The history of Selucia covers the history of the territory of the modern state of Selucia as well as that of the Selucian people. Selucians are considered to belong to the Enetric peoples, and are thought to have arrived on the Selucian archipelago sometime in the 3rd millennium BCE. Throughout the following millennia, Selucian culture and civilization spread, directly or indirectly, to many areas outside the Selucian islands, including Pontesi, Barmenia, Deltaria, Zardugal, Istalia, or Canrille. Selucia was also the headquarters of the first international Hosian Church, and as such Selucian influence spread far beyond areas of Selucian control.
Prehistory[]
The Enetric Migrations are a prehistoric event hypothesized to have brought the Enetric speaking peoples, including Selucians and Kalopians, to Majatra from their initial homeland somewhere in modern Kundrati. When the Enetric peoples invaded sometime around 3000 BCE, the area was inhabited by various non-Enetric-speaking, indigenous pre-Enetric people, who practiced agriculture as they had done since the 7th millennium BCE.
Antiquity[]
Ancient Selucia was an ancient civilization that lasted from the Archaic period of circa 1000 BCE to the end of antiquity (c. 500 CE), but in common usage it refers to all Selucian history until the fall of the Qedarite Empire. Ancient Selucia is considered the foundational culture of Artanian civilization and one of the fundamental influences for Majatran civilization. Ancient Selucian civilization has been immensely influential on the language, politics, educational systems, philosophy, art and architecture of the modern world, particularly due to the spread of Selucian Hosianism, as well as a result of the rediscovery of Selucian antiquity during the Renascentia.
Archaic Selucia[]
In time the Enetric tribes on the archipelago began differentiating themselves from other Enetric peoples. During the 7th century BCE writing was introduced with the adoption of the Qedarite (Phoenician) alphabet, modifying it to create the Selucian alphabet. Selucia was divided into many small self-governing communities, to a large extent determined by Selucian geography, where every island, valley and plain is cut off from its neighbours by the sea or mountain ranges.
Classical Selucia[]
Selucian, Cildanian, and Kalopian colonies around the Majatran Sea in 500 BCE
The basic political unit in Ancient Selucia was the city-state. Each city was theoretically independent, as was any colony, although colonies traditionally deferred to their mother city. The process of colonization around the Majatran Sea, started in the Archaic era, continued much more vigurously during the age of Classical Selucia, when the Selucian city-states competed with Cildanian and Kalopian polities in colonizing the shores of Majatra.
Qedarite Selucia[]
Competition between Selucian and Cildanian city-states intensified after the creation of the Qedarite Empire in 407 BCE. Desiring to maintain Cildanian monopoly on trade in the Majatran Sea, the Qedarite city-state of Qart Qildar imposed its hegemony over most Cildanian city-states around Majatra by the end of the 5th century. Trade disputes between Selucians and Cildanians and conflict over hegemony in West Majatra culminated in the Selucian-Cildanian Wars, a series of four wars that gradually brought most Selucian city-states under the rule of the Qedarite Empire. During the wars Selucia was united for the first time in its history under the Selucian League, an alliance of nominally independent city-states led by an elected Imperator (general), under the informal leadership of Auroria, the most powerful city-state at the time.
Cildanian use of war elephants secured Qedarite victory against Selucia
Selucia was defeated by the Qedarite Empire and incorporated as a province. Although Selucia declined militarily, Selucian culture continued to flourish under Qedarite rule. The Selucian city-states retained a large degree of autonomy, and the Selucian religion received much sponsorship from the Empire. Qedarite Selucia was also characterized by a large degree of syncretism between Selucian and Qedarite cultures, and many Kalopian influences were also introduced, especially after the Empire conquered Kalopia in 205 BCE.
The Jelbo-Tukaric Migrations that ultimately destroyed the Qedarite Empire did not affect Selucia directly, but the Selucian city-states did rebel against Qart Qildar in the Social War. With the defeat of Qart Qildar, Selucia gained her independence, but not her unity, as the islands would continue to be divided into a patchwork of small independent polities.
Middle Ages[]
Following the fall of the Qedarite Empire and the power vacuum left in its place, a new power slowly emerged in Selucia, the Hosian Church. Hosianism was founded in Beiteynu while the Qedarite Empire was crumbling, and the new faith was introduced in Selucia not long after its founding; according to tradition, it was St. Michael, one of the Disciples of Eliyahu, that brought the new religion into Selucia, becoming the first Bishop of Auroria, where he was also martyred. Lacking central authority, many of the city-states were quick to embrace Hosianism, while others remained adamantly Pagan. In Auroria iself, after its adoption of Hosianism as the city's faith, the Bishop gained the role of President of the City. Claiming legitimacy derived from Saint Michael, the Bishop of Auroria considered himself the highest authority of the emerging Church, so that when the Unitarian controversy was raging amongst Hobrazian Hosians, spreading into Majatra, Bishop of Auroria Adeodatus Florianus called for a council of the entire Hosian world in order to put an end to the controversy. The resulting Council of Auroria of 533 CE was one of the most important events in Terran religious history, as it formalized the mainstream Binitarian dogma, established the first Hosian Church (the Holy Apostolic Hosian Church of Terra), adopted a single biblical cannon for the whole Church, and recognized the Bishop of Auroria as Arch-Patriarch and leader of the entire Hosian world. The council also resulted in the oldest ongoing schisms in the Hosian Church, as the Unitarian party, rejecting the outcome of the Council, ultimately founded the Patriarchal Church (Eastern Rite).
The Council of Auroria of 533 CE established Selucia as the capital of the international Hosian Church
The newly established Hosian Church, headquartered in the Selucian city of Auroria, gradually became the strongest political faction on the islands. By the 8th century Auroria was confirmed as the secular possession of the Church as the Patrimonium Sancti Michaelis ("Patrimonium of Saint Michael"). In the meantime Selucian towns outside the control of the Church preserved their independence. By the end of the medieval era, these towns had exited from Feudalism, so that their society was based on merchants and commerce. Owing to their favourable position between Artania and Majatra, Selucian cities became international trading and banking hubs and intellectual crossroads. Several of these cities became thalassocracies, building fleets of ships both for their own protection and to support extensive trade networks between the two continents, while also occupying coastal territory around the Majatran Sea.
By the 800s, the polities in Selucia crystalized ito the following political entities:
- Aquilonia was broken into eight polities: the Patrimonium of Saint Michael, the Republic of Florentia, the Republic of Assedo, the Duchy of Taurium, the Abbey of Saint Germanus, the Archbishopric Immediacies of Saint Laurence, Saint Simon, and Saint Bobo, and the Republic of Minianium
- Sadaria was divided into three political entities: the Archbishopric of Argona, the Kingdom of Shadar, and the Duchy of Marisia
- Oleria was split into three political entities: the Republic of Aquinium, the Republic of Leona, and the Republic of Victoria
The Arch-Patriarch was not the only prelate to establish political rule over a territory. The Major Archbishop of Argona in Sadaria established his power over local nobles and monarchs alike, engaged in politics, and even appointed princes, nobles and lesser nobles. The line of Archbishops began to carve out a de facto kingdom and began interpreting scripture against Church's current thinking, and revived rejected heretical ideas in order to build up power. Eventually, the Bishops in Sadaria banded together against the Archbishop and sent a famous letter to the Arch-Patriarch stating abuses of power and heresy of the Archbishop. The Arch-Patriarch reacted by granting a Crusade and convincing good Hosian nations to join. Artanian nations were most enthusiastic, leading to the establishment of Artanian-style feudalism in Sadaria.
Sadarian Crusades (1204 - 1221)[]
Hieronymus Boleus V, last Archbishop of Argona
Many Sadarians were Nonbinitarian and Demiurge adherents. The independent Archbishop of Argona, seeking to consolidate his power, adopted the old heresy of Agathism, while the Shadari-speaking Kingdom of Shadar proclaimed the Patriarchal Church (Eastern Rite) as its state church. Paganism was also widely practiced and tolerated in Sadaria. When the Church outlawed such practices Sadarians fought against efforts to reform their ways, and eventually a Crusade was called against Sadaria to root out heresy and the independent power of the Archbishop of Argona, continued practice of paganism by Sadarian rural population, and the Unitarian heresy in the Kingdom of Shadar.
The Crusade constituted of one large naval battle, several major land battles, culminating in Siege of Argona (1220-1221). After most of Sadaria was captured an Inquisition was held to root out heresy, during which thousands were killed. Most of the native Sadarian nobles had been discredited and/or killed during Inquisition, leading to their replacement with an Artanian feudal aristocracy. The Crusader states merged into two feudal polities, the Kingdom of Argona in the west of the island and the Kingdom of Sadaria in the east.
Renascentia[]
Between the 14th and 16th centuries Selucia was the centre of the Renascentia, a cultural period marked by the flourishing of the arts, architecture, literature, science, historiography, and political theory. The newfound prosperity brought by trade and banking led to the power of the city-states increasing significantly, as the Selucian trade routes that connected Artania and Majatra were major conduits of culture and knowledge. Economic and territorial growth brought increasing wealth to the Selucian city-states, so that during the Renascentia many political leaders, including the Papacy, felt the need to show their affluence and taste by spending money on cultural symbols of wealth. Leading families in the city-states would become patrons of the arts and culture. A central feature of the Renascentia was the rediscovery of Classical Antiquity and its cultural, scientific, and artistic values. Renascentia luminaries strove to imitate the achievements of Antiquity and move away from the stagnation of the previous period, which they termed the "Middle Ages".
The "Birth of Futua" is emblematic for the rediscovery of Selucian mythology during the Renascentia
The rediscovery of classical mythology during the Renascentia led to a strong resurgence of Selucian Paganism beginning with the 15th century. As a consequence of newfound interest in the writings of ancient Selucians, Pagan writers could now rightfully point out that their faith, until that point looked down upon as nothing more than peasant superstition, had a rich and ancient philosophical tradition that could compete with Hosian theology on equal footing. The rebirth of Paganism during the Renascentia was however opposed by the Church, which also claimed itself the heir of ancient Selucian heritage by pointing out monotheistic tendencies within the writings of a number of classical philosophers. The Renascentia consequently became fertile ground for philosophical and theological disputes between the two competing traditions. The religious landscape of the archipelago was from this point on characterized by a relative balance between two religions, each with its own claim to higher intellectual and moral respectability.
During the Renascentia Classical literature was rediscovered, and with it widespread knowledge of Classical Selucian. Renascentia authors strived to immitate the writing of classical authors, creating a polished and artificial style that followed the prescriptions of 3rd century BCE Aurorian Selucian. The growing body of literature in Classical Selucian and the increasing divergence of colloquial dialects established the classical register as a common language throughout the islands, gaining acceptance as the language of diplomacy and trade in addition to its role as the language of literature and religion.
Beginning with the late 15th century the states on the Selucian islands began exploring and later expanding outside the Majatran Sea, seeking new trade routes and economic opportunities. The fall of the Ahmadi Caliphate in 1486 removed its naval and mercantile competition with the Selucian states, who greatly increased their wealth. Aiming to establish monopolies on trade, Selucian explorers embarked on expeditions of discovery and conquest towards the lands to the West, aided by technological innovations such as the caravel or the magnetic compass. The discovery of the continent of Dovani in 1474 by Luthorian explorer Christopher Dove was aided by Selucian merchants, following which Selucian expeditions led to the establishment of trade outposts on the coasts of Seleya, Keris, and Dovani, forming the basis of the future Selucian colonial empire.
Early Modern history[]
Towards the end of the Renascentia the powerful families that ruled the Selucian city-states and who had been the major patrons of cultural rebirth gradually brought the various republics under their direct rule, establishing hereditary monarchies that would come to dominate the islands in early modern times. At the same time, foreign rule and Artanian feudalism in Sadaria, established in the aftermath of the Sadarian Crusade and the Sadarian Inquisition, led to the rise of nationalist resentment. During the Renascentia Selucian writers such as Titus Tullius Coleus looked back to the perceived heroism of ancient times, when Selucia was united against foreign powers. In the late 18th century nationalist ideas began to gain momentum, supported by the growing middle class dissatisfied with feudalism, monarchy, foreign rule, and the disunity of the nation. Building upon the values of the Renascentia, early Selucian nationalists envisioned a single unified Selucian nation-state governed under Republican principles. Nationalist writers of the 18th century began publishing works in a modernized form of Classical Selucian, breaking from the archaic tendencies of Selucian writing during the Renascentia by tackling modern themes in an otherwise artificial standardized language, thus laying the foundations of Modern Standard Selucian as the single language of the Selucian nation. Those in favour of unification also faced opposition from the Papacy and the Holy Apostolic Hosian Church of Terra, which feared that giving up power in the region could mean the persecution of Selucian Hosians. This led to a close association between Selucian Paganism and Selucian Nationalism, the latter of which saw the Hosian faith as an allogenous element and the main obstacle to unification.
Proclamation of the Republic of Argona in 1799
Towards the end of the Renascentia the various small monarchies and republics on the Selucian island had consolidated into five major polities:
- Aquilonia was divided into two political entites, the Patrimonium of Saint Michael and the Kingdom of Calatia
- Sadaria was split between the Kingdom of Argona (sometimes known as West Sadaria) and the Kingdom of Sadaria
- Oleria was ruled by the Republic of Victoria
One of the largest monarchic polities on the islands was the Kingdom of Argona, one of the states founded in the aftermath of the Sadarian Crusade. The rising middle class of Argona was increasingly dissatisfied with the autocratic rule of the Kingdom, and in 1799 it was overthrown in a republican revolution, founding the Argonan Republic. Due to the Republic's Pagan Nationalist and republican character, it soon entered armed conflict with the Church and the other states on the islands. The resulting war, won by Argona, led to the Unification of Selucia and the creation of a Selucian nation-state under pagan and republican principles. Hosianism was banned and driven underground, Paganism was granted a unified form and theology, and Modern Standard Selucian was established as the nation's sole official language.
Modern History[]
First Republic (1811-1935)[]
The Selucian colonial empire at its height in 1889
The Unification of Selucia resulted in the creation of the First Republic. Sextus Fontilius, the commander in charge of the invasion of Auroria, was elected the first Consul of united Selucia together with former Dictator Iulianus Capraeus, establishing a form of government that would last, with numerous alterations and interruptions, for millennia. Politics in the Republic soon became dominated by a new Republican aristocracy. Known as the Patricii (Patricians), this new aristocracy had its roots in the rising industrial and capitalist oligarchy that gradually gained prominence as a result of the modernization of Selucia. The Patricians were distinguished by their enthusiasm for Classical culture and education; one major feature setting them aside from the rest of the population was their use of classical Tria Nomina, which in time became the most important marker of Patrician status.
The First Republic also established a vast colonial empire ruling over large territories in Majatra, Seleya, and Keris. Unlike other contemporary colonial empires, Selucia's was fueled by an explicit policy of assimilation and miscegenation, although ethnic Selucians were firmly at the top of the hierarchy. Selucia lost most of its colonial empire as a result of the North Seleyan Wars (1889-1929). The Selucian colonial empire left a lasting legacy, as territories under Selucian rule were heavily influenced by Selucian culture, and the Selucian language spoken in these former colonies evolved into several modern languages, including Canrillaise, Egelian, and Tukarese.
Benedictus Linius Mussio was the leader of Fascist Selucia
Fascist Selucia (1935-1949)[]
The national humiliation felt by Selucia due to the loss of its North Seleyan colonies fueled a sense of revanchism and ultranationalism. In time these sentiments coalesced into a new far-right ideology and political movement, Fascism. Benedictus Linius Mussio, the leader of the Fascist movement, came to power in 1935 through partially legal means, and three years later he was proclaimed dictator for life. His rule was marked by proscriptions and progroms and the radical militarization of Selucia. Considering that far-flung colonies were a waste of resources, the Fascists instead focused their efforts on the continent of Majatra and the Majatran Sea, aiming to turn it into a "Selucian lake". Their efforts failed and Selucia was defeated. Not long afterwards Benedictus Linius Mussio was assassinated and the Fascist regime was brought to an end.
First Imperium (1949-2593)[]
"Papa" Sergo Karnevardokidze, Selucian imperator between 2200 and 2234
Seeking to address what they perceived as the root causes behind the rise of Fascism, the Selucian elites decided to establish a single unified executive for the entire Empire, establishing the office of Imperator, at first elected by the Senate and serving for life. The popular assemblies were abolished and legislative power was transferred to the Senate, and Selucian citizenship was extended to all inhabitants of the colonial empire. In effect, Selucia and the entire empire became an aristocratic republic, dominated by three major noble families, the Gens Assedonensis, Gens Commodiana, Gens Aurelia, and Gens Draconensis. Replacing the authoritarian office of Dictator with an elective monarchy, the Selucian Imperium's head of state was the Imperator, elected by the populace from the leading members of the three ruling families. The Imperator enjoyed vast powers, including the power to nominate the cabinet, and was also automatically the Pontifex Maximus of Religio Seluciana. The efforts of the Selucian oligarchy to unite the empire proved successful in the short term, but over time all Selucian colonies obtained their independence, the last to do so being Seko in 2193.
During the Imperium Paganism remained the dominant religion, and Hosianism, although no longer actively persecuted, was a small minority. In 2385 the Hosians in Selucia decided to revive the ancient office of Arch-Patriarch. The office had been restored in 2104 and again in 2134 by the Terran Patriarchal Church, however the Terran attempt at a restored Arch-Patriarchate was not universally recognized by all Hosians heir to the Holy Apostolic Hosian Church of Terra, and after a number of schisms the Terran Patriarchal Church itself abolished the Arch-Patriarchate in 2325. Owing to the lack of an Arch-Patriarch, and given the freedom of religion now enjoyed by Hosians in Selucia, the Selucian Church elected Ioannes I as the first Arch-Patriarch in Auroria after centuries of persecution, claiming direct continuity with the old Holy Apostolic Hosian Church of Terra. The newly elected Arch-Patriarch in Auroria attracted support from a diaspora of adherents of the now-defunct Apostolic Church across the world, reinstituting bishoprics in certain places. A massive influx of the faithful did not emerge until much later, but since then the Church steadily grew.
Second Republic (2593-2701)[]
Opposition to aristocratic rule grew towards the end of the Imperium, and in 2593 democratic forces succeeded in abolishing the Selucian Imperium, replacing it with the democratic Selucian Republic. The Second Republic was politically dominated by left-leaning forces, but there were numerous attempts at restoring aristocratic rule throughout its existence. In 2684 the nation changed its official name to "Civitas Seluciana".
Second Imperium (2701-2830)[]
Avitus Tyrannus was the Dictator of Selucia between 2796 and 2807
Aristocratic forces, under the leadership of the Imperial Democratic Coalition were finally able to restore the Imperium and its political system in 2701. Although the restored Imperium enjoyed a certain level of stability at first, religious and social tensions were high and, by the 2780s they became violent. During that decade the National Revolutionary Front, a far-left political organization, launched a series of deadly attacks on religious sites and clergy. The Proletarian Legion, the paramilitary wing of the Front, was responsible for a number of terrorist attacks in Auroria, including, in 2789, an attack on the Badaran embassy. Reacting to left-wing violence a far-right reactionary and patrician organization was formed known as the Optimates. The following decade was marked by street violence between the far-left and the far-right, as well as fierce electoral competition between the two. In 2794 an unexpected turn of events led to a coalition government between the National Revolutionary Front and the conservative Home and Hearth Party, locking the Optimates out of power. The communist-conservative coalition proceeded to collectivize all land in 2795, leading to increased opposition and heightened violence. Although an attempted Optimates coup was defeated, the nation seemed on the brink of civil war. Following the dissolution of the the Home and Hearth Party, the two forces, i.e. the far-left National Revolutionary Front and the far-right Optimates, agreed to establish a joint dictatorship in order to avoid civil war. In 2796 Optimates leader Avitus Tyrannus was proclaimed Dictator of Selucia with the backing of the National Revolutionary Front, establishing a repressive regime that introduced slavery, persecuted Hosianism, and promoted gladiatorial games. It was later revealed that the National Revolutionary Front had been infiltrated by the security forces of the state years earlier and was turned into a puppet of the Optimates with the purpose of keeping the lower classes complacent.
Selucian Crusade (2830-2854)[]
After the death of Avitus Tyrannus the regime disintegrated and entered a period of chaos and instability. The Selucian Communist Party managed to gain power in Auroria in 2828, but its control over the rest of the nation was practically non-existent. Taking advantage of the chaos and wishing to put an end to his rival the Selucian Patriarchal Church, the Pápež of the Terran Patriarchal Church launched a crusade against Selucia with the goal of bringing the nation under the fold of the Deltarian Church. The newly-formed Order of Saint Parnum under the leadership of Grandmaster Boris Ryssko succeeded in occupying the whole of Selucia, creating the Selucian Land of St. Parnum, a monastic crusader state ruled by the Order. During crusader rule the entire economy and educational system were brought in the hands of the Order of Saint Parnum and all religions other than the Terran Patriarchal Church were heavily persecuted. The Orderstate ruled Selucia for three decades, during which time most Selucians became literate in the Daralian language and a large part of the population was forcibly baptized into the Terran Patriarchal Church. After the death of Grandmaster Boris Ryssko in 2852 Selucian Orderstate entered a period of turmoil. Most brothers of the Order left Selucia to join other Crusades or to fight for the Terran Church in Deltaria, leaving the Orderstate undefended. By 2854 the Alliance of Imperial Selucians, the main opposition to the Order of Saint Parnum, gained power and proceeded to restore the Imperium.
Third Imperium (2854-2989)[]
Constantinus I was the hereditary Imperator of Selucia between 2940 and 2994
The driving force behind the resistance to the Orderstate was the Selucian Patriarchal Church, and in the restored Imperium Hosians gained an unprecedented degree of power. It was during the Fourth Imperium that Hosians became, for the first time since the Great Persecution, a majority of the population of Selucia. Although technically a democracy, the Imperium was gradually brought under clerical rule, and conflict with other religions became a central feature of Selucian politics. In 2940 Cardinal Connor of Victoria, who was at the time the most influential Patriarchal leader in the nation, established Selucia as a monarchy. He named his step-nephew, Constantinus I of the House of Victoria, the first hereditary Imperator of the nation, and in 2951, pro-Selucian forces in Barmenistan established Rebeca I, the youngest daughter of Constantinus I, as Queen of Barmenistan. Under the House of Victoria Selucia became a Hosian theocratic monarchy that persecuted against all rival faiths. When Cardinal Conor was assassinated by Ahmadi terrorists, the assassination was blamed on the nation of Badara, accused of aiding Ahmadi revolutionaries in order to "spread Ahmadism to Western Majatra." In reaction the Imperium decreed the expulsion of all Ahmadis in Selucia and a period of tension with Badara, when it seemed that war was imminent, followed.
Triariist Revolution and Third Republic (2989-3163)[]
Marius Severinus Fabianus Hieronymon and Octavianus Albus Livius Faunus "the Apostate" were the first Consuls of Triariist Selucia
It did not take long for Pagan reaction to the Hosian theocratic monarchy to materialize. In 2988 a new political movement, the United Legion of Triariists, emerged, based on the ideology of Triariism, named after the elite fighting force of the First Republic. Calling for the restoration of the First Republic and an end to Hosian rule, Triariism was an openly Pagan and Republican reaction to the House of Victoria. The following year the Triariists were successful in overthrowing the monarchy and established the Republic and Empire of Selucia, with a new constitution and political system deliberately modeled after the First Republic. Religio Seluciana was openly promoted, although other religions were not persecuted. For the first time in centuries the Triariists restored a system of dual Consulship, with Marius Severinus Fabianus Hieronymon serving as First Consul of the Senate and Octavianus Albus Livius Faunus "the Apostate" serving as Tribune Elect and Proconsul of the Republic.
The Altar of the Republic is one of the most important legacies of Triariist Selucia
The Triariist regime also embarked on an ambitious city construction program. Eleven new cities were established under the Republic and Empire, including a new capital city Octaviana and the city of Hieronymium, named after the two Triariist leaders and both located in Sadaria Orientalis. Most of these cities exist to this day as a visual legacy of the Triariist regime. The most important of the monumental structures built under Triariist rule is the Altar of the Republic, a complex Pagan temple built in 2992 and consecrated to Dea Selucia, Goddess Selucia. In 4480 the Altar, by then a secular museum, was declared a IESCO Global Heritage Site, and in 4799 it was reconsecrated as a Pagan temple.
Although the Imperium and Hosian rule was briefly restored between 3000 and 3060, the Triariist regime returned to power. Soon afterwards it found itself in conflict with Phalangist Cildania. The Qedarite Republic of Cildania was a Pan-Qedarist ultra-nationalist regime which pursued the unification of all of Majatra under Qedarite (OOC: Semitic) rule. When Phalangist Cildania launched a campaign of forceful assimilation against the nation's Hebilean minority the Triariist regime declared war on Cildania and sponsored the creation of the Hebilean Resistance Army. Although the two nations did not directly engage each other in combat, Selucia was successful in destabilizing the Phalangist regime. Mass protests and the ongoing guerilla war against the Hebilean Resistance Army forced the Qedarite Republic to liberalize in the 3070s, and by 3100 Cildania became a democratic republic. In Selucia too Hosian opposition to the Pagan government grew. By 3163 the Selucian Patriarchal Party, the political arm of the Selucian Patriarchal Church, succeeded in restoring the Hosian monarchy under Philippus III.
Fourth Imperium (3163-3721)[]
The restored Imperium ruled Selucia for six centuries, during which time it transformed from a Hosian-dominated nation with a significant Pagan minority to an overwhelmingly Hosian country owing to the near eradication of Paganism. Although the hereditary nature of the office of Imperator was abolished in 3190 after the death of Philippus III, Hosian theocracy continued unabated. A peculiar feature of the Fifth Imperium is the gradual emergence of a Dundorfian ruling class centred around the Liberal Conservative Party, although Dundorfians remained a small minority throughout the Imperium's existence. During this time the Selucian Security changed, from being a minor policing organization, to becoming a feared and deadly secret police, operating outside civil control to eliminate dissidence and crush opposition to the regime.
Invasion of Pontesi[]
Xarfaxis depicted as a saint on a traditional Seluco-Pontesian icon
Ethnic Selucian opposition to Dundorfian minority rule crystallized around the old Selucian Patriarchal Party as well as a political newcomer, the New Imperial Party, and for a while a coalition between the two parties managed to gain power in the Imperium. However, in 3227, after the NIP-led government under Alamar Xarfaxis unconstitutionally authorized a military operation to aid the Unholy Empire of Davostan under Medivh Evil, the government was dissolved and the New Imperial Party was forcefully disbanded. Alamar Xarfaxis and former Selucian foreign minister Livia Haart, together with 35 other former leading members of the New Imperial Party, fled political persecution by the Selucian government and the Alliance of Terran Republics and were granted asylum in the Pontesi Hegemony. Medris Mederagaar, the Director General of the Pontesian Hegemony had estimated that the newcomers would help stabilize the Pontesian regime while also increasing its influence in Selucia, however this proved to be a miscalculation. Alamar Xarfaxis formed the core of what would later become the Crimson Crusade by assembling a coalition of radicals from the left and the right dissatisfied with Hegemony rule. In the 3232 elections the "Imperial Crusaders League", led and founded by Alamar Xarfaxis, won the Pontesian elections. Soon afterwards the Union of Imperial Crusader Kingdoms was established, and although the new government hid its intentions at first, it did not take long for the Crusaders to reveal their true interest in Pontesi. The Imperial Crusaders League's main goal was the wholesale Selucianization of Pontesi, based on Alamar Xarfaxis' prophetic visions of Pontesi as a God-given part of the Selucian nation. The government's heavily discriminatory actions led to violence, and in 3238 the violence erupted into full-scale civil war between the Crusaders, supported by Selucia and the Alliance of Terran Republics, and the resurgent Pontesi Hegemony backed by the International Monarchist League. The war lasted eleven years and led to the defeat of the Crusaders and end to their Selucianization attempts in Pontesi. However the Crimson Crusade survived the end of the war. Owing to its backing by the Alliance of Terran Republics, the Crusaders were able to find refuge in neighboring Barmenistan, Beiteynu, or, as was the case for Xarfaxis himself, in Selucia where he lived the remainder of his life. Following his death a personality cult emerged around him and his ideas, leading in time to the emergence of Xarfaxianism, a far-right Selucian nationalist ideology that saw not just Pontesi, but also Malivia and Keymon as natural and legitimate targets for Selucian expansionism.
Lake Majatra War and Selucian Civil War[]
Selucian involvement in Pontesi opened a new era of direct Selucian involvement in continental Majatran affairs. The Pontesian governments following the civil war saw the presence of ethnic Selucians in the nation as a threat, initiating various discriminatory actions against Pontesi's Selucian population. In response Selucia issued numerous warnings to Pontesi, to no avail. With rising tensions the Selucian government initiated a policy of militarization and mobilization. However, war was to arrive to Selucia from further south. The Deltarian Czarist War of 3457-3466 led to the establishment of an expansionistic neo-feudal regime in South Majatra, the Deltarian Empire. Opposed by the democratic powers on the continent, most prominently Zardugal, the Deltarian regime drew the condemnation of Selucia as well. In 3494 the Deltarian-Zardic conflict escalated into open war, starting the devastating Lake Majatra War that ended only in 3509. Although Selucia pledged neutrality at first, Deltarian atrocities caused the Selucian government to directly intervene in the war. In 3508 Selucia declared war against Deltaria, however support for the Zardic side could not materialize. The Deltarian government, seeking to prevent Selucia's participation in the war, took advantage of the ethnic and social tensions in Selucia to parallize the nation. In December 3508 Deltaria sent troops and materiel to the Selucian National Front, a pro-Deltarian Fascist movement, who the following year launched a rebellion against the government. Althought the fascist rebels were ultimately defeated, the establishment of a domestic front in Selucia tied down any Selucian support for Zardugal in a brutal civil war.
Plebeian Revolution[]
Following the defeat of the fascist rebellion the Imperium became a single-party state led by a Dundorfian-dominated conservative and Hosian elite. The conservative regime continued in power unchallenged for decades, during which time Paganism was nearly completely eradicated, its practice restricted to the lower classes. The banner of Pagan liberation was picked up by a seemingly unlikely force. In 3652 trade union leader Caius Capo founded the Plebeian Democratic Party, a left-communist political party rejecting the concept of a vanguard party as leading a proletarian revolution and rejecting state capitalism/state socialism, instead advocating workers' councils (or Plebeian Councils) as the means for dismantling the bourgeois state. Unlike previous left-wing movements in Selucia, the Plebeian Democratic Party was openly and explicitly Pagan.
Plebeian protesters celebrating the Secession of the Plebs in Sadaria Occidentalis
Although Caius Valerius Publicola's Union of Communists broke from the Plebeian Democratic Party over differences regarding attitudes towards religion and morality, the two Communist parties remained allies, and in 3656 they launched a revolution agains the Imperium, managind to take full control over Sadaria Occidentalis. The so-called Secession of the Plebs (Secessio Plebis) established the Council of the Plebs (Concilium Plebis) as the provisional ruling body of Selucia, challenging the authority of the Imperial Senate. In response to the declaration of a state of emergency by the central government, the Communists established the Red Brigades (Cohortes Rubrae), merging the paramilitaries of the two parties with the goal of defending Sadaria Occidentalis from the Selucian Security. Surprisingly, in 3660 the Plebeian coalition won the elections and proceeded to form a new Communist government. One of its first acts was the recognition of a Decree of the Plebs outlawing the public practice of Hosianism and legalizing Paganism. The law was immediately brought to review by the Constitutional Court and its application was thus suspended; owing to factional tensions within the Court itself and between the various Communist parties in power, the decree was ultimately never applied. The Plebeian Revolution eventually collapsed due to factional fighting, government suppression, and international sanctions. Although the revolution was unsuccessful, it did result in the removal of Paganism's status as religio illicita. The end of official persecution reversed the negative demographic trend experienced by the Religio, although this did not lead to a resurgence on the scale of the Triariist revival.
Fourth Republic (3721-3781)[]
The Imperium was briefly overthrown by a democratic federation known as the Commonwealth of Selucian States. The left-leaning Green Party gained power in 3721 and established a democratic regime. Although the Commonwealth was a relatively vibrant multi-party system, Selucian democracy proved to be fragile. The resurgent Crimson Crusade briefly held power as the Crusader Democrats, but was soon defeated. The Commonwealth established close military ties with Zardugal, even allowing for the establishment of a military base. The presence of foreign troops in Selucia led to a nationalistic reaction and the reestablishment of the Liberal Conservative Party, who, after gaining power, closed all foreign bases and proceede to restore the Imperium.
Fifth Imperium (3781-3838)[]
The restored Imperium is considered one of the most repressive regimes in Selucian history. The practice of all religions other than the Selucian Patriarchal Church was forbidden under pain of death, women were forbidden from seeking employment, and all forms of migration were banned, as a single-party regime led by the Conservative Liberal Party and backed by the Selucian Security took power. The Imperium participated in the Jelbic War on the side of the Jelbic Khaganate, seeking to establish peaceful ties to the largest power on the Majatran mainland, but the consequences of the Jelbic War were to lead to the collapse of the Selucian Imperium.
Barmenian Refugee Crisis[]
During the Jelbic War the Jelbic nationalist government of Barmenistan, at the time a member of the Khaganate, was replaced by an Ahmadi theocracy, the Genzid Caliphate. Wishing to establish its legitimacy over Barmenistan and to find a source to recover its massive war debt, the Caliphate signed the Edict of Expulsion, expelling all Felinists and confiscating their property, sparking the Barmenian Refugee Crisis. The fleeing Felinists started flowing towards two main destinations, namely Pontesi and Selucia; it is estimated that more than ten million Barmenians left the country within a year. One month after the Edict of Expulsion was signed, the Pontifex Maximus of Selucian Paganism issued a call for Felinists to immigrate to Selucia, owing to close ethnic and religious ties between Felinists and Pagans. Selucia's Conservative government reacted violently; the Senate approved a Special Situation, granting the Head of Government unlimited emergency powers, and the Selucian Security began a large-scale assault on refugee camps, leading to the forceful deportation and killing of hundreds of thousands of refugees.
Pro-refugee protesters forming a human chain around a refugee camp
The crisis highlighted the repressive nature of the regime and led to the formation of an official opposition to the Imperium, coalescing around two major political leaders. In 3819 Octavia Flavia Hadriana, the founder of one of the pro-Felinist NGOs, founded the liberal Action Party, later known as the Liberal Society, and in 3821 she was elected Imperatrix with a wide margin, gaining more than 92% of the vote, due to voter dissatisfaction of the government's handling of the refugee crisis and the marginalization of minority groups at the hand of the ultra-Hosian party. During her term in office she converted to Paganism by being initiated in the Terekian mysteries, in solidarity with the Felinist refugees, and in 3826 she supported the candidacy of the other major leader of the opposition, controversial businessman Caius Cassius Sophus. Sophus was the CEO of Sophus et Dives Incorporatus who, finding the restrictive policies of the Imperium distasteful and harmful to his business, entered politics as leader of the Noble Party, later renamed as the Union of Capitalists and Patricians.
Together, Octavia Flavia Hadriana and Caius Cassius Sophus managed to form a new government that put an end to the deportation and killing of refugees in Selucia. Selucian policy towards the refugees gradually became more permissive, and by 3829 all victims of the Edict of Expulsion, whether residing in Selucia or not, were granted Selucian citizenship. After a brief but very tense period of rule by the Conservatives, the crisis was brought to an end in 3838, and the Imperium itself was overthrown and replaced by a new Republic.
Fifth Republic (3838-3920)[]
The political couple were successful in establishing a new political system in 3838 known as the Selucian Republic, a regime taking direct inspiration from the political system of the First Republic and led by a coalition of Hosians and Pagans. The Fifth Republic's institutions and symbolism proved to be long-lasting and influential. Among the notable legacies of the 3838 Republic are the restored system of dual Consulship, the modern Selucian flag and coat of arms, the restored names of regions and cities, and a successful and unprecedented collaboration between Hosianism and Paganism. The two founders of the Fifth Republic, Caius Cassius Sophus and Octavia Flavia Hadriana, are considered heroes by Selucians of all political leanings, in spite of their conflictual relationship. It was also during the Fifth Republic that one of the most important events in Terra's religious history took place. The Second Council of Auroria was first called in 3797 but was interrupted in 3804 due to the Jelbic War, the Barmenian Refugee Crisis, the successive dictatorships of Caius Cassius Sophus and Octavia Flavia Hadriana, the brief Selucian Civil War, and the rise in religiously-motivated violence. With peace restored in Selucia and after the normalization of relations between the Church and the Republic the Council was reconvened in 3857. Lasting until 3876 the Second Council of Auroria led to the unification of the Selucian Patriarchal Church and the Theognosian Church into the Aurorian Patriarchal Church headquartered in the Selucian capital of Auroria, granting Selucia renewed prestige and influence as the headquarters of Terra's largest religious denomination.
Invasion of Pontesi[]
Sophus and Hadriana became the first Consuls of Selucia under the new constitution, and for the following few years the political couple collaborated closely on a number of issues, settling down the constitutional structure of the young Republic. Disagreements between the two equally ambitious politicians soon began to emerge, however. The political division of power between the two Consuls was the result of a power-sharing agreement that would in theory have given each of the two leverage of the other. The growing tensions between the popular Hadriana and her aristocratic colleague would in time expose the inherent weakness behind their power sharing agreement. In 3840 Consul Hadriana was authorized to intervene in the Pontesian Civil War, a conflict that had been raging between the Sun's Sons militia and other religious and ethnic paramilitaries. The Consul was sent to Pontesi with the goal of protecting the rights of Seluco-Pontesians there, who were targeted for execution by the Sun's Suns. Hadriana had hoped to regain some of her lost popularity by emerging victorious in the Pontesian war, and Sophus was eager to expand his control over Selucia in his colleague's absence. Hadriana's invasion was far more successful than initially expected. Organized opposition collapsed within a month, and by April the following year she managed to install a friendly government that could lay claim over the entire Pontesian territory.
Civil War[]
As the Selucian invasion was progressing faster than expected, Hadriana's co-consul introduced a Consular motion to the Senate recalling Hadriana from Pontesi, with the argument that she had overstepped her boundaries by not limiting her intervention solely to Selucian-populated areas. Bribery, threats, and persuasion convinced the Senate to vote for the motion in April 3841, giving her two weeks to bring all her legions back to Selucia or be branded a traitor. Due to the very limited time frame for Hadriana's return, she elected to ignore the warning and continued her invasion of Pontesi. In response she was removed from office, and Caius Cassius Sophus was elected Dictator by the Senate, legally granting him supreme and absolute authority over the Repulic. As Sophus was consolidating his rule over Selucia, so was Hadriana over Pontesi. In March 3846 she felt confident enough in the stability of the Pontesian government and returned with her legions to Selucia, occupying the island of Oleria with the assistance of anti-Dictatorship Anarchist riots on the island. The Selucian armed forces retreated to the other islands, leaving Hadriana under blockade but in full control over Oleria. In March 3847, after a disastrous and ill-planned invasion of Oleria by Sophus's forces, Hadriana emerged triumphant while Sophus lost his life in battle, and in February 3848 the Senate confirmed her control over Selucia by appointing her Dictatrix.
Hadriana's Dictatorship[]
Octavia Flavia Hadriana was Dictatrix of Selucia between February 3848 and April 3849
One of Hadriana's first actions as Dictatrix was a thorough reform of the Constitution so that future ambitious politicians would not be able to follow the same path to power as she herself did. The election process for the Dictatorship was ammended, as was the power ballance between the two Consuls and the Senate. In addition to these reforms, Hadriana also implemented the murder of most of her political opponents in an action known as the proscriptions. Hadriana had the Senate draft a list of persons believed to continue opposing her rule, whose citizenship and legal rights she then had revoked, allowing anyone to murder them with impunity. An estimated 5,000 people were killed as a result of the proscriptions, most of them wealthy Selucians and political opponents who had failed to pledge their loyalty to her. Octavia Flavia Hadriana ruled Selucia as a strongwoman until, on the Kalends of April 3849, the Dictatrix was killed in a shootout between her lictors and those of Consul Caeso Cassius Sophus, the son of former Dictator and founder of the Republic Caius Cassius Sophus. Following her death, political forces loyal to her legacy formed the Pagan Republican Party, led by Hadriana's lover and closest associate, Lucius Aquilinus, who in 3852 married Nonus Cassius Sophus, the son of former Consul Caeso Cassius Sophus and grandson of Dictator Caius Cassius Sophus, thus legally joining the Gens Cassia and changing his name to Lucius Cassius Aquilinus.
Pirate War[]
Lucius Cassius Aquilinus was Hadriana's political heir and the commander of Selucian forces during the Pirate War
Hadriana's political heirs managed to regain political power under Lucius Cassius Aquilinus, who was elected to the Senatorial Consulship in 3858 and later served as Consul Popularis after 3861. During his Consulship Aquilinus spearheaded the "Fuck the Pirates Act", granting him consular imperium over the Majatran Sea and starting the Pirate War. During the war he led a large armada that battled Majatran piracy for twelve years, successfully removing piracy from most of the Majatran Sea. During the war Imperator Aquilinus strong-armed several SOTO nations, including the Pápežský States and the Ahmadi Republic of Barmenistan, to provide supplies and military assistance and even transfer sovereignty over several harbors and territories to Selucia. In 3873 Aquilinus brought his navy into the Cildanian Civil War on the side of the Imperial government. He was however defeated in the naval battle of Qart Ramesh by the Cildanian rebels, and his own ship was sunk during the battle. Aquilinus himself was confirmed dead several months afterwards. With the disintegration of the Selucian armada, the territories that had been annexed by Selucia were returned under the sovereignty of their original nations. In spite of Selucia's defeat, the Pirate War was successful in bringing Majatran piracy to an end and allowed trade on the Majatran Sea to flourish once again, leading to the reconstruction of the continent's economy. Following the end of the war the Fifth Republic continued for several decades, but it was ultimately brought under monarchist control.
Selucian monarchy (3920-4086)[]
King Augustus Adonis I, Selucian monarch of Cildania between 3981 and 4008
In 3920 the monarchist and Hosian Unity Party succeeded in establishing a monarchy under Augustus I of the House of Calatia, and for the first time in its history Selucia was proclaimed a Kingdom. In 3981 Augustus of the house of Calatia, a close relative of the Selucian Queen, was crowned Augustus Adonis I, the King of Cildania, owing to the rise of a pro-Selucian party in neighboring Cildania. Selucian monarchy collapsed in 4086 when the nation became a Republic once more.
Republic of Selucia (4086-4799)[]
"Kingdom of Selucia" (4086-4236)[]
For the following centuries Selucia alternated between republicanism and monarchism under an elected Imperator. Until 4236 Selucia was officially known as the Kingdom of Selucia, although the throne was vacant and Selucia was de facto if not de iure a semi-presidential republic. The Republic was dominated by a new political party which would go on to be the longest active political force in Selucian history, left-leaning In Marea. The party was founded in 4098 by university students and professors and contested the 4100 elections in spite of a threatened ban by the ruling Conservative Party, emerging victorious.
Aelius Celer, Caesar Senatus between 4136 and 4163 and founder of the Celer political dynasty, is considered one of the founders of Selucian democracy
Seventh republic and Clodian monarchy (4236-4274)[]
In 4236 In Marea had Selucia formally recognized as a Republic, renouncing all monarchist pretense. This however led to a backlash from monarchist forces, which in 4256 succeeded in having Lucius Clodian elected as Imperator of Selucia. Shortly afterwards a terrorist attack in Corgana led to the death of In Marea leader Arria Ivmarus and the temporary dissolution of the party. Imperator Clodian would continue to reign unchallenged for nearly twenty years, until, in 4274, a resurgent In Marea forced him to abdicate.
Regency and Eight Republic (4274-4313)[]
After In Marea-Civis Sinistram forced Imperator Lucius Clodian to resign, the Secretary of the left-wing party Jerzyr Laskaris, elected as Head of Government of Selucia in 4265, initiated a number of progressive reforms after a period of strong conservatism in the nation, while Spuria Vedrix and Fabianus Cato were in charge of the Head of State, taking turns every 4 years.
Fascist regime and downfall (4313-4320)[]
With the new century, a group of far-right parties appeared in Selucia, including the Fascist Regimen Immutata, the Factio Liberum Insulae (Marestella nationalism) and the Factio Foedarati. The Consul at that time, Petrus Viator from In Marea-Civis Sinistram, had to face a declaration of independence from Marestella, which was rejected, and after years of political tensions and almost a civil war, the Fascist Regimen Immutata and the other parties were dissolved.
Ninth Republic and Tatius monarchy (4320-4347)[]
Elective monarchy was briefly restored between 4320 and 4347 under Imperator Claudius Tatius Cnaeus Gaius, with the sole opposition of In Marea.
Tenth Republic (4347-4799)[]
Republican leader Haider bin Talal al-Mutanabbi was Consul between 4424 and 4430 and between 4437 and 4441, and was one of the leading theorists of Selucian republicanism
In 4347 In Marea, with the support of the Conservative Liberal Party, forced the Imperator to resign, therefore establishing a new Republic that chose as its new Head of State Athena Gavrus, the candidate of the left-wing party. The Tenth Republic established in 4347 is seen by many as the golden age of Selucian democracy, marked by a mature and stable multi-party democratic system and a broad pro-democratic and pluralistic consensus. For centuries the republic saw an alternation in power between In Marea and a new political party founded in 4367, the Republican Party, both of which were, in spite of their significant and sometimes irreconcilable differences, committed to a democratic and republican form of government. A new political ideology also emerged during these centuries, at first championed by the Republican Party, namely Selucian republicanism.
The nation was selected to host the 4360 Terran Olympics in the city of Victoria, Insularia, in 4354. In 4361, an agreement between the two major parties made history by declaring illegal nationwide the salary difference between men and women and other minorities. [1] The nation lived one of its major political crisis in its modern history during the 4400 Selucian political crisis. After the crisis all political parties to the right of the Republican Party gradually disintegrated or merged with the party, leaving the Republicans as the flag-bearers of Selucia's right-wing, a position they would hold until the dissolution of the party.
In 4534 the nation entered for the first time in a declared State of Alarm after Censor Axia Cinna approved it in the national assembly, following the claims made by the Malivian government asking for sovereignity over the Selucian islands.
After the disintegration of the Republican Party in 4551 the nation found itself under the sole rule of In Marea. Whereas before the Republicans campaigned for the rights of both Hosians and Pagans as well as religious minorities and presented itself as a united front of all religious groups, the party's dissolution removed all opposition to the full secularization of Selucian society. In January 4578 In Marea opened the possibility of forcing the leadership of the Aurorian Patriarchal Church to leave Selucia, thus starting the Selucia-Aurorian Patriarchal Church conflict. Although a proposal to establish the sovereignty of the Church over a small strip of land in Auroria proved acceptable to all parties involved, the proposal never materialized and the conflict continued. The conflict led to a Hosian reaction to the perceived secularist excesses of In Marea.
Imperator Heliodorus Vibianus was one of the most prominent of the Duodecimviri and later served as Censor of the 11th Republic
Following the disintegration of In Marea Selucia was governed by a succession of Hosian theocratic regimes, some more restrictive than others. In 4775 the nation was brought under the rule of a moderate Hosian democratic party known as Nova Harmonia. In spite of its moderate nature, Nova Harmonia implemented a number of policies targeted against the Pagan population, including a ban on animal sacrifice. These policies, as well as a number of conservative laws banning, among others, abortion and contraceptives, led to anti-government protests. Although the Augustus, ruler of the nation at the time, called on the military to quell the riots, his government did not count on the fact that there were many within the armed forces who were sympathetic to Paganism. For this reason, instead of dispersing the crowds and restoring public order, the armed forces joined the opposition, and in 4793 they overthrew the government. The armed forces and the protest movement established a provisional government known as the Duodecimviri, literally meaning "twelve men" and empowered to write a new constitution for the nation. During Duodecemvirate rule the conflict with the Church was reignited. In 4794 the Duodecimviri introduced the Constitution of the Clergy, a law requiring all clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the Republic and demanding that all new clergy, irrespective of denomination, be democratically elected. The Constitution led to a lasting and profound schism, as over a third of the Aurorian clergy accepted the Constitution and were excommunicated by the Arch-Patriarch, while most of the Church hierarchy, including the Arch-Patriarch himself, did not accept the Consitution. After a brief but intense standoff, Arch-Patriarch Thomas Justus agreed to leave Selucia for Ville de Saints, in exchange for a reversal of the government's anti-Hosian measures.
Eleventh Republic (4799-5033)[]
Towards the end of their mandate the Duodecimviri convened a "People's Constituent Assembly" in 4797 with the role of adopting a new constitution, which was officially adopted in 4799, founding the 11th Selucian Republic. Known as the "Senate and People of Selucia", the 11th Republic was one of the most innovative regimes in the nation's history. The 11th Republic was marked, for most of its history, by a two party system, where elections were contested and government alternated between left-wing COSIRA and the right-wing Selucian Traditional Movement and its centrist successor, the Popular Republican Movement. Another defining feature of the 11th Republic is the continuation and escalation of the religious conflict. Although at first the two parties, which also represented the irreligious and pagan populations, had a conflictive relationship, which allowed the Aurorian Patriarchal Church some breathing room, in 4848 the two parties decided to form a grand coalition, historically uncommon in Selucia, under which the religious conflict escalated. The two parties had reached a consensus on the religious issue, under which Selucia was proclaimed a "Pagan and Atheist State" while the Aurorian Patriarchal Church was subject to persecution. Although the religious question was ultimately brought to an end in 4882 with the signing of a Concordat, the conflict proved disastrous for the Aurorian Patriarchal Church. The conflict resulted in a major schism within the Selucian Church and the birth of the Selucian Aurorian Church, the rise of Hosio-Pagan syncretism, the confiscation of the Empyrean Temple by the Selucian government, and the decline of the Aurorian Patriarchal population in Selucia from 40% of the population in 4777 to just 3% by 5027.
In 4811 Selucia celebrated 3000 years since its unification and the establishment of its First Republic with massive Pagan ceremonies and processions
Under the constitution adopted by the People's Constituent Assembly Seluca was a semi-presidential directorial republic, with a collective head of state known as the Senate and the executive chaired by two Consuls. The People's Assembly was the supreme legislative body of the Republic. The Censor, elected by universal suffrage, had the power to appoint life-long members to the Senate. The Cabinet was the executive of Selucia, chaired by the Consuls; the Cabinet was comprised of two Consuls, two Praetors, four Aediles, and six Quaestors, collectively known as Magistrates. In 4836 the structure of the Republic was drastically altered with the adoption of a constitutional reform that transformed Selucia into a confederation of thee sovereign jurisdictions known as Commonwealths or Republics (Res Publicae), with many important competences transferred to them. The three Commonwealths were established through the consolidation of the five traditional provinces into three territories, and each Commonwealth had its own armed forces and could conduct its own foreign policy. Each Commonwealth was endowed with a legislative assembly known as a Curia, selected by lot from among those who served in the municipal governments, and was governed by two Praetors.
In 4861 the governing system of Selucia was subject to another radical reform. Under a constitutional amendment the form of selection of the Selucian legislative was changed from multiparty representative election to a form of sortition, in effect turning Selucia into a demarchy. Uniquely among modern Terran democracies, the People's Assembly was no longer a representative assembly. Rather than participating in elections, the members of the Assembly, known as Quirites (an archaic name for Selucian citizens) were randomly selected from municipal officers, themselves randomly selected from the population at large.
This system continued in place for decades, even after the collapse of Selucia's party system. With a non-partisan legislative, political parties had lost much of their importance. However Selucia also experienced a period of chaos and instability following the disintegration of COSIRA and its successor, Unsubmissive Homeland. Although a hastily assembled coalition of left-wing Republicans, Social Democrats, Communists, and Anarchists known as the Popular Front tried to restore stability in 5025, the 11th Republic ultimately collapsed and was replaced in 5033 by a restored monarchy.
Restored Monarchy (5033-5376)[]
Constitutional monarchy (5033-5083)[]
Severus I, the first Imperator of the restored monarchy
In 5033 the 11th Republic fell. The United Patriotic Party, a broad, nationalist party with radical left-wing and right-wing members, won the Consular elections in 5032 and established itself in government. The party proceeded to reform the political system of the nation, abolishing the People's Assembly and transferring legislative power to the Senate. Consul Quirinia Ursus, who was herself on the party’s centre-left, in a compromise with fascists, nationalists, and monarchists within the party, as well as strong pressure from the Aurorian Patriarchal Church, agreed to restore the monarchy, with the Senate and the Church agreeing on Severus Constantinus Augendus, who was crowned Imperator on the 29th of May 5033. The new monarchy, while maintaining the official name of the nation as the Senate and People of Selucia, proceeded to restore the traditional nobility of the nation and aimed to establish a stable line of succession to the throne. Imperator Severus Constantinus Augendus remained on the throne until his death in 5083. The abolition of the People's Assembly and the restoration of nobility led to the rise of a strong populist movement that ultimately led to the fall of the Constantinian monarchy.
Orderist Empire (5083-5103)[]
After the death of the Imperator the Senate was overtaken by a quickly growing party officially named the Party of the New Orderist Front. A new wave of nationalism and imperialism swept the nation, fueled by fond memories of past glories. This new movement adopted the ideology of "Orderism", characterized by free market and extreme nationalist policies. The Orderist Chairman, Vincentius Heciunious, garnered support by the market and military with his charismatic speeches and populist views, and, after a national vote in 5083, the Senate was under the direct control of the Party of the New Orderist Front, giving its Chairman Vincentius Heciunious a blank check to completely recreate Selucia in his own vision. With the Senate under Orderist control, newly dubbed Caesar Imperator Vincentius Heciunious proceeded to reorganizing the military and monarchy to realign with his ideals and beliefs of monarchist superiority and divine trust. These twisted versions of the past were used to justify reintroduction of the Clergy's power and authoritarian control over the public. The populist policies of the Orderists proved quite popular, and validated by this popular support, Caesar Imperator Vincentius Heciunious and his group of advisors drafted and introduced a new bill to rename Selucia as the "First Orderist Empire", overwhelmingly approved in a referendum.
The Orderist Empire was characterized by the violent suppression of all opposition and the brutal enforcement of its ultra-capitalist ideology, though it also exhibited a degree of continuity with the previous monarchy. Using a Communist protest in 5089 as a pretext, the Orderist Empire outlawed and suppressed all opposition parties, most notably the Communist and the Radical Socialist parties. Although the Empire was able to rule unchallenged by any organized opposition, discontent and unrest grew over the following decades. One of the keystones of the Empire was a strong military, and the dictatorship invested significantly in the expansion and modernization of the armed forces. In spite of this the military's support for the Orderist Empire remained lukewarm, and as such they did nothing to prevent a bloodless coup in 5103 that abolished the Orderist Empire and installed a provisional government known as the Triumvirate.
Triumvirate and elective monarchy (5103 - 5376)[]
Avitus Otho Summanus, Theodosius Cassius Aquilinus, and Galla Victoria Antonina, the three Triumvirs. Theodosius Cassius Aquilinus would later serve as Prince of the Republic
The Triumvirate, officially known as the Triumvirate for Organizing the Republic (Tresviri Rei Publicae Constituendae), was formed of three members of the opposition to the Orderist Empire, Theodosius Cassius Aquilinus, Galla Victoria Antonina, and Avitus Otho Summanus, and each represented a different ideological strand. Unlike the similar Duodecimvirate, the Triumvirate did not have any formal limits on their political authority or any term limits, enjoying unlimited executive, legislative, and judicial powers and the authority to rewrite the nation's constitution. The new constitution was adopted in 5110, after seven years of absolute Triumvirate rule marked by a low-level though persistent Orderist insurgency that tried unsuccessfully to restore the deposed Caesar Imperator Vincentius Heciunious to the throne.
The constitutional reforms adopted by the Triumvirate had as their premise that Selucia in the past suffered from an excess of democracy, and in order to remedy this perceived ill the Triumvirate implemented a so-called mixed government, a political system that blends the best elements of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy in order to prevent their descent into their corrupt equivalents, i.e. tyranny, oligarchy, and mob rule. Many of the elements of the Triumvirate's constitution were adopted from the system of the 11th Republic, most notably the demarchic legislative known as the Council of the Plebs and the collective executive known as the Senate. The Triumvirs however decided to maintain Selucian monarchy, adopted under an elective form under the Prince of the Republic, an elective monarch serving for life or until removed by the legislative. In addition to his title of Prince of the Republic, the monarch was also granted the titles of Princeps Senatus, Censor, Imperator, and Pontifex Maximus of the Selucian Religion, as well as the "tribunician power" enjoyed by the head of government, thus enjoying relatively broad powers. Theodosius Cassius Aquilinus, one of the three Triumvirs and a distant descendant of Lucius Cassius Aquilinus and Caius Cassius Sophus, was appointed the first Prince of the Republic under the new system.
Selucia underwent a large period of obscurity, with repressive and mostly undocumented actions taken by the governments. It is known, thanks to documents from foreign nations such as Beiteynu, that others continued to rule in a similar manner, although addressed with different titles. For example, the case of Imperātor Cassius Calventius I in the 5220s. In the late 53rd century this would start changing, with Selucia opening itself to the world. We know that by this time, Selucia strengthened the role of the Cōnsul, likely meaning that the previous rulers under titles such as Prince, Emperor, and similar, started having the roles of figureheads, while the Cōnsul acted as a ruler. This is showed by the existence of Cōnsul Vībius Aelius Tuberō, who was often in charge of visiting other nations, holding speeches announcing new legislation, and in general making its presence more known. With him resigning, the then Opīter, Praecilius Tenāx, of plebeian origins, would succeed him, described as a "social nationalist" and conservative. We also know that during this time, there was an Imperātor named Quīntus who died in April 5296, soon to be replaced by his own daughter. Thus, Mānia Cassia Aquilīna would become the Imperātrīx.
Surprisingly, the Imperātrīx would live long: by 5371 she would still be alive. Unheard of, for the most part, but it had been decades since the government had been inactive, repressive and seen as unnecessary for most people. It's then when, in December of 5371, plenty of people start revolting against the government in the city of Florentia. The government and news would group all these people, hardly organised and cohesive, and call them "Aliī Populī" (the Other People). This movement seemed to be led, unoficially, by a man called Agrippa Trebellius Simo. The objective of the Aliī Populī was to topple down the government and the Comitium in order to restore a true Republic. The inactivity of the government results in the Comitium holding elections 5 years later, which results in members of the Aliī Populī occupying 177 seats. Another group, the Ventus īnsulārum, occupied the other 174 seats. The two seemed to cooperate in the abolition of the status quo in support of a Republic, but differed in the methodology of achieving such. The Aliī Populī asked for immediate reform, whereas the Ventus īnsulārum asked to discuss the matter first and do some gradual change. They arrived to an agreement and decided to rename the Comitium to Comitia Cōnstitūtiōnis (Constituent Assembly), reduce the legislative term from 6 years to 3, and increase the seats from 100 to 351. A referendum was held later on to see if the Selucian people agreed to this, and was overall approved.
Twelfth Republic (5376 - present)[]
Formation of the Republic (5376 - 5409)[]
The two groups would continue cooperating until August 5396, when the Imperatrix is overthrown and her government replaced by a Republican one: the Cōnsul would be elected every 3 years, with Agrippa Trebellius becoming the first one to hold the role, and the second most voted candidate would become the Prōconsul, in this case the first one being Aulus Papirius Frugius, a close supporter of the revolution with Agrippa. The old elite had been stripped off their power. And the theory of many was confirmed then, that the state of the government of Selucia since 5376 had only been a transitory government. The Comitia Cōnstitūtiōnis was renamed to Senātus Populī and the seats in it increased to 501: 500 Senators, and the Cōnsul. What happened to the Imperatrix is unknown: she exiled to some location, away from the public eye, and likely died some time later from old age.
Things were going fine until September 5398, with Agrippa winning his third consecutive elections. As a consequence, Aulus, as well as other Senators and citizens, started denouncing Agrippa for not doing any reform in all this time, and starting to find his actions suspicious. Some started to argue that he might be planning to restore the monarchy and put himself as a monarch. This, however, just worsened with the crisis in Majatra of the time, due to Kafuristan cutting gas and oil exports to the rest of Majatra. Agrippa was still claiming that the Republic was in a process of being restored and developed, and that for this reason, he was afraid of causing damage to the nation by doing reforms carelessly. Nonetheless, the situation called for it, and Selucia started to show signs of economic and political crises, with crime increasing in the streets, and many Senators calling Agrippa to resign from his position. Agrippa encouraged others to compete against him if they thought he was unfit for leading the Consulship of Selucia, and thus, for the elections of 5401, new candidates appeared.
For the 5401 elections, there were three main candidates: Agrippa, Aulus, and Caelus Cluilius Thrasea, who was the Minister of Education and Culture. All three defended different positions, and held speeches throughout the nation before the elections. Agrippa favoured gradual, slow reform and a process of modernisation and liberalisation. Aulus wanted more immediate reform and a hybridisation of culture, so that some things were modernised, and others kept just the way they are. Meanwhile, Caelus was completely opposed to both: he was a more conservative, perhaps traditionalist, candidate, and instead proposes returning to the old Republican values. The elections would be won by Aulus and Agrippa would become the Prōconsul. Under Aulus the situation of Selucia would improve: he'd sign international treaties that would manage to get gas and oil exports from somewhere else, had gotten closer to other Majatran nations, and started pushing for reforms that would revitalise the economy of Selucia by opening its market.
But prosperity didn't last long: in 5406, after Aulus winning his second elections, Cluilius and his supporters would continue being discontent with the situation. Senators would start referring to him and his followers as Regressīvī, marking their support for regressive reforms that bring back old values. This mockery would only get worse, as some Senators would start accusing Cluilius of plotting against the Republic and wanting to restore the monarchy, partly suspicious of him because of his regressive mindset, but also wanted to accuse someone of their paranoia, due to the unreported status of the Imperatrix and the awareness that there were still supporters of the monarchy. As a consequence, Cluilius would refer to the followers of Aulus as Modernī, for wanting to modernise the nation. He'd make statements saying he fully supports the Republic and only wishes to restore old republican values, not a monarchy. However, the two groups would start to grow in opposition, and fights would start happening. One time, a Modernī Senator by the name of Ludo Scapula would fight with a Regressīvī Senator, Demetrius Calussa, and would end up with serious injuries.
One month later of all these events, in August, Cluilius would be assassinated in front of the entrance of the Senate just as he was leaving a meeting with Aulus to see how to de-escalate the conflicts between them. He'd be shot in the shoulders and the chest, and then he'd strike his head against the stairs as he was falling down, causing his death. Velius Nasica and Leontinus Mancinus would be the two men involved in this assassination, the sons of two revolutionaries of the Aliī Populī, who felt threatened by Cluilius and wanted to get rid of him. This led to Aulus condemning them and an escalation of conflict between these two groups. Accius Acidinus Bonus would replace Cluilius as Minister of Education and Culture, while the Regressīvī would be lacking in a proper representative of their ideology.
The Senators meet to reach an agreement between the two factions before the conflict escalates further, but some of them have differences that they cannot resolve, particularly the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Titus Vipstanus Habitus, siding with the Modernī only as a temporal measure, and Primus Sylla Fulvianus, a radical Regressīvī. Titus believes in modernising the nation as well as adopting a liberal democratic system, but believes the Senators are taking it too far. Meanwhile, Sylla calls out on the Modernī, calling them traitors. Aulus announces that if these tensions were not solved, he would have to resign from the Consulship. After the next elections, Aulus gets attacked and sent to the hospital soon after winning, having governed for six years. Sylla becomes the Prōconsul, due to being the second most voted candidate by a small margin. Agrippa decides to retire from politics. However, one month later, the death of Aulus is announced, and Sylla, together with the rest of Regressīvī, stages a coup to assume Consulship and install a dictatorship until the situation calms down.
Civil war (5409 - 5415)[]
Main article: Selucian civil war
In July 5409, the Modernī Prōvinciālēs (Governors of the Prōvinciae) of Aquilonia (controlling the Eastern side), Sadaria (controlling the Eastern side), and Oleria declare Sylla an illegitimate Cōnsul and rebel against him. In East Aquilonia, the Regressīvī control Assedo and the capital city, Auroria. The Modernī Prōvinciae happen to be the least rich, except for East Aquilonia, of Selucia, and also less populous. Most of the rich population, and powerful elite, is concentrated in the Regressīvī Prōvinciae. Specifically, the two richest countries by a lot of marging in East Aquilonia are loyal to the Regressīvī (Auroria and Assedo). However, the Prōvincia of Oleria offers them a decent amount of good quality technology, including military equipment, in case of needing to fight or defend themselves.
East Aquilonia is governed by Lucius Domitianus, with the capital in Iovianium. Lucius would attempt to unite the rest of Modernī Prōvinciālēs in one federated country. Oleria is governed by Gaius Valerianus, an old commander of the army. East Sadaria is governed by Titus Maximilianus, who was the most conflictive of the three, causing most of the conflict to happen in Sadaria. Meanwhile, the Regressīvī pass a set of laws that aim to restore the values of the older republics, including the exclusion of women from serving in the military, the privatisation of the military, which will also serve as a police force, and the granting of citizenship based only on race and ethnicity.
In April 5410, Titus decides to unilaterally declare war on Selucia, attacking West Sadaria and invading one of its major cities, Sadarium with only 75.000 soldiers, managing to occupy the city, kill the local politicians and detain the Regressīvī supporters on the city. Lucius tries to convince him to back down unsuccessfully. Then, in May, Sylla orders taking territories from East Aquilonia. The actions and speeches of Sylla anger Titus more, causing him to burn down the city of Sadarium. Officially, the civil war between the two factions begin. By the next year, East Sadarians conquer West Sadaria's Equitia and West Aquilonians conquer East Aquilonia's Taurium. In February 5412, the Regressīvī conquer the last city of East Aquilonia, Iovianium, controlling all of Aquilonia, and they recover the city of Sadarium. Having Lucius captured, in September Sylla orders his execution. This causes Gaius to start participating after having been preparing equipment and manpower, successfully conquering West Aquilonia's Minianium. In March 5413, the Regressīvī recover the city of Equitia and start expanding through East Sadaria. By December, the Regressīvī have conquered the East Sadarian city of Hieronymium and arrived at the northeastern coast of Oleria, between the cities of Constantium and Aquinium, which they would conquer by October 5414. In April 5414, they conquer East Sadaria's cities of Nabal and half of the capital city of Augusta, finishing the conquest of Sadaria by July, as well as conquering Oleria's city of Leona, leaving only the capital of Oleria left from the Modernī, Victoria. Titus surrenders himself to Sylla, who decides to keep him alive but locked up for the rest of his life. In December 5415, Gaius announces that he surrenders, although he never was captured and disappeared. The Regressīvī win the civil war and Sylla ends the dictatorship, banning any Modernī or similar faction.
Rule of the Regressīvī (5415 - present)[]
After the civil war, Sylla remains rather passive, barely making new policies. The civil war had affected the nation's mindset and politics, everyone being paranoid of each other, cities destroyed, people depressed. After so many years, different factions appear, although most of them irrelevant. In March 5435, Sylla dies in his 50s of old age, probably accelerated by his poor condition after the civil war. Just before his death he was planning to retire for the next elections. The Prōconsul Accius Acidinus replaced him until the new elections in December, which were won by Caius Clodius Eonus, of the Factiō Aquilārum (Faction of Eagles), The Factiō Aquilārum was born of Clodius' army, who followed him on his political ambitions with absolute loyalty to him. Despite his young age, his achievements and charisma, as well as wealth and ideology, led him to become very successful and has been able to put many of his followers in political offices. He promised to make Selucia glorious again and improve relations with foreign countries, as well as enrich Selucia's culture by funding and encouraging artists, festivals, and other cultural events and activities, including changing the national anthem.