A short lived but historically significant state, the Kingdom of Roman Egypt would forever change the face of the Mediterranean.
Formation
When the Huns began to raid into the Eastern Roman Empire in IY 423 the collapse of the imperial administration was swift. While some of the territories would return to the Imperial fold at the end of the century, Roman Egypt would and could not. The combined results of the Hun, Goth, and Vandal migrations into the Levant caused the immediate collapse of the Roman territories in the area. Vandali and Gothic forces moved dangerously close to the Isthmus of Suez and there was significant fear that Egypt would be next.
In a stunning defense, the Roman legions of Egypt defended the isthmus for months against near continual assault. The defense was successful and by IY 432 most of the heavier attacks had ceased. Egypt quickly became the defacto capital for the Eastern Roman Empire as it attempted to rebuild and reconnect its territories. In IY 455, the Eastern Roman capital moved once again back to Asia Minor to Nicomedia. This put the capital straight in the path of the coming Hun storm. The Eastern Roman Empire fell apart once again and for two decades, Egypt was pressed on the defense again. Refugees from all across the Eastern Empire fled towards the Nile to escape the Huns, Goths, and Vandals. Roman defenses held strong until IY 484 when a Gothic force broke through. However, to the Roman’s fortune, the Goths quickly passed over Egypt instead heading further west into Cyrenaica where they conquered the weakened Roman state.
Isolated and alone, Roman Egypt quickly began setting about establishing its own administration to handle imperial affairs and managed the continual wars and its growing population. In IY 490, the old East Roman governor was overthrown in a coup and the legions installed General Akhemtem Titanius –a Romano-Egyptian- as their new leader. Titanius declared Egypt the successor to the Eastern Roman Empire dubbing it, The Kingdom of Roman Egypt.
The War for Egypt
Akhemtem set about overhauling his new Kingdom, building it up to support the increased populace and turning out a war machine that could go toe-to-toe with the Huns, Goths, and Vandals. He even received recognition from Rome, who themselves were tied up with the Migration Era wars. However, during this time, the Eastern Roman Empire was slowly regrouping. They had retaken parts of western Anatolia and important cities in Thrace. In IY 508, the new emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire declared the reformation of the Empire and called upon the disparate Eastern Roman territories to rejoin the Empire. The few remaining Roman hold outs declared allegiance to the reformed empire, except Egypt. In a bold move, Akhemtem declared himself emperor and decried the new Eastern Roman Empire as a Hunnic puppet.
Thusly, the Eastern Roman Empire set about reintegrating Egypt by force. Already stretched thin by the wars with the Goths and Vandals, Akhemtem called upon Rome for supplies and subsidies. Knowing the strategic and material value of Egypt, the Western Roman Empire was quick to send the requested materials. These allowed Roman Egypt to hold out against the Eastern Empire for several years. However, by IY 512 the war was taking its toll on Egypt and the prospects were grim. In one final plead, Akhemtem begged Rome for soldiers. In exchange he offered up Egypt to join the Western Roman Empire. Despite the unpopularity of the move, Rome agreed.
For the first time since the split East and West were officially at war. Rome quickly sailed legions to Egypt to defend it while marched legions towards the Bosporus to invade the small Anatolian territories. Aware of this, the Eastern Roman Empire moved its capital to Rhodos. For three years Rome campaigned through Asia minor. However, massive incursions across the Danube and Rhine borders, forced them to withdraw to deal with the crisis. This allowed Rhodos to dedicate more legions to Egypt. The conflict in Egypt grew more dire and as the crisis in Europe worsened, Rome withdrew her troops back to the homeland. Crippled and alone, in IY 520 the Eastern Roman Empire quickly overran Egypt occupying the major cities.
End of the Kingdom
However, Akhemtem, his court, and his generals had fled and evaded capture, heading south towards the Upper Nile and the Kingdom of Axum, where they planned to reestablish court and continue the fight. As soon as Rhodos moved legions south to chase, Goths and Vandals flooded into the weakened Egypt, looting and conquering as they went. Rhodos turned to fight, but it was too little too late. Egypt fell and the Vandals and Goths quickly established new states in the region.
In the south, Akhemtem and his exiles arrived in what is contemporary Khartoum and set up court there. While limited records exist of this period, it is known that the Kingdom in exile was able to survive for most of the remaining century before wars with Axum and the Goths and Vandals, pushed them further south and west. What happened after that is unknown.
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