Abrittus

''This timeline has just been set up (Feb 27th, 2014). I have some concrete ideas for the following years and general principles for further developments. Since I´m quite busy right now, it may take some months to write them. Comments and suggestions are welcome, but please don´t edit before I´ve fleshed out this timeline a little.''

Point of Divergence
Moesia: 251 AD.

Decius, a barracks emperor, who tries to stabilise the institutions of the Roman Empire and persecutes the Christians because they refuse to venerate the emperors, is faced with a Visigoth invasion of Moesia and Dacia. Defeated at Augusta Traiana, the Romans are unable to defend Philippolis. But the Gothic troops, led by king Criva, are weakened and seek to negotiate an organised retreat. Decius turns down the offer and chases the Goths back North.

Criva separates his troops. The Roman legions confront the Goths near Abrittus, Although Decius` son, Herennius, is killed by a Gothic spear, the battle generally seems to go well for the Romans. Decius` general, Trebonianus Gallus, wants to pursue the retreating Goths, but Decius is wary (in contast to ATL). He orders to look for the rest of Criva`s troops and learns that they are less than two miles away, awaiting a Roman advance into the marshland. Decius sends assassins to kill Criva while he reorganises his own troops to skirt the swamps and attack the Goths from behind.

Decius celebrates a glorious success at Abrittus, driving the Goths into the bog and annihilating Criva´s troops completely. After that, he rides North with his legions to root out the Barbarian nuisance.

After several huge massacres, the campaign concludes with the capture of the entire Visigothic nobility.

Decius has secured Dacia and the Danube for the next decades. Upon his triumphant return to Rome, he decides to found the "Academia Martiana", a university dedicated not so much to grammar and rhetorics, but to military strategy, because he deems superior military strategy crucial for Rome`s future.

Decius can concentrate on fighting the Sassanids in the East - and on persecuting the Christians, who refuse to venerate the Roman gods and emperors and seem like a factor of internal instability to him.

Timeline
251-300

300-399

400-499

OTL to ATL differences
Abrittus

Salvador79 (talk) 14:25, February 27, 2014 (UTC)