Impérium Constantinopolitanum

Official flag of the Impérium Constantinopolitanum

The Empire of Constantinople (French: *Empire de Constantinople*), formally known as the Empire of the Romans, or the Latin Empire (French: *Empire des Romains, Empire Latin*; Latin: *Imperium Romanorum, Imperium Latinum*) was state encompassing much of Greece and the Low Countries for much of European histories. Emerging from the eastern portion of the Roman Empire before it's demise, Imperium Constantinopolitanum was considered the successor state to the Eastern Roman Empire, and the sole claimant to the imperial dignity following the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 A.D.

For much of its history, the Empire played a central role in the European geopolitical sphere, and eventually rose to becoming one of the premier colonial and global powers. Cοnstantinopolitanum was ruled by a succession of dynasties for the first three centuries of its existence, tracing its lineage of monarchs back to Charles the Great (commonly known as Charlemagne). As the Carolingian Empire was divided amongst heirs, the imperial rank and dignity remained with the notable Capetian house, Anjou. Since the tenth century, the Empire has been ruled by sub-branch of the House of Capet, Anjou. As a result of its position as the continuation of the Roman Empire in the east, Cοnstantinopolitanum maintained a unique imperial system of government throughout its history. The Empire was largely centralised in the twelfth century through cooperation between Crown and Senate, with magistrates and imperial representatives ruling the vast land from political centres all taking direction from Constantinople, the imperial seat.

The system of government within the Empire, where the power of the Crown and the Senate are often weighed against one another, resulted in a history dotted with various periods of upheaval, instability and turmoil. Despite all of this, Cοnstantinopolitanum remained a pivotal and extremely influential polity in Europe through the middle ages and the early modern period. Its commercial endeavours with the advent of colonialism, as well as its establishment of colonies and trading ports across the globe, enriched its treasury and enabled it to maintain the largest army in Europe, as well as a navy that was commonly considered second only to the Royal Navy of England, and later Great Britain.

## Government

The Empire had a complicated, labyrinthine and sophisticated system of government, with its roots in the government of ancient Rome. For most of its existence, the Empire’s government was a unique ‘imperial’ system, a centralised mode of government under a monarchy, but with a significant state structure and bureaucracy acting as a check on the power of the sovereign. It is debatable whether the Empire could be called an absolute monarchy, as the power of the monarch waxed and waned against the power of the Imperial Senate throughout the realm’s history.

### The Crown

The Emperor was the head of state of the Empire, considered the legitimate successor of the Caesars of Rome. As such, the Emperor held a hugely important role in imperial life, holding huge degrees of unrestrained power. In accordance with Roman tradition, the Emperor’s primary responsibilities were often named as the leading of the imperial legions, the direction of foreign affairs, and the preservation of peace and prosperity within the Empire. The actual power of the Emperor wavered through the various stages of imperial history, with periods of near or total absolutism existing, as well as periods of impotence in the face of senatorial authority. However, the Emperor always maintained a core of prerogative powers, including the right to command the armies and navies, the sole right to conduct foreign affairs, and the right to bestow honours, lands, and to mete justice. The seventeenth century saw a period of strength for the Crown, with successive governments and Emperors subduing the Senate and imposing their will. This system of absolutism saw its apogee under Gulielmus II & II, who ruled with total authority and politically neutered the Senate for much of his reign. His reign saw the Empire’s borders brought to their largest extent, and the Empire firmly cemented as the hegemon of Europe, and arguably much of the world. However, economic hardship towards the end of his reign, largely due to half a century of constant warfare, forced the Emperor to quietly concede some authority to the Senate in exchange for financing and tax reforms. Following Gulielmus II & II’s death, the crown passed to his son Philippus IX & VIII.

### The Imperial Senate

As the sole claimant and successor to the Roman Empire by the mid fifteenth century, Cοnstantinopolitanum retained many ancient Roman institutions and power structures. The most important of these was the Imperial Senate, the legislative body which held significant sway on a large portion of imperial policy. The Senate was, in essence, an assembly of the state’s most powerful aristocrats and magistrates, with membership becoming hereditary by the twelfth century. The Senate, led by the Consul and the three Praetors, managed the state finances, taxation, and created new laws, while screening the laws that the Emperor wished to pass. The Senate was the core of the imperial judiciary, with Senate committees directing the various aspects of the law codes and courts throughout the realm. As a result of its powers and its influence, the Senate came into conflict with the Emperor at several points throughout the history of the Empire, with each body locked in a conflict for power and control over the state. For the latter half of the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, the Senate was supreme in its power, with a succession of weaker and idle Emperors. This period was known as the *Pax Senatoria*, and saw a period of unprecedented peace and internal prosperity. The period also saw the Senate swell in size, resulting in the creation of the Continuing Committee of the Senate as an executive body within the chamber. This period came to an end with the outbreak of the Hundred Years' War, with the Crown seizing back many powers under the pretence of wartime measures. The next few centuries were often a back and forth, with both Crown and Senate suffering in influence from the Wars of Religion in the sixteenth century. The Senate spent much of the seventeenth century in a subservient position to the Crown, chafing under the absolutism of Gulielmus II & II, however it experienced a significant resurgence in power in the period following Gulielmus II’s death.

The Senate was chaired and led by the Consul, the presiding officer of the Senate. The Consul was elected yearly by the Senate from amongst its own ranks, and was one of the most influential position within the Empire. The Consul presided over all sessions of the Senate, and directed the legislative agenda through the Continuing Committee. It was often difficult for an Emperor to impose his will on the Senate without the support of the Consul, a figure sometimes considered the antithesis to the Emperor. Underneath the Consul were the three praetors, effectively the three leading magistrates and senators of the realm. The three praetors each controlled separate fields of imperial law: the Praetor Turris was the chief figure in criminal law; the Praetor Civilis was the chief figure in civil law; and the Praetor Pecuneris was the chief figure in financial matters and the direction of the imperial treasury. Each praetor led a Senate committee corresponding to their fields, and held 'praetorian authority', which granted the power to issue binding legal opinions, as well as to order arrests and interrogations. A praetor was appointed by the Consul, with the appointment being ratified by a session of the Senate in grand assembly (all senators present). The praetorship was generally held for life once appointed, but it could be revoked by a majority vote in the Continuing Committee.

The Continuing Committee was the senior committee of the Senate, and met several times a week in order to pass legislation, to propose an agenda, and to discuss affairs of state. The Continuing Committee was convened by the Consul, and consisted of the Consul as its president, the praetors, and three ordinary senators who were elected to the committee in quarterly elections. While the Continuing Committee would vote and decide on routine matters, major changes of imperial policy were brought to the Senate as a whole. Due to its position in setting and confirming the legislative agenda of the Senate, the Continuing Committee was often viewed as a shadowy entity, operating largely behind the scenes of the Senate's pomp and ancient ritual.

### The Magistracy

The Magistracy is the name for the collection of bureaucrats, judicial officials and administrators who held offices within bodies of the imperial government. The tradition of magistrates dates back to the Roman Empire, from which Cοnstantinopolitanum derived elements of its political structure. Though there was significant overlap with the Senate (for example, the Consul and the Praetors are magistrates), not all magistrates were senators, and not all magistrates worked alongside or under the Senate. The Magistracy had its origins in the Carolingian Empire, where Charlemagne used a system of prefects, proconsuls and magistrates to govern act his representatives throughout his realm. Overtime, the Magistracy was organised into a more cohesive collection of officials appointed by the Emperor and the Senate. The reign of Emperor Augustus I saw centralisation, with the concept of the 'Imperial Government' first appearing in legal texts. Augustus I and the Senate issued several Golden Bulls reforming the Magistracy, laying out the various offices and their responsibilities in a system that remained largely untouched for much of imperial history. Following the crushing of a provincial aristocratic rebellion in 1342, often referred to as the Patrician Rising, the imperial magistrates governed and policed the provinces of the Empire in accordance with direction from the imperial capital. By the sixteenth century, a system of imperial colleges had been established for the purpose of educating potential magistrates, as well as future military commanders and officers. At the conclusion of the reign of Gulielmus II & II, imperial colleges existed in Athens, Rhodes, Crete, Patras, Thessaloniki, Agrínio and Olympia.

#### List of Magistrates

##### Censor *(Censeur)*

A censor was a magistrate involved in the direction of police, the maintenance of public order, and the assembling and management of criminal cases. In times of crisis, a censor had the authority to issue a public order decree in order to restore the imperial peace. Additionally, censors were responsible for the keeping of public records. Censors were based in cities, with Paris maintaining four censors, provincial capitals maintaining two, and regular cities maintaining one. Censors were recommended for appointment by the Turris Committee, the Senate's criminal law committee, and required the approval of both Consul and Emperor.

##### Quaestor *(Questeur)*

A quaestor was a magistrate involved in the maintenance of the treasury. Quaestors were senior functionaries of the treasury, overseeing spending, the keeping of records, and conducting financial audits when necessary. They worked under the supervision of the Pecuneriae Committee, the Senate’s financial committee. There were twelve quaestors assigned to the imperial treasury in Paris, with four quaestors in each provincial capital to oversee the local treasury. Quaestors were recommended for appointment by the Pecuneriae Committee, and required the approval of both Consul and Emperor.

##### Proconsul

A proconsul was a civil governor, in charge of the civil administration of a province. Though nominally under the authority of a governor - the ceremonial imperial representative - they largely functioned independently of the governors, and at the direction of the Senate and the Emperor’s government. Though not strictly considered magistrates, proconsuls often directed and oversaw the magistracy of a province. Proconsuls were appointed by the Emperor, and required the approval of the Senate to take office.

##### Legatus Vigilum *(Légat Vigile)*

A legatus vigilum was a low-ranking magistrate with judicial and policing authority over provincial lands that were not under the authority of a censor, ie. towns, villages and rural lands. They held authority over the local Vigile (Vigilum), a law enforcement and guard force composed of soldiers sent from the local legion for a period of one year. A legatus vigilum held the right of medium justice, and could give financial and prison sentences. Imprisonments ordered by a legatus vigilum could be appealed in the nearest city, where the provincial courts will assess the case. Any severe sentence, such as capital punishment, service on the imperial galleys, and exile were referred to the nearest division of the Turris court.

## Internal Affairs

### Policing

Unlike much of Europe during the middle ages and early modern period, the Empire had a structured system of internal policing and state security for much of its existence. The foundations of a cohesive policing force were laid out by Augustus I, who established the Cohortis Capitolinae for the purpose of preserving order in Constantinople, and providing the city with a militarised force for its own protection. Over several centuries the Cohortis Capitolinae grew into a large, militarised force with a remit over public safety in Constantinople. It played a key role in the Wars of Religion, restoring order following the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. With the guard under the authority of the four censors of Constantinople, as well as various commissioners and officers appointed by the Crown and Senate, by the seventeenth century it has developed into something of an amalgamation between a police force, a riot suppression group, and a paramilitary.

In 1631, the Cardinal Agathangelou - the powerful First Minister of Gulielmus I & I - ordered the creation of metropolitan guards in every city within the realm. Financed by provincial treasuries, the sale of materials from torn down noble fortifications and new taxes, the metropolitan guards conducted police operations in their cities and acted as an auxiliary to the Imperial Legions when called upon. Reporting to their respective censors, the metropolitan guards proved to be a generally successful force in crime prevention and internal security. Athens maintained the largest metropolitan guard, with around 400 men in active service at its height. However, corruption was not unheard of within the guard forces of smaller provincial cities, sometimes numbering no more than fifty men in the smallest of cities.

### Imperial Intelligence

Imperial Intelligence was the centralised intelligence and security service of the Empire and the imperial government. It was officially formed and constituted by the monarch, Cōnstantīnus I & I, with support from the Senate. It began as the formal consolidation of the various unofficial spy rings and security networks formed by Catherine de Médicis and elements of the imperial government during the Wars of Religion. The period following the Wars of Religion was one of reconstruction and centralisation in order to prevent such destruction from being wrought within the Empire in the future. As such, the creation of a formal intelligence service was seen as an imperative for the preservation of the state. Though initially merely a collection of informants and operatives, it was expanded greatly in both structure and remit by Cardinals Agathangelou and Aetós during their respective tenures.

Imperial Intelligence was described as reporting to the state itself - it was not entirely under the absolute authority of either the Emperor or the Senate. This was in part deliberate, as it was intended to be an organisation which prioritised the integrity of the state above all. As such, the activities of Imperial Intelligence were mysterious and obscure to much of the population, and even parts of the imperial government. Its peculiar status as an "independent" institution within the Empire meant that it was an incredibly powerful one, and in times of power struggle between the Emperor and Senate it was often a deciding factor on the outcome. By the turn of the eighteenth century, the agency had developed three main purposes; internal security, prevention of unrest, and foreign intelligence. In order to fulfil the said purposes, Imperial Intelligence employed a broad range of personnel and operated across the Empire. Imperial Intelligence had the right to intercept and open any communications (with the exception of communications from Senators, the Emperor and his family), and used this power extensively during periods of uncertainty or unrest. In addition, any shipments and commercial vessels could be impounded by an agent, and military personnel were occasionally placed under intelligence command for the purpose of fulfilling a specific mission. Imperial Intelligence had the legal competence to arrest persons of interest, and therefore it became a feared institution throughout many levels of imperial society. In the provinces, the agency was largely responsible for ensuring that provincial magistracies were conducting their duties in accordance with imperial law, and it became an important force in rooting out corruption in provincial administrations.

The organisation was led by the First Director, who was nominated by the Emperor and approved by the Senate's Intelligence Committee, which reviewed reports from the organisation and provided direction when necessary. However, Imperial Intelligence largely operated on its own volition, fulfilling its prerogatives without the need for interference from other government bodies. The First Director was aided by the Second and Third Directors, and chaired the Intelligence Council (*Concilium intelligentia*), the council which directed the day-to-day operations of Imperial Intelligence. The organisation was then further divided into three directorates; the Corporal Directorate, the Records Directorate, and the Hidden Directorate. The Corporal Directorate was responsible for the uniformed division of the agency, which undertook enforcement duties, inspections, and accompanied senior officers on their assignments. The Records Directorate was responsible for the interception, inspection, and recording of communications, shipments, and general information of interest to the agency. It maintained offices and stations throughout the realm, but was based at the Imperial Intelligence Office in Constantinople, where it maintained an extensive archive. The Hidden Directorate was the most mysterious and feared of the directorates, conducting covert operations for the purpose of preventing unrest and ensuring state security. Its operatives were known for their discretion and secrecy, with its actions having been almost untraceable.

###### Military Intelligence

Military Intelligence was an agency within Imperial Intelligence which conducted operations focused on military cohesion, as well as foreign intelligence. Though acting as a separate organisation, it was under the ultimate jurisdiction of the First Director and the Intelligence Council. Military Intelligence was constituted as a separate organisation within the intelligence structure in 1665, under the advice of the Duke of Athens (at that time, one of Gulielmus II & II's chief ministers). Its primary purpose was to provide the military with information on enemy movements, tactics and counsel during times of war. However, it was also given charge of conducting foreign intelligence on behalf of the Empire. Information from abroad was relayed to the imperial government by Military Intelligence via a network of informants, military attachés and covert operatives across Europe. As a result of this, Military Intelligence was an important organisation in its own right. One of its lesser-known responsibilities was the preservation of cohesion within the military, and at times it was charged with conducting audits and, in exceptional cases, purges within the legions of the Empire.

## Provinces and Territories

The Empire proper was divided into several provinces, each with their own local magistracy subordinate to the Imperial Government. Before the reign of Augustus I in the twelfth century, the provinces were dominated by the local nobility, with each lord having extensive freedom over the governance of his own demesne. However, following the reforms of the twelfth century, the provincial nobility were largely relegated to managing the agricultural output of their lands, with governance transferred into the hands of imperial magistrates. Though the nobles of the provinces had attempted to rise and overthrow this system several times, nothing came of the various attempts and they remained largely disenfranchised in the imperial government.

Each province was governed from its provincial capital, where the regional proconsul enacted the will of the Emperor and the Senate through his subordinate magistrates.