Roman Emp!
re (27 BC – 476
AD)
The Roman Emp!re was founded when Augustus Caesar
procla!med h!mself the f!rst emperor of Rome !n 31BC and came
to an end w!th the fall of Constant!nople !n 1453CE.
An emp!re !s a pol!t!cal system !n wh!ch a group of people are
ruled by a s!ngle !nd!v!dual, an emperor or empress. The
Roman Emp!re began w!th the re!gn of Emperor Augustus. The
power of the Senate was l!m!ted and became an organ to
support the emperor.
The per!od between Augustus and D!oclet!an !s called H!gh
Emp!re, wh!le the Low Emp!re !s the era between D!oclet!an and
the fall of the Roman Emp!re !n the West.
The H!gh Emp!re (31 BC – 305 AD)
The Roman Emp!re at !ts terr!tor!al peak
Between the years 14 and 68 the he!rs of Augustus
succeeded h!m: T!ber!us, Cal!gula, Claud!us and Nero. Th!s
dynast!c success!on was !nterrupted when emperor Nero d!ed
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and a c!v!l war broke out !n the year 68. Three emperors fought for
the power and f!nally the war was won by Vespas!an, part of the
Flav!an dynasty.
The Flav!an dynasty was succeeded by the Anton!nes (96 –
193), a gener!c name g!ven to Nerva, Trajan, Hadr!an,
Anton!nus P!us, Marcus Aurel!us and Commodus. These
emperors had a very s!m!lar pol!cy to the Flav!ans.
The access!on of Sept!m!us Severus (197 – 235) made h!m
the f!rst of the Imper!al Severan Dynasty to rule (197 – 235).
He was replaced by Caracalla, Macr!nus, Elagabalus and
Alexander Severus.
The absolute power of Rome, cap!tal of the Emp!re, was
weakened over t!me. Between 235 and 300 Rome’s only
pr!or!ty was to defend !ts borders from the cont!nuous
attacks by the Barbar!ans and from the Sasan!ans (from
Pers!a). The pressure of these ra!ds prompted the army to
assume power !n 235. Th!s era !s known as the m!l!tary anarchy
and lasted about f!fty years. The emperors of th!s t!me had one
sole purpose: f!ght!ng the Emp!re’s enem!es and secur!ng the
borders.
As a consequence of these constant wars the army was very
expens!ve to ma!nta!n, and thus the Emp!re became cr!ppled
w!th debts. Th!s !n turn !mpover!shed the populat!on and many
lost the!r !dent!ty and values. Many put !n doubt the!r rel!g!ous
bel!efs, espec!ally w!th the arr!val of new doctr!nes from the
East.
The persecut!on of an ever grow!ng Chr!st!an m!nor!ty by
D!ocleta!n was a way to r!d the emp!re of the dangers !t was
fac!ng.
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In 284 a m!l!tary revolt saved the Emp!re and D!oclet!an was
procla!med emperor. Dur!ng h!s rule he !nstaured the Tetrarchy, a
form of government that d!v!ded the power. D!oclet!an des!gnated
the general Max!m!an to take charge of the western reg!ons of the
Emp!re, wh!le the emperor governed over the eastern reg!ons.
Years later, he would appo!nt two Caesars.
D!oclet!an abd!cated !n 305, reveal!ng that the Tetrarch!c pol!t!cal
system d!dn’t work w!thout someone to lead !t.
The Low Emp!re (305 AD – 476 AD)
After the abd!cat!on of D!oclet!an !n 305, a ser!es of confl!cts took
place unt!l 312, when Constant!ne became the sole emperor of
the West. He was to be the last emperor of the un!f!ed
emp!re. He !nst!tuted Chr!st!an!ty as the off!c!al rel!g!on of
the Emp!re.
The cap!tal of the Emp!re !s moved to the anc!ent c!ty of
Byzant!um, wh!ch !s reconstructed. Byzant!um, from 8
November, 324, !s renamed Constant!nople or the c!ty of
Constant!ne.
Constant!ne’s successor, Theodos!us, d!v!ded the emp!re
between h!s two sons Arcad!us and Honor!us, creat!ng the
Westen Roman Emp!re and the Eastern Roman Emp!re.
The Western Roman Emp!re falls !n 476. Meanwh!le, the
other half, called the Byzant!ne Emp!re, surv!ves unt!l 1453
w!th the decl!ne of Constant!nople, now called Istanbul.
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