The generals and centurions of the Praetorian Guard have never faced such a difficult choice, right? How high-spirited were their predecessors when they killed the virtuous emperor and openly auctioned off the throne of the emperor? It's just that in the end, those people didn't end well.

When everyone didn't know what to choose, a wing captain asked, "Lord Deputy Commander, I don't know what you think?" ”

It was such a good question that the other captains and centurions gave him a thumbs up in their hearts, and at the same time kept their eyes fixed on Basiliscus, and kept their ears wide for fear of missing a word.

When Basiliscus saw the captain of the wing asking himself, he said angrily: "What do I think? What else could I think? I slept well at home, who knew that the Huns actually killed in from the sea, what can you make me think? Now my whole family is in their hands, and if I don't surrender and don't want to fight for them, they will kill one hundred and twenty-three members of my family, one hundred and twenty-three, not one hundred and twenty-three pigs, you know? Do I have to let them put all these heads before me that I choose to surrender and swear allegiance? You must know that there are still 3,000 people outside, and if we don't agree, none of the 3,000 people outside will get out alive! ”

When Basiliscus said this, these Wing Captains and Centurions realized that the decision was not in their hands, because by now they had no choice, otherwise, they would have to bury the three thousand people outside and all their relatives!

The generals and officers fell silent, and Basiliscus continued: "I just said that. If you agree, the Huns will give us benefits, and the benefits given are far from what Leo can give. Each soldier also has a reward of five thousand dinars, five thousand dinars, which is already a lot, you must know that two hundred and fifty years ago, the Praetorian Guard mutiny killed Emperor Petinax, and openly sold the throne to the outside world, after the throne was sold. Each soldier was given only six thousand two hundred and fifty dinars! ”

The centurions looked at each other, they all rose from the bottom, and there was basically no culture. Of course, they don't know much about history, but the wing commanders are different, most of them are literate and have a formal military education. Knowledge of famous battles.

At this time, a centurion's curiosity was aroused. Hurriedly asked: "Deputy Commander, tell us why the Praetorian Guard mutiny killed the emperor two hundred and fifty years ago, and what caused the Praetorian Guard at that time to sell the throne, and to whom did the throne be sold in the end?" ”

As soon as this man's words fell, some of the other centurions also coaxed Basiliscus to tell the story, and it was evident that the deeds of their predecessors aroused their intense curiosity, and they completely forgot that they were now in danger. It is possible to be killed at any time.

Seeing that so many people wanted to know about this filthy history, Basiliscus had no choice but to educate these uneducated centurions about history: "Okay. It all started two hundred and seventy-seven years ago, when the Emperor Marc Aurello died of illness at the front, when his son Commodus was just twenty years old and was fighting with the army by his side, so Commodus became the only emperor on the front, two years later, Commodus was almost assassinated in the theater, and after the assassin was captured, it was revealed that his sister Rukira was secretly instigating, because his wife Christina was rumored to be pregnant at that time, Ruqira planned to assassinate her brother out of jealousy. After the defeat, several implicated senators were executed, while Ruchira herself was exiled to Capri, where she was executed a few years later by Commodus.

Commodus was then weary of the Emperor's efforts to govern, and was constantly suspicious of a conspiracy against him by the upper echelons of the Empire. He asked Perennis, the prefect of the Praetorian Guard, to help him with his affairs, while he indulged in hunting and recreation, and was quite enthusiastic about gladiatorial activities. Five years later, Perennis controlled the military and political power of the Empire, but Commodus's chief chamberlain, Criande, coveted the throne and made Commodus doubt Perennis's loyalty, so he ordered Perennis to be killed. Criande finally took over the post of Captain of the Guards after Perennis's death. After he took office, he monopolized the power of the central government and sold his official positions to fill his pockets, and even had the strange phenomenon of 25 consuls a year.

In June, 10 years after Commodus took to the throne, people took to the streets to protest when Criander misappropriated wheat that was distributed to citizens for free to sell in the market, causing a food shortage in the capital. Seeing that the situation could not be calmed down, Commodus handed over Creander to the angry crowd and ordered Creander's execution.

After Criande's death, Commodus did not change his policy of governing and employing people, and was hostile to the Senate, often conspiring to arrest high-ranking members of the empire and execute them without trial. He also proclaimed himself the son of the god Hercules, and often went down to the arena himself to fight gladiators or wild beasts. In contrast, the Senate and the leaders of the Guards continued to plan murders, and the relationship between the two sides was like a fire and water.

On the last day of Commodus's 12-year reign, Commodus' mistress, Macchia, and the Captain of the Guard, Letus, planned to have Commodus strangled to death in the baths by the wrestler Nalchisus as he returned from the arena to the palace to bathe. The next day, Letus elected Pétinax as the new emperor, and the Senate resolved to recognize Pétinax's position and at the same time pass Guò's amnesia curse on Commodus. In this way, Petinax was put on the throne of the emperor.

However, the relationship between the Senate and Letus became hostile to each other, and Petinax was not a willing puppet, and Lettus was very angry at Petinax's disobedience, so he instigated the Praetorian Guard soldiers to kill Petinax, and three months later, the Praetorian Guard mutinied by Letus, and the rioting soldiers killed Petinax with graceful means.

Some people think that they are violating the sacred throne, and the subsequent actions are even more insulting to the dignity of the empire, but is the empire really that dignified? Which of those nobles and emperors is not a shameless person? There was a commotion in the barracks and no one came forward to lead, and it was Letus, the commander who provoked this turmoil, who was very careful not to offend the anger of the people. In the midst of the chaos and the end of the law, the Roman warden Tirpisianus, the emperor's father-in-law, came to the barracks when he learned of the mutiny in an attempt to put an end to the accident. When the soldiers stuck Pertinax's head in their spears and returned to the barracks in high spirits, he was speechless. Driven by ambition and grief, it is unbelievable that Tirpisianus should be so eager to ascend to the throne of the bloodstained in such a terrible moment, and that the slain Emperor Petinax was so close to him. He went straight to the point and used the most effective method to negotiate the terms of succession with the Janissaries, who knew that there were strange goods to live in, did not want to suffer losses, and were afraid that they would not get a good price in private contact, so they climbed into the barracks and shouted loudly, and sold the Roman Empire to the highest bidder by public auction.

The military's loud outcry is really majestic. This news reached Dedius? Julianus was a wealthy senator of the Senate, who cared no more about the people's sufferings, and indulged in lavish feasts. His family and diners were all urging him to fight for the throne and not to give up this great opportunity. The vain old fellow hurried to the Praetorian Guard barracks, and Tirpisiannus was still bargaining, so he also competed at the foot of the wall of the fortress, and then negotiated with the representatives of both sides, and told the other side the bids back and forth. Tirpisianus had promised five thousand dinars to each soldier, but Julianus, anxious to win, jumped to six thousand two hundred and fifty dinas at once. The camp gates immediately opened, and buyers were welcome to enter. He was proclaimed emperor and swore allegiance from the soldiers, who demanded that he forgive Tirpisianus's bid and not pursue the matter, which seemed to be fair.

Ladies and gentlemen, this story is like this, but what I want to tell you is that this is not just a story, it is a history that really happened, and this history tells us that those of us who are soldiers are just trying to make ends meet, and whoever gives us food will die for him, and who will be the emperor? Now the Huns give each of our soldiers 5,000 dinars, which is a lot of money, and when you get this money, you can buy land and marry a wife, what are the soldiers doing as soldiers? Not for the money yet? Moreover, the Huns also promised us that the treatment of these generals and officers would definitely not be less than that given to us by Leo, everyone, what else is there to consider? Maybe it's better to follow the Huns, isn't it? ”

After listening to Basiliscus's words, the more than twenty co-captains and centurions present all whispered, and most of them nodded their heads in agreement with Basiliscus's words from time to time.

A centurion was a little skeptical of the integrity of the Huns, and he said with skepticism: "Lord Deputy Commander, the Huns won't play tricks on us, right?" When we lay down our weapons, then they rush in and kill us all? Or trick us out and do it again? ”

Basiliscus couldn't help but roll his eyes, and said in his heart You guys are too timid, compared to your predecessors, you are really embarrassed, he shook his head and said: "If you say that the Huns have bad brains and are rude, I will believe it a little, but you say that the Huns are not trustworthy, I don't believe it anyway, at least they are much better than our Senate members and those noble lords!" ”

Remembering that the senate members and the nobles did not change their faces and their hearts did not beat when they lied, the generals and officers present nodded in agreement, and in this way Basiliscus succeeded in making these generals and officers surrender with all 3,000 Janissaries and be willing to fight for the Huns. (To be continued......)