ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Biographics Didius Julianus: The Man Who Bought the Roman Empire
Welcome to an intriguing tale from Roman history! Today, we’re diving into the life of Didius Julianus, a man who famously bought his way to the throne of the Roman Empire. Let’s explore how this unusual event unfolded and what it tells us about the politics of ancient Rome.
As the year 192 AD came to a close, Rome was in the midst of celebrating the new year. However, the festivities were overshadowed by the assassination of Emperor Commodus, who was killed by his own wrestler, Narcissus. With Commodus gone and no heir in place, the Nerva-Antonine dynasty came to an abrupt end, leaving a power vacuum in the empire.
Following Commodus’s death, Pertinax ascended to the throne. His reign was short-lived, lasting only a few months. Pertinax attempted to curb the power of the Praetorian Guard, the elite soldiers meant to protect the emperor. Unfortunately, his efforts backfired, leading to his assassination by the very guards he sought to discipline.
With Pertinax gone, the Praetorian Guard decided to auction off the imperial throne to the highest bidder. Enter Didius Julianus, a wealthy and ambitious man from a distinguished family in Mediolanum (modern-day Milan). Julianus outbid his rival, Sulpicius, offering a substantial sum to the guards, who then declared him the new emperor on March 28th, 193 AD.
Marcus Didius Severus Julianus was born into a prominent family, with connections that helped him rise through the ranks of Roman politics. He held various positions, including quaestor, aedile, and praetor, and even commanded the 22nd Legion in Germania. Despite his administrative prowess, Julianus’s military experience was limited.
His career took a downturn when Commodus became emperor. Julianus faced accusations of conspiracy but managed to clear his name. He continued to serve in quieter roles, waiting for the right opportunity to advance his ambitions.
Julianus’s purchase of the empire was met with disdain by the Roman people and the Senate. His rule was seen as illegitimate, and he struggled to gain the support of key factions. The Praetorian Guard’s loyalty was fickle, and soon, three generals rose in rebellion against him.
Septimius Severus, one of the generals, marched on Rome and quickly gained control. The Praetorian Guard, unprepared for a real fight, surrendered, leaving Julianus isolated. The Senate, eager to distance itself from Julianus, declared Severus the new emperor and sentenced Julianus to death.
On June 2nd, 193 AD, Didius Julianus was executed, ending his brief 66-day reign. His story serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of power and the volatile nature of Roman politics.
Didius Julianus’s rise and fall highlight the complexities of Roman imperial succession and the influence of military power in political affairs. His story is a fascinating chapter in the history of Rome, offering insights into the challenges and intrigues faced by those who sought to rule the ancient empire.
Engage in a role-playing debate where you take on the roles of key figures from the era, such as Didius Julianus, Pertinax, a member of the Praetorian Guard, and a Roman senator. Discuss and debate the ethics and implications of auctioning the throne. This will help you understand the political dynamics and motivations of different stakeholders in ancient Rome.
Conduct research on the Nerva-Antonine dynasty and its impact on Roman politics. Prepare a presentation that connects the dynasty’s decline with the events leading to Didius Julianus’s rise. This activity will enhance your research skills and deepen your understanding of Roman history.
Write a short story or diary entry from the perspective of a Roman citizen witnessing the auction of the throne. Describe your thoughts and feelings about the political instability and the rise of Didius Julianus. This exercise will help you empathize with the people of that time and explore historical events creatively.
Compose an essay analyzing the role of the Praetorian Guard in the political landscape of Rome during this period. Discuss how their actions influenced the rise and fall of emperors, including Didius Julianus. This will encourage critical thinking and a deeper analysis of military influence in politics.
Create an interactive timeline of the events from the assassination of Commodus to the execution of Didius Julianus. Include key events, figures, and turning points. This activity will help you visualize the sequence of events and understand the rapid changes in leadership during this tumultuous period.
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Welcome to Biographics! I’m your host, Eric Malachite, and today we’ve got a fun bite-sized bio dealing with Didius Julianus, written by Ru Alexander. Be sure to check the links in the description and comment on who your favorite short-term Roman Emperor was in the comments. Let’s get to it!
Let’s set the scene: It was December 31st, 192 AD. The people of Rome were busy celebrating the new year, but unbeknownst to them, their Emperor, Commodus, had just been killed in his bath by the wrestler Narcissus. With no heir lined up, his death marked the end of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty. Naturally, the question arose: who would become the next emperor of Rome?
The person who succeeded Commodus was a man named Pertinax, but he did not last long. Pertinax felt that the Praetorian Guard had gained too much power, so one of his first initiatives as Emperor was to try to rein them in and enact a bit of discipline. After all, they were supposed to be an elite unit of soldiers loyal to the emperor, not a bunch of mercenaries drunk on power. As it turned out, this was a bad idea. The Praetorian Guard wasn’t enthusiastic about the changes Pertinax intended to enforce, so they killed him.
Now that the deed was done, they might as well go all the way. As the most powerful military force in Rome, they knew that pretenders to the throne would come seeking their support, so they decided to auction it off to the highest bidder. This is how a man named Didius Julianus became the new Emperor of Rome.
Marcus Didius Severus Julianus was born in Mediolanum (modern-day Milan), part of one of the city’s most distinguished families. His father was Quintus Petronius Didius Severus, and his mother was Aemilia Clara. He had two brothers, Didius Proculus and Didius Numus Albanus. His birthday is a bit uncertain; historian Cassius Dio gives it as January 30th, 133 AD, while the less reliable Historia Augusta says it was February 2nd, 137 AD. We’ll side with Cassius Dio here, but the Augusta does have more information on Julianus, particularly his early years.
According to the Chronicle, Julianus was raised at the house of a noblewoman called Deisha Lucila, who was the mother of the future Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Why this was the case, we can’t say, but she helped Julianus embark on his career as a magistrate in Mediolanum. Marcus Aurelius himself took a shine to young Didius and aided him along his way, so it is not surprising that Julianus was able to progress through the civil offices of the Roman Empire pretty quickly, with the ultimate goal being a position as Senator.
Didius Julianus became a quaestor a year before he was of legal age and then moved up to the office of aedile around 136 AD. Marcus Aurelius, now the emperor, made Julianus a praetor, although it was clear that Julianus was following the administrative route to the top, not the military one. It was still expected of young would-be senators to have some military experience, so Didius Julianus was given command of the 22nd Legion, Primigenia, in Germania. We don’t have any information on his actions as a military commander, so we will assume that Julianus and his Legion spent their time drinking and gambling.
In 170 AD, Julianus received another promotion, this time as prefect of the province Gallia Belgica, a position he held for five years. He was a bit more proactive here; we have word that he managed to repel a large and sudden invasion by the tribe known as the Chatti. For this, Emperor Marcus Aurelius recommended him for consulship. Unsurprisingly, with that kind of support, Didius Julianus was named consul in 175 AD alongside Pertinax, the short-lived emperor we mentioned earlier.
The next standard step was to receive a governorship, which he did—first in Dalmatia and later in Germania Inferior. Both times, Julianus was located near a war zone, so his main responsibilities involved shoring up defenses and ensuring provisions for the soldiers. Things were going well for Didius; he was now in his late 40s, and his career was progressing nicely. A position as Senator seemed inevitable.
However, things took a turn when Marcus Aurelius died in 180 AD and his son Commodus became sole ruler. Many of you are already familiar with him, but for those who are not, Commodus was a rather erratic ruler. Following his governorship of Germania Inferior, Julianus was summoned back to Rome, where he was named the prefect in charge of distributing money to the poor people of Italy. This was a demotion, plain and simple, but things would get even worse for him when Julianus stood accused of taking part in a conspiracy against Commodus. This was an extremely dangerous position for Julianus to be in; people who plotted against the emperor did not tend to live long and happy lives. Commodus was definitely of the execute-first-ask-later variety, but Julianus managed to keep his head—both figuratively and literally. He was tried and acquitted, and his accuser was put to death.
Afterward, he was given a quieter governorship in Bithynia during the 180s and then a position as proconsul in North Africa. It seemed that Commodus was content with Julianus as long as he stayed away from his armies, so he didn’t get any ideas. Julianus kept his head down and did as he was told, waiting for the right moment.
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Now back to the man who literally bought the Roman Empire. As we mentioned at the outset of the video, the year 193 AD started with Commodus murdered in his private chambers and Pertinax as the new emperor of Rome. However, his reign lasted only three months before the Praetorian Guard ended it at the tip of their swords. After they killed the emperor, the Praetorians realized that the people of Rome might not be too happy with them, and fearing reprisals from an angry mob, the guard quickly retreated back to its camp and barricaded it.
Inside the camp was one other man of importance: his name was Sulpicius, the prefect of Rome and Pertinax’s father-in-law. The emperor had sent him there to try and settle matters with the Praetorian Guard, but obviously, that didn’t work out. When Sulpicius found out that Pertinax was dead, he thought he might as well make a play for the throne. But wait—there was someone else knocking at the door to the Praetorian camp: Didius Julianus, who also wanted the Praetorian Guard’s help to become emperor.
So the Praetorian Guard decided to auction off their support to the highest bidder. Cassius Dio related this shameful event, stating that Sulpicius, who had been sent by Pertinax to the camp to set matters in order, remained on the spot and intrigued to get himself appointed emperor. Meanwhile, Didius Julianus, an insatiable money getter and a wanton spendthrift, hastily made his way to the camp and standing at the gates of the enclosure, made bids to the soldiers for the rule over the Romans.
What ensued was a most disgraceful business, unworthy of Rome. Just as it had been in some market or auction room, both the city and its entire empire were auctioned off. The sellers were the ones who had slain their emperor, and the would-be buyers were Sulpicius and Julianus, who vied to outbid each other. They gradually raised their bids up to 20,000 sesterces per soldier. Some of the soldiers would carry word to Julianus about Sulpicius’s offers, and vice versa.
Julianus ultimately raised his bid significantly, and the soldiers, captivated by this excessive offer and fearing that Sulpicius might avenge Pertinax, received Julianus inside and declared him emperor.
Didius Julianus became emperor on March 28th, 193 AD. The question now was: was it worth it? It has been said that Rome had three main groups: the people, the Senate, and the Army, and you needed to stay on the good side of at least two for a long and happy reign as emperor.
Well, maybe the people of Rome liked Julianus. Let’s see what Herodian had to say. He noted that Julianus purchased the Empire shamefully, disgracefully, and fraudulently, using force and opposing the wishes of the people. The new emperor rightly feared that the people would be hostile toward him. No one shouted the congratulations usually heard when emperors were accompanied by a formal escort; on the contrary, the people stood at a distance, shouting curses and reviling Julianus for using his wealth to purchase the Empire.
But maybe the Senate was on his side. Let’s see what Cassius Dio thought, as he was an actual senator of Rome during this time. After dinner, they pushed their way through the soldiers, entered the Senate house, and heard Julianus deliver a speech that was quite worthy of him. In the course of which he said, “I see that you need a ruler, and I myself am best fitted of any to rule you. I should mention all the advantages I can offer if you were not already familiar with them and had not already had experience of me. Consequently, I’ve not even asked to be attended here by many soldiers but have come to you alone in order that you may ratify what has been given to me by them.”
He claimed to be there alone, but he had actually surrounded the entire Senate house with heavily armed troops and had a large number of soldiers in the chamber itself. Moreover, he reminded them of their knowledge of the kind of man he was, which led them to both fear and hate him.
Okay, the Senate wasn’t on Julianus’s side either. That only left the Army, and unsurprisingly, the loyalty of the Praetorian Guard was as thin as single-ply toilet paper. When word spread of Julianus’s actions, three different generals rebelled, rallied their troops, and marched on Rome to depose him and claim the empire for themselves.
Truth be told, the Romans probably would have welcomed anyone who wasn’t Julianus with open arms, but it was Septimius Severus who arrived first and claimed the province of Ravenna without anyone raising a sword against him. Julianus sent assassins to slay Severus, but they failed. He sent emissaries to delay him, but they failed too. He even offered to rule the empire together, but that was rejected. Severus entered Rome with his army.
The Praetorian Guard had grown fat and lazy with their sweet gig in the big city; they were no match for a properly trained and disciplined army, so they laid down their arms and abandoned Julianus. Eventually, the desperate emperor relinquished all claims to the throne if only his life would be spared, but no such luck. When the Senate found out that Severus was in Rome and they were safe from the wrath of the Praetorians, they proclaimed Severus the new emperor and sentenced Didius Julianus to death.
On June 2nd, 193 AD, Julianus was executed at the age of 60 by a Tribune sent to kill him. He had reigned for only 66 days.
I hope you enjoyed that bite-sized bio! If you did, be sure to do all that algorithmic jazz and keep it tuned to Biographics for more just like this. I’m Eric Malachite, and I’ll see you next time!
Roman – Relating to ancient Rome or its empire or people. – The Roman Empire was known for its extensive network of roads and impressive architectural achievements.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – Understanding the history of the French Revolution provides insight into the development of modern democratic principles.
Politics – The activities associated with the governance of a country or area, especially the debate between parties having power. – The politics of the early 20th century were heavily influenced by the rise of nationalism and the aftermath of World War I.
Empire – An extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority, formerly especially an emperor or empress. – The British Empire was once the largest empire in history, with territories spanning across multiple continents.
Assassination – The action of assassinating someone, especially a prominent figure, for political or ideological reasons. – The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 is often cited as the catalyst for the outbreak of World War I.
Throne – The ceremonial chair for a sovereign, bishop, or similar figure, symbolizing authority and governance. – After the king’s death, his son ascended to the throne amidst a period of political unrest.
Praetorian – Relating to the elite unit of the Imperial Roman army whose members served as personal bodyguards to the Roman emperors. – The Praetorian Guard played a crucial role in the political machinations of the Roman Empire, often influencing the succession of emperors.
Rebellion – An act of violent or open resistance to an established government or ruler. – The rebellion against the oppressive regime was fueled by widespread discontent and a desire for democratic reforms.
Power – The ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way, especially as a faculty or quality; political or social authority or control. – The balance of power in Europe shifted dramatically after the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars.
Succession – The action or process of inheriting a title, office, property, etc.; the sequence in which one person after another succeeds to a title, throne, or estate. – The succession crisis following the king’s death led to a prolonged period of civil war and instability.
