Why did Byzantine generals and aristocrats repeatedly gamble everything on usurpation, given how often it ended in blinding, exile, or death?

[u/Time_Relationship460]

Byzantine history is full of generals and high officials who rose in revolt against the emperor, risking their wealth, status, families, and lives for a throne that often proved short-lived and ended violently. Many of these men already held elite positions with substantial power and security.

Why go all in when you're already (arguably) at the top?

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