Imperium Mars Fillius (Mars Fillii) Description

[Zephyranthes]

“Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum.”
“Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.”
-M. Tullius Cicero, Pro Murena

The highest office of power in the Fillii Empire is that of Imperator, or Emperor. Given how the Empire is an autocracy, the Imperator does not answer to anyone and holds complete power over everything. He is, however, restricted as to what he can do by the opinions of others. Similar to the Romans of old, the Fillii were willing to depose and kill emperors who they felt were not performing well, or were simply in the way of another individual’s rise to power. The Imperator also serves as Pontifex Maximus (Head Priest), Iudici Summum (lit. Supreme Judge), and Legatus Maximus (lit. Highest General). The Imperator may choose his successor in whichever fashion he chooses, though it is usually his eldest son. It is not uncommon, however, for him to adopt and appoint another, more worthy man to succeed him.

The Imperator is advised by four men, known collectively as the Tetrarchy. It is made up of the Magister Militum, who acts as the second-in-command for the Fillii military forces, the Princeps Numerarius, who manages the finances, trade relations, and resources of the Imperium, the Praefectus Praetorio, leader of the Imperator’s Praetorian Guard, and the Magister Officiorum, who oversees legal and administrative matters. There has almost never been an Imperator foolish enough to not respect their council, especially that of the Praetorians. Each advisor has their own cabinet and set of assistants to aid them in their tasks.

Much of the provincial governing is spearheaded by the military, with each Rector Provinciae, or provincial governor, being appointed from a pool of Legati based in the province. Local civilian magistrates answer to the Rector, carrying out the Imperator’s will on a local level. Some say this bureaucracy of advisors, cabinets, and governors is what truly limits the Imperator from making any unwise decisions.

The current Imperator and Tetrarchy are as follows:
Imperator: Gaius Flavius Aquila Caesar(Venetia)
Magister Militum: Tiberius Antonius Merenda (Drrobe/Finn)
Magister Officiorum: Decimus Albius Dacius Danihelanus (Johnathan Nox Carter)
Princeps Numerarius: Manius Acilius Laterensis (MiniStryke/Luke)
Praefectus Praetorio: Lucius Horatius Purpureo (Ndk071/Niklas)