The Three Kingdoms

Flag of The Three Kingdoms

Map of the mainland Three Kingdoms

Map of the Islands of Malta and Sardegna

**The Three Kingdoms** (Italian: *I Tre Regni*; Greek: *Τα Τρία Βασίλεια*), officially **The Three Kingdoms of Hisperia, Graecia and Padania** (Italian: *I Tre Regni di Hisperia, Grecia e Padania*; Greek: *Τα τρία βασίλεια της Ισπερίας, της Ελλάδας και της Παδανίας*), known locally as **Latium** (Italian: *Lazio*, Greek: *Λάτιο*), is a country located in the eastern side of **Amare**, surrounded by **The Arctic Ocean** to its north, **The Atlas Ocean** to its east and the **Strait of Saint Helena** and the **Strait of Victoria** to the south, which provide the main shipping routes between **The Mediterranean** and **The Atlas Ocean**. It shares one direct land border with **Astoria** to the west, defined by **The Amarean Alps**.

The Three Kingdoms is composed of 3 constituent kingdoms, those being **The Kingdom of Hisperia**, with its capital in **Aeturnum**, **The Kingdom of Graecia**, with its capital in **Athenai** and **The Kingdom of Padania**, with its capital in **Mediolanum**, as well as **The Grand Duchy of Malta**, with its capital in **Valletta.** The only kingdom to have a fully devolved government is **The Kingdom of Graecia**, while the other constituent countries are considered semi-autonomous, almost all power is reserved for the central government, however, regional assembles do have a role in advising the **Imperial Parliament** on policy.

The Three Kingdoms also includes the overseas dependency of **Danmaxi**, a series of islands off the north coast of **Xin**.

The Three Kingdoms is a leading, and founding member, of **The Atlas Alliance**, the largest International Organisation after **The UNEF**. who's headquarters are in **Ravenna.**

Today, **The Three Kingdoms** has one of the most advanced economies in the world in terms of GDP, and is defined by its high quality of life, and diverse industry sector - which encompasses a large tourism industry, and a pioneering technology and aeronautics sector. It ranks very highly in life expectancy, quality of life, healthcare, and education. The country plays a prominent role in regional and global economic, military, cultural and diplomatic affairs and it is both a regional power and a great power. The source of many inventions and discoveries, the country has long been a global centre of **art**, **music**, **literature**, **philosophy**, **science** and **technology**, and **fashion**, and has greatly influenced and contributed to diverse fields including **cinema**, **cuisine**, **sports**, **jurisprudence**, **banking**, and **business**. As a reflection of its cultural wealth, **The Three Kingdoms** has the world's largest number of **World Heritage Sites**, with over 100, and is one of the worlds most visited countries.

The capital, and largest city, of **The Three Kingdoms** is **Aeturnum**, located in **The Kingdom of Rome** on the south-west coast of the nation. **Aeturnum**currently has a population of 34,739,628 (2020) in the city proper, with 56,967,000 (2020) people residing in its urban area. The city is a global hub, being home to the **World Bank**, the **International Monetary Fund (IMF)**, the **World Trade Organisation (WTO)**, **UNEFESCO**, the **Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)**, the **World Food Programme (WFP)**, the **International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)**.

The Three Kingdoms is currently ruled by **Emperor Leonardo VII** of **The Octavianus Dynasty**. However, all of the political power lies with the nations **Prime Minister**, **Senate** and **Chamber of Deputies**.

## History

### Ancient and Classical Graecia

The end of the **Dark Ages** is traditionally dated to 776 BC, the year of the first **Olympic Games**. The ***Iliad*** and the ***Odyssey***, the foundational texts of Western literature, are believed to have been composed by **Homer** in the 7th or 8th centuries BC. With the end of the Dark Ages, there emerged various kingdoms and city-states across the Graecian peninsula, which spread to the shores of **The Strait of Vittoriosa**, **Northern Etruria**, **Northern Qydyria** and **The Island of Jannat**. These states and their colonies reached great levels of prosperity that resulted in an unprecedented cultural boom, that of classical **Graecia**, expressed in architecture, drama, science, mathematics and philosophy. In 508 BC, **Cleisthenes** instituted the world's first democratic system of government in **Athenae**.

By 500 BC, the **Carthaginian Empire** controlled the Graecian city states in **Northern Qydyria** and **Makedon**. Attempts by some of the Graecian city-states of **Northern Qydyria** to overthrow Carthaginian rule failed, and **Carthage** invaded the states of mainland **Graecia** in 492 BC, but was forced to withdraw after a defeat at the **Battle of Marathon** in 490 BC. In response, the Graecian city-states formed the **Hellenic League** in 481 BC, led by **Sparti**, which was the first historically recorded union of Graecian states since the mythical union of the **Trojan War**. A second invasion by the Carthaginians followed in 480 BC. Following decisive Graecian victories in 480 and 479 BC at **Salamis**, **Plataea**, and **Mycale**, the Carthaginians were forced to withdraw for a second time, marking their eventual withdrawal from all of their Graecian territories. Led by **Athenae** and **Sparti**, the Graecian victories in the **Greco-Carthaginian Wars** are considered a pivotal moment in world history, as the 50 years of peace that followed are known as the **Golden Age of Athenae**, the seminal period of ancient **Graecia** development that laid many of the foundations of Western civilization.

Lack of political unity within **Graecia** resulted in frequent conflict between Graecian states. The most devastating intra-Graecia war was the **Peloponnesian War** (431–404 BC), won by **Sparti** and marking the demise of the **Athenian Empire** as the leading power in ancient **Graecia**. Both **Athenae** and **Sparti** were later overshadowed by **Thebes** and eventually **Makedon**, with the latter uniting most of the city-states of the Graecian hinterland in the **League of Corinth** (also known as the ***Hellenic League*** or ***Graecian League***) under the control of **Phillip II**. Despite this development, the **Graecians** world remained largely fragmented and would not be united under a single power until the **Roman** years. **Sparti** did not join the League and actively fought against it, raising an army led by **Agis III** to secure the city-states of **Malta** for **Carthage**.

Following the assassination of **Phillip II**, his son **Alexander III ("The Great")** assumed the leadership of the **League of Corinth** and launched an invasion of the **Carthaginian Empire** with the combined forces of the League in 334 BC. Undefeated in battle, Alexander had conquered the **Carthaginian Empire** in its entirety by 330 BC. By the time of his death in 323 BC, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from **Graecia** to **Western Sacratus**. Upon his death, his empire split into several kingdoms, the most famous of which were the **Second Carthaginian Empire**, **Ptolemaic Qydyria**, the **Greco-Etrurian Kingdom**, and the **Indo-Graecian** Kingdom. Many **Graecians** migrated to **Carthage**, **Milan**, **Seleucia**, and the many other new Hellenistic cities in **Sacratus** and **Western Amare**. Although the political unity of Alexander's empire could not be maintained, it resulted in the Hellenistic civilization and spread the Graecian language and Graecian culture in the territories conquered by Alexander. Graecian science, technology, and mathematics are generally considered to have reached their peak during the Hellenistic period.

### Ancient Rome

In historiography, **ancient Rome** describes **Roman** civilization from the founding of the **Latin** city of **Aeturnum** in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the **Eastern Roman Empire** in the 5th century AD, in turn encompassing the **Roman Kingdom** (753–509 BC), **Roman Republic** (509–27 BC) and **Roman Empire** (27 BC–476 AD) until the fall of the eastern empire. The civilisation began as an **Italic** settlement in eastern **Amare**, traditionally dated to 753 BC, that grew into the city of **Aeturnum** and **The Kingdom of Rome** and which subsequently gave its name to the empire over which it ruled and to the widespread civilisation the empire developed. The civilization was led and ruled by the **Romans**, alternately considered an ethnic group or a nationality. The **Roman Empire** expanded to become one of the largest empires in the ancient world, still ruled from the city, with an estimated 50 to 90 million inhabitants (roughly 20% of the world's population at the time) and covering 5 million square kilometres (1.9 million square miles) at its height in AD 117.

In its many centuries of existence, the Roman state evolved from an elective monarchy to a democratic classical republic and then to an increasingly autocratic semi-elective military dictatorship during the Empire. Through conquest, cultural, and linguistic assimilation, at its height it controlled the **North Qydyrian** coast, Western **Sacratus**, Southern **Amare**, and most of Western **Amare**, the modern day islands of **Great Portland** and much of Northern **Gondwana**. It is often grouped into classical antiquity together with ancient **Graecia**, and their similar cultures and societies are known as the **Greco-Roman** world.

Ancient Roman civilisation has contributed to modern language, religion, society, technology, law, politics, government, warfare, art, literature, architecture and engineering. **Rome** professionalised and expanded its military and created a system of government called ***res publica***, the inspiration for modern republics such as the **United States** and **Francia**. It achieved impressive technological and architectural feats, such as the construction of an extensive system of aqueducts and roads, as well as the construction of large monuments, palaces, and public facilities.

**The Punic Wars** with **Carthage** were decisive in establishing **Rome** as a world power. In this series of wars, **Rome** gained control of the strategic islands of **Malta**, **Sardegna**, and **Sicilia**; took **Hispania** (modern south **Astoria**); and destroyed the city of **Carthage** in 146 BC, giving **Rome** supremacy in **Amare**. By the end of the Republic (27 BC), **Rome** had conquered the lands around the **Mediterranean** and beyond: its domain extended from the **Atlas Ocean** to **Eastern Sacratus** and from **Northern Etruria** to **Malta** and **Sardegna**. The **Roman Empire** emerged with the end of the Republic and the dictatorship of **Augustus**. Seven-hundred and twenty-one years of **Roman–Qydyrian** Wars started in 92 BC with the first struggle against **Parthia**. It would become the longest conflict in human history, and have major lasting effects and consequences for both empires.

Under **Trajan**, the Empire reached its territorial peak. It stretched from the entire **Mediterranean Basin** to the beaches of the **Arctic Ocean** in the north, to the shores of the **Western Columbus Ocean** and **Aroha Ocean** in the West. Republican mores and traditions started to decline during the **imperial period**, with civil wars becoming a prelude common to the rise of a new emperor. Splinter states, such as the **New Etruscan Kingdom**, would temporarily divide the Empire during the crisis of the 3rd century before some stability was restored in the **Tetrarchy** phase of imperial rule.

Plagued by internal instability and attacked by various migrating peoples, the eastern part of the empire broke up into independent kingdoms in the 5th century. The western part of the empire remained a power through the **Middle Ages** until its fall in 1453 AD.

### The Six Kingdoms Period

The **Six Kingdoms Period** began, shortly after the collapse of The **Roman Empire**, in 514 AD. The original 6 kingdoms consisted of **The Kingdom of Upper Carthage**, **The Kingdom of Graecia**, **The Kingdom of Etruria**, **The Kingdom of Tuscany**, **The Kingdom of Malta, Sardegna and Sicilia** and **The Kingdom of Rome**.

This era in **Latin** history is characterised by persistent wars between the six kingdoms, as well as constant invasion by outside forces looking to conquer a splintered state - the greatest of which came from **The Western Roman Empire**, who looked to reconquer lost **Roman** territory, under **Emperor Justinian I**. This saw limited success, with the recapture of **Aeturnum**, **Ravenna** and **Milan** by Western Roman forces, before being forced to withdraw due to an invasion by barbarians from northern **Amare**. Leading to the second fall of the east, and devolution into more fractured states.

The most powerful of the six kingdoms was **The Kingdom of Etruria**, with much of its power concentrated in its capital **Milan**. At this time the power of **The Kingdom of Rome** was greatly diminished, with its modern territory being split between itself **The Kingdom of Tuscany** and **The Kingdom of Etruria**.

The period between 572 AD and 792 AD saw the height on **The Kingdom of Graecia**, which achieved significance through support given by **The Western Roman Empire**, which ensured **Graecia's** expansion through monetary and military support, driven by their close cultural similarities.

**The Six Kingdoms Period** came to an end in 813 AD with the marriage between **King Leonardo II of Rome** and **Queen Eliana I of Tuscany** which formally united the two kingdoms into **The Kingdom of Rome**. Some historians claim that the period instead came to an end in 815 AD when the **Kingdom of Upper Carthage** conquered **The Kingdom of Malta, Sardegna and Sicilia** annexing the latter and becoming **The Kingdom of Carthage and The Isles**.

### Warring Kingdoms Period

The political geography of the era was dominated by the Five Warring Kingdoms, namely:

* **The Kingdom of Rome**
* **The Kingdom of Carthage and The Isles**
* **The Kingdom of Etruria**
* **The Kingdom of Graecia**
* **The Western Roman Empire** (referred to as **The Byzantine Empire**)

The **Warring Kingdoms Period** (aka **The First Latin War**) began with the declaration of war by **The Kingdom of Graecia** on **The Kingdom of Carthage and The Isles**. **The Kingdom of Graecia** was supported by **The Western Roman Empire**, who wanted to strengthen their position in **Graecia** and south eastern **Amare**. **The Kingdom of Carthage and The Isles** was supported by **The Kingdom of Etruria** who wanted to see a removal of Graecian and Western Roman forces from north and western **Makedon**.

    Initially **The Kingdom of Rome** and **The Kingdom of Etruria** were not directly involved, however, both sides favoured, and supported, **The Kingdom of Carthage and The Isles**. Because of this reason the three kingdoms signed **The Foedus Trium**, or **The Pact of The Three**, which bought **Rome** and **Etruria** into direct conflict with **Graecia** and **The Western Roman Empire**.

The war lasted 134 years, concluding in 951 AD, it resulted in a Graecian and Western Roman defeat, allowing **Etruria** to retake all of northern **Makedon**, it also allowed **Carthage** to re-assert its dominance over the **Mediterranean**, which it had lost control over after the rise of **The Roman Empire**. However, the greatest consequence of this war was the weakened state it left both **Graecia** and **The Western Roman Empire** in, neither of which would ever recover, which played a key role in both states eventual downfall.

### The Brothers War

Following the conclusion of The **Warring Kingdoms Period** the kingdoms of **Etruria**, **Carthage and The Isles**, **Graecia** and **The Western Roman Empire** had depleted their military forces, and appeared much weaker then the neighbouring **Kingdom of Rome**, who had been much more distant from the epicentre of the war.

Immediately after the defeat of **Graecia** and **Western Rome** fighting broke out within **The Foedus Trium** between **The Kingdom of Rome** and **The Kingdom of Etruria** over control of **Upper Tuscany**, which was split between the two. This escalated into war when **King Umberto II of Rome** sent a military force to seize the city of **Catania**, prompting a military response from **Etruria**. Following a further 7 years of war, which saw miraculous victories on the side of **Etruria**, mainly in thanks to **General Giovanni dalle Bande Nere**, who led the Etrurian army, the border would be restored to its original state, however, later wars between the two powers would see **Rome** pushed out of the north, losing control of the key city of **Florence**.

During this time **Carthage** would also go back to war with **Graecia**, due to their weakened state and the lack of involvement from **The Western Roman Empire**, **Carthage** saw a string of easy victories, giving them control over the strategic cities of **Olympia**, **Sparti** and **Novara**. This aggressive expansion would also see **Carthage** enter a war with **Etruria**, however, because of their recent war with **Rome**, **Etruria** was quickly defeated and lost control of **Thebes**.

### Unification

Following 32 years of relative peace, **The Western Roman Empire** (now fully reformed into **The Byzantine Empire**) invaded the island of **Malta** in 977. **Western Rome** believed that they could take advantage of The Maltese declaration of independence from **Carthage** (see **The Maltese Independence Wars**), allowing them to fill a power vacuum and re-assert control over the isles. The Byzantines believed **Carthage** would not interfere, however, the Carthaginians responded by declaring war, and marching on **Constantinople** (The **Byzantine** name for the city of **Byzantium**).

The Byzantines responded by calling in their ally **Graecia**, beginning the **Second Latin War**. Wanting to limit further Byzantine expansion, both **Rome** and **Etruria** supported **Carthage**, eventually working to reform **The Foedus Trium**. By this time, both **Carthage** and **Rome** had the same royal family, **The House of Amali**, on their thrones, resulting in both sharing extremely positive relations.

**The Second Latin War** would only last for 12 years, before a peace between the powers was signed, resulting in **Carthage** regaining **Malta**, and taking control of the strategic Byzantine city of **Foggia**.

Due to the good relations shared by the three kingdoms at the time, the king of **Etruria** (**King Leonidas the Ambitious** of **Etruria**) agreed to marry his daughter, and heir, **Princess Angelina of Palermo**, to **Constantine Amali**, son of the king of **Rome**. Following the death of **King Leonidas**, **Princess Angelina** ascended the throne alongside her husband, now **King Constantine V of Rome**, entering **Etruria** and **Rome** into a personal union.

Following the untimely deaths of both monarchs, who both died in **The Maximillian Palace Fire**, their only son **Prince Victor Emmanuel**, took the thrones of both nations, formally passing **The Brothers Union Act** in 1003, formally uniting **Rome** and **Etruria** for the first time since the fall of **The Eastern Roman Empire**. The act named the new nation as **The Kingdom of Italia**, named after the region spanning much of the east coast of the modern Three Kingdoms.

27 years later, **King Anastasios the Pious** of **Carthage**, who remained celibate with no children, decreed that his kingdom should be passed onto his nephew **King Victor Emmanuel of Italia**, allowing **Carthage** to join the union.

Following Anastasios' death in 1032, his brother, **Theodore, Duke of Verona**, claimed the throne of **Carthage**, claiming that the king was not of sound mind when he made the decision to pledge his kingdom to his nephew. However, he did not gain the support of **The Carthaginian Senate**, and thus he dismissed them from service, executing 13 members for treason.

**King Victor Emmanuel** declared war on Theodore for his claim on **Carthage**, and mobilised the armies of both **Rome** and **Etruria** against **Carthage**. The divided Carthaginian army was not easily assembled, and lacked basic supplied and equipment from the start. Due to major desertions from **Carthage** to **Italia**, many of the soldiers that comprised the army were conscripted peasants. equipped with simple armaments and primitive weaponry.

As the Italian army crossed into **Carthage** they captured many key towns and defensive forts, winning a few key victories at **The Battle of Spoleto** and **The Siege of Ravenna**. The road now lay open for **Italia** to march on the Carthaginian capital of **Taurinorum**.

**Theodore** made his final stand at **The Battle of Regione degli Olmi**, just outside the walls of **Taurinorum**. However, as **Victor Emmanuel** advanced from the west **Theodore** and his army became pinned with their backs against the river. In the ensuing battle many of his men would attempt to flee, but would ultimately drown in the river. Between 45,000 - 65,000 men died in **The Battle of Regione degli Olmi**, including **Theodore** himself (although his body has never been found), many being farmers and simple peasants, which would cause widespread food and labour shortages in the future.

Three days after the battle **Victor Emmanuel** would finally march on **Taurinorum**, crowning himself as King of Carthage.

In 1035, following the birth of his daughter, **King Victor Emmanuel** proclaimed **The Act of Empire**, formally uniting **Carthage** with the rest of **Italia**. **Victor Emmanuel** also proclaimed himself Emperor of "The new Eastern Empire", however, many people simply refer to it as **The Amali Italian Empire**. This also allowed the emperor to delegate kingdom titles, which he did when he gave the title **King of Carthage** to his cousin **King Angelo of Carthage**.

### The Rise of House Octavianus

**House Octavianus** claims descendance from The **Emperor Augustus of The Roman Empire**, however, the family remained largely insignificant throughout the Roman years, gaining their ancestral title of **Count of Monserrato** in 673.

However, in recognition of their loyalty, the family was granted the title of **Duke of Sardegna** in 707, and they were given a place on the **Imperial Council**, allowing them greater and easier access to the royal court in **Constantinople**.

When **Sardegna** and **Malta** were invaded by **Carthage** in 815, the head of the house, **Alexander Octavianus**, broke from **Byzantium** and switched the familys allegiance to **Carthage**. They then proceeded to being the army of **Sardegna** against the defending forces, with The Byzantines being defeated by the combined Sardi and Carthaginian forces in **The Battle of Capoterra**.

Following their victory, and **Carthages** assimilation of **Sardegna** into their kingdom, the king of **Carthage** allowed **Sofia Octavianus** to marry his nephew, **Constantine, Duke of Livorno**. This tradition of **House Octavianus** marrying into the royal families of **Carthage** continued until 1166, when, after the murder of **King Anastasios III**, his aunt, the now **Queen Giovanna I** ascended the throne, however, her gender meant that she could not rule without her husband, **Augustus Octavianus** co-ruling alongside her. This ensured the end of **Amali** rule in **Carthage**, and marked the beginning of **The Royal Octavianus Dynasty**. **Queen Giovanna** attempted to get her son to instead take her name, but **Augustus** refused.

**Emperor Aeneas II**, who was also part of The **Amali** family saw this as an insignificant threat, and instead turned to continue his wars with **Graecia**, allowing **House Octavianus** to remain on the throne.

In 1327, after over 150 years of peaceful rule, **Emperor Victor Emmanuel IV** instituted various unpopular reforms, aimed at reducing the power of the nobility and upper society. These reforms included stripping various nobles of their land, including ceding **Sardegna** from **The Kingdom of Carthage** to **The Kingdom of Rome** and forcing **The Kingdom of Rome** to cede **Florentia** to **The Kingdom of Etruria**.

These reforms caused many nobles to rise in revolt against the emperor, including **King Alexander III** **of Carthage**, the only kingdom not controlled by **The Amali Dynasty**. These nobles totalled 53, and called themselves **The Traditionalists**, and their combined armies totalled over 134,000 troops, easily dwarfing the emperors personal army of 43,000, however, his allies, calling themselves **The Imperialists**, combined forces totalled 121,000 men.

The forces wold first engage in **The Battle of Reggio Calabria**, which led to a **Traditionalist** victory, allowing them to advance quickly into **Rome**, however, this would later be stopped by **Imperialist** forces at **The Battle of Ancona**, which was won by the **Imperialists**, and got the **Traditionalists** stuck in a year long siege of the city.

In 1340 however, **Emperor Victor Emmanuel IV** died suddenly, leaving his 4 year old son, **Emperor Victor Emmanuel V** to rule his kingdom and command his forces. At this time **The Imperialists** had pushed **The Traditionalists** back to the walls of **Turin** and the mountains beyond, and defeat looked imminent. However, with the ascension of this boy king The Imperialist forces scattered, believing their Emperor had been murdered, leaving their commanders without orders, this allowed **The Traditionalists** to win a string of key victories at **The Second Battle of Reggio Calabria**, **The Battle of Caprarola** and **The Siege of Naples**, opening the road to the capital of **Aeturnum**. And in 2 years, by the Spring of 1342, the tide of the war had completely turned, and **The Traditionalists** were ready to march on the capital.

On the 7th of June 1342, **Traditionalist** forces entered **Aeturnum**, met with little resistance. The last remaining **Imperialist** forces burned **The Old Senate Building**, **The Imperial Mint** and **The Emperors Palace on The Palatine**, which had come to represent The Amalis Imperial power, leading to it never being repaired and falling into ruin. It is now known as one of The Three Kingdoms lost wonders.

**Alexander**, leader of **The Traditionalists** was named as **Victor Emmanuel's** successor and heir, and would become Emperor when the current **Victor Emmanuel** died. This did not sit well with the most extreme of the faction, who kidnapped and smothered the 7 year old boy, throwing his body off the balcony and into the street. **Alexander** would later have every conspirator executed, and ordered the boy be buried with full honours in **Nostra Signora Cathedral**.

However, this did make way for **Alexander** to ascend the throne, becoming **Emperor Alexander I** on the 20th of May 1343. He decided to make his court in **Castello di Aeturnum**, a fortress complex located on Castle Hill, on the other side of the Tiber. The fortress went under years of renovations before reaching a suitable condition to house the new **Imperial Octavianus Dynasty**.

Following his rise to power **Emperor Alexander** consolidated all kingdom level titles under himself, crowning himself **King of Etruria**. This would remain the same until the late 1700s with the passing of **The Act of Imperial Partition**.

### Fall of Constantinople and The Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire and The Three Kingdoms had always been in conflict, mainly over the strategic, and majorly important city, of **Constantinople**, known to The Latins as **Carthage**.

After the fall of Eastern Rome, The Byzantines were in a perpetual state of decline, losing all of their land in **Makedon**, **Malta and Sardegna**, **Rome** and **Etruria**, with the last bastion of The Empire being concentrated in **Lower Graecia** and **Carthage**. Their closes ally, **The Kingdom of Graecia**, was in a similar situation, however, they were completely annexed by **The Three Kingdoms** in 1367, leaving The Byzantines vulnerable.

Through many small wars and conflicts, in 1445, The Byzantines were pushed completely out of **Graecia**, with their remaining land only consisting of **Constantinople** and its surrounding lands, as well as **Eastern Sicilia**. This was the year that **The Three Kingdoms** officially declared war on The Byzantines, with the sole purpose of annexing their remaining territory, and taking the city of **Constantinople**.

On The 6th of April 1453 Latin forces arrived outside the walls of **Constantinople** and settled in for a siege, and after 53 days of constant bombardment and attack, the citys walls fell and **Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos** died in the ensuing battle through the city streets, marking the end of **The Byzantine Empire**, and **The Roman Empire**, which had lasted for 1500 years.

**Emperor Alexander III**, marched into the city 5 days later, where he was given the epithet "The Great" by his commanders.

The Emperor told his men to not sack the city, and to protect **The Hagia Sophia**, a monument constructed by **Emperor Justinian**, and which The Emperor said was "Too beautiful to touch".

The Emperor also took a particular interest in an abandoned and ruined palace just beyond the city walls, known then as The Palazzo Spahhire di Costantinopoli, it later became **The Palazzo Cartaginese**, which was the official Imperial residence from 1457 to 1682, before it transferred back to **Aeturnum**.

20 years after its fall, in 1473, in a lavish ceremony, The Emperor unveiled the largely rebuilt city, with new monuments and streets to commemorate its capture. It was also announced that the city would change its name from **Constantinople** back to **Carthage**, reflecting the kingdom that it was now a part of. Many of these new landmarks remain standing today, including the 4 palaces located along the river. The Hagia Sophia was also converted to a **Roman Catholic** Cathedral, replacing its **Orthodox** imagery.

### The Renaissance and The Latin Trading Republics

**The Three Kingdoms** was the birthplace and heart of the **Renaissance** during the 1400s and 1500s. The **Latin Reneissance** marked the transition from the **medieval period** to the **modern age** as much of the world recovered, economically and culturally, from the crises of the **Late Middle Ages** and entered the **Early Modern Period**. This period also began to see Latium dominate world trade, which also played a role in sparking what is now known as **The Latin Golden Era**.

In order to fully take advantage of this trade, the Imperial government allowed the establishment of 4 new **Merchant Republics**, which would largely secede from their respective kingdoms, and become independent governments under The Empire. The cities chosen, **Venetiarum**, **Amalfi**, **Genoa** and **Pisa**, were selected for their strategic positioning along the coast, and their defensibility against foreign powers wanting to cripple the vital trade links created.

Some other cities, such as **Siena**, **Luca** and **Heraklion** also made themselves into smaller merchant cities, abolishing import taxes etc, in order to make them more attractive to merchants, however, they were not independent like the other, larger Merchant republics.

The two largest of these new cities, by far, were **Venetiarum** and **Genoa**, both of which underwent major building and investment works in order to accommodate the surge in goods entering their ports. **Venetiarum** largely focused on trans-Mediterranean trade, bringing goods from places such as **Qydyria** to The Three Kingdoms, while **Genoa** focused more on trans-Colombus and trans-Aroha trade between **Nordenland**, **Great Portland**, **The United Jewish States**, **Francia** and **The Three Kingdoms**.

The fall of **Constantinople** led to the migration of Graecian scholars and texts to **Rome**, fuelling the rediscovery of **Greco-Roman Humanism**. Humanist rulers such as **Federico da Montefeltro** and **Pope Pius II** worked to establish **ideal cities** where *man is the measure of all things*, and therefore founded **Urbino** and **Pienza** respectively. **Pico della Mirandola** wrote the **Oration on the Dignity of Man**, considered the manifesto of **Renaissance Humanism**, in which he stressed the importance of free will in human beings. The humanist historian **Leonardo Bruni** was the first to divide human history in three periods: **Antiquity**, **Middle Ages** and **Modernity**. The second consequence of the **Fall of Constantinople** was the beginning of the **Age of Discovery**.

**Latin explorers** and navigators from the dominant **maritime republics**, eager to find an alternative route to **Auro** and **West Gondwana**, offered their services to monarchs of Mediterranean countries and played a key role in ushering the **Age of Discovery** and the Amarean and Auropean colonization of the Americas. The most notable among them were: **Christopher Columbus**, colonizer in the name of **The Three Kingdoms**, who is credited with discovering the New World and the opening of the Americas for conquest and settlement by Amareans; **John Cabot**, sailing for Britannia, who was the first Auropean to set foot in "**New Found Land**" and explore parts of North Americus in 1497; **Amerigo Vespucci**, also sailing for **The Three Kingdoms**, and who **Americus** is named for, was the first that demonstrated in about 1501 that the New World was not **Gondwana** as initially conjectured, but a fourth continent previously unknown to people of the **Old World**; and **Giovanni da Verrazano**, at the service of **Francia**, renowned as the first Auropean to explore the **North Auro** coast of **North Americus** between **Florida** and **New Brunswick** in 1524.

### From The Counter Reformation to The Latin Revolution

This period in Latin history is characterised by a constant struggle by the individual kingdoms for power. As the worlds focus shifted to the new world, so did the Latin governments, with **The Imperial Government** allowing hundreds of expeditions and settlement missions in **California**, **Ecualvador** and **Texas**. The once rich **Latin Trading Republics** entered a time of decline, as goods and materials from **The New World** increasingly entered the ports of **Aeturnum**, **Carthage**, **Mediolanum** and **Neapolis**, bypassing the traditional trading powers.

#### The 17th Century

The 17th century was a tumultuous period in Latin history, marked by deep political and social changes. These included the increase of **Papal** power in **The Kingdom of Rome** and the influence of Roman Catholic Church at the peak of the **Counter Reformation**, the **Catholic reaction** against the **Protestant Reformation**. Despite important artistic and scientific achievements, such as the discoveries of **Galileo** in the field of astronomy and physics and the flourishing of the **Baroque style** in architecture and painting, **Latium** experienced overall political decline.

Effectively, in spite of **Latium** having given birth to some great explorers such as **Christopher Columbus**, **Amerigo Vespucci** and **Giovanni da Verrazano**, the discovery of the New World undermined the importance of **Venetiarum** and other Italian ports as commercial hubs by shifting **Amare's** centre of gravity westward towards the Atlas Ocean.

The **Black Death** returned to haunt **The Three Kingdoms** throughout the century. The **plague of 1630** that ravaged northern **Etruria**, notably **Mediolanum** and **Panormus**, claimed possibly one million lives. The **plague of 1656** killed up to 940,000 people in Naples alone. Historians believe the dramatic reduction in population in cities in the far north and far east resulted in the rise in prominence of both central **Latium** and **The Kingdom of Carthage**.

#### The 18th Century & The Latin Revolution

Following the death of his father, **Emperor Christian II**, **Emperor Christian III** ascended to the throne as Emperor. A deeply unpopular figure, in stark contrast to his father and son, both of whom were very popular with the people, he declared the dissolution of **The Imperial Council** and **The Senate** just 5 days after his coronation, which was shortly followed by his voiding of **The Declaration of Latin Citizen Rights**. These authoritarian action stirred up resentment in the population. A series of small but insignificant revolts followed, largely confined to small towns and villages, which were quickly put down by Imperial Forces.

The new Emperor was also a compulsive spender, using much of the nations budget on new palaces and monuments, while also spending a large amount on improving the armed forces. This poor handling of funds meant that there were food and water shortages in major cities, including **Aeturnum**, **Ravenna**, **Carthage** and **Neapolis**, at this time **Mediolanum**, which was the Emperors favourite city, having grown up there, was spared much of this hardship. This trend of mismanagement continued for 15 years, culminating in the Emperors largest project, the now known **Palazzo della Rivoluzione**, however, at the time of completion it was dubbed **Il Palazzo Imperiale Nazionale**, and was set to serve as the new primary residence of **The Imperial Family** in **Aeturnum**.

Other notable building projects include The **Villa di San Francesco**, a palace built a few miles outside of **Aeturnum**, that was eventually burned down by revolutionary forces.

To offset the cost of these ambitious projects, **Emperor Christian III** raised taxes on citizens of The Kingdoms of **Rome** and **Carthage**, as well as on **The Grand Duchy of Malta**. Notably, this excludes **The Kingdom of Etruria**, which was allowed to remain at its regular tax rate by the crown.

The Emperors flagrant lack of care and empathy for his people, paired with The Empresses continued absence from public life, and her assumed disinterest in the people of the nation, once again stirred up unrest among the people. This culminated in major revolts in many major cities across **The Three Kingdoms**, including **Ravenna**, **Taurinorum**, **Olympia** and **Saint Julius**. Such events were followed by the re-convening of **The Senate** without The Emperors permission, and act of treason. **The Senate** would vote overwhelmingly in favour on new legislation declaring **The Supreme Power of The Senate and People**, stripping the Emperor of much of his powers.

The people of **Aeturnum**, seeing that the Emperor had lost the support of the government, also decided to rise up against **The Imperial Family**, storming The **Palazzo dell'Eternita**, in an attempt to capture the Emperor and Empress, who by this time had already fled the city. The revolutionaries ensuing battle with **The Praetorian Guard**, ended in slaughter, with over 400 civilians dead, which only spurred on the rebellion.

The Emperor, fearing for his life, barricaded himself and the rest of **The Imperial Household** in The **Palazzo di Mediolanum**, and made further plans to flee to neighbouring **Astoria**, and on to the **Latin Colonies**. However, largely in thanks to the Emperors unwillingness to raise the kingdoms taxes, the city of **Milan** and much of **The Kingdom of Etruria** remained loyal to the crown, providing a strong base in which to launch a counter attack.

#### The Latin Republic & The Civil War

With **Aeturnum**in anarchy, many of the revolutionary leaders and thinkers fled the city and travelled to nearby **Neapolis**, which was solidly under the control of revolutionary forces. It was at The **Palazzo Imperiale di Neapolis**, the official **Imperial Residence** in **Neapolis**, that a group of 200 people declared the creation of **The Latin Republic**, which would encompass all territories previously held by **The Three Kingdoms**, however, in reality and at its largest extent, **The Latin Republic** only ever held The Kingdoms of **Carthage** and **Rome**, as well as **The Grand Duchy of Malta**, with all other territory remaining under the authority of The Emperor.

Following a further 4 months of fighting and rioting, **Aeturnum**finally fell to the revolution, allowing the new republican government to enter the city and establish it as their capital. They decided upon the **Palazzo Imperiale Nazionale**, which was renamed The **Palazzo della Rivoluzione**, which became the resident of **The President of The Republic**, and was the seat of the newly created **Republican Council**, successor to The **Imperial Council**. The **Old Parliament Building** had been burned down during the revolution, as such the new government decided to revamp **The Palazzo dell'Eternita**, creating **The Congress Chamber**, where **The Senate** would sit.

During this time **Imperial Forces** in **Etruria** continued to reorganise and gather troops, reforming the **Imperial Army** which had been dissolved by The Republican **Senate** (they had replaced it with the new **Latin Revolutionary Guard**). The armed forces saw swarms of local peasantry and middle class citizens enlist, which brought the total size of the army up to 55,000 soldiers (at its peak it reached a maximum of 570,000). Using this new force, **Imperial Forces** launched small attacks on the border regions, avoiding the larger Republican army divisions stationed in **Thebes** and **Ravenna**.

The first true battle of **The Latin Civil War** occurred just outside of **Florentia** as **The Imperial Army**, now with a force of 100,000+ advanced towards the city. **The Revolutionary Guard**, with a force of 120,000, met them in open battle, which lasted 7 hours, and caused ~34,000 total casualties, with 22,000 of those being on the side of **The Imperial Army**. The battle was a decisive Republican Victory, and lead to a route of Imperial Forces who fled back into **Etruria**. However, taking advantage of the distraction, a young general by the name of **Giovanni Domenico Garibaldi**, father of the infamous **Giuseppe Garibaldi**, took his small force of 17,000 to the coastal city of **Dubrovnik**, which had a defending force of 24,000. Miraculously, when met in open battle **Garibaldi's** forces came out victorious, eviscerating The Republican force and taking the strategic city. His display of battle prowess earned him a promotion, and would eventually culminate his elevation to **Supreme Commander of The Imperial Army**.