Roman Empire

Emperors

Augustus

27 BC – 14 AD

-       
        Pax Romana begins (Roman peace)

-       the first emperor.  Augustus means “the revered one”

-       Established the rule by succession

-       Stabilized the government

-       Conquered new land – built roads, aqueducts, and buildings

-       Commander in chief

-       Maintained a standing army

Tiberius

14 AD – 37 AD

-       Unpopular

-       Governs from the island of Capri

-       Murdered

Caligula

37 AD – 41 AD

-       Madman – rants and raves, wanted to appoint his horse to the Senate.

Claudius

41 AD – 54 AD

-       Murdered Caligula

-       Established useful laws

-       Continued construction of public buildings

-       Murdered by wife and stepson Nero

Nerva

96 AD – 98 AD

-       Stopped trials for high treason

-       Pardoned political offenders

-       Diminished taxes

-       Recalled exiles to attain popularity

Trajan

98 AD – 117 AD

-       General in the Roman Army

-       Born in Spain he was the first non-Italian to become emperor.

-       Under his rule the empire reached its largest extent

-       Unlike many of other emperors with a military background he was known for his wisdom and dignity.

-       Humble when dealing with the Senate

-       Public buildings – roads and harbors

-       Established imperial fund for poor, esp. children.

Hadrian

117 AD – 138 AD

-       Hadrian’s Wall to keep barbarian tribes out of the empire

-       Rebuilt the Pantheon

-       Traveled with the army throughout the empire

Antoninus

138 AD – 161 AD

-       Uneventful, possibly because Hadrian left the administration in such good order

Marcus Aurelius

161 AD – 180 AD

-       Plague breaks out in the empire (smallpox or measles)

-       Stoic philosopher – concerned with brotherhood and equality

-       War with Parthian Empire

-       End of Pax Romana – with his death the empire is faced with growing attacks from barbarians.  As soon as one revolt was crushed or a barbarian invasion averted, another would break out, or threaten, in a different part of the empire.

Diocletian

285 AD – 310 AD

-       The empire is split into east and west  [The Roman empire had always consisted of two parts the Hellenized regions (east) and the region linked by Roman culture (west)]

-       Diocletian ruled in the east and Maximian ruled the west

-       Constitutional reform – emperor could act without the theoretical consent of the Senate

-       Edict against the Christians – destroy scripture and places of worship. 

-       Strengthened army and introduced new policies for the supply of arms and provisions

Constantine I (Constantinus I)

306 AD – 337 AD

-       Emperor of the western portion of the empire

-       Edict of Milan – religious tolerance for Christians throughout the empire

-       Becomes intolerant of pagans – destroys temples and confiscates treasury.

-       First Christian emperor/king

-       Defeated the emperors of the east in civil wars

-       Successfully fought against the Franks and Visigoths

-       Renames the city of Byzantium; the new capital is Constantinople.
        First ecumenical council – the Council of Nicaea – to establish the relationship between God and Jesus and establish Easter.  Ecumenical Council is a conference to discuss and settle matters of church doctrine and practice.

Theodosius

378 AD – 395 AD

-       Last emperor to rule over both the eastern and western halves of the empire.

-       Christianity becomes the official religion of the Roman Empire.  The Catholic Church.

-       Fostered the destruction of prominent pagan temples.

Romulus Augustulus

475 AD - 476 AD

-       Last emperor, overthrown by a Germanic Chieftain