>The first emperor/king/ruler is the best

Why is this such a recurrent trope in history?

>>17770559 (OP)
As it turns out founding founding something is much harder than inheriting it.

>>17770559 (OP)
Ahem

>>17770655
Augustus technically inherited it, as he descends from Caesar’s family

>>17770559 (OP)
Because the conflicts/civil wars/instability that lead to a new dynasty/political system are meritocratic, meaning that the best organized faction with the best leader defeats everyone else, that leads to the first leader being great.

>>17770559 (OP)
Because the first member of every dynasty is guaranteed to have worked his ass into that position.
The heirs, at the very best, have been properly groomed

>>17770692
Caesar got himself stabbed like a retard before being able to do anything
I wonder what his plans were since he was a liberal while Augustus was a conservative

Augustus wasn't even top 5, he lost 3 legions, didn't expand the Empire, didn't put in place a reliable system of succession.
The Good Emperors were all better than him

>>17770559 (OP)
He is not the first ruler

>>17771068
this kek

>>17771075
>Rome king lists keep skipping Titus Tatius
https://youtu.be/qL34_Oi5RH8?si=cdWNj0Q-57-8S5ua

>>17771068
He was the first Emperor, mr ESL

>>17770991
>Julius fucking Caesar was a liberal
Meds

>>17771176
This...fucking imagine calling Caesar a liberal. Wtf is wrong with anon, is he broken? He crossed the Rubicon mother fucker, how is this liberal

>>17771157
Yes but not the first ruler

>>17771183
>>17771176
>>17770991
>amerimutt cuck doesnt know what liberal mean

>>17771247
Pretty sure sure it means that "liberty" or freedom is the ultimate social value/goal. Correct me if I'm wrong. I suppose you could say that Caesar was for this is the personal sense of himself but I think its more to be interpreted in the social sense (like considerate of others)...ill give it to to though, it's definition is fucked. Shifting sand

>>17770559 (OP)
I think the HRE is one worth considering, from my understanding I'd say Otto I was the greatest, but I'm not read enough on say Frederick I or some of the greatest Hapsburgs to know for sure.


>>17771059
>muh military conquest makes you better
retarded take, he enriched the empire massively, reformed the state and religion, began constructing defences and saw the largest increase in living standards (within Rome atleast) the world had ever seen, and built a bunch of shit too. His legacy is far more than some retard conquering another desert or german inhabited series of forests.

>>17771075
>killed brother, assumed throne
so that's where the Ottomans got the idea from
maybe they should be considered partially honorary Roman after all, despite the whole Islam thing

>>17771157
If you want to be totally autistic about it, he's the first Princeps
Diocletian is the first emperor in the absolute ruler sense

>>17770559 (OP)
hard times create strong men. you have to be competent to become the king. (not to mention principate wasn't real monarchy). Incompetent retards and kids who just inherit the throne make things tough for everyone.

>>17772910
You are acting like a pedantic midwit, and you’re wrong. He was the first emperor, even when arguing semantics.

>>17772922
Trajan was the best so your opinion is irrelevant

>>17771176
>>17771183
spreading your cheeks for the king of Bithynia is pretty liberal

Augustus had a clear vision of what he wanted to do and molded the entire government around his personality which was characterized by subtlety and long term thinking (ex letting Lepidus live out his days as Pontifex Max/ slow amassment of power)

Later emperors inherited a job specifically designed around these traits and could not emulate Augustus due to personality differences (Tiberius)
or despotic, overt perceptions of power (Domitian,Nero)
>>17770677
Successful emperors were able to work for the Principate and emulate Augustus (Vespasian and Titus were known for being easygoing and jovial) Or they had to make the office work for them (Hadrian had a specific idea for the empire and leaned into despotism to achieve them)(Diocletian and Constantine used their power to transform what it meant to be Augustus once the Princeps model no longer worked)

>>17770559 (OP)
Survival bias, if the first one is shit you don't get a 2nd that anyone cares about

>>17773832
>build a system that entirely depends on you micromanaging every single aspect of it
>surely everything will turn out to be just fine when I die :)

>>17773941
Were there any better systems available at the time?