Byzantium
The Emperor saty gloriously upon the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as the patriarch of Constantinople made his case to Constantine V of reuniting the western and eastern churches.
"Lord Emperor, we must send our armies to Italy, conquer Rome, and force the barbarian pope to our will. We can then use the church of the west to reconquer all of the old Roman Empire." said the Patriarch
General Tiberias thus far had been the right hand of Emperor Constantine V and through talks with him over the past year wasn't surprised when the Emperor had told him to position his men in positions to enforce a quick martial law on Byzantium. An entire 2 divisions of Skutatoi were marching through the streets as this court session was taking place, unknown to the Patriarch.
"I have heard enough" said Constantine V, raising his arm. "I am no longer ready to heed the churches advice on matters of policy. Long hours of research has led me to the conclusion that the Roman Empire has fallen to decadence due to religion. We have gotten soft, and your Jesus is to blame for this." The whole of the court gasped, and the room filled with armed men. "Send the clergy to the chopping block and await my presence to execute them" he told them.
Rounding them up kicking and screaming and shouting curses against the Emperor, 2 priests were beat to a pulp before they gave up trying at the Emperor. When the crowd gathered round the chopping block, troops surrounded them. The streets were crawling with Byzantine infantry now.
"Look at these fat priests, bishops, and patriarchs" declared the Emperor. "Living a life as Christ would have, I'm sure. I am not here to speak of the hypocracies, but to explain that under our gods, we triumphed. We had conquered the world under those gods and then our gods were thrown out and we have paid the price. We are down to a quarter of the size of our glorious Roman Empire! I am giving our country back to the gods, and with their help we will rise again. As your Emperor, I command that you give up the 1 false god, and redeem yourself to the old gods.
The crowd, most too shocked to move made very little noise. A scattered "No way" or "Anything for the Emperor" was shouted though. The troops were poised to strike the crowd down if they tried to overrun the chop block though.
Moving to the Patriarch, the Emperor told him "As your Emperor, you are commanded as well. You must give up Jesus and embrace the old gods. Do you obey?"
"No" replied the patriarch, and the Emperor slid his dagger across the throat of the Patriarch with red trails of blood following. He moved to a bishop next, who obeyed and shouted that he was turning his back on the god of Christianity. Some in the crowd weeped for the patriarch, and some applauded.
Soon, however, after a few more clergy were slain and a few more swore allegiance to the old gods, the general call of "The Old Gods" swelled the streets. Rather out of fear or from joy, none could tell. Probably a bit of both. The old gods were still widely worshipped by many at this point in the Empire, and the hope that the Emperor might go back to them had never vanished from some circles.
Soon after Constantinople was purged of all Christian clergy, he demanded the churches be remodelled to worship the old gods, and the tithes were abolished and the endulgences were gone, and people started to see some wisdom in what the Emperor had done.
The armies had been poised to strike in other major Byzantine cities, too, to purge their clergy. Mixed results there, too, but all in all the land was turning back to the old gods, as it had turned christian 300 some years ago.
