The Meren Imperium, the Empire of Three and the Seluco-Dunic Empire: A Study of Ancient ArtaniaThe Index Artaniae is the largest compendium of knowledge relating to Ancient Artania, what is known from the book that was written sometime in the 4th century CE which explained the existence of early Artanian tribes. Much of the Index Artaniae covers the Land Wars of Hobrazia which created the first Hobrazian Kingdom and would be a major factor in leading to the Great Journey, where the Deltarian tribes would venture from their homeland in Artania and eventually end up in Majatra.
The Land Wars of Hobrazia were fought between the Zargunian Empire, sometimes known as the Kingdom of Zargunia (Historians today dispute its claim to being an Empire) and the Hobratz tribes, located roughly around the area of modern Hobrazia. The conflict which lasted from 100 BCE and 99 CE was primarily focused around border skirmishes with roughly about 20 years of the actual conflict being large scale engagements. The defeat of the Zargunians at Krupskaya effectively grew the normally disorganized Hobratz tribes into a coherent military fighting force. Hobrazian Fire as it is known to modern history was an effective fighting weapon of the Hobrazians and its exact composition is unknown to this day, rampant speculation and controversy has fueled attempts to re-create it but however they have failed. The Battle of Krupskaya is considered the turning point of the Land Wars of Hobrazia and is considered in Hobrazia as the start of their foundation, despite the foundation of the Kingdom of Hobrazia not coming until several years later. Modern Hobrazia celebrates the Battle of Krupskaya by celebrating
The Zargunian Empire and the Hobratz tribes believed that neither side would be victorious so they decided to create one, unified Hobrazian & Zargunian kingdom. King Zargaanous of Zargonia and Princess Eris would marry, creating the Zarganid Dynasty. On July 30th, 99 CE the Kingdom of Hobrazia was born, it would remain a piece of the Artanian landscape until 815 CE. It was during this time that the religious turmoil created by the collapse of the Qedarite Empire and subsequent rise of Hosianism forced Selucian-speakers from Majatra. During the 1st century CE the Selucians settled in the modern lands of Darnussia and Beluzia, these settlements would eventually become a coastal empire.
From the period of the 1st century CE Selucians had been migrating to the modern areas of Darnussia and Beluzia. These exile Selucian settlements were highly unorganized and it was not until the late 1st century CE that veteran Selucian Legionary Faustus Coiedius Mereius came fleeing the fall of the Qedarite Empire and landed with hundreds of followers at what would be known as Colonia Meriana, which would eventually become known as Merenburg on Narikaton. Mereius would bring with him the martial skill and political acumen that he had earned as a legionary in the Selucian legions. Mereius' conquests were first limited to the island of Narikaton. Mereius eventually expanded his followers after news of his conquests reach other parts of the modern Darnussia and Beluzia, followers began flocking to Mereius' banner and informed him of locations on the mainland.
Mereius immediately took to building Portus Ossonoba which would become Ostermark and began his planned invasion of the Darnussian mainland, he dispatched Decius Coiedius Opimius to conquer the larger island of Shirmania, now known as Clenon. Mereius, emboldened by the success his subordinates on Shirmania took to building a massive force to take the mainlands in Beluzia and Darnussia. Mereius launched his conquest of the two lands but did not survive long enough to see his success. Mereius' successors would finish his conquests by 207 CE and formed the basis for many more Selucians still fleeing the collapse of the Qedarite Empire to come to Artania. The government that sprung up around Mereius is known today as the Meren Imperium, little information exists regarding the titles or regalia that Mereius used but it is known that he used many Selucian customs as a basis for his Empire. It is believed to have been organized around a dictator who was chosen by the people but the power of the dictator was limited to his reign and could not disband his electors.
Mereius' successors continued to expand their territory and by late 200 CE they had successfully conquered modern Darnussia and Beluzia and began to explore the areas of western Hobrazia and Southwestern Luthori. Around 300 CE the the predecessor Deltarian tribes began to form the Empire of Three located in modern Luthori, a point of contention for the Meren Imperium which had been the dominant power in Artania. The Meren Imperium maintained minor relations with the Kingdom of Hobrazia, the two were uneasy trade partners but neither of them were able to launch campaigns against each other due to the Meren Mountains (beginning in Walkaunar and ending somewhere near Chontalonia) which effectively split Meren lands, the Kingdom of Hobrazia and the Empire of Three.
The ambitious Cassius Trebatius Domitianus, a descendant of Faustus Coideius Mereius, set out on a campaign in 301 CE to go around the mountains and launched the first known campaign into modern Rutania where Domitianus first met the Dunic tribes which had settled a vast majority of Northern Artania. The Empire of Three maintains a majority of land of modern Luthori as well as portions of Ikradon, outside of that area were Dunic tribes that existed outside the empire to the north, Delic tribes that had pushed east and began to settle in modern Kundrati and Endralon and finally the Dradic tribes who occupied much of modern Aloria as well as parts of northern Rutania. The Empire of Three was a unified entity underneath the legendary figure Samo. The Empire was a loose confederation of states with central authority focused around the modern Luthori capital of Fort William. Samo served as Dominator of the Empire of Three, a title that would see use later in history, Samo today serves as a mythic-esque figure in Deltarian history.
Domitianus' campaign into Rutania was met with fierce resistance of Dunic fighters, who were skilled warriors and horsemen. Domitianus' forces were conventionally adopted from Selucian style legionaries, the fighting style gradually changed as Domitianus' forces came into contact with Dunic fighters who wore heavy armor and wore smaller shields and heavier swords. Domitianus' units were heavily armored and armed but paled in comparison to the horse-based warfare that the Dunic people practiced. Domitianus was further pressed when he met Dradic fighters near northern Rutania who fought naked and were fanatical in their efforts. Domitianus' had never seen such fighting before and was shocked at the savagery that the men fought with, Domitianus returned home several times during his conquest and the Dradic and Dunic people were first exposed to be the Saevii or "Savages".
Cassius Trebatius Domitianus would pass in 311 CE after 10 years of fighting. The Meren Imperium had made limited success but had founded several colonies that would foster a dissemination of culture. Septimus Trebatius Domitianus, the son of Cassius' took over his fathers armies and offered his hand to the Dunic and Dradic people who began to experience raiders from warlords in the Empire of Three. Samo had ambitions conquer land from sea to sea, he began a campaign around his empire and rallied a massive warhost that launched attacks against tribes living in modern Ikradon and Dundorf before reaching the edge of Kirlawa and Kundrati. Septimus had made peace with the Dradic tribes and actively began absorbing Dunic fighters into his armies, the influx of new fighters caused a cultural shock to the Meren Imperium, Septimus adopted several aspects of the Dradic and Dunic culture. Septimus was able to make peace with the Dradic and Dunic tribes by offering them citizenship in the Meren Imperium. Meren citizenship was considered an ends to a means for the Dunic and Dradic people, they saw it as a way to gain strength for themselves and integrated themselves with Meren-Selucian society despite the push back of older Meren citizens primarily located in the original lands of the Meren Imperium.
Dunic and Dradic nobles adopted Meren customs temporarily. At the Conclave of Castra Bonifatius, Dunic and Dradic nobles agreed that a peace was necessary between their various tribes and the goal was to overtake the Meren Imperium after it had defeated the Empire of Three, which most Dunic and Dradic tribes located outside of the Empire of Three were cast out by Samo or defeated in battle that they had to flee because they opposed him. By 319 CE the Meren Imperium had swelled will Dunic and Dradic tribes who began to integrate themselves with the Selucian-based society, many of them adopted the same customs and traditions and at times, short of physical appearance were indistinguishable from their Selucian counter-parts. Samo and his empire were forced from their lands in western Dundorf but Samo's men held the line and fortifications began to be built in the winter of 330 CE which would halt any future advance of the Meren Imperium. Dunic warlord Theodoric Dunicius, Dradic warlord Gawain Davies and son of Cassius, Aulus Trebatius Domitianus devised a plan to strike at Soma's capital Szigelca the plan was halted after Soma counter-attacked over his fortifications and pushed the Meren troops back to the edge of modern Rutania and trickery on the part of Soma had seen Dradic tribes underneath rival warlords take back vast swathes of territory in the north.
The siege on Szigelca was halted until spring 334 when Dunicius, Davies and Domitianus launched their surprise assault over the Meren Mountains and by winter 334 had taken Szigelca forcing Samo and a majority of the ancient Deltarians to flee Artania. What would become known as the Deltarian Migrations happened as Soma's Empire of Three collapsed and a new Seluco-Dunic Empire took its place. The Dradic had more or less fled from the Meren Imperium as it caused dissent among the ranks of the Imperium's military and rebellions and usurpers attempted to claim parts of the Imperium for themselves. By 334 CE the Dradic tribes were either eradicated or were confined to Aloria proper.
The collapse of the Empire of Three left a power vacuum in Artania, the Meren Imperium had changed over the course of a hundred years and Dunic peoples were prevalent in all levels of society. As a sign of trust and friendship Meren Dictator Aulus Trebatius Domitianus and Dunic Warlord Theodoric Dunicius signed a concordat that accepted the friendship of each other. Modern historians claim that this concordant renamed the Meren Imperium to the Seluco-Dunic Empire as a sign of faith between the Selucian exiles and Dunic tribes but inconclusive evidence has lead to much speculation. What is known is that the Meren Imperium more or less ceased to exist and it was indeed replaced by a Seluco-Dunic Empire, the Empire gradually took on a more Dunic culture as well as started to adopt customs from the remaining Akiganian tribes that remained as the Deltarians fled further and further south. The vast majority of the new Seluco-Dunic Empire were commoners who were either of Dunic or Akiganian descent, Selucian remained the primary tongue of the empire while both Dunic and Akigan remained in common use. The Selucians of the Empire became more and more confined to Darnussia while Dunic settlers began their first migrations in modern Beluzia, this was the first migration of Dunic or Akigan peoples en masse to former Meren lands.
The Seluco-Dunic Empire continued their system of government with an elected dictator that yielded near unlimited power, it is however in a document from the late 4th century that we see the first appearance of the title of Rex, a translation that roughly equates to King. It appears that despite the prominence of Selucian culture, Dunic and Akigan virtues began to dominate the empire in the late 4th century.