NationStates Jolt Archive


Byzantine Empire (Byzantiya) Factbook (MT)

Byzantiya
22-01-2009, 04:09
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/6157/byzantineme5.png

Byzantine Empire
"Υπό το φως του Θεού"


Overview

When a child is born in Byzantiya, it is generally accompanied by a great fanfare, gradually dying down so that the doctor can inspect how efficiently the baby will be able to slaughter Muslims and Catholics. Such is life in the successor state to the Byzantine Empire, locked in almost constant warfare on both the eastern and western fringes of the Empire with various dissident groups and fractured internally by religious conflict.

If it were possible for a human being to embody every one of the seven deadly sins, the Emperor of Byzantiya would certainly be the one to do it. For near three hundred years the Empire has been ruled by the incompetent, the corrupt, and occasionally, the just plain stupid, while the nobles wallow in self-pity over the loss of their once-great empire. The Empire crumbles as the Imperial family and men of the court sip wine and feast, the plight of the people all but forgotten.

History

In 1202 AD, Venice, in conjunction with a number of other European kingdoms, launched the Fourth Crusade to retake the Holy Land (again). However, the Crusade diverted from its original path, sacking the Hungarian city of Zara in November of that year and turning their attention to Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Years of prolonged warfare and internal strife had weakened the Empire, and its once-mighty navy had been reduced to a mere 20 galleys.

Alexius IV, exiled son of the deposed Emperor Isaac II offered a massive silver payment to the Crusaders if they would restore his throne (taken by Alexius III several years before), and in 1203 the crusading armies laid siege to Constantinople. Alexius III was killed in a freak riding accident in which a spear was shoved through his chest while he attempted to mount his horse. Theodore Laskaris, the man standing next to Alexius III when the spear pierced his heart, claimed the throne, and due in part to the extreme unpopularity of the previous Emperor, citizens of Constantinople essentially shrugged and gave him a shot.

The move quickly turned out to a good one. That night, Laskaris led seventeen divisions of the Byzantine army through St. Romanus Gate, crushing the crusader armies and capturing Alexius IV, who was later tried for treason and thrown off a tower (the same scene would be replayed in history dozens of times). Proclaiming the Byzantine Empire to be reborn, Laskaris and his immediate descendents led armies to reclaim the majority of Asia Minor and Greece before the dynasty was cut short by the first of many, many coups in 1380 AD.

In 1380, twelve different men served as Emperor until Andronikos Palaiologos assumed the throne in a bloody duel with his rival, a descendent of Alexius III. The Empire was relatively stable until 1699, when Turkish rebels from central Asia Minor besieged Nicea and briefly took the city before being driven back by Byzantine forces in 1700.

The “time of suffering” began in 1701 with the coronation of Emperor Constantine Kontoidis, who promptly lost the majority of Greece to Serbian advances. Only by the genius displayed in the field by the military staff did the Empire manage to retake the eastern half of Greece. Byzantine forces would never again occupy the western half.

The next twenty-four Byzantine emperors embodied the stereotype perpetuated by the people that their rulers cared nothing for them. Though they were not tremendously poor emperors, they generally left the business of running the Empire to their subjects, which worked fairly well in the beginning, but gradually turned from a conscious lack of control to sheer laziness. The current Emperor, Alexios X Archipoulos is the twenty-fourth member of the Archipoulos dynasty, and neither he nor his sons have ever left Constantinople. In fact, the only living member of the Archipoulos family who has left the Great Palace is Alexios X’s niece, Alyssa Kyrgiakis, sebastē and Kephale of Nicea in the south.

Administration and Government

If it were not so pathetic, one would probably laugh at the complexity of the Byzantine government and the immense bureaucracy which controls the people’s day-to-day lives. The aristocracy is something of a joke, headed by the Emperor and having sway over a multitude of court eunuchs, Imperial family members, and palace officials.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, headed by His All Holiness, Constantine X, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch, is the first in a hierarchy of twelve autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches, and is considered to be the most important institution of Orthodoxy in the world. Constantine X is “first among equals” among Orthodox bishops, and is the spiritual leader of Byzantiya.

The hatred between the Ecumenical Patriarch and Emperor Alexios X is so intense that it is rumored that they cannot be in the same room, lest they give into their instincts and throttle each other. This hatred is well-known, and to the devout population of Byzantiya, is unacceptable behavior in their Emperor.

Independent of the Emperor and the aristocracy (more by laziness on their part than actual law or tradition), the civil branch of the government, appointed by the Emperor, runs the lives of the people. The Megas Logothetes, roughly the equivilant of a Prime Minister, has direct control over both the subservient Logothetes and the state treasury and legal system. Beneath the Megas Logothetes, the Logothete of the General Affairs runs the taxation and revenue services, the Logothete of the Home Affairs is responsible for domestic affairs, the Logothete of the Road runs the postal service as well as being responsible for diplomatic affairs, and the Logothete of the Military is responsible for military finances, logistics, and wages.

Beneath each Logothetes are the asikrētai, or secretaries which have further offices below them, and further offices below them, and so on and so forth until the local level is reached. On the local level, the Kephales, or town leaders, run the affairs of their townspeople—the Kephales are directly elected by each town; the only position gained through an election.

There are roughly nine hundred different Orders related to either the Church or the State (which are technically separated by law), though these titles are mainly for show (not that the Imperial titles aren’t).

Economy

Slavery is one hundred percent legal in Byzantiya, and slave labor (usually Turkish prisoners, but Arabs have been known to be pressed into slavery as well) runs the agricultural and mining sectors. Slaves are almost never traded, and in fact, they often live in better accommodations than many of the lower classes do. Families are kept together for morale reasons, and beatings are uncommon, though not banned by law. To the majority of the Turkish population, they choose between slavery and protection or being publicly stoned by crowds of Byzantines, so slaves are often motivated to succeed, lest they be freed and killed within the same day.

Industrialization has been a slow process, but cities gradually eased into modern society, progressing until they could match similar cities in neighboring nations. To an outsider, watching the economy grow while the Empire crumbles and riots break out in the streets daily might be a shock. The reason, however, for this growth is simple—the government does not concern itself with matters of economics. Without this sheer incompetence of the Imperial government regulating every bit of the economy, it has been able to thrive, completely contrary what should have occurred.

The currency of the Empire, the solidus, is backed by thirty percent gold reserves, though its stability is due more to the fact that the Emperor cannot wrap his mind around the idea of a Federal Reserve System than any pre-planning on his part. Inflation is kept relatively low, which enrages the farmers to no end while merchants and bankers frolic in the streets of Constantinople.

Law

The Emperor is the law.

Demographics

The vast majority of people residing within the Empire belong to the Byzantine Greek ethnic group, and being one is a requirement for citizenship. Immigration is welcome, so long as the immigrant is European (preferably Greek), and the population with all groups counted hovers around one hundred twenty six million.

Ethnic tensions run high, and even if the Greek majority is not at war with the Turkish minority, they certainly have no love for each other. Fights boil over into the streets and discrimination is common, despite not being sanctioned by the government. Oftentimes more secular Byzantines will have a higher opinion of the Turks, though the fact that there are very, very few secular Byzantines does not help the Turks’ cause.

Religiously, all citizens belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the majority of persons residing in the Empire. Catholicism is barely tolerated, with the Catholic Church of Constantinople as the only one of its kind in the entire Empire (it is often difficult to discern under the mass of egg yolks).

Admitting to being a Muslim to an Orthodox citizen is the equivalent of telling that person that you have just killed their entire family—it simply isn’t done. Islam is commonly known to be the second most prevalent religion in the Empire, though that fact is vehemently denied by both the government and the Church, both of which claim that Orthodoxy is the only religion followed in Byzantiya. Religious tensions, like ethnic ones, often boil over into terrorism and killings on both sides, and until the government acknowledges Islam as a valid religion, the killings will likely continue.

The official language is Medieval Greek (simply called Greek); though a large number of people, mainly Turks, also speak Arabic or Turkish. Anyone who does not speak Greek is liable to run into problems, as signs are posted in one language, and no courses are offered to teach the language beyond those in standard grammar and secondary schools.

Military

The military, once a mighty force, has fallen into disrepair in recent years. The Byzantine Army uses aging Soviet-era weaponry almost exclusively, and the story is no different for the air force and navy. MiG-21s commonly are seen flying patrol missions, and T-72s are considered the pinnacle of armored technology in Byzantiya.

Wide scale corruption and a complete lack of funding by the Imperial government has essentially destroyed any hope of rebuilding the military, and it now functions mainly as a civil defense force, fighting dissidents based both inside and outside the Empire. As fundamentalist and dangerous the Empire may seem outwardly, in truth, Byzantiya is no threat to anyone but itself. The military could not even hope to square off against a well-prepared, westernized force, and the amount of saber-rattling the Empire does is always just that—saber-rattling.

Conscription is legal, but it is so ridiculously easy to escape service that draft notices are usually not even sent out simply to save the paper. Military parades are generally accompanied by a lot of flag waving and a lot more laughing as the tank in the front of the formation falls to pieces in front of the gates of Constantinople.

The navy does, however, have possession of a single Kirov Class battlecruiser, which has reached almost legendary status and is bathed, scrubbed, and polished every morning in a variety of acids and liquids to remove any grime which may have accumulated over the night. It sits proudly overlooking Constantinople, secure in the knowledge that should the city ever be attacked, its concrete-filled guns and vertical launch tubes may actually cause the invaders to die of laughter.


OOC Notes:

I'm not a racist, obviously. In reality, I'm Catholic myself, and have never even set foot in an Eastern Orthodox Church. While I'm sure some of the older players will get that, I find that a lot of times newer ones feel as though the nation's IC policies mimic those of the writer--this obviously isn't the case.

I RP with a set population of 126,000,000 (as an RS nation), so don't ask about that one. Generally, unless you're RPing with a set population as well (i.e., the Med Sea) I won't go to war with you, as I'll obviously be quashed.
Defense Corporations
22-01-2009, 04:14
OOC - don't forget violent sports rivalries, especially as proxies for class and racial tensions. Surely there could be modern-day Nika Revolts?
Byzantiya
22-01-2009, 04:18
OOC: Could be? Clearly you've never been to Germany-England match :D
The Scandinvans
22-01-2009, 04:28
Understanding that determining the legality of slavery is a sovereign right nations, and recognizing the methods that other nations employ in their pitiful attempt to stamp out slavery, the Scandinvan Empire, another nation where slavery is legal, cordially invites you to become a member of the Confederacy of Scandinvan Protectorates, a union of free countries that are guaranteed their sovereignty within the Confederacy and that their sovereignty shall be defend by the Scandinvan Empire if need be.

If you have any questions feel free to ask them good sir.

Signed,
Emperor Godfrey III

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=579560
Korintar
22-01-2009, 04:40
OoC: interesting
IC: The Korintari government has noticed the problems the Byzantines are having in maintaining stability. If the Emperor Alexios X is interested, we could ensure peace and prosperity for your nation by entering into a protectorate agreement.- T'blis Oltavi, Director of International Affairs.
Lynion
22-01-2009, 04:45
OOC: Do you want help with the construction of your military forces?
Byzantiya
22-01-2009, 04:47
OOC: Haha, thanks everyone, but this is a puppet of Leistung--I know how to play the game and all that. Scandinvans, before I reply, your nation is mostly Catholic, right? Just so I can get the slurs down.
The Scandinvans
22-01-2009, 04:54
OOC: Yes, it is mostly Catholic.
AHSCA
22-01-2009, 05:01
We will never associate with such a bigoted nation as yours. And to think people didn't like it when we tried to associate with the Ryou.
Bevue-Ville
22-01-2009, 05:08
http://img.skitch.com/20090117-ny82gjtin3hhfj58k18fc7nb8j.png

To: Alexios X

You insolent cowdog of a man! The Orthodox Church is to Catholicism as your shrunken Byzantine instrument of pleasure is to the glorious phallus of Bévue! Choke on the bile of your demonic faith you vile pigswine!

http://img.skitch.com/20090118-ja5x9ijngajfsjrpxaf7yxpeih.png
Prince Jean-Auguste le Pourpre
The Scandinvans
22-01-2009, 05:59
OOC: Bear in mind that my Emperor is drunk 24/7 and likely was feasting while writing this. I'm trying to get the whole, "wow this guy is a dunce" thing down

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/356/byzantiumsealhj0.png

Imperial Communiqué
Βyzantinή Αytokratorίa
Byzantine Empire

Ha! The day the NON-BELIEVER carries the sway over the dominions that are me to control will be the day that I am not Emperor. Ha! I are the Emperor and you are not!It seems, that unlike you, I do preserve the older ways more truly then your dirty mind can evern understand. Yet, out of respect for the teachings of the Almighty, I shall not strike back for the dishonor you have shown to me and my faith this day.

Signed,
Emperor Godfrey III
Byzantiya
22-01-2009, 23:56
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/2995/byzantiumsealvi6.png

Imperial Communiqué
Βyzantinή Αytokratorίa
Byzantine Empire

Your disgusting ways are of no concern to His All Holiness, Constantine X, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch. The sheer insanity of your claim that a phallus of Catholicism could possibly exceed the size of one of our Orthodox phalli has reduced us to tears of laughter. In fact, we demand that you prove your claims. As I do not leave the Great Palace under any circumstances (nor have I for near fifty-five years), you will have to come to us--please, pay no mind to the nooses hanging around the trees lining the road to Constantinople.