Emperors of Roman empire

Emperors of Roman empire

A republic with no one person in charge existed in Ancient Rome during the first 500 years of its existence. But for the following 500 years, Rome was governed by emperors as an empire. The emperor was the ultimate leader and was occasionally even regarded as a deity, even though numerous republican government positions—such as the senators—remained in place to assist in running the government.

Emperors of Roman empire

Who was the first Roman Emperor?

Caesar Augustus was Rome’s first Emperor. In reality, he went by several names, including Octavius, but after ascending to the throne, he was addressed as Augustus. He was Julius Caesar’s adopted heir.

Julius Caesar

helped the Roman Republic grow into an Empire. Caesar rose to great influence in Rome and commanded a formidable army. The Roman Senate installed Caesar as dictator after he routed Pompey the Great in a civil war. Some Romans, however, desired the return of the republican government. Marcus Brutus killed Julius Caesar in 44 BC, barely a year after Caesar was proclaimed dictator. The new republic did not endure long, though, because Octavius, Caesar’s heir, was already quite strong. He succeeded Caesar as the first Emperor of the newly formed Roman Empire.

Strong Emperors

Initially, one would assume that the Roman republic’s transition to an empire ruled by an emperor was a negative thing. This was indeed the case in certain instances. In other instances, though, the Emperor was a capable and strong leader who gave Rome prosperity and peace. A handful of the best Roman emperors are listed below:

Caesar Augustus

Augustus, the first Emperor, was a model ruler for others to follow. His reign brought Rome calm after years of civil war, known as the Pax Romana (Roman peace). He developed a road system, a standing Roman army, and substantially restored Rome.

Claudius

Claudius began the conquest of Britain and gained control of various new territories for Rome. He constructed numerous aqueducts, canals, and highways.

Trajan

Many historians believe that Trajan was the best Emperor of Rome. He had 19 years as ruler. He expanded the empire’s wealth and territory at that time by capturing numerous other countries. In addition, he was a highly ambitious builder who left a lasting legacy across Rome.

Marcus Aurelius

One refers to Aurelius as the philosopher-king. He was not only the Roman Emperor, but also regarded as one of the greatest stoic philosophers in history. The final of the “Five Good Emperors” was Aurelius.

Diocletian

He was possibly an excellent emperor as well as a horrible one. Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire because it had grown too big for Rome to oversee from within. This made it easier for the vast Empire to maintain its borders and to be administered. He was among the worst emperors in terms of human rights, though, as he killed and persecuted a great number of people because to their faith, particularly Christians.

Crazy Emperors

Rome also had its share of crazy emperors. A few of them include Nero (who is often blamed for burning Rome), Caligula, Commodus, and Domitian.

Constantine the Great

The Eastern Roman Empire was governed by Constantine the Great. He initiated the Roman Catholic conversion movement as the first Emperor to become a Christian. Additionally, he renamed Byzantium as Constantinople, which would serve as the Eastern Roman Empire’s capital for more than a millennium.

End of the Roman Empire

The two halves of the Roman Empire ended at different times. The Western Roman Empire ended in 476 AD when the last Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus, was defeated by the German, Odoacer. The Eastern Roman Empire ended with the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD

Read also: Biography of Emperor Trajan