Tagmatium
Greater Holy Empire of Arome Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion (Laimiaic) Maiorem Sacrum Imperium Aromanum (Fragran) | |||||||
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Motto: Beacon of the Light of Christ | |||||||
 Map of Tagmatium | |||||||
| Capital | Tagmatika | ||||||
| Largest | Europatorion | ||||||
| Official languages | Laimiaic, Fragran | ||||||
| Demonym(s) | Tagmatine (Arhomaios) | ||||||
| Government | Theocracy | ||||||
• Agios Basileos kai Autokrator Kai Isapostolos (Holy Emperor and Autocrat and Equal-to-the-Apostles) | Kommodos III | ||||||
• Mesazon (Prime Minister) | Gregorios Traiektonos | ||||||
| Legislature | Sinatos | ||||||
| Establishment | |||||||
• First Division of the Aroman Empire (Octarchy) | 23 April 274 | ||||||
• Burning of Arome | 17 July 297 | ||||||
• Foundation of Europatorion | 12 March 333 | ||||||
• The Purification | 3 February 683 | ||||||
• The Eclipse | 1509 | ||||||
• The Reunification | 4 February 1788 | ||||||
• The Long War | 19 June 1932 | ||||||
• The Admirals' Coup | 3 August 1969 | ||||||
• The Civil War of 2005 | 28 January 2005 | ||||||
| Area | |||||||
• | 942,836 km2 (364,031 sq mi) | ||||||
| Population | |||||||
• 2019 census |  264,767,841 | ||||||
• Density | 280.8/km2 (727.3/sq mi) | ||||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate | ||||||
• Total | $5.390 Trillion | ||||||
• Per capita | $20,361 | ||||||
| Gini | 35.0 medium | ||||||
| HDI | 0.92 very high | ||||||
| Currency | Nomisma Hyperpyron (Ħ) (HYN) | ||||||
| Time zone | UTC+6 | ||||||
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy | ||||||
| Driving side | left | ||||||
| Internet TLD | .ar | ||||||
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The Greater Holy Empire of Arome (Laimiaic: Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion; Fragran: Maiorem Sacrum Imperium Aromanum), referred to internationally and occasionally internally as Tagmatium, is a sovereign country located in the Occidental region of north-western Europa on Eurth. Tagmatium is bordered to the north-west by Haruspex, to the west by Adaptus, to the south by Suverina and to the south-east by Sporsia. It shares maritime borders with Akwisia, which is a protectorate of the Greater Holy Empire, the Hexanesa, a breakaway state that Tagmatium does not recognise, and Gaellicia. The Greater Holy Empire has a population of 263 million, which is moderately urbanised, despite the country's long history of urbanisation. The population is mainly concentrated in cities and villages around the Central Sea and the eastern seaboard, as well as along the Iaehos River. The total area of the Greater Holy Empire is 942,836 km2. The official languages are Laimiaic, which is mainly spoken in the north of the country and Fragran, mainly spoken in the south. There are several other minority languages and dialects, although not all of these have official recognition. The largest and official religion is the Enlightened Aroman Church.
Tagmatium is a unitary theocratic elective absolute monarchy, although it defines itself as a unitary constitutional elective monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The current monarch and head of government is Holy Emperor and Autocrat of the Aromans and Equal to the Apostles Kommodos III, who has ruled Tagmatium since 2005. The political capital city of Tagmatium is Tagmatika, a cultural, commercial and religious centre, located on the northern side of the mouth of the Central Sea and with an urban area population of 5.3 million. The most populous city in Tagmatium is Europatorion, which is the cultural, financial and religious centre of the country and also a global city, with a population of 12.5 million. Other major urban areas include the ancient capital of Aroma as well as the cities of Prousa, Dymafos, Trapezon, Resafa and Kalamanon. Uniquely amongst nations on Eurth, Tagmatium maintains three capitals - Arome, Europatorion and Tagmatika, of which the latter is where the machinery of government is currently based.
The government of Tagmatium considers itself to have an unbroken lineage to the Aroman Empire and therefore to the possibly mythical Foundation of Arome, although the precise date of this unknown and is anywhere from BCE 814/3 to BCE 752. A later date was favoured by earlier rulers of Arome but now an earlier date is claimed by the Holy Imperial Government. Certainly, archaeological evidence from the site of Arome suggests that human occupation began about 14,000 years ago, although later activity such as urban expansion has obscured or destroyed many of the sites. Other parts of what is now Tagmatium have an equally ancient lineage, such as the Laimias peninsula, which has a similarly long history of human population and urban civilisation, as do the south-eastern Megale Agrotikon and the western Flektemon regions. Laimias is especially famous for its city states, which had a huge influence through the spread of colonies (Laimiaic: apoikia) across the lands surrounding the Central Europan Seas and even down the north and south coasts of the Raga Sea. Although Aroman culture was dominant in the Empire for much of its history, by the late 6th Century, Laimiaic had overtaken Fragran as the language of administration. This was made official during the reforms of Ioannes II. This was partially through the high esteem Laimiaic culture had always been held in by the elite of the Empire but also through the turmoil the south of the empire had suffered over the last several hundred years. This had meant that the Imperial court had spent its times in the differing capitals of the ruling emperors, rather than Arome. Many of these capitals were in the Laimiaic north of the Empire.
After the chaos of the end of the Octarchy, Methodianos and his successful campaign to make himself sole ruler of the Aroman Empire marked a new epoch in the Empire's history. Methodianos was the first ruler of Arome to have Christianity as his personal faith and he officially moved the capital of the Empire to Europatorion, which he made to serve in that capacity. Arome was still a ruin after its burning in 297. During the Octarchy and before, other cities had served as capitals, but the efforts of Methodianos saw a city made for that purpose. The official foundation of Europatorion as capital on Easter Sunday on AD333 marks one of the acknowledged starts of Late Antiquity, as well as what is taken many as the division between the Aroman Empire and what is known as Tagmatium. It wasn't until the reign of Valentinianos I that Christianity was made the state religion of the Empire, marking the beginning of Christian dominance that lasts to this day.
Much of the rest of Tagmatine history saw the the Empire invaded by Buranic tribes, which briefly saw a dynasty form under a barbarian general in late 300s. Dynastic squabbling and foreign invasion, as well as religious quarrels, saw the borders of Arome contract and expand again and it was not until the rise of the Enlightened Aroman Church, piloted by Mikhael I "the Inspired", that much of these quarrels were quashed. This saw Pope Calrissius driven from Arome to Salvia. Much of the next thousand years saw invasion and counter-invasion, with both northern and southern Tagmatium often riven by conflict. Peace was not truly brought until the the Epifanid dynasty in the late 1700s, when Tagmatium became stable and entered into an industrial revolution. With this, the Greater Holy Empire become one of the most advanced nations in Europa. Increased contact with Kirvina happened during this time, especially through involvement in the Typhon Wars. This period also saw the first heavier-than-air flight, in 1906 by Ioannes Glauketes, outside of the city of Klimatos. This golden age was brought to an end by the Long War and the coup and countercoup in the aftermath. It has not been until the Civil War of 2005 and the reign of Kommodos III that Tagmatium has once again become one of the great powers on Eurth.
The Great Holy Empire is considered to be a developed country and has the fourth largest economy on Eurth, with a GDP of $5.390 million. It does lag behind the other large economies for GDP per capita, at thirty-second place, with $20,361. It is a developed mixed economy, with agriculture and heavy industry being the largest sectors. Recent economic and political drives have meant that Tagmatium has the largest bio-fuels industry on Eurth, along with most of the country's power needs being supplied by renewable energy. However, the service sector is weaker than the other comparable economies on Eurth. Glubally, Tagmatium is a great power. It has stood apart from other multinational alliances in recent years but that has begun to change. Its closest allies are Machina Haruspex and Adaptus, although it has a history of friendly contact with Iverica (later, New Iberium) in the modern era. Recent events have meant that the Great Holy Empire has come into the orbit of TRIDENT, a military alliance based around the defence of Argis, Alharu and Thalassa. As well as this, Tagmatium has fostered closer relations with the Kingdom of Seylos and the Ceriser nation of the Noble Republic of Secryae, amongst others. Relations with Machina Haruspex have cooled significantly due to a refugee crisis caused by that nation.
Etymology
The Anglish version of the native name for the country, either Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion in Laimiaic or Majorem Sacrum Imperium Aromanum in Fragran, is the "Greater Holy Empire of Arome". This is a direct translation of the native names of used by the inhabitants of the nation. Commonly, this tends to be shortened to either the "Greater Holy Empire", "Arome" or "Aromania". However, due to the convention of using the "Empire of Arome" or the "Aroman Empire" to refer to the historical state of the Aroman Empire, this is not the most internationally common name for the Greater Holy Empire. The most internationally common name for the nation is the "Greater Holy Empire of Tagmatium" or "Tagmatium".
The name "Tagmatium" follows a convoluted route. It is not the name of the country in the local languages - it is still referred to by various versions of "Arome", "Aroman Empire" or "Aromania" by the native inhabitants, with the latter being the preferred name. The name "Tagmatium" comes from the capital, Tagmatika, which was named after being an encampment of the Tagmata, the regiments of the palace guard. "Tagmatika" effectively means "place of the regiments" but was used to refer to the eastern part of the old Aroman Empire, where Adaptus represents the west. "Tagmatium" started to be used as a way to refer to the country of which Tagmatika was the capital, which had previously just been called "Aromania", in order to differentiate it from Adaptus or the other surrounding nations that laid claim to an Aroman heritage. These include Sporsia and Euandria, although these two nations have never referred to themselves by any variant of "Arome", as they also draw upon their ancient, pre-Aroman heritage.
History
Early History
By the 2nd Century AD, the Aroman Empire's borders were starting to weaken. In the previous two hundred years, it had conquered a vast swathe of territory, stretching from the Sea of Storms in the north to Haken Bay in the south. The impact of Arome was felt further than that, through trade and influence spreading across Europa. However, this wealth attracted raiders, which slowly weakened the borders of the empire, such as they were. In 179AD, Emperor Fundanus employed Azanian mercenaries to shore up the southern borders of the provinces south of the Amnalos Sea. Within five years, however, a mercenary revolt saw most of these provinces collapse with only isolated coastal garrisons in the empire's hands. At the same time, Buranian tribes were encroaching on the eastern borders of the empire. The situation there only stablised after the fall of the Azanian provinces.
However, the Empire had entered into a viscious spiral. As territory and army units were lost in battle, the empire was forced to raise taxes to pay for their replacement and to pay for the bribes paid to the Buranian tribes. The more this happened, the less able the Empire was to pay for soldiers and bribes or access the populations needed to replace combat losses. After the reign of Emperor Poppidus (186-203AD), larger and larger payments, termed donativum, were paid to the armies in order to keep them loyal. This, combined with garrisons being stripped and raids biting deeper and deeper, added to the economic and political instability. Parts of the empire, especially the western provinces, became almost anarchic. Although the borders of the empire remained stable between 230-250AD, few emperors lasted more than five years before being overthrown. In 250AD, the Limes Buranicum were breached and the province of Ilisia was conquered by the Acirii tribe. The governor of Aexpurtia, Vetrianus, who set up his own breakaway state in 256AD. This was the richest province and was a devasting blow to the empire. The next two decades were even more tumultuous than the previous two, with only one emperor, Quintillius (258-267AD), lasting long enough to pause the downward spiral.
The Octarchy
The Octarchy was a system set up by Auxentius (272-296AD) to combat the disintegration of the Aroman Empire. Auxentius was proclaimed emperor after a brief civil war and quickly and vigourously set about reforming the empire. It quickly became clear that it was almost impossible to do on his own, so Auxentius proclaimed one of his fellow generals, Numerian, as emperor. The two had a level of trust not seen for some time and were able to stabilise the situation in the empire. This laid the groundwork for Auxentius' next action, which was to divide the empire up into four parts, each ruled by a senior and a junior emperor. These were referred to as the Venerabilius and Cotta respectively and the senior emperors were to retire after fifteen years and the junior ones take their place. This allowed them to each focus on local problems, and trianual meetings between all eight would mean that their decisions and actions were harmonised. The stability was enough that the empire began to regain lost ground, with the reconquest of the Gangrid Empire completed in 294AD.
However, the system was not to last. Whilst Auxentius and Phaltonius were content to retire, the other two former Venerabilii, Petronius and Delmatius, plotted to regain their power. They conspired with the Cussians and invaded the empire. The renegades and the loyalist forces, led by the Venerabilius Ambrosianus, met at the Battle of Veiian Fields outside of Arome, which resulted in a bloody draw. Both sides suffered heavy casualties and left the battlefield under the cover of darkness. However the renegade forces were able to march on Arome and entered the ancient city. The inhabitants rioted at the entry of the traitors and it resulted in the city catching fire and almost entirely burning to the ground, a deeply traumatic event in the empire's psyche. The other Octarchs joined forces and brought the renegades to heel, brutally executing Petronius and Delmatius. However, the situation devolved further into a wider civil war.
Auxentius also instituted the last, great persecution of the Christians, an event known as the Auxentian, or Great, Persecution. This came after a relatively long period of no official actions against the Christian faith by the Aroman state, after previous anti-Christian ceased to be enforced under Quintillius. It began in 291AD and was ended in 311AD by the Edict of Adramittion. The Octarchy also saw the revolt of the Magister utriusque Classae (Commander of the Navies) Lysandrus Tagares revolt and sail for Proculmea, in what is now Salvia.
The Empire of Methodianos
Arome Resurgent
Although it ended in victory, the conflict against Petronius and Delmatius sowed the seeds of distrust between the Octarchs. By 299AD, this distrust had broken out into civil war. As it started to become more intense, Venerabilii Hermogenianus and Methodius approached Auxentius to see if he would become sole emperor again but he declined. Instead, they turned on Ambrosianus and divided Aexpurtia between them. A stalemate set in, which only ended when Methodius died and his son, Methodianus, was proclaimed both Venerabilius and Cotta by his father's troops in Cunetio in southern Vanarambaium. Methodianus quickly crossed into Laimias, which came over to him. After a rapid succession of victories, other Octarchs either joined him or fled. The final battle was the Battle of the Sinuusan Plains in the spring of 308, to the east of modern Novumcastrum, which Methodianus won. He was the first sole ruler of the Aroman Empire for over thirty years. One of the first actions was to attempt a rebuilding of Arome but the magnitude of it made the project flounder and eventually fail.
Methodianus did rescind the state hostility towards Christianity. It was never made the state religion but the emperor took an active role in it. Several councils were called during Methodianus' reign, such as the First Council of Iconium and the Synod of Syracenio. Christianity remained a minority faith during Methodianus' rule and later, primarily due to the fact that before this, Christians would often leave for Salvia than remain to face persecution.
By the late 320s, Methodianus had determined that Arome was ready rise again. For this new period of Aroman rule over Europa, there needed to be a new capital. A small town on the northern coast of the Central Sea was chosen and renamed Europatorion. The vast scale of this new capital drew in the funds set aside for the coming war of conquest. Europatorion has remained the capital, although its relative role has changed over time. The money that would have been spent on conflict was reinvested in the empire and under Methodianus it saw a period of peace that it had not seen for some years.
Powers behind the Throne
The stability of the empire under Methodianus and his heirs saw it become an increasinly attractive target for Buranic migration. At times, this was resisted but at others Buranic tribes were seen as a source of manpower against the enemies of Arome, both within and without. They were often settled in the south-western part of the empire. The heirs of Methodianus tended to squabbled amongst themselves and this saw Buranians become relied on as apart from the dynastic infighting. Rapidly, they were often the powers behind the throne and with the death of the last of the Methodians, the half-Aroman Magister utriusque Militia (Commander-in-Chief) Cassius Gento was able place his grandson on the throne as Methodianus III. This dynasty only lasted for three emperors, with Anastasios I (409–427AD) murdering his grandfather, who had had Methodianus killed for becoming too independent. The last of the dynasty was killed by his own bodyguard, the opening move of anti-Buranian pogroms.
The Buranian dynasty was an example of an empire in flux. It was more prosperous than it had been for decades, but it was in danger of becoming an open target. The Qubdi, the Cussians and the Haru had taken advantage of the bickering that marked the end of the Methodian dynasty to breach the empire's borders and the Aroman aristocracy was becoming fractious under what they saw as barbarian rule, even if most of them had intermingled with Buranian leaders as well. In the end, an Aroman army unit murdered Constantius I, the great grandson of Gento, and placed the Magister officiorum, Hilarius, on the throne in 439AD. This saw an empire-wide purge of Buranians.
Adding to this state of turmoil was the internal struggle of Christianity as it grew rapidly within the Aroman Empire now it was tolerated. Much of this came from Christological debates, but also as to how various sects had either resisted or worked with the Aroman state before toleration. Now, thrown into that, was influence from branches that had flourish in the Buranian areas of Europa. These debates and struggles would continue for some decades, despite imperial actions and declarations.
The Empire Buckles
Loss of the West
Hilarius was able to work to strengthen the empire but control over the western provinces was ebbing away. The imperial administration was often focussed on events around the Central Sea, rather than those bordering the Adlantic Ocean. Overt and covert Cussian support of rebels whittled away at Arome's control over the western provinces, as did the empire's habit of dumping Buranian rebels in that area, far away from their homelands. Ultimately, this sealed the fate of the western provinces - the combination of a now-hostile people being settled there in great numbers, continuous probing from Cussians from the north and Azanian forces from the south and inattention from the central government meant that many of the local governors decided that it was either best to join them or go their own way.
The state of the empire led Constantius to build the vast walls around Europatorion, known as the Constantian Walls, that protected the capital for a thousand years. He also banned public worship of the old faiths and called the Great Council of Coroclion in AD459, in order to unite the Church's doctrines. The father and successor of Constantius, Ioannes I (464-469AD), he reformed the debased coinage, introducing a solid gold coin, termed the "Purus" or "Ameges" (Fragran and Laimiaic for "pure" respectively) becoming the standard after years of debasement. It remained stable for over one thousand years.
When Methodianus IV died in 480AD with a large surplus in the state treasury, but this had been primarily accrued by attempting to be frugal when it came to the defences of the empire. His successor, Arcadius, tried to avert what was seen as almost the inevitable - the collapse of the west. And it was inevitable. Arcadius led an army against a rebellious governor but was he was killed and his army routed at the Battle of Dubaserium (now Dubasari, Suverina) in 484AD. In the aftermath, the provinces west of the Iaehos and the Sinuus collapsed as the surviving generals and officials raced back to Arome to seize the now-empty throne. Arcadius was the last emperor to rule the western territories of Arome.
The Eastian Dynasty, Plague and Anarchy
The Eastian dynasty that succeced Arcadius was able to stabilise the situation but the reality was that the lands in the west of the Occident would never be Europatorion again. Much of this came from the ability of the first Eastian emperor, Theodorus, to play the enemies of Arome off against each other. There was little other option, as much of the state income was spent on subsidies and bribes for those same enemies. Theodorus, on his deathbed, forced the Senate to recognise his daughter Anastasia, as the sole ruler of Arome. She built on her father's successes and improved the tax system of the empire. The reign of Theodosius I (531-541AD) saw areas in the north retaken from the Haru and the amount of territory held in Vanarambaium increased, but these were the only expansion of the empire's borders and were relatively shortlived.
Constantine I viewed the empire's struggles as a sign of God's disfavour and he attempted to ban chariot racing and the last vestiges of the famous games in the empire. This, as well as rising taxes to cover the costs of Theodosius' campaigning, caused a riot that resulted in Europatorion being burnt to the ground in 559AD and Constantine himself lynched whilst trying to flee. Constantine's brother, Mauricius, was placed on the throne by the rioters but he turned on them, unleashing the Imperial Guard and butchering many thousands of them. Mauricius retained his brother's high tax rates and began to build up an army to attack the Qubdi, who had broken a truce to seize several cities across the Raga Sea. However, the First Plague had started to sweep across Europa, and it struck down much of the army that Mauricius was building and included the emperor hismelf.
The plague killed some 40% of the Occidental population before it died down again by 567AD, and at its height it killed an estimated 5000 people a day in Europatorion. A subaltern in the palace guard, Theodosius, was able take advantage of the anarchy and become emperor. This ushered in the Eight Years' Strife, as the Leopard Throne changed hands five times, including Theodosius twice. Theodosius was then killed by his own cupbearer, Heraclius, who was in turn killed by the Magister utriusque Militiae Ioannes in 569AD.
The Ioannesians and Reform
The Ioannesian dynasty was another period of attempted reform in the Aroman Empire. One of the first actions of the new emperor Ioannes was to disband the rank of Magister utriusque Militiae and replace it with a body of equally-ranked officers, under a chief who was merely the first among equals. This was to remove the threat of another Magister utriusque Militiae from using the strength of their position to seize the Leopard Throne as he did. After that, Ioannes undertook a huge review of the Aroman law system, carried out by a committee of lawyers. This would remain the basis of Aroman law for the next several centuries. Another change was Laimiaic replacing Fragran as the main administrative language of the empire. Laimiaic was the main language of the north of the empire and had been the language of culture for centuries. This change was merely admitting something that had been the case for almost as long but it would fundamentally change the nature of the Aroman Empire and the repurcussions last until this day. Both Laimiaic and Fragran are the official languages of the empire.
Church reforms were also carried out, which brought the State Church of Arome under the direct control of the emperor. The idea of the Heptarchy dates from this period, as Ioannes reorganised the administration of the Church as well. This did not, however, reduce the bickering between the different denominations of Christianity that had sprung up over the centuries. Ioannes' successors continued his work, with his son going over the tax system again, especially as the system was still suffering from the changing circumstances of the empire. Ioannes' grandson, Constantine II, continued with the religious focus but he was found murdered in mysterious circumstances. His brother, Arcadius II (603–611AD) had not been groomed to rule and he tended to listen to whatever the last advisor had told him. In the end, a general from the province of Aexpurtia overthrew Arcadius and replaced him on the throne.
Growing Religious Struggles
The new emperor, Theodosius, presented a strong front to the enemies outside of Arome and he was able to reconfirm the peace treaty with the Qubdi for another twenty five years. The religious quarrels within the empire itself were reaching boiling point, especially due to outside influence. The Qubdish followed a very different Christology to the Aroman Church, as did others areas to the west and east, and these heresies were spreading throughout the empire. Theodosius tried to shore up the old order by replacing any bishops that professed anything that might be considered heretical, or were too slow in bringing heretics to task. Whilst this seemed to work and strengthened the Aroman Church, it effectively caused there to be several competing hierarchies of clerics in parts of the Aroman Empire, as communities divided in support of the clergy whose preachings they prefered. Theodosius' successors were not anywhere near as successful, as this atmosphere of religious strife was coupled with increasing invasions from the Thelarike Kingdom. They prevaricated over trying to quash the internal struggles of the empire and tried to protect the broders, with Demetrius I (630-651AD) invading Thelarike and Theognostus I (651-662AD) turning back Qubdi invasions.
In the 660s, the Bishop Optatus of Sozaclea had begun to preach an austere form of Christianity that was influenced by hermit communities in the Desert of Trapezon. This form saw icons as against the teachings of God and as a symbol of the materialism of the State Church and the state itself, especially at a time when the ordinary population of the empire was suffering from poverty and hunger. This, and emphasis on charity, purity and fellowship, saw Optatus' teachings spread rapidly. He was removed from his diocese through the policies laid down by Theodosius and Optatus took to the road as an itinerent preacher. Travelling from from town to town, Optatus would preach against the corruption of the Church and the decadence of the imperial court and he began to gain a significant number of followers. The imperial court itself, however, ignored it and the Church was couldn't deal with it amongst all the other heresies. By the time Constantine III took the Leopard Throne by overthrowning Petrus, the last of the Aexpurtians, in 669AD, the teachings of Optatus had spread across the Central Sea and were rife across Tagmatium. Constantine struggled to keep the situation from breaking out into outright civil war and finally sent one of his generals, Michael of Cnidoton, to arrest Optatus. However, Michael and his officers were convinced of the Godliness of Optatus' teachings and swore to his cause. This set in motion the civil war that had been brewing for the last hundred years.
The Enlightenment
By 681, Constantine was fighting a losing battle. Michael of Cnidoton was one of the most capable generals of the period and he was able to organise the rural and urban populations that were coming over to him sufficiently to oppose the professional forces that Constantine was deploying against the Optatans. Within two years, Constantine was outmanoeuvred outside of the city of Magnomenium to the south of Hieropolis by the forces of Michael and after a battle, Constantine surrendered. To show magnamity, and to demonstrate to others that there was no need to fight to the end, Michael allowed Constantine to abdicate and he was appointed as governor of the Hexanesa. The defeat at the Battle of Magnomenium saw Michael advance into the capital unopposed, and he was crowned in the Cathedral of Christ Pantocrator by Optatus. With the defeat of Constantine and the defection of much of the army that followed, the Optatans ran rampant through the empire. This saw the destruction or disappearance of many icons and artwork throughout the empire. Michael was careful to place his agents throughout the crowds, so that the furore did not get out of control and that he was able to sequester the remains, which greatly increased the imperial treasury.
The Siege of Arome in 704AD is the iconic end of the State Church of Aroman Empire and its replacement by the Optatan Church, otherwise known as the Enlightened Aroman Church. By then, Michael had died and had been replaced by his wife Evangelia, one of the few reigning Aroman Empresses. Her strength of will and piety meant that she succeeded to the Leopard Throne without any question. The Siege of Arome was the last stand of established Aroman Church and after several months, Pope Calrissius I surrendered when it was clear that the population was suffering. He fled into exile in Salvia. The situation was still in flux, with the Leopard Throne changing hands several times in quick succession, fueled by groups still resisting the Optatans.
However, the victory of the Optatans was all but assured by this point. The remains of the old Church and other Christian denominations were forced to flee outside of the empire, spreading south and west, with most leaving the lands of the Aroman Empire as the Adapton states took up the new Aroman Church. Those areas where the old pagan religions had clung on were also oppressed, although they were viewed as less problematic than the heretics. By the reign of Christophorus III (785–821AD), the imperial position was to try to calm the religious zealotry of the Enlightened Aroman Church. The looting of the remains of the churches had been a massive boost to the imperial treasury but a lot of it had then been spent through supporting public works or through the foundation of new churches or monastic buildings. He empowered the Senates of Arome and Europatorion to help with these efforts, helping them to gain a relevancy that they had not seen in centuries.
Disorder and Stability
Eclipse of an Empire
The Three Generals
An Ailing Empire
The Last Aroman
The Warring States
Revival
20th Century
The Long War
The Rule of the Admirals
21st Century
Civil War of 2005
Arome Exultant
Geography
Tagmatium is located in the north-west of the Europan subcontinent of the Occident, with the nation roughly split into two halves by the Central Sea. The country has a land area of 942,836 square kilometres (364,031 sq mi), making Tagmatium the fourth-largest country by land area on Eurth. In the past, the small isthmus that conjoins the Occident to the rest of Europa acted as a land bridge for migration and invading armies. However, the construction of the Isthmus Canal (Laimiaic: Dhioryga tou Isthmou) in the late 2000s has meant that this link has now been severed. The country is bordered by the Ranke Sea to the north-east, the Oinops Channel to the east and the Foronian Sea to the south-east. To the west, Tagmatium is bordered by the Sovereign Imperium of Machina Haruspex and the Grand Federated Imperium of Adaptus. Much of this border is made up by the Iaehos River, which is also one of the main arterial trade routes in the Greater Holy Empire and the Occident as a whole. To the south, the Greater Holy Empire shares a border with the Great Queendom of Suverina and to the south-east, the Senatorial Federation of Sporsia.
The heartland of Tagmatium borders the Central Sea and extends in a peninsula into the Ranke Sea. This area, along with the Tagmatine side of the Iaehos River, are the most populous parts of the country, with the majority of the inhabitants residing there. This area is typified by low, rolling hills and fertile river valleys, which mean that it is amongst the most productive farmland on Eurth. To the north and west of the Central Sea, the land rises and forms the High Plains area of Tagmatium, which steadily rise to the foothills of the Ouranodistrision (Anglish: "Skypiercer") mountains. The highest peak of the range is Mount Katofles, which rises to 7,879 m. These mountains form a rainshadow to their east, and a cold arid and semi-arid area, known as the Desert of Trapezon. Apart from the cold arid and semi-arid area found in the far north of Tagmatium, much of the country has a hemiboreal climate. This means that the nation usually has warm summers but cold winters, with much of the country seeing snowfall over the winter months.
Geographic Regions
Geology
Climate
The majority of Tagmatium has a warm summer subtype humid continental climate, which is also known as a hemiboreal climate. The average temperature in the warmest summer month is below 22 °C. Summer high temperatures in this zone typically average between 21 to 28 °C during the and the average temperatures in the coldest months are generally -6 to -12 °C. In these areas, frost-free periods typically last between 3-5 months, with heat spells lasting over a week being rare. The winters are long, cold and severe. The annual average precipitation is between 650 to 1100 mm, with the higher averages taking place in the south-west of the country. This precipitation is well distributed throughout the year. The presence of the Central Sea and the Ranke Sea provide a moderating affect to the climate, which gives the areas of Tagmatium bordering those a longer growing season than other countries at a similar latitude across the wurld.
In the north of Tagmatium, the Ouranodistrision Mountains have a rain shadow that severely restricts precipitation from falling across a wide area, forming a cold, semi-arid desert. This is known as either the Tzankheian Wastes, the Desert of Trapezon or simply the Cold Desert. The temperature range is similar to the rest of Tagmatium, with summer high temperatures in this zone typically average between 17-22 °C during the summer and the average temperatures in the coldest months generally average -10 to -25 °C. Precipitation is very low, with an annual precipitation of 270 mm, but often less than that. The very south-west of the country, on the western end of the border with Suverina, has a very similar climate. It is part of the north-western tip of the Sinuusan Desert. This is caused by the rain shadow of the Dacvoro Mountains. These areas are much more sparsely populated than the rest of Tagmatium.
There are also areas sub-artic climate and cold arid desert climate in and around the Ouranodistrision Mountains and on the border with Haruspex. These are some of the harshest areas of Tagmatium and have little human habitation due to this. These areas have an average summer temperature, depending on altitude, of between 17 to 23 °C and average winter temperatures between -10 to -26 °C. Precipitation varies widely with the geography, with as little as 170 mm of precipitation annually.
| Location | July (°C) | July (°F) | January (°C) | January (°F) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europatorion | 27/14 | 81/57 | −3/−8 | 27/18 |
| Dymafos | 27/15 | 80/59 | −1/−4 | 30/25 |
| Tagmatika | 24/12 | 75/54 | −3/−7 | 27/19 |
| Petrion | 21/13 | 70/56 | −2/−6 | 28/21 |
| Nystras | 26/12 | 79/53 | −1/−6 | 30/21 |
| Prousa | 25/14 | 77/57 | −3/−8 | 27/18 |
Biodiversity
Most of Tagmatium is dominated by a hemiboreal climate zone, which has then informed its biodiversity. Historically, before significant human impact on the flora and fauna of Tagmatium, it would have been dominated by hemiboreal forests. These are forests that have some of the characteristics of a boreal forest, but also have features shared with temperate-zone forests to the geographic south. This means that coniferous forests tend to dominate, but a significant number of deciduous species also occur. Within this climate zone, there are many smaller variations. The lands around the Central Sea are low-lying, mainly consisting of plains and rolling hills, whilst to the north of that, it becomes the High Plains region, which is dominated by open plains, as the name suggests. To the west are the broad, fertile floodplains of the Iaehos river. The other major ecoregions within Tagmatium are the cold semi-arid desert in the north of the country, the Tzankheian Desert, and the mountain range of the Ouranodistrision Mountains. There is still a significant amount of forest in Tagmatium, despite a long history of agriculture, which has enabled many species to remain, although numbers of many of these declined over the 20th Century.
This means that Tagmatium is rich in wildlife, including some large species of mammal, both carnivores and herbivores. Carnivores include animals such as lynx, wolves, bears, wildcats, foxes, otters, grey seals and the Tagmatine leopard. The herbivore species include wild boar, roe deer, red deer, badgers, elk, bison and wild goat. Many of these, especially the large carnivores, suffered from years of persecution at the hands of humans. For example, the Tagmatine leopard, although long a symbol of the country, was almost hunted to extinction in the mid 20th Century but was able to cling on to very marginal lands. A similar fate befell the bison, especially as it encroached on farmland before and during the Long War due to more of its range being turned over to both arable and livestock farming. This pattern was seen across most of the large mammals in Tagmatium, especially as agriculture became more intensive and Tagmatium started to build its economy on the export of grains. However, over the last several decades, ecological policies have been successful in reversing many of these losses, especially in the case of the leopard and the bison.
Tagmatium also has a wide range of birdlife, including migratory birds and other species that remain all year around. These range from small bird species, such as sparrows and robins, to large ones, like storks and numerous species of eagle. Like many other animals, many have suffered due to human activity, mainly through hunting and habitat loss. The Occidental imperial eagle, an iconic bird through its association with the ancient Aroman Empire, has seen its numbers significantly reduce. Other birds, such as the common blackbird, have been able to thrive in the changing nature of the landscape and are thought to number in the 100 millions in the Occident. Many other bird species have also adapted to the increasingly urban environment of the Greater Holy Empire. An example of this is the Rock Dove, which has gone from being a species introduced from Azania and southern Europa, to endemic to most cities in Tagmatium. Another introduced species is the common pheasant, which originates in the Byphean Mountains, but has become widespread across Tagmatium and much of the Occident. Despite these successes, however, there have been general declines in the numbers of all birds.
In recent years, the Tagmatine government has pursued a policy of rewilding certain areas of the country, as well as encouraging farmers to use less intensive methods and reduce the amount of pesticides on their crops. This has been somewhat successful in reversing the trends of wildlife decline, although it has yet to be able to truly reverse the downward trend seen across almost all species of wildlife that had taken place over the course of the mid to late 1900s. Similarly, activities such as logging and mining are now closely controlled, which has gone some way to prevent biodiversity loss, especially of ancient woodland. This had become rare in many places in Tagmatium and was often a prime target of loggers due to the age of the trees within it. This has been undertaken through both a tightening of environmental laws and stricter penalties against actions such as illegal logging and hunting. There have also been advertising campaigns and social media programmes that emphasise the need for the protection of biodiversity and preservation of the environment. The Tagmatine government has also promoted these overseas, playing a leading role of the reintroduction of Bison in Dolchland.
Politics
Tagmatium is a unitary constitutional elective monarchy and parliamentary democracy, with one of the oldest surviving legislative systems on Eurth, one which has inspired many of those in the rest of the wurld. The monarch, officially titled the Holy Emperor and Autocrat of the Aroman People and Equal-to-the-Apostles (Laimiaic: Agios Basileos kai Autokrator ton Arhomaioi kai Isapostolos), is both head of state and government. Although nominally bound by the constitution of Tagmatium, in practice the Holy Emperor is an absolute monarch, with very little to prevent the monarch from acting as they see fit. This is partially because the Tagmatine Constitution is uncodified and exists as disparate written sources, such as statutes, case law set down by judges and motions passed by the Senates. It is also partially due to the fact that the Holy Emperor is taken to be God's representative on Eurth and the living figure of the law (Laimiaic: "nomos empsychos"), therefore possessing the ability to override or change aspects of the constitution as they see fit.
Despite having a long history of participation by the population in democratic processes of the state, the history of democracy has been long and difficult. For much of the history of Tagmatium and back into the Aroman Empire, it was tied not just citizenship but wealth, property and faith as well. If a citizen was not of the majority faith of Tagmatium, which has been the Enlightened Aroman Church for most of the country's history, then they could not take part in any votes.
It wasn't until 1957, in the democratising reforms of Leon III, that sufferage was given to all citizens of Tagmatium, without reference to property, wealth or religion. Leon also made the vote for the Holy Emperor a general election, with all those of voting age eligible (with some caveats, such not being disbarred due to criminal convictions or due to medical reasons), rather than just amongst the membership of the Senates. This has been the case ever since. The last election for the Holy Emperor was in 2005, which saw the election of the current monarch, Kommodos III.
Executive
The Holy Emperor is both head of state and government but they are closely assisted by numerous officials and ministers, who are appointed at the leisure of the monarch. The chief amongst these are the Mesaszon (Anglish: "Intermediary"), the Rhaiktor (Anglish: "Rector") and the Kouropalates (Anglish: "Majordomo"). These three roles are considered to be amongst the great offices of the Tagmatine state and function similarly to prime minister, minister for the empire and chief of staff respectively. The other great offices of state are the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, War and Finance. All ministerial and department heads hold office irrespective of any of the Senates, although former ministers and department heads may be appointed to the Senates as a way of rewarding service and enabling imperial control of the events within the Senates.
Legislature
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Uniquely amongst nations on Eurth, Tagmatium has three legislative bodies - the Senates of Arome, Europatorion and Tagmatika, commonly known as the Sinatos, the Gerouseia and the Synkletos respectively. although They are often referred to as the Sinatos (Anglish: "Senate") collectively. They are considered to be legislative bodies, they act more as advisory bodies for the Holy Emperor - they can pass resolutions that the Holy Emperor may issue as edicts and the monarch might also turn to them for advice on matters. The senates are not directly elected by the Tagmatine citizenship. Rather, the members are there through inheriting their position or by being rewarded for service by the Holy Emperor. The number of members for each of the Senates is capped at two thousand. Members of the Senates form a class of themselves amongst the Tagmatine population, with some families having been members of the Senates for hundreds of year or more.
There is an element of seniority at play in the senates, with that of Arome being the oldest and therefore the most senior, followed by Europatorion and then Tagmatika. Whilst the resolutions passed by the senates are non-binding for the Holy Emperor, tradition has dictated that something passed by all three senates has to be enacted.
Administrative Divisions
Tagmatium has a unitary structure in terms of administration and this is one of the most important factors shaping Tagmatine public administration. Almost all power - executive, legislative and judicial - is exercised by the central government and are considered to be the main functions of the state, so local administrations have little power. The Greater Holy Empire does not have a federal system and the provinces (Laimiaic: themata, singular: thema) are subordinate to the central government. Local administrations were established to provide services in place and the government is represtented by the provincial governors (protonotarios), who oversee their provinces on behalf of the central government but are advised on local issues by the provincial councils (Laimiaic: synhedreia, singular: synhedreion), which are directly elected by the people. Other senior public officials are also appointed by the central government rather by the provincial councils, although again the choice is often advised by the councils. The provinces are divided into districts, which are governed by elected councils (Laimiaic: boulai, singular: boule) and then further subdivided into subdistricts, again governed by elected councils (Laimiaic: koureia, Fragran curia). The smallest subdivision, the municipality, also has an elected council (Laimiaic: ourdos, Fragran ordo).
Within this unitary framework, Tagmatium is subdivided into four levels of administrative district: provinces, districts, subdistricts and municipalites. Provinces (Laimiaic: themata, singular: thema) are divided into "districts" (Laimiaic: meroi singular: meros), which are then divided into "subdistricts" (Laimiaic: droungoi singular: droungos) and finally municipalities (Laimiaic: banda, singular: bandon). Tagmatium is also divided into ten regions (Laimiaic: regeonai, Fragran: praefectura) and these are for geographic, demographic and economic purposes; it does not refer to an administrative division.
Several large cities are also considered to be seperate administrative divisions given an element of self-governance outside of the framework of the themata especially the "imperial cities" (Laimiaic: Basilikoi Poleis) of Arome, Europatorion and Tagmatika. Whilst this is little more than a freedom to enact some policies, such as urban planning, environmental and energy policies, it is often very beneficial to those cities. Due to this, there are three types of city within Tagmatium. The first is the three "imperial cities", which have an ancient history of self-governance and have a status as joint capitals of the Greater Holy Empire and are accorded high status within the political and cultural spheres. The second is the "great city" (Laimiaic: megalopoleis), which are part of the province in which they are located by accorded freedom in the same way as the "imperial cities". The third is the "thematic city", which are merely a recognition of a large urban settlement that is still governed within the limits of the province and function as second or third level administrative divisions depending on population size, and are again further subdivided.
Regions
The country is split into eleven administrative regions (Laimiaic: regeonai, Fragran: praefectura). These are the highest tier of sub-national divisions in Tagmatium, although they do not fulfil any functions within the government of the nation beyond statistical, economic and policy purposes. Regions are often historic in nature and are somewhat ecletic in origin - some reflect the administrative divisions of the nation from the time of the Octarchy until reforms undertaken during the Ioannesian Dynasty, such as Nidoreia and Transmireia. Others reflect far ancient tribal boundaries that predate even the Aroman Empire, like Laimias and Vrygeia. Some are much more modern, like Kleisourakon, which was an amalgamation of small military border districts (Laimiaic: kleisoura) that had been set up to defend the border with Haruspex and formed in reforms of Konstantinos VII. The main role that the regions play is for the implementation of national-level policies, as well as for censuses and some judicial and law enforcement agency purposes. In some instances, namely in the case of Laimias, Nidoreia, Flektemon and Tzankheia, the regional bodies help the Themata within the region to act with more cohesion, especially with regard to economic practices. These regions have a strong history as occasionally de facto independent nations, which means in turn that the central government often keeps them on a short leash.
The regions are as follows, with the Fragan name in brackets where applicable:
- Nidoreia (Nidoria)
- Laimias
- Megale Agrotikon (Magna Agri)
- Tzankheia
- Flektemon
- Kleisourakon
- Vrygeia
- Psilepediades
- Transmireia (Transmeria)
- Aeireskollai (Aeriscolles)
- Tegouneia (Degunia)
Provinces
The principle administrative divisions of Tagmatium is the province, or in Laimiaic, thema. There are $number of provinces. These are based in reforms carried out in response to the changing situation that the country faced during the 6th to 9th centuries and were primarily military in nature. They formed the recruitment pools for army units based in those areas or, in case of the coastal or riverine provinces, naval units as well. At first, they were intrinsically linked to the army, with the commanding general of the army unit based there also acting as the civil governor as well. The civilian administration was very much a support element to that of the military. However, by the $year, this had changed and the military and civilian administrations had fully divorced, with what had been the general's chief civilian aide becoming the provincial governors instead. The provincial governors themselves are appointed by the central government. The provinces are then further subdivided into smaller districts, subdistricts and municipalities. There are democratically elected councils at all levels, who act in an advisory capacity to the provincial governors. The provinces are also the main building blocks for the juidicial organisation of Tagmatium. They do retain an organisational role within the military, hower this is entirely secondary to the civilian administration of the provinces themselves.
The provinces are as follows:
Cities
Administratively, the cities in Tagmatium are split into three categories - Imperial Cities, Great Cities and Provincial Cities. The Imperial Cities are the capitals of Arome, Europatorion and Tagmatika, with all three having functional parts in the legislative, judicial and executive branches of the Tagmatine government. The capitals have special privileges according to them, with the cities' administrations having a higher level of independence in how they are run than any other Tagmatine city. Historically, the populations were given others, such as a free grain dole, but these have been discontinued in all but special celebrations and occasions, such as the coronation of a new monarch. All three cities have a population in excess of 1 million, with Arome having 1.2 million inhabitants, Europatorion 12.5 million and Tagmatika 5.3 million. Tagmatika is the current political capital, with the Holy Emperor and much of the machinery of the government residing there. They are also considered to be administrative entities in their own right and separate from the provinces in which they are located.
The Great Cities are large cities, several with a population of over 3 million and the port city of Dymafos a population over 6 million. They are accorded some administrative freedoms in line with the Imperial Cities, although more restricted. Unlike the Imperial Cities, they remain part of the province in which they are located. They are also the administrative capitals of the provinces that they are located in. They are important industrial, trade and transport centres, with several, such as Thenion, Dymafos and Petrion, being international ports as well.
Provincial cities are much smaller and are merely a recognition of a large urban settlement that is still governed within the limits of the province. These cities often act as second or third level administrative divisions, depending on their size. The majority of the Provincial Cities have a population of less than half a million, with the low hundred thousands being more common than anything higher.
Foreign Relations
Tagmatium is a member of few regional organisations since the early 2000s, when the regional alliances within Europa often brought the continent close to the brink of war. Due to its large economy, Tagmatium is a member of Group of 7 and aligned with TRIDENT through the Partnership for Peace programme. The Greater Holy Empire has joined ATARA as a full member.
Tagmatium maintains an intelligence service, the Tagmatine Intelligence Network or Arhomaiki Diktyo Pliroforion in Laimiaic. This a combined internal and foreign intelligence service and it monitors possible threats to the Tagmatine state and its interests through collecting intelligence, both at home and abroad.
Europa
Tagmatium maintains strong ties with its western and northern neighbours, Adaptus and Haruspex, the latter of which is in a customs union with Tagmatium. An alliance was formed between Haruspex and Tagmatium in 2010, with the signing of the Treaty of Chisinau in the capital of Suverina, which had friendly relations with both nations. Prior to that, the countries had a history of mutual antagonism and sporadic warfare. The alliance was dissolved unilaterally by the Haru in June 2022. The Greater Holy Empire's relations with the rest of Europa have a chequered history, as the actions of Tagmatium are often cast in terms that recall ancient Arome's conquests. Gaellicia, for example, often views the actions of the Greater Holy Empire with some scepticism. A strong alliance exists with Akiiryu, although it has become somewhat weaker as Akiiryu suffered through the Great Europan Collapse. Relations with the southern Aroman nations of Sporsia and Euandria are much more fraught, as both perceive Tagmatium as possessing an irredentist attitude towards their nations. Similarly, the Republic of Qubdi has also had historically hostile relations with Tagmatium, although these have warmed in recent years. However, they could not be described as "friendly".
Despite the two nations being significant trading partners, Tagmatium and Great Anglia have kept each other at arms' length, with the former viewing the latter as an upstart and the latter possessing an inferiority complex towards the former. The Volsci Republic has been a historical enemy of the Aroman Empire and then Tagmatium. This antagonistic relationship has become less hostile in the past decade but the nations still hold each other at a distance, with very little official contact. The rest of Europa is considered to be of little interest to the Tagmatine government, with its attention being drawn more to the nations of the New Wurld.
New Wurld
Relations with the wider Eurth have often been sporadic and usually limited to the occasional embassy or diplomatic visit, as Europa was the main focus of Tagmatium's attention. The so-called Great Christian Fleet circumnavigated the glube between 1911 and 1913, in a show of force that did not resonate much with the New Wurld. They have only recently become far more mutual and interconnected, especially as trade between the New and Old Wurlds becomes much more integrated. Recent events, such as the Sentist War, have meant that Tagmatium has become more involved in New Wurld events, through peaceful and military methods.
Now, Tagmatium has cultivated close partnerships with many of the New Wurld nations, with Iverica (and later, New Iberium), Seylos and Salvia being especially close. There has also been close cooperation with Prymont in education and research. Through the Partnership for Peace programme, Tagmatium is now allied with the nations of TRIDENT. Due to the proximity of eastern Argis, Ebrary has long been a trading partner of Tagmatium and the Holy Imperial Government is attempting to cultivate it further. Through the Ceris Crisis and then the Sentist War, Tagmatium has also formed a relationship with the Ceris nation of Secryae, providing both economic and military aid.
The southern continent of Aurelia remains both figuratively and metaphorically distant to Tagmatium. The only nation that the Greater Holy Empire has meaningful ties with is Kirvina, which is considered to be an Aroman nation, like Tagmatium and Adaptus. From its founding as a colony in the 7th Century, Kirvina has maintained meaningful relations with its homeland and trade has continued through to the modern day. This included capybaras, which were long a symbol of status amongst the Tagmatine aristocracy. The religion of the Unconqered Sun, which was founded in Kirvina, is of a protected status in Tagmatium itself.
Core Principles
The foreign policy enacted by Tagmatium varies from one occupant of the Leopard Throne to the next, as the absolutist nature of the Tagmatine political system means that the personal opinions and views of the Holy Emperor have much more weight than they might in other nations, it still tends to follow along similar lines. Both the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Tagmatine Diplomatic Service, as well as the Aroman Intelligence Network and the military, enact the foreign policy of Tagmatium, as handed down to them from the Holy Emperor.
Broadly, the foreign policy of Tagmatium has followed similar trends no matter the occupant of the Leopard Throne. This is usually attempting to maintain its standing in the wurld, maintaining or improving trade links, protecting its own sovereignty and the safety of its citizens. It has also tried to increase trade with other nations and attempted to maintain peace across the Eurth. This is especially true of the nation under Kommodos, who has maintained a more active role in foreign affairs than his predecessor, Theodosios VI. Tagmatium has regularly pursued trade agreements with other nations, as well as renewing old ones, and sought membership of international organisations, such as ATARA. This is both to bring the wurld closer together but also to improve the nation's international standing and economy.
Moreso than under in the reigns of previous Tagmatine monarchs, Kommodos has been active in making sure that crises do not threaten wurld trade and has used sanctions and embargoes against those who are inflicting human rights abuses on their own citizens or those of other nations, as well as threatening wurld peace. Recent examples of this are the intervention in the piracy that was plaguing the Dolch Sea, which led to Tagmatine involvement in the Sentist War but also the sanctions placed against Great Anglia, Suverina and Qubdi in the opening stages of the Anglian Crisis, although Qubdi has recently had the sanctions removed.
Law and Criminal Justice
Tagmatium uses a legal system that is based upon the framework made by Aroman law, a legal system that dates back thousands of years, as well as the Ioannesian Code, which was an update of Aroman law undertaken in the late 500s. This was then further influenced by developments within canon law and Christian beliefs and philosophy, and the legal code was slowly but haphazardly updated over the next few centuries. Another codification that was undertaken in the reign of David (1851–1879) and is therefore known as the Davidian Code, which updated numerous aspects of the laws and brought them in line with modern developments. The basic principles of Tagmatine law are laid out in this updated version of the ancient legal system. The legal system itself is broadly broken into three parts - civil, criminal and administrative. The civil branch of law dealing with non-criminal cases, the criminal branch deals with crimes against people, property and more and the administrative branch deals with the activities of the executive branch of the government itself.
The judiciary of Tagmatium is independent of the executive and the legislature, similar to many other countries on Eurth. However, this is somewhat muddied by the fact that the Holy Emperor is taken to be the living embodiment of the law and therefore possessing the ability to override or change aspects of the constitution as they see fit. The judiciary is overseen by the Ministry for Justice, which also oversees the court system, prisons and probation. The supreme court in the Greater Holy Empire is the Kritai Katholikoi ton Arhomaion (Anglish: "Universal Judges of the Aromans"), a body of four judges, of which one has to be a bishop and another a military officer. This body is the final court of appeal for criminal, civil and administrative cases, although petitions can also be placed before the Holy Emperor themselves, in the hope of receiving a favourable judgement. Below the Universal Judges are three First Courts, each one a high court corresponding to the civil, criminal and administrative law. Tagmatine judges are limited to belonging to one of these three branches and do not judge cases from one of the other two.
Unlike many other nations on Eurth, Tagmatine law has numerous provisions that secure the status of Christianity as the state religion of the nation. These unify Church and State under the figure of the Holy Emperor. The Christianity referred to within these laws is the Enlightened Aroman Church, where previously it was the Iconio-Coroclionian Christianity, until the victory of Optatan Christianity in the late 600s. This excluded many of the Christian sects of the time and made those who did not follow the State Church non-citizens. This persisted until the reforms of Leon III in 1957. The Church does, however, retain special privileges in the law and actions against the Church remain civil or criminal offences. It can even levy its own fines or punishments if people are found to have acted against it. The Church is free from taxation but it is customary and expected for the Church to give an annual gift to the State, in recognition of the State's role as its protector. Other religious organisations and churches are subject to taxes and restrictions, although there are some caveats, such as the status of those who follow the pagan religion of the Unconquered Sun, who were not taxed as unbelievers due to their status as Aromans.
Law enforcement in the Greater Holy Empire is overseen by the Ministry for Police, the Ministry for Internal Affairs and the Ministry for Justice in differing capacities. Law enforcement is primarily carried out by two agencies, the Provincial Police and the National Police, although other, more specialised police services exist. The Provincial Police (Laimiaic: "Taxiotai") are divided into one force in each of the provinces of Tagmatium and they are responsible for tackling crime within its borders. The National Police, known as the "Praitorioi" in Laimiaic, undertake law enforcement within the Imperial Cities and pursue crime of a more serious nature across the nation as whole, such as nation-wide organised crime, large scale financial crime and instances where the Provincial Police might need more specialist services. There is also a political police service, the Internal Intelligence Inspectorate (Laimiaic: "Esoteriki Epitheorisi Pliroforion") that acts as a internal intelligence service and monitors those that might be a threat to the stability of Tagmatium. They have been accused by observers as being little more than a secret police service and not something that a supposedly democratic nation ought to possess.
Crime in Tagmatium increased between the years of 1995 to 2005, from anywhere from 25 percent to 60 percent from the previous ten years and within all categories of crime. This was suggested to be due to either less repressive policing methods carried out under the government of Theodosios VI when compared to the Rule of the Admirals to more accurate crime recording. In the ten years following 2005, crime statistics showed a significant decrease but not to the levels under the Admirals. Some of this was due to the decriminalisation of certain drugs, such as heroin and cannabis. The murder rate in Tagmatium is currently 2.3 per 100,000 and it has fluctuated around this figure for the last 5 years, although it had fallen from a recent high of 3.9 per 100,000 in the five years before that. Prisons come under the responsibility of the Aroman Prison Service, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry for Justice, manages all of the prisons in Tagmatium. The prison population is 93 per 100,000.
Military
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The Aroman Force (Laimiaic: Exerkitos Arhomanos, Fragran: Exercitus Aromanus) is the military of Tagmatium. It is tasked with the defence of the state and its citizens, as well as protecting the interests of Tagmatium abroad. It is also tasked with waging warfare, if it is deemed necessary. It consists of three service branches: the Basilikostratos, the Basilikoploimon and the Basilikoaeroporia, the Imperial Army, the Imperial Fleet and the Imperial Air Force respectively. They are managed by the Ministry for War and controlled by the the High Command (Laimiaic: Epistrategaion). The Holy Emperor is commander-in-chief of the military, and members of the military swear an oath both to their monarch and people and before God.
Members of the military play a key role within the Acclamation of the Holy Emperor. A crowd of picked armed forces personnel, civilian officials and civilians call for the newly-elected Holy Emperor to take the throne, who turns it down twice before accepting on the third call. Four members of the armed forces - one from each of the branches and then one from the Tagmata, the Imperial Guard - hoist the Holy Emperor on a shield after this ritual has been completed. In the past, securing the loyalty of the armed forces, especially the army, was key to winning and holding the Leopard Throne.
The Tagmatine Armed Forces are allocated 4.5% of the national GDP, which makes the defence spending of the Tagmatine government one of the highest on Eurth. This is partially due to the Greater Holy Empire's historical position as a power surrounded by rival states, including Machina Haurspex, Suverina, Qubdi and the Volsci Republic. This means that the Aroman Force is one of the best-funded militaries on Eurth. It currently as an active personnel strength of 1,650,000, a number that includes both the Border Guard and Coast Guard. This number is more weighted towards the ground forces of the Aroman Force. It also has a reserve personnel strength of 1,300,000, which is again more focused on the army than the other two branches.
There is also a joint command responsible for Tagmatium's integrated air defence system and it is called the Doukateion, as it is headed by an Imperial Air Force officer of the rank of Doux. This command brings together the army, air force and naval elements of the air defence system and unites it under one hierarchy. It is separate from but subordinate to the Epistrategaion. The integrated air defence system itself is known as the "Shield of Saints" (Laimiaic: "Aspida ton Agion") and is one of the most sophisticated and advanced on Eurth.
Imperial Army
The Imperial Army (Laimiaic: Basilikostratos) is the senior service of the Greater Holy Empire. Its organisation and equipment has changed considerably since the Aroman Empire, moving from what was an infantry-focused force to a primarily cavalry-based one and then back again. This reflected the changing nature of warfare in Europa and the both the strategic and tactical realities facing the Imperial Army. The enemies of Arome went from fielding similar infantry-heavy forces to becoming fast-moving horse archers and then to large, well-drilled formations of musket-armed infantry. These changes were also reflected by those undertaken by the Tagmatine army. For much of this period of evolution, from roughly the 500s to the 1700s, it was said that where the Aroman army had walked, the Tagmatine army now rode. The industrialisation of Tagmatium meant that the Imperial Army was able to benefit from many technological advancements at a pace seen in many other industrialising nations but they were often not used to their full advantage, often through conservatism in the structure of the army. It was only in the decades preceding the Long War (1932-1956) that the Imperial Army came to resemble the combined-arms force that it is today and these changes were cemented by the experiences learned during that conflict.
The Imperial Army is the primary ground-based armed force and is capable of undertaking a range of tasks. These include but are not limited to peacekeeping, garrison and occupation duties, manoeuvre warfare, armoured warfare, ground assault, engineering tasks, logistical supply and support. Although the Imperial Army's main task is the defence of the borders of the Greater Holy Empire, it is also more than capable of taking the fight to the enemy. This could be either as an large-scale offensive force against a land-based enemy in Europa or smaller-scale expeditionary warfare overseas. The biggest strength of the Imperial Army is its numbers - it is the largest army on Eurth. However, it is also amongst the best equipped on Eurth as well, being able to field everything from main battle tanks to infantry fighting vehicles to small unmanned aerial vehicles designed for artillery spotting roles and more. It is also an extremely experienced force, with a history of successful wars in Europa and Argis in the last two decades. This makes the Imperial Army one of the most formidable forces on Eurth.
One of the many specialist units within the Imperial Army is the Imperial Guard (Laimiaic: Tagmata, literally "the Regiments"), the guard units of the Holy Imperial Government. These are six units that guard high-ranking officials and members of the government, honour guard duties, undertake security duties for government buildings, parades, guard mounting and accompany delegations abroad. However, they are also combat troops and have been deployed to areas of conflict in the recent past.
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The Imperial Navy (Laimiaic: Basilikoploimon) is the navy of Tagmatium. Historically, it was little more than a small force that provided transport to the Imperial Army and intercepted any attempted seaborne invasions of the Greater Holy Empire's territory, as well as bore the army when it undertook its own invasions. However, beginning in the 1790s with the reunification of Tagmatium under Konstantinos VII (1788-1809), there was serious investment into the Imperial Navy to enable it to undertake what would now be called "blue water" tasks and missions. This saw a high point in the early 1900s, with the Great Christian Fleet, made up of fourteen battleships and numerous escorting vessels, circumnavigated the glube. They left Tagmatium in 1907 and called at several foreign ports along their route before returning in 1909. Whilst it was an impressive show of force, most of the ships were of outdated designs. Most of the truly useful ships were the array of gunboats, coastal defence ships and monitors that guarded the Tagmatine coast. This set the pattern for the Imperial Navy throughout the rest of the early to mid 1900s, as it was often more of a powerful force on paper than in reality. It was only under the Rule of the Admirals that the Tagmatine navy was able to become a truly modern force.
The modern Imperial Navy serves to defend and protect the Greater Holy Empire's coastal waters and overseas interests, as well as policing domestic shipping lanes. It maintains both a green water force and a blue water force, the latter containing the most impressive vessels in the Tagmatine fleet, the Protathlitai tou Khristou (Anglish: "Champions of Christ") class of aircraft carriers. However, it is the former that make up the bulk of the Imperial Navy's strength, as the blue water element is much newer. It is the corvettes, missile boats and patrol boats that are the true workhorses of the Tagmatine navy, protecting the coastline of Tagmatium and preventing any enemy vessels from getting too close and infringing on vital areas such as the Central Sea. This is referred to as maintaining a naval security perimeter around the Greater Holy Empire's coast. Patrols of Tagmatium's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) are also undertaken, in order to main Tagmatium's control over them. The Imperial Navy also operates the vast bulk of Tagmatium's offensive and defensive cyber warfare assets.
Other branches of the Imperial Navy include the naval air arm, the Aeroporeia tou Ploimou (Anglish: "Airforce of the Fleet") and the marine force, the Navamilitai (Anglish: "Ship-Soldiers"). The Aeroporeia tou Ploimou operate all carrier-based and ground-based aircraft that the navy operates, including jet aircraft and helicopters. The Navamilitai provide shipboard security and security for all facilities owned and operated by the Imperial Navy. They also act as an amphibious infantry force for the Greater Holy Empire of Tagmatium.
Imperial Air Force
The Imperial Air Force, known in Laimiaic as the Basilikoaeroporia is the youngest of the three main service branches. The use of observation or reconnaissance balloons dates back to the late 1700s, although the use was not widespread across Europa or the rest of Eurth until almost a century later. The Imperial Air Force started at first during this later period, when artillery observation was becoming more complex due to the increased range of weapons and the need to observe the movement of enemy troops from significant distances. When the internal combustion engine became widely available, the Tagmatine High Command offered a cash prize to the first person able to do it and the pioneer Ioannes Glauketes was able to carry out in 1906. However, the High Command had been stung by a string of charlatans and they did follow it further. Within ten years, however, it was clear that military heavier-than-air aircraft was a necessity and "Aerostato Kontoubernia", the Balloon Platoons, of the artillery were authorised to start investigating aeroplanes. By 1921, these units had evolved into the Imperial Air Force, as military necessity and utility of not just observer aircraft but combat aircraft was clear.
In the modern era, the Imperial Air Force is the ground-based aerial warfare branch of the Tagmatine Armed Forces. Its mission is to maintain local air supremacy over Tagmatium, through combat air patrols and the use of one of Eurth's most sophisticated integrated air defence systems. It is also to act in support of the Imperial Army and, to a lesser extent, the Imperial Navy in both defensive and offensive actions and operations, and to gain and hold air supremacy over their areas of operation. The Imperial Air Force operates all ground-based aircraft in the Tagmatine Armed Forces, bar some numbers of naval aircraft or those belonging to the Border and Financial Guards. This means that the Imperial Army and Air Force have a history of close cooperation in mutually supporting roles. The aircraft that the Imperial Air Force uses includes air superiority and multi-role fighters, ground attack aircraft, specialist suppression of enemy air defence aircraft, transport aircraft, airborne early warning and control aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft. They can also conduct long-range strikes against enemy targets across Europa and Argis, although the last of the Imperial Air Force's strategic bombers were retired in 2010.
The Imperial Air Force also has two branches of ground-based combat forces, the Peltastoi and the Thorakritai. The Peltastoi is a small corps of paratroops that tends to be utilised in a more defensive fashion than those of other nations, usually paradropping in support of ground forces and existing positions. The Thorakritai are the air force ground forces of the Imperial Air Force and are equipped as standard Tagmatine heavy infantry. They undertake force protection, combat search and rescue as well as other roles.
Paramilitary Forces
Border Guard
The Border Guard, the Foussatores, are counted as part of the Imperial Army and demonstrate an unbroken lineage from the forces of ancient Arome. They are the remains of the ancient armies of the Aroman Empire that once conquered much of western and central Europa. Over the years, they were reduced in importance and relagated to the role of manning the border defences and alerting the other parts of the Tagmatine army to the presence of enemy forces. This is reflected in the name that the organisation now has, which comes from the ancient Fragran word for ditch, "fosse" - the Foussatores were there to dig, maintain and guard ditches dug as other border defences. They do, however, maintain a rank structure that comes from their ancient forebears and shares little with the more modern titles of the Tagmatine armed forces.
The role of the Foussatores is now border security and they are a paramilitary rather than a military force. Their focus is on guarding border crossings, including those within seaports, airports and international rail terminals. They work alongside the Vestiaritai, as well as the police forces of Tagmatium where necessary. Within these roles, especially along the considerable land border with Suverina, the Border Guard are not just a static force as their name may suggest. They operate a range of road and off-road vehicles and include a small number of aircraft and riverine craft.
Financial Guard
The Vestiaritai are the coast guard and financial guard of the Greater Holy Empire. They come under the authority of the Ministry for Finance but they remain part of the Imperial Guard, the Tagmata. This means that even though they are organised more along the lines of a paramilitary force than a true military one, they are rated as amongst the elite of the Tagmatine armed forces. This is not necessarily borne out by the level of military training they receive, however. Their name comes from their ancient role as guards of the "Basilikon Vestiarion", which meant at that time the Imperial Wardrobe. From there, they took on a fiscal inspection role and this had changed by the 1600s into a customs inspection duty, especially in preventing smuggling along the extensive Tagmatine coastline and river network.
The Vestiaritai maintain a fleet of vehicles, including cutters, patrol boats, helicopters, aeroplanes and both road and off-road vehicles. They utilise these to to cover the coastline of Tagmatium and also the land borders of the nation. They are also present at land border crossings, airports, seaports and international rail terminals, where they act in the role of customs officials. In this role, they often act in support of the Foussatores when monitoring cross-border movement, as well as alongside both the National and Provincial Police when investigations call for it.
Economy
Overview
The economy of Tagmatium is a developed mixed economy and one of the largest economies on Eurth, with a GDP of $5.390 trillion, and a GDP per capita of $20,361. Tagmatum's economy has a reliance on heavy heavy industry and agriculture, as well as a growing biofuels and alternative energy sector. A well-established armaments sector also helps bolster the economy, with many systems being sought out by other nations on Eurth. Due to the ancient and well known history of Tagmatium and the Aroman Empire, tourism plays a large role, with visitors coming from all over Eurth, visiting both ancient and modern, secular and religious sites and attractions. Whilst Tagmatium does have a leading regional manufacturing sector, with an element of automation, it lags behind this when compared to the wurld's other leading economies. Tagmatium holds the wurld's largest share in the biofuel market, being the largest grower of the raw material, the largest producer and largest exporter of the biofuel itself. This goes hand-in-hand with the fact that the country is also the largest producer and exporter of grain on Eurth. The manufacture of textiles is the leading Tagmatine light industry, using wool or plant fibres often grown within the Greater Holy Empire's borders. This sector, as well as agriculture and construction, tend to provide low-skill, low-paying jobs for much of the Tagmatine workforce.
Most trade Tagmatium undertakes with other nations is in Europa but the Holy Imperial Government has been pursuing trade deals with New Wurld nations, including Iverica, Delamaria, Seylos and Salvia. These are based on a reciprocal reduction in tarriffs and are often targeted to improve Tagmatium's agricultural and environmental sectors. Tagmatium also maintains a customs union with Adaptus, called the Aroman Customs Union.
Natural Sector
Within the farming sector, staple crops such as wheat and maize are predominant, with Tagmatium being the largest exporter of grain on Eurth. Much of this is exported to other Europan countries but some also goes further afield, to Argis and Alharu. This goes hand-in-hand with Tagmatium's booming biofuels industry. The problem this has begun to pose is that there is competition for arable land between crops such as wheat or maize and crops used for seed oil. Farming sees a high degree of automation, although this is often seen in the large farming combines that dominate the growing of these staples for exports – smaller, family owned farms often cannot afford the newer generation of machinery and, as a result, are often not as profitable as the larger-scale farms. The areas of Tagmatium that see the highest production of grain are the Megale Agrotikon and Transmireia regions, although all areas apart from the extreme north of the country have a signficiant proportion of land turned over to the production of grain. The agricultural industry is overseen by the Ministry for Agriculture.
Besides arable farming, sheep and cattle are raised, both for meat, dairy produce and wool. Much of this is consumed within Tagmatium but wool, as a base for textiles, is exported. Seed oil is the biggest growing sector within the Tagmatine agricultural sector, aided by subsidies and the fact that the government is actively seeking foreign markets for it. This sector also provides much of the luxuries that Tagmatium exports – Tagmatine wine, brandy and whisky are amongst the most famous, as well as more niche products such as garos, a fermented fish sauce. Although much of Tagmatium has a humind continental climate, part of the Sinuusan Desert forms the southwest of Tagmatium and the climate there enables the production of saffron, which historically formed part of the revenue of the Holy Emperor and its export was tightly controlled. Now, it is exported across the wurld.
Forestry is tightly controlled by the Ministry of the Environment, which also monitors many aspects of the impact of agriculture as a whole. Much of this control comes from legislation based on the historic need to supply wood for weaponry and charcoal for metalworking for the Taggmatine armed forces, to protect the nation from its perceived enemies. Although this need is long since redundant, it has installed an ethos that forms part of the drive of Kommodos III's government towards a sustainable future. Logging and the utilisation of forests and woodlands for commercial uses is strictly licensed and monitored, with unlicensed activity punished through fines and occasionally prison sentences.
Industrial Sector
The industrial sector of Tagmatium is helped by a good supply and variety of natural resources, including abundant deposits of iron, copper, coal, zinc and even some rarer ores, such as bauxite, tungsten and uranium. The country's well-developed infrastructure of roads – famously, metaphorically so – and rail aids extraction and use of these resources, but international competition means that much of this is limited to central and northern Europa. Shipbuilding, farming machinery and locomotive construction are the largest parts of the industrial sector, whilst the automotive industry tends to lag behind foreign examples.
The arms industry supplies the needs of the Tagmatine Armed Forces, with everything from small arms to armoured vehicles and most ship types domestically produced, with some exported to allied or at least friendly nations. These include Aurivizh, Nyantastan and Zaxar. The arms industry is considered to be key to the nation's security, which means that the government is often not keen on foreign companies becoming involved in the sector. This has also meant that much of it is under the control of the state, either as directly state-owned or companies in which the government holds a majority share.
Tagmatium's automotive industry includes several large manufacturers, such as Basilikoi Kinitires and Hippokomos, that produce a range of vehicles, from cars to heavy goods vehicles. Much of the industry was state-owned until the mid 1990s when it was privatised.
Tagmatium's commercial electronics and software development is good for northern Europa but cannot be described as wurld-beating – at times, the indigenous companies do little more than play keep-up with foreign competitors. This has become somewhat reinforced by recent trade deals struck by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion with Salvia and Iverica, which reduced the tariffs for foreign imports in this sector. Examples of the local manufacturers are the mobile phone brands EtVade and Kosmos. The video game industry has seen a growth in recent years, with several companies being founded and receiving investment from venture capitalists and grants from the government. The biggest companies are Dynapyr Entertainment and Exsite Games.
Due to Tagmatium's booming agricultural sector, the production of industrial chemicals for fertiliser and pesticide has seen a similar upswing, at least within the internal market. Recent trade deals secured by the Holy Imperial Government have opened up swathes of the international market to agricultural chemicals produced in Tagmatium, with many nations in the New Wurld now utilising them.
Service Sector
The service sector remains a bit more rudimentary than other comparable national economies, more focussed on the internal market than the international one. This is partially due to the nascent state of the Tagmatine electronics sector but it is also hindered by other factors. These include a language and culture that doesn't spread much beyond the Occident and north-eastern Amutia, despite increasing interest in the projection of soft power by the Tagmatine government.
Healthcare is provided by a mixture of the state and the Church, with most hospitals, hospices and residential care being run administratively by a diocese but staffed by employees of and funded by the Ministry of Health. There is some varience, however. Private healthcare exists but is rare and is usually only accessed by the wealthy.
Hospitality is a major part of the service sector, providing a wide range of low-paying jobs. Food service is split between restaurants, which includes everything from the high end to fast food, to bars, taverns and pubs. Hotels can be much more varied, from luxurious ones that cater to foreign and domestic tourists to those that cater almost exclusively towards pilgrims travelling between the various shrines and religious sites in Tagmatium. These are often as part of a pilgrimage route and are usually quite spartan. In between lie ones that cater business travellers.
The Tagmatine merchant fleet has been able to take advantage of the continental economic downturn and step into the void formed by other countries no longer being able to maintain extensive merchant fleets of their own. This has been aided by the favourable rates the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion offers on transit through the Isthmus Canal to shipping firms registered within Tagmatium. It has meant that the Tagmatine merchant fleet has come to become the leading freight service within the Raga and the Central Europan seas.
Tourism
Tourism remains a steady sector – the ancient sites and sights of the Aroman Empire draw tourists from across Eurth, whether to see such storied sites as the Walls of Konstantios that dominate Europatorion and various ancient Christian sites that dot the country. The capital cities are the most visited parts of Tagmatium, although the popularity of the north of the country for winter breaks is increasing. There were some 45 million visits to the country in 2019. Another draw are the unspoilt landscapes in many parts of the nation, as well as the mountains in the north that provide opportunities for activities such as skiing and mountain climbing.
The continental economic downturn has seen a reduction in tourists from Europa but increasing contact with the New Wurld means that much of this has been replaced by tourists from Marenesia, Argis and Aurelia. Tagmatium has become a popular destination for tourists from Kirvina especially, as the use of Laimiaic in that Aurelian nation means that there are fewer language barriers for tourists visiting the Greater Holy Empire. Tourism is being encouraged by both the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Finance through the inter-ministerial working group Visit Arome.
Transport
The road network of Tagmatium has its roots dating to the famous roads of the ancient Aroman Empire, although the modern road system bears little resemblance to that system. The road network is well developed, with XXX miles of paved roads connecting all settlements in the country. There is also an extensive motorway system, consisting of over XXX miles, which links all of the major cities of Tagmatium. Although the country represents one of the largest automobile markets in the wurld, due to the size of the nation, a recent study by the Ministry for Transport stated that there were 353 vehicles per 1,000 people.
The majority of public transport services, such as bus, tram, light rail and the underground systems of Europatorion, Tagmatika and Dymafos, are state-owned and overseen by either the municipal authorities or the districts that they are based in. There are also inter-province bus services but these are not as popular as rail travel. In 2018, there were 20.2 billion bus journies within the Greater Holy Empire, of which 5.3 were in Europatorion alone. The largest city of Tagmatium has one of the most extensive bus networks in Europa, if not the Eurth, with over 6,5000 services scheduled each weekday, carrying roughly five million passengers over 600 different routes. The green buses are considered to be iconic in Tagmatium.
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The Greater Holy Empire's rail network is amongst the longest in the wurld, with a length of XXX miles, and it radiates out from several large cities in the nation, such as Europatorion. It serves both a freight- and passenger-carrying role, although a slow increase in automobile-ownership means that passenger numbers have been on a downward trend in recent years. The railways are all state-controlled, apart from rail lines that operate within large mines, quarries or industrial sites. The state-owned rail network is operated as Aroman Railways, a state-owned conglomerate that came into being during the Long War as a way of coordinating the various rail companies in had previously operated in Tagmatium. The rail network is nearly all standard gauge, apart from some light railways and tramways. Most settlements, from large cities to small villages, are connected to the rail network, although the latter may be served by a station that also serves other villages in the area. Although Aroman Railways has a reputation for being somewhat unreliable at times, the low cost of rail fares compared to the expense of vehicle ownership has meant that travel by rail is still the most popular method of travel within the Greater Holy Empire. The interconnectedness of all of the major settlements has also long been an economic boon for businesses and industries as well.
The civil airline industry is a mixture of private and state-owned, with the flag carrier Aroman Airways being state-owned and its next largest competitor, Occidental Air, privately owned and fulfilling a niche as a low-cost domestic and international carrier. The largest, and busiest, Tagmatine airport is Europatorion Airport, which handles over one hundred million passengers a year, with several other airports, such as Tagmatika and Dymafos, handling tens of millions a year.
Energy
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Tagmatium is one of the top five largest energy consumers on Eurth and ranks amongst the top ten for energy production. It is also home to what was once one of the largest oil and gas companies on Eurth, Aroman Petroleum.
Much of Tagmatium's power needs are provided through renewable sources or through nuclear power generation, with as much as 68% being met by wind and hydroelectric power. Previously, energy was mainly generated by power stations fueled by fossil fuels, as well as several nuclear power stations, recent drives during the reign of Kommodos III has seen the power grid transition to renewable sources. In November 2018, the country was able to fulfil all of its energy needs for a week through renewable and nuclear sources, and this became more the norm throughout 2020. Tagmatium is currently updating or replacing most of its older nuclear power stations, as nuclear power is viewed as key to meeting Tagmatium's future energy needs.
Coal production played a large role in the Tagmatine economy during the 19th and 20th Centuries. However, towards the end of the 20th Century, cheaper foreign coal became much more economically viable and Tagmatine production was scaled back in favour of these imports. Although Tagmatium is still a large-scale exporter of coal, it is down from the 100 million tonnes of the late 1900s, down to roughly 30 million tonnes, with indicators that this may reduce further. The Ministry of Power estimates that the coal reserves within the nation could last, at current rates of extraction, for between 200 and 400 years. However, if the downward trend of coal extraction continues, this figure could increase. It is also estimated that the there are significant oil and gas fields underneath the ocean floor around the Hermitage Islands but the Holy Imperial Government has not indicated any intent to exploit them, nor published figures relating to their size.
The sector that is booming in Tagmatium is biofuel and it is becoming the main fuel for automobiles within the nation. This is primarily due to efforts by the Holy Imperial Government to encourage it as an alternative fuel source to fossil fuels, through environmental concerns about the use of fossil fuels. This has been encouraged through both tax breaks and subsidies for the construction of infrastucture, production and useage of biofuels, as well as an increase on levies on petrol and diesel. Critics have, however, pointed out that biodiesel and other biofuels are not truly "green" in nature - they are, at best, carbon neutral, since their use still emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and their production directly competes with the use of arable land for other crops. Electric vehicles and those powered by hydrogen are also becoming more common, although the infrastructure is not yet in place to support them to the level of the other options. Investment and research is being encouraged by both the automotive industry and the Tagmatine government and includes several universities and car manufacturers.
Demographics
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The census is taken simultaneously across all of the eleven administrative regions (Laimiaic: regeonai, Fragran: praefectura) every ten years, or by a direct order of the Holy Emperor or by recommendation of the Senates in special circumstances. According to the Holy Imperial Census, as of the Spring Census of 2019, the population of the Greater Holy Empire is 264,767,841. This makes Tagmatium the most populous country on Eurth, followed by its western neighbour, Adaptus, then Sunset Sea Islands in the continent of Thalassa and Ide Jima in the Orient subcontinent of Europa. The population density of Tagmatium is 280.8/km2. The estimated population growth by the Holy Imperial Census, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Health is 2.2 percent over the next few years. Birthrate is at a current high, with the years of stability after the end of the Civil War in 2005 being noted as a baby boom in Tagmatium. The birthrate of 2.4 is above the replacement rate of 2.1.
The Holy Imperial Government defines an "Aroman" as "anyone bound to the Aroman (Tagmatine) state through the bond of citizenship". Until the mid 20th Century, there was also the implication of belonging to the state religion when it came to the definition of Aroman citizenship. This was removed during the reforms of Leon III. The Holy Imperial Government itself does not ask questions along ethnic or racial lines on its censuses, so this information is not officially gathered when the census is taken. This therefore renders any data on ethnicity potentially unreliable. The question of religion remains on the census, however, and has at times been controversial - "atheist" was not an option in the census questionnaire until the 1999 census as it was held by the Holy Imperial Government that a lack of belief in a deity was incompatible with Aroman citizenship.
As one of the richest countries in Europa and the wurld, immigration to Tagmatium is moderately high. Many of these immigrants come from Amutia and Burania, where the cultural influence of Tagmatium is felt relatively strongly. The current level of immigration is a contributor to the predicted population growth of 2.2 percent but not a major one. Immigration reached a high in the early 2010s due to the Great Europan Collapse, which saw many established Europan nations suffer economic and political turmoil. Tagmatium itself mainly escaped and this stability made it attractive to immigrants. An estimated 3 million net immigrants coming to Tagmatium in the period of 2010-2018, when the situation across Europa began to stabilise. The annexation by Machina Haruspex of Beautancus caused another refugee crisis and this saw several hundred thousand Cussians transported to the Greater Holy Empire. Many were transported to ports where other nations took them away but tens of thousands were absorbed into the Cussian expatriate population in Tagmatium.
Major cities
Tagmatium has a long history of urbanisation and many of its cities were founded over two thousand years ago, especially around the central sea and eastern seaboard. The three capitals and many of the larger cities have histories this long, although urban development and historic event such as fires and sieges have altered their appearance significantly over that time period. The largest cities in Tagmatium are also some of the largest on Eurth. Europatorion is the fouth largest city on Eurth, after Cascadia of Galahinda, Sunset City of the Sunset Sea Islands and Novacastrum of Adaptus. The top twenty cities of Tagmatium account for almost a quarter of the nation's total population, although many of the other cities in the country are much smaller. Almost half of the Tagmatine population lives in urban settlements, with the rest living in rural areas.
Largest cities or towns in Tagmatium
2019 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Provinces of Tagmatium | Pop. | Rank | Provinces of Tagmatium | Pop. | ||||
| 1 | Europatorion | Europatorion (Imperial City) | 12,509,249 | 11 | Aroma | Aroma (Imperial City) | 1,209,437 | ||
| 2 | Dymafos | [[]] | 6,158,357 | 12 | Myzithras | [[]] | 977,036 | ||
| 3 | Tagmatika | Tagmatika (Imperial City) | 5,352,894 | 13 | Resafa | [[]] | 964,582 | ||
| 4 | Petrion | [[]] | 3,730,283 | 14 | Neamagonos | [[]] | 956,108 | ||
| 5 | Nystras | [[]] | 3,643,351 | 15 | Matapon | [[]] | 808,325 | ||
| 6 | Prousa | [[]] | 2,742,647 | 16 | Heiropolis | [[]] | 763,392 | ||
| 7 | Thenion | [[]] | 2,132,748 | 17 | Klimatos | [[]] | 724,579 | ||
| 8 | Kommodopolis | [[]] | 1,904,389 | 18 | Trapezon | [[]] | 687,548 | ||
| 9 | Theodosiopolis | [[]] | 1,683,249 | 19 | Adramittion | [[]] | 648,337 | ||
| 10 | Easteia | [[]] | 1,322,019 | 20 | Kalamanon | [[]] | 601,873 | ||
Language
Tagmatium has two official languages, Fragran and Laimiaic. Laimiaic is the administrative language of the Greater Holy Empire and is the most widely spoken, with 63% of Tagmatines speaking it as a first language and almost all the rest speaking it as their second. Fragran is the ancient language of the Aroman Empire, and tends to be the first language of those on the southern coast of the Central Sea, especially around Arome and the Nidoric Peninsula. It is taught in all schools, however, and there is an expectation for citizens to have at the very least a basic grasp of it, with lessons in it compulsory up to school-leaving age. All official and commercial signage south of the Central Sea is legally required to be written in Fragran and Laimiaic, as well as all government documentation is published in Transmerian Laimiaic and Nidoric Fragran.
There are numerous dialects of Laimiaic spoken across northern Tagmatium. Some of these are recognised as regional dialects by the Tagmatine government but others are just in informal use. The most widely spoken dialects of Laimiaic are that of the Transmireia region of Tagmatium, in which the capital of Europatorion is located, Tzankhian Laimiaic in the north and Peninsular Laimiaic in the east. The Tzankhian dialect has aspects from Buranic languages, especially from Akwisia, and Peninsular Laimiaic is viewed as somewhat archaic. The Transmerian dialect of Laimiaic is considered to be the "standard" version of the language. It is promoted by the Holy Imperial Government, as by law all national television and radio stations and national newspapers have to be broadcast or published in this dialect. This includes the state-owned network, the Arhomaiki Radiotileoptiki Hetaireia, and the main nationally-broadcasting privately-owned network, Arhomaiki Alfa Tileoptikoú Diktyou. When speaking in public in Laimiaic, officials are required to use the Transmerian dialect.
Fragran has far fewer dialects than Laimiaic, which is due to the disruption and conflict that the areas that spoke it have suffered over the history of Tagmatium. The main three dialects are based in the regions of Nidoreia, Aeireskollai and Tegouneia. The latter two preserve older forms of Fragran, as the hilly nature of the landscape meant that they suffered less from depredations of invaders whilst the former shows more influence from Laimiaic. The Nidoric Fragran dialect is the officially-used dialect. The Sporsian variant of Fragran is spoken in south-east of the Megale Agrotikon region on the coast opposite Sporsia, although only a very small percentage speak it as a first language. It is reflected in the use of certain words and spellings, and there is some debate as to whether it is to be considered a separate language that evolved from or as dialect of Fragran
The Flektemon region has its own minority language, known as "Specto" by the speakers, after the ancient people of the area, the Specti. Due to the area's very rural nature away from its cities and the Iaehos River, it has remained in everyday use, especially in remote villages. Some 37% of the population have a basic knowledge of the language and a further 19% are fluent in it. There are several radio stations that broadcast in it and numerous local newspapers are published in it exclusively, and church services are given in it even in the major cities of Easteia and Onanion.
Vrygeia also has its own minority language, called "Vrigik" by the speakers, although its use has become much reduced in recent years. It is related to Laimiaic and thought to descend from a shared root. A minority language research programme undertaken by University of Heiropolis found that less than 12% of the population in that area have a basic understanding of the language, whilst less than 5% can speak it fluently and most of those are over 50 years of age. Several local organisations work for its survival, with a middling level of success. Currently, there is a petition for the Enlightened Aroman Church to give services in the language, in the hope that will encourage its use further.
Other Europan and wurld languages are spoken in Tagmatium, although these are mainly in the larger cities and ports, and tend to be limited to expatriate populations or those citizens who are connected to foreign trade or activities that need those languages to be spoken. In the west of Tagmatium, Adapton Aromance is spoken by a minority. It is a version of Fragran that has been heavily influenced by the local languages it overtook, Buranic migration and Lysian elements. This is mainly in the western areas of Flektemon and Aeireskollai, along the border between Adaptus and Tagmatium. Through the Treaty of Causicrus and the formation of the Aroman Customs Union, the border crossing between Adaptus and Tagmatium is smooth and this has promoted the unofficial use of signage in Adapton Aromance on the Tagmatine side and Laimiaic and Fragran on the Adapton side. Suverinian is spoken, mainly as a second or third language, along the southern border of Tagmatium. It also informs a dialect variant of Fragan found in the same border region, with words and terms being rendered as the Suverinian versions instead of the accepted Fragan ones.
Religion
Various forms of Christianity have dominated the religious life of Tagmatium for almost 1,700 years. The Emperor Methodianos adopted Christianity as his personal religion soon after he became sole emperor in 307, ending the crises of the previous century. He then took steps to promote Christianity although it was not until the reign of Valentinianos I, in 383, that Christianity became the state religion of the Aroman Empire with the Edict of Matapon. Since then, Christianity has been the majority religion of Tagmatium, although the exact denomination has differed over time, as often varying emperors promoted the branch of the faith that held most true to them. The upheaval of the Enlightenment saw the Catholic Church and Orthodox Church, which had been most common in the south and north of the country respectively, driven from Tagmatium, with much of the hierarchy exiled. In its place, the Enlightened Aroman Church was installed as the dominant Christian denomination in the nation, which has remained the case since then. The most recent census, in 2019, showed that 95% (roughly 251 million) of the population of Tagmatium identified as Christian and 95% of that number, some 238 million, hold to the Enlightened Aroman Church.
The next largest religious groups are the Catholic Christians, Coptic Christians and Orthodox Christians. These groups are mainly in the south of the country, although most cities and large towns have small populations of these religious minorities. Arome and Dymafos, as ancient centres of Christianity, are known to have especially large religious minorities from the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The Orthodox Church, mainly in the form of the Suverinian Orthdox Church, is the largest, with 5 million adherents, followed by 4 million Coptic Christians and 3 million Catholics. A population of Gerenian Christians, at about 500,000, is focused on the northern port of Trapezon, as well as in the region of Kleisourakon. This number is estimated to have increased in the wake of the Cussian Crisis, as deportees were settled in Tagmatium but no official estimations have been made public by the Holy Imperial Government yet. Other Christian communities, such as those from the Amendentist churches, represent expatriate communities and number roughly 2 million altogther.
A small percentage of the Tagmatine population states itself to be either irreligious or Atheist, usually estimated to be around 1% or 3 million. Although the Holy Imperial Government guarantees religious freedom to its citizens, the irreligious or Atheist often suffer from some degree of discrimination. It is, however, stated to be illegal by the Tagmatine government. Other religious communities include a Yehudan community of roughly 1 million and a Salam community of 1 million, which are focussed mainly in the larger ports and cities of Tagmatium. Other groups include various religious groups from Orioni and other non-Christian nations from around the wurld, such as Phosattism from Thalassa. There are also Pagan groups that profess to follow differing pre-Christian religions originating within the Aroman Empire, and these all amount to around 6 million in total. The largest of the latter are the followers of the cult of the Unconquered Sun, orgininating in Kirvina, with roughly 4 million followers. However, there are smaller groups in other parts of Tagmatium, especially in more isolated areas. It is suggested that some of these have been able to resist conversion attempts for one and a half thousand years.
Ethnicity
The Tagmatine government does not officially recognise any ethnicities within Tagmatium and considers drawing such lines as devisive and contrary to the unity of the state. Several attempts in the past to undertake a survey of ethnic groupings have either been dismissed or have seen individuals arrested on charges that have included treason. The official censuses do not record figures of any ethnic groups within Tagmatium and no questions are asked about those filling out the census. This does mean that all numbers associated with ethnic groups in Tagmatium are to an extent unreliable, as they are compiled unofficially. Despite the government's standpoint that there are no ethnic groups within Tagmatium, this is not truly the case. In reality, Tagmatium could be considered multi-ethnic. Much of the population descends from broadly three types of groups or a mixture of them. These three groups are the ancient populations of the lands under Aroman rule, groups that either voluntarily or were forcibly moved from one internal location to another, or groups that either voluntarily or were forcibly moved from outside the empire and then settled internally.
Unofficially, there are several main ethnic groups, which are closely related to the languages spoken within Tagmatium and these in turn often reflect the ancient, pre-Aroman Empire populations of the nation. In a wide-ranging survey undertaken by the sociology departments of the Universities of Heiropolis and Petrion to investigate the self-identified ethnic make up of Tagmatium, some 36 percent identified as Laimiaic, another 31 percent as Fragran, as 12 percent Specto, 7 percent as Vrygeian, 6 percent as Tzankheian and 5 percent Degunian. However, as these are self-reported and not official figures, there is significant debate as to how accurate these numbers might be considered. Many also responded as either Aroman and gave no further information or as Aroman first and then as an ethnic group second. Other ethnic groups, such as the Gharopouloi who are thought to make up less than 1 percent of the population, and who descended from captured Haru forces transplanted to the south of Tagmatium, have previously faced discrimination and rarely willingly admit to membership of any such group.
There are also immigrants to Tagmatium, whether permanent residents, individuals pursuing citizenship, students or others that make up other ethnic groups. Some of these include Adapton populations in the west of Tagmatium, Suverinian groups in the south and those from Euandria and Sporsia in the east. Many of these groups, whilst large in absolute terms, are relatively small when compared to the overall size of the population of Tagmatium. Most of these are Occidental, Amutian or Buranian populations, especially from Great Anglia, Lysia or Qubdi. There has been some fluctuation in these numbers in recent months due to the ongoing Anglian Crisis.
Education
The education system in Tagmatium is overseen by the Ministry for Education of the Tagmatine government and the governments of the Provinces are responsible for carrying out the policy for public education and state-funded schools at a local level. Tagmatium also has a tradition of Church-funded and privately-funded schools, as well as home education. However, all of these must conform to the curriculum set out by the Ministry for Education. This is monitored by inpections and assessments by the Ministry for Education itself via annual inspections. Education in state-run schools is universal and free of charge; this was brought in in stages between the 1850s and 1950s. Before this, education was often provided for free by the Church and tended not to go beyond the age of 14, or was private and much more comprehensive. This was slowly reformed over the course of one hundred years and has resulted in Tagmatium being amongst one of the better educated nations on Eurth. For example, the literacy rate of the country is judged to be 99%. The government spends 6.8 percent of its GDP on education.
Education is compulsory between the ages of 3 and 18 and is divided into age groups. These are from ages 3-4, 5-10, 11-15 and 16-18. Education consists of a broad range of subjects, including but not limited to mathematics, science, theology, history, languages and others. Tagmatine children are taught to be bilingual, being taught both Laimiaic and Fragran from the age of 5. Other common wurld languages are also taught, such as Anglish or Dolchic, but these are usually optional. From the age of 16, people may elect to take vocational courses, training, apprenticeships or even volunteering rather than continue with schooling. Otherwise, children complete a further two years of schooling before going onto higher education, such as universities.
Higher education usually begins with a bachelor's degree that takes three years. Postgraduate degrees, whether taught or by research, commonly last one year and doctoral level research degrees usually last three years. Depending on both the degree taken and the institution attended, most bachelor's degrees are state-funded or allocated bursaries. Private universities and colleges do exist, which can often charge significant fees. Tagmatium has several wurld-renowned universities that are consistently ranked within the top 100 universities on Eurth and undertake international research and collaboration. Some of which are ancient, such as the Mouseion in Prousa, dating from 451, or the Hekademion in Thenion that was founded in 501. Others are much more recent but are still considered to be amongst the top establishments in the country or even on Eurth.
Health
Healthcare in Tagmatium is provided by a universal public healthcare system overseen by the Ministry for Health and is provided free at the point of need for all Tagmatine citizens and permanent residents of Tagmatium. It is funded through general taxation. The Ministry of Health oversees all healthcare in the nation, but organisationally it is mixed between the Aroman Health Service and the Enlightened Aroman Church. Many hospitals are run as part of monasteries and churches, in the capacity of giving aid to those in need. Even those hospitals that are under the Aroman Health Service have a significant number of clergy present, as spiritual health is considered to be as important as bodily health. In the reverse, in Church-run hospitals, most of the doctors, surgeons, and specialists are trained, provided and employed by the Aroman Health Service, whilst other roles such as nurses, administrative and custodial staff are from the Church. The option for private healthcare is available, but this is primarily utilised by only the wealthy. Tagmatium spends 10.3 percent of its gross domestic product on healthcare, but in real terms it is actually more than that, as the Church-run facilities are funded by the Church. When this is taken into account, it is the equivalent of 12.9 percent of GDP.
In terms of healthcare, Tagmatium tends to be ranked, on average, in the top ten nations on Eurth, but this could be expected of one of the wealthiest nations on Eurth. There are on average 4.1 physicians per 1000 inhabitants in Tagmatium and waiting times for operations and in emergencies is low. Infant mortality is also low, at 5 per 1000 live births. However, Tagmatium also consistently performs poorly when compared to other nations when it comes to diagnosis and treatment for some chronic illnesses, especially HIV/AIDS. This is possibly due to the anti-LGBT prejudices within the nation. Other mental health issues, such as suicide, are also viewed through a religious point of view rather than a medical one, which often means that people do not get the treatment that they need. There have been attempts to remedy this in recent years and bring the treatment up to that of equivalent nations, but these have been accused of being half-hearted by some observers and often stymied by religious conservatives.
The average life expectancy is 81.3 years, 78.1 for men and 84.6 for women. The Tagmatine government has undertaken significant anti-smoking programmes under the reign of Kommodos III, which have included the banning of smoking in all public places. This took effect in June 2007. This, coupled with environmental policies that have led to a reduction in air pollution, has had a positive impact on the life expectancy of the population, especially when it comes to respiratory diseases. Tagmatium has a low rate of obesity for a developed country on Eurth, with 8.9 percent of the population considered obese. One of the factors in this is the religious nature of the nation, as being obese is sometimes held to be indicative of a sinful nature. Alcohol consumption is above the wurld average and related deaths are equally proportionally high. Many previously-illegal drugs, such as heroin and cannabis, were controversially decriminalised in 2006, with the focus becoming on treating addicts rather than punishing them. This saw treatment programmes set up, with both in-patient and out-patient facilities. This has reduced the drug related deaths in the nation from 17.8 per million in 2005 to 3 per million in 2019.
Culture
The culture of Tagmatium has evolved over many thousands of years and sees influence not just from the Aroman Empire - of which Tagmatium considers itself to be the direct continuation - or Laimiaic cultural traditions but many others from across Europa and Eurth as well. These include the many other civilisations and cultures that were conquered and absorbed by the Aroman Empire as it spread from its heartland on the Nidoric Peninsula and grew to cover the Occident and large parts of Burania, Amutia and Azania. This means that Tagmatine culture is something of a melting pot of influences and traditions from other parts of Europa. One of the main cultural influences on the country has been Christianity, which was in turn heavily influenced by the Aroman Empire itself.
Tagmatium is home to XXX ANESCO Wurld Heritage sites, with many more considered to be sites of historic, archaeological or cultural importance - to both Tagmatium and the wurld. Tagmatine writers, artists, philosophers, musicians, scientists and more have made signficiant contributions to their fields and have lasting influence across the rest of Eurth. The architecture of Tagmatium is also drawn on by numerous countries in the New Wurld as well. The Tagmatine system of law can also be seen to have an impact across Eurth, with it acting as an inspiration for the legal systems of other countries. Cultural symbols of Tagmatium include the Tagmatine leopard and the Occidental imperial eagle, although the latter is also considered to be one of the ancient Aroman Empire. Purple and red are the colours predominantly associated with Tagmatium and they can be seen making up the colours of the national teams in football, rugby and other sports.
