-
100
Augustus Caesar
The Romans gave Octavian the title "Augustus Caesar". He was the first Roman emperor. -
100
Roman Republic Falls
Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March. Civil wars broke out everywhere. Three men emerged triumphant. Those men were Octavian, Mark Antoni, and Lepidus. Mark Antoni and Octavian convinced Lepidus to step down so they could rule the empire together. -
100
Pax Romana
videoPax Romana began with the accession of Augustus in 27 BCE, which marked the end of the Roman Republic and its final civil wars, and lasted until 180CE at the death of Marcus Aurelius.The empire, wracked with civil war for the last century of the Republic and for years following the Pax Romana, was largely free of large-scale power disputes. video -
Period: 100 to 500
Roman Empire
-
161
Marcus Aurelius Rules
Marcus Aurelius ruled from 161 CE to 180 CE. He was considered the last of 5 good emperors. Marcus Aurelius unified the empire economically through currency. He changed currency so it would be the same everywhere. The time that Marcus Aurelius ruled was considered the end of Pax Romana. At the end of Marcus Aurelius's rule, he named his son, Commodus, as emperor. -
312
Constantine's Rule
Click here for videoConstantine ruled 306-337CE. Constantine ruled the Roman Empire in the west. Licinius and Maximinus shared the rule of the East. In 313 CE, Licinius took complete control of the Eastern part. Constantine proclaimed freedom of worship across the empire. Under Diocletian and others, Christians were punished and tortured for their beliefs. Christianity soon became the main religion of the Roman Empire. -
330
Constantinople is Founded
Constantine moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium which he renamed Constantinople, which means "city of Constantine." He moved the capital there because of its natural boundaries and easier trade routes. -
410
Invasions
Constantine struggled to keep the Empire together but the forces pulling it to pieces was too great. After his death, invaders swept past Rome's borders and overwhelmed the Empire. The invaders were what the Romans called barbarians and what we now call the Germanic tribes. The Visigoths captured and looted Rome in 410 CE. The Vandals also took Rome in 455 CE. The current emperor had almost no power. -
476
The Last Roman Emperor
The last Roman emperor was a 14-year old boy named Romulus Augustulus. His name reminisced more than 1000 years of Roman glory. The boy did not win glory for himself or his empire. A German general took power and forced Romulus Augustulus to work on a farm. Now, no emperor ruled over the Western part of the empire. Nevertheless, the Eastern part of the empire stayed strong. -
Commodus Rules
Commodus was Marcus Aurelius's son. He ruled from 180 CE to 192 CE. Commodus's rule began the decline of the Roman Empire. He was more interested in spending money for entertainment than ruling. Commodus appointed others to help him run the empire. When Commodus ran out of money, he ordered the death of wealthy people. Commodus was assassinated on New Years Eve in 192 CE -
Diocletian
Diocletian was a Roman emperor from 284 CE to 305 CE. He worked to strengthen Rome and prevent the decline. He appointed a co-emperor, Maximian. Diocletian divided the empire into two; he took he wealthier east half, and gave Maximian the west half. He doubled the size of the army and improved the tax structure. Diocletian also took steps to stop economic decline of empire. Diocletian abdicated in 305 C.E.
