Related Sponsors

The Roman Empire

Home » Italy » Italy History & Overview » The Roman Empire
Posted by Your Guide on May 4, 2006 5:29 PM

The victorious Octavian continued his rule and renamed himself Augustus. He didn't declare himself dictator, choosing instead the title First Citizen. The kingdom continued to expand heartily under his rule until his death in 14 A.D.

Upon his death, his son-in-law Tiberius took over as First Citizen. He was more concerned with playing than ruling, but managed to maintain peace, which was all his subjects really cared about anyway. Tiberius died in 37 A.D., and his nephew Caligula took control until his own guards murdered him.

Caligula's uncle Claudius took over, and during his reign the Romans succeeded in conquering England. He died when his own wife poisoned him. In 54 A.D. Claudius' stepson Nero, only 16 at the time, took the throne. His mother Agrippina controlled the Empire through him, until Nero reached his mid-20s. At that point Nero was ready to take the reigns and chose to do so by having his mother murdered.

Nero’s place in history is vile indeed. He was responsible for burning Christians alive and was in charge of the executions of St. Peter and St. Paul. In 68 A.D. the governor of Spain revolted against Nero by marching his army toward Rome. Expecting defeat, Nero committed suicide. He was the last ruler from the family of Julius Caesar and Caesar Augustus.

In the years to come, the Roman Empire became a victim of her own size and strength. The scope of the Empire was simply too large to rule effectively, and rebellions became more and more common. In 330 A.D. Constantine I transferred the empire headquarters from Rome to Constantinople (modern day Istanbul). Thus, the city of Rome lost its administrative power, ultimately signifying the beginning of the end for the once dominant Roman Empire.

Constantine was succeeded by a series of ineffective leaders, each of whom weakened the kingdom a little more. Surrounding powers sensed vulnerability and Rome eventually fell in 476 A.D. as the German warrior Odoacer displaced Romulus Augustulus, Rome’s last emperor. The once mighty kingdom was now under the control of others.



Next Page: The Middle Ages

Related Articles