I don't think any empire provided a satisfying answer to the assimilation question it never seems to actually concern the leaders...
>>18424867>Pic not relatedThe HRE was literally not an empire. Empire comes from latin impero, command, rule. It describes forceful rule of one group over another. The HRE wasn't that, it was a mostly voluntary association of polities of roughly similar power.
>>18424867Far more roman than the heretical despotate of constantinople as they actually ruled Italy (although they lost Lazio and the South eventually)
>>18424921Schismatic, not heretical. Learn the difference anon.
>>18424867what do you mean by the assimilation question?
>>18424867What is the assimilation question?>>18424907Not quite. The ancient roman imperium was a certain legal authority, that was part of an office within the roman state, over a body, governmental institution or military unit. And while this power was usually absolut within the scope of its application it wasn't limitless and multiple people could hold an imperium (often times also of higher authority) as well and those of a higher imperium could veto those of a lesser one. Only with the consolidation of the Principate was the office of imperator linked exclusively to the roman emperor (or more fittingly Augustus).Regardless, in the beginning of the HRE the Ottonian, Salian, Supplinburger and most of the Staufer dynasties ruled with near absolut power. Only in the 13th and 14th centuries did the process of decentralisation begin.
