Sargon
I'll echo that. Hope your making a full recovery. [Not just because I want the TL completed.
]Best wishes
Steve
No Terror of Justinian - Glory Instead! (The Roman Emperor Who Lost His Nose - A TL of Justinian II)
- Thread starter Sargon
- Start date
Sargon
I'll echo that. Hope your making a full recovery. [Not just because I want the TL completed.
]Best wishes
Steve
I hope things are getting better for you, Sargon.Thanks for the support old chap.
The TL is not dead, but I very nearly was after serious events in my life, which is why I have been absent from the boards for a long while.
Sargon
Yes, I had to concentrate on RL matters rather than come online much, the concussion by itself was not good at all. As for getting better, it's slow, but steady.
Sargon
I'll echo that. Hope your making a full recovery. [Not just because I want the TL completed.
Best wishes
Steve
Thanks Steve. Well, at the rate I post chapters it'll be sometime before it's completed, especially as it has been planned out quite a lot to go much further.
Thanks for the support guys! Most appreciated.
I too hope that you are on the mend and doing better. I just recently became a member and stumbled across this thread and wanted to say that it is definitely one of the BEST on the site! thank you so much for your time and effort in writing it.
You are more than welcome, and I'm very happy to know you're enjoying it so much. Thanks for your kindness there.
I'm hoping to get another chapter out in the not-too-distant future. After all, I don't want to keep Justinian waiting too long so that he gets fed up and decides to come after me!
Sargon
I'm hoping to get another chapter out in the not-too-distant future. After all, I don't want to keep Justinian waiting too long so that he gets fed up and decides to come after me!
Sargon
I know the feeling, Sir Oris will likely try and kick my ass if my block does not dissipate.
Good luck.
Sargon
Good to hear your on the mend. As others have said take your time and make sure of your health 1st. Looking forward to seeing more, although I would probably have to read back some way to refresh my memory of what was going on.
Sounds like it was nasty although some sort of shock is better than some of the alternatives. Anyway best of luck in a full recovery.
Steve
Good to hear your on the mend. As others have said take your time and make sure of your health 1st. Looking forward to seeing more, although I would probably have to read back some way to refresh my memory of what was going on.
Sounds like it was nasty although some sort of shock is better than some of the alternatives. Anyway best of luck in a full recovery.
Steve
i just felt that this timeline deserved another bump!!!!!!and hope that Sargon is doing well.
Definitely ditto on both points, along with some frustration as when it came up the list again I hoped we might have an update.
Hope your fairing well Sargon.
Steve
i just felt that this timeline deserved another bump!!!!!!and hope that Sargon is doing well.
Thanks for the good wishes chaps! Very much appreciated.
Health is not great, but I'm muddling through, and it has certainly had an effect upon my productivity. Still, I manage to get some things done from time to time...
Definitely ditto on both points, along with some frustration as when it came up the list again I hoped we might have an update.
Hope your fairing well Sargon.
Steve
Which reminds me. You'd better read up on the last few parts if you feel you've forgotten stuff as your frustration should shortly be coming to an end.
<whistles innocently>
Did I mention there's an update on the way soon?
Sargon
Thanks for the good wishes chaps! Very much appreciated.
Health is not great, but I'm muddling through, and it has certainly had an effect upon my productivity. Still, I manage to get some things done from time to time...
Ah, sounds like its something on-going.
Rather hoped it would be something you were in the process of totally shaking off. Anyway sounds like things are improving, and very much hope they continue heading that way.Which reminds me. You'd better read up on the last few parts if you feel you've forgotten stuff as your frustration should shortly be coming to an end.
<whistles innocently>
Did I mention there's an update on the way soon?
Sargon
Excellent. A few days late but an additional Xmas present.
Unfortunately your all too right on the need to read up as I can remember very little of the details. Hopefully have some time tomorrow.Steve
Ah, sounds like its something on-going.
Excellent. A few days late but an additional Xmas present.
Steve
I suffer from a number of maladies as I have a very iffy constitution unfortunately, and one of the more damaging afflictions is not curable I'm sad to say. Thankee for the kind wishes once more though, and don't worry, I'm not out for the count yet.
And I'll be damned if it's going to stop me from doing more Justinian when I am able to do so! However it can take a considerable time to grind out a chapter. The next one has been in the works for some months now. Bit by bit it has emerged, and I just need to do a last edit and check before it is posted here.
The not-yet-fully-edited draft is available in the Writer's Desk section at my forums though. I always post my stuff there first before anywhere else. However, I anticipate the next part being posted here soon. As I rarely manage to churn out many parts, then I suggest everyone savours it and takes their time not to rush through it, because I'm not sure when more will be coming, but rest assured, more WILL come at some point.
I have produced parts for my other stories across the forums over the past months, but none of them requires quite the sheer amount of research and time needed for this very demanding beast.
Sargon
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Part XII: Kings, Knights, Bishops and Pawns
You've waited for it, and now you are rewarded with the longest part yet written which is...
...INCOMING!
710 – Late Summer The regal figure gazed out of the palace window and took another sip from the wine goblet being held in his hand. With the other hand, he once more brought the parchment up towards his face to read it again. King Agila II sighed. His day had become somewhat more complex.
The Visigothic ruler of the north-eastern part of Iberia furrowed his brow as he considered what he should do. The Roman rebel Julian had requested his help in an Alliance to depose of the usurper Roderic. That was something Agila had no problem with. Julian also wished to set in place a plan to make sure the Arabs he was fighting alongside with didn’t take too much advantage of the intended defeat of Roderic. That he could also agree to. However the fact that the Romans had entered the equation on Roderic’s side was a big problem, and was tempering his response – not to mention his enthusiasm for an Alliance. He was all too aware of the Roman Emperor’s miraculous return to his throne a few years before, and being a religious man, Agila was certain God must have indeed had a hand in such an unlikely occurrence. Then there was the rather obvious fact that Justinian II was certainly no slouch as a leader, and had seemingly learnt the lessons of his first period in power by moderating his approach for the better. That boded ill for him if he decided to intervene, as he had heard that Justinian was having rather a lot of success these days in his foreign policy.
Another sip of the wine did little to ease the amount of creases taking place on his forehead, but he knew he had to make some sort of decision. Twisting the missive up in his hands, he knew that for the time being at least he’d have to compromise somewhat. Despite favouring a potential alliance, the risks were great, and he knew it would be to his advantage if Roderic and Julian’s allies fought each other a bit more without his own intervention. That would whittle both their forces down nicely, and thus solve a number of issues for him. The Romans would be weakened, Roderick would be weakened, and the Arabs would be weakened as well. Then, assuming Julian managed to survive, he himself would be in a better position to agree to an alliance and be able to expect very favourable terms for any help he could offer the komes (Count) of Septum.
The next sip of wine felt considerably more refreshing he thought approvingly as he called for a servant to refill his goblet.
The throne room in the Palace of Bucoleon was a flurry of activity as the sakellarios Theophylactus hurried into the chamber in response to a summons from the Emperor. Making his way to the throne he saw that Justinian was not actually sitting on it and was standing up rapidly firing off a list of instructions to the attendants around him. He was obviously wishing to get things done as soon as possible, and the sakellarios knew why – the fleet drawn up for the assault on North Africa was steadily being assembled in the waters outside the City, and the Emperor wished to waste no time in taking the boat over to his flagship and assuming personal command of the operation, especially as the Miscalled Commander of the Faithful's missive had reached him. As expected it contained some gifts, concessions and sugary words offering those in exchange for Septum, which had most regrettably resulted from generals not properly informing him of matters. Of course, Justinian decided that was not enough. Off to North Africa to land near Carthage, and storm Tunis to take it in exchange then seemed a perfectly understandable course of action, and the Emperor had written his reply in such words, but had instructed the messenger to only leave on his journey to deliver it when he himself departed, and of course there would be no hurry in transporting it to Damascus either.
Spotting him though some courtiers, Justinian noticed his Treasurer's arrival.
“Ah, Theophylactus, my old friend, I have something for you. Please approach.”. The sakellarios imagined that the Emperor's eyes sparkled with a little bit of mischief, and made his way forward a little apprehensively before bowing deeply to the figure in front of the throne. The Emperor gestured to a nearby attendant, and Theophylactus found a document proffered to him, which he gently took. “You may open it, but be quick, as I am eager to leave.”, urged the Emperor as the Treasurer fumbled with the Imperial Seal.
Opening up the high quality parchment, he read the contents with a bemused look that shortly coalesced into one of amazement, and then happiness.
“Emperor, I...I... know not what I should say. Except, are you most sure of this?”, his voice quavered a little.
“Indeed, not only am I sure, I am insistent. You are now Megas Logothetes*. Enjoy your promotion, and work well with Cyrus and the Empress to run affairs here in the time I am absent. You have my utmost trust - and my sincere thanks for all your hard work and loyalty over the years. I only apologise that I was remiss in filling the vacant post for some time now. You richly deserve it, and there is no one better qualified than yourself for such an august position.”. The Emperor gave a very broad smile before coming up to his old friend and laying a hand on his shoulder.
“I am grateful beyond words, and I was never expecting such a thing. Emperor, you have my deep thanks and my greatest respects. I will do my best in this position and honour the great faith and trust you have invested in me!”. Theophylactus hoped his words were being delivered well enough as he was feeling a mixture of euphoria, humility and amazement all at the same time. He need not have worried at all.
Patting his newly promoted aide's shoulder once more, Justinian replied, “Think nothing of it. I know you will carry out your responsibilities as efficiently and as thoroughly as ever. Now, I really must leave. Farewell until we next meet, old friend!”.
And with that he swept past through the chamber and the guards at the main entrance who snapped to attention as he disappeared from sight down the corridor that lay beyond, leaving an almost speechless Theophylactus to start when another hand laid itself upon his shoulder, causing him to turn and see the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Cyrus grinning at him.
“As the Emperor most eloquently said, richly deserved indeed. Now you really can get things moving, and that'll be helpful when we have to organise this bustle of people into running the City wisely and effectively whilst our master is gone.”. He paused, then added, “Now, you and I have been invited to dine with the Empress and the young Emperor Tiberius this evening after the fleet has departed. It will not be a very formal occasion, so it should be most relaxing, however matters of state will most likely be touched upon. By the look of you, you could do with some decent wine to address the affect the good news has had upon you.”. Cyrus winked, and then led the still rather dazed Megas Logothetes off, presumably to administer the much needed wine he had spoken of. (*Historical Note: the position of Megas Logothetes (Grand Logothete) was the highest administrative and government title in civilian terms within the Empire as the individual who held it was rather like a Prime Minster with special responsibilities over the Treasury and legal offices as well.)
The Komes of the Opsikon Theme, and old friend of Justinian, Barisbakourios had arrived in the City for one his visits, yet had barely enough time to speak with Justinian as he made his way through the palace at great speed, before he had gone haring off to the boat which awaited him in his private harbour of Hormisdas located within the place complex itself.
“If there's any trouble, the Khazars will be most useful. Should you need them, send a missive to Bardanes. I am taking 3,000 of them with me in the fleet, however that still leaves a thousand of them in Thessaly.”, the Emperor had called over his shoulder as he had made his way out onto the quay, a harried retinue of attendants, advisers and guards struggling to keep up with his mercurial progress.
The Komes remembered that the other thousand which made up the roving regiment who preferred to keep to their nomadic ways were on the Eastern border with Stratēgos Elias, and he'd heard tales of them being able to appear as if from nowhere during exercises there, before fading away like ghosts vanishing into the ether. He had little doubt their brethren in Thessaly would be effective troops to add to his thematic army should the need arise. Barisbakourios then headed off to find the Empress and any other of his old friends who may be in the place, since after coming all this way, he thought he'd at least try and catch up with someone he knew before they all became swallowed up in the whirlpool of endless activity and mad rushing about that had manifested itself shortly after his arrival.
On the shores of Southern Iberia, vague shapes could be seen moving through the gloom caused by the receding storm as the afternoon turned into evening. One after another, the shapes formed themselves into the outlines of ships as they struggled painfully to make landfall after their terrible appointment with the Wrath of Hercules. This was the pagan god’s area of the world after all, and he had seen to the ending of a fair few lives today for their presumptuousness in disturbing him. His fellow deity Neptune had taken second fiddle for a change where the sea was concerned today.
Musa bin Nusair felt a massive sense of relief as his ship reached the beach, joining the ones already there, and with others huddling in behind him as they sought the safety of land. “Allah be praised! We have made it!”, he yelled out to his exhausted men who nevertheless managed to raise a ragged cheer to his exclamation. Tired hands began falling off oars and started to put the ship back into order now they had reached safety. Preparations were also put into progress to disembark the surviving troops who had been carried across with the battered fleet. The numbers were not good. Almost half of Musa’s force had been claimed by the angry pagan god’s tempest. After the numbers had been counted, the figure of men reached 10,297 troops who had survived the crossing. By the Prophet, lamented Musa, I only pray it is enough to seal the victory here in this land of Al Andalus. He of course had his sailors as well, but they were nowhere nearly well equipped enough to act as proper army men, and lacked the experience of fighting on the land anyway. Besides, Musa knew they’d be needed to return and try to gather and ferry more reinforcements across now that he had lost almost 8,000 of his troops. It would be a while before more of the Caliph’s armies could gather across the strait though, and even then there was the possibility of the Roman fleet that had engaged him lurking in the area engaging them once more assuming any of them had survived as he had done so. Musa knew he had to factor in that at least half of their ships may well also have survived, just to be on the safe side. After all, half his force had made it.
Watching his troops wearily disembark, the Arab Governor of North Africa hoped that there were no more surprises waiting for him, as his gaze shifted uneasily to the cliffs beyond the beach. Musa decided that he had to make a fortified camp as soon as possible. He knew his men would not thank him for pushing their fatigued bodies to their limit, but he also knew they understood just how lucky they were to make landfall at all, and that setting up a decently defended encampment was the sensible thing to do before any more trouble happened to befall them from the land this time.
Turning to his lieutenants, he wearily grunted out his commands.
“We shall find a suitable location for a camp, and set up our defences as soon as possible. Send scouts out as soon as is practical. I have no desire to remain vulnerable from any Infidel army that may turn up and wrest away our blessed deliverance from the tomb of the sea. The Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, is with us, but he also helps those who see fit to be prudent. Go now, and motivate our men in their work disembarking, and may we be ready for any manner of events that may come to us.”.
With that, Musa turned around and headed for his cabin to retrieve his maps of the area. He had a nasty feeling some would need filling in as they went.
The Sea of Marmara was full of ships. Myakes was quite sure he had never seen so many in his life, not even when the Arabs had laid siege to the Queen of Cities all those years ago when he had stood on the battlements as a youthful imperial soldier hoisting aloft on his shoulders for a better view the very young boy who was now Emperor and on whose flagship he now rode upon. He fervently hoped that Justinian II would have as much success against the Arabs as his father, Constantine IV, had been virtuous enough to receive.
Patting his stomach, he turned his attention back to the deck of the large dromon. The sailors were in place, and the ship was now positioned in the middle of the fleet.
“I see from your demeanour that the food is not without pleasure on board this vessel?”. Myakes turned around further until he saw the Emperor behind him with a knowing smile upon his face.
“For once Emperor, those reprobates in the galley have indeed managed to serve up something which has made me forget any queasiness that may assault me upon this tub.”. He winked as he delivered his reply in the entirely characteristic way that Justinian couldn’t help but like.
Justinian of course smiled deeper. “You refer of course to some of those very same ‘reprobates’ we have brought over from the palace kitchen, and who please your belly every day with their wondrous creativity. Now then Myakes, I cannot have you going to sea on an empty and dissatisfied stomach after all. Where would I be if my head of the Excubitores was grumbling about being deprived of a good meal all the way across the water?”.
“Probably with very tired and sore ears Emperor.” Myakes guffawed in response as Justinian also laughed along with him.
With his smile morphing into a broad grin the Emperor of the Romans could not help another jape of his own as he moved closer and replied, “Precisely, and I fear your disgruntled mutterings more than the Empress in that regard!”.
The master and servant stood on the deck happily sharing their humour as the good and stalwart friends they also were should. Then, their fun over, they turned their attention to more serious matters as they surveyed the vast fleet before them.
“As you know Myakes, large as this assembled host is, it is not even our full fleet here. With the short notice of affairs thus given to us, we have been presented with little time to assemble what ought to be arranged for our sortie. However, our reliable Megas Logothetes Theophylactus has been put in charge of arranging such reinforcements as may be necessary to follow us, and also to defend our shores as best he can from any trickery and surprises the Followers of the False Prophet may have in store for our expedition.”. Justinian paused as he thought of the other forces being pulled together from the regions nearby. If all assembled in one place, they would be unstoppable, but of course, such a thing was not practical, as apart from being too huge to command in one action, some had to remain behind to provide a naval defence against Arab incursions and provide backup in case any of the others encountered trouble elsewhere across the Empire. He hoped they had enough to cover it all, but at the back of his mind he knew they could not cover ever possible route the Caliph had in mind. That was just the nature of war after all.
For his part, Myakes nodded. He wasn’t an expert sailor, but even he knew that a naval force could become so large that it could become a liability in battle due to the complexities of commanding and coordinating it all. Same as on land, he thought matter-of-factly. “Aye, maybe for the best Emperor that our fleet is not too large. Besides, we have that old salt Apsimaros* with us. I’ll wager he has the experience to make up any shortcomings in numbers we perhaps have.”.
The Emperor also nodded as he looked down onto the deck where Apsimaros and Heraclius were standing, discussing fleet dispositions and going over the numbers of troops embarked. “You speak the truth as always Myakes. With those two fellows down there eager to prove their worth and with their undoubted talents, we are in a good position to garner great success on this mission. However,”, and here Justinian paused, “we must not let overconfidence blind us to any event we may encounter, and both are well aware of that as our conversation with them earlier illustrated.”. He recalled the council of war he had held not long before where Myakes had also been present. Apsimarus had been the calm voice of seaborne experience, and had reigned in some of the other overly-enthusiastic naval commanders and kentarchoi (ship captains) of the vessels assembled there. It was a wise thing to make sure of. There were always those who were a little too eager to aim for glory and it could undo them if one was not careful. And that reminded him of the latest miscreants which Leo his Prōtospatharios had unearthed who had been plotting against him. Not many this time it was true as more were saying and doing less, or being more discreet in their plotting but they had had their assets confiscated and demoted in stature, yet nothing harsher than that. He was still being merciful after all. Leo would remain behind in his usual post of masterminding the Empire’s intelligence network, and it would also be up to him to root out any movements or clandestine activity upon the part of the Deniers of Christ on the borders of his realm whilst he was away. A job Leo was very capable of doing. Putting that thought aside, he returned his attention to the matter at hand.
“And now Myakes, I need to address the fleet before we depart.”, Justinian turned to a military adjutant hanging about nearby. “You there, please be good enough to ask Stratēgos tōn karabōn* Apsimaros and Domesticus* Heraclius to attend my presence with haste.”.
Bowing and turning around, the officer headed for the area of deck where the brothers were still deep in discussion, now holding and jabbing at a map of the area they were heading for between them. (*Historical Note: this title is equivalent to an Admiral of the Fleet, or Fleet Admiral, yet whilst very high, is not the highest rank in Byzantine naval nomenclature and was the title held of the largest collection of vessels as a permanent naval force which was known as Karabisianoi. A large portion of this force was manned by the fierce Mardiates Justinian had resettled into the Mediterranean coasts of Asia Minor. Don't forget that Apsimaros has been previously referred to as Tiberius, as that was how he was known when he was formerly Basileus. As for Heraclius, this title is equivalent to Field Marshal as one of the highest army posts, although there are others above it.)
Far away across the distance that separated Constantinople from the centre of power in the Umayyad Caliphate located at Damascus, Caliph and Commander of the Faithful Al-Walid I Ibn Abd al-Mali worked busily at his desk. He had already implemented several wide ranging reforms in the army and navy which had improved the forces and organisational structure of his state, yet he was ever busy with new projects, and it was a foolish man who mistook his love for culture and knowledge as that of a weak willed bureaucrat. He was also an effective military man, and heir to a martial tradition that now saw the Umayyad state at the height of its territory and power. A height and power which was still growing, as he read the reports from the east where expansion was ongoing.
His armies had been very successful there and both his generals in the region had brought glory to his empire. Qutaibah bin Muslim had conquered Bukhara very recently, and had now embarked upon the conquest of Sughd in Central Asia. Likewise, Muhammad bin Qasim Al-Thaqafi had recently set off on another campaign to take Sindh in northern India, and early indications seemed to show that he was meeting with more success than the previous two expeditions into the area. However, even as he savoured the good news from them, Al-Walid was considering the situation developing in the west. Rubbing his chin, he made the decision to be cautious and send both his generals a missive warning them to be ready to send some of their troops west in case of any trouble that developed with the Romans and their crafty Lord of the Infidels. It wouldn’t hurt to be prepared just in case, despite the message he had sent offering a large degree of gold, horses, a small parcel of territory of not much value if he was honest, and gifts to Justinian in return for the loss of Septum. He rather suspected that would be turned down, but hopefully it would serve at least to purchase a degree of time for his arrangements.
Summoning a messenger, the missives were soon prepared and started the long journey out to their recipients. Al-Walid then turned his attention to sending other messages to his commanders bordering the Empire of the Romans, cautioning them to be ready to mobilise in reaction to any events. The Caliph, satisfied that his military dispositions were well taken care of for the time being then decided to attend to domestic matters. He had already set up a widespread welfare system within his domains, and he planned to extend it further. More hospitals and schools would be built, as well as institutions to further fuel the development and appreciation of culture and the arts. He knew he was fortunate to have the great income to do these things, and whilst of course desiring a strong military, he also wanted his subjects to benefit from the vast wealth of the Caliphate. Under his watch, he intended all areas of the state to be strong and effective.
Even as the leader of the Umayyads carried out grand plans for his state, Julian was plotting more of his own. It had not escaped his notice that under the wicked rule of Wittiza, many different groups had been affected by his policies. He was even now talking to some churchmen who had come over to his cause, as they felt Roderic wasn’t doing enough to redress their grievances. The fact that Roderic was busy trying to repel an Arab invasion and didn’t have that much time to spare for every grievance didn’t register highly on their list of priorities, as the Church came first as far as they were concerned. They were sure God wouldn’t allow the Deniers of Christ to have much effect on their flocks anyway, and of course Julian was a good Christian who was the best chance of getting rid of the usurper. He had told them as much himself, and they seemed inclined to believe him and for his part it would at least mean some of their parishioners would flock to his side. Besides, due to their treachery in coming to see the leader of those fighting against Roderic, the usurper was sure not to give them the warmest of welcomes unless it involved some red hot and very nasty looking implements. And the priests, who had included some bishops were not alone in their grievances, as Julian happily reminded himself when he thought of the delegation of Jewish leaders who had turned up earlier to his recently reclaimed castle at Algezire. The Jewish population had suffered intensely under Wittiza’s depraved rule, and whilst Roderic had not saw fit to treat them in such a dreadful way, he also had little available time to redress many of their grievances as well. So when Julian had just happened to offer them his ear, they had been only too pleased to turn up. Their subsequent pledge of support in terms of more men turning up with weapons was a welcome one that Julian wasn’t about to refuse.
The ever scheming Visigoth komes was certainly not going to let one defeat in battle stop his plans from going forward, and his quest for allies would serve a number of purposes. Get rid of that vile impostor Roderic, please his allies with more men and support, and also perhaps keep his allies in check later should they become a problem. Julian not only thought he had to be a master of diplomacy and the niceties that came with it, but he was very much the master of the darker art of plotting. And he certainly was unshakeable in his belief he was most skilled at that too, which was most fortunate given Musa’s imminently expected arrival. Rubbing his hands in satisfaction, and with the latest meeting closing on a fruitful note, he left to inform Tariq ibn Ziyad of the increase in men he expected to have joining their alliance. Julian was sure that at least would not only cheer him up, but his aide Tarif ib Mulluk as well, who from the look of him could do with some more good news after the meat grinder he had suffered from at Toledo.
To the north, Roderic still savoured his triumph greatly along with Sisbert and Osbert and thanked God for the Romans. To add to his good mood, Pelayo had arrived with his contingent of men numbering over 3000 troops. They were reasonably well equipped as well, and there was the promise of more reinforcements from the region of Asturias where Pelayo hailed from. Roderic had not suffered that many losses all things considered in the previous battle, but it was still wise to reinforce further. It was also fortunate his Roman allies had not suffered many casualties either. With their combined forces, he should be able to move south and hopefully deal another blow to the rebels and the heathen Arabs.
The Roman general George and the Prōtospatharios Stephen also continued to celebrate their triumph, but with caution. They were wondering about Agila in the north-east, and were concerned about just who was leading the Visigothic rebels. They had observed a figure heroically rallying the centre of the rebel Visigothic contingent and he had been most impressive in his tenacity. Someone with that sort of battlefield presence had to be watched out for, especially since he was unlikely to fall for the same ruse of a feint the next time.
Across the water separating Iberia from the shores of Africa, a bay had rapidly filled with Roman warships. Tourmarchēs Nicholas had, like Musa, made landfall, and had the good fortune of doing so in a sheltered part of the coastline as well. The storm was still raging itself out at sea, but the fierceness of it had reduced quite significantly, and the Roman admiral’s decision to prematurely break off the action with the Miscalled Commander of the Faithful’s fleet had been a very wise one, as he had saved the main bulk of his own force from certain destruction. Sitting at his desk in his cabin, an officer came in and presented him with a report. The news wasn’t the best, but it could have been far worse mused Nicholas as he perused the figures given to him. Just over one quarter of the fleet lost, including a third of his precious siphonophoroi fire ships. The admiral winced not just at their loss, but the good sailors the sea had claimed as well. He fully intended to send out some ships to check the area for any survivors once the storm had cleared up, but truth be told, he didn’t expect to find many, and wouldn’t be surprised if there were none at all to be rescued from the clutches of the dark brine. Kýrie eléison*, accept them into your care, he prayed to himself as he gave orders to the officer to carry out any repairs that needed to be done, before conducting those seemingly forlorn search and rescue operations, and then resuming his mission to sweep the area for enemy vessels and joining up with Strategos Alexander’s reconquest fleet which would doubtless be on its way soon to retake Septum. That was an appointment not even Hercules could be allowed to stop him from trying to make, and as soon as the weather cleared, he intended to send a fast warship off to meet up with his superior officer as previously arranged. (*Historical Note: this phrase is from the original Greek and literally means “O Lord, have mercy”, and is an important and very much repeated part of the liturgy originating from the Jesus Prayer which is rendered thusly: Κύριε Ιησού Χριστέ, Υιέ του Θεού, ελέησόν με τον αμαρτωλόν. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”. As an exclamation and as an invocation, it was used -and still is amongst the Orthodox faithful- very much in everyday speech by the Byzantines of all classes and levels in an analogue to such phrases in the present day west when people exclaim “Lord help them!” or “God have mercy!” in everyday usage. However, for the Eastern Romans, it was said with more reverence and possessed much more of a mystical value than most of today’s western utterances which are somewhat more casual in nature and even said by those who aren’t even very religious at all.)
From the Balearics, Alexander set sail with his invasion fleet with their target being Septum. He expected Nicholas to send a dromon to meet up with him soon in order to update his superior on the progress his fleet had been making. With the ships at his command, and the men embarked, he reckoned he stood a decent chance of laying siege to the outpost, and with some luck be able to retake it without too much trouble, and if some loyal Roman was kind enough to open the gates from the inside, that would help too.
In Septum, Theophilos stamped around his quarters as he wondered just how to escape his house arrest, and wondered if his message had reached the Emperor. He was sure he could help stir up an uprising in the city if only he could get out. That damn guard sitting in the courtyard below his window was making it very difficult to talk with Philippicus. As he paced about and cast a venomous glance towards the direction of that particular window, he knew he had to come up with some way of causing a distraction. He was also starting to wonder what sort of things were going on in Constantinople.
“…and never let it be forgotten that we are retaking what is rightfully ours. Be of good heart, and do not falter, for with God’s divine benefaction, we will wrest control of our lost city from the Deniers of Christ and give their Miscalled Commander of the Faithful a most grave and humiliating injury in terms of pride in doing so! Stand firm, for we are Romans, and none may stall our progress or stand against our might! We will come from the sea, and they will be pushed back into it as they richly deserve to be! It has been said that in the past they did not like water so much, so let us be magnanimous enough to remind them of that, lest they have forgotten and see so how well, or rather, how badly they drown! And if they love the sands so much, then let us grind their bones into them most deeply! We leave soon, and we will make them regret the day they emerged from their hellish desert! For the Empire and in God’s name, tu vincas Romaioi!*”.
Justinian stood atop the special platform which had been built upon the rear deck of his flagship as his speech ended, and had the desired effect of firing up the spirits of his men across the fleet. From the intensity of the wild cheering that had met his oratory, it had done its work very well indeed. The impressively gilded armour and accoutrements he wore as well no doubt helped raise their voices further, for was there not standing before them an Emperor who had performed the impossible and regained his throne against all the odds? Truly favoured by God, their belief in their ruler would carry them far, of that there was no doubt. And such fervour could perhaps carry them beyond what was needed, such that their enemies may not merely be defeated, but their heretic bodies utterly crushed into the sands of the land the Roman fleet was about to head for.
The Emperor looked across the fleet as men cheered and waved their hands in the air, many were punching their fists in the air in a gesture of defiance against the Followers of the False Prophet, and many of them yelling, "Tu vincas Justinian!". With over 33,000 men embarked including 3,000 Khazar horse archers, and elements of the proto Tagmata* such as the Excubitores* and the Scholae* also present which Justinian had energetically reformed, it was a reassuring and impressive sight to behold, and the Emperor was sure if such fervour could be converted onto results on the battlefield, then victory would be most likely. Still, they weren’t there yet, and another speech to fire them all up would doubtless be needed once they arrived at their objective. As it was, there was certainly no harm in stirring up his men’s enthusiasm and belief before they left.
Justinian’s gaze swept down from the platform to the deck of his own ship where the crew were likewise crowded onto the available space present cheering their acclamations, and where Myakes and his senior commanders including Apsimaros and Heraclius stood. They all looked caught up in the moment, even the gruff Myakes couldn’t resist a huge grin of satisfaction. With men such as these, I shall put paid to Leontius’ lamentable failures and I will restore these Roman lands to the Empire, he determined as he stepped down from the platform and gave the order for the fleet to weigh anchor and leave for North Africa.
“Damn good speech Emperor. Even got me all fired up too. Now, all we need is some wine. Nothing like a good drink to add to the atmosphere, eh?”, quipped Myakes as Justinian joined the group of senior commanders.
“Indeed, that sounds most conducive to me.”, echoed Heraclius.
Apsimaros nodded his approval, but interjected to say that he would partake of some a little later once he had safely navigated the fleet out of the area. "And no doubt at that point I will share some stories of the sea from my past as well. There's many an intriguing tale from that endless library of brine.", he said as he made off to his tasks.
“Then wine we shall have. After Heraclius has taken us to sea that is. And great tales of the sea as well! It is only fair we drink together at the very least, as we would do well to avoid him grumbling about it later!”, exclaimed the Emperor as he shot a knowing look at Myakes, who just rolled his eyes in response as the others chuckled. (*Historical Notes: “Tu vincas Romaioi!” literally means “Be victorious Romans!”. At this time of the Empire, some Latin phrases were still in use and mixed in with Greek words or phrases. “Romaioi” of course means “Romans” in Greek. The Tagmata was the permanent professional standing army of the Empire, and they were not the same as the thematic troops who did not serve all the time, and were called up only when needed. The Excubitores (elite Imperial Guard heavy cavalry) and the Scholae (elite Imperial cavalry) formed part of the Tagmata.)
In the palace, the Empress Theodora gazed out across the Sea of Marmara as the great fleet set sail. She would miss her husband whilst he was gone, but she would keep herself busy with many matters of state as well as overseeing her son’s military training in various arts of war, both Roman and Khazar. Beside her stood Cyrus the Patriarch and Theophylactus the newly created Megas Logothetes, who looked somewhat calmer having imbibed some wine thoughtfully provided by the head churchman of the Empire. With them stood Leo the Prōtospatharios. It was up to all of them to keep the Empire safe and secure whilst the Emperor was away. With strategos Elias reporting the chain of forts and dispositions of men was complete in the east, and with strategos Bardanes reporting all was quiet with the Slavs in Thessaly, then those two areas at least appeared to be well prepared for any trouble which might appear. Word from John Rizocopo, the Exarch in Ravenna, showed that most things were reasonably well there too, the trouble caused by the former Archbishop of Ravenna Felix having mostly subsided, his replacement Paul setting into his position after just a little trouble and fortune seemed to be on their side with even the factions within the Lombards under King Aripert II on the borders of the Exarchate quiet.
From his small fishing boat, Moropaulos watched the fleet depart, lines of ships passing him by and the wash from their wakes rocking him about. As the flagship sailed past, the Emperor noticed his old companion-in-arms below the rails, and gave him a courteous nod and a smile. The fisherman waved enthusiastically back, and prayed for God to deliver a decisive victory to his old friend and master.
The chess board was set with the pieces being moved into position across its vast surface. The middle sea was about to become a very busy place indeed.
I do hope it was worth the wait and you all enjoyed that. Of course, it goes without saying that comments from your good and kind selves would be most gratefully and humbly received.
Sargon
...INCOMING!
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Part XII
The Roman Emperor Who Lost His Nose
A Timeline of Justinian II - The Magnificent Rhinotmetos
Part XII: Kings, Knights, Bishops and Pawns
There's never a shortage of stories from the sea. Such depths are of course full of many fathoms of such tales, some, pardon the pun, being unfathomable.", Drungarokomes Apsimaros, Commander of the Imperial Roman Naval Expedition to North Africa
A Timeline of Justinian II - The Magnificent Rhinotmetos
Part XII: Kings, Knights, Bishops and Pawns
There's never a shortage of stories from the sea. Such depths are of course full of many fathoms of such tales, some, pardon the pun, being unfathomable.", Drungarokomes Apsimaros, Commander of the Imperial Roman Naval Expedition to North Africa
710 – Late Summer The regal figure gazed out of the palace window and took another sip from the wine goblet being held in his hand. With the other hand, he once more brought the parchment up towards his face to read it again. King Agila II sighed. His day had become somewhat more complex.
The Visigothic ruler of the north-eastern part of Iberia furrowed his brow as he considered what he should do. The Roman rebel Julian had requested his help in an Alliance to depose of the usurper Roderic. That was something Agila had no problem with. Julian also wished to set in place a plan to make sure the Arabs he was fighting alongside with didn’t take too much advantage of the intended defeat of Roderic. That he could also agree to. However the fact that the Romans had entered the equation on Roderic’s side was a big problem, and was tempering his response – not to mention his enthusiasm for an Alliance. He was all too aware of the Roman Emperor’s miraculous return to his throne a few years before, and being a religious man, Agila was certain God must have indeed had a hand in such an unlikely occurrence. Then there was the rather obvious fact that Justinian II was certainly no slouch as a leader, and had seemingly learnt the lessons of his first period in power by moderating his approach for the better. That boded ill for him if he decided to intervene, as he had heard that Justinian was having rather a lot of success these days in his foreign policy.
Another sip of the wine did little to ease the amount of creases taking place on his forehead, but he knew he had to make some sort of decision. Twisting the missive up in his hands, he knew that for the time being at least he’d have to compromise somewhat. Despite favouring a potential alliance, the risks were great, and he knew it would be to his advantage if Roderic and Julian’s allies fought each other a bit more without his own intervention. That would whittle both their forces down nicely, and thus solve a number of issues for him. The Romans would be weakened, Roderick would be weakened, and the Arabs would be weakened as well. Then, assuming Julian managed to survive, he himself would be in a better position to agree to an alliance and be able to expect very favourable terms for any help he could offer the komes (Count) of Septum.
The next sip of wine felt considerably more refreshing he thought approvingly as he called for a servant to refill his goblet.
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The throne room in the Palace of Bucoleon was a flurry of activity as the sakellarios Theophylactus hurried into the chamber in response to a summons from the Emperor. Making his way to the throne he saw that Justinian was not actually sitting on it and was standing up rapidly firing off a list of instructions to the attendants around him. He was obviously wishing to get things done as soon as possible, and the sakellarios knew why – the fleet drawn up for the assault on North Africa was steadily being assembled in the waters outside the City, and the Emperor wished to waste no time in taking the boat over to his flagship and assuming personal command of the operation, especially as the Miscalled Commander of the Faithful's missive had reached him. As expected it contained some gifts, concessions and sugary words offering those in exchange for Septum, which had most regrettably resulted from generals not properly informing him of matters. Of course, Justinian decided that was not enough. Off to North Africa to land near Carthage, and storm Tunis to take it in exchange then seemed a perfectly understandable course of action, and the Emperor had written his reply in such words, but had instructed the messenger to only leave on his journey to deliver it when he himself departed, and of course there would be no hurry in transporting it to Damascus either.
Spotting him though some courtiers, Justinian noticed his Treasurer's arrival.
“Ah, Theophylactus, my old friend, I have something for you. Please approach.”. The sakellarios imagined that the Emperor's eyes sparkled with a little bit of mischief, and made his way forward a little apprehensively before bowing deeply to the figure in front of the throne. The Emperor gestured to a nearby attendant, and Theophylactus found a document proffered to him, which he gently took. “You may open it, but be quick, as I am eager to leave.”, urged the Emperor as the Treasurer fumbled with the Imperial Seal.
Opening up the high quality parchment, he read the contents with a bemused look that shortly coalesced into one of amazement, and then happiness.
“Emperor, I...I... know not what I should say. Except, are you most sure of this?”, his voice quavered a little.
“Indeed, not only am I sure, I am insistent. You are now Megas Logothetes*. Enjoy your promotion, and work well with Cyrus and the Empress to run affairs here in the time I am absent. You have my utmost trust - and my sincere thanks for all your hard work and loyalty over the years. I only apologise that I was remiss in filling the vacant post for some time now. You richly deserve it, and there is no one better qualified than yourself for such an august position.”. The Emperor gave a very broad smile before coming up to his old friend and laying a hand on his shoulder.
“I am grateful beyond words, and I was never expecting such a thing. Emperor, you have my deep thanks and my greatest respects. I will do my best in this position and honour the great faith and trust you have invested in me!”. Theophylactus hoped his words were being delivered well enough as he was feeling a mixture of euphoria, humility and amazement all at the same time. He need not have worried at all.
Patting his newly promoted aide's shoulder once more, Justinian replied, “Think nothing of it. I know you will carry out your responsibilities as efficiently and as thoroughly as ever. Now, I really must leave. Farewell until we next meet, old friend!”.
And with that he swept past through the chamber and the guards at the main entrance who snapped to attention as he disappeared from sight down the corridor that lay beyond, leaving an almost speechless Theophylactus to start when another hand laid itself upon his shoulder, causing him to turn and see the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Cyrus grinning at him.
“As the Emperor most eloquently said, richly deserved indeed. Now you really can get things moving, and that'll be helpful when we have to organise this bustle of people into running the City wisely and effectively whilst our master is gone.”. He paused, then added, “Now, you and I have been invited to dine with the Empress and the young Emperor Tiberius this evening after the fleet has departed. It will not be a very formal occasion, so it should be most relaxing, however matters of state will most likely be touched upon. By the look of you, you could do with some decent wine to address the affect the good news has had upon you.”. Cyrus winked, and then led the still rather dazed Megas Logothetes off, presumably to administer the much needed wine he had spoken of. (*Historical Note: the position of Megas Logothetes (Grand Logothete) was the highest administrative and government title in civilian terms within the Empire as the individual who held it was rather like a Prime Minster with special responsibilities over the Treasury and legal offices as well.)
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The Komes of the Opsikon Theme, and old friend of Justinian, Barisbakourios had arrived in the City for one his visits, yet had barely enough time to speak with Justinian as he made his way through the palace at great speed, before he had gone haring off to the boat which awaited him in his private harbour of Hormisdas located within the place complex itself.
“If there's any trouble, the Khazars will be most useful. Should you need them, send a missive to Bardanes. I am taking 3,000 of them with me in the fleet, however that still leaves a thousand of them in Thessaly.”, the Emperor had called over his shoulder as he had made his way out onto the quay, a harried retinue of attendants, advisers and guards struggling to keep up with his mercurial progress.
The Komes remembered that the other thousand which made up the roving regiment who preferred to keep to their nomadic ways were on the Eastern border with Stratēgos Elias, and he'd heard tales of them being able to appear as if from nowhere during exercises there, before fading away like ghosts vanishing into the ether. He had little doubt their brethren in Thessaly would be effective troops to add to his thematic army should the need arise. Barisbakourios then headed off to find the Empress and any other of his old friends who may be in the place, since after coming all this way, he thought he'd at least try and catch up with someone he knew before they all became swallowed up in the whirlpool of endless activity and mad rushing about that had manifested itself shortly after his arrival.
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On the shores of Southern Iberia, vague shapes could be seen moving through the gloom caused by the receding storm as the afternoon turned into evening. One after another, the shapes formed themselves into the outlines of ships as they struggled painfully to make landfall after their terrible appointment with the Wrath of Hercules. This was the pagan god’s area of the world after all, and he had seen to the ending of a fair few lives today for their presumptuousness in disturbing him. His fellow deity Neptune had taken second fiddle for a change where the sea was concerned today.
Musa bin Nusair felt a massive sense of relief as his ship reached the beach, joining the ones already there, and with others huddling in behind him as they sought the safety of land. “Allah be praised! We have made it!”, he yelled out to his exhausted men who nevertheless managed to raise a ragged cheer to his exclamation. Tired hands began falling off oars and started to put the ship back into order now they had reached safety. Preparations were also put into progress to disembark the surviving troops who had been carried across with the battered fleet. The numbers were not good. Almost half of Musa’s force had been claimed by the angry pagan god’s tempest. After the numbers had been counted, the figure of men reached 10,297 troops who had survived the crossing. By the Prophet, lamented Musa, I only pray it is enough to seal the victory here in this land of Al Andalus. He of course had his sailors as well, but they were nowhere nearly well equipped enough to act as proper army men, and lacked the experience of fighting on the land anyway. Besides, Musa knew they’d be needed to return and try to gather and ferry more reinforcements across now that he had lost almost 8,000 of his troops. It would be a while before more of the Caliph’s armies could gather across the strait though, and even then there was the possibility of the Roman fleet that had engaged him lurking in the area engaging them once more assuming any of them had survived as he had done so. Musa knew he had to factor in that at least half of their ships may well also have survived, just to be on the safe side. After all, half his force had made it.
Watching his troops wearily disembark, the Arab Governor of North Africa hoped that there were no more surprises waiting for him, as his gaze shifted uneasily to the cliffs beyond the beach. Musa decided that he had to make a fortified camp as soon as possible. He knew his men would not thank him for pushing their fatigued bodies to their limit, but he also knew they understood just how lucky they were to make landfall at all, and that setting up a decently defended encampment was the sensible thing to do before any more trouble happened to befall them from the land this time.
Turning to his lieutenants, he wearily grunted out his commands.
“We shall find a suitable location for a camp, and set up our defences as soon as possible. Send scouts out as soon as is practical. I have no desire to remain vulnerable from any Infidel army that may turn up and wrest away our blessed deliverance from the tomb of the sea. The Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, is with us, but he also helps those who see fit to be prudent. Go now, and motivate our men in their work disembarking, and may we be ready for any manner of events that may come to us.”.
With that, Musa turned around and headed for his cabin to retrieve his maps of the area. He had a nasty feeling some would need filling in as they went.
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The Sea of Marmara was full of ships. Myakes was quite sure he had never seen so many in his life, not even when the Arabs had laid siege to the Queen of Cities all those years ago when he had stood on the battlements as a youthful imperial soldier hoisting aloft on his shoulders for a better view the very young boy who was now Emperor and on whose flagship he now rode upon. He fervently hoped that Justinian II would have as much success against the Arabs as his father, Constantine IV, had been virtuous enough to receive.
Patting his stomach, he turned his attention back to the deck of the large dromon. The sailors were in place, and the ship was now positioned in the middle of the fleet.
“I see from your demeanour that the food is not without pleasure on board this vessel?”. Myakes turned around further until he saw the Emperor behind him with a knowing smile upon his face.
“For once Emperor, those reprobates in the galley have indeed managed to serve up something which has made me forget any queasiness that may assault me upon this tub.”. He winked as he delivered his reply in the entirely characteristic way that Justinian couldn’t help but like.
Justinian of course smiled deeper. “You refer of course to some of those very same ‘reprobates’ we have brought over from the palace kitchen, and who please your belly every day with their wondrous creativity. Now then Myakes, I cannot have you going to sea on an empty and dissatisfied stomach after all. Where would I be if my head of the Excubitores was grumbling about being deprived of a good meal all the way across the water?”.
“Probably with very tired and sore ears Emperor.” Myakes guffawed in response as Justinian also laughed along with him.
With his smile morphing into a broad grin the Emperor of the Romans could not help another jape of his own as he moved closer and replied, “Precisely, and I fear your disgruntled mutterings more than the Empress in that regard!”.
The master and servant stood on the deck happily sharing their humour as the good and stalwart friends they also were should. Then, their fun over, they turned their attention to more serious matters as they surveyed the vast fleet before them.
“As you know Myakes, large as this assembled host is, it is not even our full fleet here. With the short notice of affairs thus given to us, we have been presented with little time to assemble what ought to be arranged for our sortie. However, our reliable Megas Logothetes Theophylactus has been put in charge of arranging such reinforcements as may be necessary to follow us, and also to defend our shores as best he can from any trickery and surprises the Followers of the False Prophet may have in store for our expedition.”. Justinian paused as he thought of the other forces being pulled together from the regions nearby. If all assembled in one place, they would be unstoppable, but of course, such a thing was not practical, as apart from being too huge to command in one action, some had to remain behind to provide a naval defence against Arab incursions and provide backup in case any of the others encountered trouble elsewhere across the Empire. He hoped they had enough to cover it all, but at the back of his mind he knew they could not cover ever possible route the Caliph had in mind. That was just the nature of war after all.
For his part, Myakes nodded. He wasn’t an expert sailor, but even he knew that a naval force could become so large that it could become a liability in battle due to the complexities of commanding and coordinating it all. Same as on land, he thought matter-of-factly. “Aye, maybe for the best Emperor that our fleet is not too large. Besides, we have that old salt Apsimaros* with us. I’ll wager he has the experience to make up any shortcomings in numbers we perhaps have.”.
The Emperor also nodded as he looked down onto the deck where Apsimaros and Heraclius were standing, discussing fleet dispositions and going over the numbers of troops embarked. “You speak the truth as always Myakes. With those two fellows down there eager to prove their worth and with their undoubted talents, we are in a good position to garner great success on this mission. However,”, and here Justinian paused, “we must not let overconfidence blind us to any event we may encounter, and both are well aware of that as our conversation with them earlier illustrated.”. He recalled the council of war he had held not long before where Myakes had also been present. Apsimarus had been the calm voice of seaborne experience, and had reigned in some of the other overly-enthusiastic naval commanders and kentarchoi (ship captains) of the vessels assembled there. It was a wise thing to make sure of. There were always those who were a little too eager to aim for glory and it could undo them if one was not careful. And that reminded him of the latest miscreants which Leo his Prōtospatharios had unearthed who had been plotting against him. Not many this time it was true as more were saying and doing less, or being more discreet in their plotting but they had had their assets confiscated and demoted in stature, yet nothing harsher than that. He was still being merciful after all. Leo would remain behind in his usual post of masterminding the Empire’s intelligence network, and it would also be up to him to root out any movements or clandestine activity upon the part of the Deniers of Christ on the borders of his realm whilst he was away. A job Leo was very capable of doing. Putting that thought aside, he returned his attention to the matter at hand.
“And now Myakes, I need to address the fleet before we depart.”, Justinian turned to a military adjutant hanging about nearby. “You there, please be good enough to ask Stratēgos tōn karabōn* Apsimaros and Domesticus* Heraclius to attend my presence with haste.”.
Bowing and turning around, the officer headed for the area of deck where the brothers were still deep in discussion, now holding and jabbing at a map of the area they were heading for between them. (*Historical Note: this title is equivalent to an Admiral of the Fleet, or Fleet Admiral, yet whilst very high, is not the highest rank in Byzantine naval nomenclature and was the title held of the largest collection of vessels as a permanent naval force which was known as Karabisianoi. A large portion of this force was manned by the fierce Mardiates Justinian had resettled into the Mediterranean coasts of Asia Minor. Don't forget that Apsimaros has been previously referred to as Tiberius, as that was how he was known when he was formerly Basileus. As for Heraclius, this title is equivalent to Field Marshal as one of the highest army posts, although there are others above it.)
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Far away across the distance that separated Constantinople from the centre of power in the Umayyad Caliphate located at Damascus, Caliph and Commander of the Faithful Al-Walid I Ibn Abd al-Mali worked busily at his desk. He had already implemented several wide ranging reforms in the army and navy which had improved the forces and organisational structure of his state, yet he was ever busy with new projects, and it was a foolish man who mistook his love for culture and knowledge as that of a weak willed bureaucrat. He was also an effective military man, and heir to a martial tradition that now saw the Umayyad state at the height of its territory and power. A height and power which was still growing, as he read the reports from the east where expansion was ongoing.
His armies had been very successful there and both his generals in the region had brought glory to his empire. Qutaibah bin Muslim had conquered Bukhara very recently, and had now embarked upon the conquest of Sughd in Central Asia. Likewise, Muhammad bin Qasim Al-Thaqafi had recently set off on another campaign to take Sindh in northern India, and early indications seemed to show that he was meeting with more success than the previous two expeditions into the area. However, even as he savoured the good news from them, Al-Walid was considering the situation developing in the west. Rubbing his chin, he made the decision to be cautious and send both his generals a missive warning them to be ready to send some of their troops west in case of any trouble that developed with the Romans and their crafty Lord of the Infidels. It wouldn’t hurt to be prepared just in case, despite the message he had sent offering a large degree of gold, horses, a small parcel of territory of not much value if he was honest, and gifts to Justinian in return for the loss of Septum. He rather suspected that would be turned down, but hopefully it would serve at least to purchase a degree of time for his arrangements.
Summoning a messenger, the missives were soon prepared and started the long journey out to their recipients. Al-Walid then turned his attention to sending other messages to his commanders bordering the Empire of the Romans, cautioning them to be ready to mobilise in reaction to any events. The Caliph, satisfied that his military dispositions were well taken care of for the time being then decided to attend to domestic matters. He had already set up a widespread welfare system within his domains, and he planned to extend it further. More hospitals and schools would be built, as well as institutions to further fuel the development and appreciation of culture and the arts. He knew he was fortunate to have the great income to do these things, and whilst of course desiring a strong military, he also wanted his subjects to benefit from the vast wealth of the Caliphate. Under his watch, he intended all areas of the state to be strong and effective.
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Even as the leader of the Umayyads carried out grand plans for his state, Julian was plotting more of his own. It had not escaped his notice that under the wicked rule of Wittiza, many different groups had been affected by his policies. He was even now talking to some churchmen who had come over to his cause, as they felt Roderic wasn’t doing enough to redress their grievances. The fact that Roderic was busy trying to repel an Arab invasion and didn’t have that much time to spare for every grievance didn’t register highly on their list of priorities, as the Church came first as far as they were concerned. They were sure God wouldn’t allow the Deniers of Christ to have much effect on their flocks anyway, and of course Julian was a good Christian who was the best chance of getting rid of the usurper. He had told them as much himself, and they seemed inclined to believe him and for his part it would at least mean some of their parishioners would flock to his side. Besides, due to their treachery in coming to see the leader of those fighting against Roderic, the usurper was sure not to give them the warmest of welcomes unless it involved some red hot and very nasty looking implements. And the priests, who had included some bishops were not alone in their grievances, as Julian happily reminded himself when he thought of the delegation of Jewish leaders who had turned up earlier to his recently reclaimed castle at Algezire. The Jewish population had suffered intensely under Wittiza’s depraved rule, and whilst Roderic had not saw fit to treat them in such a dreadful way, he also had little available time to redress many of their grievances as well. So when Julian had just happened to offer them his ear, they had been only too pleased to turn up. Their subsequent pledge of support in terms of more men turning up with weapons was a welcome one that Julian wasn’t about to refuse.
The ever scheming Visigoth komes was certainly not going to let one defeat in battle stop his plans from going forward, and his quest for allies would serve a number of purposes. Get rid of that vile impostor Roderic, please his allies with more men and support, and also perhaps keep his allies in check later should they become a problem. Julian not only thought he had to be a master of diplomacy and the niceties that came with it, but he was very much the master of the darker art of plotting. And he certainly was unshakeable in his belief he was most skilled at that too, which was most fortunate given Musa’s imminently expected arrival. Rubbing his hands in satisfaction, and with the latest meeting closing on a fruitful note, he left to inform Tariq ibn Ziyad of the increase in men he expected to have joining their alliance. Julian was sure that at least would not only cheer him up, but his aide Tarif ib Mulluk as well, who from the look of him could do with some more good news after the meat grinder he had suffered from at Toledo.
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To the north, Roderic still savoured his triumph greatly along with Sisbert and Osbert and thanked God for the Romans. To add to his good mood, Pelayo had arrived with his contingent of men numbering over 3000 troops. They were reasonably well equipped as well, and there was the promise of more reinforcements from the region of Asturias where Pelayo hailed from. Roderic had not suffered that many losses all things considered in the previous battle, but it was still wise to reinforce further. It was also fortunate his Roman allies had not suffered many casualties either. With their combined forces, he should be able to move south and hopefully deal another blow to the rebels and the heathen Arabs.
The Roman general George and the Prōtospatharios Stephen also continued to celebrate their triumph, but with caution. They were wondering about Agila in the north-east, and were concerned about just who was leading the Visigothic rebels. They had observed a figure heroically rallying the centre of the rebel Visigothic contingent and he had been most impressive in his tenacity. Someone with that sort of battlefield presence had to be watched out for, especially since he was unlikely to fall for the same ruse of a feint the next time.
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Across the water separating Iberia from the shores of Africa, a bay had rapidly filled with Roman warships. Tourmarchēs Nicholas had, like Musa, made landfall, and had the good fortune of doing so in a sheltered part of the coastline as well. The storm was still raging itself out at sea, but the fierceness of it had reduced quite significantly, and the Roman admiral’s decision to prematurely break off the action with the Miscalled Commander of the Faithful’s fleet had been a very wise one, as he had saved the main bulk of his own force from certain destruction. Sitting at his desk in his cabin, an officer came in and presented him with a report. The news wasn’t the best, but it could have been far worse mused Nicholas as he perused the figures given to him. Just over one quarter of the fleet lost, including a third of his precious siphonophoroi fire ships. The admiral winced not just at their loss, but the good sailors the sea had claimed as well. He fully intended to send out some ships to check the area for any survivors once the storm had cleared up, but truth be told, he didn’t expect to find many, and wouldn’t be surprised if there were none at all to be rescued from the clutches of the dark brine. Kýrie eléison*, accept them into your care, he prayed to himself as he gave orders to the officer to carry out any repairs that needed to be done, before conducting those seemingly forlorn search and rescue operations, and then resuming his mission to sweep the area for enemy vessels and joining up with Strategos Alexander’s reconquest fleet which would doubtless be on its way soon to retake Septum. That was an appointment not even Hercules could be allowed to stop him from trying to make, and as soon as the weather cleared, he intended to send a fast warship off to meet up with his superior officer as previously arranged. (*Historical Note: this phrase is from the original Greek and literally means “O Lord, have mercy”, and is an important and very much repeated part of the liturgy originating from the Jesus Prayer which is rendered thusly: Κύριε Ιησού Χριστέ, Υιέ του Θεού, ελέησόν με τον αμαρτωλόν. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”. As an exclamation and as an invocation, it was used -and still is amongst the Orthodox faithful- very much in everyday speech by the Byzantines of all classes and levels in an analogue to such phrases in the present day west when people exclaim “Lord help them!” or “God have mercy!” in everyday usage. However, for the Eastern Romans, it was said with more reverence and possessed much more of a mystical value than most of today’s western utterances which are somewhat more casual in nature and even said by those who aren’t even very religious at all.)
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From the Balearics, Alexander set sail with his invasion fleet with their target being Septum. He expected Nicholas to send a dromon to meet up with him soon in order to update his superior on the progress his fleet had been making. With the ships at his command, and the men embarked, he reckoned he stood a decent chance of laying siege to the outpost, and with some luck be able to retake it without too much trouble, and if some loyal Roman was kind enough to open the gates from the inside, that would help too.
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In Septum, Theophilos stamped around his quarters as he wondered just how to escape his house arrest, and wondered if his message had reached the Emperor. He was sure he could help stir up an uprising in the city if only he could get out. That damn guard sitting in the courtyard below his window was making it very difficult to talk with Philippicus. As he paced about and cast a venomous glance towards the direction of that particular window, he knew he had to come up with some way of causing a distraction. He was also starting to wonder what sort of things were going on in Constantinople.
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“…and never let it be forgotten that we are retaking what is rightfully ours. Be of good heart, and do not falter, for with God’s divine benefaction, we will wrest control of our lost city from the Deniers of Christ and give their Miscalled Commander of the Faithful a most grave and humiliating injury in terms of pride in doing so! Stand firm, for we are Romans, and none may stall our progress or stand against our might! We will come from the sea, and they will be pushed back into it as they richly deserve to be! It has been said that in the past they did not like water so much, so let us be magnanimous enough to remind them of that, lest they have forgotten and see so how well, or rather, how badly they drown! And if they love the sands so much, then let us grind their bones into them most deeply! We leave soon, and we will make them regret the day they emerged from their hellish desert! For the Empire and in God’s name, tu vincas Romaioi!*”.
Justinian stood atop the special platform which had been built upon the rear deck of his flagship as his speech ended, and had the desired effect of firing up the spirits of his men across the fleet. From the intensity of the wild cheering that had met his oratory, it had done its work very well indeed. The impressively gilded armour and accoutrements he wore as well no doubt helped raise their voices further, for was there not standing before them an Emperor who had performed the impossible and regained his throne against all the odds? Truly favoured by God, their belief in their ruler would carry them far, of that there was no doubt. And such fervour could perhaps carry them beyond what was needed, such that their enemies may not merely be defeated, but their heretic bodies utterly crushed into the sands of the land the Roman fleet was about to head for.
The Emperor looked across the fleet as men cheered and waved their hands in the air, many were punching their fists in the air in a gesture of defiance against the Followers of the False Prophet, and many of them yelling, "Tu vincas Justinian!". With over 33,000 men embarked including 3,000 Khazar horse archers, and elements of the proto Tagmata* such as the Excubitores* and the Scholae* also present which Justinian had energetically reformed, it was a reassuring and impressive sight to behold, and the Emperor was sure if such fervour could be converted onto results on the battlefield, then victory would be most likely. Still, they weren’t there yet, and another speech to fire them all up would doubtless be needed once they arrived at their objective. As it was, there was certainly no harm in stirring up his men’s enthusiasm and belief before they left.
Justinian’s gaze swept down from the platform to the deck of his own ship where the crew were likewise crowded onto the available space present cheering their acclamations, and where Myakes and his senior commanders including Apsimaros and Heraclius stood. They all looked caught up in the moment, even the gruff Myakes couldn’t resist a huge grin of satisfaction. With men such as these, I shall put paid to Leontius’ lamentable failures and I will restore these Roman lands to the Empire, he determined as he stepped down from the platform and gave the order for the fleet to weigh anchor and leave for North Africa.
“Damn good speech Emperor. Even got me all fired up too. Now, all we need is some wine. Nothing like a good drink to add to the atmosphere, eh?”, quipped Myakes as Justinian joined the group of senior commanders.
“Indeed, that sounds most conducive to me.”, echoed Heraclius.
Apsimaros nodded his approval, but interjected to say that he would partake of some a little later once he had safely navigated the fleet out of the area. "And no doubt at that point I will share some stories of the sea from my past as well. There's many an intriguing tale from that endless library of brine.", he said as he made off to his tasks.
“Then wine we shall have. After Heraclius has taken us to sea that is. And great tales of the sea as well! It is only fair we drink together at the very least, as we would do well to avoid him grumbling about it later!”, exclaimed the Emperor as he shot a knowing look at Myakes, who just rolled his eyes in response as the others chuckled. (*Historical Notes: “Tu vincas Romaioi!” literally means “Be victorious Romans!”. At this time of the Empire, some Latin phrases were still in use and mixed in with Greek words or phrases. “Romaioi” of course means “Romans” in Greek. The Tagmata was the permanent professional standing army of the Empire, and they were not the same as the thematic troops who did not serve all the time, and were called up only when needed. The Excubitores (elite Imperial Guard heavy cavalry) and the Scholae (elite Imperial cavalry) formed part of the Tagmata.)
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In the palace, the Empress Theodora gazed out across the Sea of Marmara as the great fleet set sail. She would miss her husband whilst he was gone, but she would keep herself busy with many matters of state as well as overseeing her son’s military training in various arts of war, both Roman and Khazar. Beside her stood Cyrus the Patriarch and Theophylactus the newly created Megas Logothetes, who looked somewhat calmer having imbibed some wine thoughtfully provided by the head churchman of the Empire. With them stood Leo the Prōtospatharios. It was up to all of them to keep the Empire safe and secure whilst the Emperor was away. With strategos Elias reporting the chain of forts and dispositions of men was complete in the east, and with strategos Bardanes reporting all was quiet with the Slavs in Thessaly, then those two areas at least appeared to be well prepared for any trouble which might appear. Word from John Rizocopo, the Exarch in Ravenna, showed that most things were reasonably well there too, the trouble caused by the former Archbishop of Ravenna Felix having mostly subsided, his replacement Paul setting into his position after just a little trouble and fortune seemed to be on their side with even the factions within the Lombards under King Aripert II on the borders of the Exarchate quiet.
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From his small fishing boat, Moropaulos watched the fleet depart, lines of ships passing him by and the wash from their wakes rocking him about. As the flagship sailed past, the Emperor noticed his old companion-in-arms below the rails, and gave him a courteous nod and a smile. The fisherman waved enthusiastically back, and prayed for God to deliver a decisive victory to his old friend and master.
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The chess board was set with the pieces being moved into position across its vast surface. The middle sea was about to become a very busy place indeed.
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I do hope it was worth the wait and you all enjoyed that. Of course, it goes without saying that comments from your good and kind selves would be most gratefully and humbly received.
Sargon
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Sargon
Good to see more. Nice run around of the various players and developments. A lot of forces in play and various developments could occur.
Must admit that its been so long that to refresh my memory I read the entire thread from the beginning. Taken me several hours but means I have an idea what's going on.
Glad that Justinian has remembered to allow for a sufficient naval guard against the Caliphate striking the coastline in the empire's heartland because he might have taken too many ships to the west. Although Iberia and Carthage are important for both empires the centres of population and wealth are further east.
Agilia's decision to stay neutral for the moment, coupled with Nusai's losses mean that the Roderic and the Romans should win in the end, although there could be a lot of fighting ahead. A fairly quick victory there could free up Justinian's forces for his main aims in N Africa. Although even if he recaptures both Septum and Carthage there will be a lot of western N Africa in Muslim hands even without pressure from Egypt and points east.
Uncertain if Bardanes will be able to keep his ambitions under control with the emperor and so many loyal forces away. Although if the Slavs are troublesome while the main imperial forces are away he could find himself too busy to cause problems. Also if he does rebel there will be a thousand Khazers who might have something to say about it.
Anyway, hope your feeling better soon and looking forward to seeing more, especially when the forces begin to clash.
Steve
Good to see more. Nice run around of the various players and developments. A lot of forces in play and various developments could occur.
Must admit that its been so long that to refresh my memory I read the entire thread from the beginning. Taken me several hours but means I have an idea what's going on.
Glad that Justinian has remembered to allow for a sufficient naval guard against the Caliphate striking the coastline in the empire's heartland because he might have taken too many ships to the west. Although Iberia and Carthage are important for both empires the centres of population and wealth are further east.
Agilia's decision to stay neutral for the moment, coupled with Nusai's losses mean that the Roderic and the Romans should win in the end, although there could be a lot of fighting ahead. A fairly quick victory there could free up Justinian's forces for his main aims in N Africa. Although even if he recaptures both Septum and Carthage there will be a lot of western N Africa in Muslim hands even without pressure from Egypt and points east.
Uncertain if Bardanes will be able to keep his ambitions under control with the emperor and so many loyal forces away. Although if the Slavs are troublesome while the main imperial forces are away he could find himself too busy to cause problems. Also if he does rebel there will be a thousand Khazers who might have something to say about it.
Anyway, hope your feeling better soon and looking forward to seeing more, especially when the forces begin to clash.
Steve
Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the comment Jammy.
Well, Leo has spies everywhere, and the historical Leo was particularly active and adept in the East. Still, not even he can have success 100% of the time...
Sargon
Good to see more. Nice run around of the various players and developments. A lot of forces in play and various developments could occur.
Must admit that its been so long that to refresh my memory I read the entire thread from the beginning. Taken me several hours but means I have an idea what's going on.
Glad that Justinian has remembered to allow for a sufficient naval guard against the Caliphate striking the coastline in the empire's heartland because he might have taken too many ships to the west. Although Iberia and Carthage are important for both empires the centres of population and wealth are further east.
Agilia's decision to stay neutral for the moment, coupled with Nusai's losses mean that the Roderic and the Romans should win in the end, although there could be a lot of fighting ahead. A fairly quick victory there could free up Justinian's forces for his main aims in N Africa. Although even if he recaptures both Septum and Carthage there will be a lot of western N Africa in Muslim hands even without pressure from Egypt and points east.
Uncertain if Bardanes will be able to keep his ambitions under control with the emperor and so many loyal forces away. Although if the Slavs are troublesome while the main imperial forces are away he could find himself too busy to cause problems. Also if he does rebel there will be a thousand Khazers who might have something to say about it.
Anyway, hope your feeling better soon and looking forward to seeing more, especially when the forces begin to clash.
Steve
Thankee for the detailed comment Steve!
Yep, it does take hours to read through everything, and I commend your patience and diligence in doing so as it is certainly not a short task...I had to do that a number of times to refresh things in my mind as well as for whenever I needed to reference back to a point. There may even have been things I have missed given that there is so much going on, so If anyone notices something that doesn't tally with things I've written in another part, let me know since I'd like to make up a list of things to watch out for when I eventually come to rewriting the whole thing to make it gel better, and make the whole thing into a more similar prose style from the beginning. Trouble is, the TL only gets updated rarely, and in the times between that, the style and writing perspective has gradually changed. It would be nice one day to have it flow even better. Still, I'm sure people here would rather I concentrate on updates rather than going back and tweaking things.
It seems the Empire had no shortage in ships at this time as the chronicles of Nikephoros and Theophanes mention successive large fleets sent to subdue Cherson (a certain Bardanes was sent amongst these who subsequently rebelled after things got nasty, but even then the officer had been uncertain of what to do having seemingly taken up a stint in the Khagan's court awaiting the outcome of events whilst there) during the latter part of his OTL second reign. A figure of about 100,000 men being sent in the first Cherson expedition is mentioned, but I am somewhat sceptical of such a figure, as I have a feeling the entire armed forces of the Empire when all called up is not likely to be more than double that even with Justinian's concentration on improving his forces, and such figures tend to be inflated via story telling and the Chinese whisper effect, plus the negative propaganda surrounding and promoted about Justinian after his reign strongly leaned towards making him out to be more excessive in his responses than he appeared or needed to be.
I figured that 33,000 being taken on his expedition, especially when there are other commitments to account for would be a reasonable figure to extrapolate when all is said and done. Besides, the Emperor, especially with his better temperament now in this TL and when coupled with things I can read between the lines about him in the chronicles strikes me as a person who would be enthusiastic about performing a well organised precision strike with the best troops he can lay his hands on rather than just amassing huge numbers and hoping to steamroller the opposition (although I'm sure that if he could see the practicalities of arranging for a huge number of troops in once place to serve a devastating hammer blow, he would do that too, but with careful planning and appropriate organisation). Here, they have had to move in response to events, and he has not had the time to collect together as large a force as he would perhaps want, but he at least has access to his best troops in the Tagmata as well as the local thematic units.
True about Iberia and North Africa. Even if the aims there are secured, there's the need to garrison them, and there's still the rest of North Africa and Egypt under Umayyad control. Septum would only need a relatively modest garrison, but I have a feeling Justinian would want to make sure of retaining it by placing a larger garrison there than before should he recapture it. King Agila staying out of things may help the Romans in the short term, but there could well be issues in the long term if Agila harbours his strength whilst the others are hammering each other across the peninsula.
As for Bardanes, he's a curious one. He seems to have been a bit indecisive in making his choice to rebel OTL, preferring to wait to see how things went before committing himself, and and then allowing himself to elevated to leading the rebellion that left Cherson to return to the Empire. His eagle dream must have helped his decision though, it is true, yet that was in the context of a situation where such a thing manifested itself as being a possibility and the meaning of his dream became much clearer to him. Still, it seems he needs a valid trigger to make him take such action as well as the assurance of a reasonable chance of success. He may not have such a trigger as he's doing well enough here, and not in a bad position such as he found himself in Cherson and the clarity that likely provided in terms of his dream, but if anything goes wrong to put him in such a situation...
Don't worry, whatever my health, there will be some decent battles to look forward to old chap.
Many thanks for your kindness there mrhistory, very much appreciated.
I likewise hope the New Year is very good for you too, and that goes to everyone else reading this thread too!Sargon
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Sargon
On a couple of points:
a) Reading back through the former emperor Tiberius who Justinian overthrew when he returned to power. Think in most of the posts after Justinian's return to you refer to him by his given name but in the past couple you seem to have gone back to his regal name. Suspect the former is more likely as I suspect neither the emperor or the grateful recipient of his mercy would feel like reminding everybody of his former status.
b) On army sizes there is probably a lot of exhagguation. Also the factor of many armies having various non-combatants and hangers on. Merchants, entertainers, possibly family members. Also with an army sent by sea the sailors and their assorted supernumerials could well be included as well. Not to mention all the people assocaited with an imperial party. As such if Justinian is taking 33000 troops with him the grand total may well be over 100k.
Anyway, thanks again for the new update. Another 4 before the end of this year please.
Steve
On a couple of points:
a) Reading back through the former emperor Tiberius who Justinian overthrew when he returned to power. Think in most of the posts after Justinian's return to you refer to him by his given name but in the past couple you seem to have gone back to his regal name. Suspect the former is more likely as I suspect neither the emperor or the grateful recipient of his mercy would feel like reminding everybody of his former status.
b) On army sizes there is probably a lot of exhagguation. Also the factor of many armies having various non-combatants and hangers on. Merchants, entertainers, possibly family members. Also with an army sent by sea the sailors and their assorted supernumerials could well be included as well. Not to mention all the people assocaited with an imperial party.
As such if Justinian is taking 33000 troops with him the grand total may well be over 100k.Anyway, thanks again for the new update. Another 4 before the end of this year please.
Steve
Sargon
On a couple of points:
a) Reading back through the former emperor Tiberius who Justinian overthrew when he returned to power. Think in most of the posts after Justinian's return to you refer to him by his given name but in the past couple you seem to have gone back to his regal name. Suspect the former is more likely as I suspect neither the emperor or the grateful recipient of his mercy would feel like reminding everybody of his former status.
b) On army sizes there is probably a lot of exhagguation. Also the factor of many armies having various non-combatants and hangers on. Merchants, entertainers, possibly family members. Also with an army sent by sea the sailors and their assorted supernumerials could well be included as well. Not to mention all the people assocaited with an imperial party.
Anyway, thanks again for the new update. Another 4 before the end of this year please.
Steve
Ah yes, I am actually aware of that. It's a times like this it would be useful that like CF.net and my own forums this place allowed posts to be edited over a much longer period, and I'd like to make that consistent across all the chapters. From now on he'll be referred to as Apsimaros. I shall address that by changing it in the last part at least (Edit: and in fact now done).
With all those sailors the number is going to be increase as well, still I have numbers in Treadgold's book regarding sailors, and they are much less than the troops rather surprisingly as one would have thought that all those ships would take a lot of men to crew. Still, Treadgold notes oarsmen and marines as being separate, and counts the marines in with the army rather than navy totals leaving the oarsmen as a distinct grouping.
I dunno about another 4, considering I only managed to get one out in the whole of 2009.
I'll try to make it more than that this year though. Ideally I'd like to get one a month done...if only I was as prolific as the Doc or Chris.
Sargon
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