What’s the first name that comes to mind when you think of Roman emperors? Is it perhaps Caesar or Augustus? Or even Nero? The list of Roman emperors is not short, but of course not all of them are equally well known. In this article you will learn the most important things there is to know about the Roman Empire and you will get an overview of the most important emperors of Roman antiquity.
Rome before the Empire
If you’ve read a little about the history of ancient Rome, you probably already know that Rome wasn’t always ruled by emperors. Rome was one for the longest time Democratic Republic (res publica) and even one in its early years monarchy With Etruscan kings at their peak. So before you read more about the emperors of the Roman empire learn, here is a brief overview of the power structure of the Roman Republic stand.
The Etruscans (lat. Etruscan) were a people of north-central Italy. They lived in areas that we now know as Tuscany, Lazio and Umbria. The first evidence of the Etruscan culture comes from the 9th century BC. BC – i.e. from the time when the hills of Rome were first settled.
Political offices and power sharing
In the Republic of Ancient Rome there was various political offices that politicians could dress and had to go through in order to rise in politics – these official career will also be course honorum called.
The offices were magistrates named and the persons who clothed them magistrates.
But before entry into the official career was possible, one had to first ten years military service to be completed (in the late Republic a shorter period was sufficient). Then it was possible military tribune (senior officer) to become or join the College of vigintisexviri (lowest magistrates who were responsible for tasks in the public sector). administrative tasks bring in
Thereafter, these offices followed in the following order:
- bureau (officials = quaestors)
- Aedility / Popular tribunate (officials = aediles / tribunes)
- praetorship (officials = praetors)
- consulate (officials = consuls)
the consuls so clothed that highest military and civilian office and thus had a very high level of decision-making power. There was a total two consulsWhich yearly from one committee centuriata, a roman popular assembly, chosen became.
There was also the office of censors, they stayed in office for a total of 18 months – but the office was replaced only every five years. As a rule, only people who had held the office of consul in the past were elected censors have clothed. Censors were among others for the Review of Citizen Lists and the Division of citizens into wealth classes responsible. In addition, they decided on the Senate admission and monitored them way of life of senators and knights.
Besides that, of course, there was the senatewhich as center of power of ancient Rome. It consisted of former magistrates and included several hundred members.
Figure 1: Simplified diagram of the Constitution of the Roman Republic
So you can already see from this brief summary of the politics of the Roman Republic that the power and decision making always shared between different parties was. The Romans didn’t think much of sole rulers – but there was the possibility of one dictator to appoint, if any extraordinary situation this required. His tenure was however limited to six months.
But how did it come about that a society that was so averse to autocrats became an empire?
The Roman Empire
The epoch of the Roman imperial time is from 27th B.C. to 284 AD dated. Even after that, until the end of late antiquity (approx. 700 AD) Rome was still ruled by emperors – but for you it is enough to know about the most important points of the imperial era.
Caesar as a pioneer of the Roman Empire
When many people think of the Roman Empire, the first thing that comes to mind is Julius Caesar (Latin spelling: Gaius Julius Caesar) in mind, but in fact he was never Roman Emperor. Rather, he was him trailblazer for the Roman imperial rule and the title «Kaiser» was later derived from his name. It was actually his Grandnephew and adopted son Octavianalso as Augustus known which of the first Roman emperors became.
If you want to learn more about Octavian or Augustus, read the article about him here on .
As briefly explained, by the time of the Roman Republic it was already possible to appoint dictators for a short period of time. The dictators mostly got another exact task transferred, which is then also in his official title found again. Was he for the warfare used, that’s what it said rei gerundae causahe was for the holding of elections responsible, so was from comitiorum habendorum causa spoken. There were even more possible areas of responsibility, but you don’t have to remember them all.
But let’s get back to Caesar: This one was military as well politically very successful and had managed to conquer almost all of Gaul in his campaigns. He also held the office of consul – but that wasn’t enough for him and he strove for more power. Already 46 B.C. Chr. he became dictator for ten years appointed, which was significantly longer than usual.
After he had achieved further military successes in Spain, he was elected by the Senate in the February 44 BC Chr. to the Senator for life (dictator perpetuo) appointed. This made Caesar many enemies, because it was assumed that he royal title was striving for – this was a thorn in the side of the Romans. This then led to him just a month later, on March 15, 44 BC Chr.during a Senate session by a group of senators murdered became.
If you want to learn more about Caesar, feel free to read the article about Caesar, here on .
The Principate – Augustus becomes Rome’s first emperor
Actually, Caesar, with his appointment as dictator for life, was on a not so bad way to becoming something of an emperor – were it not for this group of senators. Yet Octavian had a similar quest for power as his adoptive father.
Octavian managed to defeat Caesar’s enemies and assassins and in the January 27 B.C. Chr. the roman civil war to end. He gave up the violence previously under the previous military dictatorship was taken from the Senate and people, returned to them. At the January 16, 27 BC Chr. For this reason, the Senate awarded him the Honorific «Augustus» (the exalted one). From that point on he called himself Emperor Caesar Augustus.
Augustus tried not to make the same mistakes as his great-uncle and therefore formally gave himself up to the office of consul satisfied. The special thing: He held the magistracy yearly until 23 BC Chr. and received one imperium proconsulare (extraordinary command) for the Roman frontier provinces. Furthermore, he 23 BC Chr. the tribunicia potestas (Powers of the People’s Tribune) awarded, which enabled him to laws bring in and with that senate to negotiate without being consul or tribune.
Augustus admittedly settled some classic violence transferred, however, renounced a separate office for his exceptional position to accomplish. However, he referred to himself as princeps, so «the first» among the senators. Of the princeps is often referred to in historiography as «Emperor» called, derived from the name «Caesar».
Thus Augustus had the basis for the empire created and he had succeeded in his Makes legal claims close. Augustus also managed to consolidate his influence on a social level, as he was very popular with the citizens popularity enjoyed.
Having been able to learn from the mistakes of his great-uncle, Augustus exercised caution when it came to portraying himself. He always emphasized that he not above the law stand, but this subordinate. He also promoted it empire not as a newly ordered regime, but spoke of the res publica restituta – the restoration of the republic.
In fact, in eastern areas Augustus was already considered during his lifetime deity worshiped and also in western regions imperial cult sometimes even state-funded – this should be for stability and loyalty worries. In the capital itself was «merely» the divine power worshiped, who is said to have worked in Augustus (genius). This demarcation he demanded himself, so as not to annoy the Senate. After his death, there was only one clear one Deification of the Emperor.
The structure of the empire
Even after Augustus’ death, the emperor received no special office – the position of princeps however, stayed with the same competencies fitted. Princeps should be the one from the point of view of the Senate «the best» was, there was no statutory successor plan. However, she played acclamationi.e. exclamation, of army an important role in the appointment of the new emperor.
The Roman army generally preferred it when the new emperor came from the predecessor’s family came from – so in the best case be son or adopted son was. This was favored by the fact that the old Kaiser influence on the election could take. This led to that imperial dynasties formed.
One dynasty refers to a ruling family, i.e. a succession of rulers that remains within a family.
Legal regulations
It was important for ancient Rome to emphasize that the Emperor not above the laws stood, but the law above the emperor. This is what he wrote younger Pliny also in these same words:
Non est princeps supra leges, sed leges supra principem. («The emperor is not above the law, but the law is above the emperor.»
It must be noted, however, that the Emperor significant influence on the legislation could take. It was possible for the emperor to enforce certain regulations edicts set or by rescripts to make decisions in individual cases. Since 2nd century AD became decrees of the emperor as laws considered.
A edict is an ordinance/decree of the government.
At a rescript it is an Imperial letter of reply to inquiries concerning the law. It is mostly about controversial individual cases in which the emperor has the power of decision – his decision will also be legally binding in the future.
Duties of the Roman Emperor
Although Roman emperors a large number of tasks had to fulfill, these were nowhere clearly written or formulated. In summary, however, it can be said that the Emperor over war and peace could decide, the Senate was more in the position of consultant. So the Roman Emperor closed contracts and negotiations with foreign powers.
But the princeps was that too highest judges of Rome, as well as supreme army commander and priest (Pontifex Maximus). The emperor…