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do you do do you Hi, I'm Peter Adamson, and you're listening to the History of Philosophy podcast, brought to you with the support of King's College London and the Leverheim Trust, online at

W.W.

History of Philosophy.net. Today's episode, Sky Writing, Astronomy,

astrology, and philosophy.

What would it take for you to look at yourself in the mirror and think that you really ought

to be the most powerful person in the known world? Perhaps you are fired by civic duty, a desire to help the people.

Perhaps you've got connections.

Your dad was the most powerful person in the world and one likes to keep these things in the family.

Or maybe you're just a megalomaniac who thinks untrammeled power over humankind is no less than you deserve.

In the Roman era, a large number of people were led by such reasons

to think that they ought to dawn the purple and become emperor.

To be fair, some more or less had power thrust upon them, but most seized

it eagerly with both hands and often with an army as well. Occasionally things got really out of control as in 69 a.d. also known as the year of the

four emperors. This obviously was a point in history when it didn't take much to make men see themselves as potential emperors.

One of that year's four claimants, whose name was Otho, made a daring grab for power, which included the brutal murder of his predecessor, Galba.

Otho lasted only three months, but he did have an excellent reason to see himself upon the throne, some astrologers told him he would

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