Byzantium

The Byzantine Empire is what remains of the Eastern Roman Empire, the last remnant of the once migthy Roman Empire. Byzantium controls most of Thrace and southern Greece as well as Smyrna, the last Byzantine clay in Asia Minor.

Byzantium starts the game with Epirus as their march.

Lore
In the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine Empire found itself in shambles. The weakened Empire was on the brink of disintegration and its enemies were more than eager to capitalize on its instability.

In the north, the opportunistic Bulgars invaded Macedonia and seized everything but Thessaloniki for themselves. Seeing that the Byzantine Empire was unable to properly defend itself against so many foes, the Bulgarians armies then marched westwards and captured Albania as well. The Crusaders, too, were successful. Their naval dominance over the Aegean Sea enabled them to seize the islands of Crete, Cyclades and Rhodes. The only region where the Byzantines were able to properly defend themselves was Asia Minor.

Under the leadership of general Leon Gabras, the Imperial armies resisted the invading Turkish Beyliks who seeked to push their borders far into the Byzantine lands and, ultimately, besiege and capture the capital of Constantinople. Leon gathered the army and surprised the Turkish forces in their own territory. During the Battle of Karahisar, he achieved triumphant victory and completely destroyed the unprepared Turkish forces. The victory at Karahisar secured Asia Minor for the Byzantines, but Leon came to fully understand the Empire's failings elsewhere. With the support of the nobles and his popularity amnogst the troops, he betrayed the Emperor and declared independence, establishing a power base in the territories he had just defended. The only city in Western Anatolia which remained loyal to the Byzantine Empire was Smyrna, which remains their last foothold in Asia Minor to this day.

The years after the crusade were ones of hardship and pain. The Emperor Alexios tried to consolidate rule over what was left of his empire. His successor, Emperor Andronikos was then able to forge a military alliance with the Serbs. This was done with the aim of reclaiming lands lost to the Bulgarians in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade. The war came, but the forces of Byzantium and Serbia were unable to connect and were crushed separately by the Bulgarians. Following this blunder, Byzantium was forced to cede the city of Thessaloniki and pay enough reparations to almost bankrupt the Empire.

As of 1444 the Empire has just barely recovered from their recent chain of military disasters. Led by a young and ambitious emperor, the hope still lingers that Byzantines will perhaps overwhelm their enemies and restore the Empire's former glory.

Missions
Byzantine mission tree consists of 46 missions oriented mostly around the re-formation of the Roman Empire.

National Ideas

 * Traditions:
 * +3 tolerance of the true faith
 * +1 yearly legitimacy
 * Ambition:
 * -5% idea cost
 * Ideas:
 * Reinstitution of the Pronoia:
 * +10% infantry combat ability
 * Repopulation of the Countryside
 * +10% national manpower modifier
 * +5% goods produced modifier
 * Start Administrative Reform
 * -10% core creation cost
 * Delegated Power
 * -10% stability cost modifier
 * Justinian's Ambition
 * -15% agressive expansion impact
 * The New Imperial Army
 * +5% discipline
 * Restore the Ecumenical Patriarch
 * +3% global missionary strength