Ancient Rome History at UNRV.com
  • Home
  • Daily Life
  • Economy
  • Government
  • Military
  • Provinces
  • Map
  • Forum
  • Donate
  • Contact
Ancient Rome History at UNRV.com
  • Daily Life
  • Economy
  • Government
  • Military
  • Provinces
  • Map
  • Forum
  • Donate
UNRV.com Roman History
  • Home
  • Daily Life
  • Economy
  • Government
  • Military
  • Provinces
  • Map
  • Forum
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Five Good Emperors

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. Perhaps more appropriately, these emperors should be known as the 'Adoptive Emperors' because this in itself is an indication of the 'good'. As each was adopted from among the best available candidates, rather than direct hereditary lineage (though there was some relation), it helped insure that Rome was in the most capable hands. Though the Roman people as a group may have noticed little relative difference in the period from Augustus to Domitian, the '5 Good Emperors' offered a century of consistency without the interruptions of Caligula, Nero and Civil War.

Perhaps the eloquent words of Edward Gibbon, the 18th century historian who penned 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire', describe the period best. Despite being limited in comparing the Romans to the human condition only through the 18 century, and lacking the great advancements of the 19th and 20th centuries, Gibbon's words describe 2nd century Rome as perhaps the greatest time of all for humanity.

"In the second century of the Christian Era, the empire of Rome comprehended the fairest part of the earth, and the most civilized portion of mankind. The frontiers of that extensive monarchy were guarded by ancient renown and disciplined valor. The gentle but powerful influence of laws and manners had gradually cemented the union of the provinces. Their peaceful inhabitants enjoyed and abused the advantages of wealth and luxury. The image of a free constitution was preserved with decent reverence: the Roman senate appeared to possess the sovereign authority, and devolved on the emperors all the executive powers of government. During a happy period of more than fourscore years, the public administration was conducted by the virtue and abilities of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and the two Antonines."

"If a man were called to fix the period in the history of the world, during which the condition of the human race was most happy and prosperous, he would, without hesitation, name that which elapsed from the death of Domitian to the accession of Commodus. The vast extent of the Roman empire was governed by absolute power, under the guidance of virtue and wisdom. The armies were restrained by the firm but gentle hand of four successive emperors, whose characters and authority commanded involuntary respect. The forms of the civil administration were carefully preserved by Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and the Antonines, who delighted in the image of liberty, and were pleased with considering themselves as the accountable ministers of the laws. Such princes deserved the honor of restoring the republic, had the Romans of their days been capable of enjoying a rational freedom."

Following the death of Domitian, an effective but reviled leader among the aristocracy, Rome was fortunate to find a stabilizing force in Nerva. A respected senator, Nerva filled the potential power vacuum, and set the tone for the next century during his short but precedent building reign. The great general Trajan followed Nerva and not only re-established Rome as a conquering force, but established his greatness among scholars as perhaps second only to Augustus. Hadrian and Antoninus Pius were among the best of administrators, and Marcus Aurelius (as well as the sometimes forgotten Lucius Verus) continued that pattern while re-establishing military superiority among the bordering Germanic tribes. The period would come to an end amidst plague and the weariness of war with the death of Aurelius in AD 180. As his son Commodus ascended the throne as sole emperor, thus ending the period of 'adoptive' authority, the stability and cohesiveness of the previous era would begin to unravel.

Please click on a name below to find out more about that particular Emperor:

  • Nerva
  • Trajan
  • Hadrian
  • Antoninus Pius
  • Marcus Aurelius

Roman Empire Wall Map
$59.99 incl. shipping

Find Out More
BECOME FLUENT IN ANY LANGUAGE


  • Featured
    Pages
  • Further
    Reading
  • Discussion
    Board
The Roman Twelve Tables of Law
The Twelve Tables

The Twelve Tables are the first attempt to make a law code, and remained the only attempt for nearly one thousand years.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Roman prisoner shackle
Roman Prisons

Typically, Roman prisons were not used to punish criminals, but instead served only to hold people awaiting trial or execution.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Ancient Rome addressing the common people (plebs)
Tribunes of the Plebs

The Tribune of the Plebes (tribunus plebis) was a magistracy established in 494 BC. It was created to provide the people with a direct representative magistrate.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Roman Emperor Augustus
The Deeds of the Divine Augustus

A copy of the acts of the Deified Augustus by which he placed the whole world under the sovereignty of the Roman people.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
The Government of the Roman Empire: A Sourcebook by Dr Barbara Levick
The Government of the Roman Empire: A Sourcebook
by Dr Barbara Levick

This book reveals how an empire that stretched from Glasgow to Aswan in Egypt could be ruled from a single city and still survive more than a thousand years.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Empire of Honour: The Art of Government in the Roman World by J. E. Lendon
Empire of Honour: The Art of Government in the Roman World
by J. E. Lendon

This second edition includes a new introduction that explores the consequences for government and the governing classes of the replacement of the Republic by the rule of emperors.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Roman Government's Response to Crisis, A.D.235-337 by Ramsay MacMullen
Roman Government's Response to Crisis, A.D.235-337
by Ramsay MacMullen

During the period, the government of the Roman empire met the most prolonged crisis of its history and survived. This text is an early attempt at an inclusive study of the origins and evolutions of this transformation in the ancient world.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Swords Against The Senate: The Rise Of The Roman Army And The Fall Of The Republic by Erik Hildinger
Swords Against The Senate: The Rise Of The Roman Army And The Fall Of The Republic
by Erik Hildinger

Swords Against the Senate describes the first three decades of Rome's century-long civil war that transformed it from a republic to an imperial autocracy, from the Rome of citizen leaders to the Rome of decadent emperor thugs.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Augustus, First Roman Emperor: Power, Propaganda and the Politics of Survival by Matthew D. H. Clark
Augustus, First Roman Emperor: Power, Propaganda and the Politics of Survival
by Matthew D. H. Clark

Rome's first emperor, Augustus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, has probably had the most lasting effect on history of all rulers of the classical world. This book focuses on his rise to power and on the ways in which he then maintained authority throughout his reign.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
How Did the Political Structure in Rome influence U.S. Political Structure?
CLICK HERE TO VIEW DISCUSSION
When was Rome the Most Just and Fair?
CLICK HERE TO VIEW DISCUSSION
Heads of State in Ancient Rome
CLICK HERE TO VIEW DISCUSSION
Would the Republic Have Survived Had They Served a 2nd Course?
CLICK HERE TO VIEW DISCUSSION
Can Anyone Tell Me About The 1st Triumvirate?
CLICK HERE TO VIEW DISCUSSION
Did the Emperors Bring About the Need for a Split Empire?
CLICK HERE TO VIEW DISCUSSION

Categories

  • Architecture
  • Clothing
  • Economy
  • Gladiators
  • Government
  • Medicine
  • Military
  • Religion
  • Slavery



Newest Updates

Added a new page to the site about the Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo)
30 March 2021
Converted more archived book reviews into the new website format.
26 March 2021

Popular Search Terms

  • Germania
  • Pax Romana
  • Roman Architecture
  • Roman Gods
  • Roman Numerals
  • Roman Colosseum
  • Pompey
  • Praetorian Guard
  • Roman Legion
  • Tacitus
  • Newsletter

    UNRV.com
    United Nations of Roma Victrix (UNRV) represents the all encompassing power of Rome in the ancient world. United and Romanized, through conquest, or absorbed through its culture, Rome still stands today as a legacy to the achievement of mankind, and its failures.
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Privacy & Cookie Policies
    • Contact
    © Copyright 2021 UNRV.com. All rights reserved.