Year: 741 AD
Caesarian Empire
Province of New Rome
New Rome Forum
A few months ago
The Caesarian Senate was in a heated debate over how to resolve the problems of slave owners without generating a civil war after abolition. The Senate was divided into three factions: The consensualists, defenders that the abolition of slavery should be done at the end of the 8th century, the servilists, defenders that slavery should be abolished, but exchanged for a system of servitude and finally the Nissites, defenders of the idea that abolition should happen within the time stipulated by law.
It was another sunny day in New Rome, when Senator Antonius Aulus went up to the pulpit and said:
"Brothers in Christ, we must repent for this sin that is slavery, we must not exchange slavery for servitude, it would be becoming a choose between Gog and Magog, we must follow the example of Cyrus the Great who freed the Jewish people from Babylonian captivity. Our beloved Caesarian Emperor Joannis II must be inspired by Cyrus the Great and enter the history of the greatest Roman leaders, joining a hall of important figures in Roman history." said Antonius.
The Servilist senators shouted foul language at Antonius and the Servilist leader senator Augustus Paulus said:
"Your Excellency is trying to set our nation on fire, servitude is the natural path to slavery, only after servitude is in place will we see if we abolish slavery, without implementation of serfdom, the Dux and Strategos will rebel and start a civil war!Do you have any idea what it's like to give freedom to slaves? The Lex Aelia Sentia and the Lex Fufia Canina make it very clear what parameter we should use to free slaves, the Lex S. Joannis Nysse is nonsense, the late Caesarian emperor Leo I was senile when he wrote this law, they must implement serfdom just as our Eastern Roman brothers do and the Kingdom of the Franks and the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms." said Augustus.
The debate heated up even more when the consensualist senators entered the political fray at the New Rome Forum and their leader Alexios Heraclius said:
"Senator Augustus Paulus is wrong to advocate serfdom as a way to replace slavery, but Senator Antonius Aulus is also wrong to advocate ending slavery precisely at the time proposed by law, then I propose that the abolition of slavery be abolished at the end of this century is the wisest thing to do." says Alexios.
A general brawl occurred among the senators and the regular army entered the Forum at the behest of Emperor Joannis II, to contain the senators' tempers and the session was interrupted for a week.
TheodosianPalace
Afewmonthsago
Emperor Joannis II was receiving information of slave rebellions against their masters from all over Paulistania and Canada, reports arrived that slave traders were invading the coast from Ireland and enslaving the Celts and bringing them to the Caesarian Empire, something that by Lex S. Joannis Nysse it was forbidden.
The emperor was in his royal office reading Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, when an employee knocked on the door and asked:
"Your Highness, the Magister Militum is here and wants to talk to you about military matters, may I let him in?" asks the employee.
Joannis then replied:
"Let him in, I want to know what the army thinks about the abolition of slavery and how each Legatus Legionis is reacting." Joannis replies.
The door opened and Magister Militum Leo Favarus entered the room and greeted the emperor. He brought with him some letters and said:
"Your Highness, these letters were written by slave owners who were running a large slave trade network involving the British Isles. The Legatus Legionis are loyal to the Emperor, They would never betray the nation for the sake of slave owners, count on us to put down any attempt at secession." Leo said.
Joannis opened one of the letters and read what was written.
Dear Dux of New Naples, your shipment of slaves from the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and Gaelic lands has been interrupted because the Caesarian navy intercepted them, we will have to resort to enslavement of natives from the tribes of Canada and the tribes of Paulistania. These slaves were strong enough to work in the tobacco fields on their estates in New Cyprus, it is a pity that our efforts are in vain, as the Nissites earn more support of the population and Emperor Joannis II, if we have to do something against them we will have to be quick so that Emperor Joannis II does not promulgate the end of slavery on May 10th.
Sincerely, MarcusCicero.
Joannis was shocked, as the Dux of New Naples had abolished slavery in New Naples, but apparently he only sent slaves to New Cyprus since the inspection there is lenient.
Joannis read the other letters and was surprised by the people mentioned in the letters, they were from people like the Bishop of Saint Helena, Claudius Tiberius to his younger brother, Paulus Flavius Magnus, the Dux of New Ravenna, with this revelation, Joannis hit the table and shouted:
"THESE SCOUNDRELS HAVE BEEN CONSPIRATING ALL THIS TIME!!!!!! DAMNED THOSE!!!!! I WASN'T GOING TO ABOLISH SLAVERY THIS YEAR, BUT NOW I WILL!!!!! MAGISTER MILITUM!!!! I GIVE YOU THE ORDER TO DEPOSIT ALL THE NOBLE TRAITORS!!!! SEND THEM ALL TO PRISON AND WHOEVER RESISTS ARREST KILL THEM!!!!!" shouted Joannis.
Joannis's voice became hoarse from his anger and Leo replied:
"I didn't know your brother was involved in this conspiracy, but rest assured that the army will always be on the emperor's side, tomorrow I will send soldiers to arrest the nobles mentioned in these letters." Leo replied.
Emperor Joannis II ordered that Leo could leave the room and so the conversation ended.
NewRomeHippodrome
Afewmonthsago
It was a sunny day on March 21st, a Sunday in early spring and the Hippodrome was packed and it was 45th National Race, the champion of New Rome Lucius Valerius, representative of the Albati against the champion of Saint Helena, Romulus Gaius, representative of the Veneti.
Emperor Joannis II was present on this date, so important for the Romans and he had promised that he would make a big revelation to everyone at the end of the National Race.
In his seat with other ministers, he was hiding something from his ministers and was going to reveal it to the entire Hippodrome.
The Magister Militum, Leo Favarus, was the only one who had at least an idea of what he was going to reveal and he told Joannis:
"Your Highness, do you think this is the right time? A civil war could break out if you are not careful. The nobles mentioned in those letters are in prison, including your younger brother. Any spark could ignite the situation." said Leo.
Joannis remained quiet and did not respond, remaining that way until the end of the National Race.
At the end of the National Race, Emperor Joannis II reveals what he wanted to say and says:
"Citizens of the Caesarian Empire, for years our engineers have tried to create a way to create volcanic ash and now a few weeks ago, engineer Constantine Niketas created the Ashes of Niketas, from today on, a great reform in civil construction will take place, we will never use wooden houses again, each advance we make on Paulistania will be with houses made of our Opus Caementicium, constructions will be faster and they will be resistant to storms, since our tests were in New Ravenna and they proved to be very efficient, so the plan will be to spread our cement to mass produce and strengthen our borders, that's all I wanted to talk about." says Joannis.
The news was celebrated by the population at the Hippodrome, since now the cities would undergo sudden changes and this would open the beginning of civil industry in the Caesarian Empire which would become the great revolution before the creation of disposable diapers in the late 9th century.
NewRomeForum
Now
Finally, the day of the celebration of the 255th anniversary of the founding of the Caesarian Empire had arrived.
Emperor Joannis II was in the Forum of New Rome, together with the Magister Militum Leo Favarus and the Classis Nova Romanorum Petrus Theodosius, the senators were discussing whether the emperor would end to slavery on the scheduled date or would exchange for the serfdom system or extend until the end of the 8th century, then Emperor Joannis II as the highest authority of the Caesarian Empire gave his final verdict about Lex S Joannis Nysse and he said:
"My grandfather, the Caesarian Emperor Leo I, with his 61 years old, wrote a book of laws that is the update of Roman Law, the Codex Flavianus since it was established all its laws are intended to be short and direct like ours were, so with that said, I say that all those who rebelled and were disrespecting the law were arrested, so I affirm that whoever rebels against this law will be said to be a traitor, this law It was made with the intention of ending the great sin of humanity, which is slavery, which is why I quote Saint John of Nyssa: Slavery is a crime against human dignity! From now on, whether you are a Roman peasant, a Visigoth refugee, or a native of Paulistania or Canada, you are free men! I declare the end of slavery in our nation!" says Joannis.
The Nissites applauded and the consensualists also applauded, only the servilists left the Forum and with potential enemies arrested or ostracized like the Bishop of Saint Helena who was expelled from Church for keeping slaves in forced labor in New Cyprus,the abolition of slavery was accepted by the majority of the population and a new class began to emerge: entrepreneurs.
The year 741 AD, became one of the most important years in the history of the Caesarian Empire, the first nation in the world to abolish slavery, the emergence of entrepreneurs and centuries later in the 16th century, the middle class and the bourgeoisie.