Rulers of the Empire of the ‘Eternal City’: Roman Emperors
The reign of Augustus marked the beginning of the third (and last) stage of Roman political structure, the Empire. Dynasties of emperors ruled the Roman Empire over nearly 500 years. Among the ‘divine’ rulers there were both generous and malevolent, cruel and benignant, intelligent and feeble-minded emperors as well. But whatever their character, they all left their mark in the history of Rome.
The Roman Empire
The Roman Empire reached its greatest territorial extent at the
turn of the 1st and 2nd century, during the reign of Trajan,
spreading from the Atlantic Ocean
to the Arabian Peninsula, and from Britannia to Egypt. The Mediterranean Sea became the ‘Inner Sea’ (Mare Internum) of the empire.
The Colosseum
The construction of Rome’s largest amphitheatre began during the reign of Emperor Vespasian,
but it was inaugurated in 80 AD, during the reign
of Titus. The celebrations, marking the opening
of the venue, included the massacre of several thousand wild animals.
Inscriptions on the triumphal arch
The inscription on the triumphal arch means in English: ‘The Roman Senate and People (dedicate this) to the divine Titus Vesapasianus Augustus, son of the divine Vespasian.’
The Arch of Titus
Arches of triumph were characteristic of Roman architecture. They were usually built to commemorate an important person or a military victory. The Arch of Titus, standing at the entrance
of the Forum Romanum, commemorated the victories of the emperor. The 15 metres high and 13 metres wide arch was built during the reign of Domitianus, Titus’ younger brother.
Emperor Titus
The son of Emperor
Vespasianus, Titus was the second emperor of the Flavius Dynasty.
His reign was short, lasting
from 79 to 81 AD. Historians portray him as a very popular ruler, but they probably exaggerate his merits.
Rulers and Empires
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Rulers and Empires
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