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MMC
03-15-2012, 07:10 PM
There were a host of lousy and terrible Emperors of Rome. But there are 10 who left their mark as the Most Dreadul.

Starting off with the Number one and worst Emperor of All the Romans......is Little Boots. Aka: Caligula. Althought this is debatable as when he first took Power Caligula, was celebrated by all Romans. Even tho there were rumors that he had his second cousin Tiberius killed.

Myself I always thought that Elagabalus was the Worst Atrocity to be given the throne of Rome. But accoring to Historians it is Caligula.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3b/Cropped_color_calligula.jpg/170px-Cropped_color_calligula.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Gaius_Caesar_Caligula.jpg/220px-Gaius_Caesar_Caligula.jpg
A marble bust of Caligula restored to its original colours. The colours were identified from particles trapped in the marble.

Real name.....Gaius Julius Ceasar Augustus Germanicus. Roman Emperor from 37AD to 41 AD.

“Little Boots” took the throne on the death of his second cousin Tiberias, something of a great Uncle to him. Some say Caligula ordered the head of the Praetorian Guard to smother him with a pillow.Upon his ascension, everyone in the Empire rejoiced. For the first seven months or so, he was loved by all. He paid handsome bonuses to the military, to get them on his side, and recalled many whom Augustus and Tiberias exiled.

For the first two years of his Rule he was deemed a Noble and Moderate ruler. While in power he worked for the Unconstrained Personal Power of the Emperor. During his reign the Empire Annexed the Kindom of Mauretania and made it into a province.

Part one on Caligula.....if any have questions feel free to ask. I am not going to just provide a narration. if any want to look anything up. I am using the basic Wikipedia. Althought I do have other sources. If need be.

Are there any others that disagree concerning history's All time Worst Ruler of Rome? Why.....if so? :studying:

Peter1469
03-15-2012, 07:21 PM
Nero was pretty bad too. http://www.unrv.com/early-empire/nero.php

MMC
03-15-2012, 07:25 PM
Nero was pretty bad too. http://www.unrv.com/early-empire/nero.php


Yes Nero is in the top ten. I have him listed as #5 on the All time Worst List. I will get to him after the others.

Mister D
03-15-2012, 07:36 PM
I'm curious if Caligula was genuinely a redhead. Apparently, he was prematurely bald and the Romans did make wigs out of red hair. The Romans also associated red hair with the Germans and Celts but it does occur in other populations including the Chinese. Nero was supposedly a red head so it must have ben in the Julio Claudian family.

Peter1469
03-15-2012, 07:43 PM
Yes Nero is in the top ten. I have him listed as #5 on the All time Worst List. I will get to him after the others.

For some reason I can't see your link. I have that problem sometimes with Chrome.

Conley
03-15-2012, 07:46 PM
I don't see a link either? But I am also on Chrome...

Mister D
03-15-2012, 07:47 PM
I can't see it either.

Peter1469
03-15-2012, 07:52 PM
I checked IE and didn't see it there either.

MMC
03-15-2012, 07:55 PM
I'm curious if Caligula was genuinely a redhead. Apparently, he was prematurely bald and the Romans did make wigs out of red hair. The Romans also associated red hair with the Germans and Celts but it does occur in other populations including the Chinese. Nero was supposedly a red head so it must have ben in the Julio Claudian family.

I really don't have anything on him wearing wigs D. Althought he was related to Nero and they say he was a Red-Head to.

MMC
03-15-2012, 07:56 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula

Mister D
03-15-2012, 07:57 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula

There she is.

MMC
03-15-2012, 07:57 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula

They say he had incestous relationships with all 3 of his sisters. But it is interesting to note that within two years he would be thought of as a monster.

Mister D
03-15-2012, 08:11 PM
I really don't have anything on him wearing wigs D. Althought he was related to Nero and they say he was a Red-Head to.

Not sure if he did or not. I have seen mention of his baldness. Anyway, I was wondering where the Latin tribe came from originally but it's unclear. If they had come from the north it might help explain the appearance of red hair in some Roman patrician families. Fascinating stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_history_of_Italy

Mister D
03-15-2012, 08:13 PM
Sorry for getting us side tracked. :laugh: Back to the worst emperors.

Conley
03-15-2012, 08:22 PM
They say he had incestous relationships with all 3 of his sisters. But it is interesting to note that within two years he would be thought of as a monster.

Stud. :grin:

MMC
03-15-2012, 08:23 PM
Part two-Caligula.....

He has been accused of the most awesomely disgusting, insane, luridly depraved crimes against humanity and morality.
He began ordering the murders of anyone who had ever crossed him, or even disagreed with him on mundane matters. He had a very good memory. He exiled his own wife, and proclaimed himself a god, dressing up as Apollo, Venus (a goddess), Mercury and Hercules. He demanded that everyone, from senators to Guards to guests and public crowds, refer to him as divine in his presence.
He attempted to instate his favorite horse, Incitatus (“Galloper”), as a priest and consul, and ordered a beautiful marble stable built for him, complete with chairs and couches on which Incitatus never sat.
Once, at the Circus Maximus, the games ran out of criminals, and the next event was the lions, his favorite. He ordered his Guards to drag the first five rows of spectators into the arena, which they did. These hundreds of people were all devoured for his amusement.
Caligula’s favorite torture was sawing. The sawblade filleted the spine and spinal cord from crotch down to chest, and the victim was unable to pass out due to excess blood to the brain.
He also relished chewing up the testicles of victims, without biting them off, while they were restrained upside down before him.

These are some of the strange things that are all said about Caligula. Some are true while others are quite questionable. One thing we do know he did go after his own family members.For some reason he hated his own blood. There are accounts by the Roman Senate about his Deviant Sexual Behaviour. Some acts done in public and or before other dignitaries.

He also spent lavishly on himself. Draining Rome even more.

http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/1192757260-tm.jpg?w=208&h=350

Again I never really paid attention or seen anything to show he was bald and or wearing a wig.

MMC
03-15-2012, 08:35 PM
Not sure if he did or not. I have seen mention of his baldness. Anyway, I was wondering where the Latin tribe came from originally but it's unclear. If they had come from the north it might help explain the appearance of red hair in some Roman patrician families. Fascinating stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_history_of_Italy

It's possible such came about with integration with the Etruscans.

Mister D
03-15-2012, 08:37 PM
And whenever he came across handsome individuals with fine heads of hair, he had the backs of their heads closely shaved to imitate his own baldness.

http://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/Suetonius4.htm#_Toc276122093


Caligula was a big, athletic man but unfortunately he developed a bald patch on the top of his head. One day he decided he was embarrassed by this and that bald people should be put to death.


http://www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/caligula.htm

Mister D
03-15-2012, 08:39 PM
He was so sensitive about his baldness that he prohibited anyone from looking down upon his head and shaved some people who had a full heads of hair.

http://www.ushistory.org/civ/6c.asp

Mister D
03-15-2012, 08:40 PM
Julius Caesar had a bald spot too. :shocked:

MMC
03-15-2012, 08:54 PM
Yeah I see.....I never knew that. Now making his Horse a High Priest and Consul. Musta really pissed the Senate off. Some say he had epilepsey. Or some sort of disease. But they really don't know. Writing say he was insane or crazy.

MMC
03-15-2012, 09:14 PM
#2. The Roman Emperor-Elagabalus.....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Elagabalo_(203_o_204-222_d.C)_-_Musei_capitolini_-_Foto_Giovanni_Dall'Orto_-_15-08-2000_.jpg/220px-Elagabalo_(203_o_204-222_d.C)_-_Musei_capitolini_-_Foto_Giovanni_Dall'Orto_-_15-08-2000_.jpg
Elagabalus (Latin (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Latin_language): Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus; ca. 203 – March 11, 222), also known as Heliogabalus, was Roman Emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Emperor) from 218 to 222. A member of the Severan Dynasty (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Severan_Dynasty), he was Syrian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Syria_(Roman_province)) on his mother's side, the son of Julia Soaemias (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Julia_Soaemias) and Sextus Varius Marcellus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Sextus_Varius_Marcellus). Early in his youth he served as a priest of the god El-Gabal (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/El-Gabal) at his hometown, Emesa (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Emesa). Upon becoming emperor he took the name Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus and was called Elagabalus only after his death.

During his rule, Elagabalus showed a disregard for Roman religious traditions and sexual taboos. He replaced the traditional head of the Roman pantheon (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_mythology), Jupiter (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Jupiter_(god)), with a lesser god, Deus Sol Invictus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Sol_Invictus) (in Greek: Helios, hence the name Heliogabalos (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Elagabalus_(deity))), and forced leading members of Rome's government to participate in religious rites celebrating this deity, which he personally led. Elagabalus was married as many as five times, lavished favours on courtiers popularly assumed to have been his homosexual lovers, employed a prototype of whoopee cushions (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Whoopee_cushions) at dinner parties [1] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-0) [2] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-1) and was reported to have prostituted himself in the imperial palace. His reputed behaviour infuriated the Praetorian Guard (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Praetorian_Guard), the Senate (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Senate) and the common people alike.

Amidst growing opposition, Elagabalus, only 18 years old, was assassinated and replaced by his cousin Alexander Severus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Alexander_Severus) on March 11, 222, in a plot formed by his grandmother, Julia Maesa (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Julia_Maesa), and disgruntled members of the Praetorian Guard.....snip~

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elagabalus

This guy even gave his mother and grandmother titles in the Senate. Funny how is own Grand-mother would be the one to cause his death.

Mister D
03-15-2012, 09:17 PM
Yeah I see.....I never knew that. Now making his Horse a High Priest and Consul. Musta really pissed the Senate off. Some say he had epilepsey. Or some sort of disease. But they really don't know. Writing say he was insane or crazy.

Neither did I.

Mister D
03-15-2012, 09:20 PM
It's hard to rate guys like Caligula, Nero and Elagabalus. The written record of them is uniformly negative. It's like asking who was worst: Hitler, Stalin or Mao? They are definitely the top three though, IMO.

MMC
03-15-2012, 09:40 PM
http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/elagabalus-tm.jpg?w=267&h=350

It can be argued that Elagabalus’s assassination reign, from 218 to 222, began the Crisis of the 3rd Century, during which 50 years or so, Rome was ripped to pieces from the inside out by civil war after civil war, rampant anarchy, uprisings, economic hysteria and assaults from Germania and elsewhere.
He was a man, yes, but wanted dearly to be a woman, and offered gargantuan sums of money to the physician who could turn him into one for real.
Until then, he enjoyed cross-dressing, and whored himself out to common men in whorehouses throughout Rome, wearing female disguises and facial makeup. He even solicited men in the Imperial Palace, standing completely naked in the doorway of his favorite bedroom and purring at every passerby, even his Praetorian Guards.
He confided to the head of the Guard that he would like to castrate himself, and asked what the most painful method would be, cutting, crushing, or cooking on open coals. He had hundreds, perhaps thousands, of affairs with men and women while he was married to a Vestal virgin, which was a serious outrage among Romans.
After 4 years of this, Rome erupted into riots as the praetorian citizens demanded his death or deposition. Elagabalus responded by walking right into the praetorian encampment and demanding the arrest and execution of everyone. Instead, everyone descended on him and his mother. He tried to hide in a large clothes chest, but they opened it and stabbed him to death. He and his mother were beheaded, and dragged throughout Rome. He was then flung into the Tiber and spat upon. He was 18 years old.

wingrider
03-15-2012, 11:36 PM
interesting history fellas.. some of this I already knew some of it is new to me.. Thanks one question though.. was Auralious (sp) the same one that went to england and is the purported grand father of Aurthur Pendragon?

MMC
03-16-2012, 06:10 AM
interesting history fellas.. some of this I already knew some of it is new to me.. Thanks one question though.. was Auralious (sp) the same one that went to england and is the purported grand father of Aurthur Pendragon?

I had heard there was a Roman there yet his name was Artorious.....I am not sure who was on the Throne in Rome at the time. Would you happen to know who was the Empreror during that time.

wingrider
03-16-2012, 08:38 AM
I had heard there was a Roman there yet his name was Artorious.....I am not sure who was on the Throne in Rome at the time. Would you happen to know who was the Empreror during that time.

Aurelius Ambrosius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/minorarthur.html#Ambrosius) and Uther (http://thepoliticalforums.com/minorarthur.html#Uther) had been raised in Brittany since Vortigern (http://thepoliticalforums.com/minorarthur.html#Vortigern) was in power in Logres (Britain). When the brothers had reached manhood, they gathered a large army from Brittany, to avenge their brother's death (Constans') and drive out the Saxons.


Ambrosius Aurelianus, was a fifth century Roman leader in Britain (http://thepoliticalforums.com/entry/Great_Britain) who figures prominently in the early Arthurian legends.
According to the Celtic Christian writer Gildas, Ambrosius was a war leader of the Romano-British, possibly descended from Roman royalty, who won an important battle against the Saxons.
Accounts of the ninth century cast him as the antagonist of Vortigern, and the Historia Regum Britanniae, written around 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth, makes him a son of Constantine I (http://thepoliticalforums.com/entry/Constantine_I), the brother of Uther Pendragon, and the person who ordered the building of Stonehenge (http://thepoliticalforums.com/entry/Stonehenge).
Some scholars believe Ambrosius was the leader of the Romano-British at the Battle of Mons Badonicus and as such may have provided one of the historical bases for the legends of King Arthur (http://thepoliticalforums.com/entry/King_Arthur).

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ambrosius_Aurelianus

MMC
03-16-2012, 09:17 AM
I would have to question that. As Stonehedge is older than the Pyramids of Giza. Which then such would mean it was built before there was a Rome.

Mister D
03-16-2012, 09:26 AM
I would have to question that. As Stonehedge is older than the Pyramids of Giza. Which then such would mean it was built before there was a Rome.

It's a legend.

Stonehenge is also mentioned within Arthurian legend (http://thepoliticalforums.com/entry/King_Arthur). Geoffrey of Monmouth said that Merlin the wizard directed its removal from Ireland (http://thepoliticalforums.com/entry/Ireland), where it had been constructed on Mount Killaraus by giants, who brought the stones from Africa (http://thepoliticalforums.com/entry/Africa). After it had been rebuilt near Amesbury, Geoffrey further narrates how first Ambrosius Aurelianus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/entry/Ambrosius_Aurelianus), then Uther Pendragon, and finally Constantine III, were buried inside the ring of stones. In many places in his Historia Regum Britanniae Geoffrey mixed British legend and his own imagination; it is intriguing that he connects Ambrosius Aurelianus with this prehistoric monument, seeing how there is place-name evidence to connect Ambrosius with nearby Amesbury.

MMC
03-16-2012, 09:54 AM
It's a legend.

Stonehenge is also mentioned within Arthurian legend (http://thepoliticalforums.com/entry/King_Arthur). Geoffrey of Monmouth said that Merlin the wizard directed its removal from Ireland (http://thepoliticalforums.com/entry/Ireland), where it had been constructed on Mount Killaraus by giants, who brought the stones from Africa (http://thepoliticalforums.com/entry/Africa). After it had been rebuilt near Amesbury, Geoffrey further narrates how first Ambrosius Aurelianus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/entry/Ambrosius_Aurelianus), then Uther Pendragon, and finally Constantine III, were buried inside the ring of stones. In many places in his Historia Regum Britanniae Geoffrey mixed British legend and his own imagination; it is intriguing that he connects Ambrosius Aurelianus with this prehistoric monument, seeing how there is place-name evidence to connect Ambrosius with nearby Amesbury.


Yeah I know it's a legend.....I was pointing out that Rome would not have existed. If they are correct on the Carbon 14 testing of Stonehenge and how old it is. Also I never heard that what they call the Pagans had anyone named Constantine.

MMC
03-16-2012, 10:28 AM
#3. Commodus.....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Commodus_Musei_Capitolini_MC1120.jpg/220px-Commodus_Musei_Capitolini_MC1120.jpg
Commodus (Latin (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Latin_language): Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus;[1] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-0) 31 August 161 – 31 December 192), was Roman Emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Emperor) from 180 to 192. He also ruled as co-emperor with his father Marcus Aurelius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius) from 177 until his father's death in 180. His name changed throughout his reign; see changes of name (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Commodus#Changes_of_name) for earlier and later forms. His accession as emperor was the first time a son had succeeded his father since Titus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Titus) succeeded Vespasian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Vespasian) in 79. Commodus was the first (and up until 337 (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/337) the last) emperor "born in the purple (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Born_in_the_purple)"; i.e., born during his father's reign.

Upon his accession Commodus devalued the Roman currency (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_currency). He reduced the weight of the denarius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Denarius) from 96 per Roman pound (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_pound) to 105 (3.85 grams to 3.35 grams). He also reduced the silver purity from 79% to 76% — the silver weight dropping from 2.57 grams to 2.34 grams. In 186 he further reduced the purity and silver weight to 74% and 2.22 grams respectively, being 108 to the Roman pound.[2] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-1) His reduction of the denarius during his rule was the largest since the empire's first devaluation during Nero (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Nero)'s reign.

Whereas the reign of Marcus Aurelius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius) had been marked by almost continuous warfare, that of Commodus was comparatively peaceful in the military sense but was marked by political strife and the increasingly arbitrary and capricious behaviour of the emperor himself. In the view of Dio Cassius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Dio_Cassius), a contemporary observer, his accession marked the descent "from a kingdom of gold to one of rust and iron"[3] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-2)—a famous comment which has led some historians, notably Edward Gibbon (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Edward_Gibbon), to take Commodus' reign as the beginning of the decline of the Roman Empire (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Decline_of_the_Roman_Empire).

Dissatisfaction with this state of affairs would lead to a series of conspiracies and attempted coups, which in turn eventually provoked Commodus to take charge of affairs, which he did in an increasingly dictatorial manner. Nevertheless, though the senatorial order (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Senate) came to hate and fear him, the evidence suggests that he remained popular with the army and the common people for much of his reign, not least because of his lavish shows of largesse (recorded on his coinage) and because he staged and took part in spectacular gladiatorial (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Gladiator) combats.

One of the ways he paid for his donatives and mass entertainments was to tax the senatorial order, and on many inscriptions, the traditional order of the two nominal powers of the state, the Senate and People (Senatus Populusque Romanus) is provocatively reversed (Populus Senatusque...).....snip~

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodus

MMC
03-16-2012, 10:51 AM
Commodus part two.....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Commodus%2C_Kunsthistorisches_Museum_Vienna_-_20100226.jpg/220px-Commodus%2C_Kunsthistorisches_Museum_Vienna_-_20100226.jpg

He adored the gladiatorial games, so much so that he personally entered many of them and fought alongside the gladiators, who were all criminals and slaves, etc. This severely offended the entire Empire, especially the Senate.
Commodus once ordered all the cripples, hunchbacks, and generally undesirables in the city to be rounded up, thrown into the arena, and forced to hack one another to death with meat cleavers.
He especially adored killing animals, and killed 100 lions in one day, to the spectators’ disgust. He killed three elephants singlehanded in the arena, beheaded an ostrich and laughed at the senators attending, brandishing the head and motioning that they were next. He speared a giraffe to death, an animal which the spectators did not see as fearsome at all.

Perhaps seeing this as an opportunity, early in 192 Commodus, declaring himself the new Romulus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Romulus), ritually re-founded Rome, renaming the city Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana. All the months of the year were renamed to correspond exactly with his (now twelve) names: Lucius, Aelius, Aurelius, Commodus, Augustus, Herculeus, Romanus, Exsuperatorius, Amazonius, Invictus, Felix, Pius. The legions were renamed Commodianae, the fleet which imported grain from Africa (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Africa_province) was termed Alexandria Commodiana Togata, the Senate was entitled the Commodian Fortunate Senate, his palace and the Roman people themselves were all given the name Commodianus, and the day on which these reforms were decreed was to be called Dies Commodianus.[6] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-5) Thus he presented himself as the fountainhead of the Empire and Roman life and religion. He also had the head of the Colossus of Nero (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Colossus_of_Nero) adjacent to the Colosseum (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Colosseum) replaced with his own portrait, gave it a club and placed a bronze (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Bronze) lion (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Lion) at its feet to make it look like Hercules, and added an inscription boasting of being "the only left-handed fighter to conquer twelve times one thousand men".

Disdaining the more philosophic inclinations of his father, Commodus was extremely proud of his physical prowess. He was generally acknowledged to be extremely handsome. As mentioned above, he ordered many statues to be made showing him dressed as Hercules with a lion's hide and a club. He thought of himself as the reincarnation of Hercules, frequently emulating the legendary hero's feats by appearing in the arena to fight a variety of wild animals. He was left-handed, and very proud of the fact. Cassius Dio and the writers of the Augustan History (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Augustan_History) say that Commodus was a skilled archer, who could shoot the heads off ostriches (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Ostriches) in full gallop, and kill a panther (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Black_panther) as it attacked a victim in the arena.

In November 192, Commodus held Plebian Games in which he shot hundreds of animals with arrows and javelins every morning, and fought as a gladiator every afternoon, naturally winning all the bouts. In December he announced his intention to inaugurate the year 193 as both consul and gladiator on 1 January.
At this point, the prefect Laetus formed a conspiracy with Eclectus to supplant Commodus with Pertinax, taking Marcia into their confidence. On 31 December Marcia poisoned his food but he vomited up the poison; so the conspirators sent his wrestling partner Narcissus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Narcissus_(murderer)) to strangle him in his bath. Upon his death, the Senate declared him a public enemy (a de facto damnatio memoriae (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Damnatio_memoriae)) and restored the original name to the city of Rome and its institutions. Commodus' statues were thrown down. His body was buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Mausoleum_of_Hadrian); however, in 195, the emperor Septimius Severus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Septimius_Severus), trying to gain favour with the family of Marcus Aurelius, rehabilitated Commodus's memory and had the Senate deify him.....snip~


I like the fact that he would tax the Senate separate from the people, and whenever he wanted. Wish we could do something like that with our Senate and House. His infatuation with Hercules and the Greek Culture was a major sore spot with the Senate and the Roman people. He killed 1000's in the arena and all kinds of animals including the exotics.

Despite this.....myself, I would not have went with Commodus as #3. I would have went with Nero.

wingrider
03-16-2012, 02:57 PM
Yeah I know it's a legend.....I was pointing out that Rome would not have existed. If they are correct on the Carbon 14 testing of Stonehenge and how old it is. Also I never heard that what they call the Pagans had anyone named Constantine.

I have read that carbon 14 dating is not that accurate, I remember an article writen a few years back that they tested a live molllusk at 2700 years old. just saying

I found the artilce here
There are also some tests that have been done that don’t quite match up. For instance, bones of a sabre-toothed tiger, theorized to be between 100,000 and one million years old, gave a Carbon date of 28,000 years. A freshly killed seal, dated using Carbon-14, showed it had died 1300 years ago. Living mollusk shells were dated at up to 2,300 years old. Some very unusual evidence is that living snails' shells showed that they had died 27,000 years ago. (Ham, Snelling, & Wieland)

http://www.chem.uwec.edu/Chem115_F00/nelsolar/chem.htm


I would go with nero as #1 and caligula as #2 for worst Roman Emperors

MMC
03-18-2012, 09:14 AM
#4. Caracalla.....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Caracalla.jpg/220px-Caracalla.jpg

Caracalla (Latin (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Latin_language): Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Augustus;[1] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-0) 4 April 188 – 8 April 217) was Roman emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_emperor) from 198 to 217.[2] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-1) The eldest son of Septimius Severus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Septimius_Severus), for a short time he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Publius_Septimius_Geta) until he had him murdered in 211. Caracalla is remembered as one of the most notorious and unpleasant of emperors because of the massacres and persecutions he authorized and instigated throughout the Empire.[3] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-2)[4] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-3)
Caracalla's reign was also notable for the Constitutio Antoniniana (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Constitutio_Antoniniana) (also called the Edict of Caracalla), granting Roman citizenship (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_citizenship) to all freemen throughout the Roman Empire (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Empire) for the purpose of increasing tax revenue, according to historian Cassius Dio (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Cassius_Dio). He is also one of the emperors who commissioned a large public bath-house (thermae (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Thermae)) in Rome. The remains of the Baths of Caracalla (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Baths_of_Caracalla) are still one of the major attractions of the Italian capital.

Caracalla, of mixed Punic (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Punic)–Roman (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Ancient_Rome)–Berber (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Berber_people)[5] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-4)[6] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-5) and Syrian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Syria) descent,[7] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-6)[8] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-7)[9] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-8) was born Lucius Septimius Bassianus in Lugdunum (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Lugdunum), Gaul (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Gaul) (now Lyon (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Lyon), France (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/France)), the son of the later Emperor Septimius Severus and Julia Domna (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Julia_Domna). At the age of seven, his name was changed to Marcus Aurelius Septimius Bassianus Antoninus to create a connection to the family of the philosopher emperor Marcus Aurelius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius). He was later given the nickname Caracalla (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#His_nickname), which referred to the Gallic hooded tunic he habitually wore and which he made fashionable.

In AD 213, Caracalla went north to the German frontier to deal with the Alamanni (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Alamanni) tribesmen who were causing trouble in the Agri Decumates (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Agri_Decumates). The Romans did defeat the Alamanni in battle near the river Main (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Main_(river)), but failed to win a decisive victory over them. After a peace agreement was brokered and a large bribe payment given to the invaders, the Senate conferred upon him the empty title of Germanicus Maximus. He also acquired the surname Alemannicus at this time.[11] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-10) The following year the emperor traveled to the East, to Syria and Egypt never to return to Rome.....snip~

http://thepoliticalforums.com/threads/2395-Top-10-Worst-Roman-Emperors?p=47517#post47517

MMC
03-18-2012, 09:18 AM
Part Two of Caracalla.....
During his reign as emperor, Caracalla raised the annual pay of an average legionary to 675 denarii (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Denarii) and lavished many benefits on the army which he both feared and admired, as instructed by his father Septimius Severus who had told him on his deathbed to always mind the soldiers and ignore everyone else. Caracalla did manage to win the trust of the military with generous pay rises and popular gestures, like marching on foot among the ordinary soldiers, eating the same food, and even grinding his own flour with them.[13] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-12) With the soldiers, "He forgot even the proper dignity of his rank, encouraging their insolent familiarity," according to Gibbon.[12] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-Gibbon-11) "The vigour of the army, instead of being confirmed by the severe discipline of the camps, melted away in the luxury of the cities."

According to the historian Herodian, in AD 216, Caracalla tricked the Parthians into believing that he accepted a marriage and peace proposal, but then had the bride and guests slaughtered after the wedding celebrations. The thereafter ongoing conflict and skirmishes became known as the Parthian war of Caracalla (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Parthian_war_of_Caracalla).

While travelling from Edessa (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Edessa,_Mesopotamia) to continue the war with Parthia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Parthia), he was assassinated while urinating at a roadside near Carrhae (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Carrhae) on April 8, AD 217, by Julius Martialis, an officer of his personal bodyguard. Herodian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Herodian) says that Martialis' brother had been executed a few days earlier by Caracalla on an unproven charge; Cassius Dio, on the other hand, says that Martialis was resentful at not being promoted to the rank of centurion. The escort of the emperor gave him privacy to relieve himself, and Martialis then ran forward and killed Caracalla with a single sword stroke. He immediately fled on horseback, but was in turn killed by a bodyguard archer.
Caracalla was succeeded by his Praetorian Guard Prefect (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Praetorian_prefect), Macrinus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Macrinus), who (according to Herodian) was most probably responsible for having the emperor assassinated.....snip~

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Roman_Empire_in_210_AD.png/220px-Roman_Empire_in_210_AD.png
The Roman Empire during the reign of Caracalla. He was the 22nd Emperor of Rome.

MMC
03-20-2012, 10:43 PM
#5. Nero.....

34
5th Emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Emperor) of the Roman Empire (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Empire)
Nero (Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus; 15 December 37 – 9 June 68), was Roman Emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Emperor) from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Julio-Claudian_dynasty). Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Claudius) to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death. During his reign, Nero focused much of his attention on diplomacy, trade, and enhancing the cultural life of the Empire. He ordered theaters built and promoted athletic games. During his reign, the redoubtable general Corbulo (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Corbulo) conducted a successful war (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman%E2%80%93Parthian_War_of_58%E2%80%9363) and negotiated peace with the Parthian Empire (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Parthian_Empire). His general Suetonius Paulinus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Suetonius_Paulinus) crushed a revolt in Britain (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Boudicca#Boudica.27s_uprising) and also annexed the Bosporan Kingdom (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Bosporan_Kingdom) to the Empire, beginning the First Roman–Jewish War (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/First_Roman%E2%80%93Jewish_War).
In 64, most of Rome was destroyed in the Great Fire of Rome (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Great_Fire_of_Rome), which many Romans believed Nero himself had started in order to clear land for his planned palatial complex, the Domus Aurea (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Domus_Aurea). In 68, the rebellion of Vindex (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Vindex) in Gaul (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Gaul) and later the acclamation of Galba (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Galba) in Hispania (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Hispania) drove Nero from the throne. Facing assassination, he committed suicide on 9 June 68.[3] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-2) His death ended the Julio-Claudian Dynasty (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Julio-Claudian_Dynasty), sparking a brief period of civil wars known as the Year of the Four Emperors (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Year_of_the_Four_Emperors). Nero's rule is often associated with tyranny and extravagance. He is known for many executions, including those of his mother and the probable murder by poison of his stepbrother, Britannicus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Britannicus).
He is infamously known as the Emperor who "fiddled while Rome burned", although this is now considered an inaccurate rumor, and as an early persecutor of Christians (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Christians). He was known for having captured Christians burned in his garden at night for a source of light. This view is based on the writings of Tacitus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Tacitus), Suetonius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Suetonius), and Cassius Dio (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Cassius_Dio), the main surviving sources for Nero's reign. Few surviving sources paint Nero in a favorable light. Some sources, though, including some mentioned above, portray him as an emperor who was popular with the common Roman people, especially in the East. The study of Nero is problematic as some modern historians question the reliability of ancient sources when reporting on Nero's tyrannical acts.

Nero was not expected to become Emperor because his maternal uncle, Caligula (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Caligula), had begun his reign at the age of 25 with enough time to produce his own heir. Nero's mother, Agrippina, lost favor with Caligula and was exiled in 39 after her husband's death. Caligula seized Nero's inheritance and sent him to be raised by his less wealthy aunt, Domitia Lepida (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Domitia_Lepida), who was the mother of Valeria Messalina (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Valeria_Messalina), Claudius's third wife.
Caligula, his wife Caesonia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Caesonia) and their infant daughter Julia Drusilla (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Julia_Drusilla_(daughter_of_Caligula)) were murdered on 24 January 41. These events led Claudius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Claudius), Caligula's uncle, to become emperor. Claudius allowed Agrippina to return from exile.Claudius had married twice before marrying Valeria Messalina (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Valeria_Messalina). His previous marriages produced three children including a son, Drusus, who died at a young age. He had two children with Messalina – Claudia Octavia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Claudia_Octavia) (b. 40) and Britannicus (b. 41). Messalina was executed by Claudius in the year 48. In 49, Claudius married a fourth time, to Nero's mother Agrippina. To aid Claudius politically, young Nero was adopted in 50 and took the name Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus (see adoption in Rome (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Adoption_in_Rome)).Nero was proclaimed an adult in 51 at the age of 14. He was appointed proconsul (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Proconsul), entered and first addressed the Senate (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Senate), made joint public appearances with Claudius, and was featured in coinage In 53, he married his stepsister Claudia Octavia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Claudia_Octavia)

In this first year, he forbade others to refer to him with regard to enactments, for which he was praised by the Senate. Nero was known for spending his time visiting brothels and taverns during this period.
In 55, Nero began taking on a more active role as an administrator. He was consul (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_consul) four times between 55 and 60. During this period, some ancient historians speak fairly well of Nero and contrast it with his later rule.

Between 62 and 67, according to Plinius the Elder (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Plinius_the_Elder) and Seneca, Nero promoted an expedition (http://thepoliticalforums.com/w/index.php?title=Nero_expedition_to_Ethiopia&action=edit&redlink=1) to discover the sources of the Nile River (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Nile_River). It was the first exploration of equatorial Africa (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Africa) from Europe in History.[82] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-81) However, Nero's expedition up the Nile failed because water plants had clogged the river, denying Nero's vessels access to the Sudd (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Sudd) of Nubia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Nubia).
The economic policy of Nero is a point of debate among scholars. According to ancient historians, Nero's construction projects were overly extravagant and the large number of expenditures under Nero left Italy "thoroughly exhausted by contributions of money" with "the provinces ruined. Modern historians, though, note that the period was riddled with deflation and that it is likely that Nero's spending came in the form of public works projects and charity intended to ease economic troubles.....snip~

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero

MMC
03-20-2012, 10:59 PM
Part two of Nero.....
Shortly after Nero's accession to the throne in 55, the Roman vassal (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Vassal) kingdom of Armenia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Kingdom_of_Armenia_(antiquity)) overthrew their Iberian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Caucasian_Iberia) prince Rhadamistus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Rhadamistus) and he was replaced with the Parthian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Parthian_Empire) prince Tiridates (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Tiridates_I_of_Armenia). This was seen as a Parthian invasion of Roman territory.[110] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-annals-xiii-7-109) There was concern in Rome over how the young Emperor would handle the situation. Nero reacted by immediately sending the military to the region under the command of Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Gnaeus_Domitius_Corbulo). The Parthians temporarily relinquished control of Armenia to Rome.
The peace did not last and full-scale war broke out in 58. The Parthian king Vologases I (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Vologases_I_of_Parthia) refused to remove his brother Tiridates from Armenia. The Parthians began a full-scale invasion of the Armenian kingdom. Commander Corbulo responded and repelled most of the Parthian army that same year. Tiridates retreated and Rome again controlled most of Armenia.
Nero was acclaimed in public for this initial victory. Tigranes (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Tigranes_VI_of_Armenia), a Cappadocian noble raised in Rome, was installed by Nero as the new ruler of Armenia. Corbulo was appointed governor of Syria as a reward.

In 62, Tigranes invaded the Parthian province of Adiabene (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Adiabene). Again, Rome and Parthia were at war and this continued until 63. Parthia began building up for a strike against the Roman province of Syria. Corbulo tried to convince Nero to continue the war, but Nero opted for a peace deal instead. There was anxiety in Rome about eastern grain supplies and a budget deficit.
The result was a deal where Tiridates again became the Armenian king, but was crowned in Rome by Emperor Nero. In the future, the king of Armenia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/List_of_Armenian_Kings#Arsacid_Dynasty) was to be a Parthian prince, but his appointment required approval from the Romans. Tiridates was forced to come to Rome and partake in ceremonies meant to display Roman dominance.
This peace deal of 63 was a considerable victory for Nero politically. Nero became very popular in the eastern provinces of Rome and with the Parthians as well. The peace between Parthia and Rome lasted 50 years until Emperor Trajan (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Trajan) of Rome invaded Armenia in 114.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Map_Parthian_Empire-fr.png/250px-Map_Parthian_Empire-fr.png
The Parthian Empire (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Parthian_Empire) c. 60. Nero's peace deal with Parthia was a political victory at home and made him beloved in the east.


British Revolt of 60–61 (Boudica's Uprising) Further information: Boudicca#Boudica.27s_uprising (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Boudicca#Boudica.27s_uprising)
In 60, a major rebellion broke out in the province of Britannia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Britannia). While the governor Gaius Suetonius Paullinus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Gaius_Suetonius_Paullinus) and his troops were busy capturing the island of Mona (Anglesey (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Isle_of_Anglesey)) from the druids, the tribes of the southeast staged a revolt led by queen Boudica (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Boudica) of the Iceni (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Iceni). Boudica and her troops destroyed three cities before the army of Paullinus could return, receive reinforcements, and quell the rebellion in 61. Fearing Paullinus himself would provoke further rebellion, Nero replaced him with the more passive Publius Petronius Turpilianus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Publius_Petronius_Turpilianus).
The Pisonian Conspiracy of 65 Main article: Pisonian conspiracy (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Pisonian_conspiracy)
In 65, Gaius Calpurnius Piso (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Gaius_Calpurnius_Piso), a Roman statesman, organized a conspiracy against Nero with the help of Subrius Flavus and Sulpicius Asper, a tribune and a centurion of the Praetorian Guard. According to Tacitus, many conspirators wished to "rescue the state" from the emperor and restore the Republic (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Republic). The freedman Milichus discovered the conspiracy and reported it to Nero's secretary, Epaphroditos (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Epaphroditos). As a result, the conspiracy failed and its members were executed including Lucan (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Marcus_Annaeus_Lucanus), the poet.[133] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-132) Nero's previous advisor, Seneca (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Seneca_the_Younger) was ordered to commit suicide after admitting he discussed the plot with the conspirators.
The First Jewish War of 66–70 In 66, there was a Jewish revolt (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/First_Jewish-Roman_War) in Judea stemming from Greek and Jewish religious tension. In 67, Nero dispatched Vespasian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Vespasian) to restore order. This revolt was eventually put down in 70, after Nero's death. This revolt is famous for Romans breaching the walls of Jerusalem and destroying the Second Temple of Jerusalem (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Temple_of_Jerusalem).

With his death, the Julio-Claudian dynasty (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Julio-Claudian_dynasty) ended. Chaos ensued in the Year of the Four Emperors (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Year_of_the_Four_Emperors).....snip~

MMC
03-22-2012, 06:06 PM
#6. Tiberius.....Part 1.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Tiberius_NyCarlsberg01.jpg/220px-Tiberius_NyCarlsberg01.jpg
2nd Emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Emperor) of the Roman Empire (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Empire)

Tiberius was one of Rome's greatest generals (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/General), conquering Pannonia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Pannonia), Dalmatia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Dalmatia_(Roman_province)), Raetia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Raetia), and temporarily Germania (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Germania); laying the foundations for the northern frontier. But he came to be remembered as a dark, reclusive, and sombre ruler who never really desired to be emperor; Pliny the Elder (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Pliny_the_Elder) called him tristissimus hominum, "the gloomiest of men." After the death of Tiberius’ son Drusus Julius Caesar (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Drusus_Julius_Caesar) in 23 he became more reclusive and aloof. In 26, against better judgement, Tiberius exiled himself from Rome and left administration largely in the hands of his unscrupulous Praetorian Prefects (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Praetorian_Prefect) Lucius Aelius Sejanus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Lucius_Aelius_Sejanus) and Quintus Naevius Sutorius Macro (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Quintus_Naevius_Sutorius_Macro). Caligula (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Caligula), Tiberius' grand-nephew and adopted grandson, succeeded the emperor upon his death.

In 20 BC, Tiberius was sent East under Marcus Agrippa (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Marcus_Agrippa). The Parthians (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Parthians) had captured the standards of the legions (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_legion) under the command of Marcus Licinius Crassus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Marcus_Crassus) (53 BC) (at the Battle of Carrhae (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Battle_of_Carrhae)), Decidius Saxa (40 BC), and Marc Antony (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Marc_Antony) (36 BC). After several years of negotiation, Tiberius led a sizable force into Armenia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Kingdom_of_Armenia_(antiquity)), presumably with the goal of establishing it as a Roman client-state and as a threat on the Roman-Parthian border, and Augustus was able to reach a compromise whereby these standards were returned, and Armenia remained a neutral territory between the two powers.
In 6 BC, Tiberius launched a pincer movement against the Marcomanni (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Marcomanni). Setting out northwest from Carnuntum (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Carnuntum) on the Danube with four legions, Tiberius passed through Quadi (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Quadi) territory in order to invade the Marcomanni from the east. Meanwhile, general Gaius Sentius Saturninus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/w/index.php?title=Gaius_Sentius_Saturninus&action=edit&redlink=1) would depart east from Moguntiacum (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Moguntiacum) on the Rhine with two or three legions, pass through newly annexed Hermunduri (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Hermunduri) territory, and attack the Marcomanni from the west. The campaign was a resounding success, but Tiberius could not subjugate the Marcomanni because he was soon summoned to the Rhine frontier to protect Rome's new conquests in Germania.
He returned to Rome and was consul for a second time in 7 BC, and in 6 BC was granted tribunician power (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Tribune) (tribunicia potestas) and control in the East, all of which mirrored positions that Agrippa had previously held. However, despite these successes and despite his advancement, Tiberius was not happy.

In 6 BC, on the verge of accepting command in the East and becoming the second most powerful man in Rome, Tiberius suddenly announced his withdrawal from politics and retired to Rhodes (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Rhodes). The precise motives for Tiberius's withdrawal are unclear. Historians have speculated a connection with the fact that Augustus had adopted Julia's sons by Agrippa Gaius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Gaius_Caesar) and Lucius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Lucius_Caesar), and seemed to be moving them along the same political path that both Tiberius and Drusus had trodden.

Whatever Tiberius's motives, the withdrawal was almost disastrous for Augustus's succession plans. Gaius and Lucius were still in their early teens, and Augustus, now 57 years old, had no immediate successor. There was no longer a guarantee of a peaceful transfer of power after Augustus's death, nor a guarantee that his family, and therefore his family's allies, would continue to hold power should the position of princeps (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Princeps) survive.

With Tiberius's departure, succession rested solely on Augustus' two young grandsons, Lucius and Gaius Caesar. The situation became more precarious in AD 2 with the death of Lucius. Augustus, with perhaps some pressure from Livia, allowed Tiberius to return to Rome as a private citizen and nothing more. In AD 4, Gaius was killed in Armenia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Armenia), and Augustus had no other choice but to turn to Tiberius. The death of Gaius in AD 4 initiated a flurry of activity in the household of Augustus. Tiberius was adopted as full son and heir and in turn, he was required to adopt his nephew, Germanicus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Germanicus), the son of his brother Drusus and Augustus' niece Antonia Minor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Antonia_Minor).[28] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-tacitus-annals-i-3-27)[30] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-29) Along with his adoption, Tiberius received tribunician power as well as a share of Augustus's maius imperium, something that even Marcus Agrippa may never have had. In AD 7, Agrippa Postumus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Agrippa_Postumus), a younger brother of Gaius and Lucius, was disowned by Augustus and banned to the island of Pianosa (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Pianosa), to live in solitary confinement.[29] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-penelope1-28)[32] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-31) Thus, when in AD 13, the powers held by Tiberius were made equal, rather than second, to Augustus's own powers, he was for all intents and purposes a "co-princeps" with Augustus, and in the event of the latter's passing, would simply continue to rule without an interregnum (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Interregnum) or possible upheaval.

Augustus died in AD 14, at the age of 75.[39] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-38) He was buried with all due ceremony and, as had been arranged beforehand, deified (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Apotheosis), his will read, and Tiberius confirmed as his sole surviving heir.....snip~

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberius

Mister D
03-22-2012, 06:09 PM
Tiberius was a degenerate from what I understand. A dirty old man who indulged his every whim. He was also responsible for the psycho that was Caligula.

MMC
03-22-2012, 06:30 PM
Part Two.....Tiberius.

Tiberius, however, attempted to play the same role as Augustus: that of the reluctant public servant who wants nothing more than to serve the state. This ended up throwing the entire affair into confusion, and rather than humble, he came across as derisive; rather than seeming to want to serve the state, he seemed obstructive. He cited his age as a reason why he could not act as Princeps, stated he did not wish the position, and then proceeded to ask for only a section of the state. Tiberius finally relented and accepted the powers voted to him, though according to Tacitus and Suetonius he refused to bear the titles Pater Patriae (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Pater_Patriae), Imperator, and Augustus, and declined the most solid emblem of the Princeps, the Civic Crown and laurels.
Problems arose quickly for the new Princeps. The legions posted in Pannonia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Pannonia) and in Germania (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Germania) had not been paid the bonuses promised them by Augustus, and after a short period of time, when it was clear that a response from Tiberius was not forthcoming, mutinied (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Mutiny). Germanicus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Germanicus) and Tiberius's son, Drusus Julius Caesar (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Drusus_Julius_Caesar), were dispatched with a small force to quell the uprising and bring the legions back in line. Rather than simply quell the mutiny however, Germanicus rallied the mutineers and led them on a short campaign across the Rhine into Germanic territory, stating that whatever treasure they could grab would count as their bonus. Germanicus's forces smashed across the Rhine and quickly occupied all of the territory between the Rhine and the Elbe (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Elbe). Additionally, Tacitus records the capture of the Teutoburg forest (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Teutoburg_forest) and the reclaiming of standards (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Aquila_(Roman)) lost years before by Publius Quinctilius Varus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Publius_Quinctilius_Varus), when three Roman legions and its auxiliary cohorts had been ambushed (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Battle_of_the_Teutoburg_Forest) by a band of Germans. Germanicus had managed to deal a significant blow to Rome's enemies, quell an uprising of troops, and once again return lost standards to Rome, actions that increased the fame and legend of the already very popular Germanicus with the Roman people.

Lucius Aelius Sejanus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Sejanus) had served the imperial family for almost twenty years when he became Praetorian Prefect (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Praetorian_Prefect) in AD 15. As Tiberius became more embittered with the position of Princeps, he began to depend more and more upon the limited secretariat left to him by Augustus, and specifically upon Sejanus and the Praetorians. In AD 17 or 18, Tiberius had trimmed the ranks of the Praetorian guard (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Praetorian_guard) responsible for the defense of the city, and had moved it from encampments outside of the city walls into the city itself (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Castra_Praetoria), giving Sejanus access to somewhere between 6000 and 9000 troops. The death of Drusus elevated Sejanus, at least in Tiberius's eyes, who thereafter refers to him as his 'Socius Laborum' (Partner of my labours). Tiberius had statues of Sejanus erected throughout the city, and Sejanus became more and more visible as Tiberius began to withdraw from Rome altogether. Finally, with Tiberius's withdrawal in AD 26, Sejanus was left in charge of the entire state mechanism and the city of Rome.
Tiberius died in Misenum (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Misenum) on March 16, AD 37, at the age of 77. Tacitus records that upon the news of his death the crowd rejoiced, only to become suddenly silent upon hearing that he had recovered, and rejoiced again at the news that Caligula and Macro had smothered him. This is not recorded by other ancient historians and is most likely apocryphal, but it can be taken as an indication of how the senatorial class felt towards the Emperor at the time of his death. In his will (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Will_(law)), Tiberius had left his powers jointly to Caligula and Tiberius Gemellus; Caligula's first act on becoming Princeps was to void Tiberius' will and have Gemellus executed. The level of unpopularity Tiberius had achieved by the time of his death with both the upper and lower classes is revealed by these facts: the Senate refused to vote him divine honors, and mobs filled the streets yelling "To the Tiber (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Tiber_River) with Tiberius!"—in reference to a method of disposal reserved for the corpses of criminals. Instead the body of the emperor was cremated and his ashes were quietly laid in the Mausoleum of Augustus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Mausoleum_of_Augustus).
The Gospels (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Gospel) record that during Tiberius' reign, Jesus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Jesus) of Nazareth (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Nazareth) preached and was executed under the authority of Pontius Pilate (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Pontius_Pilate), the Roman governor of Judaea province (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Judaea_(Roman_province)). In the Bible (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Bible), Tiberius is mentioned by name only once, in Luke 3:1, stating that John the Baptist (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/John_the_Baptist) entered on his public ministry in the fifteenth year of his reign. Many references to Caesar (or the emperor in some other translations), without further specification, would seem to refer to Tiberius. Similarly, the "Tribute Penny (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Tribute_Penny)" referred to in Matthew and Mark is popularly thought to be a silver (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Silver) denarius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Denarius) coin of Tiberius.
During Tiberius' early reign many Jews had immigrated to Rome and began proselytizing (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Proselytizing) Roman citizens and performed Jewish rites. Tiberius was suspicious and in 19 CE ordered Jews who were of military age to join the Roman Army. Tiberius banished the rest of the Jews from Rome and threatened to enslave them for life if they did not leave the city. There is considerable debate among historians when Christianity (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Christianity) was differentiated from the Jewish (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Jewish) religion. According to Tertullian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Tertullian), Tiberius had requested the Senate, a few years after Christ's crucifixion, to publicly recognize Christianity. Most scholars believe that Roman distinction between Jews and Christians took place around 70 CE. Tiberius most likely viewed Christians as a Jewish sect rather than a separate distinct faith.

According to some historians Tiberius had a thing for little boys. Yet this guy had head-problems, Ole Lady Problems. Which he let get the best of him. Here is the most Powerful guy in the land. Could have any woman he choose whenever he liked. Wasn't good enough of him. He basically gave up power. They could not call him coward due to his Military prowess. On one hand he despised the Senate and the other he wa like letting them run things the way they wanted.

wingrider
03-23-2012, 02:08 AM
I am only worried about one Roman emperor but he hasn't arrived ... Yet

MMC
03-23-2012, 07:40 AM
I am only worried about one Roman emperor but he hasn't arrived ... Yet

Well truthfuly I was waiting for them to offer me the Crown after the Anti-Christ is known, So then Sauron would know there was one bastard erm I mean bastion, thats hanging round just to be a thorn in his side. :tongue:

MMC
03-29-2012, 09:47 PM
#7 Diocletian.....Part 1.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/Diocletien_Vaux1.jpg/220px-Diocletien_Vaux1.jpg
51st Emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_emperor) of the Roman Empire (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Empire)

Diocletian (Latin (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Latin_language): Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus Augustus; c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Emperor) from 284 to 305. Born to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Dalmatia_(Roman_province)), Diocletian rose through the ranks of the military to become cavalry commander to the Emperor Carus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Carus). After the deaths of Carus and his son Numerian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Numerian) on campaign in Persia, Diocletian was proclaimed Emperor. The title was also claimed by Carus' other surviving son, Carinus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Carinus), but Diocletian defeated him in the Battle of the Margus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Battle_of_the_Margus). With his accession to power, Diocletian ended the Crisis of the Third Century (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Crisis_of_the_Third_Century). He appointed fellow officer Maximian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Maximian) Augustus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Augustus_(honorific)) his senior co-emperor in 285.

Diocletian delegated further on 1 March 293, appointing Galerius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Galerius) and Constantius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Constantius_Chlorus) as Caesars (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Caesar_(title)), junior co-emperors. Under this "Tetrarchy (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Tetrarchy)", or "rule of four", each emperor would rule over a quarter-division of the Empire. Diocletian secured the Empire's borders and purged it of all threats to his power. He defeated the Sarmatians (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Sarmatians) and Carpi (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Carpi_(people)) during several campaigns between 285 and 299, the Alamanni (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Alamanni) in 288, and usurpers in Egypt (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Egypt) between 297 and 298. Galerius, aided by Diocletian, campaigned successfully against Sassanid Persia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Sassanid_Persia), the Empire's traditional enemy. In 299 he sacked their capital, Ctesiphon (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Ctesiphon). Diocletian led the subsequent negotiations and achieved a lasting and favorable peace. Diocletian separated and enlarged the Empire's civil and military services and reorganized the Empire's provincial divisions, establishing the largest and most bureaucratic (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Bureaucracy) government in the history of the Empire. He established new administrative centers in Nicomedia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Nicomedia), Mediolanum (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Mediolanum), Antioch (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Antioch), and Trier (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Trier), closer to the Empire's frontiers than the traditional capital at Rome had been. Building on third-century trends towards absolutism (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Autocracy), he styled himself an autocrat, elevating himself above the Empire's masses with imposing forms of court ceremonies and architecture. Bureaucratic and military growth, constant campaigning, and construction projects increased the state's expenditures and necessitated a comprehensive tax reform. From at least 297 on, imperial taxation was standardized, made more equitable, and levied at generally higher rates.

In spite of his failures, Diocletian's reforms fundamentally changed the structure of Roman imperial government and helped stabilize the Empire economically and militarily, enabling the Empire to remain essentially intact for another hundred years despite having seemed near the brink of collapse in Diocletian's youth. Weakened by illness, Diocletian left the imperial office on May 1, 305, and became the only Roman emperor to voluntarily abdicate the position. He lived out his retirement in his palace (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Diocletian's_Palace) on the Dalmatian coast, tending to his vegetable gardens. His palace eventually became the core of the modern-day city of Split (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Split,_Croatia).

Foundation of the Tetrarchy

Some time after his return, and before 293, Diocletian transferred command of the war against Carausius from Maximian to Flavius Constantius. Constantius was a former governor of Dalmatia and a man of military experience stretching back to Aurelian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Aurelian)'s campaigns against Zenobia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Zenobia) (272–73). He was Maximian's praetorian prefect in Gaul, and the husband to Maximian's daughter, Theodora (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Flavia_Maximiana_Theodora). On March 1, 293 at Milan, Maximian gave Constantius the office of Caesar. In the spring of 293, in either Philippopolis (Plovdiv (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Plovdiv), Bulgaria (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Bulgaria)) or Sirmium, Diocletian would do the same for Galerius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Galerius), husband to Diocletian's daughter Valeria, and perhaps Diocletian's praetorian prefect. Constantius was assigned Gaul and Britain. Galerius was assigned Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and responsibility for the eastern borderlands.
This arrangement is called the Tetrarchy, from a Greek (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Ancient_Greek) term meaning "rulership by four". The Tetrarchic Emperors were more or less sovereign in their own lands, and they travelled with their own imperial courts, administrators, secretaries, and armies. They were joined by blood and marriage; Diocletian and Maximian now styled themselves as brothers. The senior co-Emperors formally adopted Galerius and Constantius as sons in 293. These relationships implied a line of succession. Galerius and Constantius would become Augusti after Diocletian and Maximian's departure. Maximian's son Maxentius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Maxentius), and Constantius' son Constantine (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Constantine_I) would then become Caesars. In preparation for their future roles, Constantine and Maxentius were taken to Diocletian's court in Nicomedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diocletian

MMC
03-29-2012, 10:13 PM
Part two.....

War with Persia

Narseh declared war on Rome in 295 or 296. He appears to have first invaded western Armenia, where he seized the lands delivered to Tiridates in the peace of 287. Narseh moved south into Roman Mesopotamia in 297, where he inflicted a severe defeat on Galerius in the region between Carrhae (Harran (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Harran), Turkey) and Callinicum (Ar-Raqqah (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Ar-Raqqah), Syria) (and thus, the historian Fergus Millar (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Fergus_Millar) notes, probably somewhere on the Balikh River (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Balikh_River)). Diocletian may or may not have been present at the battle, but he quickly divested himself of all responsibility. In a public ceremony at Antioch, the official version of events was clear: Galerius was responsible for the defeat; Diocletian was not. Diocletian publicly humiliated Galerius, forcing him to walk for a mile at the head of the Imperial caravan, still clad in the purple robes of the Emperor.

Galerius was reinforced, probably in the spring of 298, by a new contingent collected from the Empire's Danubian holdings. Narseh did not advance from Armenia and Mesopotamia, leaving Galerius to lead the offensive in 298 with an attack on northern Mesopotamia via Armenia. It is unclear if Diocletian was present to assist the campaign; he might have returned to Egypt or Syria. Narseh retreated to Armenia to fight Galerius' force, to Narseh's disadvantage; the rugged Armenian terrain was favorable to Roman infantry, but unfavorable to Sassanid cavalry. In two battles, Galerius won major victories over Narseh. During the second encounter (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Battle_of_Satala_(298)), Roman forces seized Narseh's camp, his treasury, his harem, and his wife. Galerius continued moving down the Tigris, and took the Persian capital Ctesiphon before returning to Roman territory along the Euphrates.

Great Persecution

Diocletian returned to Antioch in the autumn of 302. He ordered that the deacon (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Deacon) Romanus of Caesarea (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Romanus_of_Caesarea) have his tongue removed for defying the order of the courts and interrupting official sacrifices. Romanus was then sent to prison, where he was executed on November 17, 303. Diocletian believed that Romanus of Caesarea was arrogant, and he left the city for Nicomedia in the winter, accompanied by Galerius. According to Lactantius, Diocletian and Galerius entered into an argument over imperial policy towards Christians while wintering at Nicomedia in 302. Diocletian argued that forbidding Christians from the bureaucracy and military would be sufficient to appease the gods, but Galerius pushed for extermination. The two men sought the advice of the oracle (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Oracle) of Apollo (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Apollo) at Didyma (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Didyma). The oracle responded that the impious on Earth hindered Apollo's ability to provide advice. Rhetorically Eusebius records the Oracle as saying "The just on Earth..." These impious, Diocletian was informed by members of the court, could only refer to the Christians of the Empire. At the behest of his court, Diocletian acceded to demands for universal persecution.
On February 23, 303, Diocletian ordered that the newly built church at Nicomedia be razed. He demanded that its scriptures be burned, and seized its precious stores for the treasury. The next day, Diocletian's first "Edict against the Christians" was published. The edict ordered the destruction of Christian scriptures and places of worship across the Empire, and prohibited Christians from assembling for worship. Before the end of February, a fire destroyed part of the Imperial palace. Galerius convinced Diocletian that the culprits were Christians, conspirators who had plotted with the eunuchs (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Eunuch_(court_official)) of the palace. An investigation was commissioned, but no responsible party was found. Executions followed anyway, and the palace eunuchs Dorotheus and Gorgonius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Gorgonius) were executed. One individual, Peter Cubicularius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Peter_Cubicularius), was stripped, raised high, and scourged. Salt and vinegar were poured in his wounds, and he was slowly boiled (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Boiling_to_death) over an open flame. The executions continued until at least April 24, 303, when six individuals, including the bishop (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Bishop) Anthimus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Anthimus_of_Nicomedia), were decapitated (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Decapitation). A second fire occurred sixteen days after the first. Galerius left the city for Rome, declaring Nicomedia unsafe. Diocletian would soon follow.
Although further persecutionary edicts followed, compelling the arrest of the Christian clergy and universal acts of sacrifice, the persecutionary edicts were ultimately unsuccessful; most Christians escaped punishment, and pagans too were generally unsympathetic to the persecution. The martyrs (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Martyr)' sufferings strengthened the resolve of their fellow Christians. Constantius and Maximian did not apply the later persecutionary edicts, and left the Christians of the West unharmed. Galerius rescinded the edict in 311, announcing that the persecution had failed to bring Christians back to traditional religion. The temporary apostasy of some Christians, and the surrendering of scriptures, during the persecution played a major role in the subsequent Donatist (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Donatist) controversy. Within twenty-five years of the persecution's inauguration, the Christian Emperor Constantine would rule the empire alone. He would reverse the consequences of the edicts, and return all confiscated property to Christians. Under Constantine's rule, Christianity would become the Empire's preferred religion. Diocletian was demonized by his Christian successors: Lactantius intimated that Diocletian's ascendancy heralded the apocalypse, and in Serbian mythology (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Serbian_mythology), Diocletian is remembered as Dukljan (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Dukljan), the adversary (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Devil) of God (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/God).

Diocletian retired to his homeland, Dalmatia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Dalmatia_(Roman_province)). He moved into the expansive Diocletian's Palace (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Diocletian%27s_Palace), a heavily fortified compound located by the small town of Spalatum on the shores of the Adriatic Sea (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Adriatic_Sea), and near the large provincial administrative center of Salona (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Salona). The palace is preserved in great part to this day and forms the historic core of the largest city of modern Dalmatia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Dalmatia), Split (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Split,_Croatia).
Maximian retired to villas in Campania (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Campania) or Lucania (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Lucania). Their homes were distant from political life, but Diocletian and Maximian were close enough to remain in regular contact with each other. Galerius assumed the consular fasces in 308 with Diocletian as his colleague. In the autumn of 308, Galerius again conferred with Diocletian at Carnuntum (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Carnuntum) (Petronell-Carnuntum (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Petronell-Carnuntum), Austria (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Austria)). Diocletian and Maximian were both present on November 11, 308, to see Galerius appoint Licinius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Licinius) to be Augustus in place of Severus, who had died at the hands of Maxentius. He ordered Maximian, who had attempted to return to power after his retirement, to step down permanently. At Carnuntum people begged Diocletian to return to the throne, to resolve the conflicts that had arisen through Constantine's rise to power and Maxentius' usurpation. Diocletian's reply: "If you could show the cabbage (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Cabbage) that I planted with my own hands to your emperor, he definitely wouldn't dare suggest that I replace the peace and happiness of this place with the storms of a never-satisfied greed."
He lived on for three more years, spending his days in his palace gardens. He saw his Tetrarchic system fail, torn by the selfish ambitions of his successors. He heard of Maximian's third claim to the throne, his forced suicide, his damnatio memoriae (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Damnatio_memoriae). In his own palace, statues and portraits of his former companion emperor were torn down and destroyed. Deep in despair and illness, Diocletian may have committed suicide (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Suicide). He died on December 3, 311

Peter1469
03-30-2012, 03:09 PM
I have been to Diocletian's Palace (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Diocletian%27s_Palace) twice. Very neat place.

MMC
03-30-2012, 03:46 PM
I have been to Diocletian's Palace (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Diocletian's_Palace) twice. Very neat place.


Heya Pete hows you? What do you think of his rule. Other than persecuting Christians. He rose from the ranks of the Army to lead. He also walked away from the power too. There was no weird stuff going on like with Caligula or the Eunich that ruled Rome.

I think thats cool you have been to some of the places I have thought of. Course I was able to travel courtesy of Uncle Sam. Otherwise I would have never left the US. Course now in the US I have been all over the place.

MMC
04-25-2012, 04:11 PM
Maximinus Thrax.....# 8

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Maximinus_Thrax_Musei_Capitolini_MC473.jpg/220px-Maximinus_Thrax_Musei_Capitolini_MC473.jpg
27th Emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_emperor) of the Roman Empire (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Empire)

Maximinus Thrax (Latin (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Latin_language): Gaius Julius Verus Maximinus Augustus; c. 173 – 238), also known as Maximinus I, was Roman Emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Emperor) from 235 to 238.
Maximinus is described by several ancient sources, though none are contemporary except Herodian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Herodian)'s Roman History. Maximinus was the first emperor never to set foot in Rome. He was the first of the so-called barracks emperors (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Barracks_emperor) of the 3rd century; his rule is often considered to mark the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Crisis_of_the_Third_Century). He died at Aquileia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Aquileia) whilst attempting to put down a Senatorial revolt.

His background was, in any case, that of a provincial of low birth, and was seen by the Senate (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Senate) as a barbarian, not even a true Roman, despite Caracalla (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Caracalla)’s edict granting citizenship to all freeborn inhabitants of the Empire. In many ways Maximinus was similar to the later Thraco-Roman Roman emperors of the 3rd-5th century (Licinius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Licinius), Galerius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Galerius), Aureolus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Aureolus), Leo the Thracian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Leo_I_the_Thracian), etc.), elevating themselves, via a military career, from the condition of a common soldier (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Soldier) in one of the Roman legions (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_legions) to the foremost positions of political power. He joined the army during the reign of Septimius Severus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Septimius_Severus), but did not rise to a powerful position until promoted by Alexander Severus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Alexander_Severus).

Maximinus hated the nobility and was ruthless towards those he suspected of plotting against him. He began by eliminating the close advisors of Alexander. His suspicions may have been justified; two plots against Maximinus were foiled. The first was during a campaign across the Rhine (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Rhine), during which a group of officers, supported by influential senators, plotted the destruction of a bridge across the river, then leave Maximinus stranded on the other side. Afterwards they planned to elect senator Magnus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Magnus_(Roman_usurper)) emperor; however the plot was discovered and the conspirators executed. The second plot involved Mesopotamian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Mesopotamia) archers who were loyal to Alexander. They planned to elevate Quartinus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Quartinus), but their leader Macedo changed sides and murdered Quartinus instead, although this was not enough to save his own life.

When the African revolt collapsed, the Senate found itself in great jeopardy. Having shown clear support for the Gordians, they could expect no clemency from Maximinus when he reached Rome. In this predicament, they determined to defy Maximinus and elected two of their number, Pupienus and Balbinus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Pupienus_and_Balbinus), as co-emperors. When the Roman mob heard that the Senate had selected two men from the Patrician (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Patrician_(ancient_Rome)) class, men whom the ordinary people held in no great regard, they protested, showering the imperial cortège with sticks and stones. A faction in Rome preferred Gordian's grandson (Gordian III (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Gordian_III)), and there was severe street fighting. The co-emperors had no option but to compromise, and, sending for the grandson of the elder Gordian they appointed him Caesar.
Maximinus marched on Rome, but Aquileia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Aquileia) closed its gates against him. His troops became disaffected during the unexpected siege of the city, during which they suffered from famine and disease. In April 238, soldiers of the II Parthica (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Legio_II_Parthica) in his camp assassinated him, his son, and his chief ministers. Their heads were cut off, placed on poles, and carried to Rome by cavalrymen.Pupienus and Balbinus then became undisputed co-emperors.

Maximinus doubled the pay of soldiers; this act, along with virtually continuous warfare, required higher taxes. Tax-collectors began to resort to violent methods and illegal confiscations, further alienating the governing class from everyone else.
Maximinus reversed Alexander's policy of clemency towards the Christians (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Christianity), who were viewed as unsupportive enemies of the state. He persecuted Christians ruthlessly, and the bishop of Rome, Pontian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Pope_Pontian), as well as his successor, Anterus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Anterus), are said to have been martyred (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Martyr).

URF8
05-21-2012, 10:08 PM
It's unusual to find a forum with a thread about the Roman Emperors. I too have been deeply influenced by Edward Gibbon and his selection of Commodus as the beginning point of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. But the more I think about it the more I have come to believe that the seeds of the decline and fall began when the culture of the Latins changed. Their character as a people changed.

This brought about imo a change in the political culture of the both the Plebians and the Equestrian Order. Such changes take time. The seeds of the decline and fall originated imo with the end of the Roman Republic. Although many think of Augustus nee Octavian as one of the great emperors, I see him as the man who performed the coup de grace on the Roman Republic. In that sense he may have been a great Roman, but he also paved the road to hell.

MMC
05-22-2012, 07:24 AM
I thought I finished this up. I see I have two left from that guys list. I will get them up later and finish this up.

MMC
05-23-2012, 10:01 PM
9. Septimus Severus.....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Septimius_Severus_busto-Musei_Capitolini.jpg/220px-Septimius_Severus_busto-Musei_Capitolini.jpg

21st Emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_emperor) of the Roman Empire (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Empire)
Septimius Severus (Latin (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Latin_language): Lucius Septimius Severus Augustus; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211), also known as Severus, was Roman Emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Emperor) from 193 to 211. Severus was born in Leptis Magna (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Leptis_Magna) in the province of Africa (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Africa_Province). As a young man he advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius) and Commodus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Commodus). Severus seized power after the death of Emperor Pertinax (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Pertinax) in 193 during the Year of the Five Emperors (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Year_of_the_Five_Emperors). After deposing and killing the incumbent emperor Didius Julianus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Didius_Julianus), Severus fought his rival claimants, the generals Pescennius Niger (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Pescennius_Niger) and Clodius Albinus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Clodius_Albinus). Niger was defeated in 194 at the Battle of Issus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Battle_of_Issus_(194)) in Cilicia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Cilicia). Later that year Severus waged a short punitive campaign beyond the eastern frontier, annexing the Kingdom of Osroene (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Osroene) as a new province. Severus defeated Albinus three years later at the Battle of Lugdunum (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Battle_of_Lugdunum) in Gaul.
After solidifying his rule over the western provinces, Severus waged another brief, more successful war in the east against the Parthian Empire (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Parthian_Empire), sacking their capital Ctesiphon (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Ctesiphon) in 197 and expanding the eastern frontier to the Tigris (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Tigris). Furthermore, he enlarged and fortified the Limes Arabicus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Limes_Arabicus) in Arabia Petraea (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Arabia_Petraea). In 202, he campaigned in Africa and Mauretania (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Mauretania) against the Garamantes (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Garamantes); capturing their capital Garama (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Germa) and expanding the Limes Tripolitanus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Limes_Tripolitanus) along the southern frontier of the empire. Late in his reign he traveled to Britain (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Britain), strengthening Hadrian's Wall (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Hadrian%27s_Wall) and reoccupying the Antonine Wall (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Antonine_Wall). In 208 he invaded Caledonia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_invasion_of_Caledonia_208-210) modern Scotland (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Scotland), but his ambitions were cut short when he fell fatally ill in late 210. Severus died in early 211 at Eboracum (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Eboracum), succeeded by his sons Caracalla (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Caracalla) and Geta (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Publius_Septimius_Geta). With the succession of his sons, Severus founded the Severan dynasty (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Severan_dynasty), the last dynasty of the empire before the Crisis of the Third Century (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Crisis_of_the_Third_Century).

He ruled by Military might pretty much cutting out the Senate. Took care of his Army. Persecuted any religions that were not Roman. I think he gets a bad rap due to the killing of Christians and marrying a Syrian Woman. He also debased the silver currency of Rome but he coined enough to offset some of the debasement. He also is criticized due to taxes that burden the Empire. Yet he did bring Parthia under control and extended Roman influence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septimius_Severus

MMC
05-23-2012, 10:26 PM
10. Domitan.....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Bust_Domitian_Musei_Capitolini_MC1156.jpg/220px-Bust_Domitian_Musei_Capitolini_MC1156.jpg

11th Emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Emperor) of the Roman Empire (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Empire)

Domitian (Latin (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Latin_language): Titus Flavius Caesar Domitianus Augustus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was Roman Emperor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Emperor) from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Flavian_dynasty).
Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Titus), who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/First_Jewish-Roman_War). This situation continued under the rule of his father Vespasian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Vespasian), who became emperor in 69 following the civil war (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Civil_war) known as the Year of the Four Emperors (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Year_of_the_Four_Emperors). While Titus effectually reigned as co-emperor with his father, Domitian was left with honours but no responsibilities. Vespasian died in 79 and was succeeded by Titus, whose own reign came to an unexpected end when he was struck by a fatal illness in 81. The following day Domitian was declared Emperor by the Praetorian Guard (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Praetorian_Guard), commencing a reign which lasted fifteen years – longer than any man who had ruled since Tiberius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Tiberius).
As Emperor, Domitian strengthened the economy by revaluing the Roman coinage (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_currency), expanded the border defenses of the Empire, and initiated a massive building program to restore the damaged city of Rome (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Rome). Significant wars were fought in Britain, where his general Agricola (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Gnaeus_Julius_Agricola) attempted to conquer Caledonia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Caledonia) (Scotland (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Scotland)), and in Dacia (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Dacia), where Domitian was unable to procure a decisive victory against king Decebalus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Decebalus). Domitian's government exhibited totalitarian (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Totalitarianism) characteristics; he saw himself as the new Augustus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Augustus), an enlightened despot destined to guide the Roman Empire into a new era of brilliance. Religious, military, and cultural propaganda (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Propaganda) fostered a cult of personality (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Cult_of_personality), and by nominating himself perpetual censor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_censor), he sought to control public and private morals. As a consequence, Domitian was popular with the people and army but considered a tyrant by members of the Roman Senate (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Roman_Senate). According to Suetonius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Suetonius), he was the first Roman Emperor who had demanded to be addressed as dominus et deus (master and god).
Domitian's reign came to an end in 96 when he was assassinated by court officials. The same day he was succeeded by his advisor Nerva (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Nerva). After his death, Domitian's memory was condemned to oblivion (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Damnatio_memoriae) by the Roman Senate, while senatorial authors such as Tacitus (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Tacitus), Pliny the Younger (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Pliny_the_Younger) and Suetonius (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Suetonius) published histories propagating the view of Domitian as a cruel and paranoid tyrant. Modern history has rejected these views, instead characterising Domitian as a ruthless but efficient autocrat, whose cultural, economic and political program provided the foundation of the peaceful 2nd century.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domitian

This marks the end of this guys list of the 10 worst Roman Emperors. The last two are questionable IMO. Domitian was assasinated yet his rule for 15 years was considered one of an autocrat. Other than killing any who spoke or wrote about him negatively including art performers. There is not much to call for him to be in the list.

http://hiddenunseen.blogspot.com/2010/05/top-10-worst-roman-emperors.html

Mister D
05-28-2012, 12:59 PM
It's unusual to find a forum with a thread about the Roman Emperors. I too have been deeply influenced by Edward Gibbon and his selection of Commodus as the beginning point of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. But the more I think about it the more I have come to believe that the seeds of the decline and fall began when the culture of the Latins changed. Their character as a people changed.

This brought about imo a change in the political culture of the both the Plebians and the Equestrian Order. Such changes take time. The seeds of the decline and fall originated imo with the end of the Roman Republic. Although many think of Augustus nee Octavian as one of the great emperors, I see him as the man who performed the coup de grace on the Roman Republic. In that sense he may have been a great Roman, but he also paved the road to hell.

I tend to agree with Adrian Goldsworthy that the cause of Rome's decline was political instability. I've also come to agree with those who argue that the empire simply could not be ruled effectively via the existing republican institutions. Coming at it from your perspective I would say that perhaps the very fact of Roman expansion contained the seeds of fundamental political change.

That said, the Roman Republic and Empire combined lasted almost a thousand years. Quite a run! It's interesting to debate the rise and fall of major civilizations but nothing lasts forever.

Mister D
05-28-2012, 01:00 PM
It is true, however, that in many ways Roman civilization lives on.