vindonissa. In this battle, emperor Iulianus is killed.

While in Rome, Carinus and Herennius contend for the succession, Celtic divisions confront the retreating Romans near Bragodurium and kill several hundreds.

At the same time, a slave rebellion in Cilicia (Simonist and non-religious groups fighting side by side) succeeds, slaughters hundreds of soldiers, magistrates and patricians and declares a democratic and egalitarian Republic of Tarsus.

In other parts of the empire, more and more Plebeian Councils form and continue to occupy public places. Increasingly, they demand all the political power, which had gathered in the hands of the military-monarchic complex of the Principate, for themselves.

Under these circumstances, tax collection in the provinces becomes increasingly impossible. Even with ever-faster debasement of the currency, Rome has severe difficulties paying its army. The resources allocated to the Cura Annonae are halved, causing even more violent riots on the streets of Rome and a further strengthening of the radical factions in the informal Plebeian Council of Rome.

261
Roman Empire / Gaul: While it is still entirely unclear who is emperor in Rome, the Roman legions in Raetia-Vindelicia regroup and manage to push the Celts back.

Before Postumus can send Celtic re-inforcements to the front, Franks cross the Rhine again, requiring the return of two Celtic legions to drive them off.

Roman Empire: Across the empire, the entire populations seems to be on the streets, and the public administration, which has lost control over much of the empire, faces what may be described as bankruptcy.

The Proconsul of Africa, Lucius Messius, is the first to officially recognise the Plebeian Council in his province´s capital, Carthage. He assures the interim cooperation of what is left of his administration, should the Council be able to raise some funds, which he promises not to redirect towards Rome; he commissions the Council to organise a new tax administration and provincial guard, pass new tax and security laws and elect its own magistrates. With these moves, Africa Proconsularis becomes factually independent.

With similar and less far-reaching developments occurring in other provinces as well, Rome loses control. The sombre mood in the Senate mirrors the fatalism of much of Rome's upper class.

On the other hand, in the new Plebeian Councils, whose power grows, divisions, who had been overshadowed by common goals, become visible between radical groups led by Simonists, who demand confiscations, land reform, the abolition of slavery and "popular dictatorship" (as one Roman splinter group put it), and moderates, who demand institutional stability, safeguards against currency debasement, popular consent to new taxes, a more rational tax collection and the resuscitation of trade and a return to the rule of law.

In Egypt, a slave rebellion breaks out and directs its violence not only against the old prefecture's "power structures", but also against new structures with which the Plebeian Council had attempted to restore public life from the bottom up. Simonists and other radicals side with the slaves and form a new Council. Violent fights between all groups involved continue for weeks.

Roman Empire  Persia: The Sassanids terminate the ceasefire, attack Syria, where unpaid and demotivated legions give themselves in, and defeat the Republic of Tarsus, where the former slaves put up heroic but unorganised resistance. Sassanids occupy Cilicia and march on Rome's Galatian province as well as its Lasikan ally.

262
The first months of the year see more slave rebellions and atrocities committed by all sides, several new contenders to the title of emperor turning up and fighting each other, unpaid Roman troops plundering their own provinces and Sassanids advancing through Galatia (the Lasikan have managed to fight off the Sassanids with help from the Alani), slowed down not so much by regular Roman troops putting up any resistance but by civil unrest and guerrilla warfare in the regions closer to home, which cut their supply lines and require troop deployments to restore "order".

On the other hand, they also see a relative return to a functioning public life in Africa Proconsularis and in Achaia, where Plebeian Councils managed to build new political structures and achieve a minimum of order, although they could neither stop terrorist attacks from radical groups, nor restore complete control over slaves.

When this feeble order seems threatened by another large-scale slave revolt in Achaia, the reformist urban middle classes turn away from their radical allies and decide that the revolution needs support from some of the ruling families, too. A delegation of (mostly Jewish) moderate Achaian Plebeian Councillors is sent to Rome to discuss a proposition with the Senate:


 * an end to the absolute power of the emperor


 * a return to (modernised and de-tribalised) republican institutions including a powerful, but reformed Senate, who must consent to any taxation


 * a professional, paid and effective administration aimed at running public services smoothly, gathering taxes fairly, securing property and keeping the markets open


 * a federalisation of the empire and defined autonomies for the provinces


 * and a restructuring of the armed forces to secure institutional control over them and limit their factual political power.

Before they meet the Senate, they discuss their idea with Rome´s Plebeian Council, where the idea finds a mixed echo and a lot of rejection from radicals. It only gains a clear majority when the demands to officially end slavery and guarantee religious freedom for everyone are included and the Achaian delegation and leaders of the moderate Roman factions secure the support of Rome's Catholic bishop Dionysius.

The Senators, who wanted to refuse to speak with "the mob", but are compelled to do so when rebellious masses force open the doors of the Cura Iulia, listen reluctantly, followed by replies which do not even try to hide how much they detest the ideas and those who propose them. But the senators also know that there is no hope to restore imperial order against the rebellious masses - and put up some resistance against the Sassanids, Postumus the usurper, and whoever else might want to pick at the increasingly smelly corpse of Rome´s imperial power.

The proposal is debated for more than a week - not only in the Senate, but also within the patrician and established plebeian families represented there. With a narrow majority, the Senate decides to establish contacts with all the Councils which have sprung up across the empire. Modalities are to be discussed as to how to restore a minimum of public order first, to organise the formation of "Comitia Constituenta", which could draft the constitution of a new republic and its provinces, and to allow existing imperial institutions, chiefly among them the armed forces, to resume their functions in an interim way, receiving the resources they needed.

The road towards a new republic was bumpy. Conservative senators, magistrates and other members of the leading families as well as army units tried to sabotage the process on every level and with means ranging from rhetoric to brute force. Likewise, revolutionary radicals regularly assassinated "traitors", who had agreed to drop something they considered non-negotiable, and the most radical groups even withdrew from the entire process and resorted to continuing terrorist acts. And then, the "founding fathers" of the new Republic were divided over the question of how to treat the Celtic provinces, where things were calm so far, no Plebeian Councils were formed, and Postumus was able to pay his troops - and gather them for a march on Italy and Rome!

With regard to the last question, the so-called "small Romans", who advocated the establishment of a new republic in the provinces not controlled by Postumus first, and then peace negotiations with Postumus, prevailed as soon as the Celtic invasion plans were heard of.

Thus, months before the new constitution is even subjected to the vote, a delegation of senators and representatives of the Plebeian Councils meets with Postumus.and signs a peace treaty. Raetia-Vindelicia and the Alpine provinces fall back to Rome (because they are difficult to secure for Postumus, and unattractively poor), the rest stays with Gaul. Rome officially renounces any claims to its former provinces and recognises the new Emperor of the Celts as legitimate. There were not to be any customs or trade barriers between both empires, saving them the trouble of erecting a customs limes through the Alps and down to the Narbonnensis coast.

Having secured peace in the West, the same delegation tries to organise a defense against the Sassanids in the East - but unsuccessfully. Still lacking resources to pay the troops, Rome must witness the fall of Asia Minor and the plundering of some of its wealthiest cities.

This quickens the negotiations in the Comitia. Resistance against the reforms dwindles in the upper class, and when some of their most important demands are accepted (no empire-wide land reform, high requirements for magistrates, recognition of special "merit"), all Comitia across the empire send delegates to a Collegium Constituens in Rome.

Gaul: Postumus, who was slightly worried by the nature of the delegation he met, declares Roman, Celtic, Germanic, Jewish and Christian religious practices as "free and protected" in Gaul.

263
Roman Empire: In February, the Collegium Constituens passes the new constitution of the Imperial Roman Republic (Res Publica Imperii Romani). The Collegium serves as interim parliament and elects a new figurehead Emperor, Marinianus, and two interim Consuls, who, using the tax revenues that slowly begin to flow into the republic's budget again, implement the reforms of the armed forces as laid down in the constitution and prepare the reconquest of Rome's Asian provinces.

The Concilia Vicina established in the constitution form all over the empire and restore public order, administration and transportation throughout the summer. 263's harvest can be brought in in an organised manner, and empire-wide elections for the new organs laid down in the constitution are held.

Moderate reformists gain a majority in the Senate and elect new regular Consuls, while the provincial Conventa show varying results from a radical majority and proconsuls in Syria Palaestina to a conservative majority in Moesia Inferior, who simply affirms the old proconsul and elects another equestrian aristocrat as second proconsul.

Although tens of thousands of Christians have been killed in the persecutions, Christian confessions still make up 25 % of the Empire's population. But among these Christian confessions, power has shifted away from the monepiscopal Apostolic Trinitarian Church, who is still separated over the treatment of the lapsi and has excommunicated the Simonists. In Greece and Asia Minor, gnostic groups have become the majority, while in Syria, radical Simonism continues to grow. In the following years, most Simonists refrain from violent action, though, and try to use the Comitia to implement their ideals.

264
Roman Empire: The reformist majority in the Senate passes many new laws to codify the negotiated reforms in the administration..

Economic revival and military reform are the major challenges for the first Magistrates of the Second Republic and the new Senate.

Two opposing concepts are discussed:

a) The reformists want to cut down on military spending, improve defensive infrastructure (mostly limites) and modernise the streamlined armed forces in order to deal with the limited amount of threats left. They favour a raise in the land tax (tributum solis) to rebuild infrastructure, and a lowering of excises and tariffs to help revive commerce.

b) The conservatives want to preserve established military structures and make the Sassanids pay for the damage they inflicted. They favour excises and tariffs to fund such a military offensive.

The reformers' problem is that the entire military leadership is opposed to their plans, which would remove the privileges of the ordo equestris (i.e.: theirs) and create a more egalitarian and meritocratic army. Under the threat of a coup d´état, the young republic postpones military reform, leaving the former Asian provinces still under Sassanid control.

Roman Empire: The abolition of slavery has brought down wage levels among unskilled workers. Many provincial Conventa react with increases in the resources dedicated to the Cura Annonae, which put heavy strains on their budgets.

Persia: Civil insurgencies and the sheer vastness of the quickly occupied territories prevents the Sassanids from stabilising their power their new Western satrapies, i.e. Rome's former Asian provinces.

Saba / Himjar: The Kingdom of Saba wins a decisive battle against the Himjar and regains control over the entire South-Western part of Arabia, except for a small part belonging to Aksum.

265
Roman Empire: As Consulate and Senate decide to finally tackle the reform of the military in spring, an aristocratic-military conspiracy overthrows the new government and assumes power in May. Publius Crassus is declared the new dictator. Mass protests in Rome let the new reactionary order collapse after only a few weeks.

In September, the laws concerning the reform of Rome´s "defensores imperii et civum romanorum" are finally passed. The distinction between legions and auxiliaries is abandoned, smaller flexible units are established. Annual conscription is re-inforced, while longer-serving professional soldiers are paid soldes which no longer differ as greatly between ranks as before. Officer ranks no longer have aristocratic or property requirements; instead they require military experience and degrees from the Academia Martiana. All soldiers swear their oaths on the new constitution.

The Senate also passes a raise of the tributum solis and its empire-wide application (including Italia) against fierce resistance from the landowning establishment, and a lowering of imperial excises and tariffs.

The reorganisation and modernisation of the army begins in October. Old officers who did not participate in the coup are left in their positions. The modernisation follows plans from the Academia Martiana. The cavalry will be enlarged and receive more intense training, as the Sassanids are seen as the only problem Rome must deal with militarily. To secure the other borders, plans are made for the re-inforcement of limites and fortifications in the North and later in the South.

Gaul: Two Celtic legions manage to eradicate Saxon footholds in eastern Britannia.

267
Roman Empire: Fortifications of the Danube, the Dacian limes and the Rhine-Hilara-Danube limes are increased. Simultaneously, a multi-dimensional, complex and flexible civil protection system is experimented with in Dacia, Moesia, Pannonia and Noricum: even smaller towns are fortified and prepared to outlast sieges, while entire populations are trained in accordance with plans for fast evacuations. The entire concept reflects a republican paradigm shift towards protecting the population and wealth of the border provinces, too, whereas former imperial strategies had focused more exclusively on using the periphery to protect the imperial centre.

268
Roman Empire / Persia: The new republican army begins its offensive against the Sassanids in April. High motivation and a slightly improved (although not yet equivalent to that of the Sassanids) cavalry as well as support from the local population lead to quick successes.

By the end of summer, Rome has regained control over Asia Minor, Bithynia et Pontus, Phrygia, Lycia, Galatia, Cilicia, parts of Cappadocia and Syria.

After Sassanids lose the battle of Palmyra, a peace treaty is signed. South-eastern Mesopotamia becomes a Sassanid satrapy, while Armenia and Iberia are to become neutral kingdoms ruled by Arsakid kings of different dynastic lines. The Northern Caucasus should remain neutral, too; Roman and Sassanid spheres of influence ultimately stop respectively at the Pshavis Aragvi.

The treaty of Palmyra seals a long era of peace between Rome and Persia. The Roman and Sassanid Empires even exchange permanent ambassadors.

Roman Empire: The foundation of new academiae is planned for the next decade.

Gaul: Franks invade and plunder Toxandria. First significant öpposition arises against Postumus. In Lugdunum, a Celtic Senate gathers, uniting old senators left on Celtic grounds and new influential leaders. Postumus grants them no rights and appoints his own senators instead in Colonia Agrippina.

269
Saba: Saba reconquers Hadramaut. King Far'am Yanhab starts maintenance of the dams and irrigation systems.

Roman Empire: To fund the reconstruction of cities and infrastructure in its Asian provinces, the Senate expropriates the aristocratic families who had participated in the coup and operates their businesses and estates as public enterprises for the next 21 years.

Desperate for a replacement of Gladiator fights, Italy's population flocks to all sorts of sports events: fistfights, cart races, wrestling and a lot more, mostly imported from Greece. The province's Senate decides to sponsor regular provincial Games after the model of the empire-wide Olympic Games.

270
Roman Empire: To replace the cheap slave labour that is no longer available, more and more watermills are being built across the empire, also using the frequent inventions of cranks and connecting rods.

271
Roman Empire: Another heavily fortified limes is begun to be built along the Euphrates border with the Sassanid Empire.

The Senate and Roman public opinion are divided over the "Armenian question" of how to secure the Empire's Eastern border: Should the limes be continued along the Roman-Armenian mountain border? Or should Armenia be protected against the Sassanids as a buffer state?

272
Sassanid Empire / Albania: Shapur invades Albania.

Roman Empire: While the "pro-Caucasians" (mostly Optimates) are in favour of assisting the Albanians against the Sassanid invasion - they also favour a Roman military presence to protect Armenia - the "small but safe" faction (mostly Populares) gathers a majority in the Senate. An intervention in Albania is rejected, and for the next year, workings on the fortification of the Roman-Armenian border are announced.

273
Roman Empire: The reconstruction plans for the Dacian provinces include countless dams to use the Carpathian mountain rivers' hydropower. Old colonists, Dacians, more frequent inhabitants from Gothia and even peregrini workers from among the Costoboci, Carpi and Roxolani find employment in these projects. Sassanid Empire: The university of Gundishapur is founded.

Albania is entirely brought under Sassanid control.

274
Roman Empire / Armenia: After the Euphrates limes is finished, its continuation along the Roman-Armenian border is begun. Castles and difficult constructions across mountains and valleys must be carried out.

275
Roman Empire: Other provinces have followed Italia's example and host regular provincial games after the great Olympic model, too.

Nomadic Blemmyes attack Koptos on the Nile as well as the Roman Red Sea port of Myos Hormos.

The Roman Academia Martiana calls for a military doctrine concerning Rome's extraterritorial troops, which protect allies like Lasika, or important trade routes like the Red Sea. The anti-war majority in the Senate decides to withdraw completely from the non-Roman Caucasus, to secure Egypt's Southern border with fortifications and maintain a small naval presence at Myos Hormos and in Aden.

276
Roman Empire: Koptos and Myos Hormos are reconquered by Roman troops. Improvements on the Limes Aegypticus are begun.

Armenia / Sassanid Empire: Anticipating a Sassanid violation of the Treaty of Palmyra, which guaranteed Armenia's independence, as well as Roman indifference towards such an event, King Trdat III. "voluntarily" negotiates Sassanid suzerainty of his kingdom. Shapur's local governor, Hormizd, would not interfere into internal Armenian matters and leave Trdat's state intact, as long as Armenia provided the required soldiers for the Sassanids as well as tributes for imperial projects like road building.

Having reached their limit of Westward expansion, the Sassanids would enjoy peace in the West for more than two centuries. They now turned their entire imperial power towards expansion in the East.

277
Gaul: Following the Roman model, the Celts begin massive fortifications of the Rhine against the Franks (and the Alemanni, who have kept quiet for a while, though), too.

279
Roman Empire: The Rhine-Hilara-Danube limes is completed. No Alemannic intrusions will occur from now on.

280
Persia / India: The Sassanid Empire defeats the Saka in Northern India. Shapur I. expands his empire to the Yamuna, the new satrapies belonging to the Sakanshah.

281
Roman Empire: Fortifications of the Danube are completed. No Markomannic, Vandal or Sarmatian invasions anymore!

282
Alemannia: Vilmar manages to defeat the Markomanni and forces them to accept him as their overlord.

283
Lasika: Following the Roman withdrawal, their former vassal King Malaz II. conquers the lands of the Svani and other post-Kolchian tribes and unites them in resistance against Gothic aggression.

284
Roman Empire: The profit squeeze on agricultural land owners exerted by the abolition of slavery and the increase of the land tax has produced a lot of resentmeng among land-owning families - but also a desperate search for measures to increase profitability. So far, the most promising outcome appears to be the introduction of the three-field crop rotation.

285
Gaul: Fortification of the Rhine is completed. No successful invasions in the next 90 years.

286
Roman Empire / Persia: The newly fortified Euphrates-Euxinus limes is finished.

288
Roman Empire: The Limes Aegypticus is completed. In spite of a long period of peace with Garama and various Berber tribes, Consulate and Senate opt for a fortification of the Limes Africanus after the successful models in the North, the East and Egypt.

290
Roman Empire: The first conservative majority in the Second Republic's Senate votes for the privatisation of the publicly run estates and businesses. Progressives denounce the Censors to sell public property below its value to members of influential families.

291
First major battle between Franks and Alemanni ends in Frankish defeat. The Franks must not cross the Moenus.

292
Persia: At the solemn age of 77, shah Shapur I. died. He leaves behind a huge, consolidated empire stretching from the Euphrates in the West to the Yamuna in the East and from the Arabian shore of the Persian Gulf in the South to Turan in the North. Under Shapur, the crafts blossomed (also due to highly skilled Christian and Jewish immigrants who took refuge from Decius' persecutions in the Roman Empire), universities were founded, and various brands of Zoroastrism, Manichaeism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism co-existed peacefully (in contrast to OTL persecutions under his sons). Each of these religions developed important new schools of thought at Sasanid universities due to the intense contact with the other cultures. Shapur has made lasting peace with Rome and established good friendly relations with Wei and later Jin China. In comparison to OTL, the Sassanid Empire's / Eranshahr's centre of gravity lies further to the East. Also in contrast to OTL, the concept of shahanshah-hood does not absorb so much deification and idolisation due to the redefinition of its Roman role model and the constitutional changes in Eranshahr's Western neighbour empire. Instead, Shapur I. served as a historical model of the good ruler, who maintains peace, prosperity and justice.

293
Persia: Conflicts between Shapur's sons for the succession are resolved in favour of Narseh with the help of aristocrats.

Gothic Empire / Lasika: Under the leadership of King Malaz II., Lasikan troops can defend Pitsunda and fight off the much more numerous Gothic invaders. The miraculous events will be narrated in heroic tales and songs of Caucasian literature for many centuries to come.

294
Aided by Rome, the Garamants subjugate the Blemmyes and adapt both their military and their civil uses of the dromedar.

After decades of peace on the Dacian - Gothic front, the conservative-led republican government in Rome forges a military alliance with several Dacian, Roxolanian and other tribes neighbouring its Dacian and Moesain provinces and defeats the (eastern) Gothic army, keeping the new enemy in the North-East at bay for another decade.

295
Persia / India: Narseh I. cracks down on a revolt by Indian aristocrats in the East of his empire. Indian Kshatriya warriors are deported and employed across different troops where they further enhance cavalry tactics.

296
The North-East African port town of Essina, a former Roman emporium, is abandoned. The end of slavery in the Roman Empire had diminished the town's importance, which had been a major slave market. The withdrawal of the Roman classis led to a lack of security for Roman merchants, while Rahaweyn clans progressively abandoned the hinterland, which was beginning to dry out due to climatic change, and moved further South.

297
Alemannia: After Vilmar´s death, Marcomanni chiefs side with Burgunds, Rugii and newly arrived Langobards and attack the Alemanni. Alemannic control beyond the old Roman Limes Germanicus breaks down.

298
Saba / Aksum: Following intense contact with Christian Saba, the Aksumite kingdom converts to miaphysitic Christianity.

299
Roman Empire: A small and ill-fated attempt at invading Dacia by mounted Sarmatians is stopped at the Limes Dacicus.

Salvador79 (talk) 01:13, February 28, 2014 (UTC)

Abrittus