How Powerful was a Roman Emperor? Part 2

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  • čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
  • This video explores how powerful a Roman Emperor was during the later era from Diocletian to Romulus Augustus as well as the limitations upon it and what other authorites were at work.
    The SPQR Historian explores the power of a Roman Emperor during the early empires from Augustus to Diocletian:
    • How Powerful was the R...
    Time Stamps
    0:00 Introduction
    0:30 Crisis of the Third Century
    1:18 Changes in the Third Century
    2:20 Diocletian Lord and Master
    3:41 Diocletian and the Tetrarchy
    4:07 New Professional Bureaucracy
    5:31 The Army
    5:56 The Church
    6:41 Dynasty
    7:28 Barbarians and Child Emperors
    8:10 Comparison with the Eastern Court
    8:23 Conclusion
    9:34 Epilogue
    If you wish to contact Eastern Roman History for whatever reason, you can contact me here:
    email
    easternromanhistory@gmail.com
    Or
    Discord
    / discord
    If you would like to support Eastern Roman History, I have a Patreon: / easternromanh. .
    Music Credits:
    'War of Kings' by Jeff van Dyke from Medieval Total War II by Creative Assembly.
    'Summer Euro Theme 1', 'Summer Euro Theme 2', 'Winter Euro Theme 1' and 'Winter Euro Theme 2' by Jeff van Dyke from Medieval Total War by Creative
    'Legends of Azaroth' by Jason Hayes, Tracy W. Bush, Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford from World of Warcraft by Blizzard Entertainment.
    All images used are for educational purposes, if I have used a piece of art and you would like me to credit you, please contact me and I shall do so.

Komentáře • 53

  • @TheSPQRHistorian
    @TheSPQRHistorian Před 3 lety +77

    It has been an absolute pleasure collaborating with you!

  • @Kelgrafar
    @Kelgrafar Před 3 lety +109

    There's one story I read about Heraclius always impressed me about the devotion to the Emperor. When he returned from a disastrous campaign in the East he had developed a fear of drowning and refused to cross the Bosporus to get back into the capital. The military commandeered the entire merchant fleet of Constantinople, lined them up side by side and made a temporary bridge just for the Emperor. Apparently they lined the sides of the bridge with tree branches to look more like land and had the Emperor cross on horseback... That was the entire merchant fleet of the richest trade city in the world, just to appease the Emperor's phobia.

    • @EasternRomanHistory
      @EasternRomanHistory  Před 3 lety +36

      I very much looking forward to covering Heraclius, such a fasinating reign.

    • @runevi
      @runevi Před 3 lety +16

      @@EasternRomanHistory I'm looking forward to when you cover Heraclius as well! How interesting!

    • @harrietharlow9929
      @harrietharlow9929 Před 3 lety +5

      That's cool. Fear of drowning is a fairly common one. Better to do that to get the Emperor back to the capital.

    • @foty8679
      @foty8679 Před rokem

      @Θεόδωρος True. Nothing really changed, parlament is just a big senate. People are just playing politics more silent.

  • @mrk45
    @mrk45 Před 3 lety +88

    He was powerful enough to demand the imprisonment of anyone who laughed at his gweat fwiend Biggus Dickus.

  • @VOTE_REFORM_UK
    @VOTE_REFORM_UK Před 2 lety +19

    2:22 “Diocletian, who was ultimately responsible for ending the third century crisis…”
    (Cries in Aurelian)

    • @EasternRomanHistory
      @EasternRomanHistory  Před 2 lety +11

      It is true though, though Aurelian brought the three parts of the empire back together he did not solve many of the funadmental issues prevalent during the third century, especially, political instability. Diocletian is the person who brought the empire out of the crisis though one could certainly say that had it not been for people like Aurelian and Probus, that Diocletian would have not been able to accomplish this or at least not to the same extent.

    • @williamcrawford7621
      @williamcrawford7621 Před 10 měsíci

      I know that historians generally point to Diocletian as the one to end the crisis of the third century, but it seems a little arbitrary to me. Rome erupted into another series of civil wars even in Diocletian's own life time, which suggests that his reforms were not really that effective.

  • @oscarromarioflorezcamargo6342

    It ranges from no power to absolute power depend on who and when we are talking about.

  • @sandrojones8068
    @sandrojones8068 Před 3 lety +50

    They were 2nd only to god as far as I know.

  • @MoveInSilence23
    @MoveInSilence23 Před 3 lety +16

    Wish it was longer. This was fantastic 🤩

  • @harrietharlow9929
    @harrietharlow9929 Před 3 lety +7

    I love that bust of Trajan. He really does appear to be looking right at the viewer.

  • @davemorgan6013
    @davemorgan6013 Před 3 lety +27

    Before Diocletian, the Roman Empire was actually more of a military dictatorship than a monarchy. That's why child emperors would have been quickly deposed. In that sense, the Empire was, in fact, a republic until 284. It simply wasn't a democracy, but instead ruled by "strong-men".

    • @moviemonster2083
      @moviemonster2083 Před 2 lety +2

      That's interesting. And it makes sense that the Romans would still be denying that they were ending Republican gov't with Emperorship as long as they needed to from an ideological standpoint. One wonders if, for instance, the Romans had adopted Christianity before Diocletian, would the developing faith (or faiths) have been more in keeping with the mores and institutions of Classical Civilization like the Rule of Law and more participatory forms of government than what it eventually became under the medieval Germanic-Latin Christian successors to the Romans?

  • @bogdan3386
    @bogdan3386 Před 3 lety +14

    Great video. I really love Roman history from the 5 good emperors up to 1453 especially the 3rd century crisis the dominate because Roman society changed so much which lead to the medieval era

  • @Rocinante2300
    @Rocinante2300 Před 3 lety +3

    Great video as always, I loved to see more collaborative work

  • @roberto8187
    @roberto8187 Před 3 lety +7

    good as usual

  • @robbabcock_
    @robbabcock_ Před rokem

    Wonderful stuff!⚔

  • @sevball9735
    @sevball9735 Před 3 lety +5

    Very nice video, I started watching you a few weeks ago and I can tell this is an underrated history channel.

  • @contoon1563
    @contoon1563 Před 3 lety +1

    I'm loving this channel, keep up the good work man😁

  • @tarn1135
    @tarn1135 Před 3 lety +1

    I’m thankful I clicked on spqr’s vid because I found this channel and I sub’ed. Keep up the good work

  • @Rhiannonganon
    @Rhiannonganon Před 2 lety

    Just clocked the world of Warcraft music you have in the background of this video, brings back some memories, I played that for 12 years!!!!!!!!

  • @miguelconti2304
    @miguelconti2304 Před 2 lety

    Amazing video keep it up!

  • @OttomanHistoryHub
    @OttomanHistoryHub Před 3 lety +2

    Nice collaboration!

  • @parigas
    @parigas Před 3 lety

    Good one

  • @bloodmooncomix457
    @bloodmooncomix457 Před 3 lety

    Well done! This video helped me understand Matthew 6:33 and the quality of respect He was referring too!😣🙏

  • @byzantinetales
    @byzantinetales Před 3 lety +13

    The Byzantine emperors were considered actually what the pope is today. God’s representatives on earth. That stems from the Roman past where they were seen as gods themselves .

  • @giannisgiannopoulos791
    @giannisgiannopoulos791 Před 3 lety +3

    Should Leo I had not got rid of Aspar, it is very possible that the empire would have collapsed even earlier in the east than in the west..

  • @be2081
    @be2081 Před 3 lety +2

    Can you do a video on Theodosius the great?

  • @gm2407
    @gm2407 Před 3 lety +1

    It depends on the dynamics of the situation. The powerbase, the political competition, the institutions, external threats, natural disasters, social changes, ecconomic factors. You can not say any two Emperors were of equal power, ability or difficulty level of the challenges they faced. For example Theodocius ii was fortunate not to face deposition by a powerful magister during a difficult period as previous child emperors had and later ones would. The strength, abiloty and integrity of supporters was just as important as the weakness of opposition.
    The broad borders ment that uniting factors are limited when the Emperor's forces were stretched and ambitious subordinates many. look at the amount of governers declaring themselves emperor.

    • @MrAwrsomeness
      @MrAwrsomeness Před 3 lety

      Not to mention that the personal charisma confidence and reputation of an emperor was a huge source of their power

  • @metzyahrosenstein4827
    @metzyahrosenstein4827 Před 3 lety +1

    Is that the Stormwind music?

    • @Rhiannonganon
      @Rhiannonganon Před 2 lety

      Nope it's the world of Warcraft log in screen music from "vanilla wow"! I'd recognise it anywhere and I'm kinda distracted from the voice and the point of the video because of it lol

  • @EasternRomanHistory
    @EasternRomanHistory  Před 3 lety +1

    The SPQR Historian's Video:
    czcams.com/video/OzS5X6eQ_3Q/video.html

  • @oddf3llow
    @oddf3llow Před 3 lety +1

    Hah, the music makes me want to log into World of Warcraft =D

  • @bendackins7211
    @bendackins7211 Před 3 lety +2

    Imperial cult?! The emperor protects!

  • @excaliburumbra7982
    @excaliburumbra7982 Před 2 lety

    I hear the witcher theme at the start lol

  • @RealConstantinusMagnus

    Is that Witcher 3 music?

    • @EasternRomanHistory
      @EasternRomanHistory  Před 2 lety

      Yes and no, the theme of Ard Skellig and the theme from Medieval Total War are based on Mountain of Mourn from Complete Celt.

  • @chrisskinner6291
    @chrisskinner6291 Před 2 lety

    There is no was 4 still is.

  • @jet-blackjo2455
    @jet-blackjo2455 Před 2 lety

    Not powerful at all, that's why they have Pretorian guard. Surely nothing is going wrong with these guys around. Am i right Tiberius?