The Eastern League: Jesus!

(As earlier posts recorded the travels of the League members who, after Caesar's death, fled to the north, so does this history record the fate of League members that traveled east instead.)

There were twenty-three League members when their party departed Rome aboard a trireme named the Beneficia Fortunatus. With them were nineteen women (wives and daughters), twelve children, and three slaves. They were led by Jovex Patrimonii, a strong and bold leader. He kept the League together for two years on their long exile; first to the bustling port of Athens, and then onwards, to the mouth of the Nile and the rich lands of Egypt. His death came as a shock to the eastern League - slain when opportunistic Romans came looking for the League, in the hopes of gaining Imperial favour. With his loss, most of the remaining League members disavowed the organization and went separate; a few (less than a half-dozen) traveled north, the only League members still in Roman lands. They settled, eventually, in the even-then ancient city of Jerusalem, around the year 4 BC.

It is said of Jesus, that among his twelve apostles were numbered both Jews and gentiles; that he sent them out into the towns of the land to drive out demons and afflictions, and that they spread his word. Much is not known about his followers; the chronology has been lost in all but the broadest strokes, and not even all of their names are known. In this ambiguity it is possible - even likely - that the League of Desmond became followers of Jesus of Nazareth, during his short span on earth.
What is known is that when the early Christian church began organizing, underground (in fear of Roman persecution), League members were among the earliest Christian stalwarts. Christianity became an integral part of the League in the East. When Constantine converted to Christianity and rebuilt the city of Byzantium - naming it New Rome - the League moved there en masse. After Constantine's death, the League remained in 'New Rome' - now known as Constantinople.

The League again grew in strength - but this time a spiritual strength, not a temporal one. Years and decades rolled by, and the League remained united and strong. It would take a crisis that would tear apart the entire Christian church to divide the League again.

(Author's note: This post took two weeks to write - or rather, to gain the inspiration to write. All Christians: please do not be offended by the Christ! He was sort of cool.)