There’s also his 400,000 man Praetorian Guard .... As the Roman Empire demonstrated, a Praetorian Guard is a fine thing, until its leadership starts getting uppity and decides it wants a role in choosing the Emperor.
[As the Roman Empire demonstrated, a Praetorian Guard is a fine thing, until its leadership starts getting uppity and decides it wants a role in choosing the Emperor. ]
All kings have traditionally had to balance the powers of their military commanders and deliberately set them at each other’s throats for precisely this reason, to keep them too busy to plot against him individually or collectively. Alexander’s Companions whacked his entire family after he died. We get the cleaned up Cliff’s Notes versions of many of these things, but the history was, in reality, wheels within wheels within wheels.