THE SCENE: The Roman Emperor Julianus was murdered by decree of the Senate after two months (and five days) on the job. From the sound of it, the Roman Senate had to stretch his “crimes” pretty hard to think up a justifiable pretext for the act.
THE TEXT: These charges, certainly, were brought against Julianus: that he had been a glutton and a gambler; that he had trained with gladiatorial weapons; and that he had done all these things as an old man, whereas previously in his youth he had never been disgraced by these vices. The charge of pride was also leveled him, although he had been very humble even as emperor – moreover he was, on the contrary, very polite at banquets, very liberal with signing petitions, and very reasonable over cases of personal freedom. It was held against him in particular that those whom he ought to have controlled with his own authority he himself had made into officials to control the republic for him.
– The Augustan History, Aurelius Spartianus, 4th Century AD
