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Pov of Theophilos
Anno Domini,833-February-2-15
''Ha, ha, ha, ha… Ah, at last… The five sees of the Pentarchy are under our authority. The five patriarchal thrones, once more united under the power of Rome… Now the bishop of the ancient capital will no longer be able to seek shelter behind the Franks and defy our authority. And best of all, his prestige lies in the dust after the humiliations he was compelled to endure in Rome during that Cadaver Synod. Furthermore, we shall have the mighty pope of Rome, the protégé of the Carolingians, prostrate before me, performing a full proskynesis. Not even the Frankish kings will spare him from acknowledging his rightful emperor! We could scarcely wish for a greater spectacle'' I said with a smile as I read the report Basil had sent us from Italy, announcing the forthcoming arrival of the most important prisoner of the war.
''Basileus, as one of your advisers, I must warn you of the consequences. Your trusted commander at the head of the armies may attach little importance to the dignity of bishops, but it is my duty to counsel greater prudence. Pope Leo committed a grave affront against the Empire by conferring the imperial dignity upon the king of the Franks, but repeatedly humiliating the Western clergy may open a rift that will prove difficult to heal. Especially if you compel one of the five patriarchs, whose obedience you must preserve, to suffer such humiliation before the emperor of the Romans. It could be understood as an intention to subject the priesthood to every wish of the throne, even in matters belonging to the Church'' said John the Grammarian, who had clasped his hands as he tried to persuade me to reconsider.
''But that is precisely what we seek, John: a reform that places the Church under imperial authority. We have already seen what happens when its bishops believe themselves entitled to bestow crowns and proclaim emperors. At the forthcoming council, I shall make it clear that the patriarchs must attend to their spiritual duties, and that none has the authority to confer the imperial dignity or elevate a ruler above his rightful sovereign. They may anoint and crown according to the rites of the Church, but it is not their hand that grants the right to rule. The emperor of the Romans alone has received the governance of the Empire from God, and no bishop may presume to bestow that authority upon another'' I said, looking at my adviser on religious and administrative affairs.
''I know, Your Majesty, but it is one thing to secure recognition of your authority and quite another to make the bishops regard it as a threat to their own dignity. The measures taken by the magister of the scholas have already been exceedingly severe. I do not believe it necessary to prolong these humiliations. Therefore, in accordance with the opinion of the ecumenical patriarch, I recommend that you temper the ceremonial requirements imposed upon the bishop of Rome. Let his obeisance fall short of pressing his forehead to the floor; a bow in your presence would suffice. We could then speak with him and conduct the council with less resistance. He will arrive embittered by the humiliations he has suffered in his own see. Allow him to retain some measure of dignity, and he will find it easier to accept what you require of him'' said John, clenching his teeth before bowing slightly.
''Must I be denied even the pleasure of savouring victory?'' I said with a low grumble. ''Very well… A slight bow''
''Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty. It is hardly my place to judge his military decisions… but there has been much talk at court of the cruelty of the magister of the scholas'' said John, running a hand over his chin.
''Such is war, and Basil is a commander who has never known defeat. I presume his measures reflect what he deems necessary to secure victory'' I said, resting my chin on my fist as I watched John.
''Certainly, the magister appears to have received a divine gift for devising strategies and defeating the enemies of the Empire, but in the latest campaign, his use of the barbaroi auxiliaries… gave rise to acts of extreme cruelty. We speak of towns and cities burned for resisting, of fellow Christians subjected to pillage. I can understand that he pursued a greater purpose, and that fear of his auxiliaries secured the surrender of our enemies, but some members of the clergy and… well, many of Basil's numerous political rivals regard his growing power and influence with unease. Above all, the freedom with which he can draw upon the funds of the imperial treasury'' said John.
''Do they indeed? But… Ah, of course, THEM… Those aristocrats who know only how to lament their grievances while contriving to remove anyone who stands in the way of their ambitions. You know that Basil explained quite plainly why he needed those funds at his disposal: to gather provisions, prepare the transports and secure supplies for the armies before undertaking the campaign. He requires access to the treasury to wage war, and behold the results… Few casualties among our own troops, losses borne chiefly by the mercenary contingents, and numerous cities conquered. Though I must concede that this campaign may have been the most costly we have ever financed'' I said, nodding as I recalled the enormous sums devoted to supplying the armies.
''I was present when the magister Basil gave us that explanation, Your Majesty. But what troubles some is that his victories might, at any moment, lead him to entertain the notion that he would be…'' said John, swallowing.
''A better emperor?'' I said, raising an eyebrow.
''Yes, Your Majesty. Basil has amply demonstrated his honour and loyalty, but it is difficult to disregard the danger of a single man commanding so numerous a force, bound to him by such close personal allegiance. Especially when a considerable number of those warriors openly profess paganism'' said John.
''Basil is a man who listens to reason. If we speak with him, he will understand. Besides, what he desires above all else is peace… So perhaps we shall not even need to ask it of him. He may reduce his guard of his own accord, send his barbaroi back to the province he governs, and remain in Constantinople, devoting himself to setting the imperial administration in order and carrying out his reforms'' I said, clasping my hands with a broad smile.
''Certainly, I have merely come to acquaint you with the latest intrigues that have reached my ears, for we both know well the reasons and circumstances that have led the magister of the scholas to act as he has'' said John.
''Ah, by the way, John… I presume the ecumenical patriarch has told you what he wishes to include in our forthcoming plan for resettlement and the founding of cities'' I said, taking out several plans and maps of the Balkans, where I intended to build numerous cities to resettle the region with thousands of Greeks, Armenians and Copts.
''Yes, indeed. I have kept him informed of the prosperity the Empire has enjoyed of late, particularly thanks to the considerable revenues from the fees and customs duties collected at the ports of Aegyptus. Our recent conquest has allowed us to control the passage of spices arriving by sea, and according to the treasury's accounts, imperial revenues could double within a single year'' said John, producing a letter.
''Ah, I see he was well prepared… Oh, it appears his requests are hardly modest, either… Forty churches, five basilicas and sixty rural churches. I believe we can incorporate them into our building plans. Now that we have peace and do not intend to undertake further wars, we shall be able to assign numerous soldiers to these works. I intend to found between one hundred and twenty and two hundred cities over the next ten years to repopulate the Balkans, along with numerous villages to extend cultivation and exploit the region's mineral deposits. We must make good use of this peace while we can'' I said, reviewing the patriarch's requests for the new settlements.
''And now, with the Italian conquests, we shall probably have more resources at our disposal for that purpose, shall we not?'' John asked with interest.
''Not immediately… Basil wishes to divide the Italian territories into themata under military authority before turning them into provinces under civil administration. First, we must pacify their inhabitants. The severity of his methods brought us a swift victory, but it also left considerable resentment. We shall therefore have to retain military rule and gradually introduce civil administration as circumstances permit. That will take time, and before then we shall undertake the great reforms needed to reorganise all of Anatolia into provinces under civil governors. Furthermore, Basil wishes to extend what he calls compulsory education throughout the Empire: establishing schools in every city so that all children learn, at the very least, to read, write and reckon. In carrying this out, we shall also have the assistance of his adviser, who is working with him on the matter'' I said, taking out the documents in which Basil had set forth his plans to extend education among our subjects.
''Oh, the patriarch will undoubtedly be pleased to hear it, in the hope that there will be a place for the clergy in those institutions… But above all, we hope that your plan to repopulate the Balkans will prosper and allow us to strengthen the frontier'' said John with a smile.
''And so it shall. Those cities will secure our presence along the Danube, and with the protection of the barbaroi, no one should be able to cross the frontier without our leave. Afterwards, we shall have to strengthen the eastern defences, but that must wait. We now have a ceremony to attend'' I said with satisfaction.
Shortly afterwards, we assembled in the throne room, where the ceremony I had so eagerly awaited took place. However, as agreed, the bishop of Rome was not required to kneel or press his forehead to the floor when he appeared before me, escorted by my guards.
He was required only to bow his head slightly and ask forgiveness for the affront his predecessor had committed by crowning the Carolingian pretender decades earlier. He also expressed his desire for concord to be restored among the churches, now that the five sees of the Pentarchy were under the authority of the emperor of the Romans.
A simple affair. A quiet ceremony.
Once it was over, I returned to my duties, for there was still much to be done. Basil had begun sending the share of the spoils owed to the imperial treasury, and it was considerable, though it fell far short of covering the sums spent financing the campaigns in Italy and the Germanic lands. What mattered, however, was that we had secured more than a decade of peace with the Carolingians. We would have time to restore the strength of an Empire exhausted by war and in need of respite.
I hoped that revenues would continue to rise that year and allow us to finance the rebuilding of the Empire, particularly in the recovered territories, which had suffered so greatly.
As the days passed, I received the wonderful news that Theodora was pregnant again. We would have another son or daughter. All that remained was for Basil to have a child of his own soon, so that we could arrange a marriage that would bind him firmly to our dynasty and persuade Theodora's family to cease regarding him as an outsider.
''If only my father were alive to behold this moment… His eyes would fill with tears to learn what we have accomplished'' I said as I examined the account books.
But my peace was interrupted by shouting.
''Your Majesty…! Your Majesty…! Your Majesty!'' cried one of the scholai, arriving out of breath.
''What has happened? An invasion…? On the eastern frontier?'' I asked, trying to guess what news could have driven him to burst in like that.
''The troops in Italy have proclaimed the magister of the scholas emperor'' said the messenger.
''What…?'' was all I managed to say.
I felt a pressure in my chest that left me breathless. A ringing filled my ears, and for a moment I could barely make out the sounds in the room.
''That is what has been reported to us, Basileus. A loyal messenger reports that, shortly after the bishop of Rome departed, the troops acclaimed the magister of the scholas as emperor. We know nothing more of what happened'' said the soldier.
''What are your orders, Your Majesty? We must act… If the magister of the scholas has rebelled, we must arrest his supporters, secure Crete and ensure that the foederati remain loyal to the throne'' said one of the officers of the scholai.
''Send a messenger… Summon Basil to appear before the court'' I said quietly, struggling to utter the words.
''Your Majesty, if he has truly risen against you, any delay will allow him to gather his supporters and spread the rebellion. We still have an opportunity to suppress it before it does irreparable harm to the Empire'' the officer insisted.
''But if he is innocent… we shall drive him to rebellion'' I said, looking at the officer.
''We need your orders, Your Majesty…'' said the man.
''Place… his supporters in the city under guard, for the present. And send orders for Basil to appear in the capital. He shall answer to me… Then we shall establish what has happened'' I said, struggling to breathe.
''As you command, Your Majesty'' replied the officer of the scholai.
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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.
Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
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