Savottan Empire

Savottan Empire Imperium Romanum
266–1350
Chi Rho Solidus depicting Cristo Onnipotente, a common motif on Savottan coins.
Capital	Savotta
Common languages	Romanyan
Religion	Romanyan Christianity/Savottan Christianity
Government	Empire
Notable Emperors
Historical era	Late Antiquity/Early Middle Ages
• First division of the Romanyan Empire	266
• Rebuilding of Savotta	330
• Final North/South division	495
• Sack of Savotta	1350
Currency	Sestertius, Denarius, and Solidus
Preceded by Romanyan Empire
Today part of	Andaluzia Montcrabe Salisford

The Savottan Empire was the continuation of the Romanyan Empire in its southern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Savotta. It survived the fragmentation and fall of the northern Romanyan Empire in the 7th century AD and continued to exist for an additional 750 years until the Sack of Savotta by the Kingdom of Castilliano and the Kingdom of Creeperopolis in 1350. During most of its existence, the empire remained the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Sur and southern Ecros.

The term "Savottan Empire" was coined after the fall of the realm; its citizens continued to refer to the empire simply as the Romanyan Empire and themselves as Romans (Vulgar Ayeroshubic: Romani). Although the Romanyan state continued and its traditions were maintained, modern historians distinguish the Savottan Empire from its earlier incarnation because it was centred on Savotta rather than Romanya and characterized by Christianity.

History

Early history

By the first century AD, the Romanyan Empire had conquered many territories surrounding the Alzanub Sea. These territories were home to many different cultural groups, and both rural and urban populations. Generally speaking, the northwestern Surian provinces were as urbanized, if not more, than the core Ecrosian territories, having been previously united and developed by the Egittan Republic which was later conquered and developed even further by the Romanyans themselves.

The Surian provinces were insulated by the instabilities of the 3rd and 4th centuries, and effective military action minimized the threat of barbarians to the south. This led to a gradual estrangement between the northern and southern territories of the empire.

An early example of the partition of the Empire into North and South came during the reign of Diocletian, who established the Tetrarchy and appointed a separate Augustus for the South, as well as one Caesar each for the North and the South. This system worked only for about two decades, as each of the four separate emperors fell to infighting and civil conflict, until Constantine I the Great reunited the empire in 324 AD.

Christianization and decline of the Empire

In 330 AD, shortly his ascension, Constantine I, finding the old capital of Romanya to be unsuitable for his needs, moved his imperial court to the already existing city of Savotta. This move was accompanied this move with a massive development and public works campaign, which almost completely rebuilt the city and made it a true rival to the grandeur of Romanya itself. Included in the development was a palace, new walls, and other amenities and facilities of an imperial seat. Constantine completed many reforms as Emperor, and introduced substantial changes to the Romanyan economy, military, and administration. Most notably his mint of the gold solidus, which stabilized the value of Romanyan currency.

Constantine, having attributed his success in conflict against rivals because of his invocation of the christian God, supported Christianity with generous privileges and imperial favor. His support of the Church, and his formal conversion later in life, helped spur on the rise of Christianity throughout the Empire, and every emperor who followed him, except for a few notable exceptions like Julian the Apostate, was a christian.

Theodosius I was the last Emperor to rule over a united empire. Throughout his reign, he further supported the Church and issued a number of proclamations which basically banned pagan worship. Before he died, he officially split the empire into North and South, and bequeathed a half to each of his two sons Arcadius and Honorius. Arcadius got the South and Honorius the North.

Loss of the northern Empire

• Infighting continues between Emperors
• Imperial system declines even further
• Gradual loss of territories to barbarians to the north
• Rise of Islam happens in early 600s
• Mutadinuns push Romanyans west
• Emperors struggle to fight against threats to both the east and the north
• Mutadinuns kick Romanyans out of Ecros
• Rome falls in 680 AD
• Northern Empire gone :cry:

Conflict with the Deltinians

Illustration of diplomatic negotiations between a Caliph of Deltino and a Savottan Emperor