Eastern Rome source material

[xanth_ih]

Hi all

I am running a semi-historical campaign set around 400 AD, during the collapse of the Roman empire (at least the western half).
Despite having the d&d crusades sourcebook, the rome sourcebook, and lots of googleing, I am at a complete loss when I try to find information on the eastern roman empire, specifically the holy lands and egypt.

What I am looking for is information on lifestyle, culture, specifics on the provinces (oriens,galium, ect, basically what makes this or that province unique.

Any source material ideas, or better yet anything already done with a rpg in mind that you guys know of out there on the net?

Thanks in advance

 

[Mistwell]

Great question. I do not have a good answer, but I look forward to someone else's good answer!

 

[Evilhalfling]

Im starting research into a 500 AD game - with the PCs eventually getting a commission to retake Italy for Emperor Justinian.

The city of Constantinople was obsessed with chariot racing. By 530ad the city was so divided into blue and green factions that much of Justininan's Empress's time was taken balancing and playing the two groups against each other- she also ran a enormus spy network on behalf of her husband.

Iran & parts east of the holy land was owned by the Sassanian Empire.
An eventually powerful state that spent a lot of time doing internal roadbuilding and internal pacifications. They were worshipers of Zoaster - a fire god and believed in a heaven/hell duality.

A lot of religious practiced had devolved into "Mystery Cults" with the secret rites and beliefs known only to a few - Isis, Demeter, the Thricefold Hermes (or Thoth), Dyonices. The roman military mostly worshiped Mithran (a Sun/protection god). Justinian stomped them out pretty hard, even closing the Athenian Academy of Plato in 529.

Im going very greco-roman centric. No one else is even human. Goths = Orcs, franks are goblins, and there are dwarves in scandinavia. Albion still has a colony of humans. Gnolls rome North Africa. Persians are elves, halflings are from Egypt. there are gnomes living under the Alps, capital city is Zurick.
The Far Orient - is actually owned by dragons. Few humanoids of any kind live there.
Im also declaring a moratorium on Monothesism, it just isn't as fun. Polytheism rules!


How good is the rome sourcebook? It might help me a lot.
I have from "stone to steel" for techs and equipment avalibility, but in order to contrast the iron age campaign i am currently running, I will be taking liberties with armor.

 

[Brennin Magalus]

Iran & parts east of the holy land was owned by the Sassanian Empire.
An eventually powerful state that spent a lot of time doing internal roadbuilding and internal pacifications. They were worshipers of Zoaster - a fire god and believed in a heaven/hell duality.

Zoroaster or Zarathushtra was an Iranian prophet, not a god.

The roman military mostly worshiped Mithran (a Sun/protection god).

Not by the time of Justinian. Also, it's usually rendered Mithras, although, Mithran might be the accusative form. He was very tenuously based on the Indo-Iranian god (later "angel") Mithra (or Mitra).

 

[DrunkonDuty]

There was a lot going on in the the soon-to-be Byzantine Empire at this time. Seriously, I'd hit the library. Check up on Byzantium.

But basically the Eastern Empire was under-going many of the same traumas as the West. Goths. Vandals. Huns. Unstable government and palace coups. They also had Sassanid Persia on their eastern border, as EvilHalfling mentioned. Christianity had become the official religion of the Empire by this stage, but the non-Christian religions were still popular. Christianity itself was split by frequent arguments over what was the One and Only interpretation of various Christian traditions. The proliferation of gvoernment posts/stipends for Bishoprics amy have had something to do with the increased hostility between rival traditions. IIRC the Blues and Greens chariot teams Evilhalfling mentions became synonymous with two rival Christian philosophies. But don't ask me which two. While on Chariot Racing originally there were 4 teams. I believe the other colours were Red and White but they dropped by the wayside. (Although possibly Man U may be them reincarnated and looking for world domination.)

BTW: the Eastern Empire stretched as far west as the middle of modern Yugolsavia (not sure exactly where the border was.) Greece, Bulgaria and Rumania were all part of it. The Levantine Provinces (ie: the Holy Land as later Christians called it) were under threat from Persian invasion but to my knowledge Egypt itself didn't face any notable threats until the rise of Islam in the mid-600's.

Hope this helps. There's a bog load of things to look at, just in the political sphere let alone religious and cultural, and this is all I can come up with off the top of my head.

cheers.

 

[Starfox]

Its not just you having trouble finding information; its a little sad how little material we have on this time, both in the East and west. In the west, this is seen as the time of both of modern Europe, and thus a period much researched, although with little success as there are scant records. In the east, not so much; none of the current nations of the area really trace their roots to Rome, and especially not to late-rome-in-decline.

I've been in historical museums in Istambul, Jerusalem, and Cairo; neither had much on this period.

On the up side, this leaves a lot of room for fantastic inventions of our own. There is also Procopius, a writer of the next century that you could presumably find at Project Gutenberg.

 

[ferratus]

Procopius is the best source for a byzantine history themed D&D game that I can think of, especially his "Secret History". Demon emperor in human form that sometimes walks around the castle without his head? Fun!

 

[Pbartender]

Hi all

I am running a semi-historical campaign set around 400 AD, during the collapse of the Roman empire (at least the western half).
Despite having the d&d crusades sourcebook, the rome sourcebook, and lots of googleing, I am at a complete loss when I try to find information on the eastern roman empire, specifically the holy lands and egypt.

What I am looking for is information on lifestyle, culture, specifics on the provinces (oriens,galium, ect, basically what makes this or that province unique.

Any source material ideas, or better yet anything already done with a rpg in mind that you guys know of out there on the net?

Thanks in advance

A tip: If you haven't yet, try doing searches on "Early Byzantine Empire" rather than "Eastern Roman Empire".

This article on Wikipedia has some good tidbits to give you a start: History of the Eastern Roman Empire - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

To make a long story short, they largely avoided the problems the Western Empire was having through money, culture, trade, manipulative diplomacy and mercenaries.

 

[xanth_ih]

Thanks for the info so far. Searching for Early Byzantine Empire did help a bit. A strange things I noticed is that the map I am using File:The Roman Empire ca 400 AD.png - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Does not mention Jerusalem (or its roman name I forget).

Other than the obvious sites (Jerusalem, Olive Mount, pyramids, Petra) any one know of any good sightseeing areas from the 400ish AD I could include from the east?

Oh, Guess I owe you guys a bit about the game itself. Did you know there was a roman underwrold god named "Orcus" ?

Wouldnt it be a shame if a deamon killed/ousted this god, and took on his image, started spreading corruption and attempted to enter the world amid all the chaos of the empire falling? Gee I wonder where I could find inspiration for a deamon calling himslef orcus

Anyway long ago 3 preist of evil orcus tried to bring him into world, but failed. Romans killed them, and entomed their corpses in hidden locations so Orcus could not raise them. to try summoning him into our world again. Too bad the Guals invading Rome accidently opened one of the coffins when they sacked the city..........

The PCs include a Pict Barbarian and an Ex Roman Slave.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

You want The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire volumes 4-6 by Edward Gibbon. Volumes 1-3 dealt with the Western Empire, while 4-6 the Eastern. It is considered the definitive work of the Enlightenment era in regards to the subject. Oh, and some ODnD trivia... Greek Fire comes from Byzantium.