In 363 Primus Flavius Valentinianus Augustus the Wrathful (62) rules the Western Roman Empire (WRE). His sons are Primus Flavius Leontius Caesar (46), Secundus Flavius Aulus (45), Tertius Flavius Caius (44) and Quintus Flavius Cassius(43), each has three to four sons.
http/img. finances of Rome, as well as the map and some of the armies.
The WRE controls Italy, Africa, Numidia, Hispania, Gaul, Germania Superior and Inferior, Pannonia, Noricum, Raetia and Britannia, for a total of 25 provinces. The only areas and cities with a Christian majority are in Italy, although most of the other provinces have 10-20 Christians in them.
Summer 363-
"Out of money! Are you telling me that the Roman Nation that has stood for hundreds of years is OUT OF MONEY!" Valentinianus shouted at senator Ianuarius. The senate had been virtually powerless since Valentinianus father of course, but it still existed to fulfill the Emperors orders and make the patricians believe they still had some way to complain to the emperor.
"No no, not yet, today. But we either need to pay less to our armies or by the birthday of our lord we will be as poor, materially that is, as he was. But rich in spirit, as him, we are. But there is no more money." Ianuarius said. He had been with Valentinianus a long time; he knew the Emperor would vent his rage at someone more unimportant than him. He had been wrong about that few times, but what man would not accept a beating for the good of the empire.
"Damn you. I should gut you and throw you to the lions for dinner. There will be money!"
"Well, lower costs for the arenas are one possibility, I suppose."
Ianuarius remark was replied by a fist in his stomach. "Disband the army, will we? Perhaps it is the senate I should disband. Maybe I'll start right NOW!" Valentinianus shouted and kicked Ianuarius while the man lay on the floor. Val might be 62, but he could still show everyone who was boss here. "Servants, bring me the whipping boy, I still have need for this man here," he shouted out to the men standing at the edge of the room. Two of them ran away to get the whipping boy. Val liked the new one they had found, he screamed so loud when whipped that Val quickly calmed down. "And get him away from here," he said to the remaining servants.
"Wi.. will you think about it?" the senator said as he was carried away by three of the servants. Valentinianus hated to think about it. It was all the fault of the senate and rebels, and now a senator would try to tell him that he should disband the army. Maybe the senate should have done it when they were in power instead of blaming him.
The servants brought whipping boy a bit later and bound him up so that Valentinianus could begin whipping. A while later he stopped when he had calmed down enough. He was surprised, whipping boys skin was hardly even broken. Maybe he hadn't been as angry as he though.
It came to him in a vision during the night. The people were poor because they were not with the lord. They worshipped their idols and plotted against him in their strange cults. What the nation needed was a strong, Christian church that could lead the people away from the darkness. And by looting all the pagan temples he would make enough money to build Christian churches in their stead.
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A few days later he sent an order. All cavalry units except for one in Burdigala, one in Massilia and the family members personal guards were going to be disbanded. Most of the old temples were also going to be destroyed, and in some cities other buildings were also to be sold for gold. In the most rebellious cities the barracks were to be destroyed and the weapons melted, he could not risk any potential rebels gaining them if he needed to lower the size of the army.
However, except for the very expensive cavalry units, the army would for now not be lowered much. Instead freemen militias would be formed for policing the cities after which the real legions could be disbanded or sent to fight rebellions and barbarians.
Winter 363Treasury 3330 gold
The first half year of Valentinianus "New Christian Nation" saw massive civil uprisings all over the empire. In 13 of the 25 provincial capitals there were a total of 92280 civilian and 3270 military deaths.
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"Hello baby brother" Marcus said to Oppius "How was your wedding? Better than mine, I hope?" he continued.
"Yes, I wish you had come, it was the greatest day of my life. First we were joined, and then me and my men drank all the evening and half the night until the first one dropped out. Then the rest carried my wife over their heads until she came to me. Then I just carried her to my bed and kept pumping and pumping until dawn, and then I pumped some more. My stamina and all that training really paid itself back," Oppius said. He did not bother to say that their father, Leontius Caesar, had come to see the feast halfway in. He had shouted for a while that Oppius should obey his father and have a good Christian wedding instead. Oppius was glad when he finally left and the feast could continue again.
"No problems with citizens? You had some rebellions here, didn't you?" Marcus asked.
"Nothing after last time. I keep my men and myself in shape, I'd like to see the rabble that can defeat us. Hah." Oppius said. Marcus was the only family member with an army in the field and had sent letters everywhere, asking several times where the rebels might be strong enough to take over the city. It had begun to annoy Oppius, but he didn't say anything. "Is it true what happened at your wedding Primus?" Oppius asked Marcus.
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes."
"You mean that your bride slipped in the mud and soiled her clothes."
"Yes."
"And then her mother ran out and began to shout at her how stupid and worthless she was so that she started crying?"
"Yes."
"Until her father also ran out, took the mother by her pussy, then lifted her up and away?"
"Yes, also that."
"And when you finally were going for the bedding, she ran out of the room shouting that it was too big?"
"Yes."
"And finally when they found her, hiding behind a cow, you spat in her face, shouted that it was bad luck not to have sex on your wedding night, and took her right then and there?"
"It is bad luck. I can't bloody risk bad luck just because some 12-year old hasn't seen a dick before. What would my men say!"
"Was it too big?"
"No, it fit just right," Marcus said, and soon thereafter both of them laughed so hard that it took ages for them to stop. Every time one of them tried to stop laughing the other would comment something about 'Big' or 'Small', and then they would laugh again.
Later on Marcus and Oppius would tour the city. Oppius showed Marcus the new Christian shrine that had been built, and they talked about all the other changes their grandfather had ordered. Marcus complained that he didn't like it, having to use militia instead of real soldiers to guard the city. In most cities the real soldiers still constituted the majority, but in Arles, Oppius city, they had replaced the soldiers fully. Both of them agreed that once the old man died and their father would become Augustus, things would be much better. While they knew their father wasn't the kindest man, both of them had been beaten by their grandfather more than by their father or anyone else. They would both be glad to see him die.
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Later in the year some attempts to negotiate a ceasefire with the Alemanni were also made, but the roman diplomat was simply laughed out of the barbarian kings hall. When he left their city he promised to them that the next time they saw Romans they would be carrying iron instead of words. The Aleman king shouted back that it suited him just fine.