Third Rome in Britannia

The POD begins in the year 475 when the Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos is deposed by his own general, Flavius Orestes, and flees with his followers to the island of Britannia. Although the island had already been abandoned by Rome in 410, Nepos is able to rally the native Romano-British people and drive the Saxons almost completely off the island. After Rome is sacked by Odoacer, and Nepos' successor, Romulus Augustus is deposed, Nepos declares the seat of government of the Western Roman Empire to be in Britannia. Backed by the Eastern Roman Empire, Nepos reigns over the traditional Roman half of the island until his death in 496 AD. During that time, he began a program of tolerance and assimilation for the native Celtic people of the island, in order to broaden his popular support base; the Roman settlers are ordered to treat the natives civilly, and slavery is abolished on the island. Although at first, the native Celts are reluctant to trust the Roman's word, they slowly begin to take greater part in the ever increasing Roman society in Britannia. Incoming Roman settlers from Italy and Gaul start a policy of intermarrying with the native Britons; a policy that will continue for centuries.