Post Pax Romana Emperors
•Commodus—end of Pax Romana
•Praetorian Guard Sale
•Severans
•Civil War Emperors
•Diocletian
Tetrarchy: Augustus and Caesar
Division of the Empire
•Constantine
•Roman Fall Emperors
Commodus
• First emperor after the end of the law of succession
• Name of empire changed to Commodiana
• “was a greater curse to the Romans than any plague or crime”
• Blood sport fan• One of the worst
emperors
Septimius Severus
• Eliminated Julianus• Increased army size to
defend borders• Allowed selected
barbarians into army• Devalued currency by
50%• Rule #1: take care of the
army and the government will take care of itself
• Army dominated government
Caracalla
• Eliminated father• Army pay up 50%• Paid bribes to
barbarian chieftains not to attack borders
• Granted citizenship to all free males in empire-more taxes
• Raised taxes and devalued currency
Severus Alexander
• Murdered by legions because he wanted to bribe German chieftain rather than allow the legions to fight
Civil War EmperorsMaximinus
Gordians I, II, and III
Philip the Arab
Decius
Valerian
Gallienus
Claudius Gothicus
Aurelian
Tacitus
Florian
Probus
Carus
Carinus
Health of the Empire
Political/Military Financial
• 50 years of civil war, barbarian invasion, spreading famines, and plague
• 20 emperors and pretenders died of the plague or violent deaths
• Empire invaded from all sides:
1. East—Persians attacked Syria, Egypt, and Asia Minor
2. North—Franks and Alemanni attacked Gaul and Spain
3. South—Berbers attacked northern Africa
•Imperial silver coins lost more than 90 percent of their silver content
•Run away inflation took over money and goods markets—peak of wheat half a denarius to 100 denarius
•Egyptian bankers refused to handle Imperial money
Diocletian
• One man imperial rule• Reformed army—
mismatched commanders and units
• Border fortifications increased
• Wage and price controls• Farmers forced to stay
and produce food• Christian persecutions• Tetrarchy
Tetrarchy
• Empire divided into western and eastern halves
• Emperor “Augustus” and heir “Caesar” in east and west
Constantine
• Father was western “Augustus”
• Battle at the Milvian Bridge
• Augustus of the west• Moved capitol city to
Byzantium—single emperor
• Converts to Christianity• Council of Nicea