UNRV Ancient Roman Empire History

Hadrian and the Arts In addition to Hadrian?s great provincial travels, and corresponding centralization of imperial government, Hadrian was an unrivaled patron of the arts and literature. Despite his extensive military background, certainly stemming from his relationship as a ward of Trajan, Hadrian was a student of Greek philosophy, culture and the arts. In addition [...]

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Hadrian’s Travels Hadrian arrived in Rome in the summer of AD 118, nearly a year after his actual succession to Trajan. His predecessor?s eastern conquests had facilitated a massive Jewish revolt which required an in kind legionary response. While these revolts were largely quelled while Trajan was still alive, Hadrian was forced to finish the [...]

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Hadrian Publius Aelius Hadrianus was born on January 24, AD 76 likely in Rome but possibly in the same place of Trajan`s birth, Italica, Hispania Baetica. Regardless, Hadrian certainly spent much of his youth in Rome where his father, P. Aelius Hadrianus Afer, had served various magistracies including the praetorship. His family, though probably considered [...]

Parthian War Dating from the eastern conquests of Licinius Lucullus and Pompey Magnus in the 60?s BC and into the imperial period, Roman expansion made conflict with Parthia inevitable. During the reign of Nero (50?s ? 60?s AD), a major campaign to ensure Roman hegemony over Armenia was conducted under Cnaeus Domitius Corbulo…

Return of the Principate The key element of Trajan?s administrative reign was the return of favorable relations with the aristocracy. Much like Augustus, Trajan readily delegated governing authority, and unlike previous ?emperors? there was a fundamental shift from the use of the freedman as political advisor and confidant back to the traditional Senate and Equestrian [...]

Dacian Wars Before Trajan returned to Rome in AD 99 to assume his place as ?emperor?, time spent scouting enemy dispositions and investigating the Danube fortifications assuredly inspired him to prepare for an offensive into Dacia. Earlier campaigns against the Dacians as well as against Germanic tribes across the Danube by Domitian had met with [...]

Trajan Born on September 18 in the year AD 52 or 53, in Italica (near modern Seville, Spain) Marcus Ulpius Trajanus was to become the first ‘provincial’ emperor. This, however, can be a bit misleading. The Ulpians were descended originally from Umbria in northern Italy and transplanted to Hispania in the 3rd century BC, for [...]

Adoptive Succession The death of Domitian, though largely greeted with public indifference, did create problems for Nerva?s fledgling administration. The Praetorians were unhappy, their charge being murdered without their approval, and demanded retaliation. In order to settle the situation, within a year of his accession Nerva was forced to hand over the very men who [...]

Nerva The place of M. Cocceius Nerva in history is largely that of an intermediary, filling the vacuum following the fall of Domitian and setting the stage for a golden era of Roman history as the first of the ’5 Good Emperors’. Born between AD 30 and 35 of a richly traditional consular family, little [...]

The Five Good Emperors The period of time ranging from Nerva to Marcus Aurelius has been generally referred to as that of the ?5 Good Emperors.? While the definition of ?good? is always subjective, there is little argument that this period provided the greatest stretch of uninterrupted power and prosperity for the Roman state…

Reign of Terror On the surface Domitian?s reign consisted of no more ?terrorizing? acts than the emperors that preceded him, but his relationship with the senate and aristocracy helped to foster a tarnished image. Additionally his strict moral policies, including religious censorship in the form of Jewish (which in Domitian?s view included Christians) taxation, helped [...]