The Year of the Four Emperors (69 CE) was a brief period of political upheaval and civil war in the Roman Empire. #History #Vitellius #Vespasian #RomanEmpire #RomanEmperor #Otho #Nero #Galba #HistoryFact https://whe.to/ci/1-10458-en/
Year of the Four Emperors: The 'Game of Thrones' of the Roman Empire

The Year of the Four Emperors (69 CE) was a brief period of political upheaval and civil war in the Roman Empire. In the aftermath of the death of Emperor Nero, four men – Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and...

World History Encyclopedia
#JulianTheApostate, a fascinating #RomanEmperor with a brief reign, left #Antioch on #ThisDayInHistory in 363 to attack the #Sassanid #PersianEmpire. In a hasty retreat Julian fought without armour and was probably killed by a #Christian soldier for his repudiation of the faith.
Tiberius (42 BCE to 37 CE) was the second Roman emperor, who reigned from 14 to 37 CE. #History #Tiberius #Sejanus #RomanEmperor #LiviaDrusilla #Germanicus #Caligula #Augustus #HistoryFact https://whe.to/ci/1-10428-en/
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Tiberius (42 BCE to 37 CE) was the second Roman emperor, who reigned from 14 to 37 CE. The adopted son of Augustus, he led a long and tormented life of service to the Roman Empire before becoming princeps...

World History Encyclopedia
Vespasian: How A Commoner Became Roman Emperor

Vespasian (9-79 CE) was Roman emperor from 69 to 79 CE. Despite his low birth, he worked hard to rise through the ranks of Roman politics and eventually achieved prominence as a military commander...

World History Encyclopedia
Nero (37-68 CE) was the fifth Roman emperor, who reigned from 54 to 68 CE. #History #Seneca #RomanEmperor #Nero #Roman-ParthianWar #HistoryFact https://whe.to/ci/1-10280-en/
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Nero (37-68 CE) was the fifth Roman emperor, who reigned from 54 to 68 CE. The last emperor of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, he came to power at the age of 16 with the help of his mother, Agrippina the...

World History Encyclopedia
Claudius (10 BCE to 54 CE) was the fourth Roman emperor, who reigned from 41 to 54 CE. #History #RomanEmpire #RomanEmperor #RomanBritain #Nero #Claudius #Caligula #HistoryFact https://whe.to/ci/1-674-en/
The Ostracized Laughingstock Who Became Roman Emperor

Claudius (10 BCE to 54 CE) was the fourth Roman emperor, who reigned from 41 to 54 CE. Though a member of the imperial Julio-Claudian Dynasty, his rise to power had always seemed unlikely. Indeed, for...

World History Encyclopedia
Caligula (12-41 CE) was the third Roman emperor, who reigned from 37 to 41 CE. #History #Tiberius #RomanEmpire #RomanEmperor #LiviaDrusilla #Claudius #Caligula #HistoryFact https://whe.to/ci/1-10420-en/
Caligula: Rome's First Mad Emperor

Caligula (12-41 CE) was the third Roman emperor, who reigned from 37 to 41 CE. A member of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, he came to power after the death of his great-uncle Tiberius. The ancient sources...

World History Encyclopedia
The "barracks emperors" is a term coined by later historians referring to the Roman emperors who were chosen and supported by the army during the period known as the Crisis of the Third Century (also known as the Imperial Crisis, 235-284). #History #Zenobia #Valerian #RomanEmpire #RomanEmperor #Postumus #PhilipTheArab #MaximinusThrax #GordianEmperors #Gallienus #Decius #Cniva #BattleOfAbritus #BarracksEmperors #Aurelian #HistoryFact https://whe.to/ci/1-16451-en/
The Barracks Emperors: Instability of Populist Rule

The "barracks emperors" is a term coined by later historians referring to the Roman emperors who were chosen and supported by the army during the period known as the Crisis of the Third Century (also...

World History Encyclopedia
The final reigning #RomanEmperor, #ConstantineXI, was crowned on #ThisDayInHistory in 1449 at Mystras. From the #Palaiologos dynasty, he was previously Despot of the Morea, and died in battle against #Ottoman Turkish forces in May 1453 at the #TheodosianWalls of #Constantinople.

RESOLUTIONS OF SELF

There’s something about the opportunity—or at least the idea of an opportunity—for a new beginning. A chance to wipe our slates clean, forget whatever we think was holding us back—new year, new me. This is the year!  

Goal setting is its own subculture, rooted in corporate culture, but also as our universal way of evaluating progress. You cannot know if you have grown unless you know what you are striving for, what exactly it is you hope to grow into. And to know that you need to set goals for yourself. This is the bread and butter of self-help books, self-help gurus, life coaches, your boss, your running app, your book reading app.  

The tradition of New Year’s resolutions goes back over 4,000 years to the ancient Babylonians. The Akitu festival was celebrated during the first month of the Babylonian calendar, which coincides with March/April. While serving as a time for the population to gather and celebrate the beginning of the farming season, the festival was also a time to honor their gods and make vows to pay off debts or return borrowed farming equipment.  

Looking ahead through time, in ancient Rome, the Kalends of January—that is, Jan. 1—was dedicated to honouring the god Janus. People offered sacrifices, made wishes and renewed commitments to themselves and their fellow citizens. In the Middle Ages, the new year was designated as a time for knights to renew their commitments to the code of chivalry via what was called a “peacock’s vow”.  

Different populations within different time periods have used the beginning of their calendar year, usually centred around the harvest season, to renew whatever commitments made sense for them in the context of their time period.  Perhaps there is a lesson to be found here, in aligning our present-day practices of resolution setting with our own personal calendars and our own contextual pursuit for improvement.  

Perhaps we don’t necessarily need to be setting goals right at the beginning of a calendar year designated by a long dead Roman Emperor. 

I don’t necessarily have any qualms with the policy agenda of Julius Ceaser, nor do I think there is any harm in an arbitrary reminder that a full year has passed since the last one.  

That being said, there’s also comfort in knowing it is simply that: arbitrary. Maybe these next few weeks, or even months, are an extraordinarily busy time for you. Maybe you do have resolutions for yourself, but maybe you give yourself some time to breathe and stay afloat. Once spring begins to enter the picture, that’s when you focus on what you want to accomplish, little or big victories all held equal.  

Resolution setting in this world has separated from theological traditions and has been distilled into a personal habit, so why not align your personal calendar?  

The ultimate rule is that you can set things however you would like, big goals or small goals. Whatever works for you works for you.  

There is already a seemingly insurmountable pressure from the world and its many institutions to attribute everything to a measure of productivity. If I were to offer any serious advice, it would be to avoid doing the same to yourself.  

With all of that said, below are some suggestions for New Year’s resolutions you can set for yourself: 

1. Write to your local MP  

2. Be kind to your body 

3. Wait until March/April to set your resolutions 

4. Learn about the history of where you reside, who lived there before you did 

5. Talk to your family (blood or chosen) 

6. Understand yourself 10 per cent more 

7. Volunteer at a local charity at least four times 

8. Reaffirm your commitment to the code of chivalry 

9. Return any borrowed farm tools 

10. Practice deep breathing 

#akitu #ancientRome #babylonians #HansHaryanto #juliusCeaser #kalendsOfJanurary #newYearsResolutions #romanEmperor