Roman Empire

Introduction

The Ancient Roman republic reigned from the year 509 BCE to 27 BCE. The republic was ruled by a senate, a group of nobles. In the year 27 BCE, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, Augustus established the Roman Empire. He established the first empire and his reign was known as the ‘Principate’.

Elliot Schroeder, CC BY-SA 4.0 lt;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Augustus became the sole authority and power in the empire, but out of respect towards the Senate, he declared himself only the leading citizen. In Ancient Rome the Senate had all the powers but after Augustus’s rule, the senate became secondary. Principate was a form of government which was a combination of a Republic and a Monarchy. Although the power was in the hands of Augustus. Augustus and his successors kept the language and traditions of the old republic alive to justify their power. The emperors started building vast monuments and buildings, which gradually transformed the city of Rome.

The first two decades of the Roman empire were of great stability and peace. The city of Rome gained much power and became one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world. This period of peace and stability was called Pax Romana. Pax Romana is also known as Pax Augusta.

The Regime of Roman Empire

• From 509 to 27 BCE, Rome was a republic and it was ruled by a senate. The nobles were members of the Senate.

• In 27 BCE the nephew and the successor of Julius Caesar, Augustus declared himself the emperor of Rome.

• He transformed Rome into a monarchy, but also kept the senate alive and called his government ‘Principate’.

• Although Augustus was the sole authority of the empire, he never took the title of king or emperor. He and his successors called themselves ‘Principi’, which means the first citizen.

• Augustus and his successors wanted to keep the tradition of Senate alive to justify their power.

• The first two decades of the Roman empire were full of peace and stability, from the times of Augustus to his four successors, Rome was stable. That period was called Pax Romana or Pax Augusta.

• The most significant change made by Augustus was that he took direct control of the army, which was not common in the republic or Rome.

• Augustus ruled the city till 13 CE, when he was dying, he said that “I found Rome a city of clay and left a city of Marble”.

Rise and Consolidation of Imperial Rome

• After the assassination of Julius Ceaser, his nephew Augustus went to war against Mark Anthony and declared himself the emperor of Rome in 27BCE.

• The Republic of Rome changed into a monarchy with Augustus as the first emperor.

• Augustus was followed by his close relatives as his successors.

• Four kings from the Julio Claudian Dynasty ruled the empire.

• Tiberius reigned from 14 CE to 37 CE. He was an able administrator but a cruel tyrant.

• Tiberius was followed by his nephew Caligula, who reigned from 31CE to 41 CE.

• The other two successors of the Julio Claudian dynasty were Claudius (41- 54 CE) and Nero (54- 68CE).

• After the death of emperor Nero, a civil war broke out in the year 68CE. Three kings fought against each other and in the end, king Vespasian of the Flavian Dynasty became the emperor of Rome.

• King Vespasian was followed by his successor, Titus (79-82) and Domitian (83- 96 CE). The Flavian dynasty also ended in 96 CE.

• After the end of the Flavian Dynasty, the age of Five good emperors or the age of Antoninus started in Rome.

• New kings were from provinces and not Italians.

• The five emperors were; Nerva (96-98CE), Trajan(98-117CE), Hadrian(117- 138CE), Antoninus(138-161CE) and Marcus Aurelious( 161- 180).

• Together these five emperors were known as Antoninus.

• The period of Antoninus was of peace and prosperity.

• These successions were non-hereditary and this period is regarded as the golden time for the Roman empire.

• This period saw the expansion of the roman empire and its consolidation, but with the great expansion, the evil of excess centralization also came.

• Trajan saw the consolidation of the Roman Empire by waging wars on Dacia and Parthia. Trade and commerce flourished during his period; he was compared with Augustus.

• Antoninus restored the Senate but kept all his power and further centralized the administration

• From 199 CE to 284 CE, Rome saw several emperors and dynasties rise and fall. The Severans were one of the powerful dynasties of this time. This period saw the decline in social and cultural life of the city of Rome.

• In 284 CE, Diocletian became the emperor of Rome; he was a strong and able king. He brought back the glory of Rome.

• In the year 293 CE, he started Tetrarchy, in which he named subordinate Caesars. This experiment of Power sharing did not last long.

• He divided the empire into two halves West and East.

• Constantine the great again joined both parts of the kingdom and became the sole emperor of Rome, and the capital Constantinople was named after him.

• In 476CE, the western Roman empire fell and the eastern survived this fall and reigned till 1453 before Constantinople was captured by the ottomans.

Conclusion

The Roman empire was one of the longest-reigning empires in the world. Ancient Rome was a republican ruled by a group of nobles, called the Senate. The very first Roman emperor was Augustus, He founded the pillar of the Roman empire. Augustus gained power in 27 BCE, and he and his successors were able to bring peace and stability to the city of Rome. The period of the Julio Claudian Dynasty is considered Pax Romana or Pax Augusta.

FAQ's

Q1. Who led the foundation of the Roman Empire?

Ans. The nephew of Julius Caesar, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus also known as Augustus led the foundation of the Roman Empire in 27 BCE.

Q2. What was the significance of Romans?

Ans. Romans had a powerful Army, they were experts in Arts, statecraft, law and governance. They also preserved the knowledge and culture of ancient Greeks.

Q3. Why did Augustus claim the title of Princeps?

Ans. Augustus claimed the title of Princeps instead of emperor, because he wanted to maintain the illusion that the government was still inclusive, also he wanted the support of nobles and that is why he kept the senate alive.

Q4. What is Pax Romana?

Ans. Pax Romana is the period of peace and stability in the Roman empire. It was seen in the Julio Claudian Dynasty. It lasted for 200 years after the foundation of the Roman empire.

Q5. How did the administration in Ancient Rome work?

Ans. The administration in the Roman Republic was seen by the senate, it was a group of nobles who were responsible for the administration. The chief of the Army was continuously changed.