Ryan Davis What were the qualifications for becoming an emperor? What challenges existed to an emperor�s position and what were they? As the ruler of the most powerful political entity in the known world, the position of emperor of the Roman Empire held both the most power and the most danger. As such, only certain rich and powerful people could ever hope to become the emperor, and only the most able to keep that position. A variety of qualities were required, ranging from military influence and political intrigue to popularity and a love for the people. Challenges could come from all sides, both from the human and the material to even the mystical. Emperors, eventually, could even be foreign, like the Spaniard Trajan. To be �king� was very un-Roman so when Augustus first gained full power, the title he took was that of emperor. To ensure the change wasn�t too radical, the machinery of the Senate system that had been very successful was kept in place due to its proven worth and was indeed the only way really known to run the Empire. This created the system where powerful families and groups could exert power and intrigue at the highest level. This was to create much tension and troubles in the Imperial age. Initially, to gain the approval of the Senate was pivotal for an emperor to gain power and survive. An emperor who owed his position primarily to the Senate, though with an appeasement to the army in his successor Trajan, was Nerva. The power and prestige of the Senate was to gradually diminish as the Empire aged. The Senate still harked back to when it was the ruling body, and it exerted much pressure on emperors and prospective emperors to follow their line, the threat posed both by the whole body and individuals within was large, though this was to lessen as time progressed. The Senate, at least initially, felt it had the right to choose the next emperor, so in order to gain this position a prospective emperor had to convince the Senate. The Senate was still, as has been the case with aristocracy through the ages, strongly influenced by the nobility and lineage of your family, so it was of great benefit to an Imperial hopeful to claim descent from a good family. Tacitus, in his Histories (1.15-16) tells of the short-reigned emperor Galba telling his new heir, Piso, of the lineage that would be added to both his family and Piso�s: �It would be a high honour � to introduce into my house a descendant of Pompey the Great and Marcus Crassus; and it would be a distinction to you to add to the nobility of your lineage the honours of the Sulpician and Lutatian houses.� This shows how important family heritage was still to the aristocracy of the Roman Empire and therefore in the accession to the Imperial seat. The Senate retained power over the running of certain areas of administration. The Senate was far favourable to those emperors who gave them more power than those who didn�t. Augustus recognised this, and his example was followed by some of his successors but not by others. Those who attempted to share power with the senators generally had a more harmonious reign. Commodus had a very difficult reign, and it is no coincidence that he had an atrocious relationship with the Senate. Pliny in his Panegyric exhorts Trajan for his willingness to share the Imperial responsibilities with the Senate. Though this may of course be exaggeratedly sycophantic, it shows that Senators were appeased by actions: �Hardly had the first day of your consulship dawned when you � exhorted us, now individually, now all together, to take back our freedom, to take up the duties of imperial administration, shared, so to speak, between yourself and us, to watch over the public interest, to rouse ourselves. All emperors before you said the same, but one before you was believed. � But you we follow fearlessly and happily, wherever you call us. You order us to be free; we will be.� The power and the influence of the Senate was restricted and became more so. The emperor had to right to convene the Senate and disband it. The emperor controlled the composition of the Senate, and indeed was known to execute some of the Senators. The Senate also controlled much less of the military forces than did the emperor. Because of this, the Senate was often sycophantic and willing to do whatever pleased the emperor. This was understandable, as their lives and careers depended on it. The interior competition within an expanding Senate for the roles involved meant that it was often involved in internal politicking which distracted it from exerting a larger role in controlling the emperor. The threats from the Senate to the emperor were real, but not of the greatest danger, and decreased as government became less Republican and more Imperial. Though the populace generally held little political influence, without popular support, at least in Rome, an emperor could never hope to remain in power. The way the populace could exert influence over the emperor was by rioting. This was a very effective way of acting against unpopular measures. In 193, when the choice of the next emperor was still unclear due to civil wars, a crowd of people staged a sit-in and chanted the name of their choice. This was a great hindrance to his rivals, even though their choice eventually lost out. Nero, though a failure in many ways, thought it imperative to be popular with the people, and his lavish games and shows ensured he was very successful in this aim. He even entered the Olympic Games and won gold in every event, though this wasn�t a strictly fair result. He lost all popular support he had when Rome burned, however. His treatment of the Christians afterwards won him few friends. Nero�s quest to be popular was expensive, and this was to create problems in his succession. The threat to the reign of the emperor was small, but significant. To the ordinary peasant, it didn�t matter who was in charge; it was just the population of Rome who might cause real trouble by rioting. Even this could be controlled to a large degree, though when it was really serious, a common soldier would be reluctant to put arms to a fellow, ordinary man. Plutarch plays down the political motivation of the common man in times of peace in his �Precepts of Starcraft (32): �As far as peace is concerned, the people have no need of political activity.� The person of a prospective emperor was vital to them gaining support. This of course is strongly linked to all the other requisites for gaining the Imperial power. An elderly man was unlikely to gain affinity with the average soldier, and a man who disrespected the senatorial ideals and traditions was unlikely to gain senatorial approval. An intelligent, affable and personable personality was required to gain success in attracting the support of those persons necessary. The emperors, when choosing their successors, would ensure that one who had all the qualities necessary to rule adequately was chosen. Hadrian was one emperor who did this. Cassius Dio recounts the story in his Roman History (69.20f): �(An heir) by deliberate selection one of sound body and sound mind is certain to be chosen. � He (Lucius Commodus) is noble, mild, tractable, prudent, neither so young to do anything reckless not so old as to neglect anything.� This is an example of the importance of one being able to perform the duties required of an emperor. This was part of a speech supposedly to a group of the most prominent senators. The need to influence the Senate on the matter of character, not just family lineage and military power in the choice is shown here. The army also needed to be convinced of the good personality and character of the imperial candidate or emperor if they were to support him. Herodian recounts how Septimius Severus achieved this: �He never exhibited any trappings of imperial luxury. Therefore he won even greater approval from his fellow-soldiers. They respected the fact that he not only joined personally in their toils, but was the first to start a job.� It was crucial to gain the respect of the soldiers. The military were perhaps the most significant group in determining the choice of emperor and the security of the reign of an emperor even at the start of the period of empire. This was certainly the case by the end of the second century. Augustus� reign had been borne out of civil wars where he won power to a large degree by military might. In the first century particularly, it was seen as vital that an emperor conquer new territory and earn the right to be hailed as Imperator by merit. Augustus certainly recognised the need for this as did Claudius. Nero, though popular with the ordinary people, was not at all popular with the military factions, in fact he was almost paranoid about the generals. He underwent no military campaigns and when a general in Spain, Galba, threatened a revolt, he committed suicide such was his fear of generals. Emperors and prospective emperors went out of their way to ingratiate themselves with the military. Claudius paid the Praetorian guard a huge bonus when he became the emperor. This was significant as this was the first time that it was made explicit that the choice of emperor was influenced by the military. Galba was put in power in 68 by his military legions, but his failure to reward them soon lost him his support and then his life. Septimius Severus gained his power in 193 by the means of his army. Trajan was granted the right to be heir to the Imperial throne in order to appease those who were unhappy with the Senate�s choice, the elderly Nerva. To gain the support of the army, there were a number of things that the emperor or candidate could do. It was considerably easier if he was a military leader, he would already have the support of his troops and his successes would be well respected. Financial benefits were a crucial way of enlisting the support of the troops, the prospect of large bonuses were a massive inducement, indeed at one stage the Praetorian Guard were earning far more than any other soldiers in the empire. The emperor would show that they were at one with the soldiers. This is shown in Dio when he talks about Caracalla: �(He) performed menial tasks enthusiastically on equal terms with the rest. So, he marched on foot with the soldiers and ran with them, did not wash, or change his clothes, joined in every task with them, and chose exactly the same kind of rations they had.� A conflict in loyalties did often arise, however, and often a legion or group of legions would be serving an individual rather than the better needs of the state. This was understandable on their part as they were offered better inducements and leadership by their patron and the soldiers were not wealthy men. Appian when writing �Civil Wars� describes this: �The soldiers believed that they were not so much serving in an army as helping out, through their personal decision and labour, leaders who found their assistance essential for private ends.� Emperors were occasionally killed by the soldiers if they did not have support from the soldiers. One example is the �false Antoninus� (Elagabalus) who was killed in 212 by soldiers. The Praetorian Guard was the most crucial group in the military who could influence the choice of emperor initially. This was to change as time wore on. Galba seized control of the empire with a legion from Spain, though the Praetorian Guard were central to his failure as an emperor, though his failure to pay his supporters the money promised was perhaps the most critical factor. The power thus moved to the provincial legions who were far greater in size and experience than the Praetorians. Dio highlights the significance of the army�s influence on the choice of emperor when he talks about Otho: �People hated him especially because he had revealed that the position of emperor could be bought, and had put Rome in thrall to the most audacious men; moreover, he placed no value on the Senate and people and had indeed persuaded the soldiers that they could both kill and create an emperor.� This is perhaps more vitriolic than was strictly the case, but it is an example of the feeling of some of senatorial rank. Overall, the qualifications to become an emperor were varied, but three come to the fore as the most important. The support of the Senate was vital to any emperor, especially in the early period of the Empire when the Republic was still fresh in many minds. The personality of the emperor, combined with age and experience influenced all the factors, but is worth detailing for its own merits. The character of a leader gave him the abilities to gain office and keep it. The over-riding facet of Imperial rule is that of the military that grew ever more crucial, though the focus changed as time progressed. Bibliography Sources in Source booklet. J.B. Campbell �The Roman Army� (1996) Routledge. Wellesley �The Long Year 69 AD� (1976) Elek.
