tl;dr: Tekle Giyorgis, Ethiopian emperor.
A couple of weeks ago we could celebrate the 238th anniversary of Tekle Giyorgis' rise to emperor in Ethiopia. Didn't remember that? No problem, there's another opportunity on the 24th of april 2026. And some time in January 2032.
Turns out, mr Giyorgis empered (surprisingly this is according to wiktionary not a word in English) in Ethiopia 6 times between 1779 and 1800.
- 20.07.1779-08.02.1784
- 24.04.1788-26.07.1789
- …01.1794-15.04.1795
- …12.1795-20.05.1796
- 04.01.1798-20.05.1799
- 24.03.1800-…06.1800
What's so special about this? One has to admire the intitative, but that's not what really impresses me. To understand what's really impressing, we'll go back to Rome and the year 238. This is the year of 6 emperors:
- Maximus Thrax 20 March 235[1] – early May 238
- Gordian I 22 March – 12 April
- Gordian II 22 March – 12 April
- Pupienus 22 April – 29 July 238
- Balbinus 22 April – 29 July 238
- Gordian III. 22 April – 11 February 244
Now, this isn't directly comparable, since these were 6 different emperors, but here's the important thing: Except for the last one, the third Gordian, none of these emperors survived 238. There is definitely a tendency, when an emperor is unwillingly dethroned, it results in the demise of said dethroned emperor.
I don't know how mr. Giyorgyi got away with it. Maybe he said something like "Ok, it was fun as long as it lasted. Now I'll go back to growing roses on Elba or St. Helena, and you won't see me again." That may have worked the first time. Maybe also the 2nd time, but the third time somebody really should have begun thinking. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
It's a bit like James Bond. Surely after all these years, ruler-of-the-world wannabes know that this man is trouble. So naturally, when mr Bond is captured some time during the first 30 minutes or so, they want to kill him. "No, mr Bond, I expect you to die". What these morons fails to realize is that hanging him by a rope from the ceiling and gradually lowering him into a tank filled with sharks from Australia, does not work. Despite the best intents. Especially if you, like they for some reason tend to do, leave the scene before it's over. The only sure thing is immediately putting a bullet through his brain. No doubt, there are oodles of suitable weapons present, still none of the NPC's think of that!!!! This is what really destroys my suspense of disbelief and no doubt is the main reason why I'm not particularly enthusiastic about these films.
Tekle Giyorgis left office for the last time in june 1800, and lived for unprecedently 17 more years, until 12th of December 1817.
pibbur who once again will remind the watch that he DOES NOT WANT TO BE AN EMPEROR.
