Hamilton321
Prince
The day is March 28, 193 and the world is on auction, whoever gives the best bribe to the Praetorian Guard will be the Emperor of Rome. On March 28, 193 the wealthiest man in Rome, Didius Julianus literally bought the Roman Empire.
Julianus has no experience in power, and as his predecessor learned the hard way, he learned that power is not held alone, as soon as news of the murder of the previous emperor; Pertinax, reached the frontiers, three different generals declare themselves emperor and only one man can survive.
Three months before, Commodus is in his bath, he does not suspect anything. his concubine Marcia allows his personal trainer Narcissus into his bath chamber and he strangles Commodus to death, a crude end to a series of assassination attempts by Marcia and the Senate. The urban prefect, Pertinax is crowned emperor the very next day.
Julianus has no experience in power, and as his predecessor learned the hard way, he learned that power is not held alone, as soon as news of the murder of the previous emperor; Pertinax, reached the frontiers, three different generals declare themselves emperor and only one man can survive.
Three months before, Commodus is in his bath, he does not suspect anything. his concubine Marcia allows his personal trainer Narcissus into his bath chamber and he strangles Commodus to death, a crude end to a series of assassination attempts by Marcia and the Senate. The urban prefect, Pertinax is crowned emperor the very next day.
As emperor, Pertinax instituted austerity measures. He enforced discipline among the Praetorians, he refused to bribe the army or the praetorians, he attempted to reverse the disastrous but popular policies of his predecessor.
But as Caligula, Nero, Commodus and every other emperor who defied the Senate or the Praetorian Guard came to learn, staying in power required appeasing them. Ninety days after he was crowned, three hundred members of the Praetorian Guard murdered Commodus, no one could discipline them and they were prepared to sell off the empire to the highest bidder.
This is unfinished, I will come back eventually and finish the story.
But as Caligula, Nero, Commodus and every other emperor who defied the Senate or the Praetorian Guard came to learn, staying in power required appeasing them. Ninety days after he was crowned, three hundred members of the Praetorian Guard murdered Commodus, no one could discipline them and they were prepared to sell off the empire to the highest bidder.
This is unfinished, I will come back eventually and finish the story.
