Download The Golden Age of Rome was a period of prosperity that

The Golden Age of Rome was a period of prosperity that fell under the
"Five Good Emperors" of the Nerva-Antonine Dynasty: Nerva, Trajan,
Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Describe the characteristics of the Golden Age and the achievements of the Five Good Emperors
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
The first five of the six successions within the Nerva­Antonine dynasty were notable in that the
reigning emperor adopted the candidate of his choice to be his successor.
Although much of his life remains obscure, Nerva was considered a wise and moderate emperor
by ancient historians. Nerva's greatest success was his ability to ensure a peaceful transition of
power after his death, thus founding the Nerva­Antonine dynasty.
Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier­emperor who presided over the greatest military
expansion in Roman history and lead the empire to attain its maximum territorial extent by the
time of his death.
Hadrian was known to be a humanist and a philhellene, renowned for his building projects and
commitment to his military lifestyle
Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher­emperor, enjoyed not only military successes during his reign,
but also authored a defining Stoic tome on equanimity in the midst of conflict.
TERMS [ edit ]
Marcus Aurelius
Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 CE, as well as a notable Stoic philosopher.
Trajan
Roman emperor from 98 CE until his 117 CE. Officially declared by the Senate as optimus
princeps, and known for his bold expansion of Roman borders.
Hadrian
Roman Emperor from 117 to 138 CE. Known for his grand building projects and his
philhellenism.
Give us feedback on this content: Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [edit ]
The Nerva–Antonine Dynasty was a
dynasty of seven Roman Emperors who
ruled over the Roman Empire during a
period of prosperity from 96 CE to 192 CE.
These emperors are Nerva, Trajan,
Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus
Aurelius, Lucius Verus, and Commodus.
The first five of the six successions within
this dynasty were notable in that the
Register for FREE to stop seeing ads
reigning emperor adopted the candidate of
his choice to be his successor. Under Roman law, an adoption established a bond legally as
strong as that of kinship. As such, the second through sixth Nerva­Antonine emperors are
also called Adoptive Emperors.
This fact has often been considered as a conscious repudiation of the principle of dynastic
inheritance and has been deemed as one of the factors of the period's prosperity. While this
practice was not unique to this period, the naming by Marcus Aurelius of his son Commodus
as emperor was considered to be an unfortunate choice and the beginning of the Empire's
decline.
The Five Good Emperors
The rulers commonly known as the "Five Good Emperors" were Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian,
Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius.
Nerva
In 96 CE, Domitian was assassinated in a palace conspiracy involving members of the
Praetorian Guard and several of his freedmen. On the same day, Nerva was declared emperor
by theRoman Senate. This occasion marked the first time the Senate elected a Roman
Emperor.
Nerva's brief reign was marred by financial difficulties and his inability to assert his authority
over the Roman army. A revolt by the Praetorian Guard in October 97 essentially forced him
to adopt an heir. After some deliberation, Nerva chose Trajan, a young and popular general,
as his successor. After barely fifteen months in office, Nerva died of natural causes on in 98,
and upon his death, he was succeeded and deified by Trajan.Although much of his life
remains obscure, Nerva was considered a wise and moderate emperor by ancient historians.
Nerva's greatest success was his ability to ensure a peaceful transition of power after his
death, thus founding the Nerva­Antonine dynasty.
Trajan
Bust of Trajan
Bust of the Emperor Trajan, who ruled from 98­117 CE.
Trajan was Roman emperor from 98 CE until his death in 117 CE. Officially declared by the
Senate as optimus princeps ("the best ruler"), Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier­
emperor who presided over the greatest military expansion in Roman history and lead the
empire to attain its maximum territorial extent by the time of his death. He is also known for
his philanthropic rule, and oversaw extensive public building programs and implementing
social welfare policies.
Hadrian
Bust of Hadrian
Bust of the Emperor Hadrian, who ruled from 117­138 CE.
Hadrian was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138 CE. Known for his grand building projects, he
re­built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. He is also known for
building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. During his
reign, Hadrian traveled to nearly every province of the Empire. An ardent admirer of Greece,
he sought to make Athens the cultural capital of the empire and created a popular cult in the
name of his Greek lover, Antinous. He spent extensive amounts of his time with the military;
he usually wore military attire and even dined and slept amongst the soldiers.
Marcus Aurelius
Bust of Marcus Aurelius
Bust of Marcus Aurelius, who ruled from 161 to 180 CE.
Hadrian was succeeded by Antoninus Pius, who was subsequently succeeded by Marcus
Aurelius, who was Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 CE. He ruled with Lucius Verus as co­
emperor from 161 until Verus' death in 169. He was the last of the Five Good Emperors, and
is also considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers.
Marcus Aurelius was an effective military commander, andRome enjoyed various military
successes against outsiders who were beginning to threaten the Empire. Marcus Aurelius'
Stoic tome Meditations, written in Greek while he was on a campaign between 170 and 180,
is still revered as a literary monument to a philosophy of service and duty, which describes
how to find and preserve equanimity in the midst of conflict by following nature as a source
of guidance and inspiration.
In the 1964 movie The Fall of the Roman Empire Marcus Aurelius was portrayed by Alec
Guinness and in the 2000 movie Gladiator he was portrayed by Richard Harris. Both movie
plots posited that Marcus Aurelius was assassinated because he intended to pass down power
to Aurelius's adopted son, a Roman general, instead of his biological son Commodus. Both
are highly fictionalized accounts of Marcus Aurelius and his life.