It was March 26th: The Roman Empire put up for auction

On March 26, 193, Rome descended into an unimaginable political scene: following the assassination of Emperor Pertinax by the Praetorian Guard, imperial power was practically sold to the highest bidder. In a matter of hours, the supreme authority of the Roman Empire ceased to be a sacred dignity and became the object of a military bargain, revealing the regime's deep corruption.

The sudden fall of Pertinax

The son of a former slave who had become wealthy through trade, Pertinax nevertheless had all the makings of a competent servant of the state. A good administrator, trained in the Danube armies under Marcus Aurelius, he was called to power after the violent death of Commodus, a capricious and ruinous emperor. But once installed on the throne, the new emperor discovered depleted finances. He then decided to reduce spending, restrict the largesse bestowed upon the people, and above all, limit the privileges of the Praetorian Guard, to whom he did not fully pay the promised reward.

This policy of reform quickly alienated his supporters. After only eighty-seven days on the throne, Praetorian Guards stormed the palace. Pertinax tried to speak to them and calm their anger, but he was killed on the spot. His death marked a turning point: from then on, the Roman army no longer merely intended to influence power, but to distribute it.

Didius Julianus buys the throne

After Pertinax's murder, two candidates presented themselves before the Praetorian Guard for the imperial throne. Senator Didius Julianus won by promising each soldier a colossal sum. The imperial throne was thus awarded not by the Senate, nor by the people, nor even by dynastic legitimacy, but as the result of a veritable bidding war. This scandalous scene deeply shocked Rome and further discredited the central government.

Didius Julianus's triumph, however, was very short-lived. In the provinces, several generals rejected this charade. Septimius Severus, supported by the armies of the Danube, marched on Rome. Abandoned by the very people who had brought him to power, Julianus was in turn put to death. This crisis ushered in a new phase of imperial history: Roman power became increasingly dependent on the armies, and the authority of the state entered a period of lasting instability.