"If I hadn't brought you here, would you have written a detailed report about me and sent it to the Senate?" Linley demanded.
"Absolutely not, absolutely not." Empton hastily assured him.
"Since you're a secret agent of the Senate, you must have some information about the Senate, right?" Linley pressed further.
Empton said with a bitter smile, "Our family used to receive a stipend from the Senate every year, but it's a small amount, and it hasn't been sent in five years. Even if the Senate still remembers our family, they wouldn't give us much attention."
"Five years?" Linley asked in confusion. "What happened?"
"I have no idea, and there's no way to find out." Empton said helplessly. "Perhaps the Senate has forgotten us, or we were removed from their records after Holiness replaced the Olympian faith, or perhaps the funds were embezzled."
"You know nothing about Rome?" Linley clearly didn't believe him.
"I know some things, but their authenticity is difficult to guarantee." Empton explained. "My contact is Bruno, a senior senator of the Senate. He has been in poor health these past few years and basically doesn't handle any matters. His son, Little Bruno, is taking over his duties. I don't know Little Bruno well, and I've only met him a few times. I've seen more of his father, Old Bruno."
It's often confusing when Westerners share the same name as their fathers. Sometimes even the grandfather and grandson have the same name, or they have the same name as their ancestors. The names are few, and often repetitive, like different combinations of the same few elements.
"What happened to the Senate? Why did they suddenly turn to Holiness and betray the Olympian gods?" Linley asked.
"There are too many problems with the Roman Empire. Internal affairs, foreign affairs, military affairs, and economy. The biggest problem is the Roman Emperor Nero." Empton answered.
"Nero, huh?" Linley had heard of this name, but he wasn't sure if it was the emperor he remembered. This mythological world shared many similarities with the one he came from, but also had many significant differences.
"Nero's full name is Nero Augustus Caesar Imperator Germanicus. 'Augustus' signifies his divine and inviolable status, which is the most important title for a Roman emperor; 'Caesar' symbolizes his pure lineage, originating from the most famous Caesar who was assassinated; 'Imperator' means supreme military commander, holding the command of all Roman armies; and 'Germanicus' indicates his glorious victories in Germania, where he defeated the Germanic tribes, deterring them from invading Rome again."
However, none of these things actually happened, and the Germanic barbarians continued to attack the Roman Empire. In fact, Nero never went to Germania, let alone fought the Germanic barbarians and won.
He inherited the title from his father, whose military exploits in Germania were hardly victorious, yet as a high-ranking noble, he could add 'Germanicus' to his name after a visit to the region.
"He became emperor only because there was no better alternative." Empton concluded.
The Roman political system was unique. Despite becoming a vast empire, the succession to the throne did not rely on blood ties but was determined by the recommendation of powerful individuals. These individuals included the Senate, nobles, and Roman citizens. The emperor's offspring did not necessarily inherit the throne, and Rome had no system similar to that of a crown prince.
Whenever an emperor died, Rome was prone to turmoil. Various factions would act to gain support. Once someone obtained the majority of support, they could go to the Senate for nomination. If the Senate agreed, and they received the cheers of Roman citizens, they could become the new emperor.
This did not, however, signify complete Senate control over the emperor's selection. If the candidate nominated by the Senate was not recognized, rebellion would immediately occur, especially from the emperor's elite guard. If they were dissatisfied with the new emperor, they could overthrow him directly.
The opinion of Roman citizens was also important. If a large number of citizens did not recognize the new emperor, they might rush out to prevent his coronation.
Every time an emperor was chosen, it was full of intrigue, negotiation, and compromise. There was no stable inheritance, and no precedent to follow. Anyone with power could intervene.
In the most extreme cases, these struggles could even trigger civil wars, greatly depleting the Roman Empire's strength.
This unstable imperial succession was an age-old problem for Rome. Initially, Rome had a royal family, but the seventh Roman king was tyrannical and was eventually expelled by the citizens, ushering in the Roman Republic, ruled by the nobility.
The nobility ruled for decades but oppressed the commoners excessively. Although Rome continued to expand, the lives of the common people became increasingly difficult. Some secretly plotted to restore the royal family.
The nobles quickly took action, publicizing the tyrannical deeds of the royal family, while accepting representatives of the common people into the Senate and building arenas, public baths, and other facilities, sharing the fruits of victory with the commoners.
The common people were satisfied, accepted the nobles' proposition, and spread the tyrannical deeds of the royal family. Over time, the idea of a king became a taboo in Rome. Anyone aspiring to the Roman throne was considered a tyrant and faced universal opposition.
Later, the Republic lasted for hundreds of years but eventually evolved into the Roman Empire. However, the emperor could not directly call himself emperor but used titles like Augustus, Caesar, and others, and held honorific titles such as high priest, father of the country, first citizen, and tribune, effectively holding the power of an emperor.
However, the issue of inheritance remained. Since he was not a real emperor, he could not pass on his power to his son, or even appoint a successor. Whoever could obtain these positions could also take on the title and become emperor. Every power transfer would lead to conflict. To avoid civil war, they could only choose someone who was acceptable to everyone.
Nero ascended to the throne under these circumstances. He was of noble birth and had extensive family connections. While not popular, he was not widely opposed either.
Ultimately, under his mother's manipulation, he defeated his other rivals and became Roman emperor.
However, after Nero came to power, he began to misbehave, infringing on the power of the Senate, depriving nobles of their property, depleting the treasury, indulging in his desires, and doing all kinds of bad things. By this time, it was too late for everyone to regret, because the emperor held a lifelong position and could not be removed midway through his term.