Reading Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, I was reminded of our favorite Cimmerian by a usurper of the Roman Empire named Maximinus Thrax. Maximinus was of the meanest origins, the son of a peasant and an Alani woman. Maximinus caught the attention of Septimius Severus, by besting some of the best Roman soldiers in wrestling bouts. He was immediately enlisted into the legions. There he rose to the rank of commander. The XXII Legion declared Maximinus emperor when they became angry over Alexander Severus' payment of gold to the Germans to purchase peace. Alexander and his mother were slain in their tent, and Maximinus was declared emperor.
Not only did Maximinus receive an empire by the power of his sword, he was a bad emperor at that. Paranoid, and observant to teh fact that he had no classical training in any art and was from the most base of origins, he sought to destroy those who mocked him because of heritage, or those who just knew where he came from. That being said, his deeds did not go unpunished, and after a slight show of strength after the Senate declared Balbinus and Pupienus emperors, in classic Roman fashion, he was murdered by his own troops.
If you follow the Conan pastiches by DeCamp and Carter, you know that Conan eventually slays the evil Numidedes on the Aquilonian throne, and wrests the kingship for himself. Conan became the first barbarian king of Aquilonia.
Aquilonia was REH's play on the Romans. Tarantia, the capital, was the Rome of Hyboria. This much can be determined through REH's essay titled, The Hyborian Age. The Aquilonians(500 years after the death of Conan) set out nto conquer the Picts to the West, and the Nemedians to the East. They taxed their citizens heavily, and turned their backs on former allies (the Gundermen). They over-extended their armies, and were eventually overrun by the Picts. The Picts in turn were ousted by the Cimmerians, and round and round the wheels of what was Hyboria turned. Decamp and Carter definitely used the Romans and their history of barbaric "warrior-kings" who wrested control of the empire from one another. It was basically who was the toughest kid on the block, and who had the biggest gun, which made a man emperor.
Not only did Maximinus receive an empire by the power of his sword, he was a bad emperor at that. Paranoid, and observant to teh fact that he had no classical training in any art and was from the most base of origins, he sought to destroy those who mocked him because of heritage, or those who just knew where he came from. That being said, his deeds did not go unpunished, and after a slight show of strength after the Senate declared Balbinus and Pupienus emperors, in classic Roman fashion, he was murdered by his own troops.
If you follow the Conan pastiches by DeCamp and Carter, you know that Conan eventually slays the evil Numidedes on the Aquilonian throne, and wrests the kingship for himself. Conan became the first barbarian king of Aquilonia.
Aquilonia was REH's play on the Romans. Tarantia, the capital, was the Rome of Hyboria. This much can be determined through REH's essay titled, The Hyborian Age. The Aquilonians(500 years after the death of Conan) set out nto conquer the Picts to the West, and the Nemedians to the East. They taxed their citizens heavily, and turned their backs on former allies (the Gundermen). They over-extended their armies, and were eventually overrun by the Picts. The Picts in turn were ousted by the Cimmerians, and round and round the wheels of what was Hyboria turned. Decamp and Carter definitely used the Romans and their history of barbaric "warrior-kings" who wrested control of the empire from one another. It was basically who was the toughest kid on the block, and who had the biggest gun, which made a man emperor.
What an interesting observation. As a fan of Conan and Roman history I am a bit miffed I didn't think of it myself in fact. I think there is a very good chance you are right.
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