The previous part is here: https://bartoll.se/2024/05/history-matrix-part53/
All parts of this series can be found here: https://bartoll.se/world-playbook-quickstart/
In 697 AD, the city of Venice began its rise as a major power in the Mediterranean Sea. Built up from several fishing villages settled by fugitives from the Huns, the city of Venice occupied about 60 marshy islands. By this year, Paolo Lucio Anafesto was elected the first ‘Doge of Venice,’ the highest role of authority.
In Britannia, Queen Osthryth of Mercia, the wife of King Æthelred and daughter of King Oswiu of Northumbria, was murdered by her own noblemen. She was buried at Bardney Abbey (Lincolnshire,) and later revered as a saint.
In 698 AD, Arab forces led by Hasan ibn al-Nu’man had recently captured Carthage, thus ending the Roman/Byzantine rule in North Africa. Emperor Leontios sent the Byzantine Fleet with commander Tiberios to retake Carthage, but they were severely outmanned. After the failed attempt, in early spring, the Byzantine fleet revolted, and after a short siege of Constantinople, Tiberios III deposed Leontios and proclaimed himself the new Byzantine Emperor.
A few months later, Tiberios’ brother and Byzantine general, Heraclius, crossed the passes of the Taurus Mountains into Cilicia with an army. He launched a campaign in Syria and defeated an Arab force from Antioch. He continued to raid as far as Samosata (present-day Turkey,) provoking the Muslims.
It was also said that there was an “outbreak” of the bubonic plague, or the “Black Death,” in Constantinople, Syria and Mesopotamia. Allegedly, the plague lasted for little more than four months in Constantinople and Emperor Leontios ordered the destruction of a market in the Neorion cargo port, where animals were sold and which was considered to be the “source of infected” animals brought from Syria (infectious diseases does not exist, it’s a retarded scam.) However, this did not seem to be a problem as Tiberios III returned to Constantinople without any fear of “disease” and dethroned Leontius during early spring – when the alleged plague just had broken out.
Likely, there was an “outbreak” of poisoning in Syria, likely from bad and spoiled cattle feed, and some of the animals brought to Constantinople were sick from poisoning.
In 700 AD, the Avar and Slavic tribes advanced within the Balkans and conquered Byzantine territories, occupying lands as far south as the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece.
In Italy, King Cunipert died after a 12-year reign, and was succeeded by his son Liutpert together with Ansprand, the duke of Asti.
However, eight months later, Raginpert, the duke of Turin, deposed King Liutpert. He usurped the Lombard throne and put his son Aripert in line for the succession.
In Britannia, The Roman Catholic Church slowly continued to build their dominance as King Geraint of Dumnonia received a letter from Aldhelm, bishop of Sherborne, who insisted that the Celtic Church complied with the doctrines of Rome, and that of the Catholic Church – the real seat of power.
In the meantime, King Ine of Wessex began to remove Wessex sub-kings and replace them with ealdormen.
In Africa, the slave trade driven by the Arabian Empire had become so extensive that the town of Zawila (Tunisia) was established for solely that purpose (that of African slave trade.) Later the Arabs would capture, sell and ship slaves to America and southern Europe.
In 701 AD, Italian usurper Raginpert died and former King Liutpert returned to the throne of the Lombards. However, Raginpert’s son Aripert, who was promised the throne, intercepted Liutpert at his capital in Pavia and had him strangled in his bath. Aripert thus became the new ruler of the Lombard Kingdom in Italy.
In Spain, King Egica died and was likely assassinated in a plot led by Roderic. He was succeeded by his son Wittiza as king of the Visigoths.
In the Balkans, Asparuh, the founder of the first Bulgarian Empire, died after a 20-year reign. He was succeeded by his son Tervel, who became ruler (khan) of the Bulgarians.
In the Arabian Empire, Umayyad prince Muhammad ibn Marwan invaded the Byzantine Armenian provinces east of the Euphrates. Meanwhile, Muslims from the Arabian Peninsula destroyed the then port of Adulis, thus causing the decline of Ethiopian Christianity on the African Red Sea coast.
In 703 AD, the Arab–Byzantine War continued as the Umayyad army led by Abdallah ibn Abd al-Malik captured Mopsuestia in Cilicia from the Byzantines, and refortified it, making it the first major Muslim stronghold in the area that would later would become the ‘Thughur.’
In 704 AD, after nearly a decade with the Khazars, the once deposed Byzantine emperor Justinian II managed to return from his exile at Cherson. His ‘revival’ was made possible by Busir, ruler of the Khazars, who then married Justinian to his sister Theodora.
As the news of Justinian’s advancements reached Constantinople, Emperor Tiberios III tried to bribe Busir and dispatched two Khazar officials, Papatzys and Balgitzin, to kill Justinian. Warned by his wife, Justinian fled to the Bulgar Khanate, securing the assistance of the new Bulgarian ruler Tervel in exchange for financial considerations.
Meanwhile, a Byzantine military force led by Heraclius, the brother of Tiberios III, was utterly defeated and destroyed by an Umayyad army at Sisium (present-day Turkey.) Only a few survived and was taken as slaves to Damascus.
In Britannia, King Æthelred I abdicated the throne after a 30-year reign and became an abbot at Bardney (Lincolnshire.) He was succeeded by his nephew Cenred (Coenred,) a son of the late king Wulfhere, who became the new ruler of Mercia.
At the end o the year, King Aldfrith of Northumbria died after a 20-year reign. His throne was seized by Eadwulf I, of unknown descent.
In 705 AD, an army of 15,000 Bulgar and Slav horsemen led by Justinian II appeared before the walls of Constantinople. After three days of siege, his troops located a water conduit under the walls of the city, where they entered through the Valens Aqueduct. Justinian immediately took control of the Blachernae Palace, and Emperor Tiberios III fled to Bithynia (present-day Turkey,) where he managed to evade capture for several months.
As Justinian II, once again ascended the throne of the Byzantine Empire, he rewarded his ally Tervel, the ruler (khagan) of the Bulgarian Empire, for his assistance with the title of kaisar (Caesar,) which made him second only to Justinian and also the first foreign ruler in Byzantine history to receive such a title.
In the Arabian Empire, Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan died in his winter resort at Al-Sinnabra (Palestine,) after a 20-year reign. During his rule, the financial administration of the Umayyad Caliphate had been reorganized. Arab coins had replaced all former Byzantine- and Sassanian coins, and regular postal service had been established between Damascus and the provincial capitals. Abd al-Malik was succeeded by his son Al-Walid I.
In 706 AD, Emperor Justinian II led a public humiliation ritual of his predecessors, Leontios and Tiberios III, together with their chief associates in the Hippodrome of Constantinople, after which they were publicly executed. Patriarch Kallinikos I was also deposed, blinded by hot irons, and exiled to Rome. He was succeeded by Kyros.
In 707 AD, the Arab–Byzantine War continued with an Umayyad army led by Maslamah ibn Abd al-Malik invading Asia Minor and laying siege to Tyana (Cappadocia.)
In 708 AD, The Muslim Umayyads finally captured and sacked the Byzantine city of Tyana (Cappadocia) after a prolonged siege. After their victory, Maslamah also led another expedition during the summer, raiding and conquering Amorium (present-day Turkey.)
In Europe, Justinian II violated his arrangement with Tervel of Bulgaria and commenced military operations to recover the land he earlier had rewarded to him. The Byzantines were overwhelmed by a surprise attack of the Bulgarian cavalry led by Tervel. Justinian managed get away and escaped back to Constantinople on a ship
In Asia, the backwards practice of ‘tea drinking’ gained popularity in China as the toxic leaves effectively shuts down the healing process and thus relieve the symptoms of the healing process. People thus began to believe that it had medicinal values when in reality it was poisoning them (which also contributes to a feeling of alertness as the body switches to a fight-or-flight response mode from the stress and perceived danger of the toxins.)
Unfortunately, most of the ancient and alternative medicine is built upon simple misunderstandings of human physiology as this one – something modern medicine copied with even more toxic and dangerous drugs.
To be continued in the next part.