Emperors

Emperors have very little influence on the lives of everyday people, asside from occasional mass gifts of grain or money, public entertainments, employment through public works projects, or relief from natural disasters. However, emperors do set the tone for the era in which they reign - whether it will be peace or war, justice or corruption, stability or madness.

Claudius (b. 10BC; r. 41-54AD)

When the Praetorian Guard proclaimed Claudius, the eldest male of the Claudian family, emperor after the assassination of Gaius Caligula, many thought it would end in the restoration of the Republic. Claudius had been a virtual non-entity, a shy scholar whom the imperial family kept out of the public eye due to his club foot, tics, and stammer. Yet Claudius had also been a close and shrewd observer of the administration of the empire, and proved himself a capable, if sometimes harsh, administrator. He appointed competent men to important positions, which occasionally resulted in conspiracies against him by ambitious men who thought him weak. These he put down ruthlessly, executing 35 senators and 300 equites during his reign, as well as his third wife, Messalina.

Nero (b. 37AD; r. 54-68AD)

When the increasingly cruel Claudius died, many hoped that the ascension of his 17-year old grand-nephew and adopted son, Nero, would usher in an era of peace and a flourishing of the arts. In the early years of his reign, guided by counsellors such as the philosopher Seneca, Nero governed effectively, but over time, Nero asserted his will, showing a taste for licentiousness and tyranny. He was suspected of killing his cousin, Claudius's son Britannicus, and later ordered the execution of his own mother and many others involved in a conspiracy against him, including Seneca. Towards the end of his reign, rebellions broke out in several provinces, and he was suspected of starting the fire that burned much of Rome. In the end, the senate voted Galba, a general and governor in Spain, to be emperor and declared Nero a public enemy. Nero fled Rome and committed suicide when captured by the Praetorian Guard.

The Year of Four Emperors (68-69AD)

Galba held power for a scant six months, as rival generals marched towards Rome. Otho, an early supporter of Galba, turned against him, allied with disaffected Praetorians, and defeated Galba in battle in central Italy. He helds power for only 3 months, until he too was defeated, by Vitellius, commander of the troops on the lower Rhine. Soon after, however, the eastern provinces declared for Vespasian, who marched on Rome and made a deal to accept Vitellius's resignation. But when Vespasian's legions reached Rome in December, disaffected Praetorians murdered Vitellius.

Vespasian (b. 9AD; r. 69-79AD)

Vespasian had already spent two years trying to put down the Jewish Revolt when news reached him of Nero's death. He moved quickly to secure Rome's grain supplies in Egypt, while his lieutenants lead his army to Italy and defeated Vitellius's troops. Vespasian was a strict disciplinarian and reformer, who restored the empire's finances, helped the economy through public works, rooted out corruption, put down revolts, and generally restored peace and stability.

Titus (b. 39AD; r. 79-81AD)

Vespasian's elder son was good-looking and popular. He was an able military commander, left behind in Judea by his father to finish putting down the Jewish Revolt, which ended in the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. He was given a triumph through Rome, and a great arch was built to commemorate his victory. He shared some power with his father, and acted as commander of the Praetorian Guard. He was somewhat infamous, however, for his afair with the Jewish Queen Berenice of Cilicia. As emperor, he completed the Flavian Amphitheatre (AKA the Colosseum) and an adjacent public baths. The inaugural games lasted 100 days, and included elephant fights and naval battles. Titus ended treason trials, commissioned further public works, provided relief for victims of fire and plague in Rome and the eruption of Vesuvius.

Domitian (b. 51AD; r. 81AD-present)

Domitian, Vespasian's younger son, was in Rome during the Year of the Four Emperors, and kept a low profile. Once the senate had declared for his father, however, he moved to the imperial palace and was his father and older brother's representative in the city. Once his father was firmly in power, however, he assumed a minor, ceremonial role compared to that of his older brother. However, Domitian, a notorious womanizer, used his position to force Domitia Longina, a woman with whom he was emphatuated, to divorce her husband and marry him. Domitian deified his brother when Titus died; it remains to be seen what his administration will be like.