A group of senators decided that after the murder of Commodus, Plubius Pertinax, a former governor of Britain who had been an adviser to the late emperor Marcus Aurelius (Commodus's father), a well-loved man in Rome, would be chosen as emperor.
Coincidentally, it was January 1 of the year 193, and in Rome nobody imagined that one of the most troubled years in its history was about to begin.
And it all started when Pertinax gave a good bonus to the Praetorian Guard, who were the elite of the army, those who cared for Caesar.
One of the reasons why the Roman Republic fell was because of some reforms that were made, and as a result the soldiers were more loyal to their general than to the senate.
It happened several times that after the death of some emperor, a strong general emerged in command of a few legions who tried to take the throne after his troops declared him Emperor, so knowing that Pertinax put the Praetorians on his side with that bonus.
But Pertinax's situation was far from easy, the Senate had chosen him and demanded loyalty and that he make the much-needed economic reforms, which he did not want to do because the people did not want him very much, let's say, remember that (Commodus was very dear through the village).
And you will ask yourself, if this Commodus was so smart and loved by the people, why did he die? (They killed him)
Well, because Comodo was very loved by the people (especially at the beginning) because of the "Panem et Circenses", but his mistake was facing the Senate, so he focused on keeping them happy and raised taxes and lowered the salary to officials ( praetorians included)
The economic reforms that old Pertinax made saved Rome, but the Praetorians were not at all happy and sent a very strong message to the Senate.
A group of them assassinated the emperor and they seized the power of Rome.
That day chaos broke out in the city, hundreds of nobles approached the Praetorian camp because the empire was being auctioned off, the richest nobles wanted to be chosen as emperor, although at the end of the day the one who paid the most was Didio Juliano .
He didn't really want to, but his ambitious wife, Manlia Escantila, convinced him to be emperor. However, do you remember I told you that anyone with enough legions could be emperor? For when Pertinax died, the army chose another person.
Didius was emperor in Rome, and from Britannia marched the governor, Clodius Albino, also proclaimed emperor and in command of his legions.
But Didio declared him an enemy of Rome and thinking that everyone loved him he went to present some games to the Circus Maximus.
The Senate and Praetorians wanted him (because he had bribed almost everyone), but the people almost killed him, and he only escaped that day thanks to his guard of soldiers. In short, the people hated him. But wait it gets worse, because two other emperors emerged.
Septimius Severus, governor of Pannonia, marched to Rome with all his legions after being declared emperor, and so did Pescenius Niger, governor of Syria with the eastern legions.
He started a race towards Rome, the one that had it easier was Septimius Severus since he was closer than the others, he also made his men sleep with the equipment on so as not to waste time
Finally Didio Juliano sent an emissary and offered Severo to share the throne.
But Severo assassinated the emissary, the senate handed him Rome and Didio Juliano himself, who tried to protect Rome and even ordered the digging of defensive trenches, but since that physical work bothered the Praetorians, they betrayed him and did not put up any resistance. And so he lost the throne
Juliano did not want the throne, the one who wanted it was his wife, he also tried to protect Rome and recognize the Praetorians but nothing worked, also the next day they sentenced him to death and his last words were: “What wrong have I done to you? ”
And we come to June 1 of that year, Severo enters Rome without opposition and knowing that he has to win over the people, the Senate and the Praetorian Guard. Which will be difficult because everyone wants different things. So as soon as you get there, organize a banquet for the Praetorians.
But it was a trap and the Praetorians before the powerful legions of Septimius were nothing, unarmed they were stripped of their office and sent to serve as soldiers to far corners of the empire. then he put trusted soldiers as Praetorians and thus resolved that matter.
But the other two emperors who were marching at a fast pace had trouble, Clodius Albino, the one from Britain, negotiated with Septimius and in the end they agreed that after his death he would leave him as emperor
Albino returned to his province but Pescenio and his eastern legions advanced.
The Senate and the people realized that this emperor was not at stake, they were about to discover his iron arm.
Severus sent ships to protect Egypt (whence the wheat left for Rome), and set out with several legions to confront Pescenio.
To which after a long series of battles and a siege in Byzantium, he managed to defeat and finally he took over the full power of Rome.
But there he decided that the throne was going to be left to his son Basiano and he was not going to respect the agreement he had made with Albino.
Albinio declared himself emperor again and marched to Rome to defeat Septimius Severus in one of the bloodiest fights in the history of Rome; the famous battle of Lugdunum (Present Lyon France). Albinio lost and Severo cut off his head and sent it to Rome.
I just told you, that famous year of the 5 emperors (that actually although there were 5 emperors at the same time, in reality the battles between all lasted almost half a decade)
But let us anticipate the moment of the death of Septimius Severus, when with his last strength...
And having managed to become sole emperor and rule Rome for almost 20 years, he found himself on his deathbed surrounded by his sons and heirs.
He said to them "Stay together, keep the peace, pay the soldiers well and don't worry about anything else"
But his children ignored it, they decided to divide the empire so as not to fight, but Caracalla murdered his brother and all his witnesses and supporters. A regime of terror began that I will tell you about on another occasion.
And for now, this story ends that reminds us that when we are in the middle of a conflict we focus on winning it and forget that sometimes there is never a winner because everyone is hurt.
So you have to choose well what battles to fight, because looking at it like this, most lawsuits are not worth it….
The end
wow nice history thanx