6 Emperors in 1 Year: Total System Collapse

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?

CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Six Emperors in One Year (Rome Breaks)
00:25 – The Terrifying Rule: Swords Over Law
00:52 – The Year of Six Emperors Explained
01:33 – 235 AD: Assassination Becomes “Policy”
01:57 – Maximinus Thrax: The Military Strongman
02:26 – Taxes Spike: The Provinces Start to Snap
02:38 – Africa: Rome’s Grain Basket Revolts
02:53 – Gordian I & II Declared Emperors
03:18 – The Senate’s Gamble: Maximinus “Public Enemy”
03:46 – The Problem: No Army Behind the Senate
03:53 – Gordian II Killed… Gordian I Suicide
04:07 – Rome Defies the Emperor (Now What?)
04:23 – Pupienus & Balbinus: Two-Headed Target
04:47 – Maximinus Marches on Italy
04:56 – Aquileia: The Army Kills Maximinus
05:24 – The Praetorian Guard Cut Out (Danger)
05:56 – Palace Coup: Two Emperors Murdered
06:07 – Five Emperors Down
06:13 – The Compromise: Gordian III (Teen Puppet)
06:49 – The Lesson Burned In: Anyone Can Make Emperors
07:00 – Succession Becomes Speed + Violence
07:13 – 238 Normalized Chaos
07:34 – Template for the Crisis of the Third Century
07:51 – When Violence Decides Power, Collapse Has Begun
08:02 – What Comes Next: Breakaway Empires & Invasions