christopher fardell <cfardell@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>What if Roman Britain, (as well as Caledonia) in 100 AD are sent
>through time to 1600.
>
>How long until they know something has happened?
Within 24 hours... Fi****ng boats will be
returning to harbor, and trading craft
from the North Sea, the Channel, and
Ireland will arrive at Britannic ****ts.
>How long until the various nations in Europe know what happened?
48 hours. Some of the arrivers will
head home. The news will take a few
weeks to reach all capitals, but it
will spread quickly.
>What will happen next?
1) A gigantic cultural shock from having
a genuine enormous miracle happen. IMHO
this is so big one can't really get past
it. Probably a great wave of religious
panic and millenialism.
2) When the "facts on the ground" are
known on both sides:
a) The Roman governor of Britannia, Tiberius
Avidius Quietus, declares himself Imperator.
Given the 1600s attitude toward bathing, I
think the Romans would regard the Euros as
barbarians until forced to do otherwise.
There would be some problems in ****t towns,
with returning Englishmen and Scotsmen
wanting their homes and families. These would
be nearly all rude fishermen and sailors,
so there would be language barriers. A few
more educated men might arrive at major ****ts
in a day or so - then some resolution could
begin.
b) Europe is astonished - and fascinated.
Rome still looms very large in the Western
imagination. Explorers and tourists would
set out within a few weeks. One may guess
that the private libraries of Britannia's
Roman elite include lots of lost classics.
c) Both Protestant and Catholic Europe
would realize that Britannia is pagan,
and send missionaries. Quietus will hear
them all and play for time. There may be
sudden conversions - Britannians are in
shock too. ("_No_ Rome?") They may view
the Pope as the successor to Caesar. It
is also possible that Quietus accepts
the Holy Roman Emperor as "Caesar" before
he gets a clear picture of what is going on.
d) Ireland is in the middle of the Nine
Years War; the O'Neill was running wild.
The English position collapses. Spain
may send aid. The Dutch lose their big ally.
e) I don't think there will be any large
filibusters or invasions of Britannia.
The Romans are _organized_, and if they
don't have guns, they certainly have
swords and bows. Once they get past the
boomstick panic, they'll cope.
--
| People say "There's a Stradivarius for sale for a |
| million," and you say "Oh, really? What's wrong |
| with it?" - Yitzhak Perlman |
|
