View source for Vidimir and Carobald Umund (Gepid) (The Ashes of Rome Map Game)

{{Infobox royalty|name = Vidimir Umund|image = Gepid Coin Vidimir Umund.gif|caption = An Ardar featuring Vidimir during his time as Justicar.|succession = [[List of Gepid Justicars (The Ashes of Rome Map Game)| 4th Justicar of the Gepid Republic]]|reign = 645-675|reign-type = Time in office|predecessor = [[Sigibald Bessas|Sigibald Bessas]]|successor = [[Berig Bessas|Berig Bessas]]|succession1 = Suspectant|reign1 = 630-645|reign-type1 = Time in office|regent1 = [[Recimer Aric|Recimer Aric]], [[Sigibald Bessas|Sigibald Bessas]]|reg-type1 = Justicar|issue = Valamir Umund<br />
Hunila Umund<br />
<nowiki>Theudis Umund]</nowiki><br />
[[Euric Umund|Euric Umund]]<br />|full name = Vidimir Umund|native_lang1 = Languages|native_lang1_name1 = Gepid|house = House Umund|father = [[Theodulf Umund|Theodulf Umund]]|date of birth = 603|place of birth = Buteridava, Byzantine Dacia|date of death = 679 (aged 76)|place of death = Buteridava, [[Gepid Republic (The Ashes of Rome Map Game)|Gepid Republic]]|religion = [[wikipedia:Nicene Christianity|Nicene Christianity]]}}'''Vidimir and Carobald Umund''', also refered as the '''Umund brothers''', are the two sons of Theodulf Umund, one of the Five Founding Fathers and founder of House Umund. The two brothers are famous for their rise to power, which resulted in both the offices of Consul and Justicar being occupied them from 650 to 670. 

During those 20 years that marked the Consulate of Carobald, they expanded trade, expanded Gepid influence in the Black Sea and made the title of archbishop of Buteridava an elective title among senators. Their hold on power was so great that some even feared that the brothers wanted to restore monarchy (although it was never clear to historian which one of the two would have end up king), which lead to a massive alliance from the other houses, and to the downfall of Carobald in 670. Vidimir ended up his third mandate in 675 and was not re-elected by the Senate, ending definitively the career of both brothers. Both of them died in the years following the end of their time in the office (Carobald two years after and Vidimir four years after).

== Early Life ==
{{Infobox royalty|name = Carobald Umund|image = Gepid Coin Carobald Umund.jpg|caption = An Ardar featuring Carobald during his time as Consul.|succession = [[List of Gepid Consuls (The Ashes of Rome Map Game)|6th Consul of the Gepid Republic]]|reign = 650-670|reign-type = Time in Office|predecessor = [[Sigibald Bessas|Sigibald Bessas]]|successor = [[Rechimund Aric|Rechimund Aric]]|issue = [[Filimer Umund|Filimer Umund]]<br />
Thrasaric Umund<br />
Elemund Umund<br />
Erelieva Umund<br />|full name = Carobald Umund|native_lang1 = Language|native_lang1_name1 = Gepid, Greek, Rus|house = House Umund|father = [[Theodulf Umund|Theodulf Umund]]|date of birth = 606|place of birth = Buteridava, Byzantine Dacia|date of death = 672 (aged 66)|place of death = Buteridava, [[Gepid Republic (The Ashes of Rome Map Game)|Gepid Republic]]|religion = [[wikipedia:Nicene Christianity|Nicene Christianity]]}}
Both brothers are born in the first decade of the 7th century. Their father, Theodulf Umund, was one of the major leaders of the Gepid Senate and the War of Independence. Vidimir was present when the Senate first met and Elemund Aric pronounced his famous speech of acceptance, although only two years old, and had no memory of it. Carobald was conceived soon after and born as his father was fighting on the frontline. 

Their father became the second Leader of the Assembly in 613, when everyone in the Senate knew that the war would end up with a victory from the Gepid. This would lead to the formation of the Gepid Republic in 615, a moment attempted by both brothers.  

Their father became Consul after the dead of Elemund Aric, but was no able to get another mandate from the senate, instead giving it to Ardaric Valomer. Many believed it would be the end of House Umund, including the brothers. But when Valomer military tactics failed to regain eastern lands from the Gothic Empire, Theodulf Umund was able to rise again and reclaim the Consulate, which he held for two mandates. His actions would help to regain those lost lands, and reform the historical Gepid region.  

During his father's second Consulate, Vidimir was able to get recommendations to become a Suspectant under the Justicar Recimer Aric. Writings from the time show that he was fairly competent in his job, which lead to his tenure of the office for 15 years.  

On his side, Carobald joined the Senate at his majority in 622, and soon became very popular among the senators. However, many high official were mistrustful of him, and were able to prevent him from getting any high office.  

== Rise to Power ==
When Sigibald Bessas presented himself to be the next Consul after his tenure of the officer of Justicar, many asked who could succeed him as 4th Justicar of the Gepid Republic. Many candidates appeared, but only three of them had been Suspectant, and among them only Vidimir held the office for more than ten years. This lead to his election as Justicar in 645.

During his time as Justicar, he opposed many time Sigibald Bessas, who won the Consulate in 645. The Senate, who thought of Bessas as an old fanatic, was supportive of VIdimir opposition. Carobald used his brother influence to become the voice of protestation against igibald Bessas's Consulate. After a single mandate, the old Sigibald didn't had any force left to continue in the office, especially as challenged as he was. Vidimir rapidly proposed his brother as Sigibald successor, which the Senate accepted. 

== Control of the Republic ==
[[File:Map trade Umund brothers.png|thumb|188x188px]]
The brother controlled the legislature of the Republic for the 20 following years. For the first time in history, the Consul and Justicar truly worked together to achieve greatness, and not just cooperating to achieve some kind of balance between the two offices. 

They were able to create many trade roads in the Black Sea, making of Buteridava, the capital, one of the biggest harbor of the region, and probably the most used for trade at the time. Carobald was able to see the downfall of the Persian Empire and the rise of Rus, especially with the change of control in Crimea. For this reason, he learned Rus instead of Persian as a third language, a decision that would prove to be the good one with time. 

In 655, they had a dispute with the archbishop over the among of power religion had over the Senate, and vice-versa. However, the archbishop would die the following year, and a new dispute would start over his succession. Most of the priest and bishops wanted his successor to be one of them, and the Umund brothers wanted a member of the Senate to be his successor, which would have made their life easier. When they learned that the priests where going to see the Pope in order to gain him on their side, the brothers decided it was time to take control of the religion. Carobald proposed to make the title of archbishop an elective title, just like the Pontifex Maximus in the Roman Republic. The idea was well received by the Senate, with the exception of House Bessas, who saw in it an offence to [[St-Iakonos (Gepid) (The Ashes of Rome Map Game)|St-Iakonos]]. The first elected archbishop became Rechimund Aric.

== Downfall and end of Life ==
During Carobald fourth Mandate (665-670), many Senators began to suspect ulterior motives to the brothers. Never did a man held the office of Consul so long than Carobald, and the same went with the office of Justicar for Vidimir. Political enemies began to believe that the brothers would never let power go if they were left there longer, and some even pretended that they were aiming to form a new Monarchy.

This lead to an alliance between the Aric and Hunigild, who accused the Umund of abusing their power. They were joined by the Bessas, who were against the elective archbishop. In hope of destroying the alliance, the Umund brothers elected a Bessas to the office of archbishop, hoping it would stop the movement. But Rechimund Aric, who just lost his post of Archbishop, took control of this movement of opposition, and in 670, became Consul, ending Carobald time in the office. Carobald, beaten and defeated, would tryall he can to regain his place, but died in 672.

Vidimir, who's mandate ended in 675, tried to oppose the new Consul and his policies in hope of showing that things were better run by the Umund. The Consul would then replicate, continuing of accusing the Umund of plotting the end of the Republic. However, this political battle left both of them weaken, and each of them were replaced in 675 by members of other houses. VIdimir would remain Senator until his death in 679.
[[Category:People (The Ashes of Rome Map Game)]]