Chapters
Throughout the whole imperial period of ancient Rome, from 27 BCE to 476 CE, the state was ruled by many Roman emperors. When it comes to the four great Roman dynasties we do not have any problems with establishing the chronological order of their rules.
However, the problems begin with the death of the last member of the Severan dynasty (Alexander Severus) in 235 CE. Then Rome was hit by a crisis. The Empire suffered a plague and incursions of foreign armies. Moreover, the country was torn by infighting and civil wars. Ambitious commanders were being proclaimed emperors en masse – either by the army or themselves. They were in control of dominions but did not recognize the emperor in Rome. They were usurpers, there were plenty of them – I am going to successfully complete the table with information about them. I have marked them with a red colour. “Caesars”, on the other hand, so the potential successors, I have marked with the green colour. The table is not complete but it is because of the complexity of the late Empire history. Therefore the exact hierarchization of the ruling emperors (both those legally chosen and those self-proclaimed) is really difficult.
In 395 CE the Roman Empire was officially divided into two parts: eastern and western. I am going to focus on the emperors ruling over the western half although I do not say that I would not add also the emperors ruling over the eastern as well (to 476 CE) in the future. Then, I believe, it would be possible to maintain both chronological and historical order.
Some people consider Julius Caesar to be the first emperor but this is a misassumption. Caesar, after defeating Pompey in the Civil War, appointed himself dictator, but he did not become an emperor. Although he actually did rule and was the most important person in the whole country, he did not proclaim himself an emperor (or he did not make it) as he was afraid of unrest among the society) which was still rather against monocracy after dozens of years of monarchy. Caesar managed to skip this delicate matter with the position of the dictator in perpetuity. Eventually, Caesar, pursuing limiting Senate’s power, died assassinated by the senators, merited advisors, Brutus and Cassius and the rest of the gathered people.
After his death broke out another civil war, was won by his adopted son, Augustus who called himself princeps in 27 CE. This event is considered to be the beginning of the Roman Empire. Augustus started also the first dynasty ruling over Rome.
Julio-Claudian dynasty
Name | Reign | Short description |
27 BCE– 14 CE | The founder of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Seemingly he did not change the republican system but he did have the actual power in his hands as he was the first senator and the chief high priest. | |
14 – 37 CE | Octavian’s stepson, was adopted by the emperor. He was a suspicious person, but also a great commander and administrator. Being afraid of his life he was accusing people of lese majesty and then sentencing them to death. He eventually settled in the Capri island giving orders via correspondence. | |
37 – 41 CE | In the begging he ceased the trials for lese majesty but then he started to reign cruelly, demanding worship. He died assassinated in a conspiracy. | |
41 – 54 CE | Uncle of Caligula, proclaimed emperor by the praetorians. He was a man of scholarly interests. He was a clever ruler as he empowered the emperorship, extended the bureaucracy and granted Roman citizenship to the people living in the provinces. He built a new harbour in Ostia and an aqueduct in Rome. | |
54 – 68 CE | In politics, he was governed by his freedmen’s guides. When in 64 CE Rome burnt, the emperors’ enemies began to spread around the suspicions claiming that Nero ordered to burn the city. He committed a suicide when Galba proclaimed himself en emperor. |
The Year of the Four Emperors
Name | Reign | Short description |
June 68 – January 69 CE | He was trying to impose discipline in the army and implement retrenching. In the beginning he was backed by his supporter Otho but then he died on Otho’s order. He was the emperor from June 68 to January 69. | |