Roman Emperors

This emperor, born with mental and physical infirmities, was most likely killed by mushrooms poisoned by his wife, Agrippina. His own son, Brittanicus—so named because of the emperor's invasion of Britain was another casualty.

• Tiberius

• Caligula

• Nero

• Claudius

A powerful general from Lower Germany, this emperor was all about expansion, extending the empire to new levels before his death in A.D. 117. The markets and column built under his reign are influential structures whose remains are still evident today.

• Domitian

• Vespasian

• Trajan

• Caligula

One of the five "good emperors", he ruled from A.D. 161-180 and was devoted to stoic philosophy. His work "Meditations" is a testament to his commitment to a moral life.

• Hadrian

• Marcus Aurelius

• Nero

• Tiberius

This man succeeded Augustus but was never the emperor's first choice. He allowed Sejanus, the head of the Praetorian Guard, to accrue too much power, and he disliked many of old senatorial families in Rome.

• Claudius

• Titus

• Marcus Aurelius

• Tiberius

After the suicide of Nero in A.D. 68, this man put a stop to a period of chaos and frequent emperor changes. He established the Flavian dynasty and began construction of the Flavian Amphitheater (later known as the Colosseum) on the spot of Nero's Domus Aurea.

• Vespasian

• Titus

• Hadrian

• Domitian

This emperor focused on stabilizing Rome's borders, building a wall in Britain. A temple to Venus and Rome and the Pantheon were also built during his reign.

• Hadrian

• Claudius

• Tiberius

• Vespasian

Nicknamed "Little Boot", this emperor at first made a good impression but before long showed bad temper, arrogance, and irrational fear. He even nominated his horse for consul! Unfit to rule, he was assassinated in A.D. 41.

• Tiberius

• Claudius

• Caligula

• Nero

This emperor captured Jerusalem in A.D. 70 for which an arch was constructed in the Forum under his name. He dealt the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and the devastation of Pompeii, and he completed the building of the Flavian Amphitheater (the Colosseum).

• Hadrian

• Titus

• Domitian

• Marcus Aurelius

Even though this emperor was generous to the lower classes, preserved peace on the borders, and was economically sound, he was prone to autocratic behavior. His paranoia unleashed a cycle of assassinations and the oppression of his "enemies" leading to his murder in A.D. 96.

• Titus

• Domitian

• Nero

• Tiberius

Only 16 years old when he became emperor, he was devoted to music and drama. Under the shadow of his mother at first, he later had her murdered. After a great fire, he constructed his Golden Palace and blamed the Christians for the fire. With his cowardice, brutality, and focus on the arts instead of managing the state, he alienated many and eventually killed himself in A.D. 68.

• Nero

• Domitian

• Caligula

• Vespasian