Vaenera
| Vaenera Caia Aurelia | |
|---|---|
| Imperatrix | |
 Illustration of Vaenera based on contemporary depictions | |
| Predecessor | Caius Aurelius |
| Successor | Decimus Aurelius |
| Born | 13 May 301 BCE Ravenna, Acrea |
| Died | 24 November 230 BCE Ravenna, Acrea |
| Religion | Valstígr |
Vaenera of the Aurelii, full name Vaenera Caia Aurelia (Elder Nordic: Vaenera Caiis Aurelis), was an Arcanus who later served as Imperatrix of Ravenna in the Acrean Empire, governing from 271 BCE until 230 BCE during the reign of Emperor Vetericus.
Vaenera was the eldest daughter of Caius Aurelius, a famed Ravennese General and one of the key figures in the formation of the empire. Born in pre-Imperial Ravenna, Vaenera was raised for most of her life immersed in the world of higher nobility and politics. Despite being the eldest daughter, Vaenera followed her two older brothers and father into military life rather than following the traditional Acrean female path of politics and domestic life. At the time, this was unusual for a noblewoman in particular; military service in ancient Acrea was traditionally viewed as a male profession, which contributed to the high civil and political standing of women in ancient Acrea relative to other ancient societies. She trained initially under her father's tutelage and first gained experience during the Second Acro-Sabrian War, where her exploits gained some fame mostly due to the uniqueness of a woman being amongst the Arcani. Shortly after this, she was elevated to the status of her father's heir apparent as imperator in Ravenna after her elder brothers assumed high ranking military positions in Rena and was married to Aegaron, the second son of Vithmirax. She was affirmed as imperatrix following Caius' death in 271 BCE.
Vaenera's reign as Imperatrix of Ravenna was distinct by the unique challenges of the very early imperial period that she had to contend with. Unity amongst the recently unified city-states of Acrea was fracticious at best in the empire's earliest days. Misgivings about the new hierarchy amongst the formerly sovereign territories leading back to Rena and Ravenna ran rampant, and there remained a degree of distrust in the most powerful ciy-states who had championed imperial unity as the way forward. To combat these issues, Vaenera adopted a populist strategy leveraging the network of religious leaders that linked communities across southern Acrea. Initially opposed by Vetericus, this strategy entailed establishing a sense of ethnoreligious unity via messaging from religious leaders, who were often some of the most trusted and respected members of their communities. Consequently, Vaenera's reign is considered to be the foundation of Venetian regional identity. The campaign did not go without hiccups; the city of Arcanea (modern-day Alexandria) and the surrounding territory initially resisted this campaign. The only part of Acrea with a non-Nordic population, the Arcaneans still largely practiced the religion they had brought with them from Kydonia. Rather than enforce conversion, Vaenera entered talks with Arcanean Imperator Callimachus. Though the content of these talks is disputed with conflicting accounts from contemporary writers, the end result was an agreement which guaranteed tolerance and free practice of Arcanean religion with reciprocity for Nordic religion within Arcanea, and affirmed Arcanean loyalty to the empire.
Occuring during the formative years of the empire, Vaenera's reign as imperatrix of Ravenna is today considered to be critical to the city's development as a cultural, economic, and political center in the newly unified state. Several key policies championed by Vaenera contributed to this. Modern historians especially attribute her policy of uniting Venetia under the Ravennese banner as decisive in shaping the modern cultural landscape of Acrea, as it ensured the parity of Latin-speaking Acrea with the Nordic-speaking north, resulting in the distinctive modern culture and language of Venetia. Additionally, Vaenera's rule reinforced internal stability in Acrea at a pivotal point in the empire's history, as her support and political alliances provided vital legitimacy to the still-new imperial government within southern Acrea.