Download slides

The “Five Good Emperors”
96-98 AD Reign of Nerva
Institution of augustus (emperor)/caesar
(partner) system (with Trajan)
Consultation of senate
Senators from provinces
The “Five Good Emperors”
98-117 AD Reign of Trajan
117-38 AD Reign of Hadrian
Fixing borders of slightly reduced
empire
Division of civil and military spheres
of government, with more people
running state
The “Five Good Emperors”
138-61 AD Reign of Antoninus Pius
161-80 AD Reign of Marcus Aurelius
Barbarian attacks, plague
and their impact
Problems in the Roman
Empire, 2nd-3rd c. AD
Increasing attacks on borders
Increasingly centralised government
Increasing influence of non-Italians in society,
government, the army
Increased militarisation of state
235 Army murders Severus Alexander
(r. 222-235)
235-84 Period of crisis: civil and external wars,
plague, economic crisis, raised taxes
259 Persians defeat Roman army and capture
Valerian (r. 253-60)
Diocletian (r. 284-305)
Constantine (r. 306-37)
Diocletian’s Reforms
Multiple capitals: closer links between local
governments and imperial government,
so swifter responses
Reforms of army: imperial bodyguards, mobile
army and border defence forces. Soldiers
no longer in civil administration
Reforms of coinage, pricing, state building
projects, annona (universal land tax)
Diocletian’s Reforms
Improving loyalty by presenting self as
earthly manifestation of Jupiter.
Persecuting Christians
Diocletian’s Reforms
Augusti:
Diocletian
Maximian
Caesars:
Galerius
Constantius
Diocletian’s Reforms
Retired 305:
Diocletian
Maximian
Augusti:
Galerius
Constantius
Caesars:
Disputed
306 Constantine (son of Constantius)
acclaimed by troops as emperor
312 Battle of Milvian Bridge. Constantine
becomes an augustus (co-emperor)
313 Constantine makes Christianity official
religion of the empire, though others
tolerated
324 Constantine becomes sole emperor,
establishes new capital at Byzantion
(Constantinople): “Nova Roma
Constantinopolitana” (New Rome, the
City of Constantine)
332 Constantine repels Goths
337 Death of Constantine. Sons fight over
succession
337-61 Reign of Constantius II
353 Constantius II reunites empire
356 Constantius bans public paganism
361-63 Reign of Julian (the Apostate)
Problems of the Late 4th Century
Divergence of Eastern and Western Empires
Foreign involvement:
Settlement of barbarians in east
Valentinian II (r. 375-92), Western Roman
Emperor, plus successor, puppets of
Arbogast the Frank
Brief reunification under Theodosius (r. 379-95)
in 394, but does not last
The End
End 4th c. Accession of young emperors. Power
held by regents, mostly from military or
female relatives of emperors. Barbarians
being bribed to fight each other
476 Last Western Roman Emperor, Romulus
Augustulus (r. 475-76), deposed by Odoacer
the Ostrogoth. End of Roman Empire in
west. Eastern Roman Empire remains until
conquered by Ottomans in 1453, usually
called Byzantine Empire
Aelius Spartianus
Purported author of biography of Hadrian, first
of set of biographies of emperors known
as Historia Augusta
One of six purported authors of the Historia,
but seems more likely that the work was
written by a single author in the 4th c. AD
Eutropius (fl. latter half 4th c.)
Roman historian. Held office of secretary at
imperial court in Constantinople
Wrote history of Rome, Breviarium Historiae
Romanae (Compendium of Roman
History), covering foundation to reign of
Valens (r. 364-78), to whom is dedicated