Roman Empire

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The history of the Rome of the Caesars, and the legions, the Appian way and the Colosseum, begins about 753 B.C. and ends, either in 476 A.D. when the western division of the empire was completely lost or in 1453 A.D. when Constantinople, the capitol of Rome in the east fell to the Turkish regime. Sources differ in this regard and it is useful to specify which part of Roman history and which region of Rome to which one refers.

The period 753 B.C. to 509 B.C. can be refered to as the Monarchy period. It encompasses the founding of the city itself and ends with the last year of the rule of Tarquinius Superbus. The period to follow, the Roman Republic, begins in 509 B.C. and ends with the founding of the Empire in 27 B.C. with the ascension of Augustus Ceasar to the throne as the first emperor. However this transition was not done in a year but took a few years to accomplish.

The initial period establishing the Roman Empire conceivably took place in the period 31 B.C. to 14 A.D. This period is marked by the triumph of Octavian in 31 B.C. at the end of the civil war for control of the Roman Republic (32-31 B.C.) and the death of Caesar’s last remaining rivals, Mark Antony and Cleopatra in 30 B.C.. Octavian's victory was followed by his ascension to the throne in 27 B.C. when Octavian took the name Augustus Caesar. The period ends with the death of Augustus in 14 A.D. by which time popular elections had all but been abandoned. and the Empire had truly replaced the Republic.

During this forty-year rule of Augustus Caesar, he began building the political structure for Imperial Rome. The system of magistracies was subsumed by the throne and were awarded by the emperor (princeps in Latin).

Caesar Augustus also took over direct control of the majority of the provinces, ruling through his appointed subordinates, and nationalised the army, placing it under direct control of the emperor. This measure stripped generals of the power to interfere in politics with their troops in support as had been done earlier by Julius Caesar in 49 B.C..

Augustus invested heavily in changing Rome’s physical stature with extensive building projects to ostentatiously advertise his rule. Concomitantly, he went to great lengths to promote his own family as the future imperial dynasty.

When Augustus died in 14 A.D., he was succeeded by his step-son Tiberius.

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Emperors

Augustus Caesar (r. 27 B.C.-14 A.D.)

Tiberius (r. 14-37)

Gaius Caesar "Caligula" (r. 37-41)

Claudius (r. 41-54)

Nero (r. 54-68)

Galba, Otho, Vitellius (r. 68-69)

Vespasian (r. 69-79)

Titus (r. 79-81)

Domitian (r. 81-96)

Nerva (r. 96-98)

Trajan (r. 98-117)

Hadrian (r. 117-138)

Antoninus Pius (r. 138-161)

Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180)

Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus (r. 180 - December 31, 192)

Year of the Five Emperors (193)

Publius Helvius Pertinax (r. December 31, 192 - March 28, 193)

Marcus Didius Salvius Julianus Severus (r. March 28, 193 - June 1, 193)

Pescennius Niger (r. 193 - 194)

Decimus Clodius Albinus (r. 193 - 197)

Severan Dynasty (r. 193-235)

Septimius Severus (r. 193–211)

Publius Septimius Geta (r. 209 - Dec. 26, 211)

Co-ruler with his father Septimius and his older brother Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Caracalla) (r. 211–17)

Macrinus (r. 217–18)

Elagabalus (r. 218–22)

Alexander Severus (r. 222–35)

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The Crises of the Third Century

During the period 235 to 284, the Roman Empire was beset by invasions, usurpations, and civil war. Of the thirty-five who served as emperor, only one died a natural death. After the assasination of the Emperor Severus Alexander in 235, the army declared successors that were either not accepted by the senate or done so under duress. Germans and Goths threatened the northern frontier of the Empire, the Sassanid Dynasty of Persia from 226 onward threatened the Empire from the East and actually captured and possibly executed one emperor, Valerian. Separatists states emerged in Gaul and Palmyra. The economy was in peril: coinage was debased, there was a decline in population and agricultural productivity suffered.

The ascension of Valerian seemed at one point to mark an end to the turmoil but Valerian was captured in his campaign against the Sassinid Dynasty and never returned to Rome.

While some of the emperors did in fact stem the tide of invasions and rebellions, the Empire did not see an extended period of stability until the ascension of Diocletian. With Diocletian's death in 308, there was another period of instability until Constantine was able to gain control in 324.

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Gaius Iulius Verus Maximinus (r. 235–238)

Also known as Maximinus Thrax (i.e. Maximinus the Thracian) and Maximinus I

Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius (r. 238 - 244)

Also known in English as Gordian III

Marcus Julius Philippus (r. 244 to 249)

Also known as Philippus I Arabs and in English as Philip the Arab.

Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius (r. 249 - 251)

Herennius Etruscus (r. 251)

Co-ruler with his father Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius

Titus Julius Priscus (251)

Proclaimed Emperor but never accepted by the senate.

Gaius Vibius Trebonianus Gallus (r. 251 to 253)

Gaius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus (r. 251)

Co-ruler with his brother Gaius Vibius Trebonianus Gallus

Gaius Vibius Volusianus (r. 251 - 253)

Co-ruler with his father Gaius Vibius Trebonianus Gallus and his uncle Gaius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus.

Marcus Aemilius Aemilianus (r. 253)

Publius Licinius Valerianus (r. 253 - 260)

Known in English as Valerian.

Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (r. 253 - 268)

Ruled as co-emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and then as the sole Roman Emperor from 260 to 268.

Marcus Aurelius Claudius Augustus Gothicus (r. 268 - 270)

Often referred to as Claudius II.

Marcus Aurelius Claudius Quintillus (r. 270)

Lucius Domitius Aurelianus (r. 270–275)

Known in English as Aurelian.

Marcus Claudius Tacitus (r.September 25, 275 - June, 276

Marcus Annius Florianus (276)

Marcus was chosen by the army and while he may actually have ruled, he was never accepted by the senate.

Marcus Aurelius Probus (r. 276–282)

Marcus Aurelius Carus (r. 282-283)

Marcus Aurelius Carinus (r. 283 – July, 285)

Elder son of Marcus Aurelius Carus.

Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (r. November 20, 284 to May 1, 305)

Known in English as Diocletian. His ruled effectively brought and end to a period of instability dating from about 235.

307-337 Constantine I

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Notes

  1. The Fall of the Roman Republic BBC History 2006-09-11. Author: Mary Beard, professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Ancient Rome Timeline BBC Ancient History. Author: Dominic Berry, senior lecturer in Classics and Roman history at the University of Leeds.
  3. The Late Republic, 133-30 B.C. Ancient Rome: From its founding to decline. Author: Gary Edward Forsythe: Assistant Professor of Classical Languages and Literatures, University of Chicago
  4. Augustus (63 BC - AD 14) BBC History
  5. Cassius Dio: Roman History Cassius Dio (circa late 2nd to early 3rd century), translated by Earnest Cary (1914 thru 1927). Loeb Classical Library, 9 volumes: Harvard University Press
  6. The Severan Dynasty 193-235 Department of Greek and Roman Art. (2000) In Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  7. [1] Crises of the Third Century] Timothy E. Gregory Ohio State University, History Department
  8. Third Century Crisis of the Roman Empire Pat Southern (2006) BBC History