Following the assassination of Emperor Heraclius II by agents of Aquitaine, there were two claimants to the throne. The Emperor's son, Josephus, was only six years old, and unready to assume the throne. As he was unable to effectively govern, a military regency was declared, and Rome was now ruled by General Titus Belisarius. This general came from a peasant background, rising to his rank through the Tagmata. General Belisarius was fiercely loyal to the Emperor's, and vowed revenge for the murder of the Empire. This war was now personal.
Not all were content with the rule of the Empire coming under a man of common ancestry, and thus a second claimant rose, Constantine, the head of a cadet branch of the Hellenic Dynasty. Though this house had long converted to Orthodoxy, it still challenged the right of the Angoran Dynasty to rule over all Rome, and it's leaders were the Angoran Dynasties main political rivals through all it's existence.
Constantine only angered General Belisarius when he claimed that he should be crowned Emperor, and he fled to Angora for his life. Though it is unknown how he managed to win the support of the Angoran nobility, they supported Constantine's claims and most of Anatolia succeeded from Constantinople. In an odd twist of fate, the Emperor's of Angora now ruled from Constantinople and the Emperor's of Constantinople now ruled from Angora. After this split, other portions of the Empire took advantage of the split and succeeded from the Empire.
However, this did not change the situation in Constantinople, and as Josephus grew, his thoughts grew identical to General Belisarius, and he too grew to hate the Catholic faith and vowed to destroy the Great Satanist in Rome and his false church. This way of thinking spread through the entire nobility, and it became obvious that there could never be peace again until the Rome was Roman again, free from the Satanists and murderers.
Now, as the regency has ended and Emperor Josephus has gained complete control of the nation, he stands ready to lead Rome out of darkness and destroy those who have come against it. The Empire will not rest until it is victorious.
OOC: Rome is a confusing topic, I refer to the pope as the "Great Satanist in Rome" yet I refer to my realms as Rome. Deal with it.
Not all were content with the rule of the Empire coming under a man of common ancestry, and thus a second claimant rose, Constantine, the head of a cadet branch of the Hellenic Dynasty. Though this house had long converted to Orthodoxy, it still challenged the right of the Angoran Dynasty to rule over all Rome, and it's leaders were the Angoran Dynasties main political rivals through all it's existence.
Constantine only angered General Belisarius when he claimed that he should be crowned Emperor, and he fled to Angora for his life. Though it is unknown how he managed to win the support of the Angoran nobility, they supported Constantine's claims and most of Anatolia succeeded from Constantinople. In an odd twist of fate, the Emperor's of Angora now ruled from Constantinople and the Emperor's of Constantinople now ruled from Angora. After this split, other portions of the Empire took advantage of the split and succeeded from the Empire.
However, this did not change the situation in Constantinople, and as Josephus grew, his thoughts grew identical to General Belisarius, and he too grew to hate the Catholic faith and vowed to destroy the Great Satanist in Rome and his false church. This way of thinking spread through the entire nobility, and it became obvious that there could never be peace again until the Rome was Roman again, free from the Satanists and murderers.
Now, as the regency has ended and Emperor Josephus has gained complete control of the nation, he stands ready to lead Rome out of darkness and destroy those who have come against it. The Empire will not rest until it is victorious.
OOC: Rome is a confusing topic, I refer to the pope as the "Great Satanist in Rome" yet I refer to my realms as Rome. Deal with it.