Roman Emperors and Key Events

Roman Emperors and Key Events

• Early Kings:

  • Amulius: Numitor's brother, overthrew Numitor, exiled him, and tried to kill Romulus and Remus.
  • Romulus: Founder and first king of Rome, killed his twin brother Remus.
  • Shepard: Adopted Romulus and Remus.
  • Numa Pompilius: Peaceful king, opposite of Amulius; built Rome's oldest city walls

• Republic & Early Empire (republican period):

  • Sabine Women: Kidnapping of Sabine women to increase Rome's population.
  • Tarquinius Sextus: Rape of Lucretia, led to the overthrow of the monarchy.
  • Lucretia: Virtuous wife, her rape led to the end of the monarchy.
  • Consuls: Elected officials, responsible for legislative, elective, and judicial purposes, but biased towards wealthy.
  • Carthage: Rome's rival, engaged in wars, Rome won, and annexed Sicily.
  • Hannibal: Carthaginian general, nearly destroyed Rome, crossed Alps, important in Punic Wars.
  • Cato the Elder: Convinced Rome to destroy Carthage.
  • Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus: Serving as Tribunes of the Plebs, they introduced land reforms to address issues of wealthy individuals taking over family farms.
  • Cicero: Politician who thwarted Catiline's conspiracy to overthrow the consul.
  • Catiline: Plotted to overthrow the consul, exposed by Cicero.
  • Julian Law Concerning Citizenship: Granted citizenship to Italians.
  • Marius and Sulla: Competing generals, political rivals, civil wars between Optimates and Populares.
  • Spartacus: Slave revolt, led by Spartacus; Crassus crushed the rebellion.
  • Crassus: Crushed Spartacus' revolt, later defeated in Parthia.
  • Mithradates VI: King of Pontus, fought several wars with Rome, defeated by Pompey.
  • Pompey: Defeated Mithradates, expanded Roman territory, fled to Egypt and was assassinated.
  • Caesar: Key figure in the Roman Republic's transition to empire. Invaded Gaul, became dictator for life, assassinated.
  • Second Triumvirate: Octavian, Marc Anthony, Lepidus.
  • Cleopatra: Queen of Egypt, involved in affairs with Caesar and Marc Anthony, led to civil war.
  • Octavian: Emerged victorious from the civil wars, changed his name to Augustus, became first Roman Emperor.

Early Emperors (Early Empire)

• Augustus: First Emperor of Rome (Princeps), promoted peace, reformed Roman society.
  • Pax Romana: Period of relative peace and prosperity under Augustus.
• Tiberius: Augustus' successor.
• Caligula: Cruel and erratic emperor.
• Claudius: Emperor after Caligula.
• Nero: Emperor who blamed Christians for the fire that destroyed Rome.
• Vespasian: Emperor after Nero, started the Flavian dynasty.
• Titus: Emperor, son of Vespasian, completed the Colosseum.
• Domitian: Emperor following Titus, violent.
• Nerva: Emperor who started the Nerva–Antonine dynasty.

High Empire (High Empire)

• Trajan: Successful military leader, expanded the empire, known for public works.
• Hadrian: Emporer known for his travels and building of the Hadrian's Wall.
  • Antinous: Hadrian's lover.
• Antoninus Pius: Peaceful emperor, favored by the people.
• Marcus Aurelius: Emperor, known for his stoic philosophy.
• Commodus: Emperor, known for his cruelty.

Crisis of the Third Century (Crisis of the Third Century)

• Septimius Severus: Emperor, first African emperor.
• Julia Domna: Wife of Septimius Severus, influential in Roman politics.
• Caracalla: Son of Septimius Severus, murdered his brother Geta, granted citizenship to all free men.
• Geta: Son of Septimius Severus.

Late Empire (Late Empire)

• Diocletian: Emperor who divided the empire into four parts.
• Maximian: Diocletian's co-emperor.
• Galerius: One of Diocletian's caesars.
• Constantine: Emperor, converted to Christianity.
• Maxentius: Emperor, defeated by Constantine.
• Romulus Augustulus: Last Roman Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
• Odoacer: Foreign general who ended the Western Roman Empire.

Test your knowledge about the early kings of Rome and pivotal events in the Republic and Early Empire periods. This quiz covers the foundational stories, such as the tales of Romulus, the kidnapping of the Sabine women, and the rise of prominent figures like Hannibal. Understand how these events shaped the future of Rome.