TNESI: The Glorious Mysteries

[Dreadnought]

To Byzantium
From Tuscany

Agreed.

 

[Wubba360]

To: Byzantines
From: Egypt

Please we are looking out for our nations security. We will offer a trade agreement perhaps to bring our nations closer, if you wish we will grant a defensive pact. We want friendship. To the Orthodox minority we will promise to grant equal rights. Unalienable rights. If you would be willing to have one we are willing to make some changes to better the happiness to our Orthodox population.

 

[ThomAnder]

To: Byzantines
From: Egypt

Please we are looking out for our nations security. We will offer a trade agreement perhaps to bring our nations closer, if you wish we will grant a defensive pact. We want friendship. To the Orthodox minority we will promise to grant equal rights. Unalienable rights. If you would be willing to have one we are willing to make some changes to better the happiness to our Orthodox population.

You do know that you're offering a defensive pact to the very nation from whom you wrested your independence from and has been fighting for the last century or so? And according to das you hate the christians as well. Honestly this is a nation fit for someone like silver...

 

[Insane_Panda]

We refuse the Egyptian offer.

(OOC: Yeah, Wubba, that is really OOC - Egypt is a very militaristic and belligerent nation)

 

[Insane_Panda]

Oops. Edited.

 

[Israelite9191]

I only did the map, wrote the nation descriptions and argued with Israelite some, mostly about Ireland.

Éirinn go Brách!

 

[Wubba360]

yeah... thats about to change panda story coming

 

[North King]

OOC: Wubba, are you saying you're going to try and make your nation a secular, peaceful one when your entire military is fanatically religious and will probably rise up and kill you if you try and make them adhere to religious tolerance?

 

[alex994]

OOC: Welcome to the realities of nesing *remembers fantasmo trying to establish a Republic in Juang Imperial China*

 

[Insane_Panda]

THEMATA ROMAION
The Organizational Structure of the Basileia tōn Romaiōn

The Byzantine Empire, being a large, centralized state occupying land from the Balkans to Armenia, required an effective system of division between its provinces, the creation of regions inherently loyal to the state, and an effective system of establishing and maintaing a professional, landed self-defense force. Thusly, in order to meet such conditions, and in order to secure the strength and continued dominance of the Byzantine Empire in the Eastern-Mediterranean, the Thematic system was established implemented as the basic organizational structure of the Empire. The Thematic system has ensured the success and longevity of the Empire, and though its strength and effeciency was sorely weakened in the previous centuries, under the Comnenid dynasty it has seen a resurgance, reform, and re-implementation.

HISTORY OF THE THEMATIC SYSTEM​

During the late sixth and early seventh centuries, the Byzantine Empire was under assault. The Sassanid Empire was pressing it from the south and east, assaulting Syria, Egypt, and Anatolia. Slavs and Avars raided Greece and disputed the Balkan holdings of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Lombards freely raided northern Italy, completely unopposed. The treasury of the Empire was drained and its generals were in open rebellion. Under such circumstances, Heraclius ascended to the throne and instituted the reforms that would serve as the backbone of the Empire for generations to come.

The reorganizations of Heraclius were sorely needed. With wars being waged simultaneously in the east and the west, the public coffers were all but empty. The problem of increased military expenditures was compounded by peasantry abandoning their lands due to invasions or increased taxes. Population and agricultural production was shrinking in Asia Minor, the empire's power base. Most larger cities were shrinking, with droves of people returning to agriculture in the countryside out of necessity. Furthermore, the empire was relying substantially on mercenaries to fight its wars, a sure sign of weakness. The basic objective of Heraclius’ alterations was to return the military to the republican system of landed citizen armies that had served so well during the initial creation of the Roman Empire. In order to do this, Heraclius began distributing land to the armies and the individual soldiers in exchange for hereditary military duty at a reduced expense to the state.

This system of transplanting military units into unsettled lands and creating an inherent loyalty to the state, something every government has struggled with, greatly strengthened the Byzantine Empire. The theme was an arrangement of plots of land given for farming to the soldiers. The soldiers were still technically a military unit, under the command of a strategos, a military and civil authority, and they did not own the land they worked as it was still controlled by the state. Therefore, for its use the soldiers' pay was reduced. By accepting this proposition, the participants agreed that their descendants would also serve in the military and work in a theme, thus simultaneously reducing the need for unpopular drafts as well as cheaply maintaining the military. It also allowed for the settling of conquered lands, as themes could be rapidly formed into military units and there was always a substantial addition made to public lands during a conquest. Over the next several decades, the Sassanids retreated, the Slavs and Avars were reduced and rebellions within the empire became far less common. The themata military structure rescued the Eastern Roman Empire from destruction and gave it a durability that would last for centuries to come.

THE MODERN THEMATIC SYSTEM​

However, though the Thematic System did save the Empire on numerous occasions, and did provide a strong back-bone to the structure of the Empire, it was afflicted with several inherent weaknesses, weaknesses which would allow foriegn invaders during the 12th century to significantly weaken the Empire.

The Thematic system, being based around a landed military class, lead to the general militarization of the Byzantine state. Civil institutions and civil culture declined as the power shifted from civil rulers to military ones. Due to the thematic system, leaders relied upon the support of the military and the thematic Strategos, whom were often generals which governed the provinces through their military strength - thusly, due to this reliance, affairs which did not directly pertain to the needs of the Emperors and the Strategos were largely ignored, as the military provided the base of their power, and not the strength of the civil institutions.

Secondly, the creation of Thema with their own individual militaries lead to the rise of powerful, aristocratic families based in these regions, and endowed with what were essentially private armies. The families, in time, became deeply entrenched in their regions of power within the individual themes, and their power which accumulated from taxes and the military forces of the Thema (military forces which soon became loyal to them instead of the Empire), began to directly challange, and on some occasions, even usurp Imperial authority. It should be noted still, that though the Empire faced defeat and though it was weakened significantly, it was not destroyed, and throughout Anatolia and Greece, the Byzantine and Roman culture survived, and indeed, in later centuries, thrived - culminating in the current Comnenid Empire. This, however, did not do anything to negate the weaknesses of the system, and it became apparent, after the Byzantine civil war and the loss of territories in Levant and Egypt, that reform was needed, both to ensure the continuation of the Empire itself, and the continuation of Comnenid power.

And reformed it was. Demetrius I Comnenus, upon his ascension to the throne after ending the debilitating civil war, re-organized the entirety of the empire, maintaining the Thematic system yet destroying the ages-old powerbases of the aristocratic warlords. The military was placed under the loyalty of the Emperor and the Emperor alone - soldiers were still given plots of land to farm, yet these lands were not under the control of the Thematic Strategos, as they had been under the past, but instead under the control of the Civilian ruler of the Theme, the Exarchos, who answered directly to the Emperor (and was also appointed by the Emperor). The Strategos, thusly, was now only a general, and no longer excercised the absolute power over civilian authority in the thema as the Strategos of the past did. Thusly, the strengths of the Thematic system were preserved, creating strong, defensible regions within the Empire and allowing for the deployment of forces throughout the Empire against foriegn threats, yet also the weaknesses of the system were done away with, and authority was firmly in the hands of the civilian rulers who were subordinated to the Empire - allowing, finally, for the flourishing of a new cultural enlightenment based upon the old teachings of the Greeks and Romans.

THE THEMATIC ORGANIZATION OF THE COMNENID EMPIRE​

The Byzantine Empire of the Comnenid Dynasty, as founded by Demetrius, is organized as follows:

Spoiler THEMES OF THE EMPIRE :

I. THRACE
II. OPTIMATON
III. OPSIKION
IV. ABYDOS
V. SAMOS
VI. CIBYRRAEOT
VII. SELEUCIA
VIII. ANATOLIKON
IX. THRACESION
X. CAPPADOCIA
XI. TELUCH
XII. ANTIOCH
XIII. ALEPPO
XIV. LYCANDUS
XV. MELITENE
XVI. MESOPOTAMIA
XVII. CHALDIA
XVIII. THEODOSIOPOLIS
XIX. ARMENIAKON
XX. PAPHLAGONIA
XXI. BUCELARION
XXII. CHARSIANON
XXIII. SEBASTEA
XXIV. COLONEA
XXV. MACEDONIA
XXVI. STRYMON
XXVII. THESSALONICA
XXVIII. HELLAS
XXIX. PELOPONNESE
XXX. NICOPOLIS
XXXI. DYRRACHIUM
XXXII. BULGARIA
XXXIII. PARISTRIUM
XXXIV. SERBIA
XXXV. CROATIA
XXVI. DACIA
XXVII. CALABRIA
XXVIII. LOMBARDIA

 

[Wubba360]

alright...yeah...getting into character...story

The man stood before the whimpering man. Covering his face from the desert sun he smiled. Behind him stood the massive pyramids. He glared at the prisoners.

Foreign officers who had tried to misinterpret the kings orders. Pathetic beings...trying to make friends with the hated. Neutrality was fine, but these mn had given tokens of friendship to the enemies of the grand leader. The master and that was treason. They were all tryingto undermind him.

The man held in his hand a saber. It was stained with the blood of the infidel. Before him stood a whimpering man of a sunni. He had tried to undermind the king, bring infidels into control of the great city at the mouth of life. They marched toward the Nile until they were at its banks. The chained prisoners lay crying out.

The man who hid his face stood overthem

"You know why you are here. You are enemies ofthe king. Conspirators and men who threaten our path. You are men who threaten Egypt. You should be proud to die today. Because with it, Egypt will be safer. Now repent your misdeeds and confess before the whole world that you are murderers of the innocent, pedifiles, homosexuals, men of the unholy practice. You are men who have sold your soul to demons and darkness. Confess and you may die quickly."

The sunni ambassador who was responsible for the Andulusa conference was brought up first. "CONFESS" the shrouded man screamed. The Sunni screamed in terror and confessed. With one slice the water grew red the head began to drift down the river. All the men began throwing the prisoners into the water and belting at them.

One man, he was old, said "I refuse" The shrouded man laughed. He took his majedi and sliced the oldman's hand. "Do you confess old man?"

The man screamed in pain dropping down as he watched his hand drift downstream. "Do you see now? Will you die whimpering like all these other infidels? Or die like a man and stand up to me and take your punishment like a warrior?"

The old man got up. He said, "Beat me and cut me, but I will not shed a tear I promise you that."

The shrouded man cut off the other hand, the old man winced in pain but did not collapse nor cry. He cut off the mans arms and the man screamed and collapsed but he did not cry. He stared in into the rock eyes of his killer and did not cry. "You are an honorable man. You shall see my face for such bravery." The man removed the cover. His face was dark his eyes a deep brown and his hair black. His face was clean shaven and his hair long. He stared at the old man. "Now you will die." He swung and the head and body drifted down into the nile. He put his cover back on. He looked across. There stood a boy on a horse. The boy did not move, cry, scream, or make any noise. He just watched the men brought to their deaths. He turned to the shrouded man. They locked gazes.

The boy was unknown to the man, but he was young, no older than twelve. After ten minutes the boy turned away and carried on. The man then continued his love for his master.

He brought up fifteen more slaves took away their lives. The man knew what he had done. It was his place no matter the gruesome. He was a warrior and a weapon of the Emperor. When given a task he did not challenge his user, he carried it out to his fullest. For it is the warior's duty. The man would do his job, the warrior would fight for his master. And the warrior would not disobey.

The sunnis did not question they obeyed. Like every citizen they were a tool a gear in the government. They did what they were told and carried it out. It was the emperors only expectation. The shrouded man, stepped over into the village a man in black hucked a rock at the man. The man was in panic. He threw another rock. The shrouded man took out his bow drew an arrow and aimed. In the alley theman tried to run, the arrow flew and struck like a weapon. The man dropped dead. The arrow did not question its orders, its orders were to kill and it did. The man would do like the arrow.

All men would do like the arrow. All people would do like the arrow. They would obey the Emperor.

Thats right back in character...yes...it feels so good

 

[Cuivienen]

To: Zanzibar
From: Vijayanagara

We would be inclined to accept, except that you are offering our mortal enemies aid in their survival. I trust you realize why this is somewhat... distressing to us.

To: Vijayanagara
From: Zanzibar

The Bahmani have as a right to exist on their own land as you have to exist on yours. We do not wish for the Deccan to become embroiled in war, and maintaining friendship with both yourselves and the Bahmani seems the most prudent way to do so. We will not abandon Bahmani or condone any actions of yours against it.

 

[North King]

To: Zanzibar
From: Vijayanagara

Then we must decline.

 

[Cuivienen]

To: Vijayanagara
From: Zanzibar

It saddens us to hear this. We have tried.


OOC: Thlayli, how long, in terms of years, are the updates?

 

[conehead234]

When do you want orders by?

 

[Reno]

OOC: Welcome to the realities of nesing *remembers fantasmo trying to establish a Republic in Juang Imperial China*

OOC: Too bad that he got invaded by Sinhala that very same turn. Good times, that must have been the biggest empire to have collapsed completely in one turn.

 

[silver 2039]

To Persia
From the Golden Horde

Your messanger is an incompotent fool. He lost himself in the deserts of Central Asia for three months before he reached my court...however we except your non-agression pact.


To Egypt
From Golden Horde

An alliance with people of such a distant land is of no use to us at this time.

To teh Puppets
From Golden Horde


We deamand a yearly tribute of 1,000,000 rubles (1 eco) from both of you in return for the protection and many benefits we provide you.

 

[Wubba360]

To: Persia
From: Egypt

Will you not sign a three turn nap. It would be wise for you to accept before I lose my temper.

 

[Disenfrancised]

Speaking my reservation for Genoa, though I will not be able to reply to any communications till wednesday, and have not had time to read the thread.. Much like a wharfhouse whore, we of the republic are willing to sell ourselves to the highest bidder.

various PMs will be sent on wednesday.

 

[Thlayli]

Nice stories. You still owe me one, Swiss, remember?

Good to see you dis. Just so you know, Genoa has an informal alliance with Andalusia, since they control the Straits of Gibraltar, through which your commerce to Africa and Avalon goes.

From: Tsardom of Galicia
To: Byzantium

I suppose we'll agree to an alliance...as long as we have the mutual threat of the Horde.

From: Papal States
Tp: Byzantium

We are not interested in an alliance at this time.