The Roman Emperors

THE BEST AND THE WORST

The Best

“Felicior Augusto, melior Traiano”

“Be more fortunate than Augustus and better than Trajan”

• Trajan

• Augustus

• Hadrian

• Constantine

Hadrian Caesar Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus Augustus

Hadrian117 AD – 138 AD

• Traveling Emperor

• Defense not

Expansion

• Golden Age of Law

• Building Project

• Architectural

Revolution

Hadrian’s Wall

Defensive fortifications in Northern Britannia

Pantheon

Rebuilt by Hadrian in

126 AD

ConstantineFlavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus

Constantine the Great 306 AD – 337 AD

• Reunited Empire under

one ruler

• Founding of

Constantinople

• Religious Liberty

• Architectural

Revolution

Christianizing the Empire

The Baptism of ConstantineChi-Rho

Constantinople

AugustusImperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus

Augustus 27 BC – 14 AD

• First Emperor of Rome

• Stability, Security,

Prosperity

• Pax Romana

• Military Expansion

Roman Empire under Augustus

Shrewd Politician

Trajan Imperator Caesar Nerva Traianus Divi Nervae filius Augustus

Trajan 98 AD – 117 AD

Brilliant Military

Commander

Public Works

Effective and

Generous

Administrator

Trajan’s Column

Trajan’s Market

Trajan

The Worst

• Caligula

• Commodus

• Nero

Commodus Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus

Was Commodus a good Emperor?

Fictionalized Commodus in the movie Gladiator

Commodus 180 AD – 192 AD

• Megalomaniac

• No interest in governing

• Beginning of Rome’s

decline

• Not a very bright man

• Obsession with

gladiatorial games and

Hercules

Commodus = Hercules?

Commodus as a Gladiator

• Slaughtered hundreds even

thousands of men and animals

alike

Nero Nerō Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus

Nero 54 AD – 68 AD

• Megalomaniac

• Obsession with the arts

• Great Fire of Rome

• Murder of family members

The Great Fire of Rome

18th Century print of Domus Aurea (Golden House)

Nero

Last Words – “How great an artist

dies with me”

Colossus of Nero

Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus

Caligula 37 AD – 41 AD

• No interest in ruling

• Thought he was a God

• Vain and very cruel

• Possibly mentally ill

Massive ships served as floating palaces for

partying

Incitatus – Caligula’s favorite horse

which he intended to name a member of the senate

Caligula vs. Neptune

Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Augustus

Caracalla 198 AD – 217 AD

• Murdered brother/co-emperor Geta and his supporters

• Killed thousands in Alexandria for insults

• Cared only about the military

Murder of his brother

Alexandria

Lighthouse of Alexandria