251-300 (Abrittus)

251
Roman Empire: Roman legions triumph over invasion troops led by Visigoth King Criva at Abrittus. Consequent military successes north of the Danube lead to an utter defeat of Visigoths and their allies (Carpi, Hasdinga, several Sarmatian tribes). Visigothic aristocracy captured.

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.

Intense interrogations of the captured Visigothic nobles reveal agricultural failures up north and the attraction of Roman wealth as the main motives for Gothic attacks on Rome´s Balkanic provinces. Decius decides to settle unarmed Visigoths who swear allegiance to Rome in the Dacia province under a loyal pro forma Visigothic king, whose family is held hostage in Rome.

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.

But Decius remains determined to root out the Alemannic problem just like he had done with the Visigoths. 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,

The pattern is repeated for over two months, until Decius slowly realises that the Alemanni are less organised than the Visigoths. They do not have a single king or high king; raiding armies seem to form rather spontaneously. 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 disagrees. He wants to comb the entire province, reinforce the limes forts with new auxiliaries and restore Roman civilization north of the Alps. 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. 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.

In Syria Palaestina, an underground Christian group led by a radical named Simon, who denounces the monepiscopal 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 / Persia: The Sassanids attack. Within weeks, they have taken control of Mesopotamia, Armenia and Syria.

Probus declares himself emperor in Byzantium and 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 Empire: Decius stubbornly decides to stick with his plan to bring the Alemanni completely under his control and continue the cavalry build-up for a later attack on the Sassanids.

Roman trade in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Baclk Sea are frequently interrupted by Sassanid ships. This, together with the Sassanid occupation of territories that cut off Asia Minor from Arabia and Egypt, 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.

255
Roman Empire: After Roman troops are attacked in regions that have been considered "cleared", Decius must acknowledge the inability to regain complete control over the Agri Decumates. He tries to call local Alemanic leaders to an Althing that would decide future coexistence between Romans and Alemanni. Some Alemanni remain doubtful; others want to seize the opportunity of getting rid of the occupation troops. Far from representing all Alemanni, the Althing commences in Arae Flaviae. Its result is the formalisation of an Alemannic Confederacy, to which absent groups are open to adhere, wiho would share control over the Agri Decumates with the Roman institutions in manifold ways laid down in a Latin document (which many Alemanni could not read and did not understand and many Roman colonists did not quite like).

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, binding more and more resources. Disrupted trade, the destructions of war and heavy (and also quite arbitary 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 imperailist 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 hold their ground. Roman "duces" secretly negotiate with Huno, high king of the Alemannic Confederacy. They promise Alemannic independence if the Alemanni fight against the Celts. And many Alemanni follow this invitation.

Before Postumus can send Celtic reinforcements to the front, Franks cross the Rhine again, requiring the return of two Celtic legions to drive them off. In the Agri Decumates, Alemanni fight mostly against Roman colonist militias, who feel betrayed by Rome and have sided with the Celts.

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 occuring 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. Sassnids occupy Cilicia.

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, slowed down not so much by regular Roman troops putting up any resistance but by civil unrest and guerilla 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.

Postumus sends troops to crack down on the Alemanni.

263
Roman Empire: In February, the Collegium Constituens passes the new constituion 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, adminstration 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.

Gaul: Postumus must realise what Decius had to accept before him: pacifying the Agri Decumates in their current state would bind too much resources. To solve the issue, he starts a settlement campaign aiming at increased Celtic-Roman presence that would make a local control of Germanic people easier.

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.

Gaul: Postumus` settlement campaign proves an utter failure. The Agri Decumates are too ill-famed for their dilapidated infrastructure, wood shortage due to excessive deforestation, and violent Germanic inhabitants. The Celtic Roman Empire offers its citizens an organised relocation across the Rhine and signs peace treaties with any Alemannic king who is interested, declaring the Agri Decumates as abandoned.

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 reinforced, 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 reinforcement of limites and fortifications in the North and later in the South.

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

Alemannia: Huno dies. The Alemannic Confederacy convenes in an althing and elects Vilmar as new high king.

267
Roman Empire: Fortifications of the Danube, the Dacian limes and the Rhine-Hilara-Danube limes are begun.

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. Mesopotamia and Assyria remain Sassanid satrapies, while Armenia is to become a neutral kingdom ruled by Arsakid kings.

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.

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

Roman Empire: 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
Gaul: Another Franksih invasion stopped at Toxandria.

272
Persia: Shaipur`s son and successor Hormizd expels all non-recanting Christians and Manichaeists from Assyria. Most of them flee to the Arabian peninsula.

273
Persia: The university of Gundishapur is founded.

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

277
Gaul: Beginning of massive fortifications of the Rhine against the Franks (and the Alemanni, who have kept quiet for a while, though).

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

284
Roman Empire: The profit squeeze on agricultural land owners exerted by the abolition of slavery and the introduction 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: A conspiracy of patricians and members of the old ordo equestris, whose privileges are threatened, attempts to overthrow the progressive Senate and take over the power, declaring Publius Crassus as new dictator. Mass protests in Rome let the new reactionary order collapse after only a few weeks.

288
Roman Empire: Following Gaul`s example, the Romans fortify their Vindelican province with a new and strong Rhine-Hilara-Danube limes.

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.

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.

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 backfires brutally as a Visigothic legion of the Roman Empire slaughters thousands of Sarmatian civilians in retaliation.

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

Abrittus