For a simplified list see: Concise list of Roman Emperors . For more information, see History of the Roman Empire .
{{{royal_title}}} of the Roman Empire
Formation 14 BC Abolition 476 AD
The Roman Empire is a phase of the ancient Roman civilisation characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean . The Roman Empire was established in 27 BC when Augustus took power the power from the Republic of Rome .
The Latin term Imperium Romanum (Roman Empire), the best-known Latin expression was the word imperium denotes a territory, indicates the part of the world under Roman rule. Roman expansion began in the days of the Republic with their war with Carthage , but reached its zenith under Emperor Trajan . At this territorial peak, the Roman Empire controlled approximately 5,900,000 km² (2,300,000 sq mi) of the earth's surface.[1]
The Five Good Emperors is a term that refers to five consecutive emperors of the Roman Empire — Nerva , Trajan , Hadrian , Antoninus Pius , and Marcus Aurelius . The term is first coined by the political philosopher, Niccolò Machiavelli , in 1503:
From the study this history we may also learn how a good government is to be established; for while all the emperors who succeeded to the throne by birth, except Titus, were bad, all were good who succeeded by adoption; as in the case of the five from Nerva to Marcus. But so soon as the empire fell once more to the heirs by birth, its ruin recommenced. [2]
In the late 3rd century AD, after the Crisis of the Third Century , Diocletian established the practice of dividing authority between two emperors, one in the western part of the empire and one in the east, in order to better administer the vast territory. For the next century this practice continued, with occasional periods in which one emperor assumed complete control. However, after the death of Theodosius I in 395, the two halves were permanently divided between his two sons, Honorius ruled in the west while Arcadius ruled in the east.[3] While the Eastern Empire flourished after the empire was divided the western had internal problems from the begin which lead to a civil war which would lead to the Western Roman Empires downfall in 476 AD when Odovacar took power.[4] The Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire lasted until 1453 with the capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks .[5] When the Eastern Empire collapsed it gave birth to the successor state Empire of Trebizond . The Empire of Trebizond was conquered by Ottoman Turks in 1461 .
Principate
Julio-Claudian dynasty
Details
Portrait
Death
File:Aug11 01.jpg
Possibly assassinated by poisoning
Possibly assassinated by suffocation
Murdered by his own soldiers
File:Emperor Claudius.jpg
Suggested assassinated by poisoning
Committed suicide
Year of the Four Emperors
Details
Portrait
Death
Murdered by Otho
Committed suicide
Murdered in the Forum
Peaceful death
Flavian dynasty
Details
Portrait
Death
Peaceful death
File:Titus draped bust cropped.png
Assassinated
Nervan-Antonian dynasty
Details
Portrait
Death
Peaceful death
Assassinated: strangled by a wrestler
Severan dynasty
Details
Portrait
Death
Murdered by soldiers on the Palatine
File:Dupondus-Didius Julianus.JPG
Sentenced to death by the Senate; murdered on the Palatine
Peaceful death
Assassinated
Murdered by Caracalla
Executed
Reign: May 217 AD - June 218 AD
Common name: Diadumenian
Birthplace: Unknown
Imperial name: IMPERATOR MARCVS OPELLIVS ANTONINVS DIADVMENIANVS CAESAR SEVERVS
File:055 Diadumenianus.jpg
Assassinated
Crisis of the Third Century
Emperors during the height of the Crisis
Details
Portrait
Death
Assassinated
Reign: Early January/March 238 AD - late January/April 238 AD
Common name: Gordian I
Birthplace: Phrygia
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR MARCVS ANTONIVS GORDIANVS SEMPRONIANVS AFRICANVS
Committed suicide
Reign: Early January March 238 AD - late January/April 238 AD
Common name: Gordian II
Birthplace: Unknown
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR MARCVS ANTONIVS GORDIANVS SEMPRONIANVS AFRICANVS
Killed in battle
Reign: Early February 238 AD - early May 238 AD
Common name: Pupienus Maximus
Birthplace: Unknown
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR MARCVS CLODIVS PVPIENVS MAXIMVS AVGVSTVS
Murdered by the Praetorians
Reign: Early February 238 AD - early May 238 AD
Common name: Balbinus
Birthplace: Unknown
File:070 Balbinus 30 mm ext.jpg
Reign: May 238 AD - February 244 AD
Common name: Gordian III
Birthplace: Rome
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR MARCVS ANTONIVS GORDIANVS , PIVS FELIX , AVGVSTVS
Unknown; possibly murdered
Reign: February 244 AD - September/October 249 AD
Common name: Philip the Arab
Birthplace: Shahba , Syria
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR MARCVS IVLIVS PHILLIPVS , PIVS FELIX , INVICTVS AVGVSTVS
File:Портрет Филипа Араба.jpg
Killed in battle
Reign: 251 AD
Common name: Hostilian
Birthplace: Unknown
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS AVGVSTVS
Peaceful death
Murdered by his own soldiers
Reign: July 251 AD - August 253 AD
Common name: Volusianus
Birthplace: Unknown
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR GAIVS VIBIVS AFINIVS GALLVS VELDVMNIANVS VOLVSIANVS AVGVSTVS
Reign: August 253 AD - October 253 AD
Common name: Aemilianus
Birthplace: Africa
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR MARCVS AEMILIVS AEMILIANVS , PIVS FELIX , INVICTVS AVGVSTVS
Reign: 253 AD - June 260 AD
Common name: Valerian
Birthplace: Unknown
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR PVBLIVS LICINIVS VALERIANVS , PIVS FELIX, INVICTVS AVGVSTVS
Captured by Persians : died in captivity
Reign: 253 AD - September 268 AD
Common name: Gallienus
Birthplace: Unknown
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR PVBLIVS LICINIVS EGNATIVS GALLIENVS , PIVS FELIX, INVICTVS AVGVSTVS
Assassinated
Reign: 260 AD
Common name: Saloninus
Birthplace: Unknown
Imperial name:IMPERATOR CAESAR CORNELIVS LICINIVS SALONINVS VALERIANVS, PIVS FELIX, INVICTVS AVGVSTVS
File:093 Saloninus.jpg
Dominate
Tetrarchy and Constantinian dynasty
Details
Portrait
Death
Peaceful death
File:Maximian.gif
Abdicated.
Peaceful death
Murdered or forced to commit suicide in captivity
Died in a battle by drowning in the Tiber
Reign: 307 AD - 308 AD
Common name: Maximian
Birthplace: near Sirmium , Pannonia
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR GAIVS AVRELIVS VALERIVS MAXIMIANVS PIVS FELIX INVICTVS AVGVSTVS
Forced to commit suicide
Peaceful death
Executed
Committed suicide
Reign: December 316 AD - 1 March 317 AD
Common name: Valerius Valens
Birthplace: Unknown
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR AVRELIVS VALERIVS VALENS PIVS FELIX INVICTVS AVGVSTVS
Executed
Reign: July - 18 September 324 AD
Common name: Martinianus
Birthplace: Unknown
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR SEXTVS MARCIVS MARTINIANVS PIVS FELIX INVICTVS AVGVSTVS
Killed in battle
File:ConstantiusII.JPG
Peaceful death
Reign: 337 AD - 350 AD
Common name: Constans
Birthplace: Unknown
Imperial name: Constans|IMPERATOR CAESAR FLAVIVS IVLIVS CONSTANS AVGVSTVS
Killed by Magnentius
Committed suicide
Unknown
Peaceful death
Valentinian dynasty
Details
Portrait
Death
Peaceful death
Killed in battle
File:158 Gratianus.jpg
Assassinated
Deposed; died in suspicious circumstances
Theodosian dynasty
Details
Portrait
Death
Peaceful death
Reign: 383 AD - January 395 AD
Common name: Arcadius
Birthplace: Unknown
Imperial name: IMPERATOR CAESAR FLAVIVS ARCADIVS PIVS FELIX AVGVSTVS
Western Empire
Details
Portrait
Death
Peaceful death
Assassinated
Stoned to death
Execution
Unknown: killed or died of dysentery
Unknown: poisoned by Ricimer or died of natural causes
Executed
File:Olybrius 01.jpg
Peaceful death
Assassinated
Fate unknown
Eastern Empire
References
Chris Scarre, Chronicle of the Roman Emperors , Thames & Hudson, 1995, Reprinted 2001, ISBN 0-500-05077-5
Tacitus, The Annals of Imperial Rome , Penguin Classics, Michael Grant Publications Ltd, 1971, Reprinted 1985, ISBN 0-14-044060-7
Martha Ross, Rulers and Governments of the World, Vol.1 Earliest Times to 1491 , Bowker, 1978, ISBN 0-85935-021-5
Clive Carpenter, The Guinness Book of Kings Rulers & Statesmen , Guinness Superlatives Ltd, 1978, ISBN 0-900424-46-X
R.F.Tapsell, Monarchs Rulers Dynasties and Kingdoms of The World , Thames & Hudson, 1981, Reprinted 1987, ISBN 0-500-27337-5
^ "The Roman Empire and its citizens" . aboutroma.com. Retrieved 2008-06-24 .
^ Machiavelli, Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livy , Book I, Chapter 10
^ Chester G. Starr, A History of the Ancient World, Second Edition. Oxford University Press, 1974. pp. 670-678.
^ Isaac Asimov. Asimov's Chronology of the World. Harper Collins, 1989. p. 110.
^ Asimov, p. 198.
See also
External links