Ancient Rome: A story full of power struggles, betrayal and bloody upheavals

In ancient Rome, the political landscape was characterized by constant power struggles, which often ended in violent overthrows. The most common scenario for such a change of power was so-called usurpation, a term that describes the violent takeover of power. This form of power change always followed a similar pattern that has been repeated over the centuries.and that made the uncertainties and instability of the Roman system of rule clear. The usurpation usually began with a successful military campaign by a commander stationed at the borders of Rome. This commander, often the leader of a legion stationed in the border areas, was proclaimed emperor by his soldiers. This happenedMostly in a situation where the legitimacy of the existing rule was questionable or the political situation was unstable, so that the soldiers expressed the desire for a new leader. The exclamation to the emperor was usually the result of successful military operations, in which the commander gained the trust and loyalty of his troops through his victories. thisSoldiers who played a crucial role in the election of the new ruler often saw the takeover of power as an opportunity to assert their own interests or to establish a new order.

The Legions as Kingmakers – The Way to Purple

As soon as the commander was called to the emperor, the actual conflict began. The problem was that the legitimacy of a new emperor was always fragile. The legal and social acceptance of such a change of power was usually not permanently secured, which meant that there was often a situation in which two or more competing rulers topower fought. This situation was exacerbated by the fact that the existing structures and traditions of the Roman state did not allow the change of power to be peacefully done. Instead, violence was often the only solution to consolidate one’s own position. This meant that civil wars occurred in which the legions of the usurper against theTroops of the incumbent emperor fought. These battles took place either in Rome itself or in other strategic locations in the empire and were crucial for the further course of the power struggles. They decided who gained actual control over the empire and who ultimately had the right to wear the purple.

Bloody Balances: The deadly statistics of Roman emperors

The outcome of these conflicts was often vital for those involved. The winners could rely on the position of power, while the losers were mostly expelled from political life through death or banishment. Between the death of the first Emperor Augustus, who established the Roman Empire, and the beginning of the reign of Emperor Diocletian, who was284 AD paved the way for a new administrative order, there were a large number of emperors who came to power through usurpation – in total there were several dozen. Many of them were overthrown by the sword or by assassination. For most of these emperors, violent takeovers and the struggle for power were daily reality. Numerous emperors fell in the fighting orThrough assassination, which shows how dangerous and uncertain the position of a Roman emperor was. Overall, several emperors died during this time due to natural causes, but most of them had to evade their lives through violence or betrayal.

Murder and Paranoia: Everyday life on the Palatine

While some emperors died of military defeats or political intrigues, there were also cases in which Kaiser were victims of attacks in their own surroundings. Especially the Praetorian Guard, the Emperor’s bodyguard, played a decisive role in these assassinations. This elite unit both protection and potential danger because theyPositions of power and influences were often able to overthrow Kaiser. Some emperors were killed by direct assassination, others by betrayal within their own ranks. For example, Emperor Caracalla died during a campaign in the Middle East after being stabbed by one of his own bodyguards in the theater. also Emperor Aurelian, one of the last great Roman emperors,Fell an assassination attempt – triggered by an intrigue nourished by fear and distrust within his immediate surroundings. His secretary Eros had accidentally falsified a list of death sentences, which fueled the suspicion of betrayal and ultimately led to his death. These examples illustrate how life-threatening the emperor’s position was, even for those whostood at the peak of their power.

The Shadows of Tyranny: Cruel rulers and their bloody ends

The fear of reprisals and betrayal was omnipresent. Many emperors had to be constantly on guard to avoid being the victim of an attack. This fear led to the imperial residence, the palace on the Palatine, often becoming the scene of bloody raids. In most cases, the threat was so great that the emperors were not only from outside, but also from their own environment.were attacked. Especially in the year 96 AD, in the year of the assassination of Emperor Domitian, it became apparent how deeply the insecurity was rooted. Domitian had carried out a series of persecutions and purges in his reign, killing numerous confidants, relatives and potential rivals. His atmosphere of distrust led to everyone inFearing to become the next victim. The murder of Domitian was eventually committed by a former confidant, Stephen. Stephen had hidden himself in a smashing a dagger, and was just waiting for the right moment to attack the Emperor in his sleep. The intrigue was so sophisticated that it almost succeeded, but the physicalDomitian’s superiority prevented the assassination’s success – only with help and luck did the emperor escape his fate.

The Madness in Power: Commodus and the End of a Dynasty

Other emperors also suffered from a climate of distrust that constantly kept the danger of betrayal and murder present. Caligula’s influential at court, like his freed callistus, feared the wrath of the unpredictable emperor. They used their position to promote their own interests, which in turn fueled Caligula’s suspicion. This mistrust eventually led to a planwhich resulted in Caligula’s death. The conspirators joined forces to murder the emperor and install a successor at the same time. The Praetorian Tribun Cassius Chaerea, who was already known to the Emperor for his cruelty, was recruited for the murder. Chaerea was so filled with his hatred of Caligula that he stabbed the Emperor in the theater with a sword.After Caligula was dead, his uncle Claudius was made emperor, who gained power through the assassination of Caligula and subsequently became a stabilizing figure in the empire.

The omnipresent fear and the law of violence

Commodus, the son of the great Mark Aurel and the first emperor to be born in the family, also experienced a similar development. After a failed assassination attempt on him in 182 AD, in which his sister Lucilla was allegedly the mastermind, Commodus changed from a promising ruler to a bloodthirsty tyrant. his excessive behavior, hisSelf-engraving as Gladiator and his megalomania eventually led him to be murdered by his own people. On New Year’s 193, while the new year had already begun, Commodus was killed in the bathroom by a confidante named Narcissus by asphyxiation. The intrigues, betrayal and constant fear of death, were the daily business of the Roman emperors, whoa tension between power, betrayal and danger to life.

The constant danger and the bloody end of many emperors

These stories show how the Roman Empire was characterized by an atmosphere of constant distrust. For every emperor, the danger was real to become the victim of an attack or betrayal, regardless of his position of power or his success. It was a world full of intrigue, betrayal and bloody struggles for supremacy. Many emperors died through murder, assassination or betrayalWithin their own ranks, while few died a natural death. The danger was so great that the emperors had to be constantly vigilant to protect their lives, and the palace walls often became scenes of deadly raids. This constant uncertainty contributed significantly to the instability of the Roman Empire and led to the empire repeatedly from internalconflicts was shaken. The Roman emperors lived in this climate of betrayal and violence, which often only escaped their bloody ends by the happiness, cunning or the intervention of their security forces. This dark side of Roman history shows how fragile the power was and how quickly it could be destroyed by betrayal, murder or intrigue.

Happiness, cunning or the intervention of your security forces

The usurpation was therefore not an exceptional case, but as everyday as it is bloody. The deadly cycle of lust for power, fear, violence and betrayal ran like a red thread through Roman history – an eternal game of life and death, in which loyalty was nothing and even closest confidants could become murderers at any time. It was a time when purple was more a shroud thanLike a ruling mantle – and in which every emperor always had to reckon with the worst.