How did the last great Roman emperor live? Freedman Ruler

Archangel Gabriel (“Angel of Golden Hair”). Novgorod icon. 12th century Wikimedia Commons

Birth

The birth of a boy in a princely family is a milestone in the life of the entire dynastic line, the emergence of new prospects, the hope for which is laid down by older relatives already at the naming ceremony. The newborn prince receives two names - a family name (princely) and a baptismal one, both are chosen taking into account unspoken rules. For example, in pre-Mongol Rus' there was a ban on naming a living relative (father or grandfather), and the names of uncles were the most relevant.

In conditions of constant travel, the prince was not always born in a mansion: for example, the Ipatiev Chronicle tells how in 1174 Prince Rurik Rostislavich traveled from Novgorod to Smolensk, and halfway in Luchin town the princess gave birth to a son, who received his “grandfather’s name” "Mikhail, and the prince's "grandfather's name" was Rostislav, becoming the full namesake of his grandfather.

Little Rostislav's father gave him the town of Luchin, where he was born, and built the Church of St. Michael on the site of his birth. The founding of a temple in honor of the birth of an heir, especially the firstborn, is the prerogative of the princes with the greatest power. For example, Mstislav the Great founded the Church of the Annunciation on the Settlement, the ruins of which can be seen to this day near Novgorod, in honor of the birth of his first-born Vsevolod, who bore the baptismal name Gabriel (one of the two main figures of the Annunciation is the Archangel Gabriel). In turn, Vsevolod Mstislavich, when his son was born, founded the Church of St. John “in the name of his son.”

Tonsured

tonsure is a social practice inherent in Rus' and, probably, other Slavic peoples. Thanks to the chronicle reports about the tonsure of the sons of Vsevolod the Big Nest (1154-1212) Yaroslav and George, we learn that this ritual was performed when the boy was two or three years old, and it consisted of cutting his first hair and mounting him on a horse, and some researchers It is assumed that the prince was dressed in his first armor.

Mounting a horse symbolized the beginning of entry into adult, military life and demonstrated the physical capacity of a person. In contrast, when describing a person weak from old age (for example, in the report about the death of the “good old man” Pyotr Ilyich, who accompanied Prince Svyatoslav), the chronicler characterizes him as no longer able to mount a horse.

The First Chronicle of Novgorod reports that in 1230, during the tonsure of Rostislav Mikhailovich, the son of Mikhail Vsevolodovich of Chernigov, who came with his father to Novgorod, Archbishop Spiridon himself “uya vlas” (cut his hair) to the prince. This ritual was performed in the St. Sophia Cathedral - the main temple of the city, which obviously served to strengthen the positions of the Chernigov princes in Novgorod.

First reign

The first reign under the father's hand often began very early. The aforementioned Rostislav Mikhailovich, who had just been tonsured, was left alone by his father in Novgorod under the supervision of Archbishop Spiridon. While the father returned to his city of Chernigov, the presence of his son in Novgorod represented the power of Mikhail Vsevolodovich here, and although this was not yet rule, it was already the beginning of an independent political life.

Yaroslav Vladimirovich, the Novgorod prince, sent his son Izyaslav to rule in Velikie Luki and defend Novgorod from Lithuania (“from Lithuania a mantle to Novgorod”), but the next year the prince died - simultaneously with the death of his brother Rostislav, who was with his father in Novgorod. It is possible that both of them were poisoned by supporters of the Chernigov princes. It is known that Izyaslav died at the age of eight, that is, his independent rule in Velikiye Luki began when the prince was only seven years old.

The Laurentian Chronicle reports in detail about Vsevolod the Big Nest seeing off his son Constantine (the latter was 17 years old) to his first reign in Novgorod. The whole family and townspeople come out to see him off, his father gives him a cross “guardian and helper” and a sword “reproach (threat) and fear” and says parting words.

Of course, an authoritative mentor helps the young prince during his first reign. So, for example, in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon it is said that little Yuri (George) Dolgoruky was accompanied by George on his journey to Suzdal, and this coincidence of names, apparently, seemed to be something fateful.

The prince's son is a hostage

The role of the ruler's heir is not always pompous and attractive. Sometimes a teenager is forced to spend his childhood in the camp of his father’s former enemy. This tradition is also found in other medieval societies. For example, when the Norwegian king Olav Tryggvason (963-1000) defeated the Earl of Orkney, Sigurd, son of Hlödvir, the latter was baptized and baptized his people, and Olav took Sigurd’s son, nicknamed Little Dog, with him. While the earl's son lived at the king's court, Sigurd fulfilled his oath, but when the Dog died, Sigurd returned to paganism and ceased to obey the king.

Thanks to Russian chronicles, we know that the son of Vladimir Monomakh Svyatoslav was held hostage by the Polovtsian prince Kitan, and when Ratibor’s squad persuaded Vladimir to attack Kitan’s people, the most dangerous thing was to rescue Svyatoslav, who was at serious risk.

Great suffering was caused to the Chernigov prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich by the capture of his son Gleb by Vsevolod the Big Nest. Svyatoslav literally went mad: he attacks his former allies the Rostislavichs, then gathers his closest relatives, the Olgovichs, for an urgent council. Fortunately, the matter ended in peace and a wedding.

Participation in father's affairs

But the prince did not necessarily part with his loved ones so early. It is reliably known about many Rurikovichs that they spent their youth next to their father, participating in his affairs and campaigns, gradually adopting political and military skills. As a rule, such a picture can be seen during a tense military confrontation.

Yaroslav Galitsky said to Izyaslav Mstislavich: “As your son Mstislav rides at your right stirrup, so I will ride at your left.” And Mstislav Izyaslavich really constantly accompanied his father in battles, and in addition, on his instructions, he went to his allies - other princes and to the Hungarian king Geza II, and went on campaigns against the Polovtsians.

While Mstislav was still young, negotiations with the Hungarian king were conducted by Izyaslav’s younger brother, Vladimir.
But the heir to the Kyiv prince grew up and gradually took over this and other functions, and his uncle was slowly removed from business.

The prince’s first independent activity is not always successful: there were some incidents. Thus, the Ipatiev Chronicle reports how Vladimir Andreevich sent wine to the Hungarian squad, led by Mstislav Izyaslavich to help his father, near the town of Sapogynya, and then Vladimir Galitsky attacked the drunken Hungarians. Mstislav’s father and the Hungarian king then had to take revenge for the “beaten squad.”

Wedding and children

The wedding was arranged by one of the older relatives - father, uncle or even grandfather. An amazing feature of ancient Russian weddings is that very often they were held in pairs: two brothers, two sisters or simply close relatives celebrated the wedding at the same time. So, for example, in article 6652 (1144) of the Ipatiev Chronicle it is said that two Vsevolodkovnas (daughters of Vsevolod Mstislavich) were married, one to Vladimir Davydovich, the other to Yuri Yaroslavich.

The age at which people got married was, by our standards, simply outrageously early: for example, the daughter of Vsevolod the Big Nest Verkhuslav married the son of Rurik Rostislavich Rostislav (the same one who was born in the town of Luchin) at the age of only eight years, but this was exceptional - a significant case even for that time. The chronicle tells that her father and mother cried as they escorted the bride to the groom. Rostislav was 17 years old.

If everything goes well, after the wedding the groom receives another patron in the person of his father-in-law (for example, the mentioned Rostislav apparently liked Vsevolod the Big Nest: the chronicler reports that his son-in-law comes to him with military trophies and stays for a long time), It also happens that for some reason the father-in-law turns out to be closer and more important than the father.

The appearance of children in a princely family is important not only as a prospect for the distant future: a full life for a ruler is unthinkable without heirs.

Thus, it is with the absence of adult sons that researchers associate the vulnerability of Prince Vyacheslav Vladimirovich (son of Vladimir Monomakh) and his exclusion from active political life. Even the boyars say to his younger brother Yuri Dolgoruky: “Your brother will not hold Kyiv.”

However, the large number of boys in the princely family (Yuri Dolgoruky had 11 of them, and Vsevolod the Big Nest had nine) also entails many difficulties, and first of all the question arises of how to allocate them equally with lands and stop the inevitable redistribution of power.

Father's death

The death of a father is a serious milestone in the life of any prince. Whether or not your father managed to visit the Kiev table, whether he provided you with a good reputation among the townspeople, how his brothers are disposed towards you and, no less important, who your sisters were married to - these are the range of questions on which life now depended a completely independent prince.

The above-mentioned Izyaslav Mstislavich, Mstislav’s father, did not have such an advantageous position in the family account, but excellent opportunities opened up for him precisely thanks to the marriages of sisters and nieces who married the most influential rulers of Europe and Rus', which played a noticeable role in Izyaslav’s successful struggle for Kyiv .

Immediately after the death of their father, his brothers quite often strive to seize the vacated table and sphere of influence and push their nephews aside. Vsevolod Mstislavich, transferred by his uncle Yaropolk to Pereyaslavl after the death of his father, was immediately expelled from there by his other uncle, Yuri Dolgoruky.

To prevent sons from being in a disadvantaged position in relation to their father’s brothers, the practice of transferring children “into the arms” of the brothers arose: an agreement was concluded according to which one of the two brothers was supposed to help the children of the one who would die first. This is exactly the agreement that was concluded between Yaropolk and Vsevolod’s father, Mstislav the Great. An uncle and nephew whose relationship was sealed in this way could address each other as “father” and “son.”

The last will of the prince

Quite often, princes died in strife or from illness; this happened transiently. However, in situations where the ruler foresaw his death in advance, he could make attempts to influence the fate of his lands and his relatives after his departure to another world. Thus, the strong and influential Chernigov prince Vsevolod Olgovich made an attempt to transfer Kyiv, which he had received in a fierce struggle, to his brother, but was defeated.

An even more interesting case is described by the Galicia-Volyn Chronicle at the end of the 13th century: Vladimir Vasilkovich, a famous city organizer and scribe, understands that a serious illness did not leave him much time.

He had no heirs - only his only adopted daughter, Izyaslav; other relatives irritated Vladimir with their active interaction with the Tatars.

And so Vladimir chooses from everyone the only heir, Mstislav Danilovich’s cousin, and concludes an agreement with him that Mstislav will take care of his family after Vladimir’s death, will marry his adopted daughter only to whomever she wants, and to his wife , Olga, will be treated like a mother.

For this, all the lands of Vladimir are transferred to Mstislav, although the order of inheritance suggested that they should have been divided among other relatives. What Vladimir bequeathed was accomplished successfully, but a key role in this matter was played by the guarantee from the Tatars, whom Vladimir himself did not like so much.

British Queen Elizabeth II In February 2017, she celebrated a truly stunning date: the 65th anniversary of the start of her reign. 91-year-old Elizabeth has broken all imaginable and unimaginable records of the British monarchy. Not a single one of her predecessors or predecessors ruled at such a respectable age. No one before Elizabeth managed to remain on the throne for such a long time.

At the same time, the queen has not managed (at least so far) to set a world record for the longest reign. History knows more fantastic cases. Thus, the pharaoh of the VI dynasty, Piopi II, allegedly was on the throne for 94 years. However, there is no complete certainty about this.

But what is certain is that Louis XIV de Bourbon, the king of France, also known as the "Sun King", was on the throne for 72 years, which is a record in the entire history of the European monarchy.

King Rama IX of Thailand, who died in October 2016, fell slightly short of the results of his French counterpart: his reign ended at 71 years.

Naturally, the inquisitive Russian mind cannot do without the question: “How are ours doing?” Unfortunately or fortunately, Russian rulers cannot reach either Piop II, the “Sun King”, or Elizabeth II.

Ivan the Terrible - 50 years and 105 days

One of the most famous rulers of Russia, Ivan IV Vasilyevich, not only took Kazan, Astrakhan and Revel, not only surpassed all the tsars, general secretaries and presidents in the number of wives, but also surpassed everyone in the duration of his reign. He is the only one who has crossed the 50 year mark.

True, this result is not recognized by everyone. Nominally, Ivan IV became ruler at the age of 3, but he was crowned king only in 1547. Moreover, in 1575-1576. the tsar, who was experimenting with the state system, unexpectedly declared Simeon Bekbulatovich “Grand Duke of All Rus'”. For a number of historians, this is a reason to subtract the indicated time from the reign of Ivan the Terrible.

And yet, the majority recognizes Ivan Vasilyevich as the absolute record holder of Russia.

IvanIII- 43 years, 6 months and 29 days

Ivan III Vasilyevich, aka Ivan the Great, put an end to the Horde game. In 1480, Khan Akhmat did not dare to engage in battle with the army of the Grand Duke of Moscow, which went down in history as the “Standing on the Ugra”.

Ivan III made a huge contribution to the creation of the Russian state. Under him, the process of gathering Russian lands around Moscow went much faster. The foundations of a new state ideology and legislative framework were laid (Code of Ivan III). And the marriage to Sophia Paleologus, the niece of the last emperor of Byzantium, became the reason for the informal proclamation of Russia as the legal successor of the empire.

Peter the Great - 42 years, 9 months and 1 day

Peter I began his reign at the age of 10 under the co-ruler Ivan Alekseevich, who was his brother, and the regency of their sister Sofia Alekseevna. All this, however, does not prevent the first years of his reign from being included in the total length of service of Peter the Great.

He really accomplished a lot: he led the country to the Baltic, created a fleet, founded a new capital and, in general, turned a regional power into a European empire. Few people managed to spend their time on the throne with such benefit.

Vladimir Krasnoe Solnyshko - 37 years, 1 month and 4 days

Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the baptist of Rus', is the record holder among the rulers of the Old Russian state. Having become the Prince of Kyiv at the age of 18, Vladimir ruled for almost four decades, carrying out the country's transition from paganism to Christianity.

By the way, Vladimir Svyatoslavich, who began life as a pagan, can compete with Ivan the Terrible in the number of women and definitely surpasses him in the number of children. The latter circumstance became the reason for the brutal fratricidal struggle of Vladimir’s sons for the princely throne.

Catherine the Great - 34 years, 4 months and 8 days

The purebred German Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst, having taken the throne of the Russian Empire as a result of a coup in 1762, gave her new homeland as much as most of her Russian predecessors could not.

The “Golden Age” of Ekaterina Alekseevna brought Russia an increase in territories in the west and south, including the annexation of Crimea, a large-scale reform of public administration, and final consolidation of the status of a great European power.

The paradox is that Catherine as a statesman arouses less interest among the public than as a passionate woman. But here all the questions are not for the empress, but for the public.

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov - 32 years, 4 months and 20 days

The first of the kings of the Romanov dynasty, whose election by the Zemsky Sobor ended the period of the Great Troubles, - not the most famous Russian monarch.

But during his reign there was a settlement of relations with Poland and Sweden, the annexation of lands along the Yaik, the Baikal region, Yakutia to Russia, access to the Pacific Ocean, the establishment of strong centralized power and much more. And even the German Settlement - a settlement of foreign specialists who arrived in the sovereign's service - was founded under Mikhail Fedorovich.

Joseph Stalin - 30 years, 11 months and 2 days

Joseph Stalin is the undisputed record holder among the leaders of the post-monarchical period. Here, however, it is worth mentioning that there are several opinions regarding the point from which Stalin’s rule can be counted: in some cases, the period will be somewhat shorter.

Stalin is also inferior in terms of reign to several monarchs not listed here, but significantly exceeds them in terms of influence on the history of the country.

At the end of the 3rd century, the Roman Empire was gradually sliding into emptiness. Emperors succeeded each other, as if in a kaleidoscope: soldiers could make any rogue sovereign, but these usurpers lost power with extraordinary ease, often only a few months separated such a ruler from triumph to death. The provinces were going bankrupt; no one even thought of fighting against external threats.

The empire had a colossal reserve of strength, but decades of unrest undermined it. The collapse of the Roman Empire could well have occurred not at the end of the 5th century, but at the beginning of the 4th century. However, there was a man who gave the state another century and a half of life. His appearance can hardly be called predetermined, and he himself was far from being such a radiant character as apologetically minded authors portray. His origins were the most humble. And yet, it was this man who turned out to be the one Rome needed. One of the last, if not the last, great Roman emperor is Diocletian.

The future ruler of the greatest state of his era was born in a province by the sea. Dalmatia (present-day Croatia and Montenegro) was a completely ordinary region of the Roman Empire. Around 245, in these parts, somewhere near Salona (present-day Split), a boy was born who was named Diocles. It cannot be said that Salona was a remote place: it was the center of the province. However, it is unlikely that anyone would be able to recognize the boy’s future fate.

His father was a freedman, that is, the future emperor came not even from peasants, but from slaves. However, there is a difference between slave and slave, and Diocles’ father turned out to be at least a smart and energetic enough person to somehow gain his freedom (most likely, he managed to earn money to buy himself out of slavery). His position remained insignificant, working as a scribe, a common position for an educated freedman.

Almost no information has been preserved about the early years of Diocles. He joined the army as a very young man and gradually moved up the ranks. It would be extremely interesting to know the details of his ascent to the heights of the Roman military hierarchy, but alas, history remains silent on this score. Let us only note that a person who did not have high origin, money, or connections could get into the public eye only through a combination of professional qualities and certain abilities for intrigue.

Be that as it may, under the emperor Probus, until 282, he was already the governor of Moesia, a large region in the central part of the empire. In addition, he achieved a decent position in the palace troops. All this time, there was an unstoppable stabbing going on in the highest echelons of Roman power. Probus was replaced by Kar, who led the conspiracy against the former emperor. Carus tried to create his own dynasty, and when he died of illness during a campaign against the Persians (a rarity among emperors at that time), he was easily succeeded by his sons Numerian (who remained emperor of the eastern part of the Roman Empire) and Carinus (emperor of the west). However, it would be naive to believe that the wave of coups can be stopped just like that.

The army was still returning from the campaign. Carinus went west to Rome, while Numerian slowly led his men across Syria. The new emperor was a sophisticated person, but not a leader or an intriguer at all. However, such people do not live long at the top of power. During this transition, a certain detective story took place. Numerian allegedly fell ill and moved in a closed stretcher, and some time later, the soldiers and commanders became concerned about the question of where the sovereign had gone, and discovered that Numerian had been dead, and not for the first day.

It was his father-in-law who spoke most about the emperor's illness - Apr. It was he who was called to account, and it was he who fell victim to Diocles at the gathering gathered for this occasion: he pierced the unfortunate conspirator with a sword. Apra's participation in the conspiracy is beyond doubt. However, it is difficult to agree, for example, with Gibbon, whose narrative at this point loses its specificity and begins to concentrate on the straightforwardness of Diocles. Let's start with the fact that Diocles led the emperor's bodyguards.

He did not correspond to the image of an honest but stupid servant; meanwhile, Numerian’s mysterious illness did not alert him in any way. Finally, no real investigation was carried out: Diocles simply declared Apra a murderer, and without even trying to conduct an interrogation, he killed him with his own hand. Immediately the military officials elected Diocles as the new emperor. Let us note that a number of authors reported on his imperial ambitions long before this murky story. The death of Numerian thus becomes vague, but at the same time completely understandable. The further merits of Diocles, who had already changed his name and assumed imperial power, turned out to be so great that it seems that the radiance emanating from him blinds any author who wants to delve into the circumstances of the death of his predecessor.

Be that as it may, in the west, in Rome itself, Carinus, the son of Cara and brother of Numerian, remained. He, however, died just in time at the hands of an anonymous killer (he was never found), and no one else disputed the new ruler’s claims to the throne. The winner somewhat ennobled his former name and went down in history as Diocletian. Thus began his era in 285.

The vast majority of the Roman elite most likely considered Diocletian to be just another “soldier” emperor who would be poisoned or slaughtered in a few months. Nothing of the kind, however, happened.

Diocletian's first steps were characterized by moderation. The vast majority of those close to the previous emperors were not harmed in any way. This behavior immediately added points to the new emperor in the eyes of his subjects: previously, for mercy, they were ready to praise the usurper who would at least cut off heads without great zeal. Having sharply improved his reputation, Diocletian began reforms.

The main problem of the Roman Empire at that moment was its poor controllability. As problems accumulated in different parts of the country, the authorities in Rome were increasingly unable to respond to what was happening in the remote provinces. Even with the excellent Roman roads, Britain or Syria were too far from the center to adequately understand the situation on the ground and react quickly to what was happening. Diocletian began by dividing the empire into four parts (in Greek this order was called tetrarchy).

It was not a question of giving up control of these fragments of a single empire, but rather of delegating authority. Diocletian himself, interestingly enough, did not take control of Rome. He located his own capital in Nicomedia, a city in Asia Minor, and personally ruled the rich east of the empire - Anatolia, Egypt and the Middle East. Spain, Italy and Rome and Africa were ruled by his close associate, Maximian. Maximian, a tough, even cruel, indomitable fighter, was an excellent commander for the army and, moreover, thanks to his bad character, he was perfectly suited for the role of a “power” ruler, for whom hatred was familiar and to whom hesitation was unknown.

Finally, Gaul and Britain and the vast region from Crete to Pannonia (approximately in the area of ​​​​present-day Austria) were separated into separate regions. For better communication between the rulers, Diocletian (who remained the undisputed leader) married them all to each other's relatives. In addition, Diocletian and Maximian adopted companions in case of dynastic problems after their death. To better govern the country, the new sovereign created a harmonious system of administrative division.

Each quarter of the tetrarchy was divided into dioceses, and these in turn into provinces. The division was carried out based on a number of considerations - economics, security, controllability. On the one hand, Diocletian strengthened control over each specific official. The emperor remained far away, but the ruler of the diocese or one of the tetrarchs was close. On the other hand, the number of provinces themselves had doubled, so that now the ruler on the spot had less ability to start an uprising: he simply had too few funds and troops to do this.

A separate reform befell the armed forces. A pale shadow remained of the former victorious legions. In order to preserve the combat effectiveness of the troops, but not to collapse the economy of the country, Diocletian reduced the troops to two categories: border detachments defended the borders of the empire, while in the depths of the country there were more mobile detachments that were personally subordinate to the rulers and were able to quickly go to where the danger threatened.

The size of the army has increased significantly. The armed forces have become the heaviest weight on the legs of the country's economy. Therefore, Diocletian's next step was tax reform. Here Diocletian resorted to a rather complex, but as it turned out in the end, effective load distribution. The amount of taxes depended on the size of the land plot, livestock, labor, and crops cultivated on this plot. As a result, the overall tax collection increased, but paradoxically, social tension did not increase, but rather decreased: the new tax system turned out to be, first of all, fairer than the old one.

It should be noted that Diocletian did not have the opportunity to fall on his laurels and rest on them. From the very beginning, he had to constantly fight along all borders and suppress rebellions. Peace was quickly concluded with the Persians, but at that moment it was necessary to pacify the impostor who had rebelled in the west of the empire. Then the barbarians tried to break through the north of Gaul. After each suppressed uprising, not only punishments followed, but also local administrative reforms to prevent this in the future.

To protect against external enemies, Diocletian built a grandiose line of fortifications from the mouth of the Danube to the lower reaches of the Rhine, improving and rebuilding old fortresses and adding new ones. The prisoners were resettled within the Roman Empire, trying to disperse the barbarians between empty provinces for one reason or another. The usurpers who tried to proclaim themselves emperors did not go away, but now they had much less strength, and most importantly, time before government troops arrived from the depths of the country.

Another innovation was the idea of ​​absolute monarchy, dominance. It was Diocletian who finally formalized the method of government, when the ruler was not restrained by any forces, even formally. This innovation is difficult to evaluate positively. Nevertheless, extreme skill and restraint of the ruler are required so that such rule does not turn into complete tyranny. However, it cannot be said that Diocletian enslaved the Romans. Rather, he formalized an already established practice.

Diocletian was noted for his very active persecution of objectionable religions. A tough traditionalist, he tried with equal zeal to eliminate Manichaeism and Christianity. Here Diocletian was far from showing the flexibility characteristic of him in economic and political matters. Christians were taken into custody, churches were destroyed, many priests of the young religion met their death. This circumstance, by the way, came back to haunt the emperor: subsequently, early Christian authors spared no ink, accusing him of all sorts of sins.

In 305, Diocletian surprised his subjects for the last time. Twenty years of work had undermined his health, and the aging emperor made an unexpected move. On May 1, 305, Diocletian announced his abdication in his beloved Nicomedia. In his place, he left one of his tetrarchs - Galerius. Soon after the emperor, the faithful Maximian also abdicated power.

The former ruler of the greatest empire left for his small homeland, on the Adriatic coast. During the time spent at the head of state, he managed to build a luxurious estate and planned to spend the rest of his life there. Modern Split with its monuments grew up around this complex. He could leave with a clear conscience: never before in living memory have the borders of Rome and the empire itself been so peaceful. He spent the coming years in peace and quiet, gardening.

There is a legend according to which Maximian convinced him to return to big Roman politics. The old emperor replied that if the old comrade had seen what kind of cabbage he managed to grow, he would not bother with such nonsense. Diocletian died at the age of almost 70, respected by everyone.

Diocletian is one of the most interesting characters in late Roman history. Having no systematic education, he was inspired by his energy and tenacious natural mind. Coming from one of the most despised classes, he managed to reach the heights of power. The path was not strewn with roses, and at the dawn of his reign, Diocles did not do the most plausible things, and even then he did not resemble a character in Christmas stories. However, he was a surprisingly sensible ruler who managed not only to stay at the pinnacle of power, but also to give his own state an extra century and a half.

In one fairy-tale country there was a palace on the shore of a beautiful sea. There lived a ruler who had three sons. The father loved his sons, and they reciprocated. The children grew up kind, obedient and hardworking. One thing upset the ruler - his sons were often sick for a long time. In one fairy-tale country there was a palace on the shore of a beautiful sea. There lived a ruler who had three sons. The father loved his sons, and they reciprocated. The children grew up kind, obedient and hardworking. One thing upset the ruler - his sons were often sick for a long time. The ruler invited the wisest people of the country to the palace and asked: “Why do people get sick? What needs to be done for people to live happily ever after?” The wise men deliberated for a long time, and the oldest of them said: “Human health largely depends on lifestyle, behavior and the ability to help oneself and others in difficult situations.” The ruler of the sage listened and ordered to open a health school for all the children of his country. The ruler invited the wisest people of the country to the palace and asked: “Why do people get sick? What needs to be done for people to live happily ever after?” The wise men deliberated for a long time, and the oldest of them said: “Human health largely depends on lifestyle, behavior and the ability to help oneself and others in difficult situations.” The ruler of the sage listened and ordered to open a health school for all the children of his country.

According to the beautiful rose, people get sick because they do not know how to enjoy the beauty of the world around them and each other’s successes, and joy is a special wisdom and illnesses are afraid of it. According to the beautiful rose, people get sick because they do not know how to enjoy the beauty of the world around them and each other’s successes, and joy is a special wisdom and illnesses are afraid of it.

Cold juice with ice cream You’re not supposed to drink together. Of course, it looks like a delicacy, But your throat will hurt afterwards. A scratch on your finger Believe me, it’s not a trifle You can’t forget it with your finger! Petya watches TV all day long, but he’s too lazy to go for walks and study. But in the evening he can’t sleep: His head hurts; he can’t turn his head. Kolya’s older brother explains to Petya: It’s brother TV’s fault. The southern sun gives us a tan. Only a fire will happen on your body if you stay under the sun all day. After sunbathing for half an hour, immediately into the shade! On a hot day on South Beach, Popsicles are always on sale. But everyone knows and is clear: Eating a lot of it is dangerous! Both sore throat and bronchitis are present in every serving!

What to do if your brother or sister gets sick. For chills: For chills: Wrap up; Give a warm drink (tea with raspberries, cherries); Put a heating pad on. At high temperatures: At high temperatures: Ventilate the room more often; Give fluids frequently; Place a cold compress on your head; Do a rubdown (1 tbsp. vodka, 1 tbsp. water, 1 tbsp. vinegar).

Test “Your health” I often have headaches. I get headaches often. I often have a runny nose. I often have a runny nose. I have bad teeth. I have bad teeth. Sometimes my ear hurts. Sometimes my ear hurts. I often have a sore throat. I often have a sore throat. Every year I get the flu. Every year I get the flu. Sometimes I feel sick. Sometimes I feel sick. Some foods and medications cause me allergies. Some foods and medications cause me allergies. All sorts of diseases easily stick to me. All sorts of diseases easily stick to me.

What you need to do to be healthy. Smile, say kind words to each other. Smile, say kind words to each other. Eat healthy food. Eat healthy food. Brush your teeth. Brush your teeth. To wash hands. To wash hands. Do physical exercises, etc. Do physical exercises, etc.

Riddles Who treats you when you are sick? Who treats you when you are sick? What is the name of a doctor who treats adults at home? What is the name of a doctor who treats adults at home? Children? Children? Teeth? Teeth? Eyes? Eyes? Ears, throat, nose? Ears, throat, nose? What medical institutions do you know? What medical institutions do you know? Which doctor treats sore throat? Which doctor treats sore throat? Which medical institution should you call a doctor from? Which medical institution should you call a doctor from?

On December 4, 1586, Mary Queen of Scots was sentenced to death for her role in the conspiracy. Russian monarchs were also killed, only the domestic “anointed of God” died, as a rule, not under the guillotine, but became victims of popular anger or palace intrigue.

The reign of Fyodor Godunov lasted only 7 weeks

With the connivance of the government of the boyars, Fyodor Godunov, his mother and sister Ksenia were placed in custody, and False Dmitry I ascended to the Russian throne. On June 20, 1605, Fyodor II Borisovich Godunov and his mother were strangled. This was the order of the new king. It was announced to the people that they themselves had taken poison.

The first Russian impostor tsar was killed at his own wedding

But very little time passed during the reign of False Dmitry I, and the Moscow boyars were very surprised that the Russian tsar did not observe Russian rituals and customs, but imitated the Polish monarch: he renamed the boyar duma into the Senate, made a number of changes to the palace ceremony and emptied the treasury with entertainment, expenses for maintenance of the Polish guards and for gifts for the Polish king.

A dual situation arose in Moscow - on the one hand, they loved the Tsar, but on the other, they were very dissatisfied with him. The dissatisfied leaders were Vasily Golitsyn, Vasily Shuisky, Mikhail Tatishchev, Prince Kurakin, as well as the Kolomna and Kazan metropolitans. The tsar was to be killed by the archers and the killer of Tsar Fyodor Godunov, Sherefedinov. But the assassination attempt, planned for January 8, 1606, failed, and its perpetrators were torn to pieces by the crowd.

A more favorable situation for an assassination attempt arose in the spring, when False Dmitry I announced his wedding to the Polish Marina Mniszech. On May 8, 1606, the wedding took place, and Mniszech was crowned queen. The party lasted for several days, and the Poles who arrived for the wedding (about 2 thousand people) in a drunken stupor robbed passers-by, broke into the houses of Muscovites, and raped women. False Dmitry I retired from business during the wedding. The conspirators took advantage of this.

On May 14, 1606, Vasily Shuisky and his comrades decided to act. The Kremlin changed security, opened prisons and issued weapons to everyone. On May 17, 1606, an armed crowd entered Red Square. False Dmitry tried to escape and jumped out of the window of the chambers directly onto the pavement, where he was grabbed by archers and hacked to death. The body was dragged to Red Square, his clothes were torn off, a pipe was stuck in the mouth of the impostor king, and a mask was placed on his chest. Muscovites mocked the body for 2 days, after which they buried it behind the Serpukhov Gate in the old cemetery. But the matter did not end there. There were rumors that “miracles were happening” over the grave. They dug up the body, burned it, mixed the ashes with gunpowder and fired it from a cannon towards Poland.

Ivan VI Antonovich - the emperor who did not see his subjects

At first, Elizabeth thought of sending the “Brunswick family” abroad, but she was afraid that they might be dangerous. The deposed emperor with his mother and father were transported to Dynamunde, a suburb of Riga, and then north to Kholmogory. The boy lived in the same house with his parents, but in complete isolation from them, behind a blank wall under the supervision of Major Miller. In 1756 he was transferred to “solitary confinement” in the Shlisselburg fortress, where he was called a “famous prisoner” and kept in complete isolation from people. He couldn't even see the guards. The prisoner's situation did not improve either under Peter III or Catherine II.

During his imprisonment, several attempts were made to free the deposed emperor, the last of which turned out to be his death. On July 16, 1764, officer V.Ya. Mirovich, who was on guard duty at the Shlisselburg fortress, was able to win over part of the garrison to his side. He called for the release of Ivan and the overthrow of Catherine II. But when the rebels tried to free the prisoner Ivan VI, two guards who were constantly with him were stabbed to death. It is believed that Ivan Antonovich was buried in the Shlisselburg fortress, but in fact he became the only Russian emperor whose burial place is precisely unknown.

Peter III - Emperor deposed by his wife

Peter's erratic actions in the domestic political arena deprived him of the support of Russian society, and many perceived his policies as a betrayal of Russian national interests. As a result, on June 28, 1762, a coup took place, and Catherine II was proclaimed empress. Peter III was sent to Ropsha (30 versts from St. Petersburg), where the deposed emperor died under unclear circumstances.

According to the official version, Peter III died either from a stroke or from hemorrhoids. But there is another version - Peter III was killed by guards in the ensuing fight, and 2 days before his officially announced death. Initially, the body of Peter III was buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and in 1796 Paul I ordered the body to be transferred to the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Paul I was strangled with a scarf

The emperor tried to object, and, they say, even hit someone; in response, one of the rebels began to strangle him with a scarf, and another struck the emperor in the temple with a massive snuff box. It was announced to the people that Paul I had suffered an apoplexy. Tsarevich Alexander, who overnight became Emperor Alexander I, did not dare to touch his father’s murderers, and Russian politics returned to a pro-English channel.

On the same days in Paris, a bomb was thrown at Bonaparte's motorcade. Napoleon was not injured, and commented on what happened: “They missed me in Paris, but hit me in St. Petersburg.”

An interesting coincidence, 212 years later, on the same day as the assassination of the Russian autocrat, the disgraced oligarch Boris Berezovsky passed away.

Alexander II - Emperor, on whom 8 assassination attempts were made

On March 13, 1881, when the Tsar was driving along the embankment of the Catherine Canal in St. Petersburg, Nikolai Rysakov threw a bomb directly under the carriage in which the Tsar was riding. Several people died from the terrible explosion, but the emperor remained unharmed. Alexander II got out of the broken carriage, approached the wounded, the detainee, and began to inspect the site of the explosion. But at that moment, the terrorist terrorist Ignatius Grinevitsky threw a bomb right at the feet of the emperor, mortally wounding him.

The explosion tore the emperor's stomach, tore off his legs and disfigured his face. While still conscious, Alexander was able to whisper: “To the palace, I want to die there.” He was carried into the Winter Palace and put to bed, already unconscious. On the spot where Alexander II was killed, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was built using public donations.

The last Russian emperor was shot in the basement

The Bolsheviks wanted to hold an open trial of the ex-emperor (Lenin was a supporter of this idea), and Trotsky was to act as the main prosecutor of Nicholas II. But information appeared that a “White Guard conspiracy” had been organized to kidnap the Tsar, and on April 6, 1918, the royal family was transported to Yekaterinburg and placed in Ipatiev’s house.

On the night of July 16-17, 1918, Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, their five children and associates were shot in the basement.

To somehow dispel the gloomy mood, we invite you to get acquainted with a killer “hello” from the Victorian era from the artist.