Southern Roman Empire

The **Southern Roman Empire** was a breakaway part of the Roman Empire that functioned *de facto* as a separate state from 12 April 1248 to 29 October 1254. It originated during the reign of Joannes the Indolent, when Lucas Septimius Acindynus, governor of Egypt, declared himself emperor and took control of Africa and adjacent provinces without attempting to conquer Italy, otherwise seize the central Roman administrative apparatus. Though some modern historians believe Acindynus was planning to do this it is clear his successors had no intention of ever expanding his control out of Africa. It was dubbed the **Imperium Romanum Meridionale** or Southern Roman Empire by Roman historians.

## Background

In 1246 the new Emperor Joannes was an effective puppet of the controversial Pope Gelasius, because of this he was not recognized by a many of the provinces, and most of his domain was made up of many *de facto* independent states. And thee various foederati of the empire only gave a passing recognition of his rule, at best. At worst some foederati declared themselves to be independent.

Acindynus was the governor of Egypt, in charge at the border with Palmyra. An exceptional administrator, Acindynus had adeptly dealt with an attempted Palmyrene invasion of Egypt in the summer of 1246. Acindynus defeated the Palmyrene forces at Raphia so decisively that Palmyra would never again attempt to invade Egypt. All this combined to make Acindynus one of the most powerful men in the Roman Empire.

## Establishment by Acindynus

In 1247 John Talaia, the Antiochene Patriarch of Alexandria, died. John II was elected and consecrated by Miaphysite opponents of the Council of Antioch, and Acindynus, a Miaphysite, supported this. Gelasius however opposed this, seeing John II as a heretic. He ordered the deposition of John and sent a Antiochene monk, named Eumenes, to both deliver this message and serve as John II's successor. Acindynus rejected this order, and on 12 April 1248 made his revolt official by exiling Eumenes, who fled back to Rome. Acindynus declared himself Augustus and established Alexandria as his capital.

Acindynus did not make any effort to extend his control to the rest of the empire or to depose Joannes. Instead, he established parallel institutions modeled on the Roman Empire's central government: his regime had two annually elected consuls and its own senate.

Acindynus quickly extended his rule throughout the rest of Africa. His rule was almost immediately recognized in neighboring Cyrenaica and by Spring of 1249, Africa Proconsularis, Numidia, and Mauretania also acknowledged him as emperor. Though this only came after he launched an expedition into Africa in the winter of 1248–1249.

## Reconquest by Rome

### The Reconquest of Egypt

After Acindynus' death in early 1251 the empire fell into a civil war between Diotimus, Acindynus' chosen successor, and Primosus, the governor of Africa. Some scholars believe, and some evidence (notably a contemporary source that seems to reference a Senate in Carthage) points to Primosus wanting to secede with his own empire, rather than trying to usurp that of Diotimus. Whatever the case Diotimus departed to retake western Africa. In early 1252 while Diotimus was fighting in Africa, the legions left to guard Egypt revolted under Georgius Joannes Africanus, who declared himself emperor. But Georgius would be killed in a conspiracy, partially organized by Diotimus himself, only three month after his declaration. A general named Theodotus took Georgius' place in Egypt.

The Romans, seeing an opportunity to retake Africa a massive Roman invasion fleet led by Marcus Sabinianus Magnus landed in Egypt, quickly taking Alexandria. Theodotus moved to defeat the invasion but was betrayed by his own troops who defected to the Romans. After this victory Sabinianus extendend Roman control to the rest of Egypt and Cyrenaica.

### The Reconquest of Africa

Diotimus, having recently defeated Primosus, began to prepare forces to retake Egypt but in 1253 the breakout of the Second Donatist Revolt forced him to abandon these ideas. As such the capital was moved to Carthage. The Aforementioned revolt would take up most of the rest of his reign, and in late 1253 the elderly Diotimus passed away.

Diotimus was succeeded by his son Diotimus Africanus II, sometimes called Diotimus the younger. Diotimus II was an ambitious ruler and in his short reign set about the total reorganization of the government and military of his empire. However his reforms brought detractors, and in July of 1254 Legio III Augusta, under the command of Polemius, upset about a reduction in pay (part of Diotimus' reforms) revolted against the young emperor. At the Battle of Ammaedara the legion was defeated and subsequently disbanded(though it would later be reconstituted).

Also in 1254 the Roman's decided to bring about the final destruction of the Southern Empire. Under Emperor Romanus I construction began of a large fleet of some 100 warships, 600 transports, and an invasion force of 30,000 men was assembled. The invasion was to consist of four smaller invasions, three Roman from the east and one Vandal from the west. A deal had been cut with the Vandal king Gelarith, in which the King would attack from the west in order to occupy the roughly 8,500 Southern Roman men in Mauretania in return for payment. Though many, perhaps even most, Vandals opted to remain in Hispania under the rule of Hilderic, this would lay the foundations of the Andal people.

Departing from Sicily in August of 1254, the main group of warships sailed directly for Carthage along with a force of 10,000 men and 240 transports. While the main invasion force, under the command of Diaco landed on the Libyan coast east of Carthage, before beginning a rapid march towards Carthage making rapid progress. From Cyrenaica Sabinianus' second son Marcus Ptolemaeus Sabinianus Magnus led a force of 5,000 men to capture the cities of the Libyan Coast. On 4 August 80,000 Vandals and Alans landed on the coast of Mauretania and preceded along the coast defeating the army of Diotimus' brother Constans at the Battle of Ruseius. The main fleet was defeated in a non-decisive naval Battle at Cape Bon and forced to retreat to Sicily. Diaco's force continued on cpaturing several cities and ultimately meeting and defeating Diotimus II at the Battle of Hadrumetum, ending the Southern Roman Empire.

It is worth noting that in the aftermath of this victory the Vandals betrayed the Romans and, after another war, established the Vandalic Kingdom in Africa.

## List of Southern Roman Emperors

* Acindynus 1248–1251
* Diotimus Africanus I 1251–1253
	+ (Primosus 1251-1252, usurper)
	+ (Georgius Joannes Africanus 1252, usurper)
	+ (Theodatus 1252, usurper)
* Diotimus Africanus II
	+ (Polemius 1254, usurper)

## Legacy

The Southern Roman Empire's emergence and subsequent collapse directly caused the Vandal conquest of Africa.