Which faction in-game would you consider the "true" WRE successor?

[pratolano]

I began to wonder this while playing as the Ostrogoths and conquering Italy, something which happened historically: which faction represented in-game would you most consider the "true" successor to the (WRE) Romans?

The easy answer might be the ERE. But how about the Franks as precursors to the Holy Roman Empire and future Western European superpower, or perhaps the Langobards (future Kingdom of Italy) or Ostrogoths (Ostrogothic Kingdom)? Or one not mentioned? In other words, in which faction was the true spirit of the Roman civilization and culture (or even just military prowess) carried on through the ages? Perhaps more than one can stake that claim. I realize there's a lot of ambiguous variables. I'm just interested in hearing how people perceive the present factions in that regard.

[edited: narrowed the scope to WRE as opposed to "Roman" successor]

[daelin4]

Perhaps more than one can stake that claim.

You answered your own question. I'm not sure why there is only one "true" successor, as if to indicate that one can exist, and to the exclusion of all other possible candidates, and of course utilizing what is effectively a non-existent criteria to qualify for that title.

[pratolano]

The real question is: which would "you most consider the 'true' successor"?

Many societies after the fall of the WRE considered themselves as such, but if you had to pick one, who would it be and why?

[Aeratus]

The ERE isn't the successor to the Roman Empire. The ERE is the Roman Empire.

[Nicolaos]

Well from a "legal" perspective, probably the Franks and later the Holy Roman Empire
From a "cultural" perspective it is a really tough call, considering that the Roman Empire was heavily "germanized" and vice versa. After the western half collapsed into many independent kingdoms with a germanic ruling class, different individual cultures developed, however sort of under the influence of the local latin precursor culture.

Besides, national identities such as German, French or British developed much later.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Technically Odoacer's Kingdom of Italy was part of the Roman Empire, and so was Theodoric's Gothic kingdom. Basically it was Rome under one Emperor, still in control of Italy (although ruling out of Constantinople) and Italy was like a Foederati settlement. Look at all the Roman institutions that Theodoric and Odoacer kept in place, and they maintained the Roman administrative system too.

Most of the Barbarian states maintained the Roman institutions, although they were independent political entities (although in the early and mid 5th century they saw themselves more or less as governors of Roman lands upholding the Roman Empire with their actions and seeking more political influence).

But the ERE is not the successor, it is the Roman Empire therefore it cannot succeed itself. The Roman Empire lasted from c. 500 BC to 1453 AD, almost 2000 years.

[pratolano]

Apparently it's a thing on Wikipedia too I just came across this page there.

Also this board seems to have a great discussion on what I was trying to figure out, just in case anybody else is interested in reading it. Fascinating stuff.

[Carl Jung was right]

Well it's kind of silly, because almost every country in Europe claim themselves the successors of the WRE. But, personally I would choose Romano-Britain. It would have been interesting to "play out" a Romanized rump state evolving into a powerful hegemonic authority in the Isles, resisting (or at least trying to integrate) the waves of Anglo-Saxon migration. I wonder what the history of Britain would have been like if it progressed with a direct, unsevered link to its Roman cultural legacy.

[pratolano]

Well it's kind of silly, because almost every country in Europe claim themselves the successors of the WRE. But, personally I would choose Romano-Britain. It would have been interesting to "play out" a Romanized rump state evolving into a powerful hegemonic authority in the Isles, resisting (or at least trying to integrate) the waves of Anglo-Saxon migration. I wonder what the history of Britain would have been like if it progressed with a direct, unsevered link to its Roman cultural legacy.

I would personally love to play such a campaign.

[Boogie Knight]

Well it's kind of silly, because almost every country in Europe claim themselves the successors of the WRE. But, personally I would choose Romano-Britain. It would have been interesting to "play out" a Romanized rump state evolving into a powerful hegemonic authority in the Isles, resisting (or at least trying to integrate) the waves of Anglo-Saxon migration. I wonder what the history of Britain would have been like if it progressed with a direct, unsevered link to its Roman cultural legacy.

The Kingdom of Gwynedd and IIRC other Welsh states retained their Roman laws right up until the Normans conquered them in the 13th century. They were rather proud of this link, and honestly did consider themselves successors of the Roman empire. Not sure what they thought of the ERE, but the Kingdom of Dumnonia was visited by Byzantine emissaries fairly regularly until its destruction in the 10th or 11th century, supposedly with offers to become part of the Roman empire again. So it's quite likely the Welsh were given similar offers.

[Linke]

Putin through the Soviet through Russian empire through Byzantine empire/east Roman empire.

[Geronimo2006]

I guess the Ostrogoths for retaining the Roman administration in Italy including the Praetorian Prefecture of Italy. There was also a final flowering of Latin philosophy in the Ostrogothic period such as writers like Cassiodorus and Boethius. Games contininued in the Collosseum though Theodoric complained of the cost