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    Decline of the Roman Empire

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    Decline of the Roman Empire

     

    With the death of Marcus Aurelius in AD 180, rule of the empire passed to his 20 year old son Lucius Aurelius Commodus. Much like the reign of Gaius Caesar (Caligula) a century and a half earlier, the accession of Commodus was initially met with general approval. Continuing the parallel, initial acceptance was eventually met with dismay and hostility as the young emperor engaged in various forms of debauchery and ego-maniacal behavior...

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    The Philosopher Emperor

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    The Philosopher Emperor
     
    Despite the turmoil caused by plague and war during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, his was a life strictly guided by philosophy. He has been largely associated with the idea of stoicism (perhaps most simply defined as a dedication to logic), but his own surviving works indicate a general intellectual devotion rather than strict adherence to a single thought process. Regardless, in the words of Edward Gibbon?s ?Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,? Marcus Aurelius is accurately described as the ?philosophic monarch? and may be the most relevant example of such in human history...
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    The Germanic Wars

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    The Germanic Wars
     
    From the outset of his succession of Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius was confronted by restless Germanic (chiefly Marcomanni and Qaudi) tribes north of the Danube. However, pressing matters from Parthia in the east required far more urgent intervention. Initially, the Germanic issues were handled by provincial governors and an uneasy peace was reached but while there is little surviving evidence of the reasons for the Marcomannic unrest (other than rather nondescript suggestions of migratory tribes), the situation steadily destabilized throughout the early reign of Aurelius...
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    Lucius Verus and the Parthians

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    Lucius Verus and the Parthians
     
    In AD 161, after a long and largely peaceful reign, Antoninus Pius died, leaving the 40 year old Marcus Aurelius to take his place. The Senate clearly favored the mature Marcus over his 31 year old joint heir Lucius Verus, who had an almost Neronian reputation for personal indulgence (such as cavorting with actors), and attempted to name Marcus as sole emperor to replace Antoninus. Marcus Aurelius however insisted on following the wills of both Hadrian and Antoninus by having his adopted brother Lucius Verus secured as ?co-emperor?...
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    Marcus Aurelius

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    Marcus Aurelius
     
    According to the Greek philosopher Plato, ?There will be no end to the troubles of states, or indeed?of humanity itself, until philosophers become kings in this world, or until those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers.? While Marcus Aurelius could indeed be considered Rome?s first ?philosopher King? (followed only perhaps by Julian), the irony is that his otherwise often considered exemplary reign also included a nearly constant state of war along the Danubian frontier...
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    The Fourth Good Emperor

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    Fourth Good Emperor
     
    With the passing of Hadrian, Antoninus (whatever the true nature of the relationship between Hadrian and Antoninus may have been) immediately played the part of loyal adopted son. Antoninus accompanied the body of the largely despised former emperor (at least in the view of the aristocracy) from Baiae to Rome and saw to its placement within Hadrian?s new tomb in the Gardens of Domitian...
     
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    Antoninus Pius

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    Antoninus Pius
     
    The rise of T. Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus, simply known as Antoninus Pius, could be considered an unlikely yet fortunate turn of events. His reign, though far from one of perpetual peace as has often been described, was one of political stability, economic prosperity and consistent military strength...
    Viggen
    The fall of the Western Roman Empire is a topic that is at the heart of any complete analysis of Roman civilization and one that has held immense fascination for centuries. Its causes are a contentious and well-traveled path scholars (and amateurs) have argued since Gibbon. It is a daunting task, even for an established professor of classics to tackle, and Peter Heather tackles it with an intelligent, well-argued work of over 450 pages that takes the reader on an examination of the military and political aspects of that era. The layout is also well thought out even containing 19 pages of succinct biographies of key individuals mentioned, a timeline, a glossary of important terms of late antiquity, a healthy amount of notes one would expect from a scholar and a bibliography. Perhaps my only disappointment is with the bibliography, seeing the attention to detail given in the layout of this work I wished Heather would have included a narrative bibliography rather than a mere listing...
    ...read the full review of The Fall of the Roman Empire by Peter Heather
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    Hadrian, Antinous and Succession

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    Antinous and Succession
     
    Many of the details regarding Hadrian?s personal life are largely speculative, but one relationship in particular has long been the subject of particular attention. Despite the emperor?s close relations to his mother-in-law Matidia (Trajan?s niece), his marital arrangement with Matidia?s daughter Vibia Sabina is characterized as distant at best...
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    'New and Improved' Roman Empire Map

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    Map of the Roman Empire
     
    Due to the overwhelming response to our original wallmap product, UNRV.com is thrilled to present a new and vastly improved 'Wallmap of the Roman Empire' (circa 117 AD). Exhaustively researched over the course of two years and subject to five months of design and historical scrutiny, this 'poster' is not simply an artistic work, but truly an educational resource in its own right...
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