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Roman Emperors

Triumph of Titus and Vespasian. Source: Public Domain

The Roman Empire’s First Civil War: The Year of the 4 Emperors (Video)

In the wake of Emperor Nero's demise , Rome plunged into the tumultuous Year of the Four Emperors , marked by intrigue, betrayal, and bloodshed. Galba, the Senate's nominee, faced immediate...
Severan Tondo depicting Septimius Severus, Julia Domna, Caracalla, and Geta (with his face removed in damnatio memoriae). Source: Public domain

The Severan Emperors and the Demise of the Roman Senate

By 190 AD, the debauched life of emperor Commodus had reached a sinister summit. Never had the Roman Empire been led by such a disgraceful character. Probably mad, he identified himself with the god...
Marcus Aurelius Distributing Bread to the People, by Joseph-Marie Vien  (1765) Musée de Picardie (Public Domain)

The Antonine Dynasty: The Good Roman Emperors

While much appreciated by the plebeians and especially by the army, Emperor Domitian was hated by the aristocracy and the Senate, which he himself despised. His absolutist attitude, his austere...
Representational image of Roman Emperor Maximinus Thrax. Source: JUSTIN / Adobe Stock

Maximinus Thrax's Turbulent Rule: Rome's Unsuccessful Giant Soldier-Emperor

The history of the vast and powerful Roman Empire was defined by its many rulers. After all, talented emperors were responsible for maintaining that venerable and very complex social machine. However...
Worst Roman emperors of the Roman Empire. Source: Public Domain, Public Domain, Egisto Sani/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, Public Domain

The 8 Worst Roman Emperors and Their Dastardly Deeds

The history of the Roman Empire is filled with tales of grandeur, conquests, and the rise and fall of mighty rulers. From a small city-state, it rose in power, became a kingdom, a republic, and...
Emperor Theodosius II welcomes the relics of St. John Chrysostom. Holy Apostles Church (Early 11th century) (Public Domain)

The Byzantine Emperors 395 – 491 AD

The Byzantine Emperors witnessed the disintegration of the western Roman Empire which did not survive past the fifth century. Contrary to the latter, the Byzantine Empire would subsist the successive...
Artifacts and medallion of Emperor Caracalla found in the Roman tombs in Bulgaria. Source: Veliko Tarnovo History Museum

Rare Medallion of Emperor Caracalla Among Valuable Finds from Nova Varbovka

The Veliko Tarnovo Regional History Museum has presented to the media the valuable finds from the Roman graves discovered last December near the village of Nova Varbovka in Strazig. The rich grave...
A representation of Emperor Nero, thoughtfully playing a lyre in a lavish Roman garden. Source:  EOL STUDIOS/Adobe Stock

The Mad Emperor - Why Did Nero Let Rome Burn? (Video)

Nero's reign as Roman Emperor, marked by his ascent to power at a young age, was characterized by a complex web of familial ambition, political maneuvering, and personal indulgence. Born into a...
The remains of the Roman triumphal arch found in Serbia.     Source: Serbia Archaeological Institute.

Emperor Caracalla’s Triumphal Arch Unearthed in Serbia

A lesser-known fact about Serbia is that 17 Roman emperors were born in its territory, with Central Serbia being under Roman rule for 800 years. Evidence of this history was unearthed in December,...
Pope Leo the Great attempts to persuade Gaiseric, prince of Vandals, to abstain from sacking Rome, by Maïtre François (c. 1475) (Public Domain)

Desperate Lesser-Known Emperors Facing A Disintegrating Western Roman Empire: 455-476 AD

The assassination of Emperor Valentinian III in March 455 AD, heralded the last phase of the Western Roman Empire’s political existence. By then, large parts of its territory were either occupied by...
Made from boiled grape syrup and used to sweeten both food and wine, sapa had a downside – its production utilized lead pots which may have caused the Roman Empire’s demise. Source: Ruslan Gilmanshin/Adobe Stock

Did an Artificial Sweetener Destroy the Roman Empire? (Video)

The fall of the mighty Roman Empire remains shrouded in historical mystery, with various theories attempting to unravel its demise. One intriguing proposition suggests that the empire's collapse may...
The Favorites of the Emperor Honorius, by John William Waterhouse (1883) (Public Domain)

The Fall Of The Western Roman Empire - A Military Perspective (405-455 AD)

In 376 AD, an alarming number of Visigoths erupted on the Danube frontier and overflowed into the northern Roman provinces of the Balkans. The recent arrival of a new invader in Eastern Europe,...
From left to right - Galba, Otho, Vespasian, and Vitellius 	Source: Wolfgang Sauber/CC BY-SA 3.0, Fred Romero from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0), Sailko/CC BY 3.0, Louvre Museum/CC BY 2.5

The Year of the Four Emperors, Ancient Rome's Epic Saga

The Roman emperor Nero was the last of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. During his rule, he was disdained by his people because of his vanity and inadequacies as leader. He had one wife executed and he...
Roman Emperor Elagabalus bust, with a modern photo realistic reconstruction of his likeness based on this. Source: Left, © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro/CC BY-SA 4.0 ; Right, Daniel Voshart/ CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Roman Emperor Elagabalus Assigned Transgender By A British Museum

The third-century AD ruler, Elagabalus, has been declared transgender by a British Museum, which is set to relabel its display to accommodate the change. The decision has been taken by the North...
A Roman wearing Tyrian purple. Source: AI generated.

Roman Citizens Could Be Punished with Exile for Wearing Purple

The ancient Roman Empire was not only a marvel of architecture, politics, and warfare but also a hub of societal regulations and fashion statements. One might believe that the color of a garment...
Augustus and Cornelius Cinna Magnus Bozetto by Louis André Gabriel Bouchet (1819) Versailles Musée National du Chateau et des Trianons (Public Domain)

Papyrus Rolls Roling From Egypt To The Roman Empire

By the first century AD, papyrus paper was available throughout the Roman Empire, a market that consisted of the area stretching from Hadrian’s Wall in the northern wilds of Caledonia, east to the...
Busts of Hadrian and Antinous. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Royalty Now Studios.

Facial Reconstructions of Emperor Hadrian and Antinous (Video)

Hadrian, born in 76 A.D. in Italica, Spain, faced adversity when both his parents passed away, leaving him a ward. He developed a deep affinity for Greek culture and literature, earning him the...
Roman colosseum. Source: phant / Adobe Stock.

Roman Emperor Vespasian Built the Colosseum to Boost Morale (Video)

Roman Emperor Vespasian's decision to construct the Colosseum in ancient Rome was a strategic move aimed at fostering unity and lifting the spirits of the populace. Drawing on his experience as a...
A Roman emperor with his wife or mistress. AI generated.

Roman Emperors and Their Scandalous Love Lives (Video)

Roman emperors, often celebrated for their military prowess and political achievements, also had fascinating love lives that add depth to their historical personas. Julius Caesar , the iconic figure...
Marcus Aurelius (Matthew / Adobe Stock).

Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor (Video)

Exploring the life of Marcus Aurelius , the philosopher emperor of Rome, takes us into the history of a remarkable figure. Born in 121 AD to a prestigious family, Marcus was groomed for greatness...
Reconstruction of Roman Emperor Augustus. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Royalty Now Studios.

Reconstruction of Roman Emperor Augustus Reveals Him as a Handsome Young Man

Born Gaius Octavius and ascending to become the inaugural Roman Emperor, Augustus left an indelible mark on history. Roman sculpture of his era, marked by its devotion to realism, conveyed not only...
Helen Mirren playing Caesonia in Tinto Brass’ 1979 historical drama film, Caligula.  Source: CC BY-SA 4.0/Author Supplied

Did the Romans and Greeks Really Enjoy Orgies?

Christian-Georges Schwentzel /The Conversation Orgies conjure in our imagination the world of Greek and Roman Antiquity, thanks to more or less titillating films portraying debauched emperors, or...
Two new fragments of Roman chronicle ‘Fasti Ostienses’ have been unearthed in the Ostia Antica Archaeological Park.	Source: Italian Ministry of Culture

Roman Chronicle Fragments Offer a New Glimpse of Emperor Hadrian’s Agenda

2,400 years ago, at the mouth of the Tiber River, the Romans established an armed camp and settlement known as Ostia Antica. Eventually transforming into “a flourishing commercial center”, it became...
Archaeologists in Rome believe they have found the remains of the Theater of Nero in Rome. Source: Soprintendenza Speciale Roma

Long-Lost Legendary Theater of Nero Finally Excavated in Central Rome

One of the ancient world’s most searched-for Roman structures has finally been found. That is the Theater of Nero, a large private entertainment venue built by Rome’s notorious emperor during his...

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