3 ms·
This eventually became a common pattern in the early Roman empire, when the military would effectively help select the leader who would best line their pockets
by nkozyra 7y ago
This eventually became a common pattern in the early Roman empire, when the military would effectively help select the leader who would best line their pockets and eventually dispose of him when it was time to cash in again.
- trhway 7y agowith the end that actual defense/fighting was ultimately outsourced to foederati who naturally disposed of the last emperor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foederati#5th_century https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foederati#5th_century "By the 5th century, lacking the wealth needed to pay and train a professional army, Western Roman military strength was almost entirely reliant on foederati units. [...] and the foederati would deliver the fatal blow to the dying nominal Western Roman Empire in 476, when their commander Odoacer deposed the usurper Western Emperor, Romulus Augustulus"