2100(1347)-2114(1361) (Ætas ab Brian)

From Alternative History

History of Rome-After Ætas ab Brian

The Commonwealth War and Sinican Revolution: 2088(1335)-2100(1347)

The Coldwar began: 2100(1347)-2114(1361)

The Pan Asian Bloc: 2114(1361)-2124(1371)

2101(1348) A Gold Rush in the Cuashium Confederation started in January when gold was discovered in the central regions of the nation’s capital state of Fortussita. As news of the discovery spread, some 300 000 people immigrated to Fortussita, mostly from the rest of Terranova. This development inflated the nation’s Abadse (capitalist) tendencies and also helped in quickening its economic, agricultural, populous, and technological development as well as pushing natives off of some land and causing some environmental damage.

2102(1349) The safety pin was invented by Waeso Suedius Faunt.

Appius Biallustius Stacius of a Britannia Sup. ADA improved the inward flow reaction turbine to over 90% efficiency. He also conducted sophisticated tests and developed engineering methods for water turbine design.

Also this year, Alexandros Gaius Bestinianus of a Scanatan ADA developed hand-held commercial audio wireless-telelexy, calling it a ‘teleclarisonus’, it revolutionises civilian communication.

Seeing the potential destruction to civilisation from the Heinium weapon race, the Senate created the Dexpiscorari Corpegium Promethea as a military computational and communications network tied to the ADAs military research programmes. Over the next decade an extensive decentralised network was built, capable of maintaining international communications through direct radiowaves and telelexy cables for when the ionosphere gets messed from nuclear strikes. Soon after, Sinica developed its own system. This also led to new computactor processes wherein direct data transfers from one computer to another using others that are connected to the system as a conduit bypasses the otherwise compulsory stop-translate-compile-redirect procedures.

2103(1350) Finally, it appears the Pruddai are growing up and getting real jobs, though the damage is done; there are few unfreed slaves and even those around have so many rights they are practically just citizens living at the workplace, becoming a Roman citizen takes only 6 years of residence and a single knowledge test, Titus’ Imperial Welfare System had been greatly expanded, there have been many magistrates created to regulate things like workplace safety and workers rights. There is much less racism, peaceful political demonstrations are not massacred by the Vigiles, a proactive group of ‘Abvironators’ who are concerned mainly with heavy industries’ apparent harm to the abvironment. Unmarried couples of all ages feel free to travel and live together without societal disapproval, Religious and cultural diversity gained even greater acceptance, Co-operative business enterprises and creative community living arrangements are widely accepted, a higher amount free speech, abolishment of crucifixion, interest in more organically grown food, herbal remedies and vitamins became widespread, even discrimination had become less socially acceptable, and finally this year, the term of Caesar was reduced to 10 years-Marcus Iulius Garilianus though still gets his 2100-2112 term. The Capitoline Games’ Gladiator shows were not changed much however, concurrently, movements to have a basic world wide definition of Human rights have little successs, the existence of gladiators and slaves are the prime causes. The generation replacing them though have not been properly raised since Pruddai make pretty crummy parents. For the most part they are just as excluded as their parents by the respectable society. So the only thing really riling people up these days is the Heinium bomb race and the resulting cloud of doom and pessimism over the Free world.

Also this year, Servius Nadanus Limetanus of a Moesia Inf. ADA invents the Lumen Transfero, with light it scans a paper and prints an exact black and white copy.

These days, tea is much more expensive and many Romans are discontent with the Sinican nation. This leads Oppius Flavius Sinicivan, an independent Sinican-immigrant Kafes owner in Scanata, to sell his small, costly tea stocks-milled, and packaged in small, water permeable bags. This business move proves very profitable for making tea preparation easy.

Again also this year, Waeso Suedius Faunt invents another innovative helper for clearing winter roads, the Ninguesarator. They are attached to heavy and powerful, city owned extrudotrusi.

Meanwhile on the Sinican-Indian and Sayam front, the battle has become a standstill while half of Nepal is occupied and Dai Viet is conquered. The Khmer Empire is under direct assault now as well. It is now certain on all sides that only the revolutionary destructive power of the Heinium bomb could sway the war in any favour. Missile production is up.

With the Cuashium Confederation quickly progressing and becoming more internationally open, the confederation agrees to join the Concilium Mundi.

Also, the Italian Paleontologist Ioannes Caponis identified fossils of what was to be a third extinct giant lizard group. Calling them Aerasauros, they at first were considered only gliders, but evidence soon supported that they were capable of powered flight.

2104(1351) Nubia joins the Senate.

Laminated armour is developed in a Parthian ADA. It is best used in situations involving rocket-propelled-grenades.

Also this year an Italian ADA first synthesizes tritribioxis. the liquid proves to be exceptionally more explosive than niter powder and easy to produce.

2105(1352) powered (and much more safe) passenger elevators are invented by Tertius Otius Eugenius of a Nova Scandia ADA.

The gyroscope and its principles are invented and discovered by Jovius Frenius Rectuserger of a Germania Sup. ADA. They help greatly in designing missiles with guidance systems when before the missile just had enough fuel to get to its target and was shot in a corresponding arc. Xun Sinica would copy Rome’s improvement by the end of the year though Rome was able to get a minute advantage for a while.

2106(1353) April 5th, 5:53:02 am in Rome, 11:53:02 am in Xun’s capital, both Empires’ prime announcers both called each other at this time, both yelling at each other so neither got through. They did this for half an hour, each one’s voice cancelling out the other’s transmission. What they were both saying was that 10 minutes earlier, each had been informed by their nations’ lead scientists that 6 minutes before, their research groups had both invented the Heinium bomb (although the actual element used in the bomb, Jupitium had to be manufactured from Heinium). Once both sides confirmed the other’s truth, both Rome and Xun were able to agree to meeting for negotiations to avoid world destruction. In the end, occupied India was released, Nepal and Dai Viet became Xun vassals, attacks on Sayam, Nihhon, and Khmer were halted, and a cold war began between Rome and Sinica to best develop delivery systems for the Heinium bombs, and also to make them cause less collateral damage, and still be devastating. High orbiting rockets would be the best offence and missile response nets would be the best defence in this newer prospect of war. Before, missiles and bombs simply inconvenienced a whole lot of people, but now they would be specifically used to devastate industrial and military areas. Although the fading Pruddai are outraged at the Senate’s funding for developing these weapons, the government cannot hold back since Sinica’s dictator has no such public resistance to his spending all sorts of money on all kinds of weapons, although Sinica hasn’t nearly as much intellectuals after the revolution killed or scared off many of them (it will take a while for Sinica to train new ones). In response to the space race, the Senate forms the Corpegium Spatium Imperitorium, most of the engineers and scientists came from the ADAs to become super specialists in aeronautics.

This global development also caused the first noticeable shift in published fiction, The coldwar made espionage the prime arm for a nation to act against its enemies and authors and wireless broadcasters found speculatorius(spy) fiction to being a big hit with the populace. This espionage was most tricky though since most Romans do not look like Sinicans and vice versa, although some spies were able to get away with plastic surgery and decades of training, most Roman spies ended up being recruited from Nihonia.

With the space race now initiated, astrostrategy gained importance in Rome and Sinica’s agendas. Within a few years, ownership over much of the air-space above Sinican and Roman territory up to 119 000 kilopes/70 500 li (~35 224km) was claimed. A second meeting similar in design to the first was carried out in 2111(1358), held in India, to solidify sovereignty over the claims.

2107(1354) In Nigeria, independence fighters start riots. Xun Sinica undoubtedly supplied some of the rebel arms as the rebels called themselves the ‘Politicus Castrum Socialista’ in Latin [in whatever form of Chinese language exists there, I have no idea what they are called]. Xun was also setting up military installations on some of the Pacificus’ uninhabited and unclaimed Islands. After violence and arrests, the riots in Nigeria are stopped with all those willing to go home, going uncharged.

2108(1355) the Lapsus amburoustum is invented by Rublius Salonius Wilerian of a Germania Sup. ADA. They soon become a common piece of laboratory equipment used for heating, sterilization, and combustion.

Also this year, Haius Uulius Belairus of a Britannia Sup. ADA develops the Belairus process, it was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass-production of steel from molten carbon rich iron. The process had also been used outside of the Empire for hundreds of years, but not on an industrial scale. The key principle is removal of impurities from the iron by oxidation through air being blown through the molten iron. The oxidation also raises the temperature of the iron mass and keeps it molten.

Again also this year, the gold rush in Cuashium ends, though the investors remain.

2109(1356) using the advanced plasticus formulaes from the ‘Legionarius Surus Machina Pilium forma 32’(its construction processes were still secret), ADAs in Italia develop plasticii available for commercial heat insulating use, it is used in wires, cables, food packaging, toys, windows, housing, etc.

Also this year on October 18th a devastating earthquake began in Rhaetia and extended to Gaul and Germania. The first few aftershocks were powerful enough to do just as much damage as the initial quake and for the next year, aftershocks continued. Several towns were destroyed by fire and it would take several years before all the damage was repaired.

2110(1357) the Alpes provinces have another referendum for unifying.

Also this year, Xun Sinica launches an aluminum cylinder into space with a tracking device in it. It falls into the atmosphere again after a couple days but since nobody outside of Xun’s labs knew anything about the world’s first gudao (latin=orbitor (artificial satellite)), everyone assumed it was a highly advanced spy satellite; a lot of people went crazy. A few months later Xun sent up a dog into space, luckily for the dog, named Ru, it asphyxiated before burning up on re-entry.

Again also this year, extrudotrusi transmuto(car transmission) gear synchronisers are developed in a Parthian ADA. They reduce the occurrence of gear grinding when shifting. It also results in many brake designs which disengage the engine from the drive shaft.

2111(1358) the first known Terranovan Terasauros was discovered, in mines in Scanata (although fossils had been found before, their nature had not been correctly discerned). The creature was named Hadrosauros. It was an extremely important find; Hadrosauros was the first nearly complete terasauri skeleton found and it was clearly a bipedal creature. This was a revolutionary discovery as, until that point, most scientists had believed terasaurii walked on four feet, like other lizards. These discoveries sparked a wave of terasaurii mania in Terranova. So many fossils were being discovered the world over that many specimens sent to the ADAs remained in their packaging for years while independent palaeontologists were also asked to help with fossil processing. A handful of Legions were known to have adopted terasaurii in their standards.

Also this year, the Alpes referendum is a success, eliminating the need of 2 senators. Again also, first roman satellite: ‘Explorator’ is launched

2112(1359) Pro-Sinican uprising in Simbabwe, supported by Namatania and instigated by Xun, luckily it is harshly quelled by the Praetorius Procuris who have full authority to do so in Roman territory.

The CSI sent several different animals into orbit, the last dog, cat, and 5 mice sent were successfully brought back to the surface alive.

The Concilium Mundi forms the Terra Australis Pactio, a treaty signed by the 20 CM members that: the area is to be used for peaceful purposes only;

• military activity, such as weapons testing must be a CM sanctioned program with at least 5 participants and an equal number of Concilium Mundi observers, military personnel and equipment may also be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purpose;
• scientific investigation and cooperations will have at least one Concilium Mundi observer;
• submission of information in cooperation with the Concilium Mundi concluding each scientific or military experiment/exploration;
• will not recognize, but will dispute territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force;
• prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes;
• includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00 minutes south;
• treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment;
• advance notice of all activities and of the introduction of military personnel must be given;
• allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states;
• frequent consultative meetings must take place among member nations;
• treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Terra Australis that are contrary to the treaty to the Concilium Mundi;
• disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the Mundi Auditorium.

Cæsar Marcus Iulius Grilianus is succeeded by Gallus Tuccius Torquatus, a 61 year old from Italia.

2113-4(1360-1) In the Mali Empire, the Mansa(emperor) Suleyman, died, his son, Kassa ruled for less than a year before abdicating to his cousin Mari Diata II. Unlike so many previous Mali Emperors, Diata was a worse ruler than Commodus of Rome’s distant past. Diata spent a despicable amount of tax revenue in his own follies and pursuits, letting the empire’s defence, research, and security sag terribly, with yearly droughts, revolts (not Sinican backed thankfully) were common, leading to a massive civil war at the beginning of the next year.

Locomotive torpedoes are also designed by Publius Primitivus Marcipor of a Pannonia Sup. ADA.

Also this year, Cahlus Shasta Maimatius, a scientist in the Cuashium Confederation built the first Lustris Inritare Dispando Radior LIDR, a device producing a nearly parallel and monochromatic coherent beam of light.

Mersables with heavy armour are also in production for the first time.

Madagascar joined the Concilium Mundi as the first independent African nation, earning it deridment from the Organization for African Unity, though the OfAU is seen as more and more of a warlords’ club.

In part due to Madagascar’s joining of the CM and the OfAU’s uselessness; but mostly because of un-educated general kings and their incompetence and malice, a civil war in northern Namatania begins. CM peacekeepers are sent in and are ill-met, the war stays out of Simbabwe’s borders and so little is done to stop the internal conflicts. Violent refugees however, tend to enter Roman territory or the Congolese kingdoms to the north. With the African nations’ dislike of the CM there is not much sympathy in the Roman world. This development leads to the Sinica's lessening interest in harnessing African nations into their sphere of influence.

The first Heinium powered Nuclear reactors are built in Xun Sinica. Roman designs soon follow and are implemented.

The current Caesar is Gallus Tuccius Torquatus

The Commonwealth War and Sinican Revolution: 2088(1335)-2100(1347)

The Coldwar began: 2100(1347)-2114(1361)

The Pan Asian Bloc: 2114(1361)-2124(1371)

History of Rome-After Ætas ab Brian