Eleutherios

Federal Republic of Eleutherios ομοσπονδιακός Δημοκρατία από Ελευθέριος
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Dum Spiro Spero" "While I breathe, I hope"
Anthem: πορεία νίκης
Capital and largest city	Oikos
Official languages	Greek
Government	Federal Republic
• Federal Chancellor	Stavros II
Legislature	Senate
Area
• Total	397,867 km2 (153,617 sq mi)
• Water (%)	2
Population
• 2020 estimate	8 million
• Density	20.08/km2 (52.0/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2022 estimate
• Total	344,000,000
• Per capita	$43,000
HDI (2021)	0.84 very high
Currency	Dollar (ELD)
Date format	DD/MM/YYYY
Driving side	right
Calling code	+29
Internet TLD	.eu

Eleutherios (Greek: ομοσπονδιακός Δημοκρατία από Ελευθέριος), officially the Federal Republic of Eleutherios, unofficially the FRE or FR Eleutherios, is a small nation on the southeast coast of Ecros. Eleutherios is bordered to the north by Quebecshire, to the south by the Terranihil, and to the east as the Caelean Sea. Eleutherios' capital and largest city is Oikos, located along the coast of the Caelean Sea. As of 2020, Eleutherios has a population of 8 million.

History

Early History

Much of Eleutherios’ early history was lost after the arrival of the Romanyan Empire in 60 BCE following the annexation of Alaia.

Classical Eleutherios

It is known that, prior to the arrival of the Romanyans, Oikos was an affluent city state founded by traders and merchants needing a port in the Caelean Sea, and archeological records show that the city was one of the first to institute a democratic system of government. In its heyday, Oikos and by extension the region of Eleutherios was an extremely prosperous and culturally significant state, seeing an influx of scholars and humanitarians. This period of success is known as Classical Eleutherios. During this time, the University of Athenia (at the time known as Athen’s School) was established by Athen, a leading Eleutherian scholar and statesman. Elections were held for government offices, leading to a stable central government that was beholden to its constituents. Military service was compulsory and, initially, Eleutherios enjoyed military successes against native tribes and other city-states, leading to borders very similar to current-day Eleutherios.

End of Classical period

While Eleutherios was enjoying prosperity and military success, its population remained small and mainly composed of scholars, thinkers, and artists. Therefore, the military was extremely small, and could not stand up to a much larger foe. When the Romanyan Empire conquered and subjugated Alaia, the Eleutherian government made overtures to the Romanyan emperor in an attempt to maintain their independence, however the messages were never returned. The town of Marathon, located near the border with Alaia, and was a trading hub for commerce between Eleutherios and the Tundren Empire. The small military garrison of the town was alerted to a large Romanyan force crossing the border, and they quickly sent a runner to alert the central government in Oikos to send the army to help. The Romanyans proceeded to siege the town, which lasted almost 2 weeks. The defenders attempted to fight back, but were overwhelmed and nearly destroyed by the numerically superior Romanyans until the timely arrival of the Eleutherian army. At the Battle of Marathon, the Romanyans, exhausted by weeks of conducting the siege on the city, faced off against a deeply motivated but numerically inferior force led by General Pyrrhus, who just five months prior had been selected as head of the Army. In a stunning display of bravery and tactical prowess, General Pyrrhus dealt a rough blow to the Romanyan army, lifting the siege of Marathon. However, this victory came at an extremely high cost, and the losses incurred by the Eleutherian army could not be replaced in time. Romanyan ships appeared off the coast of Oikos, and the demand was made for Eleutherios to capitulate and accept Romanyan rule. The Senate, led at this time by Chief Senator Pelagon, decided to accept the demands with the caveat that the city be untouched by Romanyan forces. The Romanyans agreed and were allowed to enter the city without resistance. However, after disarming the remaining military forces, the Romanyans sacked the city, burning down the Central Library containing countless historical documents that were lost. General Pyrrhus was executed, and Romanyan control over the city was solidified.

Romanyan Rule

Eleutherios became a client state of the Romanyan Empire, and initially efforts were made by Romanyan governors to stamp out any trace of Classical Eleutherian culture. Eventually, however, amalgamation took place, with the blending of both cultures into one unified culture. This effort was led by a man named Greco, the first Eleutherian to become the Romanyan governor of the region. Efforts from foreign governors to control the populace, especially in the capital of Oikos, were unsuccessful, and it was decided to let a native Eleutherian represent Romanyan interests in the hope that it would decrease resistance to Romanyan rule. Greco worked tirelessly on smoothing relations and improving cooperation, to the point where both cultures began to meld together in an amalgamation historians would dub Greek, named for Greco himself. The Romanyans brought Christianity to the region, which stood in stark contrast to the pagan, polytheistic Classical Eleutherian religion practiced at the time. Through Greco’s efforts, Christianity spread and rooted itself in the local population, and many historians associate early Greek culture with Romanyan Christianity.

Fall of the Romanyan Empire and Independence

By the early 600s, the Romanyan Empire was in crisis, with Islamic forces invading and conquering much of southern Ecros. Taking advantage of the crisis, Chief Senator Nikomedes, head of state, quietly declared independence from the Empire. Nikomedes himself rallied a small force of volunteers and fought the decisive Battle of Corinth. Corinth, a small town on the outskirts of Oikos, was the location of the main Romanyan garrison in Eleutherios. Nikomedes and his men ambushed the garrison at night, catching them by surprise and almost completely routing the Romanyan force. Surprisingly, the Romanyans accepted Eleutherian independence, and historians believe this was due to the mounting pressure on the frontiers of the Northern Empire.

Rise of Islam and Early Modern Eleutherios

Following the collapse of the Northern Romanyan Empire and the rise of the Mutadinun Caliphate, Eleutherios again faced the prospect of subjugation. However, through swift action taken by Nikomedes, the Treaty of Friendship was signed by Mansur ibn Affan in 650, which guaranteed Eleutherian independence, established free trade between both states, and codified the use of Oikos’ port by Mutadinun merchants. This treaty did come at a cost, however, with Eleutherios ceding vast territory to the Caliphate, including the vaunted city of Marathon where Phyrrus defeated the Romanyans. The borders of what historians dub “Early Modern Eleutherios” are essentially the borders of modern Nikomedes Province. During this time, Eleutherios began to regain the economic status it enjoyed prior to subjugation by the Romanyans. Oikos quickly became a new hub of commerce and culture, with goods flowing in from all corners of the globe. The Mutadinun merchants carved out a new rung on the social ladder, enjoying privileges afforded to them in the Treaty of Friendship. This did cause friction at times, such as the Unrest of 653, in which an Eleutherian woman was assaulted by a group of Mutadinun merchants, leading to massive riots and clashes between local Eleutherians and Mutadinuns. The Unrest was squashed by combined efforts of Eleutherian and Mutadinun soldiers, the latter of which consisted of troops stationed on merchant vessels given emergency permission to assist. This cooperation helped quell the riots, and impressed the Mutadinuns so much that the garrison commander was honored by a Mutadinun ambassador. Islam, of course, spread into Eleutherios during this period. It did not take root as much as Christianity, but with the high amount of Islamic traffic that passed through the country, a mosque was necessary to keep the population satisfied. With cooperation from Mutadinun architects, the Mosque of Corinth was completed in 657 and is still a tourist attraction to this day. With the fall of the Mutadinun and rise of the Zuhraid Caliphate in 664, cooperation between the Caliphs and Eleutherian Senate continued. Since Nadr ibn Zayd was a close relative of Mansur ibn Affan, he respected the treaty and it was again ratified in 665 between the new Zuhraid Caliphate and new Chief Senator Petros. The Early Modern period continued with relative peace and economic success until 876 with the collapse of the Zuhraid Caliphate.

The Aramea-Eleutherian War

The Kingdom of Aramea was established in 876 during the chaos following the collapse of the Zuhraid Caliphate. Initially, the prospect of a new, Christian kingdom on the border seemed a blessing to the Eleutherian citizens, who still were majority Christian. However, this was quickly revealed to not be the case. As Eleutherios moved to reclaim territories lost in the Treaty of Friendship, expeditions were met with hostility from Aramean troops. Eleutherios sent a delegation of Aramea to work out the problem peacefully and establish a mutual border, however the delegation was rebuffed by the King and sent back empty handed. The Senate therefore voted to retake Eleutherian lands by force, and the army was rallied to fight. The decisive action was fought in the Second Battle of Marathon, where an experimental Kataphraktoi armored cavalry force under Hippeis II dealt the decisive blow, flanking the Aramean infantry force and causing a rout. The Eleutherian army pursued the Arameans to the capital city of Valeriana, and threatened the city with a prolonged siege unless the Arameans agreed to Eleutherian terms, including the return of Eleutherian lands. The King of Aramea agreed, and Eleutherios finally reclaimed the lands lost to the Caliphates.

Expansion

In the period of time spanning 876 to 1459, Eleutherios enjoyed a period of relative peace and prosperity. With the consolidation of control over the reclaimed southern lands, and the influx of capital from foreign trade, Eleutherian explorers wanted to explore north and west, along the shoreline of the Caelean Sea and deeper into the uncharted forests. These explorers were given a limited charter to survey the areas and identify any valuable natural resources, but not to stake any claims on the land. Explorers were sent westward beginning in 1049 and discovered beautiful untouched forests and hills containing minerals such as coal. The Senate voted to stake a claim to the region, and expanded slightly to the northwest. In 1193, Eleutherian explorers who had ventured north along the coast encountered settlers from Quebecshire, and a border was established between the two with the settling of Yamachiche by Quebecshire and Grecopolis by Eleutherios. In the west, Eleutherios slowly gained more territory until it resembled the modern borders. Westward expansion stopped along a small mountain range, named the Peloponnese mountain range after the explorer who discovered them, Pelopon. By 1459 the southern border had been established following the Terranilian Empire’s conquest of Aramea and a mutual treaty. Throughout this period, Eleutherios continued to be a global hub of trade. Merchants from all over the world used Oikos as a port, and Eleutherian merchants traveled the globe trading and selling the resources discovered in the new lands. There was some trouble along the new Western frontier, with bands of native Malgans occasionally attacking frontier settlers. This led to the creation of the Frontier Patrol, the first governmental police force of the country and grandfather of the modern Border Police. Until then, law enforcement and security had been handled by local sheriffs appointed by town councils. The Frontier Patrol was uniformed, armed, and mounted on horses. The Frontier Patrol was very successful in protecting Eleutherian citizens against native raids, leading to a substantial drop in the number of raids by the late 1400s.

Pax Eleutheria

Following the expansions and increased contact with the outside world between 1000 and 1400, Eleutherios experienced a political, economic, and cultural renaissance. The framework for the modern republic was established, with thinkers such as Lavrentios building upon the senate system, which had been in use since the Classical period. The court system was overhauled, with legal schools established in order to provide local councils with trained and knowledgeable magistrates. The military was reorganized, with the Pyrrhus Military Academy established to train prospective officers. The officer class became an essential component of Eleutherian social life, with young officers marrying into rich merchant families creating a wealthy upper class. Merchant and artisan guilds were established, leading to a skilled and prosperous lower class. Poverty levels dropped and the standard of living began to increase. The guild system allowed for even the poorest peasant to learn a valuable trade. A substantial shipbuilding industry grew in the coastal town of Grecopolis due to its proximity to the vast forests in the northwest, and the town quickly grew into an economic powerhouse. Good weather provided bountiful crop yields in the southern plains, and food became a top export for the country. Cooperation with the neighboring Quebecshire and Terranihil benefitted all, and new technologies such as the printing press allowed thinkers to publish their works, and in the cafes and meeting houses around Oikos, political and theoretical discussion flourished. This period is known as Pax Eleutheria, the period that cemented Eleutherios in the global exchange of goods, services, and ideas.

Quebecshirite Civil War

In 1607, neighboring Quebecshire erupted into civil war (see: Quebecshirite Civil War)between monarchist and republican factions. The Senate, led at this time by Chief Senator Aurelios, decided to mobilize the army and Frontier Patrol in the event that the violence spills over the border. The military garrison at Grecopolis was bolstered by a large contingent of soldiers, including the elite Kataphraktoi heavy cavalry. The Frontier Patrol essentially closed the border with Quebecshire except for the main trade route between Yamachiche and Grecopolis where a checkpoint was established. Eleutherios received a huge horde of refugees, leading to a temporary refugee crisis until temporary shelters could be constructed to house them. Upon the Terranilian Empire’s entrance into the war on the side of the monarchists, Eleutherios closed the shared border and sent a message to the Emperor that Terranilian troops could not pass through Eleutherios’ borders to engage in the conflict, however, troop ships may temporarily pass through Eleutherian waters. The Emperor agreed, and troop ships passed peacefully through the Caelean Sea. Eleutherios did not officially declare support for either side, but public opinion heavily supported the republican faction. Thankfully, no violence ever spread to Eleutherian lands, and at the conclusion of the 1620 Orleans Negotiations, most refugees returned to their native lands. However, not all would, leading to an increased Quebecshirite population in the north. Many who remained were staunch monarchists, sowing the seeds for later tensions.

The One Month Rebellion

In 1638, a surprise protest took place in Grecopolis. Members of the so-called “Central Power Party, annoyed at the lack of action in the local council, called for a strong central government under a powerful leader. This party was influenced by monarchist sympathies in the local population following the Quebecshirite Civil War, who convinced a large portion of the working class that a strong, king-like ruler would benefit them more than the series of representative councils that governed Eleutherios from the smallest of villages to the Senate itself. The local military garrison was deployed to contain the protest, but the arrival of soldiers angered the crowd. The crowd armed themselves with makeshift weapons and attacked the soldiers, leading to an all out brawl in the city square. People on both sides lay dead following the confrontation, and the outnumbered soldiers had to pull back. The protestors declared themselves to be in rebellion, set fire to the council building, and barricaded the city square. A messenger was sent to Oikos, and the Senate allowed a military force to be rallied to defeat the rebels. Led by the Kataphraktoi cavalry, the army marched towards the square. The rebels were offered a chance to surrender, but this offer was rejected by a volley of musket fire. The army brought forward a cannon and fired at the barricade, destroying it and opening a hole for the Kataphraktoi to exploit. Some rebels attempted to fight, but were swiftly cut down. The remaining rebels surrendered, and order was restored. This action took less than a month, but is called the One Month Rebellion in contemporary sources.