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Pick Your Byzantine Coat of Arms

Pick your favorite Roman coat of arms via a start game decision. Exactly like the new Roads to Power name option, but for the CoA. Features multiple symbols used by the empire throughout the centuries, including summaries of when they were introduced and what they represented. Including:

Single-headed aquila of the ancient legions.

Constantine's chi-rho. Allegedly, literally, the stuff of dreams. It was used from the 4th century up through the Justinianic dynasty in the 7th century as the main symbol of Rome.

The stepped cross potent was introduced by Heraclius and used up until the Macedonians. This reflected the shift in larger Christian iconography from christograms to the cross and icons. This also what will show up if you pick the Pantokrator in the rules, but the empire turns Iconoclast.

The use of the Pantokrator icon as a state symbol was started by Justinian II, with Basil I making it a hallmark of the Macedonians. Yet another shift towards more explicit identification with the faith. Emperors (and only emperors) stamped their letters and coins with the J-man because they wanted the recipient to know they spoke with the authority of the almighty. Not even the popes dared to try that one.

Finally, there are variations of the Tetragrammatic cross used in the Palaiologan period. There's the well known version with firesteels, and the more accurate version using Betas. This is the final evolution of the Roman standard.

Note that the double eagle was not, per the sources I reviewed, an actual imperial symbol. It was a symbol of the Komnenoi and Palaiologioi families. So I didn't include it. If I ever extend this to family CoA's, okay maybe. There's also bonus CoA based on a coin with the old crest of Byzanton that will show up if the Greeks turn to Islam. Note that this is based on the emperor, not the state faith, since I couldn't find documentation on the latter.

Special thanks to Dumbarton Oaks and their amazing online collection of coins and seals. Check it out at www.doaks.org