Hellenism Salesman
Emperor
After creating a somewhat rushed Croatia design for Civ 6, I've returned with lots more research and production value to bring you their Civ 7 form!
CROATIA
A Croatian interlace design. I chose this instead of the iconic checkerboard as a way of saying "this is a medieval Croatia design."
Traits: Cultural, Diplomatic
The Adriatic recedes, revealing Croatia’s endless shore.
The Slavs came to Europe with a vengeance, usurping Roman provinces and stealing their names. Such was the case with Dalmatian and Pannonian Croatia, first vassal duchies of the Franks, but eventually recognized as a kingdom all their own. For years, neighboring kingdoms relied on the Croats to stand firm against opponents on land and sea- the Arabs, the Bulgars, and the Magyars. When the Normans came to end the native dynasty, it would be the Magyars (and later the Austrians) who took hold of the Croatian kingdom, setting it up to fulfill its same role against Byzantium and their Turkish successor.
Ability: Baptism of the Croats
The South Slavic peoples once practiced their own pagan religion, but thanks to the efforts of missionaries like Cyril and Methodius, it didn’t last long. The Balkans soon became singularly Christian- this was hundreds of years before the Great Schism.
Croatia was no exception. Its Christian fervor was manifested in friendly papal relations and (eventually) friendly diplomacy with its Christian neighbors. Croatia’s piety made it a suitable vassal for the Franks, a trustworthy neighbor for the Byzantines, and a logical annexation for the Austrian and Hungarian kingdoms.
Unique Units
During the Trpimirovic Dynasty, Croatia was organized into župas led by župans and banovinas led by bans. The ban was a noble who would be responsible for mobilizing their province in times of war, producing a banderium- a unit of soldiers. This practice was extended into Croatia’s personal union with Hungary where the ban was reduced to a singular position like a viceroy or a margrave.
The banderium is a Tier 2 and 3 Unit only because the Man-at-Arms- the Unit it replaces- is unlocked at Heraldry. A ban needed a way to signify what troops they had brought, after all.
Croatia was quick to Christianize, but that didn’t mean it was wholly Christian. The Naretljani (also called the Narentines or Pagania) were a pagan tribe on the Dalmatian coast who evaded conversion. With their prime position, they attacked anything Venetian that crossed their path- clergy, merchants, sailors, and even several doges. The Venetians crafted several peace treaties, but none lasted. The Naretljani’s reign of terror would only end through military defeat.
Unique Infrastructure: Interlaced Church
(sorry, no icon this time. A digital artist I am not!)
Croatia welcomed Christianity, but this did not mean that it adopted its Roman stylings. Pre-Romanesque churches litter Croatia. Built from stone, they commonly feature the Croatian three-ribbon interlace, a national symbol that predates the iconic checkerboard.
The bonuses mirror those of the Temple, also found in the Exploration Age.
Civics
Historical Context:
The Slavic languages didn’t used to be so different. During their early Christianization, they spoke and worshiped in something called Old Church Slavonic. It was this language that Cyril and Methodius were trying to create a script for. The script they created- glagolitic script, called “glagoljica” in Croatian- ended up having limited use. The Bulgarian-developed Cyrillic script ended up overtaking it in many early Slavic groups. This was not the case in Croatia, however, as glagoljica became widespread enough to develop regional styles and later be remembered as a national symbol.
When King Peter Kresimir IV came to power, he forced Latin liturgy upon his subjects in order to strengthen ties with Rome. It was not readily accepted, but the use of Latin allowed for easier communication with their Catholic allies. It stuck.
Historical Context:
Bans were once governors responsible for raising troops during war. During Croatia’s time under the Magyars and the Hapsburgs, the Ban of Croatia (or Hrvatski Ban in Croatian) was the viceroy responsible for keeping the “military frontier” ready in case of Ottoman invasion.
To see the Civics laid out in their proper tree form, click this link.
This design has been a real labor of love for me. It's been hard, no doubt, picking through secondary and tertiary sources for kernels of information, but very worth it for the cool things I was able to find. I hope you all enjoyed reading this- please share your thoughts, questions, compliments, and concerns below! I'm interested in hearing what you all have to say.
CROATIA
A Croatian interlace design. I chose this instead of the iconic checkerboard as a way of saying "this is a medieval Croatia design."
Traits: Cultural, Diplomatic
The Adriatic recedes, revealing Croatia’s endless shore.
The Slavs came to Europe with a vengeance, usurping Roman provinces and stealing their names. Such was the case with Dalmatian and Pannonian Croatia, first vassal duchies of the Franks, but eventually recognized as a kingdom all their own. For years, neighboring kingdoms relied on the Croats to stand firm against opponents on land and sea- the Arabs, the Bulgars, and the Magyars. When the Normans came to end the native dynasty, it would be the Magyars (and later the Austrians) who took hold of the Croatian kingdom, setting it up to fulfill its same role against Byzantium and their Turkish successor.
Ability: Baptism of the Croats
- May produce Missionaries of their first Ally’s Religion, and fully converting one of your settlements to an Ally’s Religion for the first time yields 50 Influence and a Relic, once per settlement.
The South Slavic peoples once practiced their own pagan religion, but thanks to the efforts of missionaries like Cyril and Methodius, it didn’t last long. The Balkans soon became singularly Christian- this was hundreds of years before the Great Schism.
Croatia was no exception. Its Christian fervor was manifested in friendly papal relations and (eventually) friendly diplomacy with its Christian neighbors. Croatia’s piety made it a suitable vassal for the Franks, a trustworthy neighbor for the Byzantines, and a logical annexation for the Austrian and Hungarian kingdoms.
Unique Units
- Banderium: Croatian Tier 2 and Tier 3 unique Melee Unit. +5 Combat Strength when within a Commander’s Command Radius.
During the Trpimirovic Dynasty, Croatia was organized into župas led by župans and banovinas led by bans. The ban was a noble who would be responsible for mobilizing their province in times of war, producing a banderium- a unit of soldiers. This practice was extended into Croatia’s personal union with Hungary where the ban was reduced to a singular position like a viceroy or a margrave.
The banderium is a Tier 2 and 3 Unit only because the Man-at-Arms- the Unit it replaces- is unlocked at Heraldry. A ban needed a way to signify what troops they had brought, after all.
- Naretljani Corsair: Croatian unique Naval Unit. +5 Combat Strength against Districts adjacent to Coast. Coastal Raiding only consumes 1 Movement, rather than consuming all Movement.
Croatia was quick to Christianize, but that didn’t mean it was wholly Christian. The Naretljani (also called the Narentines or Pagania) were a pagan tribe on the Dalmatian coast who evaded conversion. With their prime position, they attacked anything Venetian that crossed their path- clergy, merchants, sailors, and even several doges. The Venetians crafted several peace treaties, but none lasted. The Naretljani’s reign of terror would only end through military defeat.
Unique Infrastructure: Interlaced Church
(sorry, no icon this time. A digital artist I am not!)
- A unique Tile Improvement that must be built adjacent to Coast. +6 Happiness. Allows the creation of Missionaries in this Settlement. +1 Happiness for each adjacent Mountain tile.
Croatia welcomed Christianity, but this did not mean that it adopted its Roman stylings. Pre-Romanesque churches litter Croatia. Built from stone, they commonly feature the Croatian three-ribbon interlace, a national symbol that predates the iconic checkerboard.
The bonuses mirror those of the Temple, also found in the Exploration Age.
Civics
- Slavonic Liturgy
- +30% Production towards Missionaries.
- Unlocks Glagoljica as a Tradition, granting +2 Culture on Buildings with Great Work slots.
- Pre-req for Roman Rite Civic with a Latin Liturgy Tradition. Roman Rite grants you and your allies 2 free Relics for your majority Religion and their founded Religion, respectively. Latin Liturgy provides -1 Happiness in all Buildings with Great Work slots, but grants +15% Influence per turn while in an Alliance.
Historical Context:
The Slavic languages didn’t used to be so different. During their early Christianization, they spoke and worshiped in something called Old Church Slavonic. It was this language that Cyril and Methodius were trying to create a script for. The script they created- glagolitic script, called “glagoljica” in Croatian- ended up having limited use. The Bulgarian-developed Cyrillic script ended up overtaking it in many early Slavic groups. This was not the case in Croatia, however, as glagoljica became widespread enough to develop regional styles and later be remembered as a national symbol.
When King Peter Kresimir IV came to power, he forced Latin liturgy upon his subjects in order to strengthen ties with Rome. It was not readily accepted, but the use of Latin allowed for easier communication with their Catholic allies. It stuck.
- Bans and Banovinas
- +5 Influence from Commanders stationed on a City Hall. Unlocks the Hrvatski Ban Tradition, granting Military Units +5 Combat Strength in friendly territory following an Ally’s religion.
Historical Context:
Bans were once governors responsible for raising troops during war. During Croatia’s time under the Magyars and the Hapsburgs, the Ban of Croatia (or Hrvatski Ban in Croatian) was the viceroy responsible for keeping the “military frontier” ready in case of Ottoman invasion.
To see the Civics laid out in their proper tree form, click this link.
This design has been a real labor of love for me. It's been hard, no doubt, picking through secondary and tertiary sources for kernels of information, but very worth it for the cool things I was able to find. I hope you all enjoyed reading this- please share your thoughts, questions, compliments, and concerns below! I'm interested in hearing what you all have to say.
