Ancient Rome is one of the most fascinating periods in history. From the mythological founding
of the city by Romulus and Remus to the fall of the Western Roman Empire almost 1,000 years later,
the realms of classic history, philosophy, art and politics have been shaped by these men.
The people of the Roman empire regarded their emperors as kings and, in some cases,
as their god. The topic of who were the best Roman emperors is hotly debated.
Let’s examine what we think are some of the greatest examples of Roman leadership.
Number 10 - Justinian Though the Western Roman Empire had already
fallen to the barbarians by 476 AD, the Eastern Roman Empire saw one last reign under Justinian I,
who ruled the east (also called the Byzantine Empire) from 526 to 565 AD.
During his reign, Justinian attempted to revive the empire’s greatness and
reconquer the lost Western half. Justinian’s great generals, Belisarius
and Narses reconquered many parts of the empire, including the city of Rome itself. Because of his
restorative activities, Justinian has sometimes been called “the last Roman” in modern history.
Justinian was well known for creating a unified code of law, the Justinian Code, that was based
on a collection of already used Roman laws. This code has subsequently been taken as the basis
of all systems of law in the Western world. Justinian also oversaw the construction of great
buildings in his capital of Constantinople, the most remarkable of them being the Church of Hagia
Sophia, which later became the center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity for many centuries.
Number 9 - Vespasian Vespasian’s reign lasted from 69 to 79 AD.
He founded the Flavian dynasty that went on to rule the Roman Empire for 27 years.
Vespasian’s reign began during one of the most troubled times in Roman history
as the Romans were just recovering from the antics of infamous emperors like Nero and Caligula,
and a civil war that saw four emperors in a single year.
A down-to-earth man himself, and a competent general who had proved
his mettle on the battlefield, Vespasian was handed the task of bringing balance to Rome.
And during his rule of 10 years, he did just that, earning his name as
one of the greatest Roman emperors. During Vespasian’s reign, much money
was spent on public works as well as on the restoration and beautification of Rome.
He initiated the construction of the Temple of Peace, a number of public baths,
and one of the most famous structures in ancient Rome, the Colosseum.
Sadly, by the time the Colosseum was completed, Vespasian was dead. After his death in 79 AD,
he was succeeded by his eldest son Titus and thus became the first Roman emperor to
be directly succeeded by his own natural son, establishing the Flavian dynasty.
Number 8 - Constantine Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus,
better known as Constantine The Great, went on to become the first Christian Roman emperor in
history. He reunited a divided empire under a single emperor and scored important wins
against some fierce enemies like the Franks, the Alemanni, the Goths, and the Sarmatians.
Constantine also reoccupied some of the long-lost Roman provinces. He created his own capital and
named it after himself – Constantinople – which went on to become the capital of the Byzantine
Empire for centuries. For that reason, he was also known as the founder of Byzantium.
Constantine understood the need for Christian support, as Christianity was on the rise and
he eventually became an important historical Christian figure being the first emperor to adopt
the faith. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on his orders at the purported site of
Jesus’s tomb in Jerusalem, became the holiest place in Christendom. His conversion went on
to have a significant impact on the religious preferences of the subsequent Byzantine Empire.
Constantine's reputation flourished during
the lifetime of his children and for centuries after his reign.
Number 7 - Aurelian Aurelian had a relatively short reign.
Despite this, he essentially unified the Roman Empire. Aurelian ruled from 270 to 275.
It was during his reign that the empire achieved unprecedented military victories.
Prior to his reign, barbarian invasions and revolts had almost dissolved the empire.
Aurelian was instrumental in ending the Crisis of the Third Century and in the process unifying
the Roman Empire again. Hence he is also deemed as the ‘restorer of the world’.
He had humble beginnings and rose in military ranks and became emperor. He was an emperor who
was chosen by the Roman Army, hence he was also called the Barracks emperor. Additionally, he is
famous for building the Aurelian walls around the city, most of which are still preserved today.
Number 6 - Tiberius - Emperor from 14 to 37 AD,
Tiberius Claudius Nero was the son of Livia Drusilla, who later married Augustus in 39 BC,
making him Augustus’s stepson. He was later adopted by Augustus as
his heir, and that was when he took the name Tiberius Julius Caesar,
a name subsequent emperors would also take. Tiberius was one of Rome’s greatest generals,
conquering Pannonia, Dalmatia, Raetia, and temporarily, parts of Germania, laying the
foundations for the northern frontier. He was remembered as a somewhat dark,
reclusive, and somber ruler who never really wanted to be emperor,
having the responsibility thrust upon him. Despite his overwhelmingly negative image left
by some Roman historians, Tiberius left the imperial treasury with nearly three
billion sesterces upon his death. Rather than embarking on expensive conquests, he decided to
build additional bases and use diplomacy over conflict. All these innovative steps paid off
as Rome became a stronger, more consolidated empire. Were he to have died prior to 23 AD,
a period marred by the Purge, he might have been hailed as an exemplary ruler.
Number 5 - Hadrian As Emperor from 117 to 138 AD,
Hadrian was born Publius Aelius Hadrianus to an ethnically Italian family.
His predecessor, Trajan never officially designated him as his heir, but Trajan’s wife,
Vibia Sabina, who was Trajan’s niece declared the appointment for him.
Four senators who did not approve of the succession were put to death soon afterwards,
and some Romans never forgave Hadrian for this lawlessness.
As leader, Hadrian visited nearly every province under his rule, connecting to the people at a
provincial level. He was well educated and served in the military under Nerva.
In the arts, Hadrian sought to bring Greek architecture back to its old glory, as he was a
great admirer of Greece. He rebuilt the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma.
He is also thought to be responsible for rebuilding the Serapeum of Alexandria in Egypt.
For this, he was appreciated by all the Roman people and was given a great deal of respect.
He also built the eponymous Hadrian’s Wall which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain.
Hadrian spent a considerable amount of his reign with the military,
wearing military attire and at times dining and sleeping with the soldiers.
Maintaining an alert and responsive military was his biggest challenge, so he would raise false
alarms at times to test his army’s training, drill, and response to a sudden crisis.
Despite his reputation as an efficient military administrator,
his reign was marked by a general lack of major conflicts, apart from the Second Roman-Jewish war,
which he handled rather cunningly After his death in July of 138, his successor,
Antoninus Pius lobbied the Senate to confer divine honors for Hadrian.
Number 4 - Claudius Claudius reigned as the Roman Emperor from AD
41 to 54. During his reign, Rome invaded Britain in 43 AD and expanded the Empire by annexing
Lycia in Asia Minor, Thrace, and Mauretania. Claudius, unfortunately, was not blessed with
perfect physical abilities. He suffered from tremors of his hands and head,
a persistent runny nose, foaming at his mouth, and also had a limp and was slightly deaf.
His rule was seen to be vulnerable in the eyes of the nobility and the Senate for they thoroughly
opposed his ascension to the throne, but he got his biggest support from the military.
Claudius was a man of conflicting characteristics: absent-minded, hesitant, muddled, determined,
cruel, intuitive, wise. Famously too, he was browbeaten by his wife,
Agrippa and his personal staff of freedmen. Despite all these obstacles and his evident lack
of experience, Claudius proved to be an able and efficient administrator. He was also an
ambitious builder. He constructed many new roads, aqueducts, and canals across the Empire.
Having a personal interest in law, he also presided at public trials,
and issued up to 20 edicts a day. Claudius was seen as vulnerable throughout his
reign, particularly by elements of the nobility. He was constantly forced to shore up his position,
which resulted in the deaths of many senators. Many contend that he was murdered by his own
domineering wife.. After his death at the age of 63, Nero, his grand-nephew and legally adopted
step-son, succeeded him as emperor. We may find Nero on another Classic Masterworks list.
Number 3 - Trajan The first emperor
born outside of Italy (in modern-day Spain), Trajan began his reign on the 27th January, 98,
and lasted till the 9th August 117. Trajan also extended the Empire’s boundaries
to the east and enlarged social welfare, and undertook an ambitious building program.
Similarly, he focused on Public works, aqueducts, reducing taxes, the welfare of poor children. Rome
had its greatest expansion during his reign The military adored him for his shared hardships
with them, ordinary Romans respected him for his generous welfare program and the Senate respected
him for the consideration he showed them. During 19 years of reign, Trajan managed to bring
numerous changes to the position of Emperor. Trajan enlarged the Roman Empire by conquering
Dacia (modern-day Romania) who were not easily marched over.
It was considered a massive accomplishment which is detailed on his triumphant column.
Upon his death, his ashes were put in an urn in the column. Trajan’s Column still stands proudly
in the center of Rome. A testament to his fame, even two centuries after his death, senators would
bless a new emperor by saying “More fortunate than Augustus, and better than Trajan”.
Number 2 - Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius was the last
Roman emperor of the Pax Romana. His reign was from 161 to 180 AD . He ascended to the
throne along with his adoptive brother Lucius Verus. The two of them were co-emperors. Marcus,
a stoic philosopher, served as Roman consul in 140, 145 and 161. His reign
was the total opposite of his predecessor as it was marked by military conflict.
Under his reign, the Roman Empire successfully battled against the Parthian Empire and the
rebel Armenian Kingdom. Additionally, he was victorious in the Marcomannic Wars.
Another notable fact about his rule was that there was tolerance of free speech,
even if it was criticizing the emperor. Marcus was also an excellent administrator.
He handled situations well, the most notable one being the handling of the flood of Tiber in 162.
He is also famous for his book Meditations, which is based on his stoic philosophy.
During his life and afterwards, Roman citizens honored and respected him for
his bravery and his focus on the betterment of the Empire.
Number 1 - Augustus The founder of the Roman Empire himself,
Augustus, also known as Octavian, is a natural top choice for this list. Augustus also had the
longest reign of 41 years from 27 BC to 14 AD. Born under the name Gaius Octavius, he was given
the name Augustus by the Senate as an honor for his great achievements.
He went on to avenge the death of Caesar together with Mark Antony, before falling out with him.
He defeated Mark Antony and the famous Egyptian queen Cleopatra and afterwards,
together with the Roman Senate, created a new constitution for the great empire.
The reign of Augustus initiated an era of relative peace that was known as Pax
Romana or the Roman Peace. Despite several wars at the Roman frontiers in the name of
expansion and a year-long civil war, after the succession of Augustus to the throne,
the Roman world was free of any large-scale warfare for more than two centuries.
Augustus dramatically enlarged the Empire, annexing Egypt, Dalmatia, Pannonia,
Noricum and Raetia, expanding possessions in Africa, and completing the conquest of Hispania,
but suffered a major setback in Germania. Beyond the frontiers, he secured the Empire
with a buffer region of client states and made peace with the Parthian Empire through diplomacy.
He reformed the Roman system of taxation, developed networks of roads with an official
courier system, established a standing army, established the Praetorian Guard, official
police and fire-fighting services for Rome, and rebuilt much of the city during his reign.
To this day, we remember Augustus for the name of the eighth month of the year. August was renamed
to honor Augustus because of several of the most significant events in his rise to power,
culminating in the fall of Alexandria. Not only was Augustus the first,
but he was most certainly one of the best emperors Rome has ever had.
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