History of Thesia
From Scandia
This is a history of Thesia.
Contents |
Prehistoric times
Little is known about Thesia’s prehistory. But scientists agree that Thesians have close ties with Valanians and Teuvians. However, archeologists believed that all the prehistoric populations – small groups of nomad tribes - that made their way into the Doranan continent once spread from Thesia. They have found rudimentary tools carved in the purest prehistoric-Thesian style even in remote Alera. The discovery through the whole Doranan continent of old tablets of Law written in pictograms and in cuneiform scriptures interested a lot the linguists, who confirmed that they were written in an extinct Thesian dialect.
Prestigious ancient period
The ancient period, sometimes also called “Antiquity” was undoubtedly the Golden Age for Thesia, which gave birth to a prestigious civilization. All started with the building of huge fortresses, since Thesians had to fight invaders coming from the sea. Some peasants and sharecroppers progressively got settled behind the walls of these fortresses, finding thus a shelter against the raiders. These settlements later became hamlets, then villages, towns and eventually cities. Thesian cities had a unique structure. The society was well-organized and distinguished between slaves, foreigners called “wogs” and the so-called Free Citizens. Only Free Citizens could elect their Rulers themselves, and could participate in the City Council. It is surely the most ancient form of direct democracy in all Scandia, as the people did not elect their representatives to vote on their behalf but vote on legislation and executive bills in their own right. Foreigners and slaves, though, were not participating. These influential cities allowed Thesia to gain the envied title of “Home of Arts and Knowledge” and “Lighthouse for Humanity” or even “Cradle of Civilization”, since it was considerably advanced in architecture, mathematics, philosophy, astronomy and medicine. Thesia was also famous for its poetry, its dramatic art and its mythology. The ancient Thesian sculptures are today wonders only found in the greatest Scandian museums. Every four years were organized the Attic Games; from all over Thesia, the best athletes were competing with each other, paying this way a tribute to the gods.
The Thesian cities grew rich and powerful. The two most prominent at that age were Athesia and Sportaki. They first developed into a united and cooperative federation. Proud of the Thesian supremacy, a consortium of wealthy free Citizens financed many raids in order to colonize what they considered like inferior peoples. That’s how Thesians took control of the Valanan subcontinent. Valanians first admired a lot these advanced colonizers, because they were bringing with them all their science and their knowledge. The Valanian culture borrowed a lot from the Thesian one. This explains why Valanans worshiped the same Thesian mighty gods. But the newcomers ended up ruling the newly-gained territory in a despotic way, subjugating and forcing Valanians to pay heavy taxes, and practicing slavery.
Time of trouble and decadence
But the Thesian apparent unity did not last. Each city, instead of living in harmony, started competing with the other. In an attempt of becoming the most prominent, the rulers of each city spent a lot of money in sending armies to destroy the rival. These internal wars lasted for over many centuries, and weakened the whole country. This was the beginning of the decadent times. Thesia’s enemies coming from different parts of the Doranan continent took advantage of the situation and found no resistance when they invaded the country. The formerly-magnificent cities progressively became ruins. Taking advantage of the situation, Valanians chased the intruders away from their subcontinent. They were no sooner independent, that they decided to strike down their southern neighbours before they could regain their military power and dominate them again.
This led to the Valanian invasion of the Thesian subcontinent. Conquered Thesia was quickly occupied by the legions and became a province of the prosperous Valanian Empire. But the ruthless Valanians never forgot what the Thesians did to them and wanted to take revenge; as a result the Thesian region called Achaea was devastated, and a lot of Achaeans fled to distant Andrea, a remote refuge.
The Frescian era
During that time of trouble, the Frescians, one of the Valanian dynasties that invaded Thesia, introduced a new religion, called Cruistianity. So were the Thesians evangelized. The whole country passed under Frescian domination. The new emperor, Constant, declared himself First Ruler of Thesia and, in order to be more easily accepted by his divided new subjects, learned to speak the Thesian language. He founded a new capital city, named after him: Konstantoupoli. A new era of peace and prosperity then started.
The country grew so rich and peaceful, that Saraphian sea merchants soon came for trade.
After many centuries Thesia became a major crossroads in Scandia. In Konstantoupoli's marketplaces were sold valuable goods from the entire scandian world such like Sungian silk, Mbalan ivory, Teuvian steel swords, copper from Vladevania, Niskevian furs, spices from Abanuria, fine Loirisian wines and Rajanani tea. In year 792 occured the Great Schism, that divided the Cruisian Church. Due to a strict interpretation of the Cruisian dogma, and aware of its wealth and supremacy, the Frescian Clergy wished to separate and founded the Thesian Orthodox Cruisian religion. This allowed the chief of the new-created Church, the Patriarch Kallinikos, Archbishop of Konstantoupoli, to gain more power and influence towards the Emperor. Because he was greedy of the strong economic influence of the saraphian community, he managed to convince the aging Emperor Demetrios IV that this mounist presence in Thesian territory could be a menace, not only for the future of the Cruisian faith but even for the Frescian sovereignty.
The beginning of the end
Although the Saraphians who established themselves in Thesia many decades before were only peaceful merchants who integrated well into Thesian society, and never tried to convert anybody to Mounism, they were forced by the imperial troops to flee the country in 804, leaving behind their homes and their possessions. They were compelled to return to their homeland of Saraphia, even though many of them were natives of Thesia.
The Sultan of Saraphia strongly resented this ejection. Besides, his country could not afford to attend and feed such an important influx of refugees. Hence, the Sultan declared war to Thesia. He sent an impressive offensive fleet and many garrisons of soldiers to attack the new enemy. Kallinikos urged the old Emperor to waste the public revenues in order to resist the invasion. The Empire then produced and purchased the most modern weaponry, and conscripted all the young men in age to fight. In 806, the “Holy War” was just declared...
This ended up to an almost-unending conflict that lasted for many decades, wreaking havoc in the both sides.
Eventually Leonidas ston Kraton, grandson of the Demetrios IV and new Heir Prince to the Crown, led the thesian army to a sad victory in 884. The Saraphians retired their troops and an armistice treaty was signed.
However the whole country was weakened by all this years of battles. Thesia lost more than the half of the subcontinent. New nations, such as New Ingalland for example, emerged from these lost territories. Almost all the national income had been used to finance the war, and inhabitants became poorer, suffering from famines.
The consequence was that many riots broke out everywhere through the waning Frescian Empire. Only the Thesian Orthodox Cruistian Church profited from the war, becoming year after year even richer and more prominent. The Empire, needing funds, sold several land properties to the Church, which eventually took the control over the army. In 888, the Emperor Andronikos ston Kraton, was finally forced to abdicate and the Frescian Empire collapsed after nearly one millennium of existence. .
Birth of the Theocratic Republic
The same year, Archbishop Krisophoros, Great Patriarch of the Thesian Church, declared the beginning of a new era and proclaimed the foundation of the Theocratic Republic of Thesia. He decreed himself Thesia’s new chief of state. Civil and religious powers were completely mixed. Thesian Orthodox Cruistianity was declared official and exclusive State religion. Konstantoupoli remained Thesia’s capital city, but got renamed “Aghios Stavros” (which means “Holy Cross” in Thesian) This new Republic inherited an empoverished country, the Frescian Golden Age was gone forever.
The Theocratic Republic has now been Thesia’s régime for many centuries. However, the economic situation never improved. The government had always been very strict, making the population unhappy. Many people migrated to other countries in different part of Scandia in order to seek their fortune.
Time for reforms
In 1494, the Constitutional Committee and the Episcopal Council both named a new Premier Chief of State, Patriarch Theodosios II, Archbishop of Aghios Stavros.
A practical man rather than purely religious, he introduced several reforms. In particular, he brought an end to the national protectionism and established a free-trade system. He achieved a lot on behalf of Thesian diplomacy, signing agreement and friendship treaties with new allies, renouncing to any aggressive military policies. He strongly encouraged his people to learn Ingallish, not only because it is the language spoken by the neighbours from New Ingalland, but above all because it became the international language of trade and diplomacy, the only one that could lead somewhere.
Since Thesian territory has very few plains and a lot of mountains, the agriculture has always been poor, just the kind of subsistence agriculture, the industries under-developed and the economy had always only relied on mining and fishing. The industry caught up with the average scandian one, Thesia knew a true Industrial Revolution. But Theodosios also tried to find new openings.
That’s how he opened Thesia to mass tourism. The prestigious classical and frescian monuments, legacy of Thesia’s history, were restored. More surprising is that, aware of the economic potentials of Thesia’s lovely temperate-coastal climate, he allowed the construction of several holiday resorts with private sand beaches. Although the Ministry of Morals and Virtue still maintains severe laws, the tourists aren’t concerned and can feel free of behaviour, as long as they don’t leave the resorts.
To an uncertain future ?
Nowadays, Theodosios II is still Thesia’s Chief of Church, State and Government. Nevertheless, there are many concerns. Thesia is still far from being a democracy. The fundamental Chart of Human Rights isn’t really respected. The President can dissolve the Diet without any reason. The liberty of press is strongly restricted and controlled. Public demonstrations are forbidden and political opponents systematically put in jail. Women are prohibited from political life, with no right to vote or to be elected. Besides, people who are not baptized and not members of the Thesian Orthodox Church are almost considered as no-citizens.
Archbishop Theodosios II has even lost the support of the most conservative Clergy members, accusing him of being too weak, as well as a progressive traitor More worrying is that the clandestine Socialist Front of Liberation, officially forbidden, chose the way of rebellion and many “guerrilla” movements have burst through Thesia’s mountains and scrublands. A state of emergency has been declared and the regular army was sent to restore the order, but it seems that the National Forces are about to sink into a big quagmire. One of the most unfortunate consequence of this is that less and less tourists come to visit Thesia, which means a big loss for Thesian economy, although the battles take place in the most remote places of the country and do not concern the touristic areas. The specialists of international geopolitics are afraid that the situation could evolve into a civil war.
It is notorious that this rebel movement gets its means from the Union of Sudrabic Republics (USSR) and the Imperium of Socialist Republics. Theodosios II, the criticized reformist hero, now aged 83, very well knows that he could be the last President of the Theocratic Republic.
