History of the Roman Empire


History of the Roman Empire


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Perspective


The history of the Roman Empire followed that of the Roman Republic. Its vast expanse included territories along the Mediterranean Sea and in Europe, northern Africa, and the Near East. From the rise of Julius Caesar to the onset of military chaos in the 3rd century, Rome existed as a principate, with Italy as locus of the empire and Rome as its capital. After the military crisis, the empire was ruled by the many emperors of both the Western Roman Empire and Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire). Rome remained the capital of both halves until AD 476, when the government was relocated to Constantinople after the capture of Italy by Odoacer and the overthrow of Romulus Augustulus. Then, Christianity was adopted as the state religion of the Roman Empire in AD 380, and Christians gained power and influence in the 4th century following the Edict of Milan. Soon, widespread invasions by Germanic peoples and the Attila the Hun led to the decline of the Western Roman Empire. With the fall of Italy to barbarian kings and the overthrow of Romulus Augustus in AD 476 by Odoacer, the Western Roman Empire finally collapsed. But the Eastern Roman Empire endured for another thousand years, until its capital Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.

The first two centuries of the Empire brought a period of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana (“Roman Peace”), and the empire reached its greatest extent during the rule of Trajan (AD 98–117). But increasing trouble and decline began to set in under Commodus (177–192). In the 3rd century the empire experienced an existential crisis when the Gallic and Syrian provinces broke away from the Roman state. After this, a series of short-lived emperors, who often served at the pleasure of the imperial guard, ruled the empire. Aurelian reunified the empire in 270, and in an effort to stabilize it, Diocletian set up two separate imperial courts in the Eastern and Western Roman Empires in 286.

The culture and institutions of Rome exerted a long-lasting influence on language, religion, art, architecture, literature, philosophy, law, and governance. The Latin of the Romans evolved into the Romance languages of the medieval world, while Medieval Greek became the language of the Byzantine Empire. The Empire’s adoption of Christianity led to the formation of medieval Church, the only unifying government through the thousand years of the Dark Ages.

Roman architecture served as the basis for several styles, including the Romanesque, Renaissance, and Neoclassicism, and also strongly influenced Islamic architecture. Both Greek and Roman science formed the basis for Islamic science and Europe’s Scientific Revolution. The precepts of Roman law have formed the foundation of many more modern legal systems, including the Napoleonic Code. In all, the institutions of the Roman Republic left an enduring legacy, influencing the medieval Italian city-state republics as well as the founding of a democratic republic in the United States.


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Index

Empire Index | Governance: Structure | Augustus: SocietyPowerGovernance: ProgressionAugustan ReformationJulian LawsAugustan StimulusForeign AffairsPax Romana | Julio-Claudian Dynasty: TiberiusCaligula: GovernanceClaudiusNero: Governance | Three Emperors | Flavian Dynasty: VespasianDomitian: Governance: Foreign Affairs | Titus | Antonine Dynasty: HadrianAntoninus PiusMarcus Aurelius: GovernanceForeign AffairsCommodus: GovernanceDemiseSeptimius SeverusTrajan: Governance | Nerva | CaracallaElagabalus | Aurelian | Diocletian: Governance | Severus Alexander | Anarchy: Economic AnarchyPolitical Anarchy | Constantine: SocietyCultureGovernance | Lesser Lights | Theodoric | Romulus Augustulus



Roman Empire

Empire: Index

Roman Empire | governance

Power: Governance

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | structure

Governance: Structure

Augustus

Augustus

Augustus | society

Augustus: Society

Augustus: Power

Up to Index

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Augustus | governance

Augustus: Governance

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Augustus | progression of governance

Governance: Progression

Augustan Reformation

Governance: Augustan Reformation

Augustan Reformation | Julian Laws

Augustan Reformation: Julian Laws

Augustan Stimulus

Governance: Augustan Stimulus

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Augustus | foreign affairs

Governance: Foreign Affairs

Up to Index

Pax Romana

Governance: Pax Romana

Julio-Claudian Dynasty

Power: Julio-Claudian Dynasty

Julio-Claudan Dynasty | Tiberius

Julio-Claudian Dynasty: Tiberius

Julio-Claudian Dynasty | Caligula

Julio-Claudian Dynasty: Caligula

Caligula | governance

Caligula: Governance

Julio-Claudian Dynasty | Claudius

Julio-Claudian Dynasty: Claudius

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Julio-Claudian Dynasty | Nero

Julio-Claudian Dynasty: Nero

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Julio-Claudian Dynasty | Nero | governance

Nero: Governance

Julio-Claudian Dynasty | Three Emperors

Julio-Claudian Dynasty: Three Emperors

Flavian Dynasty

Power: Flavian Dynasty

Flavian Dynasty | Vespasian

Flavian Dynasty: Vespasian

Flavian Dynasty | Domitian

Flavian Dynasty: Domitian

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history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Flavian Dynasty | Domitian | governance

Domitian: Governance

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Flavian Dynasty | Domitian | foreign affairs

Governance: Foreign Affairs

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Flavian Dynasty | Titus

Flavian Dynasty: Titus

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Antonine Dynasty

Power: Antonine Dynasty

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Antonine Dynasty | Hadrian

Antonine Dynasty: Hadrian

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Antonine Dynasty | Antoninus Pius

Antonine Dynasty: Antoninus Pius

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history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Antonine Dynasty | Marcus Aurelius

Antonine Dynasty: Marcus Aurelius

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Antonine Dynasty | Marcus Aurelius | governance

Marcus Aurelius: Governance

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Antonine Dynasty | Marcus Aurelius | foreign affairs

Governance: Foreign Affairs

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Antonine Dynasty | Commodus

Antonine Dynasty: Commodus

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Antonine Dynasty | Commodus | governance

Commodus: Governance

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Antonine Dynasty | Commodus | demise

Commodus: Demise

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history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire |  Antonine Dynasty | Septimius Severus

Antonine Dynasty: Septimius Severus

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Antonine Dynasty | Trajan

Antonine Dynasty: Trajan

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Antonine Dynasty | Trajan | governance

Trajan: Governance

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Antonine Dynasty | Nerva

Antonine Dynasty: Nerva

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Caracalla

Power: Caracalla

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Elagabalus

Power: Elagabalus

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history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Aurelian

Power: Aurelian

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Diocletian

Power: Diocletian

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Diocletian | governance

Diocletian: Governance

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | AlexanderSeverus

Power: Severus Alexander

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | anarchy

Power: Anarchy

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | economic anarchy

Anarchy: Economic

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history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | political anarchy

Anarchy: Political

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Constantine

Power: Constantine

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Constantine | society

Constantine: Society

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Constantine | culture

Constantine: Culture

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Constantine | governance

Constantine: Governance

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | lesser lights

Power: Lesser Lights

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Theodoric

Power: Theodoric

history of Ancient Rome | Roman Empire | Romulus Augustulus

Power: Romulus Augustulus

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