Didius Julianus: The Man Who Bought the Roman Empire

this video is brought to you by Squarespace the all-in-one website platform more about them later in this video Welcome to biographics I'm your host Eric Malachite and today we've got a fun bite-sized bio dealing with didus gilis written by Ru Alexander be sure to check the links in the description and comment 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 kdus had just been killed in his bath by the wrestler narcissist without an air lined up his death marked the end of the nerva anonine dynasty so naturally the question was raised who would become the next emperor of Rome the person who succeeded Commodus was a man named perx but he did not last long perx felt that the petorian guard had gained way too much power so one of his first initiatives as Emperor was to try and rein them in somewhat 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 and probably wine let's be honest as it turned out this was a bad idea the petorian guard wasn't enthusiastic about all the changes that Peron a intended to enforce so they killed him well now that the deed was done they might as well go all the way way as the most powerful military force in Rome they knew that the pretenders to the throne would come seeking their support so they decided to auction it off to the highest bidder and that is how a guy named didus julianis became the new emperor of [Music] Rome Marcus didus Severus julianas was born in mediana modern-day Milan part of Jen's ptor one of the city's most distinguished family Ames his father was quintis petronus didius seus and his mother was Amelia Clara and he had two brothers too didius proculus and didius numus albanus his birthday though is a bit more uncertain historian cassus Dio gives it as January 30th 133 ad while the less reliable Historia Augustus says it was February 2nd 137 ad we're going to sign with cassus Dio here but the Augusta does have a lot more information on julianas particularly his early years according to the chronicle julianus was raised at the house of a noble woman called Deisha lucila although her last name was probably pronounced Lilla maybe someone correct me down in the comments I don't know the mother of the future Emperor Marcus aurelus why this was the case we can't say but she helped julianus embark on his career as a magistrate in medianum Marcus aurelus himself took a shine to Young didius and aided him along his way so it is not surprising that julianis was able to progress through the Civil offices of the Roman Empire pretty fast with the ultimate goal being a position as Senator didius julianas became aester a year before he was of legal age and after that moved up to the office of Ile around 136 ad Marcus aurelus now the emperor made julianus a pror although it was pretty clear that julianis 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 with that in mind didius julianis was given command of the 22nd Legion primia in manakum better known nowadays as M Germany we don't have any info on his actions as a military commander so we are just going to assume that julianis and his Legion spent the time drinking gambling and playing Tic-Tac-Toe in 170 ad0 julianus received yet another promotion this time as prefect of the province Galia belgica a position he held for 5 years he was a bit more proactive here we have word that he managed to repel a large and sudden Invasion by the jtic tribe known as the koki and for this Emperor Marcus aurelus recommended him for consulship unsurprisingly with that kind of support didus julianus was named console in 175 ad alongside pertinax the short-lived Emperor we mentioned in the intro the next standard step was to receive a governorship which he did to in fact first in Dalmatia and later in Germania inferior both times julianus was located near war zone so his main responsibilities involved Shoring up defenses and assuring Provisions for the soldiers things were going well for didius he was now in his late 40s but his career was progressing very nicely and the position as Senator seemed inevitable however things took a turn when Marcus aurelus 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 comus was let's say a pretty wacky guy and not the Funny Pants on head kind of wacky but more the paranoid murdery kind and if you want to learn all about his wackiness we have his bio ready for you right now anyway kdus wasn't as big a didus julianas fan as his dad following his governorship of Germania inferior julianis was summoned back to Rome where he was named the prefi 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 julianas stood accused of taking part in a conspiracy against Commodus this was an extremely dangerous position for julianas 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 julianis managed to keep his head both figuratively and literally he was tried and and acquitted and his accuser was put to death afterward he was even given a quieter governorship in bethenia during the 180s and then a position as pre-c Consul in North Africa it seemed that kedus was content with julianis as long as he stayed away from his armies so he didn't get any ideas so julianus kept his head down and did as he was told waiting for the right moment if you want your business to one day have enough money to buy the Roman Empire then you're going to need a snazzy and 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with kedus murdered in his private Chambers and Pera the new emperor of Rome but his Reign lasted only 3 months before the petorian guard ended it at the tip of their swords after they killed the emperor the pretorians 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 solanus he was the prefect of Rome in perona's father-in-law the emperor had sent him there to try and settle matters with a petoran guard obviously that didn't work out so when sanis found out that perx was dead he thought he might as well make a play for the throne why not right but wait there was someone else knocking at the door to the petorian camp it was none other than didius julianus who also wanted the petorian guard's help to become emperor so the petorian said screw it and on a day that would live in infamy auctioned off their support to the highest bidder here is how cassus Doo related the shameful event but solanas who had been sent by perx to the camp to set matters in order there remained on the spot and intrigued to get himself appointed Emperor meanwhile didus julianis at once an insatiate money getter and a wanton spin Thrift when he heard of the death of perx 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 then ensued a most disgraceful business and one Unworthy of Rome for 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 sanos and julianus who VI to outbid each other one from the inside the other from the outside they gradually raise their bids up to 20,000 ceris per Soldier some of the soldiers would carry word to julianis so panus offers so much how much more do you make it and sanis in turn julianus promises so much how much do you raise him sanus would have won the day being inside and being prefect of the city and also the first to name the figure 20,000 had not julianus raised his bid no longer by a small amount but by 5,000 at one time both shouting it in a loud voice and also indicating the amount with his fingers so the soldiers captivated by this excessive bid and at the same time fearing that sanus might avenge perx an idea that julianus put into their heads received julianus inside and declared him Emperor herodian gave a similar but slightly different account in his version the auction happened a few days after Peron A's death and the petorian guard announced in advance that they would give their support to the highest bidder however only sanus and julianus attended it because the other senators and noblemen found the idea too revolting the end result was the same though didius julianis and just bought the Roman Empire [Music] didius julianus became emperor on March 28th 193 ad the question now 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 like julianis let's see what herodian had to say because he purchased the Empire shamefully disgracefully and fraudulently using force and opposing 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 julianis bitterly for using his wealth to purchase the Empire guess not but maybe the Senate was on his side let's see what Cassius Dio thought since he was an actual senator of Rome when all this was going down so when bath and dinner were over we pushed our way through the soldiers entered the Senate house and heard him 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 I am here alone is what he said though he had actually surrounded the entire Senate house outside and heavy armed troops and had a large number of soldiers in the chamber itself moreover he reminded us of our knowledge of the kind of man he was in consequence of which we both feared and hated him okay the Senate wasn't on Julian's side either that only left the Army and unsurprisingly the Loyalty of the petorian Guard was as thin as single ply toilet paper when word spread of julius'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 julianas with open arms but it was Septimus seus who arrived first and claimed the province of revena without anyone raising a sword against them julianus sent assassins to slay seus but they failed he sent emissaries to delay him but they failed too and then sent an offered to rule the empire together but it was rejected and seus entered Rome with his army the petorian 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 julianas 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 seus was in Rome and they were safe from the Wrath of the orians they proclaimed seus the new emperor and sentenced didus julianis to death the following day on June 2nd 193 ad julianus was executed at the age of 60 by a Tribune sent to kill that cowardly and wretched old man who had in this way purchased with his own money his miserable death brutal absolutely brutal Savage he had reigned for only 66 days well I certainly hope you enjoyed that bite-sized bio and 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 space cowboy [Music]