Romaikos

Rhomaion Empire Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων
Flag Imperial Ensign
Motto: "One God, One Empire, One Religion"
Anthem: Απολυτίκιο του Τιμίου Σταυρού
Capital and largest city	Constantinople
Official languages	Greek
Ethnic groups	54.5% Greek 15.2% Macedonian 6.7% Bulgarian 1.1% Athenian 2.3% Armenian 8.4% Turkic 7.4% Sunafrican 2.0% Pacific Islander 2.5% Other
Religion	Eastern Catholicism
Demonym(s)	Rhomaion
Government	Absolute Monarchy
• Emperor	Constantine XV Daskalatos
• Heir	Constantine XVI Daskalatos
Legislature	Imperial Council
Establishment
• East-West division of the Rhomaion Empire	1 January 300 A.D.
• Constantine's vision	13 October 323
• First Restoration of the (Eastern) Rhomaion Empire	8 June 1734
• Second Restoration of the (Eastern) Rhomaion Empire	17 June 1939
Population
• 2018 estimate	164,231,475
GDP (PPP)	2018 estimate
• Total	$4,326,186,250,072
• Per capita	$26,342
GDP (nominal)	2018 estimate
• Total	$4,132,941,006,820
• Per capita	$25,165
HDI (2018)	.824 very high
Currency	Bezant (☧) (BZT)
Time zone	UTC+3 (Rhomaion Imperial Time)
Date format	mm-dd-yyyy
Driving side	left
Calling code	+32

The Rhomaion Empire (Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων), or Romaikos, is an independent nation in Eastern Ventismar in Sunalaya. Romaikos is an absolute monarchy. The nation's mainland is bordered by Shastara to the west, Dirkhizistan to the east, Ashukal to the south, and Ophioneus to the north.

The modern day Empire is an ultraconservative and religious society, influenced by Eastern Christianity and its imperial traditions. It is part of the ACCIS and the NLTO.

The Rhomaion Empire is one of the world's oldest nations. It claims its legacy from the classical Rhomaion Empire (known as the Illyesian Empire in Latin) that began in 723 B.C. After the Hellenic Kingdoms were invaded from 175 BC to 231 BC, Hellenic culture became influential to the classical Rhomaion Empire. In 300 AD, the Empire was politically divided into a west and an east. The eastern Empire carried the legacy of the original Empire while adopting a more Greek and Christian identity.

Etymology

The term "Rhomaion Empire" is the English translation of "Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων," which is named after the Greek name of the city Ρώμη in Tyrenes. Ρώμη was the capital of the classical Rhomaion Empire that ruled across southern Ventismar, Azarah, and northern Sunafrica.

The country is sometimes referred to as the Mysenaean Empire. The name "Mysenaea" is after the old Greek archaeological site of Mysenae on which Constantinople was built on. The term "Mysenaea" or "Mysenaean" was coined by western scholars in order to distinguish between the classical, Latin-speaking, Pagan Rhomaion Empire from the medieval, Greek-speaking, Christian Rhomaion Empire. The Rhomaion people often take the term Mysenaean as a slur.

History

History of Romaikos

Geography

The geography of the mainland is fairly diverse and often depends upon the region. In the western area, the geography of East Romaikos is largely flat, temperate, and mild. The heartland of East Romaikos is full of steppes and mild mountains. The southeastern edges of East Romaikos contain deserts. Towards the northwest consists of colder, dryer, and more mountainous terrain.

The western region and heartland of Romaikos are fertile and largely productive in agriculture. The eastern frontier areas are somewhat wealthy in natural resources.

The overseas territories of Romaikos include islands to the west of the mainland, a colony in northern Ziamban, and islands in the Divergian Ocean. The Ziamban territory is largely desert, and the the Divergian islands are tropical.

Themes

Themes (Greek: θέματα, thémata, singular: θέμα, théma) are the administrative divisions of the Rhomaion Empire. They were established in the early 7th century, replacing the provincial system created by Constantine the Great. The system has undergone major reforms throughout the centuries, but are still known as themes to this day.

Themes of the Rhomaion Empire (Mainland)

Largest Cities (Mainland)

Number	City	City Proper	Metropolitan Area	Theme	Predominant Ethnicity
1	Constantinople	10,721,493	16,170,607	Byzantium	Greek
2	Skopje	6,341,995	9,123,593	Skopje	Macedonian
3	Nicaea	5,619,814	7,198,178	Byzantium	Greek
4	Thessaloniki	3,593,449	5,083,413	Dyrrhachion	Greek
5	Mystras	2,615,266	4,467,516	Helas	Greek
6	Corum	2,375,774	3,607,698	Chappadocia	Turkic
7	Montana	1,919,098	4,350,642	South Boulgaria	Bulgarian
8	Vinica	1,784,095	3,294,104	Mygdonia	Macedonian
9	Port Constantine	1,595,385	2,381,416	Chalcedon	Greek
10	Pehcevo	712,195	1,813,179	Mygdonia	Macedonian

Politics and Government

The Rhomaion Empire is an absolute monarchy with the Emperor as the head of state. The tradition of absolutism is long ingrained into the Empire with its history. The Emperor is assisted by an Imperial Council and bureaucracy that often influence his decisions. All citizens of at least 18 years or older are granted the right to attend, meet, or petition the Emperor through a legal system.

The general politics of the Empire take place through the absolute monarchy, and are ultraconservative and religious in nature. The government holds a tight grip on social control through censorship and imprisonment of political opponents. Meanwhile, the Church has a large influence on the government and many political decisions. The word of the clergy is often taken into account, while government officials tend to be devoutly religious. They are all required to rule "in accordance with Christian values" by Rhomaion Law.

The Emperor

The Emperor is considered to be the sole and absolute ruler, though in practice there are restrictions by the Church and a charter of liberties applicable during peacetime. The Emperor's power is justified under the concept of divine right whereby a divine mandate grants the Emperor's claim to power. This is, however, under the condition that his rule is benevolent and in accordance with the Church's doctrine.

The throne of the Emperor alternates between being a hereditary dynasty and an elective position that can be filled by a high-ranking civil servant or military officer. Its status varies by the current political climate and prosperity of the Empire, usually with more prosperous eras having a more hereditary throne.

Imperial Council

The legislative powers of the empire fall in the hands of the Imperial Council, a legislative body made up of 250 seats. The Imperial Council has significant influence over the country's politics. Members of the Council may propose and vote on legislation, which pass or fail depending on the Emperor's decree.

The Imperial Council has roots in the old Rhomaion Senate, though the tradition of democratic elections has long faded away.

Logothetes

Logothete is a title applied to a senior official in the Rhomaion Empire, who commands their respective administrative department. Logothetes are said to be equivalent to what are known as "ministers" in foreign countries.

Current Logothetes

Sector	Logothete	Ethnicity
Defense	Georgios Palaiologos	Greek
Finance	David Velyov	Macedonian
Economy	Cedomir Andreev	Macedonian
Law	Basil Philoponus	Greek
Education	Gregorius Rhangabe	Greek
Justice	Faik Yildizoglu	Turkic
Foreign Affairs	Soukias Zakaryan	Armenian
Health	Manuel Glycas	Greek
Development	Michal Petrevski	Macedonian
Agriculture	Quintus Psellus	Greek
Culture	Vetranis Stratioticus	Greek

Foreign Relations

The Eastern Rhomaion Empire is a part of ACCS and NLTO.

Economy

The economy of the Rhomaion Empire is valued at ☧240,078,460,311,399.6, which gives it a per capita GDP of around $30,712. This places it at the higher end of the world in terms of per capita income, though in terms of the Ventismar continent it's relatively low. However, the average would give a wrong picture of the entire country. In the more developed eastern regions, the wealth is roughly equal or higher than much of the Ventismar continent. The western regions are much less developed.

Romaikos has a medium-sized sector in mining that constitutes around 11% of its GDP, which is fueled by its abundance in natural resources towards the eastern edges of its territory. Its oil exports constitute 9% of the GDP.

The economy of the Rhomaion Empire has grown immensely since 1990, with an average growth rate of around 5% for the 2010s.

Economic Structure

The economy of the Rhomaion Empire is based on ideas such as distributism and corporatism. Most industries and workers are under workers' guilds which manage their industry and protect the interests of workers. Workers' guilds are semi-private as they generally operate on their own, though they are often used as a medium of enforcing decrees by the imperial government. All workers' guilds have administrators sent from Constantinople to ensure imperial demands are met.

Due to the nature of the Rhomaion economy, the wealth gap between the wealthy and poor is smaller than in countries of similar development. The power of the corporate elite is much smaller in comparison. The government retains a large amount of control over the economy.

Transport

Transportation throughout the Empire primarily takes place through an extensive railway system, and occasionally through air. The railways of Romaikos stretch 35,127km and are densely packed into western provinces. Within most cities, trams provide sufficient transportation.

Automobiles are moderately used for long distance commute, especially in less densely populated areas.

Demographics

Religion

The Eastern Rhomaion Empire is an extremely Christian nation, characterized by Eastern Christianity that takes a more mystical approach to theology than their western counterparts. The Rhomaion Orthodox Catholic Church is the largest Church in Constantinople, which coexists with a minority of Armenian and Coptic Christians.

The Empire remains in communion with the Papacy and recognizes their primacy, hence being considered "Catholic." Though there is a considerable level of autonomy within the Eastern Christian churches, which is headed by the Bishop of Constantinople.

The Bishop of Constantinople is often appointed by the Emperor and unable to hold office without his approval. The Rhomaion emperors have exercised mild control over the ecclesiastical hierarchy and the eastern Church's administrative affairs. The idea of "Caesaropapsim" has been attributed towards to the Rhomaion Empire as a result. Though given the influence that the Church has over the Emperor and political affairs, there is a great deal of interdependence between imperial and ecclesiastical structures. A few historical Rhomaion Emperors that attempted to submit the church to the state had failed and were excommunicated.

2018 Consensus

Religion	% of population
Rhomaion Catholicism	95.577%
Armenian Catholicism	2.295%
Coptic Catholicism	1.968%
Illyesian Catholicism	0.151%
Heretic Religions	0.002%
Heathen Religions	0.005%

• Muslim and Jewish residents in Jerusalem are granted several protections under the law but are not considered citizens of the Empire, thus are not included in the consensus

Religious Life

Religion is extremely important to the Rhomaions. No matter one's social standing or background, life is typically dominated by religion and its practices. Weekly (or more frequent) Church attendance is a habit among almost all Rhomaions. Praying is a habit to most subjects of the Empire. Prayer in schools, public places, and workplaces are common and sometimes organized by leaders. Almost every citizen owns and carries a prayer rope. Religion also dictates the thoughts, actions, and mindset of its many subjects. The Empire's subjects dedicate their lives to God in one form or another.

Religion is not only a part of social life in Romaikos but is also deeply rooted in its institutions. One may find its presence in education, law, hospitals, academia, and etc. It also plays a large role in the government. Church-state separation is an unrecognizable content.

Romaikos's religion is a continuous inspiration to its arts and culture. The Empire has continuously constructed large cathedrals for centuries. Among the most famous and oldest ones is Hagia Sophia. Built in 574 AD, Hagia Sophia is often associated as the symbol of Constantinople.

Culture

Cuisine

The Cuisine of Romaikos often varies by region. Contemporary Greek and Macedonian cuisine makes wide use of vegetables, grains, olive oil, fish, wine, meat, and olives. Other common ingredients include pasta, cheese, lemon juice, herbs, bread, and yogurt. Wheat and barley are the most common graints. Desert ingredients mostly include fruits and occasionally pastries. Some influence comes from neighboring countries such as Tyrenes and Shastara.

Turkic cuisine carries a more oriental and middle eastern flavor than contemporary cuisine in the western provinces. A larger use of spices, curry, stews are found in Turkic cuisine. Turkic cuisine is also famous for its variety of mezes, kebabs, and dough-based desserts such as balklava, sobiyet, kunefe, and kayadif.

Sports

The National Sport of the Rhomaion Empire is football. The Empire champions its football team as among one of the best in the world. It is commonly watched by almost all subjects of the Empire. One may frequently find young Rhomaions playing football in parks and in streets.

Other popular sports in Romaikos include golf, rugby, shooting, and running.