Dynasties of Roman EmperorsDynasties of Roman Emperors - The Year of the Four Emperors 68 - 69 AD
The Year of the Four Emperors 68 - 69 AD and the beginning of the Flavian Dynasty. Following the suicide of Nero there was a brief period of civil war in Rome which resulted in the Year of the Four Emperors which saw the successive rise and fall of Galba, Otho and Vitellius until the final accession of Vespasian who became the first ruler of the Flavian Dynasty. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Flavian Dynasty 69AD - 96AD
The Flavian Dynasty 69AD - 96AD. Vespasian who became the first ruler of the Flavian Dynasty followed by Titus and Domitian. Vespasian and his son Titus built the Roman Colosseum. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Five Good Emperors & Nervan / Antonine Dynasty (96–192)
The Five Good Emperors and the Nervan / Antonine Dynasty (96–192). The Five Good Emperors were Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. The Five Good Emperors were so named by the political philosopher, Niccolo Machiavelli who gave them this name in 1503 due to their good government and the respect given to them by the people of Rome. The Nervan and Antonine dynasty consisted of the "Five Good Emperors" (Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius) together with Lucius Verus, who ruled jointly with Marcus Aurelius, and Commodus the son of Marcus Aurelius. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Year of the Five Emperors (192 - 193)
The Year of the Five Emperors (192 - 193). Following the murder of Commodus Rome saw a year of turmoil and chaos in Rome. Pertinax becomes emperor but is murdered by angry soldiers. The empire is then sold to Didius Julianus who is soon ousted and Pescennius Niger is proclaimed emperor in Syria. Septimius Severus then marches on Rome and disarms the Praetorian Guard which resulted in Claudius Albinus being recognized as Caesar. He loses the power struggle with Septimius Severus who is proclaimed Emperor and begins the Severan Dynasty. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Severan Dynasty - (193 - 235)
The Severan dynasty (193 - 235). Septimius Severus began the Severan Dynasty which included Septimius Severus, Caracalla, Geta, Macrinus, Diadumenian (son of Macrinus), Elagabalus and Alexander Severus. The Severan Dynasty marked the end of Pax Romana (Roman peace) and ended the practice of choosing heirs based on ability rather than lineage or civil war. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Crisis of the Third Century (235 - 284)
The Crisis of the Third Century was the period in Roman history following the death of Alexander Severus when Rome entered into the era of Military Anarchy commonly known as the Crisis of the Third Century. During the Crisis of the Third Century, lasting over 50 years, not one single Emperor died of natural causes. Revolts sprung up in virtually all of the provinces and ambitious men struggled for power. During the crisis there were civil wars, street fights between the citizens of Rome and soldiers of the imperial guard, fierce foreign enemies, plagues, famines, fire and earthquakes. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Year of the Six Emperors (238)
The Year of the Six Emperors (238) and the start of the Barracks Emperors. There were six emperors in 238 AD and each of them were officially recognized by the Roman Senate. Their names were Maximinus Thrax, Gordian I, Gordian II, Balbinus, Pupienus and Gordian III. By the end of the Year of the Six Emperors five had died a violent and bloody death leaving the 13 year old Gordian III as the sole Roman Emperor. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Barracks Emperors (238 - 268)
The "Barracks Emperors" (238 - 268) who were all military generals who seized power by force. Taxation was high, the economy was failing and Roman territories were being captured by barbarians and the Roman government was unstable. The people of Rome were in despair. The decline of Rome seemed almost inevitable. During this terrible period in Roman history there were nineteen usurpers, or pretenders, to the throne but this period is usually known as that of the 'Thirty Tyrants'. During this uncertain era and violent environment the promise of an afterlife seemed to be the only thing to hope for. And people started to turn towards a new religion, Christianity. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Gallic Emperors (260 - 273)
The Gallic Emperors (260 - 273). The Gallic Empire is the name given to the independent realm that existed for a brief period during the Crisis of the Third Century. The Gallic Empire consisted of the breakaway Roman provinces of Germany, Gaul, Britannia, Spain and Portugal. Finally the emperor Aurelian sought to reunite all the empire and marched against the Gallic empire. Aurelian fought against the last of the Gallic emperors. He was victorious and Tetricus and his son surrendered and the Gallic territories were restored to the empire. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Illyrian Emperors (268 - 285)
The Illyrian Emperors (268 - 285). The "Illyrian emperors" is the name given to the Roman emperors who governed the Roman Empire between 268 and 282. Illyria was a region in the western part of today's Balkan Peninsula. The people for Illyria were renown for their military prowess and they became an important source of manpower for the Roman army. Because of their military strength many of the emperors from this period came from Illyria. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Roman Empire split Western and Eastern Roman Empire in 285AD
In 285 the Roman Empire was split in half by Diocletian - The Western Roman Empire and the other half became known as the Eastern Roman Empire or the Byzantine Empire. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Constantinian dynasty (285 - 364)
The Constantinian dynasty (285 - 364) is named after its most famous Emperor, Constantine I. The dynasty is also called Neo-Flavian because every Constantinian emperor bore the name Flavius, similarly to the rulers of the first Flavian dynasty in the 1st century. The Constantinian dynasty ruled from the rise of Diocletian in 285 to the death of Julian the Apostate in 364. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Valentinian dynasty (364 - 394)
The Valentinian dynasty (364 - 394) derives its name from the first of the dynasty's Emperors - Valentinian I. Orthodox Christianity became the officially tolerated variant of the faith and the Empire became irrevocably split into two halves. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Western Empire (394 - 476)
The Western Empire (394 - 476) The Western Roman Empire ended officially with the abdication of Romulus Augustus on 4 September 476. Historically, his reign has been used to mark the fall of Rome, the Decline or Fall of the Roman Empire and the onset of the Dark Ages. During this period the city of Rome was sacked by the Visigoths in 410 and by the Vandals in 455 signalling the disintegration of Roman authority and the Fall of the Roman Empire. This is where the Dynasties of Roman Emperors ends. Dynasties of Roman Emperors - Eastern Empire (Byzantine)
The Empire was to live on in the east for many centuries although it was significantly reduced in size. It became an essentially regional power which was centered on Greece and Anatolia. This medieval stage of the Roman Empire is referred to as the Byzantine Empire. Dynasties of Roman Emperors
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