In my humble opinion the answer is that there was such an emperor, and he succeeded in extending the empire's lifespan by 1000 years: Constantine. read more
As to which, if any, Emperor could have saved the Empire; it is perhaps tempting to suggest that one of the 'great' emperors, such as Augustus, Marcus Aurelius or Trajan among many others could have been the requisite saviour figure with their political nous, philosophical and personal wisdom or military brilliance. read more
Discussion in 'The War Room' started by Pulpy, Dec 12, 2011. read more
On a basic level, imperial unity was always more of a goal than a given. Usurpations were always something emperors had to worry about, and from the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161-180, the old guy in Gladiator) on, practically every ruler had to deal with at least one rival claimant. read more