The Aeillan Region is host to a highly developed political infrastructure that has been developed over the course of nearly 1,500 years. Formed after the fall of the Yulan-Tai, the earliest civilizations that could be considered culturally Aeillan formed in the northern parts of the region during the late Yulan-Tai, or early Forging Eras. Organization of these societies was comparatively limited, disorganized and localized, with petty kings ruling small holdings. As the Forging Era continued however, societies steadily became more complex, and the model of the city-state or Polis came about.
In the middle and Late Forging Eras, certain Poleis, particularly those near the Ilos River, and the Regnum Cyrenica began rapidly accumulating power. A coalition of particularly powerful Ilosi Poleis established the Ilosi Republic, which steadily conquered most of the Aeillan region, as well as parts of what is now known as the Terruk-Mal. At the end of the Forgining Era, political instability within the Republic lead to a coup against the Senate and the Establishment of Empire.
The Empire initially functioned much like the Republic, as the Emperor served more as presiding member of the Senate more so than an autocrat. Instability and succession crises in the Late Imperial period saw increasing centralization of power in the person of the Emperor, and the establishment of military governorships, Exarchates, that would eventually form the basis of the post-Imperial Aeillan political landscape.
Systems of Government
In the early part of Aeillan history, Aeillan civilization, or more accurately, the civilizations of the early Tyroi, Ilosi, and Spartharoi were dominated by localized political structures, based around a central city. These city states, collectively referred to as Poleis, were most often dominated by petty kings (Basils). A
Basil, or
Basila (as women who took the throne were called) often ruled as autocrats, with nearly absolute control of their petty kingdoms, and complete control over life and death. Most claimed a divine linneage, or the mandate of their gods to legitimize their rule, but in practice relied heavily on the loyalty of their warriors to maintain control. Such states had little in the way of a functioning civil service.
In some states however, representative rule, or even outright democracy was established. Along the Ilos and Spartharii Rivers, this most often took the form of Cyrenic inspired Senates. A
Senate was often formed by officials elected from among the city's elites, most often by landholders or other wealthy peoples.
Senators would have limited terms, and could be removed by popular vote. In most cases, a
Consul or
Consula would be elected to be presiding speaker for the Senate. In the northern hills, where significant Grecci minorities existed, some Poleis would establish more direct democratic rule often with an executive council formed by sortition, that was answerable to city assemblies that were open to varying shares of the general public. Republican and Democratic states were not developed fully, lacking the need for governance on a wider scale than a city and a few hundred square kilometers beyond, but often did have primitive bureaucracies to manage public affairs.
During the period of the Ilosi Republic the scope and scale of government expanded dramatically, as the Republic itself became a major power encompassing thousands of kilometers and a multitude of cities. A regulated system of government was established with the monarchies of old abolished, and replaced by Senatorial republics, each of which would send delegations, each led by a Consul to a
Grand Senate. The Grand Senate, presided over by a
Proconsul or Proconsula, elected from among the senior consuls, would govern an increasingly developed state bureaucracy and centralized professionalized army. As the republican period dragged on, the Republic expanded, and the road network developed, power would increasingly be centralized in the figure of the Proconsul, a fact that infuriated many traditionalists and regionalists, who frequently revolted and destabilized the Ilosi Republic in the late republican period.
An ambitious general would stage a coup against the Republic and establish a new order. The Aeillan Empire, as the civilization was now called, was ruled over by the
Basileus or Basileia who was, during the High Imperial, also considered the First Citizen of the Empire, or First Among Equals. The underlying civil administration remained mostly unchanged since the days of the Republic, though with a, usually adopted, Emperor in charge of the Senate instead of a Proconsul. Instability during the Late Imperial eventually resulted in a shift in the Imperial balance of power where the Basileus became a divine autocrat, much like the Basils of old. The civil service was also reorganized, with military officers being given control of the Empire's provinces as
Exarch, and the authority of elected bodies being displaced by an appointed bureaucracy that managed daily affairs.
After the fall of the Empire, Exarchs seized control of their provinces, transforming them into the Exarchates of the modern period, Exarchs often becoming hereditary monarchs instead of temporarily appointed governors. In some states, the Exarch rule as an autocrat, in others however, they must share significant amounts of power with an elected Senate and Consul. In Artenos, a new republic has taken power over the city, and a chain of islands. The Nikean Exarchate has also recently overthrown, and been replaced with a Republic Two other states, Salemesia, and Syros possess stable governments ruled over by popular councils with Syros in particular becoming a fully fledged peasant's republic.
Table of Titles and Governing Bodies
The Civil Service
Since the establishment of the Ilosi Republic, Aeillan civilizations have relied to varying degrees on a skilled, and somewhat professionalized civil service to collect taxes, build and maintain infrastructure, and to administrate the army. How these civil services are run depends largely on the political system of the state in question. As a rule however, all but the most autocratically run monarchies rely on a semi-professionalized state bureaucracy that has at least a minimal level autonomy from the head of the state's government.
In monarchies, the leadership of the civil service can usually be found within the royal courts of the monarch. These officials are often appointed by, and serve at the leisure of the regnant monarch. The Civil Service is often hereditary in nature as well with a system of patronage in place to ensure that traditionally aristocratic elites are strongly favored for positions in the bureaucracy. This is largely a self defensive measure however, as the investiture of aristocratic elites in the civil service is used to secure the loyalty of those families and dissuade civil war.
In the more republican systems, leadership of the civil service is often composed of members of the elected assembly, or of people appointed by that assembly. Term limits are often imposed on leaders in order to prevent a consolidation of political power in any one office. Though the very nature of education does result in the favoring of wealthy, and aristocratic elites for positions in the State Bureaucray, the political realities of republics allow for at least a slightly greater level of meritocracy in appointment and promotion within them.
Regardless of how the civil service functions, Aeillan states often have similar titles for similar positions. The most important of these is the
Magister Princeps, who is generally head of the whole of the non-military civil service, a Magister Princeps will often have underneath them a
Archithalamipólos who is largely responsible for the treasury, tax collection, and taking censes of their state; and a
Kankelários, who is responsible for infrastructure projects, and law enforcement. Beneath them is an extensive network of civil servants holding the rank of
Dikastés,
Páredros, and
Synígoros, who themselves have petty functionaries that carry out the daily functions of state. Within military structures, the highest member, usually called the
Strategos, is often a civil servant and in other more politically orientated states, commanders of high level formations the
Tourmarches, and even
Drouganosoi are also civil servants, in most cases however, military officers are considered, at least partially, seperate and distinct from civilian civil servants.
Military Matters
See Also:
Since the formation of the Ilosi Republic, Aeillan civillizatisons have largely relied upon professionalized, or at least, semi-professionalized armies to carry out their will in geopolitics. In Aeillan society, particularly for the wealthy, war is an extension of politics by another means, and is to some extent normalized. Aeillans generally favor quick wars, using raids against civilian population centers to break the wills of their opponents quickly to secure a favorable bargaining position for the peace. Ever since the Aeillan Succession War, Aeillans have generally been unwilling to commit to pitched battles unless absolutely necessary.
