AD 540

Lord Belisarius enters Ravenna with the forrces of the Byzantine Empire. Angered at the Emperor Justinian's constant attempts to undermine him, he accepts the invitation of the Gothic Council to become the Emperor of the West, based in Rome. Belisarius already controls the Vandal Kingdom of North Africa and the Western Mediterranean islands. On hearing of this, Justinian dispatches an army under General Narses to destroy him, while simultaneously paying the Burgundians to attack from the North. Belisarius defeats Narses at Urbino before destroying the Burgundians near Milan and adding their territory to his realm. During these campaigns, a young cavalry captain, John of Naples, attracts attention for his intelligence and bravery.

After his coronation in Rome, Belisarius announces that many Gothic nobles are to be made Senators. Realising that he lacks an heir, Belisarius adopts John of Naples as his son.

AD 541

Without Belisarius to stop him, King Khorosu of Persia attacks the Eastern Empire, taking Syria, Mesopotamia and Armenia, while the Saracens conquer Palestine before Justinian pays the two leaders to stop.

AD 558

WINTER: The Bulgarian Huns under Cham Zabergan attack and sack Constantinople. Justinian and his court flee to Alexandria, where an intregue assasinates the Emperor and replaces him with his son, Justin. Constantinople becomes the capital of a new Kingdom of Bulgaria under Zabergan.

Separated from Imperial rule, Greece and Asia Minor quicky become the Kingdoms of ambitious nobles named Philip and Epizelus respectivly. These are effectivly independent, although they claim to be "Kings under the rule of the Emperor".

AD 568

Greece comes under attack from the Lombards. Lacking sufficient force to stop the Germanic tribe, King Philip makes an appeal to Belisarius, who dispatches John with an army to rescue the area, which he successfully does. After this, Greece is a client state of the Western Empire.

AD 571

Belisarius dies aged 72, and the Empire passes to his adopted heir, John of Naples.

AD 575

War breaks out between the Western Roman Empire and the Frankish Kingdom.

AD 576

Alexandria falls to the Saracens. In the tradition of a long line of conquerors, the Saracen king pronounces himself the new Pharaoh of Egypt.

AD 577

The horse archers and heavy cavalry of the Roman army under John I defeat the Franks finally at Paris. Frankia is now absorbed into the Western Empire.

AD 628

An Arab leader named Mohammar calls for the Arab world to unite. Many listen to him, and he begins a series of campaigns to achieve this aim.

AD 640

All of Arabia is now united under the Caliph Mohammar. The union of the Arabs in this way is not as crusading as Islam was in OTL, and therefore poses little threat to Persia or the West.

More to come...