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info Augustus Born in 63 BC and originally named Gaius Octavius, he was the son of Gaius Octavius the governor of Macedonia and Atia, the niece of Julius Caesar. In 44 BC, while studying, Caesar was assassinated and as he had no legitimate son to pass on his power to, his will determined that Gaius Octavius would become his heir. Mark Antony would later claim that the adoption was earned through sexual favours, a claim that was described by Suetonius as political slander. He married three times, the first marriage to Clodia, Antonys step daughter was never consummated and he divorced her to marry Scribonia, to who Octavius would have his only natural child Julia. The same day that Julia was born he divorced Scribonia to marry Livia. In 31 BC the western half of the Roman Republic territory swore allegiance to Octavius and after the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra the east followed suit. After years of lack of authority however, both sides were reluctant to give Octavius complete and absolute power but his position demanded that he look after the well being of the territory. He marched on to Rome where he demanded the senate name him a consul, this was to mean that he would be required to give up personal armies but would have legal command of the legions of Rome. In 27 BC he officially returned power to the senate which led to riots among his supporters and a compromise known as the First Settlement was reached which gave him authority over the west. This was the time that the senate gave him the title of Augustus which had more religious meaning than political. He ruled from 27 BC to 14 AD. Tiberius The step son of Augustus, Tiberius would marry the only natural child of Augustus, Julia. Augustus would later on adopt Tiberius as his own son and though born a Claudian (one of the oldest families in Rome) this act of adoption would make Tiberius a Julian. Emperors after Tiberius would continue the inter-marrying between these two families and historians refer to this period of time as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Once Augustus died, Tiberius took over power in 14 AD and is recognised as one of Romes greatest generals after laying foundations for the northern frontier after campaigning in Pannonia, Illyricum, Rhaetia and Germania. He is remembered by one account as the gloomiest of men who never wanted the power of an Emperor. From 23 when his son passed away, his leadership skills slowly became dormant and he exiled himself from Rome in 26. Caligula

Full name Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, but known as Caligula, he ruled from 37 to 41n and was the adoptive grandson of Augustus. He was the third roman emperor and was known for his extravagance eccentricity depravity and cruelty, his reign ended in 41 after his assassination by his own guards Alleged to have had incestuous relations with his sisters he was also alleged to have been thinking about appointing his favourite horse to a seat on the senate. Most accounts of his reign are made up of things that allegedly happened as opposed to an actual documented history.

His name comes from the word calugula meaning little soldiers boot, a nickname that was given to him at the age of three when his parents would take him on military campaigns and dress him up in a small soldiers uniform including boots and armour. Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was the first roman emperor to be born outside Italy and was born in the region now known as France in 10 BC. His reign lasted from 41 to 54 and only came about after the assassination of Caligula. This was only because he was the last surviving male in his family after the killing of many other roman nobles during the reigns of Tiberius and Caligula. He reportedly had a form of disability and was never expected to become emperor. During his reign Britain was conquered which saw an expansion of the empire and he took a genuine interest in law and order, even with this behind him other nobility saw his as a vulnerable ruler. His vulnerability was influenced by his disability which was one thought of as polio but has more recently been revised and is considered to have been cerebral palsy. He was described as both generous and quick to anger, overly trusting but also bloodthirsty with a love of gladiatorial combat. He is known as the first emperor who used bribery to retain his armys loyalty and helped increase the number of roman citizens after granting blanket citizenship to new roman colonies. His death in 54 is said to have been instigated by his final wife Agrippina and was in the form of poisoning. Nero Born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus in 37, Nero was the last emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He was adopted by his grand-uncle Claudius to become heir and his reign began after his granduncles assassination. Nero was the youngest Emperor after ascending to the title at just 17 years of age. He was known as the emperor who fiddled while Rome burned and is remembered as a playboy and tyrant, he murdered his mother as her political influence would interfere with his divorce plans. After a romantic involvement with his best friend Othos' wife Poppaea, Nero decided to seek divorce from his wife (and step-sister) and claim Poppaea for his own. On the positive side he introduced cultural aspects such as theatre and athletics to Rome with the help of his Greek connections. His reign consisted of a victorious war and then a peace negotiation with the Parthian Empire, improving diplomatic ties with Greece. He suppressed both the British revolt during 60-61 as well as a revolt in Gaul in 68. It was Galbas Hispanic revolt in 68 that prompted Neros suicide and led to the Civil War. Galba Servius Sulpicius Galba, born in 3 BC was the first emperor in what historians refer to as the year of the four emperors. He came from a noble family and quickly earned a solid reputation for his military capability. He loyally served Claudius and was retired by the time Nero came to power. In 68, Nero ordered a murderous rampage on many roman nobles and although Galba feared for his life he was spared. When Galba heard of Neros death he assumed the title of Caesar and headed straight to Rome where soldiers halted him and made clear their demands if he was to continue peacefully. In fact, many of these soldiers were killed by Galba and his men.

During his brief reign Galba refused to pay soldiers for their loyalty and was disliked by many as he was like a puppet in the hands of 3 well known men of power. Riots began in 69 and the masses demanded a new power be elected and took into their own hands the election of Vitellius. In response to this Galba realised how unpopular he had become and elected his coadjutor Piso to replace him. Otho, one of Galbas earliest supporters was angry that he wasnt chosen, communicated with the discontented Praetorians who adopted him as the new emperor and slaughtered Galba and Piso soon after. Otho Othos family descended from princes of Etruria and were an ancient and noble line. Once Neros best friend, this friendship was brought to a halt once Otho was to find out about the romantic affair between Nero and Othos wife Poppaea. Poppaea divorced Otho to wed Nero and then had Otho sent away to the remote province of Lusitania where he remained for 10 years In 68 Otho accompanied Galba to Rome to form a revolt against Nero, what Galba didnt know was that after this revolt, Otho intended to succeed his as emperor. When Galba adopted Piso as the future heir to his throne Otho was enraged and bribed 23 soldiers of the Praetorian Guard to help him in his quest. These guards soon influenced the rest of their camp who then returned to the Forum with Otho as their leader and slaughtered Galba, Piso and any supporters. Soon Otho found himself preparing for war with rumours of the German population and other regions supporting Vitellius. The Battle of Bedriacum followed. Even though his troops were a formidable force Otho was forced to accept that his army was no match for the combination of Vitellius' supporters. In the early hours of the morning he stabbed himself reportedly saying as his farewell it is far more just to perish one for all, than many for one Vitellius Aulus Vitellius Germanicus, born in 15 Chosen by Galba in 68 to lead the Germania Inferior army he became popular among these men due to his extremely good nature and generosity. In 69 when two commanders of legions refused to renew their vows of allegiance to Galba, Vitellius was proclaimed emperor of both the Germania Inferior and Superior armies. 3 more armies sided with them shortly after. They marched on to Rome to find that Otho was the present ruler after the death of Galba. It was in fact the senate that recognised his rule and was never acknowledged as emperor by the greater Roman Empire. Hoping to win Othos favour around 120 people confessed to being a part of Galbas death. A list of these names was drawn up and after Othos' reign was over, Vitellius had every person on that list executed. His reign however was to be short lived as he soon found out that eastern armies had proclaimed their commander, Vespasian as emperor. When the armies ruled by Vitellius discovered this he was virtually deserted by his former supporters

Vespasian

Imperator Caesar Vespasianus Augustus born in 9, was the emperor of Rome from 69 to 79 and was the forth and final emperor of the "year of the four emperors". He is known for starting the construction of the Colusseum. His military career started in 36 when he joined the army; during a three year period he rose to the position of Aedile in the roman public office, enabling him to enforce public order. This was a stepping stone to high political office. When Claudius became emperor in 41 he was appointed legate of Legio II Augusta an infantry assault unit. During the Roman invasion of Britain, he fought 30 battles, subdued two powerful nations, invaded and captured 20 towns and set up a fortress and headquarters at Isca Dummoniorum. He was elected consul in 51 after which he retired from public life. In 63 he came out of retirement and was sent to Africa Province as governor where he was said to be an honourable and upright ruler. After his return from Africa he travelled Greece but was looked down upon by the current ruler Nero after not paying sufficient attention to his playing of the Lyre. During the year of the four emperors, the followers of the deceased emperor Otho were looking for a new candidate to pledge their support to. Vespasian was chosen and so his rule, which lasted for 10 years, began. During this reign he restored discipline to his army and set about to repairing the empires finances by initiating new taxes and restoring old ones. He filtered out the unfit and unworthy members of the senate and kept only the noble and trustworthy.
His reign ended upon his death caused by an intestinal inflammation. Titus

Titus Flavius Vespasianus born in 39 he ruled from 79 to 81 He was best known for defeating the Jewish rebellion in 70 and his public building program during the term of his leadership. During his rule there were two major disasters, the first being the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 and the great fire of Rome in 80. During these two unfortunate periods he was seen as a generous and giving ruler who did his best to relive the suffering of his people. He was the eldest son of the previous emperor, his father Vespasian and began his military career at the age of 22 traveling to Britannia and Germania. At the age of 25 he returned to Rome to marry the daughter of a former commander, she unfortunately died a year later and Titus married again this time producing a daughter. He later divorced and never remarried again although during his military career had an affair with a woman named Bernice who was frowned upon as she was compared to a new Cleopatra.
During his reign he stopped treason trials and punished public informants and also completed

construction of the Colusseum. In 79 he died of a fever or of suspected poisoning by his brother who would eventually take over as emperor

Domitian

Titus Flavius Domitianus born 51 ruled from 81 to 96 He received the best education and studied rhetoric, literature, law and administration. During his adolescent years he did not follow his fathers and brothers footsteps to fight in the African provinces but once his father was proclaimed emperor he moved immediately to the imperial palace. He would later force the divorce of Domitia Longina (the youngest daughter of general Corbulo) and her existing husband to take her as his own wife which ultimately would form a very prestigious allegiance for both sides. Upon the death of his older brother Titus, Domitian ascended to emperor which created havoc. The economy went into recession which forced him to reduce the value of their silver currency. Taxes were then raised which understandably created problems with the Roman people. To restore his image he invested much money in renovating the cities appearance as it was still suffering after the great fire of Rome and civil war. Around 50 new buildings were erected and restored to provide a more aesthetically pleasing city. His marriage ended in 83 after his wife was caught having an affair with the actor Paris who was then executed, and his wife exiled. The following year he developed affection for his niece Julia who he married but then later died during an abortion. Following this Domitia was recalled to the palace as empress. Being more of an educated man, spending most of his youth studying, he wasnt much of a military leader and as a result he limited military enterprises. During the end of his reign he removed from the senate all their decision making powers and as a response, his enemies in the senate and his ex wife came together to arrange his assassination and he was killed in 96
Nerva

Marcus Cocceius Nerva born 30 and reined from 96 to 98 He was the first roman emperor to choose his successor by their potential ruling capabilities rather than by a family relationship either through bloodline or adoption Born 50 miles north of Rome, his family was of Italian nobility rather than part of the roman elite, and was also the last Italian ruler who was Italian by both birth and family heritage. his position before elevation to emperor was that of consul to both Vespasian in 71 and then again to Domitian in 90, upon Domitians death the senate elected Nerva as new emperor it is thought that he was a safe choice as he was elderly and without heir. during his reign he set about righting Domitians wrongs by releasing those imprisoned by Domitian for treason, allowed most who had been exiled the privilege of amnesty and re-

included the roman senate to have a say over the ruling of the empire
The problem was Domitian still had followers in the Praetorian Guard, and in 97 these followers took Nerva hostage and was forced to disclose the parties that were responsible for the death of Domitian. Nerva wasnt killed but his reputation was sorely damaged after this incident, as he had no natural child of his own he set about adopting an heir who would have support of both the roman civilians and the army. After much consideration he adopted a commander of the armies on the German frontier, Trajan. Nerva was reportedly ill with fever shortly after the adoption process and died

Trajan
Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus born in 53 and ruled as emperor from 98 to 117. He was the son of a prominent senator and general. From a young age he was a member of the roman army and rose through the ranks, in 76 to 77 his father became Governor of Syria where Trajan was nominated as Consul. The Emperor Domitians successor Nerva was unpopular with the army and to gain their support adopted Trajan to become his successor as he was highly respected. He freed many who had been imprisoned during Domitians reign and redistributed property that Domitian had claimed as his own, continuing what Nerva had set out to achieve before his death. In 101 he launched an attack into the kingdom of Dacia and was successful, a year later the army advanced further forcing the regions king to submit to him as he took over the capital. He returned to Rome triumphant and 5 years later the entire region had been conquered successfully. Many other battles were fought during his reign until in 117 he fell ill and died. His successor Hadrian was said to have been adopted by him before his death but rumour has it that Trajans wife had an impersonator adopt Hadrian after Trajan had died.

Hadrian
Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus born in 76 and ruled as emperor from 117 to 138. He was a distant relative to Trajan, and according to Trajans wife, was named emperor immediately before Trajans death though historians have never been able to confirm this series of events. Even though he was born in Spain, he was so interested in Greek literature during his schooling he was nicknamed Graeculus, meaning Little Greek. During the reign of Domitian, he enlisted in the army serving the Roman legion Legio II Adiutrix and was then transferred to the Legio I Minervia in Germany. He personally informed Trajan of Nervas death in 98 and later won awards from Trajan for his many strategic successes on the battlefield. After the death of Trajan, Hadrian almost instantaneously had the support of the legions. During his reign he was left to suppress the Jewish revolt that began during the reign of Trajan and also sort out the Danube frontier.

The Pantheon in Rome owes its grandeur to Hadrian who enriched the building and created what stands for the public to view today. He spent much of his life traveling before and during his reign, and most of his architectural designs would have been influenced by ideas he had picked up during these travels. In 138 Hadrian died of natural causes leaving his rule to Antoninus Pius who he had adopted in the months prior to his death.

Antoninus Pius
Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus Pius born in 86 and ruled from 138 to 161. He was the second heir adopted by Hadrian but rose to power after the death of Hadrian of old age and the death of Hadrians first heir Lucius Aelius Caesar who was of poor health. Before becoming emperor he was appointed as one of the four proconsuls to administer Italia and then a proconsul of Asia. His accession to emperor was based on the condition that he would adopt Marcus Annius Verus. His first task as emperor was to convince the senate to grant divine honours to Hadrian which they had previously refused. During his reign there were no military conflicts that were considered serious but he was the first ruler who was able to deal with all issues without leaving Italy. In 161 he died of a fever and he was succeeded by the husband of his only surviving daughter.

Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus born in 121. His reign came about because Hadrian adopted Antoninus on the proviso that Marcus and Lucius Ceionius Commodus (later to be named Lucius Aurelius Verus) would be adopted to be next in line as rulers. In his youth, Marcus was portrayed through letters as an intelligent, hardworking and serious minded student. Upon the death of Antoninus, Marcus and Verus were made joint emperors and while equal in the constitutional view, Verus was younger and seems to have been less popular.

His reign as emperor, beginning in 161, was complicated by wars in Asia and also a revolt in the East that consequently failed. He was known as a philosopher and published a literary monument named Meditations and was fond of Epictetus who was an important moral philosopher of his time. He fell ill and died in 180 in the city that is now known as Vienna. His succession was secured before his death allowing Commodus to rule and unknowingly ending the era of adoptive emperors. Lucius Verus

Lucius Ceionius Commodus Verus Armeniacus born in 130.

Verus was said to have been an excellent student, receiving his education from a famous tutor of that time, Marcus Cornelius Fronto and was skilled in the writing and reciting of poetry and speeches. He ruled as co-emperor with Marcus, something which had never occurred in Roman history, and though they shared the same title and equal powers Marcus ultimately became the more dominant. To prove there was no competition between the two, control of the armies was given to Verus and he also married the daughter of Marcus, further strengthening their ties. While in control of the armies, Verus is known to have been an admirable commander who was not too proud to delegate tasks to generals more competent than he. The morale of the armies, while under his rule, was high and Verus always ensured he had a troupe of actors and musicians with him on any trip he took. In 168 a war broke out that would last until 180 but Verus did not see the end of it as he died in 169 from either smallpox or food poisoning. Commodus
Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus born 161 and ruled from 180 to 192, he was the son of Marcus Aurelius and had a twin who died at age 5. In 177 after traveling to many battlefronts with his father, Marcus Aurelius granted his son the rank of Imperator and in 177 Commodus became consul, making him the youngest consul in Roman history. His father then gave him the title of Augustus, elevating him to the same status as his own and sharing power. When his father died in 180 he left his son to rule the empire. During his reign, Commodus showed how incredibly in awe of himself he was by ordering multiple statues of himself dressed as Hercules as he believed he was the reincarnation of Hercules. He also enjoyed combat and was frequently involved in gladiatorial combat in the arenas. As he was emperor he always won but the fights would never end in death. He was not considered popular among the roman people, many who thought him to be scandalous. In 192 part of Rome burned and Commodus used this event to rebuild and rename the city in his own honour. The months were named after him as was the army by his own order. In 193 he was strangled in his own bath by a wrestler who was ordered to do so by the mistress of Commodus. Following this, the senate overruled his changes and restored the citys original name.

Pertinax
Publius Helvius Pertinax born in 126 and ruled for a short period in 193. In his early life he was a teacher of Grammar but eventually became a commissioned officer after he sought a more

rewarding and fulfilling career. During the Parthian war he was promoted several times and became governor of the provinces of upper and lower Moesia, Dacia, Syria and finally became the governor of Britain.

Later he took a role in the Roman senate until he was forced out of public life by a praetorian prefect. 3 years later he was recalled to Britain to assist the officers as its army was in a state of mutiny, but he and his bodyguard were both attacked. After his recovery he managed to severely punish his mutineers and was regarded from then on as using harsh disciplinary measures. He was later forced to resign for this reason as his army had grown resentful and hostile towards him. Pertinax was proclaimed Roman emperor the day after Commodus was murdered in 193 and his reign lasted only 86 days. It was said that a group of over 300 disgruntled soldiers stormed the palace for the reason that they had only received half their promised pay. Didius Julianus
Marcus Severus Didius Julianus born in 133 and ruled in 193. After the death of Pertinax, Julianus who was a senator at the time, proclaimed himself as the new emperor, and this act in itself triggered a brief civil war which was won by Julianus's successor Septimius Severus who then ordered the his execution. He was born to a noble family from Milan but was raised by the mother of Marcus Aurelius. Once Pertinax died the throne was auctioned off, with Julianus as the winner as he offered more money to the soldiers and the military subsequently pressuring the senate. Three generals in different parts of the empire were opposed to this idea and rose in rebellion. Julianus saw that his military power would be futile when battling the combined armies and asked the senate to appoint one of the generals (Septimius Severus) as co-ruler. Severus however was already too close to Rome and quickly overthrew him ordering his execution.

Septimius Severus
Lucius Septimius Severus born in 146 and ruled from 193 to 211.

Severus was the first Roman emperor to be born in Africa and although his family was only of equestrian rank, he was made a senator by Marcus Aurelius in 172 and 18 years later became consul. After Pertinax was murdered, his troops proclaimed him emperor and he proceeded to Italy to claim his rule. Here he found self proclaimed emperor Julianus who he had condemned to death and then took possession of the throne, he also offered the governor of Britannia, Clodius Albinus, the position of Caesar which would imply some claim to succession. At the same time Pescennius Niger had been proclaimed emperor by the legions of Syria and he and Severus battled for power in the battle of Issus which Severus won.

After a few years Severus declared his son Caracalla would succeed him on the throne which sparked a war between Severus and Albinus and once again Severus was victorious. Severus was a ruler who sought respect and power through military conquests and as a result he was never in favour with the Roman senate. He consequently had many members of the senate put to death for reasons of conspiring against him and replaced them with men of his choice. The roman citizens adored him as during his reign he In 211 he fell ill and died leaving his son to take over. Caracalla Caracalla was born in 186 and ruled from 211 to 217 The son of Severus, he was known by his nickname Caracalla which refers to the hooded tunic he regularly wore and made a trend out of. When his father died and left him the throne in 211, he was actually proclaimed co-ruler with his brother Publius Septimius Antoninius Geta but he wasnt happy with this decision and had his own brother killed. This
however was not surprising as he came to be known as one of the most brutal rulers Rome had seen. Growing up his father had always instructed him to look after his soldiers financially as they would remain loyal if it was paid for. He raised their pay and gave them many other benefits ignoring what his critics would say. During his reign he would grant citizenship to freemen throughout Rome to increase the taxable population, reduced the value of coinage to make it possible to pay the legions their bounties and constructed what is now known as the Baths of Caracalla. In 217 on his way to war with Parthia he was murdered on the roadside by an officer in the imperial bodyguard. Historians speculate that the reason was either that the murderers brother had been assassinated unjustly in the days before or that he was enraged at not being promoted.

Geta
Publius Septimius Geta born in 189 and co-ruled with his father Septimius Severus and older brother Caracalla from 209 until 211 when he was murdered by his brother.

Growing up was difficult for Geta as he was always second to his older brother and conflicts were common. Caracalla was always second in command and even though imperial propaganda stated that they were a happy family who divided the reign equally, it was far from the truth. When Severus died in 211, Caracalla had his brother Geta murdered and ordered his name to be removed from all inscriptions. Caracalla also used his brothers death as a chance to

assassinate all his political enemies on the grounds of conspiring against him with his deceased brother. Macrinus
Marcus Opellius Macrinus was born in 165 into a middle class equestrian family. His education allowed him to rise to the Roman political class and over the years he became a very capable lawyer and became an important bureaucrat under Severuss rule. After the death of Severus and the ascension of Caracalla he became prefect of the Praetorian Guard. This position was second in command to the emperor and normally designated as the emperors bodyguard. In 217 along with members of the Praetorian Guard, Macrinus accompanied Caracalla to the eastern provinces while he prepared his attack against the Parthian empire. Along the way, Caracalla was murdered by one of the guards and less than a week later, Macrinus stepped up to proclaim himself as emperor. He nominated his son Diadumenianus as Caesar and claimed that he would succeed Macrinus after his death. During his reign he was known for his reluctance to engage in military conflict and instead preferred to reconcile differences in a peaceful manner. He returned hostages held previously by Caracalla but when defeated in battle by the Parthians he was forced to pay an extraordinary sum of money in exchange for a peace deal. His inability to defeat an army, thought of as inferior by most, along with decreasing benefits and salary among soldiers led them to search for a new leader. Residents of Rome were also unsatisfied with his reign. After Elagabalus was proclaimed emperor in 218 Macrinus and his son fled but were found and put to death.

Diadumenian
Marcus Opellius Antoninus Diadumenianus was the son of Macrinus. Very little is written about this ruler as he never succeeded beyond the role of Caesar. During the reign of his father, he was proclaimed Caesar and the successor of the throne. However, when Rome turned against his father and the legions of Syria declared Elagabalus the new emperor both father and son were executed and the head of Diadumenian was cut off and presented as a trophy to Elagabalus.

Elagabalus Born as Varius Avitus Bassus in 203, his name Elagabalus is a Latin form of the name El-Gabal
who was a Semitic deity who he worshipped and was in fact a high priest of this religious sect. He became emperor at age 14 when falsely announcing he was the illegitimate son of Caracalla (part of a plot created by a family that was exiled by Macrinus) and commander of the legion declared him emperor in 218. He was a controversial figure as among showing a blatant disregard for religious traditions in Rome, he took a vestal virgin as one of many wives (in order to have god-like children, any vestal virgin found to have had intercourse however is said to have been buried alive) and openly

claimed he had a sexual interest for men. He was considered among other things, eccentric and decadent. His mother and grandmother became the first women to be allowed as part of the senate and while his mother tried to position herself behind the throne to have more power over her son and his decisions, he proved to be uncontrollable.

Many historians claim that he often wore make up and could have been considered a transsexual. He is said to have offered half his empire to any physician who could equip him with female genitalia. He forced many to participate in his religious ceremonies which disturbed many Romans. He was persuaded to nominate 13 year old Severus Alexander as his heir and later when he changed his mind and ordered Alexander to be killed, the praetorian guard were bribed and instead Elagabalus and his mother were murdered. Alexander Severus
Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexandrus was born in 208 and became emperor at 13. He was guided by his mother who surrounded her son with many wise counsellors but unfortunately neither her or her son were strong enough to control the armies or impose discipline and mutinies were frequent.

In 234 his armies were called to stand up against German invaders who were over-running the country side. Originally he tried to bribe them to gain time but this caused his soldiers to look down on him for conduct that isnt soldier-like and no intention to pursue an honourable attack to defend their country. This drove his soldiers to look for a new leader which they found in Gaius Iulius Verus Maximinus a Thracian soldier. Although considered amiable and well meaning and did much to improve to morals of the people, he had no military ability and as a result he and his mother were both slain in 235. Maximinus was chosen to rule and the deaths secured his position on the throne. Maximinus Thrax Born as Gaius Iulius Verus Maximinus in 173, he was the first emperor to never actually set foot
in Rome and his rule marked the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century . Historical accounts state that he was reportedly 8ft 6 in tall and was incredibly strong. He joined the army during the reign of Septimius Severus but was not promoted to a powerful position until the reign of Alexander Severus. The legions elected him to take over Alexanders rule and although the senate werent happy having a peasant as a ruler he was supported strongly by the praetorian guard. He hated the nobility and suspected many of plotting against him, but as a result of this overcautiousness he thwarted at least two plots against him. After his first victory on the battlefield, he promoted his son Maximus to the rank of Caesar. During his reign, a governor of the province of Africa, Gordian I and his son Gordian II, took law into their own hands when murdering a corrupt government official who had initially caused a

revolt in the region. The province proclaimed them both as co emperors and the senate soon switched allegiance and set about increasing support for the pair. The Gordians were soon killed by an enemy, Capelianus. When Maximinus reached Rome the senate became extremely worried as they had shown such great support for the Gordians and were determined to defy him by electing two of their own (Pupienus and Balbinus) as co-emperors. The people of Rome were unhappy with this decision and Gordian III was elected Caesar in 238 after much fighting in the street. At the same time Maximinus was assassinated by his own guards. Gordian I Marcus Antonius Gordianus Sempronianus Romanus Africanus was born in 159 and came from a very wealthy equestrian family but climbed the ranks until he entered the roman senate. His early years were spent in study and his political career did not start until later in his life. During the rule of Maximinus a revolt began due to the overall unhappiness generated by his oppressive rule. Because of his age Gordian I sought assistance from his son Gordian II and together they entered the city of Carthage where the political leaders and population showed and overwhelming amount of support for them. The senate elected Gordian I as the new emperor and most of the provinces were quick to become allies with Gordian. The governor of a neighboring province, Capelianus, was a strong supporter of Maximinus and fought the Battle of Carthage against Gordians legions to renew his alliance with Maximinus. Gordian II led his soldiers who were largely untrained onto the battlefield and was killed, upon hearing this Gordian I took his own life by hanging himself.

Gordian II Marcus Antonius Gordianus Sempronianus Romanus Africanus born in 192 was the son of Gordian I. During the reign of Elagabalus he served as a quaestor, a state official who looked after the treasury, and served as a praetor, a magistrate of sorts, during the reign of Alexander Severus. In 237, under his fathers command he went to the Africa roman provinces as governor. In 238 his father took a stand against current ruler Maximinus but because of his old age, his son assisted him and became attached to the throne. They were supported by the senate and were popular with the roman public. The battle of Carthage began, between a neighbouring legion led by Capelianus who was a supporter of Maximinus. At this time Gordian II was head of the militia army but the soldiers were untrained and not much use on the battlefield. Gordian II was killed in this battle. Pupienus Maximus Marcus Clodius Pupienus Maximus was born in 178 and due to his previous military success, was able to ascend in the Roman hierarchical system.

During his political career he was a primus pilus or professional officer in the roman army, he then went on to become a military tribune, a praetor, was elected as consul twice and then became the governor of several Roman provinces. In 234 he gained a reputation of severity while being a prefect but in 238 was elected coemperor by the senate and defeated the vengeful ruler Maximinus but was assassinated 3 months later by the Praetorians. Balbinus Decius Caelius Calvinus Balbinus as an elderly senator was elected as co-emperor in 238. Both he and his co-ruler Pupienus Maximus had both been on a board who were in charge of discovering a way to deal with the emperor Maximinus. They were an unpopular choice with the public who threw sticks and stones at them and the senate were forced to elect Gordian III as emperor to appease the roman population. Pupienus was sent onto the battle field at the head of an army to face Maximinus while Balbinus remained in Rome. While Pupienus was away, the city of Rome began to riot and Balbinus was unable to control the situation, the city burned by fire and mutinous soldiers were too much for Balbinus to handle on his on. On the return of Pupienus, the city became relatively calm but there was still an underlying sense of unease. The two men quarreled frequently and could never agree on anything or trust each other and the praetorian guard eventually seized them both and tortured and murdered them leaving Gordian III as sole ruler. Gordian III Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius born in 225 he was the grandson of Gordian I and the nephew of Gordian II. After the senate had taken it upon themselves to elect two of their own men as co-emperors, they were soon to realise that these two men were not a popular choice among the Roman people. They quickly took Gordian III and rose him to the rank of Caesar. He was popular with the Romans as many had been strong supporters of his uncle and grandfather making him a popular heir to the throne. In 238 Gordian III was proclaimed sole emperor after the murder of Pupienus and Balbinus. Because he was so young at the time of his ascension to the throne, many of the states affairs were controlled by aristocratic families through the senate. With the help of his father in-law Timesitheus, many battles were won, but after his father in-laws mysterious death his campaign and security were both at risk. A new praetorian prefect was elected and Marcus Julius Philippus continued where Timesitheus left off. In 244 however their enemy counter attacked and Gordian III was killed. He was succeeded by Praetorian Prefect Philip. Philip the Arab Marcus Iulius Philippus was born in 204, he was referred to as Philip the Arab because of the origin of his family.

In 243 during the reign of Gordian III, his praetorian prefect at the time died in uncertain circumstances. At the suggestion of his brother, Philip took over the position whit the hope that the two of them could eventually control the young emperor Gordian and rule in an unofficial status. In 244 Gordian died, historians blame Philip though the circumstances are unknown, and following his death Philip took the throne. He returned to Rome to secure his position with the Senate and allowed his brother Priscus to be ruler of the Eastern provinces. Once Philip arrived in Rome he nominated his son as Caesar and Heir to his throne. In 248 following a battle with the Germans in which they were defeated but the legions werent happy with such a low share of plunder and rebelled by nominating a new ruler. The troops nominated Tiberius Claudius Pacatianus but this uprising was crushed and Gaius Messius Quintus Decius was nominated governor of that province. In 249 however Decius was proclaimed emperor by his armies and marched to Rome to battle with Philip and secure his position. Philip was killed during this fight for power and his son was murdered soon after. Decius Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius was born in 201 and served as consul in 232. He had a long succession of high authority positions such as governor of Moesia, Germania Inferior, and Hispania Tarraconensis until 238 and became urban prefect of Rome during the reign of Philip the Arab. In 248 Decius was sent by Philip to calm a revolt occurring in Moesia which came about when a peace treaty was signed by Philip and the Sassanids. The troops forced Decius to claim the throne as his own, Decius claimed he was still loyal to Philip but when Philip and his armies advanced upon him he was forced to fight back and was victorious when Philip was killed. Decius was recognised as emperor by the senate and was known as and excellent soldier and capable administrator. He restored strength to the State and attempted to renovate the state religion. He was slain by the Goths during battle in 251 and was the first emperor to be killed by barbarians in battle. This battle also claimed the life of his son Herennius Etruscus. Herennius Etruscus Quintus Herennius Etruscus Messius Decius, born in 227 was the son of Decius and the older brother of Hostilian. In 248, Herennius accompanied his father when Decius was sent to quell the revolt in the Danube frontier. When Decius was declared emperor by the troops and marched on to Rome, Herennius was declared heir to the throne. At the beginning of 251 Decius elevated his son to the position of co-emperor and decided it was necessary to slay King Cniva of the Goths as punishment for the Goths invasion and frequent raids. They set out on an expedition leaving Herennius' younger brother Hostilian in Rome.

When confronted with the Goth army, the Romans realised that their tactics werent enough to defend themselves against the Goths, Herennius died in battle when struck with an arrow. Hostilian Gaius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus was born after 230 and was the younger brother of Herennius and the son of Decius. As son of the Emperor he was treated as an imperial prince but was always overshadowed by his older brother. When Herennius and Decius went to battle the Goths, Hostilian was forced to remain in Rome due to his inexperience. When his father and brother died in battle, fellow soldiers proclaimed the well respected general Trebonianus Gallus as emperor. Rome however, acknowledged the rights of Hostilian and crowned him emperor. In 251 Rome was infected by the plague which Hostilian died of. Trebonianus took over the reign. Trebonianus Gallus Gaius Vibius Trebonianus Gallus was born in 206 in Italy from a family with strong senatorial roots. His early career had a combination of both political and military achievements. In 250 he was promoted by Decius from Suffect Consul to governor of Moesia Superior. His military skills helped thwart frequent attempts of invasion by the Goths which made him a popular and respected man among his soldiers. When the army heard the news in 251 that Decius and his son Herennius had been killed in battle, they instantly proclaimed their leader Trebonianus as Emperor despite Deciuss youngest son Hostilian retaining rights to the throne. Accepting the inevitable, Trebonianus did not challenge this decision, possibly to keep peace and not create another civil war. As it was he did not have to wait to long to take the throne as later in the year the plague swept through Rome, killing Hostilian. Trebonianus seized the throne and appointed his own son Volusianus as co-emperor. He quickly buried those killed by the epidemic, showing respect for a sensitive situation. However the Goths continued raging and with no response from Trebonianus, neighbouring governor Aemilianus began to defend his region and succeeded. The soldiers proclaimed him emperor and Trebonianus prepared to fight to defend his title. However, in 253 as Aemilianus marched forward to enforce his claim, Trebonianus and his son Volusianus were murdered by their own troops. Volusianus Gaius Vibius Volusianus of unknown birth date was son to Trebonianus. In 251 he was given the position of Caesar after the death of Decius, and his father keen to replace Hostilian as ruler adopted Hostilian to maintain the closeness to the throne. When Hostilian fell ill from the plague and died, Volusianus was able to replace him as co-emperor with his father. In an effort to prevent Aemilianus from claiming the throne, both father and son marched

outwards from Rome with their army. When their back up legions who had been summoned from Germany never arrived and their soldiers learnt that Aemilianus had already crossed over the Italian border, the army mutinied and murdered both father and son. Aemilianus Marcus Aemilius Aemilianus born in 207 but details of his early life are largely unknown. In 251 when Trebonianus was proclaimed emperor, Aemilianus was sent to replace him as governor of Moesia Superior. This position required him to keep the Danube frontier peaceful, as in previous years the Goths had threatened the peace. A treaty was signed by Trebonianus and the king of the Goths which made him unpopular with the soldiers. Aemilianus was also unhappy with this motion and refused to pay the tribute due to their King. After an invasion by the Goths to demand reparation, Aemilianus led his troops to victory against them. This act inspired the troops, many who thought that Romes honour and dignity had been restored, and they announced him as their new emperor. To formally claim the throne as his own he needed to approach the senate in Rome. Trebonianus sought to gather an army to defeat this advancement but his soldiers, anticipating defeat, declared their loyalty to Aemilianus and assassinated Trebonianus. The governor of the Rhine provinces, Valerian, was still loyal to the Emperor Trebonianus an sought to avenge his death. He gathered his armies to march on towards Rome and as had happened to the emperor before him, Aemilianus army anticipated defeat and assassinated him as well.

Valerian Publius Licinius Valerianus was born in 200 and came from a noble senatorial family. Much of his early life is unknown but in 238 he became Princeps Senatus, which is the highest senatorial rank one can hold, and later in 251 he was elected by the senate to be censor. Decius promoted him to the position of governor of the Noricum and Raetia provinces and once the reign of Decius ended and Trebonianus began to fight Aemilianus for the throne, it was Valerian who was asked to provide Trebonianus with the military reinforcement he required. Unfortunately before he could reach him, Trebonianus' own troops had joined forced with the troops of Aemilianus and killed him. Aemilianus was also killed by his troops and Valerian was announced emperor, the senate agreed readily to acknowledge him as emperor as he was one of their own. Once becoming emperor he nominated his son Gallienus to help him rule the empire, he divided the rule taking the east and with Gallienus taking the western problems. The whole of the west had fallen into disorder and in the East, provinces had fallen into the wrong hands. Towards the end of 259 Valerian, engaged in the battle of Edessa between the Romans and the Persians, was defeated and taken captive. It was said that even when Valerian offered his captor Shapur a large ransom in exchange for his release he was tortured and skinned and his skin, stuffed with straw, was mounted in a temple as a trophy.

Gallienus Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus was born in 218 and succeeded the throne as sole emperor in 260 after the death of his father Valerian. When his father was chosen as emperor in 253 he asked that Gallienus would co-rule to share the power and responsibility. They divided the empire into the Eastern realm and Western realm. While his father attempted to quell the threat of Persians in the East, Gallienus remained in Italy to watch over the threat posed by Germanic tribes on the Danube. Gallienus was a ruler admired by many as unlike many rulers before him he held the belief that if an empire was to be fought for, an action must be taken to preserve its history and culture. When in 260 his father was taken captive and killed by the eastern invaders and killed it took a rally by a general, prefect and the remainder to the loyal eastern roman legions to fight back against his captor and stop their looting and plundering. The fighting in the West continued and Gallienus lost a large part of Gaul to invaders. Around this time, general Claudius II rose up from the ranks and gained loyalty from the army and succeeded Gallienus as Emperor. In 268 Gallienus was murdered and his reign ended.

Saloninus Publius Licinius Cornelius Saloninus was born in 242 and was the son of Gallienus. He was appointed Caesar in 258 and at his fathers request, was sent to Gaul to ensure his father the emperor still had the respect of Gauls inhabitants. In 260 an argument was had between Saloninus and the usurper, Postumus, about how booty was being distributed. Saloninus and his protector Silvanus, having being threatened, fled the town back to his home in Cologne. Soon however, the city was captured by an enraged Postumus and Saloninus and Silvanus were murdered. His father being so far away could do nothing to prevent this. Postumus Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus, of unknown birth date is believed to have been a citizen of Gaul and through hard work, rose through the military ranks and eventually becoming governor of either Germania Inferior or Superior. Postumus along with several military commanders and Saloninus, the son of ruling emperor Gallienus, were left to protect the Rhine. While under attack Postumus was declared emperor by his army and went on to invade the city of Cologne where he murdered Saloninus. Gaul, Spain, Germany and Britain all recognised Postumus as emperor. He set up his own empire with Cologne as the capital along with its own senate. In 263 Gallienus sought to eliminate Postumus but returned home to Rome seriously wounded. One of Gallienus' generals who was in

command of Milan pledged his allegiance to Postumus. To march on to Rome to claim a formal title as emperor Postumus would have needed the support of this city, but when the general was besieged by Gallienus, Postumus failed to support him. In 268, one of Postumus top military leaders Laelianus challenged his position when he was declared emperor by his troops while in Mainz. Postumus was quick to react, but after successfully capturing the city of Mainz and killing Laelianus, his own troops turned on him and killed him. Marius Marcus Aurelius Marius was a blacksmith by trade and rose through the ranks of the Roman army eventually becoming an officer. When Postumus was killed he seized power for himself. Although many historians believe that he was only in power for a matter of three or for days, coins depicting his image were in circulation which would mean that his entire reign would have lasted at least two to three months. It seemed not everyone agreed that he was the right man for the job and at the time of his death it is said that he was killed by a sword of his own making. Victorinus Marcus Piavonius Victorinus was born into a wealthy family and was a soldier under the order of Postumus. In 267 he became co-consul of Postumus and later, following the death of Marius he was proclaimed emperor. Gaul and Britain both recognised Victorinus as emperor but Spain reunited with the Roman empire. In 270 he seduced the wife of one of his officers who in retaliation, rose up against him and murdered him. Victorinus mother is said to have held power after his death while she could arrange for Tetricus I to be appointed as his successor and pay the army handsomely to support him in this position. Tetricus I Caius Pius Esuvius Tetricus was born to a noble family and at the time of Victorinus death, he held the position of provincial governor of Aquitania. Upon his elevation to emperor (with the help of the mother of the former emperor Victorinus) he nominated his son Tetricus II as Caesar. During his reign he managed to fight off Germanic tribes, who tried to invade during the confusion after the loss of Victorianus, but he never attempted to expand the Gallic empire. In 273, Aurelian the Emperor of Rome sought to reconquer the Western Roman empire and Tetricus and the army headed south to meet him before he could invade. During the battle both Tetricus and his son surrendered to Aurelian but it is said that their lives were spared and Tetricus was given the position of governor of a southern region of Italia. Claudius II Marcus Aurelius Claudius Augustus Gothicus was born in 213 and was the commander of the Roman army at the time that they fought the battle of Naissus and defeated the Goths. He rose to the throne after the death of Gallienus who he was said to have murdered but that was never proven. His greatest military achievement was the battle of Naissus where he destroyed the Gothic

cavalry and after their retreat it would be another hundred years before they tried to attack again. He then turned on the Gallic empire and soon regained control over Spain and Gaul. This would lay the foundations for future emperor Aurelian to regain control over he entire western empire once more. In 269 while preparing to go to war once more, this time against the Vandals, he fell ill with the plague and died in early 270. Before his death he is said to have elevated Aurelian to replace him but for a brief period the empire was taken over by Claudiuss brother Quintillus. Quintillus Marcus Aurelius Claudius Quintillus was brother of emperor Claudius II and upon the death of Claudius, Quintillus became emperor himself. There are several accounts of how he rose to power. The first reports that he was chosen by the soldiers of the Roman army and this was then approved by the senate, another report states that he was elected by the senate itself. Unfortunately the legions supporting Claudius through his campaign along the Danube were reluctant to have Quintillus as their emperor and chose to elevate their existing leader Aurelian to the rank of Augustus. Historians disagree on the length of his reign, which could have been between 7 days and six months, and also the cause of Quintillus death. He was either murdered by his own soldiers in response to the amount of discipline he forced on them, killed while battling Aurelian for the throne or lastly by committing suicide Aurelian Lucius Domitius Aurelianus was born in 214 to a family of average wealth. His military career took him to the rank of general, which he held through several wars and his successes made him noticeable and he soon became a cavalry commander of the army of emperor Gallienus. In 270, when Quintillus seized power after the death of Claudius, the troops were unhappy with the choice of ruler and nominated Aurelian as emperor. After the death of Quintillus, the senate officially recognised Aurelian as emperor. During his reign, Aurelian was able to reunite all parts of the empire than had split from Rome during the reign of previous rulers. This actually amounted to regaining two thirds of what the empire was in its entirety 15 years ago. He was threatened many times with those who wanted the power of emperor but was heavily supported by his legions. In 275 Aurelians secretary (who was concerned about what his punishment might be for having told a lie recently) created a false document stating names of high officials that would soon be executed and passed it around. Fearing punishment for being in possession of these documents, several high ranking officers murdered Aurelian. While a new emperor was chosen, Aurelians wife held power for a brief period. Tacitus Marcus Claudius Tacitus was born in 200 and during his early years carried out duties for various civil offices and became consul in 273. after the assassination of Aurelian he was selected by the senate to ascend the throne as emperor and this was supported by the army. His half brother Florianus was praetorian prefect and together they moved to continue the battle against the barbarians that Aurelian had started but had been cancelled after his death allowing the barbarians to plunder the eastern roman provinces. Together they were victorious on this campaign but soon after Tacitus was assassinated in 276

Florianus Marcus Annius Florianus was the half brother of Tacitus and was chose by the western armies to succeed him after his death in 276, this however was not agreed upon by the senate. It was during battle that he discovered that the army in the east had elected Probus as emperor, and he unfortunately had the benefit of support from Italia, Gaul, Hispania, Britain, Africa and Mauretania. A battle followed between the two emperors and although Florianus had a larger army at the time, Probus was more of an experienced general and was more likely to come out victorious. The army of Florianus saw this and were quick to assassinate him. Probus Marcus Aurelius Probus was born in 232 and entered the army at an early age. He was soon appointed governor of the east under the rule of Tacitus. Tacitus was then succeeded by his half brother Florianus who was killed by his own soldiers once they were to realise that Probus was a far more superior general. Probus was elected emperor by the troops at that point and moved to the west to defeat the Goths who were wreaking havoc, it was after this victory that the senate ratified him. During his reign he re-established security on all the regions under Romes rule and this included ridding Gaul of its German invaders. During times of peace, he would put his soldiers to work replanting crops and repairing structures in areas that had been ravaged by war in order to keep the economy flowing. After his victories in the West, he was keen to start his campaign in the east and upon leaving Rome in 282 he received news that the commander of the Praetorian Guard, Marcus Aurelius Carus, had been proclaimed emperor by his troops Probus was killed by his own soldiers.

Carus Marcus Aurelius Carus was born in 230 and was educated in Rome and eventually rose to become a senator. He then served in the army before the emperor Probus appointed prefect of the Praetorian guard in 282. Once Probus was killed by his soldiers, a clear path was left for Carus to rule over the empire, though never formally returning to Rome. He had two sons, Carinus and Numerian who received the title of Caesar from their father. With this newly found power, Carinus was left in charge of the western regions of the empire and Numerian followed his father on an expedition against the Persians. There were many battles to avenge former defeats of the Romans against the Sassanids spread over several eastern regions and the victories earned Carus the title of Persicus Maximus. His death was to come soon after a violent storm, records recount that his death was a result of disease, a lightening strike or a wound that had been received during a previous campaign. He was succeeded in 283 by his son Numerian. Carinus Marcus Aurelius Carinus was the older son of Carus and was appointed governor of the western empire when his father came to power. He was successful in battle against the Quadi tribes in the west but soon tired of battle and returned to Rome to live a more luxurious life filled with women and alcohol. Upon the death of his father in the East, Carinus younger brother Numerian was pressured by the troops to lead them back to Europe but died on their return. At this stage the troops nominated the commander of the body-guards, Diocletian as emperor and Carinus immediately left Rome to meet with him. During battle Carinus was killed whether it be by

Diocletians troops or an assassination ordered by one of his wives. Numerian Marcus Aurelius Numerianus was the son of Carus and younger brother of Carinus. In 282 he was proclaimed Caesar. He soon married the daughter of a prefect of the Praetorian guard and along with his father in law, followed his father Carus to battle against the Sassanids. When his father died in 283 Numerian was proclaimed Augustus and pressured by the army to return to their bases in Europe. On their return it was said that he developed an eye infection in which he needed to travel in a coach to have a better chance of recovery. According to records the soldiers smelled something terrible a couple of days into their return and found that Numerian had died in the coach. Valerius Diocles accused the father in law Aper of murdering the young emperor and had him killed, Diocles was then named emperor by the troops and adopted the name Diocletian. Diocletianus Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus was born in 245 to a common family and rose through the ranks of the army and when Carus was proclaimed emperor in 282 he set about gaining his trust. In 283 he was promoted to the rank of commander of the cavalry arm of the imperial bodyguard. Together with Carus, Numerian and Numerians' father in law Aper, they battled against the Sassanid empire and upon their victory plundered the Sassanid capital. Once Carus died and Numerian became Augustus, it was Aper who claimed he was ill and that he ride back to Rome in a closed carriage. When the soldiers surrounding the carriage sensed a bad smell and discovered Numerian dead, Diocletianus accused Aper of killing Numerian and killed him personally. Diocletian was then elected Emperor by the troops in 284. Soon after this election Carinus, the elder son of Carus, marched forward to fight for his right as lawful emperor but was quickly killed in battle. By 298 he had intercepted Germanic and Sassanid invasions across the Danube, Rhine, Syria and Palestine. During his rule he determined that by splitting the empire in two , it would become more manageable and prevent many of the problems that previous emperors had to face. He changed the structure of the Roman government ruling as an autocrat rather than a dictator and incorporated religion as well as military knowledge into his ruling. The system was in place by 292 and Diocletianus took the eastern side of the empire and gave the western empire to Maximian with the imperial power divided between the two men and with two separate capitals while the senate remained in Rome. In 293 each ruler appointed a Caesar to replace him, Galerius and Constantius were named and each of them as Caesar also automatically gained rule over a quarter of the empire. In 305 both Diocletianus and Maximian retired although Diocletianus had the decision on his own and Maximian was persuaded to step down. Maximian Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus Herculius was born in 250 and like many rulers began his career in the army. He was fighting along side Diocletianus when the later rose to power. In 285 Diocletianus was named Caesar and ruler of the western empire, the following year he rose to share equal power when he became Augustus. In 293 when the power was divided into quarters, Constantius Chlorus was chosen as his own Caesar. During his reign he had several military successes which included thwarting Carausius (with the help of his Caesar Constantius) who had declared himself emperor in Britain and also succeeded in strengthening Africas defences. In 305 Diocletianus forced Maximian to retire alongside him in accordance with an oath he had

taken at the beginning of his rule. Galerius and Constantius became the new emperors at this point and they nominated Flavius Valerius Severus and Maximinus Daia as their Caesars. The career of Maximian did not end here though. Upon the death of Constantius, Maximians son Maxentius nominated himself of emperor over the western empire and brought his father back to power by nominating him Augustus. Maximian was once again successful in several battles and to get Constantiuss son Constantine on his side, had Constantine marry his daughter. In 308 Maximian tried to usurp his own son but was beaten and took refuge with Constantine in Gaul. His death came about when his plot against Constantine was discovered and he was assassinated. Constantius I Chlorus Flavius Valerius Constantius was born in 250 and under the rule of Carus, was selected to govern Dalmatia. In 293 when the emperor Diocletian divided the roman empire in half he declared that under the new governing system each empire would be ruled by an Augustus with the support of a Caesar. Constantius was declared Caesar of the western empire that was ruled by Maximian and later married Maximians' step daughter and together they had 6 children not including Constantine who was his first son to a prior marriage. In 286 Carausius declared himself emperor in Britain and Gaul, and it was Constantius who was sent to defeat him in 293. In 305 when both Maximian and Diocletianus retired, Constantius and Galerius became coemperors with Severus and Maximinus as Caesars but when Constantius died in Britain during battle in 306, Constantine was elected emperor by the army.

Galerius Galerius Maximianus was born in 250 to a common family and began as a herdsman just like his father before him. During the reign of Aurelian and Probus he served as a distinguished soldier and was promoted in 293 to Caesar. Upon the retirement of Diocletian and Maximian in 305, he and Constantius assumed the title of Augustus and thought his position secure until Constantine elevated in power upon the death of his father. In 307 when an invasion against Italy was unsuccessful he passed his power onto his friend Licinius to become Augustus. In 311 Galerius died in seclusion from what scientists have assume to be some sort of bowel cancer. Severus II Flavius Valerius Severus was originally a soldier from the Illyrian province until 305 when Galerius approached Maximian and requested he appoint Severus as Caesar of the western half of the roman empire. He was Caesar to Constantius who was Augustus of the western region at that time. When Constantius died a year later it was Galerius who promoted Severus to the position of Augustus, even though at the same time Constantine had been claimed emperor by his own soldiers. Severus was sent to Rome with an army previously commanded by Maximian to repress the rebellion started when Maxentius (son of Maximian) revolted. Fearing the inevitable onslaught, Maxentius offered his retired father the opportunity to co-rule which Maximian accepted. Upon hearing this, the soldiers under Severus command rejected him and stood by their previous

ruler. Severus fled and when Maximian offered him safety he surrendered and was held captive near Rome in Tres Tabernae. Galerius invaded Rome in 307 to suppress both Maximian and his son and at this time Maxentius had Severus murdered. Maxentius Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius was born in 278 to roman emperor Maximian and was son-inlaw to Galerius. During his fathers reign he never actually served any time in the military or held any form of administrative position though he was always regarded as a crown prince. He married the daughter of Galerius and had two sons. When diocletianus and Maximian resigned in 305 the Caesars took over even though Maxentius could have taken power being the son of the former emperor. He instead retired to an estate a few miles out of Rome. Riots broke out when the emperors tried to introduce a capitation tax and a group of officers turned to Maxentius to step up as ruler and he was publicly announced emperor in 306 and was regognised in central and southern Italy and the African provinces. Galerius refused to recognise him as emperor in the attempt to prevent others from claiming a title in this manner and in 307 sent Severus to defeat him. The army that Severus led, however, were mostly men who served under Maxentius father so upon arriving to Rome many changed sides to stand by Maxentius and defeated Severus and with him out of the way he was able to take possession of northern Italy and assumed the title of Augustus. Galerius attempted to defeat him but suffered the same fate as Severus and Maxentius then had his daughter marry Constantine, and then promoted Constantine to Augustus. In 308 Maxentius was denied recognition as a legitimate emperor and Licinius was appointed and Maxentius relations with Constantine deteriorated. He attempted to claim back his land through battle with Constantine but fell into a river and drowned during battle. Constantine I Gaius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus was born in 272 to roman general Constantius Chlorus who in 292 left his mother to marry the daughter of emperor Maximian. In his early years he served in the court of diocletianus and when his father became emperor as a result of Maximians retirement he was not made Caesar but still followed his father on expedition to Gaul. His father fell ill and died in 306 and the troop immediately proclaimed Constantine Augustus though this was not legitimate. Constantine proceeded to ask Galerius who at the time was emperor of the east, if he could retain his fathers throne he was instead given the title of Caesar and Severus replaced his father as Augustus. In 307 Maxentius wished to wage war on Severus and Galerius, his father Maximian approached Constantine to see if he was able to get him to side with him, Constantine agreed to become an ally and to seal the deal, married the daughter of Maximian and was promoted to Augustus. When Constantine did not hold up his end of the deal Maximian tried to overthrow him and failed, Maximian was then forced to abdicate and Constantine was once again reduced to Caesar. Maximian was killed while rebelling against his son in-law and following his death both Constantine and maxi minus Daia were raised to the position of Augustus by Galerius meaning that there were then four official augusti, along with Licinius and Galerius. Following the death of Galerius, Licinius and Constantine banded together and created an agreement granting tolerance to all religions within the empire, this was called the Edict of Milan. In 317 Constantines sons Crispus and Constantine II along with Liciniuss son Licinianus were

announced as Caesars. In 324 after numerous battles, Constantine became the sole emperor of the whole roman empire. Licinius

Flavius Galerius Valerius Licinianus was born in 250 was of peasant lineage and as a middle
aged man joined the army and followed good friend Galerius on the Persian expedition. Once the emperor Severus was killed, Licinius was elevated by Galerius to the position of Augustus to maintain the western front with command over Illyricum, Thrace and Pannonia. In 311 after the death of Galerius it was Maximinus Daia and himself who held the empire in their hands. After a failed attack on him by Maximinus, Licinius defeated him in a counter attack at the battle of Tzirallum, and took over ruling the east while his brother in law Constantine ruled the western empire. This arrangement was not to last long when a civil was erupted between the two brothers in 314 and again 2 years later. The emperors eventually put their differences aside and reconciled. In 324 however Constantine felt compelled to wage war once again and this time was successful in defeating Licinius and eventually had him assassinated. Maximinus Daia Gaius Valerius Galerius Maximinus was born in 270 and was the nephew of Galerius though this did not change the fact he was born a peasant. After joining the army he rose through the ranks to a position of great distinction after which he was adopted by Galerius and promoted to Caesar. Once Licinius rose to Augustus, both Maximinus and Constantine were declared sons of the augusti which didnt hold much more rank than Caesar and it is believed that in 310 Maximinus promoted himself to Augustus during an expedition against the Sassanids. Following the death of Galerius in 311, Maximinus took it upon himself to divide the empire between himself and Licinius. Upon discovering that Licinius and Constantine had joined together in power, he and the usurper Maxentius (a Caesar at the time) entered into an alliance with each other that was kept secret. In 313 when war was raged between Licinius and Maximinus, Maximinus was defeated and fled towards Tarsus where he later committed suicide. Valerius Valens Aurelius Valerius Valens originally went by the title Dux Limitis meaning a person of authority over a particular region. Knowing that the truce between Constantine and Licinius would not last after the civil was of 314, Licinius appointed Valens as co-emperor as a message to Constantine that he had lost patience with him as co-emperor. After a second battle in which Licinius was defeated, Constantine forced Licinius to execute Valens to protect any future uprising. During the second civil war Licinius once again chose another co-emperor for similar reasons and appointed Martinianus. Martinianus Sextus Marcius Martinianus came to power during the second civil war but originally he started out as a magister officiorum in Licinius court. In 324 Licinius and Constantine were once again fighting for power during the second civil war and because Licinius was losing he decided to replace Constantine as Augustus and instead replace him with Martinianus as co-emperor. Martinianus was sent by Licinius to intercept and attack Constantine as he crossed the Bosporus

to arrive in the Dardanelles but was unsuccessful as weeks later Licinius was defeated by Constantine and both Martinianus and Licinius were placed under house arrest with the promise that both their lives would be spared. 6 months later Constantine had them both executed. Constantine II Flavius Claudius Constantinus was born in 316 and was the eldest son of Constantine I. In 317 Constantine made his child Caesar at age one and later led him into battle against the Sarmatians at age 7. After the death of his half brother Crispus, he took over the role of commander of Gaul at age 10 and in 332 his father elected him as commander of the army in their battle against the Goths. When his father died in 337, he became co-emperor along with his two brothers Constantius II and Constans and after they divided the empire among them he regained rule over Gaul along with Britannia and Hispania. Along with his rule of these regions he was also designated guardian of Constans, his younger brother, who had rule over Italia, Africa and Illyricum but even when Constans came of legal age Constantine refused to release guardianship and in 340 declared battle against his brother. Constantine II was killed and Constans gained control over regions previously ruled by his brother. Constantius II Flavius Iulius Constantius was born in 317 and was the second of Constantines three sons and was immediately named Caesar by his father. Following the death of his father in 337 he instigated a massacre of all male relatives descending from his grandfather Constantius Chlorus, sparing his two brothers and two cousins Gallus and Julian. In accordance with their fathers will, the three sons divided the empire between them. Constantius ruled the east while the western regions were divided between Constans and Constantine II. While Constantius was in battle with the Sassanids, Constantine II was killed while trying to overthrow Constans and as a result Constans became sole ruler of the western half of the empire. This once again changed when Constans was killed in battle in 350, while fighting against Magnentius who had declared himself emperor. As Constantius was still in battle at this stage he decided to elevate his cousin Gallus to the position of Caesar to continue the battle with the Sassanids so he could take care of matters in the west. The army led by Magnentius was crushed by Constantius in 351, and Magnentius committed suicide two years later. Gallus was eventually killed by Constantius but he soon realised he would not be able to handle the whole empire and was forced to elevate Julian to the position of Caesar in 355. In 361, Julian was declared Augustus by his army in Gaul and as Julian and Constantius went to battle, Constantius fell ill with fever and soon died. Julian became emperor of the entire empire. Constans Flavius Julius Constans was born in 320 and was the youngest son of Constantine I. In 337 he was a joint ruler of the western empire with his older brother Constantine II but when his brother tried to take advantage of his age and assumed military inexperience a battle between them ensued. It was Constantine however who was defeated and killed and Constans became sole ruler of the west. In 350 while his remaining brother was busy fighting in the east, military general Magnentius

rose up and declared himself emperor and unfortunately had the support of both the army and in not to short a time, the entire western empire. The battle was over quickly as Constans lacked the support he needed and fled the region but was cornered in Gaul and killed. Vetranio Much of Vetranios early life is unknown but he served much time in the military and was an experienced soldier when approached by the sister of Constantius II, Constantina, and asked to nominate himself as Caesar in 350. Her eldest brother Constantine I had been killed while battling with his brother Constans over land and power, Constans had been killed by the usurper Magnentius and Constantius was about to battle with Magnentius. Her reasons for approaching Vetranio were probably for increased support for her remaining brother and protection for what was left of their family. Constantius at first accepted Vetranio as Caesar but changed his mind soon after and stripped him of the title. Vetranio was granted a state pension for the rest of his life and permitted to live as a private citizen, in 360 however, it is thought that he committed suicide. Julian Flavius Claudius Iulianus born in 331 was the son of Julius Constantius. In 337 following the death of Constantine, Julians cousin Constantius II led a massacre killing nearly all remaining males in his family in order to retain his power as sole emperor. Julian and his half brother Gallus along with Constantiuss two brothers were hot harmed. Much of Julians early life was spent studying and among his many tutors were the Arian Christian Bishop of Nicomedia, a Gothic eunuch and the Christian bishop George. While Constantius II set out to defeat usurper Magnentius who had killed his brother Constans in the west, he promoted Gallus to Caesar of the western empire. Gallus did not last long and was soon executed and Julian was elevated to take his position in 355. During his reign he had many victories over invading armies and also set about preventing tax increases for the roman people. In 360 the people of Paris proclaimed Julian as emperor and following the death of Constantius II it was revealed that Julian was recognised as his successor in his will. He is known for instigating a huge religious reformation of the state and heavily supported the restoration of the old roman faith which was based on polytheism. In 363 a campaign against the Sassanids began in which Julian intended on retrieving roman cities previously taken over by the Sassanids during Constantius II reign. He was successful until he was unable to retrieve the Persian capital and led his army back to safety. It was while the army was retreating that Julian was mortally wounded by a spear. Jovian Flavius Claudius Iovianus was born in 332 and was the son of the commander of the imperial bodyguards at the time of Constantius II. He himself was a member of the guard and rose to the positions held by his father by 363. He accompanied Julian on his campaign to defeat the Sassanids but after Julian was mortally wounded Jovian stepped up and claimed power. As the army continued their retreat Jovian was forced to draw up a peace treaty in exchange for the safe exit of his army. This was seen as a weak choice and his popularity quickly declined. During his rule Jovian set about setting up Christianity as the state religion but after a rule of only 8 months Jovian was found dead in his tent in 364, the cause of death but down to carbon monoxide fumes from his fire.

Carausius Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus Carausius and during Maximians campaign in Gaul, was chosen to command the Classis Britannica which was a large fleet situated in the English channel. The purpose of the fleet was to eliminate Saxon and Frankish pirates who had been terrorising the region but Maximian would soon find out that he was allowing the pirates to continue raids, then capture them and keep a large amount of the captured loot for himself. Maximian sentenced him to death and upon hearing about this sentence Carausius declared himself emperor of both Britain and northern Gaul. he had not only his fleet to support him but also three legions stationed in Britain, a legion seized in Gaul along with a group of barbarian mercenaries who were loyal only because of the promise of loot. In 288, Maximian set about preparing his army to invade Britain but they failed. In 293 though, Carasius was defeated by Constantius Chlorus who was the western Caesar at the time, when he reclaimed Gaul. With his power dwindling, Allectus who was Carausiuss treasurer saw this as a prime opportunity to take power and murdered him and took the power for himself. Allectus Earliest records mentioning Allectus state that he was the treasurer of Carasius and anything prior to that was of minor importance. He was an officer in the Roman Navy and once Constantius Chlorus started taking away the land held by Carausius, Allectus saw this as the best opportunity to take power for himself and assassinated Carausius. There are few records documenting his reign but it is known that he released coins in Bononia bearing his resemblance and this in itself is enough to show that Constantiuss recapture of the region was not enough to completely eliminate the support for the rebel empire. In 296 Constantius took to the sea and managed due to heavy fog, to bypass the ships watching out for enemies and was able to set fire to his ships near the coast. As Allectuss forces attempted to retreat from the coast, they were cornered by several more of Constantiuss divisions and this resulted in a battle in which Allectus was killed. Valentinian I Flavius Valentinianus was born in 321 and was the son of a successful general named Gratian the Elder. During his military career he was an officer of the Praetorian Guard under both Julian and Jovian and continued to rise through the ranks of the imperial service. Following the death of Jovian he was elected emperor by officers of the army because of his great courage and military capacity. His brother Valens accompanied him on most expeditions and together they shared power over the empire with Valentinian taking rule over the western empire and Valens controlling the eastern empire. It was at this time that the Saxon and Burgundian barbarians introduced themselves and the two brothers spent much time subduing their attacks. It was the Alamanni that proved Valentinians biggest problem when they crossed the Rhine and plundered the city. Even though Valentinians attack on them was successful, the losses that his own army sustained were so great that he didnt continue and instead chose to make peace with their king, Macrianus, and following this peace deal they developed a friendship. In 374 following the erection of roman forts on what they claimed to be their land, a Germanic tribe by the name of Quadi crossed the river and completely desecrated the city of Pannonia. During an assembly with the Quadi in 375, while Valentinian was angrily yelling, a blood vessel burst in his skull causing his immediate death.

Valens Flavius Iulius Valens was born in 328 and was the younger brother of Valentinian I. While his brother entered the military and had made quite a successful career out of it, Valens spent most of his youth growing up on the estate that their father had owned. In 360, Valens joined the army and accompanied his brother on the Persian campaign led by the emperor Julian. In 364 when Jovian took over rule and was on his way to Constantinople to secure his claim to the throne, he passed away and Valentinian was proclaimed emperor by the army. Valentinian elevated Valens to the position of co-emperor to rule the eastern empire but a year later Valens learned of usurper Procopius who had named himself emperor in Constantinople. When Valens heard of this usurper he considered both abdication and suicide. He eventually sent troops in to thwart Procopius , but these troops were persuaded by Procopius to desert their leader. Valens was almost captured himself but by 366 Valens had compiled a sufficient number of soldiers to march forward and defeat Procopius who was caught and executed after his troops were convinced to desert him. After several large battle throughout his reign it was a battle against a confederated barbarian army that was his undoing. It was said that in 378 during the battle of Adrianople that he was mortally wounded by an arrow.

Gratian Flavius Gratianus Augustus was born in 359, was the son of Valentinian I and was named after his grandfather Gratian the Elder. In 367 his father elevated him to Augustus and following the death of Valentinian in 375 the troops announced Gratians infant half-brother emperor with the title Valentinian II. Gratian passively agreed to this set up without nessacerily approving and handed over a few provinces of the western regions to his mother to look after as his uncle Valens was still in charge of the East. While his uncle Valens was fighting in the battle of Adrianople, Valens refused to wait for his nephews army to assist and as a result lost two thirds of the eastern roman army as well as his own life. Upon the death of Valens, Gratian elevated Theodosius I in 379 to govern the eastern empire and together they fought in the Gothic war which raged from 377 to 382. After time Gratian lost favour with his troops and a general by the name of Magnus Maximus took the opportunity to invade Gaul. Gratian was captured and assassinated in 383. Valentinian II Flavius Valentinianus known as Valentinian II was born in 371 and was the half brother of Gratian. Following the death of Gratian in 383, usurper Magnus Maximus who at the time was a commander of the armies in Britain, declared himself emperor of the western empire. Valentinian fled with his mother to seek military assistance from Theodosius I who was both the ruler of the eastern empire and Valentinians brother in law. Magnus Maximus was killed in 388 and Valentinians power restored. It was in 392 that Valentinians protector, Arbogast, found him hanging in his home. It was common knowledge that the two of them had argued over power over the western empire. It

was this and the fact that Valentinian had previously approached Theodosius about Arbogasts control over him that caused Theodosius to believe that this was not a suicide but murder. These suspicions were close to confirmed when Arbogast elevated Eugenius to the position of western emperor. Eugeniuss reign did not last long as Theodosius battled him and was victorious ending in both halves of the empire being ruled by Theodosius. Magnus Maximus Magnus Maximus was born in 335 and while serving his army in Britain he was proclaimed emperor by his troops in 383. After wreaking havoc on Gaul, he set out to conquer his main threat Gratian who fled after being defeated near Paris but was soon caught and killed. Valentinian II was forced out of Rome by Maximus and he raced to Theodosius I for assistance. The two of them banded together to form an attack against Maximus and were victorious in the Battle of Save, Maximus then retreated to Aquileia where he surrendered and was killed. Theodosius I Flavius Theodosius was born in 347. His father was a senior military officer and in 368 they traveled together to Britannia to battle together. In 374 he was promoted to position of military commander of Moesia but following the execution of his father, he retired to Cauca. Following the death of Emperor Valens in 378, Gratian appointed Theodosius as ruler of the east and when Gratian was killed in 383 and Valentinian II who was ruler of the west passed away in 392, it was Theodosius who was left as sole emperor of the entire empire. During the reign of Theodosius the eastern empire was relatively quiet but the west proved to be a challenge with several battles with the Goths over an extended period of time. It was usurper Maximus who also added turmoil to the west after proclaiming himself emperor in 383. he had the control of every region except for Italy and it was in 387 when he invaded Italy that Theodosius was able to execute him. This wasnt the last of Theodosiuss problems however, as following the death of Valentinian Arbogast took it upon himself to elect Eugenius as ruler, the two armies battled and Eugenius was defeated. Theodosius passed away in 395 due to unknown reasons. Arcadius Flavius Arcadius was born in 377 and was the eldest son of Theodosius I and the brother of Honorius. In 383 Theodosius elevated his son to the position of Augustus and 10 years later Honorius was declared Augustus as well. Being so young, Arcadius and the Eastern empire was under the control of Rufinus, one of his ministers. Following the death of Rufinus, Arcadiuss new advisor Eutropius took his place and was a heavy influence on any decisions made. It also seems that Arcadiuss wife was also very powerful and in 399 convinced her husband to dispose of Eutropius as his advisor, records show she passed away 5 years later. For the remainder of his rule he was influenced by the praetorian prefect Anthemius but it seemed that throughout all this time he never put up much of a struggle as he was not so interested in his imperial career as that of maintaining a constant Christian image. He died in 408. Honorius

Flavius Honorius was born in 384 to Theodosius I and was the younger brother of Arcadius. He was declared Augustus by his father in 393 and when Theodosius died two years later, the empire was split between both brothers leaving Honorius in control of the western roman empire at age 10. Because of his youth, he was initially forced to rely on the leadership and advice of general Stilicho and in order to remain close to the young emperor, Stilicho insisted that his daughter Maria marry Honorius. In 405 Stilicho was able to subdue a complete invasion by barbarians into Italy but by the time that was done much of Italy was devastated. In 408 following several more threats Honorius had Stilicho arrested and executed for reasons of plotting against Honorius. In 421, Constantius III who at the time was a general, was elected by Honorius as co-emperor but he died in 422 leaving Honorius as sole emperor once again. Honorius died in 423 leaving no heir. Constantius III Flavius Constantius began as a soldier in the roman army and attracted the attention of the emperor Honorius after several successful defensive campaigns on behalf of the Western Empire. He deterred several attacks by barbarian forces and also ended the revolt of Constantine III who was attempting to take over the throne. Due to Honorius weak disposition, Constantius was able to manipulate him and influence his decisions. In 417 Constantius married the sister of Honorius and was then given the title of co-emperor and ruled over the west. The emperor of the east, Theodosius II, refused to acknowledge Constantius rule but while preparing a campaign against him Constantius died suddenly. Valentinian III Flavius Placidius Valentinianus was born in 419 and was the only son of Constantius III. Following the death of his father in 421, he and both his mother and sister, all moved to Constantinople which was currently under the rule of Honorius. Two years later Honorius died and Theodosius had Valentinian elevated to the position of Caesar in order to control the west and would have him marry his daughter when he had gained a few years. At the age of 6, Valentinian became the emperor of the western empire. During his reign much of the empire was lost, this included Africa being claimed by the Vandals, the abandonment of Britain, barbarians taking over great amounts of both Spain and Gaul, and Sicily being ravaged. The reign however was also marked by His victory over Attila the Hun in 451 and multiple campaigns against the Visigoths which were all successful. It was Valentinians murder of Atius in 454, the general who led the battle over Attila that was his down fall. A year later while the emperor was in Rome, two barbarian followers of Atius assassinated him and his position as emperor was quickly claimed by a wealthy senator named Petrinus Maximus. Petronius Maximus Petronius Maximus was born in 396 and was a roman aristocrat of senatorial rank. He gradually worked his way up the political ladder and arrived at the position of Consul in 433 and then went on to become the Praetorian Prefect of Italy in 439. In 445 he became the most honoured of all non-imperial Romans when he was given the title Patrician until Atius stepped in. From that point in time there was great hostility between the two and while some records claim that it was only Valentinian who had Atius murdered in 454, other records show that Maximus was also behind the conspiracy.

After Valentinians death, Maximus would fight of several others for the position of power including Majorian who would eventually become emperor anyway. While having just sent soldiers led by Avitus out on an expedition to gain support from the Visigoths, it was heard that the King of the Vandals had invaded Italy and as a part of all the commotion that was stirred in Rome, Maximus was stoned to death. Avitus Marcus Maecilius Flavius Eparchius Avitus was born in 395 and was named Master of Soldiers by Emperor Petronius Maximus. It was Emperor Maximus who sent Avitus on a friendly mission to seek allegiance with Theodoric II, the King of the Visigoths but upon his arrival Avitus would learn that the Vandals had invaded Rome and that Maximus had been killed. Theodoric persuaded Avitus to take the place of the former emperor and by 455 his soldiers had proclaimed him emperor and he arrived back at Rome that year to make the claim official. The roman people were never satisfied with Avitus as ruler and following a failed campaign against the Vandals and famine ravaging the empire a revolt was led by Ricimer and Majorian. Avitus fled and attempted to raise an army with which to fight for his position bur was defeated and captured. Though his life was spared he attempted to escape to Gaul but he died on the way there.

Majorian

Iulius Valerius Maiorianus was born in 420 and was a capable general of the Roman army and
had several victories over the Franks and the Alemanni. Following the deposition of ruler Avitus, Majorian was declared emperor by a Regent named Ricimer but this did not sit well with Emperor Leo who was based in Constantinople and saw Majorian as a usurper. Following a battle with King Theodoric of the Visigoths and then forming an allegiance with him, he set out to join his navy fleet but the King of Vandals attacked destroying most ships and taking others. Peace was made with the King of Vandals but Majorians reputation had been ruined and the soldiers mutinied led by Ricimer. Five days later Majorian died of either dysentery or physical violence. Libius Severus Libius Severus was elevated to emperor by Ricimer following the death of Majorian in 461. As was the case with Majorian, Leo the emperor of the East refused to acknowledge Severus as having any power. Many historians state that Severus was like a puppet belonging to Ricimer but these claims cannot be substantiated as there is no record of anything being done during the reign that Severus held. A series of coins that were minted did have Ricimers monogram on the back but there is very little to show for his time in power. He died in 465 either of natural causes or was poisoned by Ricimer, and following his death was replaced by Anthemius. Anthemius Procopius Anthemius was born in 420 and was the first Emperor of the West to be acknowledged by Leo I the Emperor of the East. He also had several men of notable power pledge their allegiance including Ricimer, a powerful

military figure who eventually married the daughter of Anthemius. Marcellinus was a general who had proved troublesome for some emperors in the past supported Anthemius as did Riothamus who joined his Romano-British army with that of the Roman Empires. They marched on to battle Euric but were quickly defeated as were the fleet of Roman ships destroyed by the incompetence of the navy leader Basiliscus. Anthemius also lost the skill and power held by Marcellinus when the man was murdered. In 470 Anthemius became dangerously sick and believing it to be the handy work of sorcery and became vengeful towards many prominent political figures who Anthemius believed to hold a grudge against him. Ricimer quickly tired of his antics and after banding together 6000 of his own soldiers he waged war on Anthemius and eventually would capture and execute the emperor. Olybrius Anicius Olybrius was a member of a noble roman family and in 464 was made consul and married Placidia the daughter of the previous Emperor Valentinian III. In 461 and 465 Geiseric, the father in law of Placidias older sister, attempted to have Olybrius made Emperor but it seems that Olybrius wasnt interested in the power or fame. Leo, the Emperor of the East, requested that Olybrius go to Italy in 472 to assist the emperor Anthemius against retaliation from his son in law Ricimer. Olybrius and Ricimer entered into negotiations and it was following this that he was proclaimed emperor against his will. Anthemius was killed a short time later and Olybrius took over the throne without any rival. Later that year he died of natural causes ending his otherwise uneventful reign. Glycerius Glycerius was born in 420 and was a member of the imperial court before his rise to power. Following the death of Olybrius he was chosen to ascend the throne in 473 but as with other emperors was not recognised by the Emperor of the eastern empire, Leo. During his reign there were several battles against both the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths. Following the invasion of Gaul by the Ostrogoths Glycerius sent the roman army into the area and managed to prevent two branches of Goths from joining together attacking Rome as one. Rather than stand by and refuse to accept this emperor as ruler, Leo the emperor of the eastern empire appointed Julius Nepos to the position of emperor of the west and provided him with a powerful army. Nepos led his army to the port city of Ostia near Rome in 474 where Glycerius happened to be residing and soon Glycerius surrendered to Nepos. He was allowed to continue living and two years later the two men met again and at that time Nepos had been deserted by his troops and was forced to flee to the same area that he had sent Glycerius previously. The date of Glycerius death is unknown. Julius Nepos Julius Nepos was born in 430 and was given power over the western empire by his uncle in law to end the reign of Glycerius. As Leo was officially the sole emperor he had the rightful power to choose who he wished to divide his empire with. Nepos reigned from 474 over the Italian region and several adjoining areas. During his reign he tried to consolidate as much of the empire as possible which included regaining the region of Gaul currently in the hands of the Visigoths in exchange for several minor regions. Unfortunately he was unable to negotiate with the vandals as they continued to launch attacks off the coast of Italy. Nepos was a very capable emperor but considered unpopular by the Roman senate because of his close ties with Leo and the eastern empire. Next he made the unfortunate mistake of electing Orestes as his commanding general who later turned on Nepos taking control of the government

and troops forcing him to flee home to Dalmatia. He continued to rule in Dalmatia until he was murdered by his soldiers in 480. Romulus Augustus Flavius Romulus Augustus was born in 463 and was the son of Orestes who was the commanding general of the Roman army. After turning on Emperor Nepos, Orestes elevated his son Romulus to the throne in 475 as he himself was unable to rule due to being a Germanic tribesman. As Romulus was little more than a child it was his father who ruled through him. He made no decisions and though coins were issued in his name, no monument was erected to honour him. No emperor in the East accepted his rule and he was largely shunned. Mercenaries approached his father demanding land and when he refused they had him executed. One mercenary captured the city of Ravenna and forced the young emperor to leave the throne and from that point in time it would be Germans who would dominate the Roman armies. Records state that Romulus lived but cannot agree with what became of him following his abdication. www.kejadian26.info