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A Date With 12 Emperors


Germanicus

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I was curious - but am not sure that anyone else will be as it's kind of trivial and random, as to how many future Emperors could have potentialy attended a dinner party together, as they were all alive at the same point in time, so I worked it out for the early empire up until Macrinius.

 

I did a graph of this in Excel, and it shows that there are certain points in time, as in the case of Nerva, when the number of men living who will one day become Emperor, reaches 12. That 's one hell of a dinner party ! True, Domitian would have only been 2 years old at the time of the dinner party, which would have to have taken place during the final year of Caligulas rule but hey I though it was freaky.

 

While it shows what anyone with all the relevant dates can work out, it also showed that on average, Emperors in the early period got to see 4, 5 and even more Emperors rise and fall, before they got a go themselves. Nerva for example, was 7 years old when Tiberius bit the dust, and then got to personaly witness the reigns of :- Gaius, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian, before getting a go himself, that's 10 Emperors to watch and learn what to do and what not to do from.

 

It's an interesting point that early "bad" Emperors such as Gaius and Nero, only got to witness 3 each, and neither really got to see how Augustus handled himself, Gaius being only aged 1 when he died. The same can be said of Commodus, only having his father and Verus (admittedly good Emperors) as examples. Domitian on the other hand had no excuse, witnessing 7, many good like his father and brother., so maybe the data is as I said in the first place, random and trivial.

 

I also noted the mode of death in each case, which showed what I guess we already know - that a peacefull death in the early Empire was exclusively for the long serving, so called "good" Emperors, with the exception of Claudius. All the rest were relegated to suicide or death by murder.

 

I know if I went further into the Empire after the beginning of the decline, with all those 1 and 2 year rulers the dinner party attendance could be huge, but I was going cross eyed by the time I got to Macrinius.

 

Feel free to comment/dismiss at will

 

:blink:

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me too Germanicus, if u wouldn't mind posting the spreadsheet or emailing it to me, wud be greaty apreciated...... im a little new to this n want to learn!! :blink:

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Hi guys,

 

I just emailed the sheet to PP, as I'm a bit of a dunse and couldn't work out how to post it. In it's raw form it's not particularly clear, but you'll get the idea - feel free to refine it.

 

PP - are you able to post it on my behalf ?

 

Thanks

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Well here's the file. Germanicus suggested some improvements (like additional time line headers) but doesn't have the time to put it all together. I'm sure he doesn't mind if someone wants to make modifications and repost. This is an excellent little survey, I once did something similar for a school project regarding US presidents (many moons ago :D) and this sort of thing appeals to me.

 

Thanks Germanicus!

 

Emperor List

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Maybe your theory of good emperors witnessing the reigns of many others holds true Germanicus. As far as I can make out Constantine the Great lived through the reigns of 29 different Augustus before himself becoming Emperor! Largely self proclaimed nobodies but still...all donned the purple.

 

Here they are in all their glory

 

Aurelian

Tetricus I

Tetricus II

Florianus

Tacitus

Probus

Bonosus

Proculus

Saturinus

Carus

Diocletian

Domitus Domitanus

Aurelius Achillius

Eugenius

Amandus

Julianus

Maximianus Herculius

Numerian

Carinus

Caurausius

Allectus

Diocletian

Constantius Chlorus

Severus II

Maximian

Maxentius

Maximin Daia

Valens

Licinius

 

Geez, its no wonder he thought he'd have a go himself.

 

Ooh, also in 286 21 of them could have had a dinner party hosted by a 12 year old Constantine.

 

Obsession is fun :angry:

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