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Theodora - X: This is My Empire - Extra History (Patreon)

Published:
2016-02-12 12:26:38
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

When a shadow engulfs the empire - and Justinian - it is only Theodora who can save it.

Files

Previews only

Theodora - X: This is My Empire - Extra History

Support us on Patreon! http://bit.ly/EHPatreon Grab your Extra Credits gear at the store! http://bit.ly/ExtraStore Subscribe for new episodes every Saturday! http://bit.ly/SubToEC --- (Episode details below) Watch the Justinian and Theodora series! http://bit.ly/1J89hPd Play games with us on Extra Play! http://bit.ly/WatchEXP Talk to us on Twitter (@ExtraCreditz): http://bit.ly/ECTweet Follow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/ECFBPage Get our list of recommended games on Steam: http://bit.ly/ECCurator ____________ The first recorded outbreak of the Bubonic Plague occurred in Pelusium, an isolated town in the Egyptian province, but soon it moved on to Alexandria. Alexandria was the breadbasket of the Empire, and ships carrying grain (and plague-bearing rats) spread across the Empire. The Plague reached Constantinople to disastrous effect: 25% of the population died. Justinian set up a burial office but even they couldnt keep up with the demand. When they ran out of burial land, they started piling corpses into ships and setting them afloat; they even packed them into the guard towers along the wall. So few people survived that when word got out that Justinian had contracted the plague, hope seemed lost... until Theodora stepped up. She had always been a force within the Empire, Justinian's co-regent, and now she used that power to fight off the plots against him and keep the Empire together. She dealt ruthlessly with anyone who threatened them, and since many people wanted Belisarius installed on the throne as Justinian's heir, she recalled him and pushed him out of power. She managed to keep the Empire from disintegrating into Civil War and became the symbol of hope and perserverance for a sorely demoralized city. And then, miraculously, Justinian pulled through. ____________ ♫ Get the intro music here! http://bit.ly/1EQA5N7 *Music by Demetori: http://bit.ly/1AaJG4H ♫ Get the outro music here! http://bit.ly/23isQfx *Music by Sean and Dean Kiner: http://bit.ly/1LBy9zh

Comments

Alan Haskayne

Holy, this is a horrifying way of telling the story of the plague, makes me wish we had voted for a whole series just on plague.

Aaron hutchinson

I love how this either intentionally or not ties into the last series with John Snow & Mary Seacole. I've also been waiting to hear more about Theodora since the beginning. I can't wait for more as the plague does off.

RMS Oceanic

Rome seems to get hit with a lot of the all time deadliest illnesses first, at least in Civilizations with written records: It was thought the Antonine Plague was the first appearance of Smallpox, the Cyprian Plague was possibly Measles' debut, and Emperors were struck down by both. It must have been seen as nothing short of miraculous that Justinian recovered. Meanwhile Bellisarius is a victim of his own success. It's a shame, but I can appreciate the dicey position Theodora found herself in.

Dave Hoyt

Then... he woke up....

Trevor Sullivan
>>1354783

That's what happens when you're the first civilization to rule a continent and a half and keep meticulous records for 2000 years.

Laura Galm

I know this is a strange comment considering this is history, but I wait for a series to be finished before I read more. "DAMN CLIFF HANGERS! WOKE UP AND!"

James

A twist that turns into a cliffhanger

Jane
>>1354783

I wonder how Bellisarius felt during his trial/punishment. Was Theodora truely scared of Bellisarius taking power or was this a political move to show the people Theodora was in control..

Hung Nguyen

There was a black death before the Black Death? Crikes, I need to read more about history that isn't just about war and tactics.

Sean Sarff
>>1354783

Less Bellisarius taking over, and more the various factions of Rome simply going into open revolt and removing Justinian from power while he lay comatose. Theodora removing Bellisarius as a possible candidate removed a powerful figure head for the factions to rally behind. Without him, there was nothing for the factions wanting to rally to and likely went back to the same petty squabbles of trying to elevate their own factions.

Sean Sarff
>>1356966

This is the first written appearance of the Bubonic Plague in recorded history and was dubbed The Plague of Justinian. And was more than likely passed along by trade from China or India. As for your interest in war, funnily enough war usually causes outbreaks. Think about it, rats and other vermin live in cities, out of sight of the populace so that they can be near a food supply. An army comes in and sieges a town. Food eventually runs out and now all of those rats are loose searching for something to eat. Some end up with the attacking army and they spread the plague wherever the army goes. It's no coincidence that during and after a war, there's usually some kind of sickness that is spread.

Sean Sarff

Trivia question: Who can name the song that is directly about the Bubonic Plague?

Markus Berglund

Great visualization of the horrible plague!

Sean Sarff
>>1357111

Yeah. Little disturbing when you learn the song you sang as a kid was about death eh?

ExtraCredits
>>1354677

Not really intentional, but they do go together quite nicely! And it was great that Theodora finally got some time to shine.

ExtraCredits
>>1354783

The major empires are usually the first to record these new diseases (because we are more likely to have their records than, say, a small nomadic culture's) but the fact that they're centers of trade and therefore exposure to lots of different infections does also raise the odds of people getting sick there. Then, in turn, the trade that goes out from them spreads those diseases even farther, same as rats on grain-bearing ships leaving Alexandria carried the plague very efficiently through the rest of the empire.

Robbie the Gnome

Wow the visual characterization of the Plague was fantastic. A well wrought piece. An unfortunate side effect of booming and far reaching trade and far reaching campaigns of war is coming into new devastating and diseases. Did they not try to burn the bodies? Or was that too pagan?

RMS Oceanic
>>1356966

The Antonine Plague probably reached Rome as a result of the war Marcus Aurelius had with the Parthians too. Soldiers moving around the world can be a great - for a certain definition of great - vector for this stuff.

Robbie the Gnome
>>1359250

Ah! That's what my gut told me but I had no basis for that other than hunch. It's a shame because that would have helped in many ways.

Martin Ockovsky

Absolutely amazing. The story telling, the drawings... just wow. The blood puking was really nice! I mean the drawing

Andrew Nichols

This series was wonderful. I'm glad you guys got to tell a part of history that you were passionate about