A fair amount of the Western Empire's problems stemmed from the inability of power to be centralized in the hands of the emperor for any substantial length of time, that power which would do better in their hands fell to Generals. One such General, Constantius found his way to the position of Co-Augustus; in the later empire it seems that for the most part few of these generals took up the purple themselves. What if an established military leader took the Purple well into his stint as de-facto ruler of the West?
Side bit: Even if his ascendency or usurpation fails or lasts for a short time is the precedent likely to result in more military strongmen striking for the purple instead of being its overseer?
Side bit: Even if his ascendency or usurpation fails or lasts for a short time is the precedent likely to result in more military strongmen striking for the purple instead of being its overseer?
