Roman Empire (Latin Imperium Romanum), the empire ruled from Rome in antiquity.
The Roman Empire reached its greatest expansion under the Emperor Trajan (98–117 AD). At that time the empire comprised all countries of the wider Mediterranean area and reached on the Rhine with southwest Germany and parts of the Rhineland and on the Danube with Dacia (Romania) far into the European continent, included England (not Scotland) and reached in the east to Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea.
The foundation of Constantinople (324, inauguration 330) created the conditions for the division of the empire into East and West Rome. After the empire had been visited by various peoples such as the Huns and Visigoths during the migrationof peoples, the Western Roman Empire disintegrated in AD 476 with the deposition of the last Western Roman emperor Romulus Augustulus.
In the east, on the other hand, the Roman Empire, now called the Byzantine Empire, was able to hold out for a few centuries until Constantinople was conquered by the Turks in 1453.
Roman History – Founding Legends
There are many fabulous stories and mythical traditions surrounding the early days of Rome, while real sources include at the Gaul storm on Rome 387 BC BC, went under. The Greek treasure trove inspired the Romans to tell stories about their own prehistoric times. In order to be able to appear equally in the Hellenistic world culture, they anchored the origins of Rome in Greek myth itself. The heroes Aeneas were declared to be the progenitor of the Romans. According to mythology, he had fled from burning Troy with his son Ascanius (also Iulus) and the aged father Anchises in order to look for a new home in the west. In the time of Augustus, the poet Virgil created the epic »Aeneid«, with which the Roman world of legends moved on an equal footing with the mythical poetry of the Greeks. According to further tradition, Ascanius is said to have founded the city of Alba Longa later, the royal family of which ends with the twin pair Romulus and Remus, abandoned after birth and suckled by a wolf; these then founded the city of Rome, whose first king was Romulus, followed by six other kings.
The overthrow of the kingship and the establishment of the republic are particularly legendary. King Lucius Tarquinius ruled as a tyrant. His son Sextus Tarquinius, who also had no scruples, raped Lucretia, the wife of Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus. She called on her husband as well as Lucius Junius Brutus and Publius Valerius Poplicola for revenge and committed suicide among the family. According to tradition (transmitted among other things by Livius) it is supposed to be 509 BC. By these three men the king may have been overthrown. Lucretia became the archetype of the honorable, proud Roman woman, whose fate has repeatedly moved poets and painters up to modern times.
The foundation of Constantinople (324, inauguration 330) created the conditions for the division of the empire into East and West Rome. After the empire had been visited by various peoples such as the Huns and Visigoths during the migrationof peoples, the Western Roman Empire disintegrated in AD 476 with the deposition of the last Western Roman emperor Romulus Augustulus.
In the east, on the other hand, the Roman Empire, now called the Byzantine Empire, was able to hold out for a few centuries until Constantinople was conquered by the Turks in 1453.
Roman history: emperor
| The Roman Emperors 1) | ||
| Julian-Claudian house | ||
| Augustus | 27 BC BC to AD 14 | |
| Tiberius | 14-37 | |
| Caligula | 37-41 | |
| Claudius | 41-54 | |
| Nero | 54-68 | |
| Four emperors year 2) | ||
| Galba | 68-69 | |
| Otho | 69 | |
| Vitellius | 69 | |
| Flavier | ||
| Vespasian | 69-79 | |
| Titus | 79-81 | |
| Domitian | 81-96 | |
| Adoptive emperor | ||
| Nerva | 96-98 | |
| Trajan | 98-117 | |
| Hadrian | 117-138 | |
| Antoninus Pius | 138-161 | |
| Marcus Aurelius | 161-180 | |
| Lucius Verus | 161-169 | |
| Commodus | (177) 180-192 | |
| Year of the Five Emperors 2) | ||
| Pertinax | 192-193 | |
| Didius Iulianus | 193 | |
| Pescennius Niger | 193-194 | |
| Clodius Albinus | 193-197 | |
| Severan dynasty | ||
| Septimius Severus | 193-211 | |
| Caracalla | (198) 211-217 | |
| Geta | (209) 211 | |
| Macrinus | 217-218 | |
| Diadumenianus | 218 | |
| Elagabal (Heliogabal) | 218-222 | |
| Severus Alexander | 222-235 | |
| Soldier emperor | ||
| Maximinus Thrax | 235-238 | |
| Gordian I. | 238 | |
| Gordian II | 238 | |
| Pupienus | 238 | |
| Balbinus | 238 | |
| Gordian III. | 238-244 | |
| Philip Arabs | 244-249 | |
| Decius | 249-251 | |
| Trebonianus Gallus | 251-253 | |
| Volusianus | 251-253 | |
| Aemilianus | 253 | |
| Valerian | 253-260 | |
| Gallienus | 253-268 | |
| Claudius II Gothicus | 268-270 | |
| Quintillus | 270 | |
| Aurelian | 270-275 | |
| Tacitus | 275-276 | |
| Florianus | 276 | |
| Probus | 276-282 | |
| Carus | 282-283 | |
| Numerianus | 283-284 | |
| Carinus | 283-285 | |
| Gallic counter-emperors | ||
| Postumus | 260-269 | |
| Laelianus | 269 | |
| Marius | 269 | |
| Victorinus | 269-271 | |
| Tetricus | 271-274 | |
| Palmyrenian counter-emperors | ||
| Zenobia | 272 | |
| Vaballathus | 272 | |
| Tetrarch time | ||
| Diocletian | 284-305 | |
| Maximian | 286-305 / 310 | |
| Galerius | 305-311 | |
| Constantius I. Chlorus | 305-306 | |
| Flavius Valerius Severus | 305-307 | |
| Maxentius | 306-312 | |
| Licinius | 308-324 | |
| Maximinus Daia | 310-313 | |
| Emperor from Constantine to Theodosius | ||
| Constantine I, the great | 306-337 | |
| Constantine II | 337-340 | |
| Constans | 337-350 | |
| Constantius II | 337-361 | |
| Julian the Apostate | 361-363 | |
| Jovian | 363-364 | |
| Valentinian I. | 364-375 | |
| Valens | 364-378 | |
| Gratian | 367-383 | |
| Valentinian II. | 375-392 | |
| Theodosius the Great | 379-395 | |
| Western Roman emperors after the division of the empire | ||
| Honorius | 395-423 | |
| Constantius III. | 421 | |
| John | 423-425 | |
| Valentinian III. | 425-455 | |
| Petronius Maximus | 455 | |
| Avitus | 455-456 | |
| Majorian | 457-461 | |
| Libius Severus | 461-465 | |
| (Interregnum | 465–467) | |
| Anthemius | 467-472 | |
| Olybrius | 472 | |
| Glycerius | 473-474 | |
| Julius Nepos | 474-475 / 480 | |
| Romulus Augustus | 475-476 | |
| 1) Co-emperors and counter-emperors are only listed as a selection.2) The first emperor of the following dynasty is to be counted. | ||
