Empire of Videssos

The Empire of Videssos is a fictional empire based upon the Byzantine Empire.

The geography of the Empire of Videssos--and the rest of the fictional world in which Videssos is placed--is based upon the geography of the Mediteranean, Europe, and parts of Asia compressed and reversed so what lies to the East in our world lies to the West in Videssos and vice versa.

HISTORY OF VIDESSOS: (Spolier Warnings!)

The exact age of the Empire of Videssos is never spelled out and no dating system has ever been established by the Videssians themselves. However, remarks made have given a rough idea as to its age.

In the Legion Cycle, it was established that Skopentzana fell 800 years prior to the events in this cycle.

In Krispos series, it is noted that the fall of the north-east to Khamorth invaders occured 300 years ago and the last great war with Makuran (ie the Time of Troubles Series) occured 150 years ago. It is also noted that by this point, the Empire of Videssos has existed for about 700 years.

In the Time of Trouble Series, the Khamorth Invasion occured 150 years prior.

In Bridge of the Seperator, the fall of Skopentzana and the Khamorth Invasion occurs and the reign of Stavrakios is noted as occuring 200 years prior to the events in this story.

From this a rough time line can be established.

Year Zero: Videssos the city and later the empire is established.

Zero+200: Avtokrator Stavrakios rules Videssos and expands it to its greatest size, conquering Agder from the Halogai and sacking Mashiz, the capital of Makuran.

Not long afterwards, Kveldulf the Halogai attempts to convert his fellow Halogai to Phos, but is martyred in the attempt.

Zero+400: Grand Domestikos Sylianos launches a rebellion against Avtokrator Maleinos, plunging the empire into Civil War.* Maleinos pulls the garrisons from the towns and cities and Sylianos recalls border guards to help them fight one another. This conflict weakens Videssos so much that the Khamorth nomads of Pardraya manage to enter and invade the north-eastern provinces of Videssos, sacking Skopentzana. Makuran also manages to seize Vaspurakan from Videssos. Prelate Rhavas of Skopentzana turns from Phos to Skotos. Sylianos defeats and kills Maleinos, becoming Avtokrator.

The nations of Kubrat, Khatrish, and Thatagush emerge from the lands the Khamorth invaded.

(Depicted in Bridge of the Seperator)

Zero+550: Avtokrator Likinios spreads gold among the Khamorth of Pardraya, inticing them to attack Makuran. The ploy succeeds and the Khamorth trap and destroy a great Makuraner Army under Peroz King of Kings, weakening Makuran and allowing a usurper named Smerdis to seize the thrown and imprison Sharbaraz, Peroz' son and heir.

Abivard son of Godarz, disgusted at Smerdis, helps free Sharbaraz and launches a rebellion to put Sharbaraz on the throne of Makuran, but are beaten and driven into Videssos where they implore Likinios for aid. Likinios assists Sharbaraz by sending his General Maniakes to help. Sharbaraz beats Smerdis and becomes King of Kings of Makuran.

Likinios is overthrown and killed while forcing his army to stay in Kubrat. Genesios becomes Avtokrator. Makuran invades Videssos, seizing Vaspurakan and the Westlands, prompting Maniakes to rebel and overthrow Genesios, becoming Avtokrator and saving Videssos from Makuran.

(Depicted in the Time of Troubles)

Zero+700: Avtokrator Rhaptes dies and is suceeded by his son Anthimos III under the regency of his uncle Petronas. Krispos rises to prominence in Videssos. Harvas Black-Robe (Rhavas) leads an army of Halogai, rampaging across Thatagush and then Kubrat upon the invitation of Petronas so he can invade Makuran. Krispos helps Anthimos remove his uncle. Anthimos attempts to slay Krispos by magic, but fails and kills himself. Krispos becomes Avtokrator and defeats Harvas and conquers Kubrat. He also crushes the Thanasiot rebellion.

(Depicted in the Krispos Series)

During the next five hundred years, minor border changes occur between Agder and Halogaland and between Khatrish and Thatagush. Haloga pirates conquer the Videssian island province of Kalavira, becoming the new nation of Namdalen and the Phos' Wager theology flourishes.

Zero+1150: The Arshaum invade western Pardraya, driving the Khamorth over the Shaum (formerly Mylasa) River. Avshar (Rhavas) uses magic to slay Varahan King of Kings of Makuran and allows a Khamorth clan called the Yezda to invade and conquer Makuran and Vaspurakan. Avshar establishes himself as a prince in Yezd (formerly Makuran) and teaches the cult of Skotos to the Yezda who begin raiding and attacking Videssos.

Zero+1200: Avtokator Ioannakis III is replaced by Avtokrator Strobilos Sphrantzes who in turn is overthrown by Avtokrator Mavrikios Gavras. The Roman Legion under Marcus Scaurus arrives in Videssos. Mavrikios goes to war with Yezd but is defeated and killed by Avshar, allowing Ortaias Sphrantzes to sezie the throne. Thorisin Gavras overthrows Ortaias and becomes Avtokrator, beating rebellions by Baanes Onomagolous and the Great Count Drax. Avshar overthrows Khagan Wulghash of Yezd and launches and all out war to destroy Videssos but is stopped by Patriarch Balsamon, Marcus Scaurus, Viridovix son of Drappes, and Avtokrator Thoirisin. Avshar is defeated forever and the Yezda withdraw to Yezd proper.

(Depicted in the Legion Cycle)


 * In earlier books the great civil war that led to the fall of the northeast is described as occuring between twin brothers who couldn't admit to who was older. This was later retconned into the events shown in Bridge of the Seperator.

Videssian Avtokrators:

Avtokrator Stavrakios Avtokrator Maleinos Avtokrator Stylianos Avtokrator Laskaris* Avtokrator Likinios Avtokrator Genesios Avtokrator Maniakes Avtokrator Rhaptes Avtokrator Anthimos III Avtokrator Krispos Avtokrator Ioannakis III Avtokrator Strobilos Sphrantzes Avtokrator Mavrikios Gavras Avtokrator Ortaias Sphrantzes Avtokrator Thorisin Gavras


 * Laskaris is credited with sacking Mashiz 739 years before the arrival of the Romans and seizing a Makuraner helmet from their King of Kings and is portrayed in a picture in the Videssian Palace. However, in all subsequent books it is Stavrakios who sacked Mashiz, claimed the helmet, and appears in the painting in the Palace, suggesting that Laskaris was retconned into Stavrakios.

The fall of Skopentzana and the northeast is analagous to the division of the Roman Empire into its Western and Eastern halves and the barbarian invasions that destroyed the Western Roman Empire. Likewise, the fact that the lands stolen from Videssos (Khatrish, Thatagush, Namdalen, Vaspurakan, and Agder) all deviated from the Orthodox Videssian faith just as the Western lands of the Roman Empire became Catholic while the Eastern Roman Empire remained Orthodox.