In a single year, Rome went through six emperors.
Not candidates. Not dynasties.
Six men who actually wore the purple—and by the end of 238 AD, four were dead.
This wasn’t just a bad year. It was the moment Rome learned a terrifying truth:
Once an army learns it can make and unmake emperors, the empire belongs to whoever holds the swords—not the laws.
In this episode of The Roman Pattern, we break down the Year of Six Emperors:
The assassination that turned succession into an auction
Maximinus Thrax: the military strongman who squeezed the provinces
The African tax revolt that lit the match
The Senate’s desperate gamble (and why it failed fast)
The Praetorian Guard’s palace coup in the capital
Gordian III: the teenage “compromise” emperor—aka a puppet
And the real takeaway: 238 didn’t destroy Rome overnight… it normalized chaos.
After this, succession wasn’t law, tradition, or dynasty. It was speed, violence, and who could move troops first.
Rome is falling right now—you’re just watching the replay.
👇 Comment: What’s the real tipping point—when rules break, or when everyone starts acting like they’ll never return?
