[RFC DoC] A story of Byzantium

Great so far!
 
Great update. Retake egypt.
 
Whoah, things just got interesting. Retake all the lands for Konstantinoupolis!
 
Alexios' attempt at transferring his Cataphracts to Egypt was unsuccessful, since his fleet lost the naval battle of Alexandria versus the rebels. However, rebel Alexandria started its own civil war - the patricians, higher merchants of the city started to clash versus the middle merchants. This allowed the Imperial troops from loyal Kairo to take the city.

However, while the Imperial troops were fighting in Egypt, the Turks defeated the troops of Byzantine independent governor of Hierusalem, capturing the city. Alexios would not be able to regain Mesopotamia.

Civ4ScreenShot0161.jpg


Then Alexios defeated the Russian warlord of Thebes, regaining control of Egypt. That resulted in a war with the Russian Grand Duke, who during this war assumed the title of "Tzar" - Russian bastardization of "Caesar" to further insult Byzantium. Also, he incited the Turks to attack Byzantium again, promising the Turks Russian "protection".

Civ4ScreenShot0165.jpg


In 1352, Alexios was succeeded by his son, Ioannes.

Exp.jpg

Ioannes crowned by Christ. A special "coronation" silver issue.

The Byzantines were not the only enemies The Russians had. The German Empire, apparently, had their own problems with the Slavs.

Civ4ScreenShot0168.jpg


Turkish siege of Constantinople was done with Cannons - a new military invention. However, thr Turks failed to take the great city, and the Byzantines went on the offensive.

Civ4ScreenShot0172.jpg


When the German Emperor recaptured Asperon (a city which the Germans called Weisenburg in their barbarian tounge), he agreed to return in to Byzantium in exchange for the hand of Ioannes' daughter.

Civ4ScreenShot0175.jpg


In 1393 - the year of Ioannes' death - Byzantine armies again appeared in Asia Minor.

Ioannes was succeeded by his son, who was named in honor of his grandfather.

Alexi.jpg

Alexios II

He managed to disperse the Turks further, however, in the course of his campaign his troops fell into ambush and were defeated.

Civ4ScreenShot0184.jpg


After this Byzantium and the Turkish Emirate signed a peace treaty. Byzantium regained Western Asia Minor, but other Turkish areas remained in the hands of the Emir.

Civ4ScreenShot0186.jpg

Byzantium in 1433
 
Great update.
 
Spanish Ethiopia and French Arabia, all in the Middle Ages? Looks like something for the OMG Look What happened thread in the RFC forum.
I gave them Open Borders, which they used to conduct minor "crusades" against independents.
 
And the story continues.

In 1442, Alexios II died, succeeded by his son, Petros. Petros seemed to be a humble and calm man, but there was a strain of harsh pragmatism in his character.

TDR.jpg

Petros (r. 1442-87)

Petros was immediately faced with wars on two fronts. The French king attacked and took southern Italy, and a rather weird romantic story involving a Turkish prince running away from his father and marrying a young Greek woman of high standing resulted in another war with Turkey and Russian Czar, the so-called "True Roman Emperor and Protector of Turks".

oCiv4ScreenShot0008.jpg


Petros decided to give South Italy away. The North Italian cities, formally subject to him, were strong enough to defend, but not strong enough to go on the offensive against the French. And French garrison in Rome was quite large.

So, he decided to focus on the Turks. German troops in the North protected the Balkans from Russian invaders.

The harshness of Petros' government was revealed, as he ordered the Coptic peasants in Egypt to work overdue for defence of the Empire.

oCiv4ScreenShot0011.jpg


While Byzantine troops invaded the Holy Land, Turks invaded Asia Minor yet again.

In the end, the Byzantines succeeded in reconquering Jerusalem, but the Turks managed to overcome the Asia Minor defences.

Since Petros was not sure that he'll be able to hold Jerusalem against the Turks, he decided to sign peace with them so far. Both conquests made during the war remained in hands of their respective states.

He also signed peace with the French, recognizing their ownership of Naples.

The way Petros treated Egypt and north Africa provoked a couple of rebellions, which were crushed.

oCiv4ScreenShot0022.jpg


oCiv4ScreenShot0024.jpg


At the end of his life, Petros arranged a wedding between a Byzantine princess and a Spanish prince.

oCiv4ScreenShot0025.jpg


He was succeeded by his son Andronikos.

lex.jpg

Andronikos (r. 1487-1528). During that time, it again became fashionable for Emperors to appear in Consular uniforms.

In 1505, the Iranians overthrew their Turkish overlords.

oCiv4ScreenShot0029.jpg


Meanwhile, as a part of a broader cultural Renaissance in Mediterranean, a philosopher by the name of Stephanos Alexandrinos refounded the old Academy in Athens.

oCiv4ScreenShot0031.jpg


Every time the Germans attack the Russians, they are scared of Russian colds and withdraw. Truly, the lands of that Russian barbarian are as inhospitable as he is himself. Meanwhile,
war was again declared on the Turks.

oCiv4ScreenShot0033.jpg


Under the double pressure of both Iranian rebels and Byzantine forces, Turkish emirate collapsed into a bunch of quarrelling statelets. It was easy for Byzantine army to recapture Antiocheia.

oCiv4ScreenShot0035.jpg
 
Russia claim Moscow is the new Rome. Burn them :mwaha:
 
Great story!!
 
However, Mesopotamia was captured by the Persians.

1Civ4ScreenShot0039.jpg


In the year 1547, an embassy from China reached Constantinople. While the Byzantines didn't like the Chinese manners - these strange people stupidly considered everyone else to be uncivilized barbarians - some trade agreements were signed.

1Civ4ScreenShot0043.jpg


A year later, Byzantium captured Tebriz, which was renamed Alexandropolis, in the name of the reigning emperor.

manu.jpg


Alexandros.

The Reformation strikes. After that, all my Christian cities receive the Protestant religion in addition to whatever else was present there. I think it's a bug.

1Civ4ScreenShot0018.jpg


In 1603, the Persian Shah declared war. Learned men in Constantinople ruminated on the Roman-Persian wars and cycles of history.

1Civ4ScreenShot0025.jpg


The Shah attacked Jordan, but then, surprisingly, withdrew.

1Civ4ScreenShot0031.jpg


Meanwhile, a learned mind named Michael Psellos of Alexandria started to challenge Aristotelian physics.

1Civ4ScreenShot0047.jpg


The Shah attacked Alexandropolis -

1Civ4ScreenShot0048.jpg


But was beaten back.

1Civ4ScreenShot0050.jpg


After the Byzantines captured Mesopotamia, the scared Shah agreed to a "perpetual alliance" with the Emperor.

1Civ4ScreenShot0054.jpg


But while Byzantium was strengthened in the East, it was slightly weakened in the West. It reclaimed Sicily, but lost the sovereignty over North Italian cities that were absorbed by France.

1Civ4ScreenShot0059.jpg
 
Nice update, keep 'em coming :)
 
Great update. Try to colonise america or india.
 
Do you have a different font to normal or am I going crazy?
 
Top Bottom