Reblogged: Why did Roman emperors get assassinated so often?

Because sometimes you ask the internet a question, and someone out there writes a whole post dedicated to answering it for you.

This week, my excellent internet friend and fellow Early Career Researcher Emma Southon has posted a blog on why Roman emperors get assassinated so often compared to monarchs in other states. (Even if you definitely don’t count Julius Caesar, pictured here – see Emma on who is the first real Roman emperor. Julius Caesar gets the best assassinated portraits in later art, though. ) A great post, and I had to share it here to thank Emma for answering my question!

Emma is currently writing a book on Agrippina the Younger, which she says is “a biography of the most extraordinary woman in the Roman world”. You can read about Emma’s project, and make a pledge to support it, here.