Second Great Invasions

The Second Great Invasions was the migration of Palthians throughout Messenia from eastern Prasinia and Inner Joriscia, occurring through the first century CE. It was the second great wave of Palthic migration or the Westsiedlung, succeeding the First Great Invasions of the ninth century BCE.

The Invasions were triggered by the decline of the Neokos Empire, which was riven apart by social disputes, and severely weakened in the Mathetomachy of the first century BCE. It was thus left powerless to confront the incursions of Inner Joriscian Palthians, who were initially placated by being directed to resettle depopulated areas from the 20s CE onwards. But, as the numbers of immigrants grew, their unwillingness to conform to the emerging united Neokos political structure led to violent clashes. Through careful maneuvering and selship, the Neokos emperor was able to direct new arrivals northwards to the Ellish plains or over the Zepnish Highlands. From there, they further advanced into the Second Sabāmani Empire, then gripped by the Great Zizanie, in the 50s. Tribes such as the Bructeri infamously sacked Etamps-La-Sainte in 57. Another destination was Transaphrasia, where Palthians arrived as what would become known locally as 'Eastern Sunneni'.

Within the Neokos lands, the deferral of crisis came at the expense of increased dependence on Palthic tribal feudatories and a greater influx of migrants than before. In 59, the Palthians began warring against other subjects of the Neokos, ransacking Old Messenian and Antissan cities, with the emperor left unable to act. In 64 a crackdown on the tribes resulted in the secession of the latter's territories as warlord states, the renunciation of their allegiance, and, ultimately, a war that resulted in the death of the last emperor of the First Neokos in 70, totally shattering any imperial authority. The empire was divided in the so-called 'interregnum' until its reunification in 193 by Theigo.

Along with the Mathetomachy, the Invasions caused or coincided with major agricultural and civil crises that caused severe depopulation of the Neokos, not to mention the slaughter which the Palthians wrought on their opponents. The Palthic immigrants replaced much of southern Messenia's population, giving the region its now well-known designation of Palthia, and assimilated the few survivors that remained. Thus, the Second Neokos state would become a fully Palthic polity, while Antissan culture passed into history and ethnic Messenians would only survive in mountainous Elmiesia. There was also significant settlement of Elland and Sabamia by the Palthians, while to the far west the immigrants would integrate with, and add a further leavening to, the Siur people.