Titus Mede II

[Tiber-Septim]

The emporor in TES 5 is Titus Mede the 2nd. I know Titus mede the 1st was the emporor after Martin and perhaps Attrebus Mede after Titus. But what about the emporors between Attrebus and Titus 2nd?
Any ideas?

[zzfallens]

I think that's it, just Titus, Attrebus, and Titus II

[enyamerT]

Unlikely.

Even if Attrebus ruled until he was 100, that's still 80+ years before Skyrim. There had to have been others.

[Velothi]

We do not know, as I can recall with Roman Emperors or Russian Emperors that usually the 'second' is just called that when someone is proclaimed such. Hell the Popes were in no specific order as Pope Urban the First was WAY before Pope Urban the Second.

I supposeit just depends on the situation.

But we do know that Augustus Titus Mede II (Emperor Titus Mede the Second) did live in 160 4E- during the Great War and After it. That and comparing his condition now he might as well be 70 year so old. Or so.

[MathiasFlynnias]

I believe it is just 3 of them. There was an interlude between Titus Mede the first and Martin Septim. The council ruled for some years before someone (whose name is in 'Lord of souls' but I have forgotten) reigned for another period of time. Then Titus came and became emperor through conquest some 50? or so years after the Oblivion crisis.

So considering it's only a two hundred year gap, it is completely probable that these are the only three emperors of the Mede dynasty.

[OblivionDuruza]

Some dates:

4E 18 — Prince Attrebus Mede is born.

22 years later:

4E 40s — Infernal City

128 years later:

4E 168 — Emperor Titus Mede II ascends to the throne.

33 years later:

4E 201 — Skyrim

My guess is that there is at least another Emperor between Titus II and Attrebus. At the time of Titus II's ascention, it was 150 years since Attrebus' birth. However, I also think that it is of little consequence how many Emperors there have been since the Medes took power in the early 1st Century.

[MathiasFlynnias]

Attrebus Mede the Second. Settled then.

[unokitsune]

If you read the lore, Tiber Septim's mages kept him alive for nearly 200 years before he finally past on perhaps they did the same with one of the emperors of mede?

[OblivionDuruza]

Tiber Septim is an exceptional case. He was for starters, a Shezzarine, and he was aided by the Underking, one of the greatest masters of Thu'um ever to grace Tamriel. Tiber's Mages also completely altered the climate of Cyrodiil, cooling it as to Tiber's liking, I highly doubt that the Medes have such command over magic.

Also, The Arcturian Heresy states that Tiber was 108 when he died.

[Tulkas]

The Roman numeral after the ruler's first name indicates that he is the Xth ruler with the same first name in the current dynasty. Not that he is the dynasty's Xth ruler overall. For all we know, there could have been a dozen short-lived emperors between Attrebus Mede the First and Titus Mede the Second. Unlikely, but I wanted to point this out since there seemed to be confusion about.

[Vitellius]

Yeah this has been bugging me too - one of the Skyrim wiki's links Titus Mede II as the 2nd Emperor in the dynasty, and half-brother of Attrebus Even if Titus I was a virile old bugger and had him when he was 60, that would still make Titus II around 150 years old in Skyrim. Would like toknow who the Emperor was before Titus II; could be Attrebus I but seems unlikely, probably an unmentioned son or daughter of Attrebus.

[OblivionDuruza]

Is there any citation on the Skyrim Wiki article? I haven't come across anything in-game or in Lore to suggest that Titus II is Titus I's son. Looking at Kings in history, e.g. Henry VIII, there is nothing to indicate that Titus II must be the original Titus' son.

[Narzul]

It's an unthinking assumption people have made. There's no evidence to back it up.

[azuarc]

If we were talking elves, it would be one thing, but for human rulers there's simply no way that only 3 rulers could have spanned a 200-year window. Either there were others, or as someone suggested, the council ruled for quite some time. Uriel VII ruled for about 60 years, and that was an incredibly long time for a monarch to be in power. You would expect something closer to the length of one generation, on average.

[Gideon Dragontongue]

Tiber Septim is an exceptional case. He was for starters, a Shezzarine, and he was aided by the Underking, one of the greatest masters of Thu'um ever to grace Tamriel. Tiber's Mages also completely altered the climate of Cyrodiil, cooling it as to Tiber's liking, I highly doubt that the Medes have such command over magic.

So when I'm Arch-Mage, why don't I get a climate-control spell to change Winterhold into the Bahamas?

All joking aside, 128 years seems like a long time for someone to rule. He could have lived for 110 years, and then his infant son had to turn 18 before he could ascend the throne. Of course, most people (even emperors) aren't having children on their eleventieth birthday.

[Musicman247]

Tiber Septim is an exceptional case. He was for starters, a Shezzarine, and he was aided by the Underking, one of the greatest masters of Thu'um ever to grace Tamriel. Tiber's Mages also completely altered the climate of Cyrodiil, cooling it as to Tiber's liking, I highly doubt that the Medes have such command over magic.

So when I'm Arch-Mage, why don't I get a climate-control spell to change Winterhold into the Bahamas?

All joking aside, 128 years seems like a long time for someone to rule. He could have lived for 110 years, and then his infant son had to turn 18 before he could ascend the throne. Of course, most people (even emperors) aren't having children on their eleventieth birthday.

I think you meant one hundred and eleventieth birthday.

Of course it would be improbable for an 11 year old to be a father as well.

[Gideon Dragontongue]

A minor point of contention among those of us who use the imaginary number system. (a la the great Hobbes)

[legoless]

So when I'm Arch-Mage, why don't I get a climate-control spell to change Winterhold into the Bahamas?

Because you need to find the Word Wall first...

[Tarquin Dynatus]

Elizabeth I of England ruled during the 16th century. Elizabeth II ruled during the 20th. 'nuff said.

[Gideon Dragontongue]

Wow, the unknown forth word of the Clear Skies shout. Who knew?

[JVElEven]

If we were talking elves, it would be one thing, but for human rulers there's simply no way that only 3 rulers could have spanned a 200-year window. Either there were others, or as someone suggested, the council ruled for quite some time. Uriel VII ruled for about 60 years, and that was an incredibly long time for a monarch to be in power. You would expect something closer to the length of one generation, on average.

And Uriel's case was something with his imprisonment under Jagar Tharn, if I recall correctly. He was in suspended animation in slowed time, something like that.

But if one takes a short pause to think:

Titus Mede I takes the reins in 4E 17. He is probably (emphasis on that) in his early thirties or late twenties.

Attrebus Mede (Likely the 1st) Is born in 4E 18. If one takes into account the fact that Uriel's 65 year reign was unusual, and even his father Pelagius' 29-year reign was "astonishing" according to "Brief History of the Empire", I draw the conclusion that perhaps 60 years seems to be a respectable age for humans in Tamriel. (Pelagius IV reached 54).

Then Titus will likely have died somewhere around 4E 50, where Attrebus would've been 32. If we act as if he lived to sixty as well, he'd have died sometime around 4E 78, give or take a few years. If we continue on that line, changing rulers on average every thirty years, there will logically have been three rulers between Attrebus Mede I and Titus Mede II.

And, Titus Mede has enjoyed a rather long stay at the trone, approximately 30 years, making him (in my mind) somewhere around sixty years old. Which would make sense with

Spoiler:

says in the DB quest. He appears to be resigned to his fate, as someone who has lived long is inclined to do (in fiction at least).

And assuming that sixty years is the average age for men in Skyrim (Perhaps a bit less for the farmers and serfs(And discounting violent deaths among adventurers and bandit raids)), this would fit in with the change of Emperor every thirty years, making the Emperors live to an average sixty.

Therefore, I believe the Mede Dynasty goes:

Titus Mede I (Ruled 4E 17 - app. 50)
Attrebus Mede I (app. 4E 50 - app. 80)
? Mede I (Did probably not have the same name as his father) (app. 4E 80 - app. 4E 110)
? Mede I/II (Could be named Attrebus, or something else) (app. 4E 110 - app. 4E 140)
? Mede I/II/III (Could logically be another Attrebus) (app. 4E 140 - 4E 168)

Spoiler:

Titus Mede II (4E 168 - 4E 201)

[JockoBeans]

The interlude before the Medes was a weak rule by the Elder Council and Ocato who named himself Potentate. He was assasinated by the Thalmor.

[Ysmir]

Ah thank you Jockobeans.
I knew I had read/heard that somewhere before....Ocato as it turns out tried to do the best he could. I guess he wasn't a power hungry council member after all.

[Pilaf The Defiler]

Ocato actually was regarded as a very wise, compassionate and worthy Potentate.

There was another ruler placed on the throne between his death and Mede's ascension, though.

It's mentioned in Lord of Souls. An increasingly corrupt and possibly Thalmor influenced Elder Council elected a man called Thules The Gibbering as Emperor. This was not regarded as a popular move. I don't believe he was well liked or managed Cyrodill very well, which may explain the seeming ease with which Titus I took the city.

[Vitellius]

Er, where was that in Lord of Souls?? I read that and Infernal City just before Skyrim came out and don't recall there being an Emperor called 'Thules the Gibbering' - tis the kind of name that would stick in the mind

As far as I understand it, Ocato ruled as Potentate after the Oblivion Crisis, was assassinated by the Thalmor, there was a chaotic period of interregnum and Titus Mede I emerged as Emperor. Kind of surprised there isn't an in-game book called The Rise of the Mede Dynasty or something...