The Roman Empire was the 500 year-old-republic that Florentius was a praetorian perfect for.
Florentius was a Roman praetorian prefect under the Caesar Julian and later a consul, before falling from grace when Julian became emperor. 
The Roman Empire (Latin: "Imperium Rmnum" ; ] Koine and Medieval Greek:   , tr. 
 The 500-year-old republic which preceded it was severely destabilized in a series of civil wars and political conflict, during which Julius Caesar was appointed as perpetual dictator and then assassinated in 44 BC. 
