Commodria

## Commodrian History

### Pre-Reman Conquest (300 BCE - 100 CE)

Before the arrival of the Reman conquerors, the people of Commodria were composed primarily of tribe confederations. Three main confederations controlled the territory known as Commodria today and they often fought brutal wars with each other in order to establish their rule over the vast silver deposits and fertile river lands. These tribal confederations composed of approximately 5-8 tribes and was led by a chieftain, who served not as a civil governor, but rather as a general during wartime. Due to all this constant in-fighting between these tribal confederations, their military might was severely weakened and even a disoriented Reman army was able to conquer and subjugate them. These pre-Reman peoples were animists, and lived closely with nature, seeing it not as something to conquer and exploit but rather something to co-exist with. These peoples lived primarily in wooden settlements, protected by walls made of logs and the use of stone was not as wide-spread as it was in other regions of the world. Their primary methods of sustenance were fishing, gathering and occasionally farming.

### Conquest and Post-Conquest (100 CE - 500 CE)

By the year 100, Commodria and the rest of Vimotus had fallen under the rule of the Remans and the process of subjugation began, over the next few hundred years, Vimotus had become deeply integrated into the Empire and most aspects of native life had disappeared. The Commodrians were no longer a disjointed, tribal people but were now citizens, soldiers and merchants in the Empire. Large stone cities were erected in the place of old wooden villages and the exploitation of raw minerals and resources on Vimotus had generated large profits for the province and the Empire. Large cities were established as colonies on the fertile rivers of Vimotus and these cities, especially the provincial capital of Ventano, had developed significant trading industries. Vimotus became an important trading hub, especially the northern region of modern Commodrian because it served as a middle ground between the continent and the primary islands of the Empire, traders would stop in port cities like Ventano to trade their goods, secure insurance for the vessels or get loans in order to procure goods on the continent. This phenomenon was an important driving force between Vimotus' economic growth and many governors and senators within the Empire vied for positions that would allow them to oversee the taxation of the region.

### Vimotus as Seat of Imperial Power (500 - 700 CE)

An important part of Commodria's history occurred during the 4th century crisis, where a combination of factors forced the Imperial power to migrate from its capital to Vimotus, to the city of Ventano. This migration was important because it was a recognition of Vimotus' status in the Empire, and the arrival of the Imperial family in the region bolstered the prestige and renown of the city. Vimotus did not play a large role in the civil wars during this period of crisis, they did, however, provide manpower to the armies of the Empire and served in large numbers in the armies of Legate Julius Belisarius, whose legions reclaimed the mainland. Belisarius' mutiny, and the growing hatred towards the Julian dynasty tested the loyalty of the province, who at the time, considered the consequences of freeing themselves from the tyranny of the Julians.