Roman Emperors
Here is a bit of history about some of the emperors of the Roman Empire. This is by no means a complete list of emperors, just ones that are commonly featured in our jewelry. This same information is included in a card when you purchase a coin from us.
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Arcadius
Flavius Arcadius 395-408
Predecessor: Theodosius I
Successor: Theodosius II
Arcadius was Roman Emperor in the eastern half of the Roman Empire from 395 until his death. He was not interested in the affairs of the state, and the government was ruled by others. Alaric the Goth, ruled at this time in what is now the Balkan Region.
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Aurelian
Lucius Domitius Aurelianus 270-275 A.D.
Predecessor: Quintillus
Successor: Marcus Claudius Tactius
Aurelian helped the Roman Empire regain its power during the latter part of the third century and the beginning of the fourth. He strengthened the position of the Sun god, Sol or Oriens, as the main divinity of the Roman pantheon. His intention was to give to all the peoples of the Empire, civilians or westerners, a single god they could believe in without betraying their own gods.
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Claudius II
Marcus Aurelius Claudius Augustus Gothicas 268-270 A.D.
Predecessor: Gallienus
Successor: Quintillus
Claudius was the commander of the Roman army that decisively defeated the Goths at the Battle of Naissus in September 268. In the same month, he attained the throne, amid charges never proven, that he murdered his predecessor Gallienus. He soon proved to be less than the bloodthirsty, as he asked the Roman Senate to spare the lives of Gallienus' family and supporters. He was less magnanimous toward Rome's enemies, however, and it was to this he owed his popularity.
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Constantine the Great
Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus 306-337 A.D.
Predecessor: Constantius Chlorus
Successor: Constantine II, Constantine III, and Constans
Constantine was best known for being the first Christian Roman Emperor. In 324, Constantine announced his decision to transform Byzantium in Nova Roma and on May 11, 330, he officially proclaimed the city the new capital of the Roman Empire. The city was renamed Constantinople, the City of Constantine, after Constantine's death in 337. It would remain the capital of the Byzantine empire for over a thousand years.
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Constantius II
Flauvius Iulius Constantius
Caesar 323-337 AD; Augustus 337-361 AD
Predecessor: Constantine I
Successor: Julian
Constantius was the second of the three sons of Constantine the Great. Constantius eventually met and crushed Magnentius in the Battle of Mursa Major, one of the bloodiest battles in Roman History. Constantius took an active part in the affairs of the Christian church, he is not remembered as a restorer of unity, but as heretic who arbitrarily imposed his will on the church.
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Constans
Flavius Julius Constans 337-350 A.D.
Predecessor: Constantine I
Successor: Magnentius
In 337 Constans succeeded his father (Constantine the Great,) jointly with his older brothers Constantine II and Constantius II, receiving Italy, Pannonia, and Africa as his portion. Constans was tolerant of Judaism but promulgated an edict banning pagan sacrifices in 341. In 341-2, Constans led a successful campaign against the Franks.
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Constantine II
Flavius Claudius Julius Constantinus 337-340 A.D.
Predecessor: Constantine I
Successor: Constantius II and Constans
Son of Constantine the Great, Constantine II was joint emperor with his brothers Constantinius and Constans. He was involved in miltary expeditions from an early age, in 323 AD he took part in Constantine I's campaigns againist the Sarmatians. Soon after the death otf his half brother Crispus in 326, at age of 10, he was nomimally put in charge of Gaul. Constantine II's generals apparently won the a victory over the Alamanni.
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Diocletian
Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus 284-305 A.D.
Predecessor: Numerian
Successor: Constantius Chlorus and Galerius
Diocletian brought an end to the period popularly known to historians as the Crisis of the Third Century. He established an autocratic government and was responsible for the second phase of the Roman Empire. Diocletian created what has become known as the system of Tetrarchy, or ruler of four, whereby, a senior emperor would rule in the East, and another senior emperor would rule in the West, and each would have a junior emperor.
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Gallienus
Publius Licinius Valerianus Egnatius Gallienus 253-268 A.D.
Predecessor: Aemillanus
Successor: Claudius II
Gallienus ruled the Roman Empire as co-emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and then as the sole Roman Emperor from 260 to 268. He took control of the empire at a time when it was undergoing great crisis. His record in dealing with those crises is mixed, as he won a number of military victories but was unable to keep much of his realm from seceding.
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Licinius
Flavius Galerius Valerius Licinianus Licinius 308-324 A.D.
Predecessor: Flavius Valerius Severus
Successor: Constantine I
Of Dacian peasant orgin, born in Moesia Superior, Licinius accompanied his close friend the Emperor Galerius on the Persian Expedition in 297. Galerius elevated Licinius to the rank of Augustus in the West on November 11, 308. He recieved as his immediate command the provinces of Illyricum, Thrace and Pannonia(the western half of the Roman Empire).
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Maximinus
Gaius Valerius Galerius Maximinus 308-313 A.D.
Predecessor: Galerius and Constantine I
Successor: Licinius
He was orginally a peasant named Daia, the nephew of Galerius, his predecessor. He rose to high distinction after he joined the army, and in 305 he was adopted by his maternal uncle, Galerius, and raised to the rank of cesar, with the government of Syria and Aegyptus. In 308, after the elevation of Licinius to Augustus, Maximinus and Constantine were declare Filii Augustorum, sons of the Augusti.
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Probus
Marcus Aurelius Probus 276-282 A.D.
Predecessor: Florianus
Successor: Carus
At an early age Probus entered the army. He was appointed governor of the East by Tacitus, at whose death he was immediately proclaimed his successor by the soldiers (276). The reign of Probus was mainly spent in successful wars by which he re-established the security of the frontiers. The most important of these operations were directed to clearing Gaul of German invaders, allowing Probus to adopt the titles of Gothicus Maximus and Germanicus Maximus.
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Theodosius I (The Great)
Falvius Theodosius 379-395 A.D.
Predecessor: Valens in the east; Valentian II in the west
Successor: Arcadius in the east; Honorius in the west
Reuniting the eastern and the western portions of the empire, Theodosius was the last emperor of both the Eastern and Western Roman Empire. After his death, the two parts split permanently. He is also know for making Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire.
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Valentinian I
Flavius Valentinianus 364-375 A.D.
Predecessor: Jovian
Successor: Valens, Gratian, and Valentinian II
Valentinian I was Roman emperor from 364 until his death. Valentinian is often referred to the as the "last great western emperor." Valentenian's chief work was guarding the frontiers and establishing military positions. He was a Christian but permitted liberal religious freedom to all his subjects, proscribing only some forms of rituals such as particular types of sacrifices and banning the practice of magic.
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