Lex Fridman · How powerful were Roman Emperors? | Anthony Kaldellis and Lex Fridman

1. 1. Roman emperors technically had absolute power but were constantly worried about keeping everyone happy because there was no legitimate right to the throne.
2. 2. The Roman Republic was actually more imperialistic than the Roman Empire, which was largely defensive.
3. 3. Unlike dynastic empires like the Ottomans, the Roman emperor emerged from within a republic, not as the founder of a state through conquest.
4. 4. Augustus had to pretend he was not an absolute monarch to avoid provoking another civil war, even though he could have seized total power.