They Thought Killing a Roman Emperor Was Just a Game

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:00]You are marked for death.

[00:00:01]The emperor you serve, Aurelian, had just restored the empire.

[00:00:07]A document appears.

[00:00:09]It's a list of traitors to the [music] emperor.

[00:00:11]Your name is on it.

[00:00:14]You don't know if it's real. You can't verify it. No one can. And you don't know who else has seen it.

[00:00:21]If it's real and you wait, you die.

[00:00:25]If it's real and you act first, you might live.

[00:00:29]If it's fake and you wait, nothing happens. If it's fake and you act, you've just killed the emperor for no reason.

[00:00:38]So, what's the safest move?

[00:00:41]When waiting could kill you.

[00:00:44]You act. So does everyone else.

[00:00:47]That's how Aurelian dies.

[00:00:50]Not because Rome was weak, because of the rules they were playing by.

[00:00:55]That's what's known today as game theory.

[00:00:59]And conscience is not required to play.