The Optimus Princeps (Best Ruler). Under his military campaigns, the Roman Empire reached its greatest territorial extent, stretching from Britain to Mesopotamia. 10. Constantine (306 – 337 AD)
A brilliant general but a reclusive, paranoid ruler. His retreat to the island of Capri left Rome in the hands of the ruthless Sejanus, marking a era of treason trials and suspicion. 3. Caligula (37 – 41 AD)
Remembered for madness and excess. He demanded to be worshipped as a living god and allegedly planned to make his horse, Incitatus, a consul before being assassinated by his own guard. 4. Claudius (41 – 54 AD) Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Co...
The last of the Julio-Claudians. Known for his artistic pretensions and the Great Fire of Rome, his reign ended in civil war and his eventual suicide. 6. Vespasian (69 – 79 AD)
The builder of the Colosseum. He restored stability after the "Year of the Four Emperors" and was known for his blunt wit and fiscal discipline. 7. Titus (79 – 81 AD) The Optimus Princeps (Best Ruler)
The architect of the Empire. After defeating Mark Antony, he replaced chaos with the Pax Romana . He famously claimed to have found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble. 2. Tiberius (14 – 37 AD)
Should I focus on the during this period? Constantine (306 – 337 AD) A brilliant general
The unlikely scholar. Despite physical infirmities and being mocked by his family, he conquered Britain and proved to be an efficient administrator before being poisoned, likely by his wife Agrippina. 5. Nero (54 – 68 AD)