The ''Germanicus'' Trilogy is a

trilogy A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...

of alternate history of books written by Kirk Mitchell. The trilogy consists of ''Procurator'' (1984), ''New Barbarians'' (1986) and ''Cry Republic'' (1989). It is set in an alternate universe where Rome never fell due to

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of ...

pardoning Joshua bar-Joseph (Christ) and the Romans winning a decisive victory at

Teutoburg Forest The Teutoburg Forest ( ; german: Teutoburger Wald ) is a range of low, forested hills in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Until the 17th century, the official name of the hill ridge was Osning. It was first renamed th ...

, which allows for the Latinization of Greater Germania.

The World

The world of the Germanicus Trilogy is portrayed as being stagnant and technologically backwards compared to our timeline, a fact that Germanicus blames on the archaic imperial system of government. With a force of slave-laborers, Rome never industrialized, limiting the extent to which it can modernize. This means that technology advances only through necessity. One of the themes of the novel is the extent to which Rome has stagnated; the imperial system and government has remained virtually untouched for two thousand years. This becomes prevalent in the war against the Aztecae, during which Roman

galleys A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be use ...

, still reliant on

naval boarding Naval boarding action is an offensive tactic used in naval warfare to come up against (or alongside) an enemy marine vessel and attack by inserting combatants aboard that vessel. The goal of boarding is to invade and overrun the enemy pers ...

, are decisively defeated by the Aztec fleet that utilizes true

battleships A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type o ...

. This conflict provokes a major naval reorganization and the development of the first Roman battleships.

Major Powers

Roman Empire

Although inefficient and lethargic,

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

is the foremost power across

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

, and its territories extend into

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and across the Atlantic to the Novo Provinces in America. The

Pax Romana The Pax Romana (Latin for 'Roman peace') is a roughly 200-year-long timespan of Roman history which is identified as a period and as a golden age of increased as well as sustained Roman imperialism, relative peace and order, prosperous stabilit ...

maintains peace, although

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and Hiberian rebel movements are a constant threat to the Empire. The Empire has stagnated however, and the senators have become completely powerless and are unwilling to change the system. Germanicus, however, dedicates his rule as Caesar to restoring the Senate and Republic, believing this will hold together Rome in the future. *Leader: Emperor Fabius (''Procurator''), Emperor Germanicus Julius Aztecus Caesar (''New Barbarians''), Lord Regent Decimus Antonius Nepos (''Cry Republic'', acting as steward for Emperor Quintus Nero)

Serican Empire

Little is known about the Serican Empire. They conquered Nihonia ( Japan) after a decisive naval battle and occupy much of

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

. They prefer to act through proxies, such as the Aztecae, and have started to extend their influence towards the east of America from their supposed colony in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, wishing to remove the Roman provinces there. Roman traders occasionally trade with them via the Silk Road. *Leader: Emperor of the Xing

Aztecan Empire

The Aztecan Empire (previously called the Mexicae Empire) was, at one point, the dominant power in the Americas, taking tribute from much of Central America and demanding thousands of sacrifices. Ultimately, the bloodthirsty nature of the Empire destroys it, as many of the oppressed tribes join the

Roman legions The Roman legion ( la, legiō, ) was the largest military unit of the Roman army, composed of 5,200 infantry and 300 equites (cavalry) in the period of the Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC) and of 5,600 infantry and 200 auxilia in the period of ...

in sacking

Tenochtitlan , ; es, Tenochtitlan also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, ; es, México-Tenochtitlan was a large Mexican in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear. The date 13 March 1325 was ...

. After the Empire is dismantled, it became the Roman province of Novo Brittania, under the rule of Procurator Khalid of

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...

. *Leader: Nominally Emperor Maxtla, administrated by Lord Tizoc (''New Barbarians''), Procurator Khalid (''Cry Republic'')

Books

{{In-universe, section, May 2009, date=October 2009

Procurator

Procurator introduces audiences to the main character of the series, Germanicus Julius Agricola (later Germanicus Julius Agricola Caesar, then finally Germanicus Julius Agricola Aztecus Caesar). He is described as a military veteran nearing retirement, and is installed as the

procurator Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to: * Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency * ''Procurator'' (Ancient Rome), the title o ...

of the province of

. Germanicus fights against an uprising, supported by stories about the mental ability of "massing" by the ''zaims'' of Anatolia. Ultimately, a coup is revealed that kills Emperor Fabius, and most of the royal family. As the closest relative, Germanicus becomes Emperor and returns to Rome. Whether the power of "massing" exists or not is left vague by the novel.

New Barbarians

The Novo Provinces in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and the Aztec Empire have been at an uneasy peace for some time, when, in preparation for a One-Reed Year, Emperor Maxtla launches war against the Roman colonies. As Emperor, Germanicus heads to the New World in order to command the Roman troops through the war. After being defeated in the Aztec Sea by Serican (Chinese) supported Aztec vessels, he arrives in the Novo Provinces with Tora, a captured Nihonian. Despite urgings from Rome, and from a native woman, Alope, Germanicus decides to not attack the central Aztec Empire, instead to simply push them out of the Novo Provinces. In order to force his hand, Alope surrenders herself to the Aztecs, so that she would be sacrificed. Germanicus, realising that both Epizelus and Alope are in danger continues to push the Aztecs back, until only Tenochtitlan remains. With help from Tora, he fords

Lake Texcoco Lake Texcoco ( es, Lago de Texcoco) was a natural lake within the "Anahuac" or Valley of Mexico. Lake Texcoco is best known as where the Aztecs built the city of Tenochtitlan, which was located on an island within the lake. After the Spanish con ...

with sand-galleys, and sacks Tenochtitlan, only to discover that Alope has already been killed.

Cry Republic

Having returned from the Siege of

, Germanicus starts trying to restore the power of the senate, in preparation for stepping down as Emperor and restoring the Roman Republic. However, Decimus Antonius Nepos decides to play on the fears of the senators and enacts a swift coup. Germanicus is rescued with the help of sewer-dwellers by Rolf and Tora, who then take him to safety. The three then go their separate ways; Germanicus looking for supporters or respite in Anatolia, Tora to the Serican (Chinese) Empire in the East, and Rolf returning to his native Germania. Rolf, convinced that without Germanicus, the Roman Empire doesn't deserve to continue, leads the German

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

tribes in a revival, attacking the outposts of new Emperor Nepos. Germanicus, in Anatolia, starts looking for supporters, and, spurred on by a vision of Fabius, declares

manumission Manumission, or enfranchisement, is the act of freeing enslaved people by their enslavers. Different approaches to manumission were developed, each specific to the time and place of a particular society. Historian Verene Shepherd states that t ...

, and gathers an army to fight Nepos. As Nepos heads to

Masada Masada ( he, מְצָדָה ', "fortress") is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau, akin to a mesa. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the D ...

to confront him, his rail-galley is destroyed in a German ambush led by Rolf, and Nepos himself killed. As Nepos' army breaks apart, Germanicus decides to head back to Rome to restore the Republic.

Characters

Germanicus

Germanicus is a military veteran who is planning to retire at the beginning of Procurator. However, when Emperor Fabius is killed, he himself is forced to become Emperor. Germanicus, although experienced, is somewhat of an idealist, dedicated to restoring the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

. Through ''New Barbarians'', he plans to restore some provinces to senatorial control, and realizes that he may need to abandon the New World colonies through the turbulence as Rome makes the transition. When he is betrayed by Nepos, he becomes jaded and remarks that the name "Julius": "means nothing any more". However, supported by the Anatolian Mara, he gathers support and tries to take back the Empire. Germanicus' eventual fate is left unknown, though it is implied that he feels some respect towards the Anatolian/

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

god (the last line of the series remarks that: "Caesar had knelt"). At the end of the series, Germanicus is surrounded by a loyal army of Jews and Anatolians, and Nepos' army is routed, leading rise to the possibility that he may try to take back Rome.

Rolf

A German soldier and legionary, Rolf is extremely loyal to Germanicus, fighting alongside him in Anatolia, against the Aztecs, and finally in his name against Nepos' empire. He finds himself torn between his German heritage and his Roman training. He admires Germanicus, and sees Roman soldiers as being courageous, unlike many other

Goths The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe ...

but holds contempt for the Roman

patricians The patricians (from la, patricius, Greek: πατρίκιος) were originally a group of ruling class families in ancient Rome. The distinction was highly significant in the Roman Kingdom, and the early Republic, but its relevance waned after ...

. Rolf's fate at the closing of the series is likewise unknown. He is scarred by a flamethrower wielded by Nepos, but his German soldiers believe that the wound is not fatal. Whether he remains as German ''Herzog'' or not is completely unknown.

Tora

From Serican-occupied Nihonia, Tora is a military engineer and a scientist. He refers to himself as a follower of ''Yinshaya'': a "total submission to reason". Tora is irritated by the fact that Rome has little understanding of technology: pretty much all modern technology was invented by former Emperor Fabius or the Greek Ptolemaeus. He develops a biplane between the Roman conquest of the Aztec Empire and Nepos' coup, called a ''cloud-galley'' by the Romans. Tora returns to the Serican Empire, where he becomes a vassal to the Xing Emperor, though remaining loyal enough to Germanicus to believe that he has survived and will regain his empire.

Minor characters

Decimus Antonius Nepos

Formerly Germanicus' praetorian prefect, Nepos seizes the opportunity to take the empire, and shows no regret when this action leads him to face Rolf with little hope of surviving. He says that Germanicus didn't "deserve" the Empire, because he couldn't hold onto it, ironic considering that neither could Nepos. Nepos is similar in many ways to Gaius Nero from ''New Barbarians'' in being praetorian prefect and seeking to become emperor, although Nero's plan is foiled whilst Nepos' succeeds in taking control of the Empire. Nepos is killed by Rolf, and his army routed.

Colonel Crispa

A Scandian colonel whom Germanicus falls in love with briefly in ''Procurator''. She uses this to manipulate the native Anatolians into revolting against the empire as part of a plot to kill Fabius. Crispa is killed by Rolf on Germanicus' orders.

Alope

A Native American, Alope tries to use the Romans to destroy Maxtla's Empire and the Aztec domination of her people, the Indee. Knowing Germanicus' infatuation, she lures him to

, but is killed on the sacrificial altar before the city is taken.

Mara

An Anatolian whom Germanicus meets when he flees to Anatolia. She looks after him, and joins with him when he gathers support to take back Rome. By the end of the series, Mara develops respect for Germanicus, but despite his feelings for her, still sees him as a pagan, and tells him that a

union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

between them is impossible.

Epizelus

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

physician, Epizelus is Germanicus' personal physician in ''Procurator'', becoming the chief scientific aide to him in ''New Barbarians''. However, he is replaced by Tora in ''Cry Republic'' after leaving to recover from his ordeal with the Aztecs.

Joshua Bar Joseph

Although never appearing in any of the three books, and now long dead, Jesus of Nazareth is mentioned by many of the characters. It is implied that with Christianity stillborn in the Roman Empire, he travelled east into the Serican Empire. Germanicus hears that his pardon given by

was critical to the Roman Empire's survival from an oracle, Tora mentions that his pseudo-religion of Yinshaya was founded by a Galilean holy man in the Serican Empire who he names as "Star-Sorter".

Fabius

Emperor Fabius is often mentioned during ''Procurator'', as well as his numerous accomplishments; such as the sand-galley and the ''index'' (compass). Many soldiers announce themselves by saying "Hail Fabius" throughout ''Procurator''. Fabius is portrayed as being less idealistic and more politically skilled than Germanicus, pointing out that he "survived twenty years on the

Palatine A palatine or palatinus (in Latin; plural ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman times.

" before his wife murdered him, whilst Germanicus didn't manage two. When Germanicus is ready to give up all hope in Anatolia, he sees a vision of Fabius who advises him to call for manumission to take back his empire.

Technology

Most modern technology was invented by the partnership of Emperor Fabius and Ptolemaeus or by Tora. Most technology is either named for old Roman equipment or, in the case of moving vehicles, the Roman seagoing galley.

Niter Pieces

Niter powder has very similar properties to

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Th ...

. It is used to fuel both handheld weapons and larger

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

''Pilum''

The ''pilum'' is a rifle, fueled by niter powder and the standard weapon for legionaries and praetorian guardsmen. ''Pilum'' is assumed to be the Roman term, since "Niter Piece", an obscure real world term, seems to be a more general name for such weapons. It is named for the Roman spear, the ''pilum''. In ''New Barbarians,'' the Aztecs previously had air-powered versions, which become gunpowder-powered thanks to Serican influence.

''Ballista''

A large artillery gun powered by niter powder,

ballista The ballista (Latin, from Greek βαλλίστρα ''ballistra'' and that from βάλλω ''ballō'', "throw"), plural ballistae, sometimes called bolt thrower, was an ancient missile weapon that launched either bolts or stones at a distant ...

are named for the ancient Roman siege bolt thrower.

Vehicles

Rail-Galley

The equivalent of a

train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...

, rail-galleys are used to transport men and equipment across the vast Roman Empire, since automobiles are in their infancy. The Great Artery is a long railway running through Rome and heading all the way to Anatolia.

Sand-Galley

A large tracked "ship" like vehicle that was designed as a siege weapon by Emperor Fabius. It is similar to a real-world

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...

, although it is a good deal larger. The idea of it being a "sand-galley" is similar to

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

's description of tanks as "land-ships". Sand-Galleys are armed with a single ''ballista'', which is designed to fire only straight ahead, as it was designed primarily as a siege weapon. When Germanicus has a vision of our timeline, he notices what seems to be an American tank, and at first mistakes it for a sand-galley.

Cloud-Galley

The prototype cloud-galley is invented by Tora between ''New Barbarians'' and ''Cry Republic''. It is a biplane, powered by an

internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal c ...

and (according to the cover illustrations), has a rear-facing propeller.

Automobiles

Lorries A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...

moving troops or laborers appear several times in fields. Tora notices their absence during his flight above Rome, noting that "by ancient decree", they are not permitted on Rome's streets early in the day.

Ships

Trireme A trireme( ; derived from Latin: ''trirēmis'' "with three banks of oars"; cf. Greek ''triērēs'', literally "three-rower") was an ancient vessel and a type of galley that was used by the ancient maritime civilizations of the Mediterranean S ...

bireme A bireme (, ) is an ancient oared warship (galley) with two superimposed rows of oars on each side. Biremes were long vessels built for military purposes and could achieve relatively high speed. They were invented well before the 6th century BC a ...

s and quinqueremes are all mentioned during ''New Barbarians''. Rather than being defined by banks of oars, the names refer to the number of screw propellers on the boats. Despite being armed with near-modern equipment, the ships are still designed to be used as traditional Roman ships; boarding enemy galleys rather than attacking them directly. Contact with the Aztec/Serican fleet forces the Roman Empire to develop battleships for the first time during ''New Barbarians''. Alternate history book series Alternate history novels set in ancient Rome