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Roman Emperors and Empresses

The database of this category contains about 650 digital photographs
(pictures from museums are not for sale).

Augustus, Gaius Octavianus (27 BC - 14 AD)

The first Roman Emperor was born under the name Gaius Octavius on September 23rd, 63 BC. He received the formal name Gaius Julius Caesar in 44 BC. The title "Augustus" was given to him by the Roman Senate on January 16th, 27 BC. His father was a member of a wealthy family of cavaliers. During his studies in Apollonia, Augustus learned about the assassination of Caesar, who adopted Augustus and named him his principal heir in his will. At the age of 19 Augustus turned out to be an excellent leader and politician. He set out to cure many illnesses of the Roman state and society. Many provinces were subdued in his reign and the Roman citizens and subjects enjoyed an economic thrive thanks to the peace, law and security he instilled. Alas, his last years were not happy ones. His family members died one after another and he was obliged to exile his only daughter, Julia, after she had been convicted of adultery. Augustus died on August 19th, 14 AD, and was declared a god by the Senate. By adopting Tiberius as his son back in 4 AD he in fact named him his successor.

Agrippina Minor, Julia (15-59 A.D.)

Julia, the daughter of Agrippina the Elder and Germanicus, was born in Germany of today, in the year 15 AD. She married Gnaeus Domitius, Domitius' grandson, in 28 A.D. In 37 AD Julia gave birth to a son, who would later become the Emperor Nero. Julia was exiled by her brother Caligula, but was allowed to return after her uncle Claudius had reached the throne. In the year 49 AD, Julia married Claudius and a year later managed to persuade him to adopt her son, Nero, even though he had a son from his first marriage. It has been said that Julia played an active role in the poisoning of Claudius, so that her son Nero could ascend to the throne. After Nero was made Emperor, Julia's influence on him weakened. It has been said that in order to regain control, she committed incest with her son. In the year 59 AD Nero decided to get rid of her. The first attempt at her life, by drowning her ship at sea, failed. Later, soldiers were sent to kill her in her home.

Nero, Claudius Caesar (Reign: 54-68 AD)

Nero was born on December 15th, 37, in Antium. His parents were Gnaeus Domitius and Agrippina. He became Emperor after his adoptive father, Emperor Claudius, had been poisoned by Nero's mother. He was a passionate fan of art, music and theater. He established several festivals and supported many artists. However, he also excelled in the art of conspiracy. He poisoned his step-brother, Britannicus, and in 59 AD ordered to kill his own mother, whose influence he opposed. His activities and the wars in Britain and Parthia emptied the state treasury. Therefore, he executed rich senators and confiscated their fortune. As the reign of terror continued, the spirit of disloyalty extended to the army. After a series of military mutinies Nero, hated by all, took his own life on June 9th, 68.

Domitianus, Titus Flavius (81-96 AD)

Domitianus, the youngest son of Emperor Vespasian, was born on October 24th, 54 AD. Domitianus was titled "co-heir" on June 26th, 79 AD and became Emperor following his brother Titus' death in 81 AD. He secured the Empire's borders and sought his own military glory that was denied of him in the days of his father and brother. Domitianus conducted extensive construction projects and built many temples. He took careful notice of the administration of the Empire and maintained a just and efficient rule over the provinces. In his last years he unleashed a reign of terror, having many of the nobility killed or executed. The hatred towards him was immense. In 96 AD a plot to assassinate him had formed, involving Domitianus' own wife, Domitia. He was indeed assassinated on August 19th, 96.

Nerva, Marcus Cocceius (Reign: 98-96 AD)

Nerva was born in 30 AD to a noble family. He had been elected as consul under Vespasian (71 AD) and served in this position under Domitianus (90 AD), too. After Domitianus' assassination, which he may have been involved in, he was elevated to Emperor. Nerva lacked military background, therefore he couldn't rely on the army's loyalty. He was childless and so he adopted Trajan, governor of Upper Germany, as his son and successor. During his short reign, Nerva personally attended to social and administrative problems, improved the grain and water supply to Rome and reduced public expenditures. These actions signified the beginning of a new era in Rome.





Traianus, Marcus Ulpius (Reign: 98-117 AD)

Traianus, commonly known as Trajan, was born in Spain in 53 AD. He had served in the army since he was young, and advanced up the senatorial ladder. He served in Syria, Spain and Germany, and was appointed proconsul of Upper Germany in 97 AD. Emperor Nerva adopted him and proclaimed him his successor. He became the Emperor upon Nerva's death on January 27th, 98, but arrived at Rome only in the year 99 AD, after touring the borders of the Rhine and the Danube. Trajan was a warrior emperor, who participated in combats in Europe and Asia. He devoted much of his time to inspection of the provinces' administration, conducted continuous correspondence with the Roman governors and decided on various provincial issues. His military achievements, his good relations with the Senate, his generosity and his amiable personality made him loved by all. In 114 AD he earned the unofficial name: Optimus Princeps ("The best of all emperors"). Eventually it turned to be his official title by which he was remembered for generations to come. After his death he was declared a god by the Senate.

Hadrianus, Publius Aelius (Reign: 117-138 AD)

Publius Hadrianus was born in 76 AD in the town of Italica. Following the death of his father, Publius Aelius, in 85 AD, he was educated in the house of future emperor Trajan, to whom he was related. He received his first military command during Domitian's reign and became a consul suffectus (substitute consul) in 108 AD. Hadrian was Archon of Athens in 111 AD. He escorted Trajan in the Parthian War and was appointed governor of Syria in 114 or 117 AD. After Trajan's death he was proclaimed as Emperor in Syria on August 11th, 117. Hadrian returned to Italy in 118 AD and started a campaign aimed to win the public's favor. He declared a general remission of unpaid taxes, worth 900 million sesterces. In addition, he performed extensive construction projects, including the reconstruction of the Pantheon, and the building of several temples, his own mausoleum in Rome and a vast villa in Tivoli. His main concern was the provinces, and he used to visit them almost all through his reign. Hadrian spent his last years in Rome. He never had children with his wife Vibia Sabina, whom he married in 100 AD. He fell sick in 136 AD, died in 138 AD and was buried in the Mausoleum in Rome (today known as Castel Sant'Angelo)

Antoninus Pius Titus Aelius (Reign: 138-161 AD)

Antoninus Pius was born on the 19th of September, 86 AD in Latium. His father, Aurelius Fulvus, came from the Gallic town of Nimes. His mother, Arria Fadilla, was the daughter of a consul. Antoninus set out on a political career and in the year 120 AD officially became a consul. In the year 135 AD he served as the proconsul of Asia. In 138 AD Emperor Hadrian adopted him as his son and successor. Antoninus Pius became Emperor in 138 A.D. and was bestowed by the Senate the name "Pius", a Greek word meaning "the loyal one". He spent many years expanding the Empire's borders and oppressing any attempt of revolt. As a result, Antoninus Pius' Empire enjoyed many years of peace and economic growth. During Antoninus Pius' reign, the Imperial administration became more centralized. Yet, at the same time, Pius continued to develop good relations with the nobility and consulted with them about governmental issues. Emperor Antoninus Pius died on the 7th of March in the year 161 AD. During his lifetime he enjoyed great admiration, both by his people and by the noble class. The Senate proclaimed him a god and he was buried in Hadrian's mausoleum.

Marcus Aurelius (Reign: 161-180 AD)

Marcus Aurelius was born in Rome on the 26th of April 121 AD. His father was a Spaniard whose family had always served in high places in Rome. After his father's death, he was adopted by his grandfather the consul and received excellent education in grammar and philosophy. Emporer Hadrian became very fond of him, and in the year 136 AD arranged for his engagement with his successor Aelius' daughter. In 145 AD, Marcus married Faustina the Younger, Antoninus Pius' daughter.
Marcus succeeded Pius on the 7th of March 161 AD and was given the name Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. Most of his years as Emperor were spent fighting off enemies, particularly in central Europe where Germanic tribes had begun invading the Roman Empire in 166 AD. These tribes succeeded in getting as far as Italy, but Marcus managed to fight them off in 170 AD. He continued to fight across the Danube, returning to Rome in the year 176 AD.
During Marcus Aurelius' reign, a general decrease in economic enterprise, free market activity and civil volunteering spirit could be felt. There was also a decrease in public activity in the cities. This is ironic, since Marcus Aurelius was the only Roman Emperor who was also a philosopher.

Commodus, Lucius Aurelius (Reign: 180-192 AD)

The eldest son of Marcus Aurelius, Commodus was born in 161 AD. He was educated by excellent teachers, and received imperial titles ever since he was a child. Since 175 he accompanied his father in his journeys to the provinces, and in 177 he was titled "Augustus" and was made co-emperor. That year he married the aristocrat descendant Crispina. Upon the death of his father, on March 17th, 180, he became the single ruler of the Empire. He ceased the war against the Germanic tribes, evacuated occupied territories and sought to ensure peace by paying subsidies. However, he also neglected his office and spent most of his time in shows and games. He even appeared in the gladiatorial arena himself. His follies led a group of conspirators, including his own mistress, to persuade the Athlete Narcissus to strangle him in his sleep on December 31st, 192.

Julia Domna (170-217 AD)

Julia Domna, daughter of Bassianus, married future Emperor Septimius Severus in 185 AD, to whom she bore Caracalla and Geta. She accompanied her husband in his travels, and therefore was honored with the title: Mater Castrorum ("Mother of the Camp"). She was also fond of culture, and gathered around her a fair amount of men of culture and literature. Due to Plautianus' influence on Septimius Severus, her relationship with her husband grew cold. After Septimius' death she tried in vain to reconcile her two sons, and witnessed the murder of Geta. She took her own life after Caracalla's assassination in 217 AD.




Caracalla, Marcus Aurelius Antonius (Reign: 211-217 AD)

Born in 186, he was the son of Septimius Severus and Julia Domna. His name was derived from the Celtic name of his hooded tunic. Caracalla accompanied his father in many of his travels. After Severus' death in 211, Caracalla and his brother Geta ruled as co-emperors. A year later Caracalla killed Geta and many of his supporters, including his own wife. On July 212 he decreed the "Constitutio Antoniniana", which awarded Roman citizenship to almost all the inhabitants of the Empire, and by that extended to them the inheritance tax paid by Roman citizens. From 213 on, he conducted wars in Germany, around the Danube and in the East. While planning the conquest of Parthia he was assassinated by Macrinus in 217 AD.


Alexander Severus (Reign: 222-235 AD)

Alexander Severus was born in 208 AD in Arca, Syria. His grandmother, Julia Maesa, was the mother-in-law of the Emperor Septimius Severus. His mother and grandmother saw to his education as well as to his adoption by Emperor Heliogabalus, in 221 AD. After Heliogabalus' death, Severus' mother organized for him to become emperor, which he did in the year 222 AD.
Severus was a religious man who adorned the Temple in Palatium with sculptures. Alas, Severus did not have the necessary skills needed to deal with the serious problems facing the Roman Empire. To the east, the Persian kings began a series of attacks on the Empire. Severus went to the troubled region in the year 232 AD. Although this journey was not much of a success, he conducted a victory march in the year 233 AD. A year later, Severus traveled to Germany, hoping to reach a peaceful treaty with the Germans via diplomatic means. Yet, in the year 235 AD, before succeeding in doing so, he and his mother were murdered in Mainz by soldiers who disagreed with his policies.


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