Emperors
Their story begins with the dictator Julius Caesar who was followed by his great Nephew Octavian who would become the first Roman Emperor, taking the name Augustus Caesar.
Ancient Roman Emperors The Roman Emperor Vespasian and his son Titus took part in constructing the Roman Colosseum, built with the proceeds of money taken from Jerusalem. Many Roman Emperors enjoyed the games that the Colosseum had to offer and many of the fights were financed by the emperors themselves in order to gain favour with the fellow consuls and people. There was even an Emperor who took great pleasure in participating in the games held at the Colosseum. |
ConsultsA Consul was the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic, and the consulship was considered the highest level. Each year, two consuls were voted together, to serve for a one-year. The consuls alternated in holding imperium each month, and a consul's imperium extended over Rome, Italy, and the provinces. However, after the establishment of the Empire, the consuls were merely a figurative. representative of Rome’s republican heritage and held very little power and authority, with the Emperor acting as the supreme leader.
Absolute authority was expressed in the consul’s imperium, but its arbitrary exercise was limited: the consuls, nominated by the Senate and elected by the people in the Comitia Centuriata (a popular assembly), held office for only a year, and each consul had power of veto over the other’s decisions. |