The Roman Emperors whose reigns were shorter than the lifespan of a worker ant.

[Final Frontier]

The worker ant, under feasible conditions, will live for about half a year.
(http://www.sonic.net/~petdoc/lifespan.htm).

There were a few emperors who reigned for a brief period of time, due to old age and assassination, among other things. These men were not able to do much for the Empire, but they got the pleasure of having their name inscribed in history due to this [possibly foolish] act.


Marcus Salvius Otho, a Man with Great Ambitions

Before becoming an emperor Otho was one of the men around Nero, but due to an icident with a woman he was forced to stay in Lusitania. When Galba rose in revolt against Nero, he joined him, though he later caused his assassination. After the death of Galba the people cried out to Otho to become emperor, which he accepted. At the same time, however, another man named Aulus Vitellius Germanicus was declared emperor by the legions of the Rhine. After the Battle of Bedriacum Otho assassinated himself rather than fight on and have more men die meaninglessly.


Pertinax – 86 Days of Distrust (192-93 A.D.)

His life before and during his reign as Emperor
Pertinax was born the son of a slave, and he eventually joined the Roman army. He was raised to the equestrian rank under Marcus Aurelius’ reign, and later on became a Senator. Moesia, Dacia, and Syria were also once governed by him. Pertinax went from rags to riches, an incredible feat for his time. When he was elected Emperor after the assassination of Commodus, he convinced the Senate to forgive Laetus, the Praetorian Prefect, who had arranged for the assassination of Commodus and proclaimed Pertinax emperor. The Praetorian Guard itself, however, were uneasy with him. “A payment of 12,000 sesterces per man assisted the Praetorians to make up their minds, but for an anxious moment it seemed that it would not work” (Southern, 26). At the festival to swear loyalty to Pertinax some members of the Praetorian Guard attempted to nominate another candidate for emperor, but he ran away due to fear. Pertinax also removed any people he found unnecessary in the Imperial house, and he reinstated those who had been unfairly demoted in the reign of Commodus. He tried to improve the economy by means of fixing the value of the coin and encouraging people to farm, but by the orders of Laetus he was assassinated, the second emperor killed under his orders. Pertinax had not chosen a successor, so there was no true heir to the throne. Laetus feared gaining a position of power, so this free spot was open to the next candidate, Didius Julianus.


Didius Julianus, the Man who proved that Money cannot buy Happiness (March-June 193)

After the death of Pertinax, the title of Imperator was available to anybody, worthy or not. Flavius Sulpicianus, who was the father-in-law of Pertinax and prefect of Rome, tried to buy the title, but lost to a man namaed Didius Julianus. What was the price of emperor? 25,000 sesterces per Praetorian Guardsman. This was a win-lose situation for Julianus, however, and when Septimius Severus marched on Rome there was little he could do.

Other Men…
Petronius Maximus (455), Anicius Olybrius (472), and Glycerius (473-4).

Sources
The Penguin Historical Atlas of Rome by Schris Scarre
The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine by Pat Southern
Wiki for backup/pictures

Notes

-I consider only the men before the fall of the Western Empire (486 at Soissons, 480 after Nepos' death, or 476 after Augustulus' abdication) to be “Roman Emperors,” though it can be said otherwise
-Feel free to point out any other noteworthy men
- :Crandar: (I had to )

[Major König]

Great post. I never even thought of considering Roman emperors to worker ants. Very clever and informative SE.

[Stalins Ghost]

It just makes me think how rather pants it would have been becoming Emperor. One second you'd be the most powerful guy in the world, the next you'd have a knife jutting out of your neck, spear in your belly or....the list goes on. I guess its the same for anyone in the position of power, but the Emperors seemed to show a particuar aptitude for getting themselves bumped off.

[Drexxus Maximus]

It just makes me think how rather pants it would have been becoming Emperor. One second you'd be the most powerful guy in the world, the next you'd have a knife jutting out of your neck, spear in your belly or....the list goes on. I guess its the same for anyone in the position of power, but the Emperors seemed to show a particuar aptitude for getting themselves bumped off.

Then you have someone like Tiberius who basically murdered everyone, family included, around him he was so paranoid of assassination. He spent his remaining years on Capri instead of Rome for a reason heh. Personally I find Tiberius a fascinating Emperor, strange and a bit mad, but fascinating.

[Romanos]

Petronius Maximus (17 March 455 - 22 May 455)
As in the case of all the so-called "shadow" emperors of the western Roman Empire, there is no surviving connected account of the reign of the short-lived emperor Petronius Maximus. His career must be reconstructed primarily from what evidence survives in the detritus of Byzantine works that themselves do not survive in toto. Most of this evidence deals with his accession, which was intimately associated with the murder of Valentinian III (425-455), and his death, which occurred just as the Vandals were about to sack Rome in 455.

[antaeus]

there were also a few rather good emperors whos reigns were unusually short... (i.e. less than a couple of years) - but maybe they deserve to be in their own good but short reigning emperors thread.

however within the lifespan of a worker ant -

238 wasnt a good year for emperors... there were at least 6 of them during the year. it started wit hthe rather good soldier emperor thrax ( the first barbarian emperor - he was a goth)

but some other short reigns... the dual emperors Pupienus and Balbinus.. took power on the same day after a senate election, one a soldier, the other a politician... they were both executed by the pretorian guard while they were in their office in rome planning military campaigns. they had reigned 3 months - only long enough to quell a riot in rome - their only feat of note while emperors. both died in 238 standing side by side...

also during that year 3 gordians ruled. one killed himself, one died in battle and the third reigned for a few years after...

[Marcus Scaurus]

Then you have someone like Tiberius who basically murdered everyone, family included, around him he was so paranoid of assassination. He spent his remaining years on Capri instead of Rome for a reason heh. Personally I find Tiberius a fascinating Emperor, strange and a bit mad, but fascinating.

Tiberius fascinates me... he was a tyran who went mad in the last decade of his life, just like his family members Gaius (Caligula) and Nero. The latter two were incompetent and retarded for several reasons: they ruled over a huge empire despite their lack of experience as administrators and generals. Tiberius was different: he surely deserves a place amongst the able commanders in Roman history, men like Corbulo, Vespasian and Germanicus. As a general, he wasn't very loved by his men but he was succesfull in the supression of the Pannonian revolt and the wars with the Germanic tribes. Also, as an administrator he was quite skilled, telling his tax collectors that 'a good shepherd shears his flock, he doesn't skin them'. Tiberius become a gloomy, dark ruler... quite understandable in my opinion: suddenly (in 14 AD) he had the money, property, power and the women... the last decade of his life he spend his time ****ing women, eating and laughing. I would do the same.

[purple elf]

becoming emperor was a kiss of death really at this time and the empire was already looking like it was crumbling though a note dont let nobles be your bodyguards the preatorian guard was a terrible idea they killed more emperors than they saved

[Marcus Scaurus]

becoming emperor was a kiss of death really at this time and the empire was already looking like it was crumbling though a note dont let nobles be your bodyguards the preatorian guard was a terrible idea they killed more emperors than they saved

'At this time'? You mean during Tiberius' reign?

[removeduser_426582376423734]

I think s/he means at the time of chaos around the time of Gallienus, Severus etc.

[Marcus Scaurus]

The empire wasn't really crumbling, it was still able to kick the living hell out of the Parthians and Germans. Yes, there was a depression, but the empire wasn't really weak.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

Well, it was much like Russia during Rasputin's corruption. Constantly new emperors, therefore instability, many were incredibly unfit for the position.

[PyrrhusIV]

Tiberius fascinates me... he was a tyran who went mad in the last decade of his life, just like his family members Gaius (Caligula) and Nero. The latter two were incompetent and retarded for several reasons: they ruled over a huge empire despite their lack of experience as administrators and generals. Tiberius was different: he surely deserves a place amongst the able commanders in Roman history, men like Corbulo, Vespasian and Germanicus. As a general, he wasn't very loved by his men but he was succesfull in the supression of the Pannonian revolt and the wars with the Germanic tribes. Also, as an administrator he was quite skilled, telling his tax collectors that 'a good shepherd shears his flock, he doesn't skin them'. Tiberius become a gloomy, dark ruler... quite understandable in my opinion: suddenly (in 14 AD) he had the money, property, power and the women... the last decade of his life he spend his time ****ing women, eating and laughing. I would do the same.

Agreed. You must admit though, the first 6-7 years of his reign were well, then he just went downhill. Also, with all the family politics and stuff, it is amazing. The Years 31 B.C Until the death of Nero are some of the most fascinating, IMHO. Caligula was supposedly a very intelligent man, handsome, a perfect combination for an Emperor. HE was also young too. We have records of his first few months he showed extreme energy and planning. After the sickness he caught though, he never was the same.

[Marcus Scaurus]

Agreed. You must admit though, the first 6-7 years of his reign were well, then he just went downhill. Also, with all the family politics and stuff, it is amazing. The Years 31 B.C Until the death of Nero are some of the most fascinating, IMHO. Caligula was supposedly a very intelligent man, handsome, a perfect combination for an Emperor. HE was also young too. We have records of his first few months he showed extreme energy and planning. After the sickness he caught though, he never was the same.

The tiranny and downfall of the prefect Seianus also contributed to Tiberius' dark and suspicious attitude. Reading Suetonius' Caligula I was amazed to read that Caligula was a very good emperor in the first months of his reign, but in October 37 he became ill and afterwards it went downhill.

[PyrrhusIV]

Reading Suetonius' Caligula I was amazed to read that Caligula was a very good emperor in the first months of his reign, but in October 37 he became ill and afterwards it went downhill.

So true. Think what he could of accomplished, everyone loved him. He was also the son of Germanicus, who you know plenty about. Even the Praetorians loved him. I think I remember reading when the Praetorians killed him (out of pity), they let themselves be killed without a fight.

[Marcus Scaurus]

So true. Think what he could of accomplished, everyone loved him. He was also the son of Germanicus, who you know plenty about. Even the Praetorians loved him. I think I remember reading when the Praetorians killed him (out of pity), they let themselves be killed without a fight.

Caligula was killed by two Praetorian officers, Cassius Chaerea and Sabinus. After he was killed, they proclaimed Caligula's uncle Claudius (who hid himself in the palace, thinking that the guards wanted to kill him) as the new emperor.

I'm a fan of Germanicus, I just love the guy: he was the Caesar of the Julio-Claudians... handsome, loved by the people, military talented... I am still angry at the Gods! Why did this man had to die so early?

[purple elf]

oops didnt mean tiberius

[antaeus]

the thing which always gets me is some of the reasons why seutonius damns some of the emperors... and how much morality has changed. while some of the sexual deviancies and murders etc are still seen as morally corrupt... he also accuses people of singing in shows, acting, enjoying playing sports etc.. all of which would probably boost a modern leaders reputation rather than damn him/her

[Drexxus Maximus]

As far as the Tiberius/Caligula relationship goes, I think one could argue that Caligula's sadism and just all around madness could have been a direct result of growing up under the shadow of Tiberius. It's rumored that he was one of the "little fishes" that Tiberius had, I'll skip the details of that hehe. Tiberius wasnt a choir boy by any means, there was a lot of strange, sick, bizzare stuff going on out there on Capri. In a weird way I envy Tiberius, he lasted much much longer when compared to other "crazy" Emperors and was able to completley live out his golden years (for the most part) undisturbed, and free to indulge whatever fantasy he could imagine. Who wouldnt if given that much power

"To have command is to have all the power you will ever need. To have all the power you will ever need, is to have the world in the palm of you hand." - Tiberius Caesar

[MaximiIian]

The empire wasn't really crumbling, it was still able to kick the living hell out of the Parthians and Germans. Yes, there was a depression, but the empire wasn't really weak.

'Twas more like the earthquake tremors before a tidal wave hits. They're like, "okay, we got this". Then, semi-suddenly, !!!WHAMO!!!