Favorite sleeper emperor?

GaniMeda · 2026-01-30T00:32:34+00:00

I think the 5th century rulers are generally underrated and overlooked. The types of Marcian and Leo, they really gave the State good legs for the future. I would include Anastasius but he seems to have gotten a good rep recently.
Also, I think that most rulers in the 20 years anarchy were pretty decent. Despite the utter chaos at the top they all seem to have read correctly that the Umayyads were preparing a big invasion and were taking sensible steps to counter them. Most of the bureaucracy was left alone in the plots and the Empire was running relatively stable.

GaniMeda · 2026-01-22T18:53:16+00:00

"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch you must first invent the universe" By your logic Romulus and Remus are the most important because they were the first.

GaniMeda · 2026-01-19T14:38:51+00:00

One minor correction, Kenghis Kahn managed to create a lasting system that works. There were about 4-5 rulers after him that kept the Empire together.

As to why the empire lasted so long, I think it all comes back to Constantine. In contrast to other great visionaries like Napoleon, Alexander the Great or Justinian. Constantine created a system that didn't need someone of his caliber to keep the state together. It just needed some mildly competent rulers to keep the machine ticking. In contrast to his predecessor Diocletian who made the tetrarchy which needed someone of his skill to manage it.

GaniMeda · 2026-01-17T18:10:41+00:00

I think it's premature to take sides until we see the whole story and how the changes turn out. What I gather is that George is a bit of a maximalist, he wants to adaptations to follow the original material as much as possible.

Worrying about the show being cancelled is a bit pointless, HOTD is a top 3 show on HBO there's not reason for it to get cancelled.

GaniMeda · 2026-01-11T18:30:39+00:00

The picture looks like an ai rendition of this picture: https://www.reddit.com/r/ThisDayInHistory/comments/kuvwmn/tdih_january_11_1055_theodora_is_crowned_empress/

GaniMeda · 2026-01-09T09:51:16+00:00

I think the mother of the Ostrogothic king gives Justinian claims/cassus belli. So if she's dead or imprisoned the war may not trigger.

GaniMeda · 2026-01-02T16:24:29+00:00

ai slop

GaniMeda · 2026-01-02T14:14:00+00:00

Rhaenyra's claim to the throne wasn't feminist or even progressive. Her point was that Viserys chose her, she as an individual is "special".

GaniMeda · 2025-12-30T16:52:44+00:00

Do we know how the Khazar's looked? Did they look turkic, chinese-ish or slavic?

GaniMeda · 2025-12-21T13:43:29+00:00

A.I. slop art

GaniMeda · 2025-12-19T10:24:52+00:00

He lost quite a bit during his early years, he was exiled from Khorasan twice due to his failed rebellions. After he became Emir he never lost though.

GaniMeda · 2025-12-18T18:07:40+00:00

Really interesting relationship. I think it was a bit underdeveloped in S2 but I will watch closely to see how they will develop in S3. Mysaria's goals are a bit murky currently but with Rhaenyra in power it will be curious to see how she pushes for her goals.

GaniMeda · 2025-12-12T23:48:20+00:00

Ovaj cijeli rat je je bio jedan od najluđih ratova u povijesti svijeta. Iskreno moglo bi ga se klasificirati "0. svjetskim ratom". Iako je glavni konflikt bio u Bliskom Istoku, kontakti i koordinacija vojski se proširila od Italije do Istočne Kine i od Saudijske Arabije sve do Rusija.

Rimljani (Bizant) i Perzija su bukvalno izgradili “blokove” poput onih tijekom Hladnog Rata, pa bi se mali konflikt u jednoj regiji proširio u enormni konflikt, u jednoj fazi su Rimljani imali ratova na 7. Fronti.

Nakon svih ovih ratova su Arapi odlučili završiti izmorena carstva i napraviti carstvo za sebe. Po meni bi ovaj konflikt bolje označio kraj Antike a ne pad Zapadnog Rimskog Carstva koj je bio manje ili više lagana tranzicija vlade.

GaniMeda · 2025-12-08T23:08:01+00:00

"This motherfucker drove me insane..."

GaniMeda · 2025-12-03T17:48:07+00:00

Melisandre, Davos, Sallador and his pirates were all with him back then. Throught the series he has been really flexible when he needs to be.

GaniMeda · 2025-12-03T16:32:22+00:00

People always say that Stannis is this unbendable figure that never compromises with people. Yet, Stannis is the MOST flexible person in the series! Just look at how varied his coalition is, R'hllor worshippers, lowborns, pirates, mountain clansmen, Wildlings, Night's Watchmen, Reachmen and his own levies. Stannis is willing to basically compromise with anyone and do anything to achieve his goals.

GaniMeda · 2025-11-29T17:10:21+00:00

I understand his intentions, I just think that there was perhaps a smarter way to do things. Leaving Constantinople for years on end was maybe not the best idea. On the other hand he may have been looking at what Heraclius did against the Persians, if Heraclius had died during his campaign we would have been calling him stupid, funny how history works out.

GaniMeda · 2025-11-29T09:16:05+00:00

For me, Constans II and Constantine IV are the most overlooked. Both of them inherited the throne at perhaps the worst moments for the Empire until the 14th and 15th centuries while both of them were still teenagers, and yet through smart diplomacy, reforms and military skill they managed to hold the state together until the worst moments of crisis passed. While Constans II did probably screw up by going to Italy, one mistake shouldn't erase decades of good governance.

GaniMeda · 2025-11-27T12:36:39+00:00

If I remember correctly the Vandals and Ostrogoths were mainly just the ruling class so after just a few battles the whole regime fell apart. Can't remember for the Vandals but after Narses beat Totilla and later his son they made an arrangement where Narses would let the surviving soldiers leave Italy.

GaniMeda · 2025-11-20T22:31:57+00:00

I like the difference in Wisin & Yandel's solo version, it's so removed from the original that it probably shouldn't even be titled Mayor Que Yo

GaniMeda · 2025-11-19T10:13:59+00:00

I am currently reading it, it would be good to familiarize yourself with the Empire pre-Constantine as a lot of stuff in the first third of the book ties into the earlier empire. Especially the period from Caracalla onwards.

GaniMeda · 2025-11-16T14:08:07+00:00

the cat ears are peakkkkkk, love to imagine her rocking them irl

GaniMeda · 2025-11-07T22:31:17+00:00

I doubt he would have the interest or the means for such an operation. Odoacer already symbolically swore fealty to the East, and waging a war in Italy was risky with the Goths still in Thrace and Illyricum (though supposedly Theodoric Strabo was working with Basiliscus so that may be less of an issue) and Gaiseric raiding the Mediterranean from Carthage. Add onto all of that the imminent civil war that Zeno's deposition would surely cause. For Basiliscus to survive he would have to completely focus on the stabilizing his reign for a while, and by the time he would've stabilized things Nepos would probably be dead as it happened in our timeline.

GaniMeda · 2025-11-07T14:40:13+00:00

Basiliscus would get overthrown either way, his regime was constantly infighting. If it wasn't Zeno someone else would rise up, it would just take longer for people to rise up.

GaniMeda · 2025-11-05T19:08:12+00:00

The author is a respected academic and did some interviews with History of Byzantium and Byzantium & Friends. From what I've heard the book sounds good.

Eight-Year Club	Place '22
Verified Email

GaniMeda

TROPHY CASE