Arvernian Empire

The Arvernian Empire (184-407 CE), was a Pagan, and later Christian Gallic kingdom, first centered in the territory of the Arverni tribe and then in all of Gaul and Italy by 237 CE. Through trading and influence, the power of the Arverni grew. In 202 CE, the Arvernian king, *Leucorix I, adopted Christianity, leading to the foundation of the Arvernian Empire. From 205 CE onwards, his Empire grew heavily in size. By 229 CE, all of Gaul was under Arvernian hegemony, as well as northern Italy by 237. In the mid 4th Century, the empire suffered from great instability, eventually collapsing due to Germanic and Alan invasions in 407 CE.

Background
From around 100 CE, Greek, Cimbrian, Teuton and Carthaginian trading with the Gauls, especially the Arverni tribe, improved. However, not only trading increased, but also influence. Over time, the southern Gauls adopted more and more of the Carthaginian and especially the Greek alphabet, army tactics and culture. Christian missionaries from Jerusalem arrived in New Greece in 135, which adopted the religion in 145, likely due to its popularity in the Greek homeland or because the Greeks were isolated and almost hopeless. By 180 CE, the Teuton Kingdom adopted the religion as well, mixing it with the Pagan Germanic religion, called Arian Christianity.

Arvernian Kingdom (184-202 CE)
In 184 CE, the Arvernian chief, *Caturix, reorganized the Arverni tribe into a centralized kingdom, with the capital being Gergovia. He adapted aspects of Greek urban planning, and greatly expanded Arvernian influence in southern Gaul. In 187 CE, Christianity had reached the Arverni through the Rhône River, after the Cimbrian Kingdom adopted it in 185. In 202 CE, *Caturix I, came into conflict with the Aedui, when

In 202 CE, the young and newly succeeded Arvernian king, *Leucorix, had a dream, where he visited the greatest cities in all of Gaul, and everywhere he saw one specific symbol: The Christian fish, combined with Arvernian symbols. *Leucorix asked a citizen, where he was, and the other replied: "My great king, you are in Gergovia, the capital of your glorious Arvernian Empire". *Leucorix, followed this dream, and had adopted Christianity.

Establishment of the Empire and Conquest of Gaul (202-235 CE)
Main Article: Establishment of the Arvernian Empire and Conquest of Gaul (possibly outdated)

To his advantage, *Leucorix I, was a military genius and founded the Arvernian Empire that same year. He reformed the Gallic army by replacing the light infantry, with heavy phalanxes, armed with sarissas made entirely from iron instead of the usual wooden spear. This new weapon proved to be decisive against Gallic cavalry charges. The Arvernian phalanx was supported with cavalry on their flanks. From 205 CE onwards, his Empire heavily grew in size. The following campaigns are listed below:

- 205-206 CE: Invasion of western territories inhabited by small Gallic tribes, most knowingly the Helvetii.

- 207 CE: Siege of Tolosa, owned by the Tectosages.

- 208 CE: Defeat of the Helvetii and other small tribes around them.

- 209 CE: Siege of Burdigala.

- 210 CE: Invasion of some Biturigian (Cubi) territories.

- 211 CE: Siege of Avaricum.

- 212 CE: Defeat of the Pictones; Siege of their capital, Lemonum.

- 213 CE: Invasion of the Allobroges.

- 214 CE: Siege of Nicava (Greek: Nikaia); Connection to the Mediterranean Sea.

- 215 CE: Siege of Vienna and Geneva; Defeat of the Allobroges.

In 216, the Sequani and Aedui formed an alliance, hoping to stop the Arvernian expansion.

- 218 CE: Siege of Vesontio; Defeat of the Sequani.

- 220 CE: Siege of Bibracte; Defeat of the powerful Aedui.

- 221 CE: Siege of Alesia.

- 222 CE: Defeat of the Lingones.

- 223 CE: Invasion of the Cimbrian Kingdom; Siege of Massalo (Massalia)

- 224 CE: Invasion of the Teuton Kingdom; Siege of Agatho (Agathe)- 225 CE: Defeat of the Tectosages near Tolosa.

- 226 CE: Battle of Agedincum; Senones are pushed back.

- 227 CE: Invasion of the Region of Aremorica, which was most knowingly inhabited by the Osismii, the Redones and partly also the Aulerci.

- 228 CE: Siege of Vindinium and Cenabum and defeat of the Aulerci. The Senones and various other tribes are pushed back behind the Sēquana (Seine) river; Fortification of Lucotocia.

In 229, most of the surviving tribes form an alliance, known as the Belgian Alliance to protect the Belgian tribes from the Arverni, though it was already too late.

- 229 CE: Battle of Lucotocia; Senones, Remi, Nervii, Eburones and most other powerful Belgian Alliance members are defeated and have suffered heavy losses. They retreated to the cities of Bagacum, Durocortorum and Aduatuca. Though these were all quickly overrun by the Arvernian military soon after.

- 230 CE: Defeat of the Treveri and Leuci and eventually the defeat and surrender of the entire alliance.

(for better visuality see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjoGh8F1CK8. May has some mistakes. Consider this article as the most accurate information source).

In 234 CE, the Germanic Alemanni were invading the region the Treveri once lived in. However, they were pushed back in early 235 CE.

Conquest of Italy and Aquitania (235-241 CE)
During the Padanian War (235-237 CE), the Arvernian Empire invaded northern Italy, to unite with the Italian Gauls and possibly to honor Brennus, who in 388 BCE, founded the Senonian Kingdom. During the conquest of Northern Italy, the inhabitants were mostly Rasennan and Umbrian, with the Gallic population being a minority. In 235, the Arverni crossed the Alps, starting the campaign against Rasenna, a satellite state of the Carthaginian Empire. The Arvernians successfully sieged Mantua in 236 CE and took the cities of Atria and Spica. The Arverni were weakened, when in Summer of 237, the Alemanni invaded OTL western Switzerland, halting further advance for a short time. However, the Carthaginians were again defeated at the Battles of Felsina (236) and Sena (237), marking the end of the Padanian War. All land north of Aritim (OTL Arretium), was now controlled by the Arvernians.

In 240 CE, the Arverni invaded Aquitania and sieged their capital Elusa, during the Aquitanian War (240-241 CE).

Intermediate Era and Germanic Invasions (241-350 CE)
In May 254, Saxon raiders, had raided the region between Caletia and Morinia. However, they were pushed back by Autumn.

In early 256, the Franks were invading the Northern Rhine frontier, before being pushed back in September.

Decline and Collapse (350-407 CE)
During the mid 4th Century, the Arvernian Empire suffered heavily from instability. This led to numerous revolts and uprisings.

In 350, the Salian Franks, who had been pushed to the Rhine frontier by the Saxons, asked the Arvernian king to allow them to settle in a region we call in OTL Batavia. The Arverni accepted. However, the Franks had to convert to Christianity and had to defend the Rhine frontier against invaders. Thus, the Kingdom of the Salian Franks was founded, while the other, Ripuarian Franks, remained tribal.

The Vandal, Suebi, Alan and Burgundian raids from 406-409 caused the final death blow to the already declining empire, leading to its collapse in 406 CE. Soon after, a new federation like government was formed under the name "Gallic Empire".

In 406, the Alans, Vandals, Suebi, and the Burgundians, crossed the Rhine and invaded Gaul, being forced to migrate west, because of Hunnic pressure in the east. The Vandals, Suebi and Alans sacked Gergovia in 407, killing the Arvernian king *Tenorix I, and his son *Caturix III. This marked the end of the Arvernian Empire, and soon after, a new federational government was formed under the name "Gallic Empire". The three tribes, then moved into Iberia, while the Burgundians settled in the area of OTL Rhineland-Palatinate along the Middle Rhine, establishing a Burgundian kingdom, which soon after, converted to Arian Christianity.

List of Arvernian kings
These are the names and reign dates.

Caturian Dynasty

* Caturix I (184-202 CE) - Died in 202.

* Leucorix I "the Great" (202-258 CE) - Born 185 CE; Died in 258, with 73 years.

* Caturix II (258-279 CE) - Born 205 CE; Died in 279, with 74 years.

* Leucorix II (279-301 CE) - Born 226 CE; Died in 301, with 75 years.

* Samorix I (301-320 CE) - Born 246 CE; Died in 320, with 74 years.

* Dumnorix I (320-341 CE) - Born 267 CE; Died in 341, with 74 years.

* Dumnorix II (341-359 CE) - Born in 287 CE; Died in 359, with 72 years.

* Samorix II (359-380 CE) - Born in 308 CE; Died in 380, with 72 years.

* Dagorix I (380-401 CE) - Born in 327 CE; Died in 401 CE, with 74 years.

* Tenorix I (401-407 CE) - Born in 346 CE; Died in 407 CE, during the sack of Gergovia, with 61 years.

Source
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arverni

Flag credits
This flag was made by myself, using https://www.reddit.com/r/BannerlordBanners/comments/g33yi2/wanna_give_it_a_try_you_legends/