alternatehistory.com

From roman-empire.net's section on Hadrian:

Late in his life Hadrian showed ever greater signs of failing self-control and he began to display vindictiveness and cruelty. His first choice for a successor was Aelius Verus, a youth who had no particular qualifications other than a handsome person. Though he soon died, and Hadrian in his place adopted a senator of mature years and distinguished character, Titus Aurelius Antoninus. Hadrian though also demanded that Antoninus adopt Verus' son Lucius, as well as a youth of the highest promise called Marcus Annius Verus, whom the world should come to remember as Marcus Aurelius.

Suppose Hadrian falls off a horse and breaks his neck shortly after he announces A. Verus is his heir. What happens if Verus is, as could very easily have been the case, an incompetent emperor? For one thing, Marcus Aurelius and Antoninus are replaced by someone the Jews are probably going to realize isn't good at keeping them down after the Bar Kokhba revolt...
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