Vicky's Roman Empire Timeline

By VickyG.
  • Period: 27 BCE to 14

    Augustus (Good Emperor)

    The first Roman emperor. Also called Augustus Caesar or (until 27 BCE) Octavian, original name Gaius Octavius (Michael Grant). He stabilized the empire by establishing defenses of frontiers and lessen the army size and built two fleets formed a Roman navy (Encyclopedia). He ensured a long period of peace in the Roman Empire through his administrative genius and reforms which brought stability and prosperity(Anirudh).
  • Period: 27 BCE to 14

    Augustus (continued)

    He established a successful financial system in Rome, which includes two main direct taxes, such as a poll tax and a land tax(Anirudh). It helped Rome by increasing its net revenue and having a stable relationship with its provinces. Augustus also had a monetary reforms that led to the increase in trade(Anirudh). Because most of Augustus's contributions were positive for Rome, such as having a good financial system and strong navy etc., Augustus was a good emperor.
  • Period: 14 to 37

    Tiberius (Continued)

    His son, Germanicus' death later on made him more reluctance. For the next following years, Tiberius became less and less caring about the matters of state because of his indifference and reluctance. He didn't work for any of his civic duty and left Rome to Capri for excursions. He vested most of his power and the job to rule the empire to his captain of the Guard, Lucius Sejanus, he rarely return to Rome after that(Flamehorse). He's a bad emperor because he was really not responsible for Rome.
  • Period: 14 to 37

    Tiberius (Bad Emperor)

    He was Roman Emperor Augustus' adopted son (Donald Wasson). For the first few years of his reign, it was difficult for him because the Senate didn’t trust him and he was reluctant to rule (The Famous People). He created some reforms, which were controlling the excesses, banning Egyptian and Jewish cults, expelling astrologers, removing the right of sanctuary and subduing riots(The Famous People).Tiberius’s reign was unstable and he wasn’t been supported by both Senate and the people.
  • Period: 41 to 54

    Claudius (Continued)

    He really put a lot of attention on infrastructural facilities. He built 2 aqueducts and some roads and canals throughout Italy (The Famous People). During his reign, he also improved the judicial system and issued some edicts (The Famous People). He was a good emperor because he conquered few provinces for Rome and improved many things, such as facilities, judicial system, etc.
  • Period: 41 to 54

    Claudius (Good Emperor)

    Claudius was Tiberius' brother. He was sometimes cruel in dealing with individual members of both orders (Arnaldo Momigliano). He began to invade Britain and also added few provinces, such as Thrace, Noricum, Pamphylia, and Judea to Rome in his dealings with the provinces. There was a increased population of Roman citizens up to almost six million males by his individual and collective grants to conquered people (Christopher Muscato).
  • Period: 54 to 68

    Nero (Bad Emperor)

    The adopted son of the Emperor Claudius. Nero is best known for his debaucheries, political murders, and persecution of Christian (History.com Staff). He killed his mother because she was planning to kill him (Owen Jarus) and his first wife, or anyone who dissented. There was the great fire of Rome in 64 A.D. and when it occurred, Nero was at Antium but quickly returned back. Some people tended to blame Nero for starting the fire, so Nero blamed the fire on Christians.
  • Period: 54 to 68

    Nero (Continued)

    Because the reconstruction of his palace put a big financial strain on Rome, he raised the taxes and even took religious treasures (Owen Jarus). Not long after, Nero became the enemy of every people by Senate then few days after, Nero committed suicide. He did so many bad things and didn't have much positive contributions to Rome so that's why he was a bad emperor.
  • Period: 69 to 79

    Vespasian (Good Emperor)

    The son of Flavius Sabinus who was a Roman knight. He worked for Nero (who was an emperor before Vespasian). He was granted stability for the future of Rome (Weebly). He had conquered Vitellius’ army in Italy (Weebly). He raised taxes and developed public land for using cold, hard, cash to fill city’s vaults. He utilized the money on building temples, theaters, or Colosseum.
  • Period: 69 to 79

    Vespasian (Continued)

    He then changed discipline for army, removed officers loyal to Vitellius and stopped the war in Judaea (Pliny the Elder). He also conquered northern England in Britain. He offered Rome a very peaceful and stable future so that's why he was a good emperor.
  • Period: 79 to 81

    Titus (Neutral Emperor)

    The son of Vespasian. During his reign, Rome faced a natural disaster of volcano eruption in Mount Vesuvius, which caused a destruction of cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum (The Famous People). During the relief works, a fire disaster destructed main part of the city, landmarks, and monuments in Rome. Titus faced many challenges since a few people tried to rebellious uprising and his brother also planned to be against him (The Famous People).
  • Period: 79 to 81

    Titus (Continued)

    During Titus’s reign, the construction of Flavian Amphitheatre was completed which had started under Vespasian in 70 AD.
    He was a neutral emperor because he didn’t have much achievements or contribution to Rome since his reigning time was short. He didn’t done anything that was harmful to Rome or have a huge effect, so that’s why he count as neutral emperor.
  • Period: 96 to 98

    Nerva (Continued)

    He executed almost all the informers and destroyed Domitian's statues (N.S. Gill). His then adopted Trajan as heir and this enabled him to have a peaceful transition of power (N.S. Gill). He was a successful and good emperor because of all his accomplishments and he created a period of peace and stability for the empire (Donald Wasson).
  • Period: 96 to 98

    Nerva (Good Emperor)

    Nerva was the first of the "five good emperors” (N.S. Gill). He established the emperor. He was like a paternal figure, he improved the land laws for the poor, revised taxation, and permitted the Christians (The Columbia Encyclopedia). Nerva released people who were imprisoned by Domitian for treason (N.S. Gill). “According to Cassius Dio, Nerva “put to death all the slaves and freedmen who has conspired against their masters.”” (Donald Wasson).
  • Period: 98 to 117

    Trajan (Good Emperor)

    He was the second of the "Five Good Emperors". He was Nerva’s adopted son. He expanded Rome further to its largest size since he was really strong in military. He conquered tribes to the near east, including the Dacians, the Nabataeans and the Parthians. He stretched Rome east up to Mesopotamia and north up to Romania and southern Ukraine (Daniel Susco). He also a great builder (Giovanni Milani-Santarpia). His famous marble column was ‘Trajan's column’.
  • Period: 98 to 117

    Trajan (Continued)

    He built a new forum, a basilica, 2 libraries, Trajan’s markets, and rebuilt roads (Giovanni). Trajan was great at organizing the Alimenta, which is a program for emperor to hand out food to poor kids and orphans and this made him a charitable emperor (Daniel Susco). People called Trajan “Optimus” because he was not only intelligent but also a kindhearted emperor since he fed poor kids and helped poor landowners by making loans at advantageous rates to improve their properties (Giovanni).
  • Period: 117 to 138

    Hadrian (Good Emperor)

    He was one of the "Five Good Emperors”. He was the cousin of emperor Trajan and his successor (G.W. Bowersock). Hadrian was good at making military strategy, but he didn’t fought much wars since he didn’t really care for war (Christopher Muscato). He desert the occupation of Mesopotamia to include in Rome and had a peace negotiations with Iran to avoid rebellion (Christopher Muscato).
  • Period: 117 to 138

    Hadrian (Continued 2)

    Another important achievement he had was that he created the praetorian and aedilician edicts (Csuimages) and these edicts became very important in the frontiers of Roman law.
  • Period: 117 to 138

    Hadrian (Continued 1)

    His army was well-trained, and intact. He trained the soldiers by inspecting them and sometimes slept amongst the soldiers (Christopher Muscato). He maintained the peace through strength. He built the great walls around Rome and some strategic areas, such as Rhine rivers (Christopher Muscato). He continued to improve and expand the Alimenta, which is a program for helping poor citizens and taking care of orphans (Csuimages).
  • Period: 138 to 161

    Antoninus Pius (Continued)

    His kept the administration of law to be fair and justice, he freed some men who were imprisoned by the former emperor. He had finished and completed some of Hadrian’s construction projects and had built more public buildings and Temple (Donald Wasson). He was very generous to all the people in the Empire, also gave donations to soldiers and helped communities by establish new buildings and fix the old one (Donald Wasson).
  • Period: 138 to 161

    Antoninus Pius (Good Emperor)

    He was Hadrian’s adopted son. He was one of the “Five Good Emperors” When there were some problems in Mauretania, Germany, and Egypt, Antoninus Pius let his commanders to deal with the situation and he didn’t ever leave Rome, he just ruled from the city or his estate (Donald Wasson). He continued some of the policies that Hadrian had, but he still had his imprint on Rome (Donald Wasson).
  • Period: 161 to 180

    Marcus Aurelius (Continued 2)

    He soon faced more challenges that there was rumor about he was seriously ill while he was still fighting against the Germans. Then Avidius Cassius had declared himself to be the emperor, which forced Marcus Aurelius to go to the East to take back the control. He didn’t fight with Cassius, however, since he murdered by his own soldiers. Marcus Aurelius then decided to re-established his authority by having a trip to the East.
  • Period: 161 to 180

    Marcus Aurelius (Continued 3)

    After that, Marcus Aurelius made his son Commodus his co-ruler and fought together with him to the northern enemies of Rome (History.com Staff). Marcus Aurelius tried to extend Rome’s borders through fighting against German tribes and northern enemies, but his son soon ended the military efforts when his son became the emperor. He was a good emperor because he had a really positive influence and some good contributions to Rome and during the periods of war.
  • Period: 161 to 180

    Marcus Aurelius (Continued 4)

    Aurelius made sure that he was the emperor that people wanted him to be. He worked hard to protect people from the invasion of German and Parthians (The Famous People). During his ruling period, he had tried to expand his empire with his brother, Verus and his son, Commodus. Marcus Aurelius improved the legislation and the measures were refinements rather than fundamental changes in the organization of society or law.
  • Period: 161 to 180

    Marcus Aurelius (Continued 5)

    Even though Marcus Aurelius was not great at legislation, he was still a faithful practitioner of the role of ombudsman (John Anthony Crook). He was famous for his reflective nature, his writings/papers, and his statute.
  • Period: 161 to 180

    Marcus Aurelius (Good Emperor) (Assigned Emperor)

    Marcus Aurelius was Antoninus Pius’s adopted son. He was the last emperor of the “Five Good Emperors” and one of the most high esteemed emperors in Roman history(History.com Staff). He was a learner and philosopher. He made his adopted brother, Verus, to be the co-ruler(History.com Staff). There were war and disease, which was plague happened during the two brothers’ reign. In 160s, Marcus Aurelius and his brother fought and conquered over lands in the East of Parthian empire(History.com Staff).
  • Period: 161 to 180

    Marcus Aurelius (Continued 1)

    The soldiers returned in Rome had brought disease to Rome, which had decreased a portion of the population of Roman people (History.com Staff). After the end of the Parthian War, Marcus Aurelius had a military conflict with German tribes. German had attacked a city of Rome. Marcus Aurelius raised the funds and troops to the army and assembled a strong army and then went to fight the attackers with Verus. But when Verus died in 169, Marcus Aurelius drove away Germans (History.com Staff).
  • Period: 180 to 192

    
Commodus (Continued)

    He was an awful emperor because of all the bad things he had done and those made senators plotting to kill him. They finally sent a gladiator who was his favorite wrestler named Narcissus to kill him at the end.
  • Period: 180 to 192

    
Commodus (Bad Emperor)

    Commodus was the son of Marcus Aurelius. He was a very greedy and violent emperor. He was careless about the empire and loved the fight in gladiatorial events, and the gladiators were slaves and criminals etc. (Flamehorse). This seriously offended the whole empire and the Senate. He also loved killing animals that were not fearsome. There was nothing big happened during his reign and all his bad behaviors and carelessness about Rome had led to a reduction of the Roman power (Flamehorse).
  • Period: 284 to 305

    Diocletian (Continued 1)

    He also pointed out the Tetrarchy, which was a system of government that power as divided up into four individuals. He let the two Caesars, Constantius and Galerius to help him and his co-emperor for ruling the empire. The reason why he created Tetrarchy were it provides a strong basis for him and his co-emperor to rule, the four individuals could help to govern and organize the empire and also there would be a small possibilities for people to fight over for the reign (Diocletian).
  • Period: 284 to 305

    Diocletian (Continued 2)

    The bad mark on his reign was that he was trying to impose one religion on all the Roman People (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly).When Christians chose to believe in their own religion and refused to worship the gods that Diocletian believed, many people were put in to death. So due to the fact that he had both good and bad contributions and accomplishments, he counts as neutral emperor.
  • Period: 284 to 305

    Diocletian (Neutral Emperor)

    Diocletian was born in a poor family in Illyria. Diocletian found out that the Rome was actually too big or extensive for one person to rule. He then separated Rome into two parts. He took control of the Eastern provinces, and he let Maximian to take over control of the Western provinces (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly). He stated that he and Maximian can only rule for 20 years and after that, they will step down, letting their assistants to take control.
  • Period: 306 to 337

    Constantine (Neutral Emperor)

    Constantine was the son of Constantine Chlorus. He was the the Western Roman emperor. He legalized Christianity and gave people the freedom to worship (Biography.com Editors). Because of the influential church, Constantine created laws that allowed women to control property and protecting them from rape (Gene Edward Veith). Constantine announced his belief in Christianity.
  • Period: 306 to 337

    Constantine (Continued)

    In 324, he defeated Licinius who was the Eastern Roman Emperor and then Constantine took over the control of the whole empire (Biography.com Editors). He wanted to strengthen his regime by issuing reforms, such as reorganizing the army. This helped him when there were tribes like Visigoths and the Sarmatians (Biography.com Editors). He didn’t make any great contribution to Rome, however, he just maintained peace and ran Rome well so he count as a neutral emperor.

  • Bibliography

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    Veith, Gene Edward. "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly ." Ligonier Ministries. 01 Aug. 2004. Web. 24 Feb. 2017 <ligonier.org/learn/articles/good-bad-and-ugly/>

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