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Autobiography of Vespasian

By Andrew Fortugno

I was born November 17th 9 A.D. in Falacrina, in the Sabine country near Reate. My father, Titus Flavius Sabinus, was an equestrian who worked as a custom official in the province of Asia and a money lender in Aventicum, where I lived for some time. My mother, Vespasia Polla, was the sister of a Senator and she prompted me to follow my older brother, who was also Titus Flavius Sabinus into public life. I served in the army as military tribune in Thrace in 36 A.D. and in the next year was elected quaestor serving in Crete and Cyrene. I rose through the ranks of Roman pubic office, elected aedile on my second in 39 A.D. then praetor on my first attempt in 40 A.D. while becoming acquainted with the Emperor Caligula. During this time I married Domitilla the Elder, the daughter of a Flavius Liberalis from Ferentium. We had two sons, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, Titus Flavius Domitianus, and a daughter Domitilla. When Claudius became emperor in 41 A.D., I was appointed legate of Legio II Augusta, stationed in Germania. In 43 A.D. with the II Augusta I participated in the Roman invasion of Britain, where I distinguished myself under the overall command of Aulus Plautius. My successes in Britain earned me triumphal regalia on my return to Rome. I was then elected consul for the last two months of 51 A.D., and afterwards I temporarily withdrew from public life. Coming out of retirement in 63 A.D., I was sent to the Africa Province as governor. While usually governorships were seen by ex-consuls as opportunities to extort huge amounts of money to regain their wealth they had spent on previous political campaigns, I used my time wisely in North Africa and mad friends instead of money which would be of value in years to come. However during my time in North Africa I had financial difficulties and was forced to mortgage my estates to my brother. I revived my fortune by turning to the mule trade and gained the nickname Mulio. After returning from Africa I toured Greece in Nero’s retinue, but lost Imperial favor after falling asleep during one of his lyre recitals, and was left in political wilderness. In 66 A.D., I was appointed to conduct the war in Judea and I had my elder son Titus serve on my staff. The revolt there had killed the previous governor. To restore control in Judea, thousands of Jews were killed and many towns destroyed. Jerusalem was taken in 70 A.D. and I was remembered by the Jews as a fair and humane official compared to the notorious Herod the Great. After the death of Nero in 68 A.D., there was a succession of short lived emperors and a year of civil wars. Galba was murdered by Otho, who was then defeated by Vitellius and Otho’s supporters then gave support to me. I was declared by the senate emperor while I was in Egypt in the December of 69A.D. After cleaning up the aftermath of the civil wars I came to Rome in mid-70 A.D. and began efforts to stay in power and prevent future revolts. I made significant attempts to control the public perception of my rule. I increased the amount of propaganda during my reign, such as stories of a supernatural emperor who was destined to rule the empire. I also gave financial rewards to writers who gave me good reports while condemning those before me. During my reign I ordered the construction of several buildings in Rome. I helped rebuild Rome after the civil war. I constructed a Temple of Peace to celebrate the victory in Jerusalem and to hold the relics recovered from there. I completed the temple to the Defied Claudius begun by Agrippa and then unfinished because of the construction of Nero’s Golden House. In 75 A.D., I altered Nero’s colossal statue of himself by adding a sun-ray crown to become a statue of Apollo. The Great Fire under Nero that cleared the space for his Golden House took a lot of land away from the people of Rome. I gave this land back to the people by constructing the Flavian Amphitheatre, which held up to fifty thousand spectators for gladiatorial events and public spectacles. The amphitheatre was also a monument glorifying Rome for the victory in Jerusalem. On the 23rd of June 79 A.D., I was on my deathbed and deteriorating, I requested help to stand as I believed an emperor should die on his feet. I died from intestinal inflammation that led to excessive diarrhea. My last words were, “Damn, I am already becoming a god!”

Septimius Severus

By Daniel Peters

Septimius Severus

On April 11, 145 A.D., the greatest emperor Rome would ever have was born. This great emperor was me, Septimius Severus. I had a magnificent childhood, having been born and raised in Leptis Magna, but the most significant events in my life happened later. At the young age of 25, I began my journey to becoming a consul through the Cursus Honorem by being made a Quaestor. After a long 20 years of hard work and moving up the ranks, I became Consul. Within 3 years I was made emperor due to untimely deaths of my opponents.

My family was wealthy and educated. Some even say that I was eager for more education than I actually received. I can only thank my parents, Publius Septimius Geta and Fulvia Pia, for giving me such great opportunities. In fact, without my father’s family’s distinguished equestrian rank, I may not have been able to become a Quaestor. At the age of thirty, I married my first wife named Paccia Marciana. She too was from Leptis Magna. She died after 11 years of marriage for some reason still unknown to me. I was eager to remarry and had heard of a woman from Syria who had been foretold to marry a king, so I sought her as my wife. Her name was Julia Domna, and she gave birth to my two most notable children, Caracalla and Geta. I loved them so much that I made them co-emperors with me, and I chose them to succeed me in holding the position as emperor They were very noble me, and they even accompanied me on conquests up to my death.

Some of my greatest accomplishments were my military expansions and buildings. In 197 A.D., I waged war against the Parthian Empire as an act of retaliation. To reward myself for this grand first victory, I created the Arch of Septimius Severus when I returned to Rome. I campaigned in Scotland and reconstructed Hadrian’s Wall for fortification purposes. My conquests were very successful, especially since I replaced the whole Praetorian Guard with thousands of my bravest and strongest men. The new army I created was a great one, and because of their great work, I raised their annual wages from 300 to 500 denarii. Because of all this military expansion, the Roman Senate did not like me. When I became emperor, I had them all executed for conspiring to kill me. I knew Rome would not be peaceful without a senate, so I replaced the old senate with some of my favorite men.

I did not like the Christians, for they had given me many problems. Initially I did not make any new laws about persecuting Christians, and I let the persecutions continue, but too many Romans were converting to Christianity so I proposed and passed a law forbidding anyone in my empire to convert to Christianity. I was less violent about the persecutions than some of my predecessors, so it’s not like I was the first to kill Christians.

I was an avid builder. Sometimes I did not even have a reason to build such magnificent structures like the Septizodium. The Septizodium was a massive fountain located right in the Roman Forum near the Circus Maximus for all to see. It was an enormous and magnificent structure with no real purpose. The citizens of Rome loved me and adored my great buildings. For this reason, I built many things for them. I even built arches and banks for the people of my hometown, Leptis Magna. Although I was the greatest emperor, my reign had to end due to an unforeseen death by disease while on a military conquest in Eboracum in 211 A.D..

Trajan

by Wilson Johnson

Trajan Autobiography

I, Marcus Ulpuis Nerva Trainus, commonly known as Trajan, was born on September 18, 53 AD. I was born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, today known as Spain. I seized power and respect from the public while Domitian was emperor. I was the general in the Roman army but I was succeeded by Marcus Cocceuis Nerva on September 18, 96 AD. I was adopted as ehir to Nerva by the Praetorian Guard. Nerva died on January 27, 98 AD, and I took over. I am best known for my building program in Rome, making it bigger and more elegant with art. I reshaped the city of Rome. I made the Trajan’s Forum in 100 AD. They type of structure is known as the imperial fora. My forum is located on the Quirinal and Capitoline hills. Many excavations were made for escape routes for military officers in case of troubled times. My forum was also built from a stoa-lines piazza that measures 660 by 390 feetl. There were two exedrae on each side, and there were also libraries> I also made a market known as Trajan’s market. My market is consisted of complex ruins within Rome found on the Via dei Fori Imperiali. This was on the opposite side of the Colosseum. I built this around 100-110 AD. ON the bottom floor were markets and places to sell items which also had two extensively big hallways. These hallways were used for parties and concerst put on. On the top story there were offices and rooms used by people that had military positions. I also made a Column for myself and my wife for when we died. My column is located near the Quirinal Hill which is north of the Roman Forum. My column was completed in 113 AD. My column is 125 feet in height, which contains a staircase with 185 stairs within the column leading up to the top with my statue. Both my wife’s ashes and my ashes are buried under this huge column of mine. I was big on extending the Roman empire and activities related to buildings. My adopted heir was Hadrian, who is best known for his enormous pleasure palace. I did not die from an assassin, nor did I kill myself. I died of a stork while I was trying to spread out the Roman empire. My health collapsed so suddenly. I died on August 8, 117 AD. I died a well successful emperor.

Claudius: cooler than Nero

“I, Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus”

August 1, 10 B.C.: The greatest day mankind has witnessed. What’s so special about this day? The birth of I, Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus, that’s what’s important. I am the youngest son of Nero Drusus born in the town of Lugdunum, Gaul. Generally speaking, I had one of the worst childhoods ever. My dad died while campaigning in Germania in 9 B.C., and my monster of a mother made me the outcast of my family due to my mental disabilities and physical handicaps. In fact lots of people observed my strange behavior and declared that I was generally an embarrassment to my family. Whenever I walk, my knees give out underneath me, and I have a terrible stutter. Also, my laugh is considered obnoxious to many, and whenever I get annoyed apparently I froth at the mouth and my nose runs. My horrible mother then gave me to my grandmother, Livia, for a couple of years so she could take care of me. Then, to add insult to injury, Livia, thinking I was too lazy and idle, hired the great Livy to tutor me in 8 A.D. After studying under him, I wrote my first commentary on the history of civil wars. This book did not fly with my mother because it shed a bad light on the mighty Octavian.

When Augustus died in 14 A.D., I asked my uncle Tiberius, who became the new emperor of Rome, to hold a public office and successfully join the Cursus Honorem. However, due to my social awkwardness I was rejected. Finally in 37, my nephew Caligula appointed me as co-consul because he saw some worth in me. My value: to be the subject of his jokes and pranks. After Caligula was assassinated in 41 A.D., I, fearing for my life, hid behind a curtain, hoping I would not be killed as well. A praetorian prefect found me, took me to his superior, and right then and there I was declared Emperor of the Rome. Somehow, I managed to quickly find popularity in my newfound position by damnatio memoriae- ing Caligula, In 42, some punk by the name of Marcus Furius Camillus Scribonianus tried to overthrow my rule, but his rebellion was quickly put down. This revolt did, however, lead to my increasing of my personal security and assisted in creating my paranoid personality. Then in 43, I sent Aulus Plautius to Britannia to conquer the land rich in mines and potential slaves.

As emperor, I did not focus on public building projects as much as I did expanding the empire. There are a few minor projects that I did complete though. In 46 I completed the new addition to the port of Ostia, the Portus. This Portus assisted in helping prevent grain shortages in the winter months, and also prevented less flooding in Rome. Skipping ahead a few years, in 52 I completed both the Aqua Claudia, which supplied 14 roman districts with water, and the Anio Novus. These two important aqueducts met in Porta Maggiore in Rome. My last important building project was the attempted draining of the Fucine Lake. The purpose of this action: expansion, more importantly for farmers looking for arable land. In the end, my grand plan of inserting drainage tunnels in the lake failed miserably, as the drains cracked under the immense pressure of the water.

As you can see, I was a diamond in the rough: a social pariah that in the end turned out to be an important emperor as displayed by my immense expansion of the Empire itself.

Autobiography: Emperor Aurelian

By Andrew Scott

I was born on September 9, 214 A.D. in Sirmium to an obscure family.  My father was a tenant to a senator in Rome named Aurelius whom I was named after.  After I left home I entered into the army and was eventually made general.  I had great success in many different wars, therefore in 268, I was named dux equitum of the army of Emperor Gallienus.  I later participated in his assassination, making Claudius the ruler of Rome.  After two years, Claudius died and Quintillius was named emperor.  This did not sit well the Roman Legions as they rejected him as emperor and proclaimed me to be the sole ruler of Rome.  I then defeated Quintillius in battle and was made emperor of Rome.

When I first took control of the Empire in 270 there was much to be done.  Many far-off territories were under attack from outside forces, civil wars were beginning to start and the economy was in chaos.  I began by defeating the barbarians in the northern parts of Italy and securing our northern territories.  My authority was then questioned several usurpers, but I quickly defeated them.  In 271 the Almani invaded Italy attacking and sacking towns and villages along the way.  Since I was near the invaders I decided to attack their army at Placentia but was ambushed and forced to retreat to Rome.  I then chose to attack them again at the Metaurus River.  They were defeated and ran back across the Po river where I cut them off at Pavia in 271.  I was then given the title Germanicus Maximus.  Since the threat of barbarian invaders was so great, I had an enormous wall built around the city of Rome.  The walls were thirteen miles long and were designed to protect the city from invaders since the Servian wall had long been outdated.  In 272 I focused my attention more towards the lost provinces in the Palmyrene Empire.  The conquering of this empire was very swift and easy for all but two cities surrendered to me.  The city of Tyana I spared because in one of my dreams, I envisioned Apollonius telling me to spare the city which helped me conquer the rest of the empire.  In 274 I moved on to conquer the Gallic Empire in the West.  Through diplomacy I persuaded the emperor to give up his empire in exchange for a high-ranking job in Italy.  With this victory, I had officially secured the borders of Rome and provided a stable setting for the empire for the next 200 years.

As I returned to Rome after my great victories, I went about making changes that had to be done.  First I began by reforming the religious system in Rome.  I believed that it would be accepted for one to worship only one of the gods without offending all of the others.  I pushed for the sun god to have a greater importance in the religious system and built a temple after the god to be the center of the new cult in 275.  Next I went on to try and change the minting industry due to the lack of accountability and robbery.  I the old practice, the workers would steal the silver and produce coins of lesser value.  The man in charge of this operation was named Felicissimus, and I wanted to put him on trial.  But he incited a revolt and mass mobs appeared in the streets.  So I sent guards to contain and attack the mobs, and on the Caelian Hill they were defeated.  After I was finished reforming situations in Rome I went on to try and conquer Persia.  But I never made it.  I was waiting in Caenophrurium, Thrace when I was killed by several high-officials who were mistakenly placed on the execution list.  Later I was deified by the senate as Divus Aurelianus.

The Life and Times of Titus

By Lucas Fortune

Born in 39 AD, I was the “golden boy” of the golden age of Rome’s Western Empire. I first caught the eye of the commoners when I sacked Jerusalem in 70 AD. For this, I gained much fame and had my own arch built for me by my despicable brother Domitian. Loved by all and adored by many, I was elected emperor in 79 AD. Soon after taking on this role, I encountered a setback with the destruction of 3 cities with the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in this same year. However, I was determined to make amends for this tragedy, and therefore paid for the cost of the devastation with the money from my own imperial treasury. My image was only more adored when I completed several buildings projects in 80 AD, which are headlined by the Colosseum, a majestic structure I meant to depict the strength and wealth of my mighty empire. Begun by my father Vespasian in 70 AD, I completed this monument soon after my father’s died in 79 AD. To strengthen my image in the eyes of the public, I also built a series of bath complexes for public use. However, these were no old bathing areas; these were built on the site of Nero’s Domus Aurea, and I meant to build these to give the public back the land which Nero had taken from them. Although the public loved me more than ever, I built them a temple, the Temple of Titus and Vespasian in the Western end of the main Forum to commemorate the roles both my father and I played in the sacking of Jerusalem and destruction of their “beloved” temple. However, my spectacular life was cut short because of a fever in 81 AD, only two years after I had taken office. Although this fever is the most popular cause of death, the Palestinians maintain I was killed by a bug which flew into my nose and ate at my brain for seven years because I had destroyed the Jews “magnificent” temple. It was a sad end to a promising reign, which was looking to be the best the empire had ever seen, unparalleled even by the reign of the mighty Augustus.

Nero

By Andrew Einstman

The purpose of this literary work is for me to convey to you, the reader, the importance and grandeur of my life. My name: Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus. I was born on December 15, 37 AD in the town of Antium, near the city of Rome. My mother was Agrippa, the sister of the emperor Caligula (ruled from 37 AD to 41AD). At first, mom helped me to reach my imperial position by forcing Claudius to adopt me. At that point, she was so excited to se me on the throne, she just poisoned Claudius with some ‘shrooms and all of the sudden I have become the most powerful man in the Roman Empire in 54 AD. I’m not going to lie; maybe the power did get to my head a little bit as I look back on some of the things I did and how most of the citizens thought of me. But, I mean, it was not all bad. Except, there might me just one little aspect that I forgot to mention: I kind of had my mother killed after she decided she should be my influential in my political endeavors in comparison to my top two advisors, Seneca and Burrus. I realized that this probably was not the best idea, and the best way to dispatch of anyone causing even the slightest conflict is to kill them, obviously. However, my real claim to fame is my less than exemplary reign as emperor. Normally, I would not be one to admit fault with myself, but in retrospect and considering the fact that I was driven to suicide as I was being chased down by soldiers on horseback with intent to kill me, it is relatively clear that I might have been able to do some things better. One thing that I thought I was doing pretty well was that I made sure to institute several policies that rested in favor with the lower classes, who made up the majority of the Roman population. However, I was even criticized for taking these measures because I was accused of simply wanting popularity and more power. But the straw that really broke the camel’s back for the Roman people regarding my rule was the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD. I was quite the musician (I played harp and sang) and I was accused of having simply sat at my porch safely away from the fire and sang and played harp while Rome burned to the ground. While Rome was burning, though, that was not all I was doing. I was thinking about important reconstruction processes, such as the one I organized on the Campus Martius simply because I felt like I needed to give back to the Roman people. But, would you believe it, people were still upset with me for my little fire feaux pas. So what I decided to do was build my own little pleasure palace up on the Esquiline Hill that I like to call the Domus Aurea. However, again, after I died, it seemed like no one really cared for me because Vespasian and Hadrian decided to fiddle with the giant statue of me, the Colossus of Nero, and Vespasian even had the nerve to build the Flavian Amphitheater over my Domus Aurea. I guess I should have been able to predict that much considering I was forced to drive a knife into my own throat as my pursuers chased after me on horseback during my death in 68 AD. If I did any good at all for the Romans, it could very well be that I set a good example for what an emperor should NOT be.

THe Life and Times of Me, Marcus Aurelius

By Hamilton Millwee

I Aurelius
There was nothing special about my birth. It was April 26, 121 AD and the world was still turning just as it had every other day. However, my mother Lucilla had a feeling that I would do great things in my life. I had a brother that died at the age of two, but I didn’t ever truly know him. As a child, I had two caring parents that not only provided me with a great childhood, but also taught me the ins and As I said in the Meditations, I learned both modesty and manliness from him. The reason that I aspired to become a great leader was because of my father. My father was there more for me than my mother, but I always knew that she loved me. She was just having a hands-off approach to me because of the customs of the day. She did teach me many things in her last days because she spent much of her time with me then. She taught me religious piety and to avoid the ways of the rich. I am thankful every day that I had such great parents to guide me to the right track in life. After my father died, I was adopted by my grandfather Marcus Verus. He taught me many great things, and I loved him very much, but the entire stay was overshadowed by his mistress. After his wife died, my grandfather had a mistress that I hated with every fiber of my being. I am just thankful that I didn’t have to live with her any longer than needed. I avoided public schooling and learned from the best until at the age of six, I was recommended to Hadrian for the equestrian order. I soon became Hadrian’s favorite and became a high priest and also met Apollinus, a person who changed my life forever. He taught me the ways of the stoic and I became a stoic philosopher myself. Later on in life, I wrote the Meditations. On his deathbed, Hadrian adopted Antoninus Pius as his heir and told Antoninus to adopt me. This occurred and although I did not love Antoninus as a father, I saw him as a great emperor and a great man. Therefore, at his death in 161, I took the reigns of Rome and constructed a column in his honor. This was over 14 meters high and was made out of red granite. I showcased Antoninus’ peaceful reign as well as his iron fist that was shown through his military might. Although he rarely ever used it, he had the strength and power of Rome on his side. After taking emperorship, I set out on many military conquests so that I could expand Rome’s borders. I was rarely ever in the city itself, but instead enjoyed to go to the battlefields with my troops. I conquered many tribes of the Parthians, Lombards, Sarmatians, and the Gauls. To celebrate my success in the wars, I constructed my column. I did this not only to show Rome’s might, but also to show my expertise. I made the column 100 feet tall and in such high relief that people at the ground could still read the engravings. I made this column bigger and better than Trajan’s. I died while campaigning in Germania and many questions surround my death. Many people believed that I was killed by my adopted son Commodus out of want for the throne. However, I like the idea of mysteries in the world and will let you decide for yourself what you think happened. After my death, many people remembered me in different ways. Christians see me as a persecutor who killed thousands of Christians. I did this as to strengthen Rome as well as defend our holy religion. The people of Rome remembered me as a philosopher king who was a wise yet powerful ruler. All in all, I am proud of my reign because I expanded Rome and am remembered by many as a wise, competent emperor.

Hadrian: Life of a Boss

By Bradley Long

I, Publius Aelius Hadrianus, was the fourteenth emperor of Rome. I was raised mostly under the guidance of Trajan, the future emperor and my adoptive father, after my parents died while I was ten. I began my political career as a tribune and led legions in the wars against Dacia led by Domitian and Trajan. Through my various military conquests I rose to the rank of governor of the province of Pannonia. I also was a leader in the campaign against Parthia. Shortly after, Trajan died in 117 and I was named his heir. I quickly gained the support of my legions and this led to the support of the Senate. My reign was relatively peaceful especially compared to the extensive conquests of Trajan. I released his conquest of Macedonia because its defense was impossible. I also secured our borders through extensive fortifications, including my wall in England to protect our colonies from the barbarians to the north. The wall was up to six meters tall and six meters wide. I used this as intimidation and other similar structures to stop invasions through the threat of violence, although my reign was peaceful. My reign was marked by my frequent absence from Rome and my travels throughout the Empire. I inspected the armies and pursued my cultural passions. I greatly enjoyed other cultures, especially Greek philosophy. Their influence is seen in my appearance and architectural style. I constructed several great public works using the spoils of Trajan’s conquests. I built two of the greatest temples of Rome, the Pantheon and Temple of Roma and Venus. I greatly appreciated the religion of Rome and showed my respect for the gods through my buildings. I also built myself a grand tomb on the bank of the Tiber because the Mausoleum of Augustus was full. I showed my respect to Trajan by having him deified and I erected a temple in his honor. My extensive building projects and creation of peace are the highlights of my reign and I was a great thinker, leader, and man.

The Life of the Great Antoninus Pius

I the great Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus, who was born in the eighty sixth year of our Lord on September 19, was the fifteenth Princeps of Rome. I was part of a time period known as the “Five Good Emperors” and that I was, but the magnificent man that I am did not arouse over night. It took many years for me to develop into the man that is here today.

I came from very humble beginnings as many other emperors have. I was the only child of my father, Titus Aurelius Fulvus, who was a Roman consul in 89 A.D. His family came from the area of Nemausus, as many people know today as Nîmes. I was born in Lanuvium by my mother Arria Fadilla. My father and died when I was very little so I was raised by Gnaeus Arrius Antoninus, who is my mother’s father. He was a great man, full of integrity, honor and culture. It was he that I modeled my life after. His dear friend was Pliny the Younger and he taught me many things.

I married Annia Galeria Faustina the Elder. She came from a fine lineage of men. Her father was Marcus Annius Verus who was a consul. Faustina and I had four children together, Marcus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus who died before I became emperor; Marcus Galerius Aurelius Antoninus, who also died before I became emperor. Both of these boys were buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian in Rome. Aurelia Fadilla, my first daughter, died in 135 A.D. and had no children; and finally my youngest child, Annia Galeria Faustina Minor became a Roman Empress. When the tragic death of my wife occurred in 141 A.D. I was devastated I was so distraught about the whole situation that I did many things to honor her in the cit. I deified her making her a goddess, I had a temple built for her, and I had many coins made with her face put on them.

Hadrian took a particular liking to me because I had more success at the quaestor and praetor positions than most people. I became a consul in 120 and after I had finished my consulship I was appointed by the Emperor Hadrian himself to be proconsul of Italia and then proconsul of Asia. Hadrian adored me so much that on February 25, 138 A.D. he adopted me as his son and chose me to succeed him as emperor and I honored my lord’s wishes by adopting Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. Once I became emperor the first act I made was to deify Hadrian. It was because of this act that I was given the title “Pius.” I was very much a peace maker during my reign as emperor there were no wars. After having the longest reign since Augustus I suddenly died in Lorium.

I am Domitian

by John Garrett

I am Domitian, and I was born October 24, 51 AD. Unfortunately I was assassinated on September 18, 96 AD, but let’s not talk about that right now. I reigned from 81 AD until my death in 96. I had a father and a brother. My father was the start of the Flavian Dynasty. His name was Vespasian, and he ruled from 69 to 79 AD. Then Titus succeeded him in 79. My father Vespasian tried to match me up with Julia Flavia, but I refused because I had a lot of love for Domitia Longa, who I then married. He was my brother and I loved him so much that I built the Arch of Titus in memory of him. Once he died in 81 AD, I then succeeded him the following day, and I was the last of the Flavian Dynasty. I had the longest reign as the 11th Emperor with fifteen years until some Emperors reigned longer after me. As a younger man, I looked up to my brother a lot because he entertained me very much. Even though Titus got the privilege of being co-emperor during Vespasian’s rule, I only was left with honors but no responsibilities. Because Titus died unexpectedly, I had to be ready to rule Rome very well. When I was emperor I wanted to strengthen the economy so I made the Roman Coinage popular again. There were the aureas, gold coins, denarius, silver coins, sesterius, bronze, and as, the copper coin. I also ordered a massive building program to improve Rome. My government showed a totalitarian quality, and I really thought that I was like Augustus. As in military, I felt like I wanted to be more of a defensive army. I created the Limes Germanicus which made way for more roads. I also made forts and watchtowers that I decided to place along the Rhine River. Regarding religion, I just followed the regular roman religion, and I also thought that some of morals and customs were observed during my reign. Other than my religion and economy, I built some entertainment complexes. They were right next to each other because I was all about the entertainment. I also named them after myself. The Stadium of Domitian was the one with the games, and the Odeum of Domitian was the one with poetry recitations, musical concerts, and other entertaining ideas. Also like I said, I built an arch for my brother Titus called the Arch of Titus. I really admired him so I did indeed dedicate the arch to him. As Emperor, I tried my best to improve the economy and military even if I failed at some of the efforts

On My Life and Leadership

On My Life and Leadership

Gaius Caligula

My life began in a small town called Antium in 12 A.D. While my father was away, my mother was on a vacation to paradise there, which I ruined with my painful birth. She still has not forgiven me to this day. Sorry Mommy, I love you. When my father came back, he immediately brought me to where the soldiers were. Not on the front lines, but in the back with the tents. He did this to make up for the fact that HE WAS A TERRIBLE FATHER AND MISSED HIS OWN SON’S BIRTH!! But anyway, I was about 10-12 by this point and the soldiers thought I was the cutest thing in the world. While I liked the attention, I am not cute. I was the EMPORER OF ROME! I was so powerful that people attempted to murder me several times in office. But, in all of my strength, I rejected their attempts again and again. Back to the soldiers. They dressed me up in mini soldier outfits and had me reenact battles. Let me tell you, those wars that I reenacted were so well reenacted that I learned how to be a soldier just by sheer force of will from the acts. The soldiers however thought differently. They thought I was cute and adorable. I am NOT cute or adorable, but instead I am fierce and brave! Anyway they nicknamed me Caligula for “little boot” and sadly the name stuck with me. Later, I finally got real training in the fatal art of warfare. I was the best student that they ever had; they just did not know it. Eventually I was adopted away from my biological family, which I think allowed my strengths to grow vaster and stronger. Sorry but Germanicus was at the end of his time, outdated. Anyway, my new father was emperor and when he died, I became Emperor of the Roman Empire in 37 A.D. The first thing I did was I gave back to the soldiers. I increased their pay along with increasing entertainment and government pay. I once got into an argument with a man named Julius Canus. I HATE anyone that argues with me so, let’s just say that… He got his rightful treatment. With Julius out of the way and no more annoyances I could begin building. But, because I received damnatio memoriae anything I finished was destroyed. THE DIRTY TRAITORS!! I began the Circus of Gaius and Nero in 38 A.D at the bottom of the Vatican Hill for entertainment. I even brought an Egyptian obelisk! That is how cool I am. I also began the Aqua Claudia, which ended in the Anio Novus in Rome. This was a 58-mile-long aqueduct to bring in tons of water from the Springs of Subiaco. Did I mention that it is the HIGHEST AQUEDUCT EVER? Yeah, no big deal. Finally, I was challenged by a soothsayer. He said as soon as I crossed from Baiae to Puteoli on my horse, then I could rule rightly. To spite that man, I built a floating bridge and valiantly rode all the way from Baiae to Puteoli. That way NO ONE could challenge my reign. Sadly, my awesome leadership ended in 41 A.D. when the Praetorian Guard stabbed me in the back. Actually more like the stomach… and throat… and heart… This terrible revolt was led by the should-be infamous Cassius Chaerea. After I spent so much money on keeping my people happy and entertained, they turned on me like some low-down, dirty, conniving DOGS! Well, what is over is over and that is the story of my life and leadership.

By: Colin Caldwell

Constantine the Great

Clint Smith

I am arguably, the most known emperor, of Rome ever not including Caesar. I am Caesar Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus, also known as Constantine. I was called Constantine the Great by the Christians. I was born in 272 AD to my father Constantius and my mother Helena. My father was a famous emperor in the West in around 305. I was held captive in the courts of Diocletian. I escaped and went to my father. Sadly, shortly after I accompanied my father, he died in 306. I am just glad I could see him one last time before he died. After my father died, my soldiers named me their leader. After this I was thinking about going in to try to take power from Maxientius. I waited until 312 to do so. I invaded him and we fought on the Mulvian Bridge right outside of Rome. In doing this, I became the sole leader of the West. Before the battle, I happened to look up in the sky. I saw a symbol of the Christians. I kept thinking about this sign when I was fighting. After the battle, I proclaimed that this symbol made me victorious. In doing this, I became a Christian. I also made all my men put crosses on their shields, helmets, and swords so that God could be with us when we were fighting. During my rein, I also helped spread religious tolerance throughout the empire. Licinius and I came together in 313 to produce the Edict of Milan. This gave religious tolerance all around the empire and sent an end to persecution. However, in 324, I conquered Licinius to become the sole ruler of the empire. I am proud of myself not only for unifying Rome and making reforms of Diocletian. I was a successful emperor and military leader. I found my new capital of the Eastern Empire and named it Constantinople after myself. I was feeling sick after a battle. I felt myself dying slowly and thought it would be the perfect time to be baptized. I was baptized only hours before my death in 337 AD. In my rein, I constructed some great buildings and sights. My first big project was built in 315. This was the Arch of Constantine. I built this arch to commemorate my victory in 312 in becoming the sole leader of the west. This building spans the Via Triumphalis and is said to be the “Entrance and Exit” of the emperors. In this arch, there were 8 columns and a couple sets of medallions. I also built the Basilica Nova in 312. I built this building to serve as a courthouse, a council chamber, and a meeting hall. It was later used a church. This building is in important one because it is the last buildings of the Roman Forum. Lastly, I dedicated the Church of the Holy Apostles in 330. This building was built and burnt down over and over again. This building is where I am buried and it served as a church too. It was finished in 550. I decided to put this building in Constantinople. I decided to put 12 columns on this building to be a symbol of the 12 apostles. I also built many other things including the Baths at Trier and the St. Peters Church. As one can tell, I was a fabulous emperor who was a great person, leader, and military leader.

Augustus' Autobiography

By: Collin Bishop

I am Augustus, the first emperor, or “princeps” of Rome. I was great in many ways, as a military leader, an emperor, and as a person, of course. I was the one who made Rome what it is today, the largest city in the ancient world. It was under my rule that the city started to take shape and all the credit should be mine. I had the Pax Romana started under me, except for one year long civil war in the Mediterranean, but who really cares about that. I restored many temples, and built my own house on the Palatine Hill. I constructed the completely new Forum of Augustus, the Temple of Caesar, and The Mausoleum of Augustus, to house my own body and that of others. As a great military commander, made many reforms in the roman army, which brought in more revenue. But better than the things I have done in my rule was the legacy that I left behind. I brought a great long-lasting imperial system to play and that started the empire of the Rome. The old city was divided into four parts, but I made it into fourteen divisions each with its own ruler.

I was a very handsome man if I do say so myself and was in an elite class of people. I was a champion in all my battles, particularly THE battle of Actium in 31 B.C. where I conquered mark Antony, as well as the Battle of Philippi in 42 b.c., where Mark Antony and I defeated Caesar’s murderers and avenged his death. Moreover, I was devoted to religion just as much as any average man and I wanted to honor the gods-I built many temples and on top of that my forum housed a temple dedicated to mars, the god. Even though I am not blood roman and was adopted I still am very proud of my great roman lineage because I had a lot of well know people in my family line. Throughout my life and as emperor of rome my real main goal was just expand, expand, and expand, and honor the gods and your family. I aspired to be the greatest emperor I could be and I guess I didn’t turn out to bad. Farewell, and to any person who reads this may you have a good life.

-----Augustus the Great

Caracalla: In His Own Words

By: Karthik Sastry

Historians have not always been kind to me. In his book The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon called me “the common enemy of mankind,” conquering to spread “rapine and cruelty.” In this essay, I hope to set the record straight; during my reign (211 A.D. – 217 A.D.), I pursued many meaningful reforms that helped sustain the Roman Empire in its latter stages. I tried to usher in a new age of glory for Rome with my grander plan of uniting all of Europe and perhaps even Asia under one rule. I could have surpassed even the immortal Alexander—only for my dreams to be cut short by one sweep of the blade.

Born Lucius Septimius Bassianus on April 4, 188, I was destined to be the emperor of Rome. I later gained the nickname “Caracalla” from a style of cloak I often wore. I despised education. From an early age, I developed a passion for military life, accompanying my father’s campaigns on many occasions. For me, the world of books seemed frivolous; the true glory was on the battlefield, where history’s greatest figures proved their leadership and determination.

In 211, my father died leaving the empire to my brother Geta and me. It was painfully apparent, however, that this arrangement could never last. Under joint leadership, a civil war would be inevitable; two people could not share the responsibility of the empire in an equitable way. Thus, I took decisive action and did what need to be done. To maintain stability, it was also necessary to quell the dissent in Rome that threatened the integrity of the empire and issue a damnatio memoriae on my brother. It was for the sake of the empire; Geta could not have ruled the empire by himself.

Arguably, my greatest accomplishment was the Constitutio Antonianiana, an edict extending citizenship to all freedmen in the Roman Empire. Some historians have characterized this as a selfish measure to increase taxation and generate more money for lavish building projects. And I concede that its primary aim was to the money supply for the government. But the reality of the time was that the Roman Empire was no longer focused solely on Rome; I realized that the future of Rome hinged on the ability to maintain and further integrate outlying areas. Thus, non-Romans needed representation. Additional revenue was also beneficial to the overall health of the Empire; by taxing the entire Empire, Rome had enough capital to provide for the entire Empire. In addition, I constructed a massive bath complex in Rome to benefit the people. Unlike the purely selfish building projects of previous empires (such as pleasure palaces), my thermae were perfectly reasonable. Their opulence maintained the standard that Rome set to be the greatest city in the world.

Some of critics portrayed me as insecure and superstitious throughout my reign. I was certainly involved in several religious movements, including the cults of Mithras and Serapis. But my religious interests were only a function of the changing times. Many Romans were beginning to lose confidence in our nation’s traditional religious beliefs. These so-called mystery cults provided a means of escape from the mundane realities of state religion. They simply had a stronger message, with more concrete explanations of the nature of the body and the soul. Roman religion was an antiquated relic of the past; these deities were the future.

Militarily, I gained the support of my legionaries by increasing the pay of soldiers to 675 denarii. I made two major campaigns, one in Gaul (212-213) and one in Parthia (216-217). Some criticized my war tactics as brutal. War is, by definition, a brutal act. In the battle of Issus, the Macedonians killed 20,000 enemies in battle and ordered the remaining prisoners to be killed. Absolute victory only comes with bold and assertive strategies; I did what I had to do. In Parthia, I hoped to expand the Roman Empire even further eastward into Asia. Only by conquering Asia could I achieve my dream of replicating the greatness of Alexander. But just as glory was within my grasp, a member of my own guard felled me with his sword. Commoners never realize the immense pressures and expectations of being an emperor. When faced with tough choices, I had to make decisions. Unfortunately, I alienated myself from my enemies in the process.

A Truly Great Emperor: Diocletian

By: Jonathan Siktberg
I, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, was the great emperor of the Roman Empire from 284 to 305 C.E. I was born in a family of low status, but I rose through the military to become the cavalry commander to the emperor Carus. After the death of Carus, I easily disposed of Carinus, son of Carus, at the Battle of the Margus and was proclaimed emperor of Rome. I successfully ended the crisis of the Third Century. The end of political turmoil came under my reign. I was one of the most accomplished emperors in Rome’s history. I secured the borders of the empire and eliminated threats of invasion. In 299, I led negotiations with Sassanid Persia to agree on a lasting peace. I recognized that the empire was too big for one person to govern well. I revolutionized the Roman Empire with the creation of the Tetrarchy, or rule of four. Under the Tetrarchy, I divided the empire into four divisions. I ruled one. I appointed Maximian as the other augustus in the empire. I also appointed Constantius and Galerius as caesars. The remaining three provinces were given to the control of these three rulers. I did my best to preserve the traditional religions of Rome by forbidding the Christians and persecuting them. I also created a tax reform that revolutionized taxing and made it more standardized. Many people opposed this reform, but it was definitely necessary for the continuation of the empire. Through my reforms, I prevented the Roman Empire from falling, and I stabilized it both economically and militarily. I also was devoted to building projects within the empire. I built the illustrious Baths of Diocletian in 306 C.E. These baths were the grandest of all the public baths and show my dedication to the grandeur of the empire. After the fire in 283 A.D, I rebuilt the Curia Julia and the Basilica Julia in magnificent style. I truly restored the elegance to Rome. Showing my honor, I voluntarily abdicated the throne on May 1, 305. I was the first emperor to voluntarily leave the throne. I returned to my palace in Split, Croatia and tended to my vegetable gardens. This shows that I was not corrupt or a power hungry emperor. I was just an emperor who was dedicated to the well being of the Roman Empire. I rose from a boy born into poverty to a man who was an able ruler of the great Empire of Rome.

NERVA!!!!!!!

By Nicholas Green

I am Marcus Cocceius Nerva! I began my life on November 8th, 30 A.D. in the small town in central Italy, Narni. This town has a great significance in your futuristic life because the author C.S. Lewis named his “Narnia” after my home town. I began my political career unusually, not following the usual path taken to become emperor by moving from aedile up. Rather, I was made praetor-elect in 65 A.D. and helped out emperors such as Nero. I then succeeded the trite Domitian after his assassination on September 18, 96 A.D., the date I was made emperor. In my reign, from September 18, 96 A.D. to January 25, 98 A.D., I accomplished very little. However, my few accomplishments were the releasing of all imprisoned by Domitian, who was suspicious of many people trying to assassinate him, the granting of allotments of land to poor Roman citizens, repairing roads and expanding aqueducts, and the construction of the Horrae Nervae, a granary. During my reign, my main building project was the completion of Domitian’s Imperial Forum. It was finished and dedicated in 97 A.D. and was named after me. Its purpose was to serve a “transition forum” or an easy passage way into the Forum of Augustus. Its size was relatively small, occupying only the space between the Fora of Augustus and Vespasian, which were in the near center of Rome. One main important feature of my forum was the Temple of Minerva. Minerva, being the protector of emperors, was the perfect fit for this area, which was based so much on the expansion done by emperors. As I neared the end of my reign, I suffered a stroke, making me reside in the Gardens of Sallust. These gardens were created by the historian Sallust in 1 B.C. in north Rome near the Three Temples of Fortuna. Unfortunately, I died in the gardens from a fatal fever. I was then buried in the ever so famous Mausoleum of Augustus. This place holds an important part in history, as it holds the body of Augustus and many other emperors including myself. It was constructed in 28 B.C., reaching a size of about 300 modern yards. The mausoleum’s location is northwest Rome, bordering the Tiber River.

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