Prompt Cast
The Year of the Five Emperors and the Rise of Septimius Severus
TLDR The year 193 in the Roman Empire, known as the year of the five emperors, marked the end of the peaceful rule of the Five Good Emperors. After the assassination of Commodus, a civil war broke out, leading to the rise of Septimius Severus as the new emperor and the start of the unstable Severan dynasty.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The year 193 in the Roman Empire was known as the year of the five emperors.
01:57
The Five Good Emperors of the Roman Empire were known for their peaceful rule and succession based on worthiness rather than bloodlines, but this era came to an end with the succession of Marcus Aurelius' natural son, Commodus.
03:18
Commodus, a horrible emperor who was crazy and paranoid, was assassinated on December 31st, 192, leading to the year of the Five Emperors and the appointment of Publius Helveus Pertinax as the new emperor who made the fatal mistake of not paying off the Pertorian Guard.
04:32
After Pertinax was assassinated, the Pertorian Guard auctioned off the imperial throne and Marcus Didius Julianus became the second emperor, but he was widely disliked and not taken seriously, while three different generals from different provinces also claimed the imperial throne.
05:49
After the assassination of Pertinax, a civil war broke out between three generals vying for the imperial throne, with Septimius Severus ultimately emerging as the victor and becoming the new emperor.
07:01
After pacifying the west by giving Clodius Albinus the title of Caesar, Severus focused on defeating Piscinius Niger in the east, ultimately capturing and beheading him, leaving only two emperors remaining.
08:17
Septimius Severus defeated Clodius Albinus at the Battle of Lugdanum, becoming the sole ruler of Rome and starting the Severan dynasty, which produced some of the worst emperors in Roman history, leading to increased instability and a year of six emperors just 45 years later.
