Favorite Roman Emperor?

[InspirationThroughLatin]

Hello all,

Thanks in advance to those helping me out with my translation request.

I thought this might be a fun topic to discuss, so who's your favorite Roman Emperor? If it's a little too off topic from the Latin language itself please feel free to delete this topic and accept my apologies.

I took a Roman Art History course in college and loved it. I had to do a report on a particular statue, one of the roman emperor Trebonianus Gallus.

He's probably my favorite for a number of reasons. He was a soldier emperor, nearing toward Constantine's reign. For those who don't know, emperors more toward the end of the Empire were sometimes appointed by force by their troops, and would literally march into the captial city and overthrow the current ruler. By the way, if I'm incorrect in any way please let me know, it's been a year or so since I wrote my paper on him and Rome.

Another interesting thing was that when Gallus was appointed, Rome was undergoing a time of plague. Gallus did something rather unheard of and provided burials for everyone who died. Before this, only the upperclass and those of higher power could have a "burial" so to speak. Romans actually had sarcophagi, which were amazingly detailed by skilled artisans.

And finally, his statue. His famous statue is very unusual as it depicts him very differently from the typical roman emperor. Augustus' statue was amazingly youthful, surrounded by cheribs, and designed much in the fashion of Greek sculpture. Romans are infamous for borrowing from the Greeks in their art, truly the greatest copy cats of that era. Gallus, is depicted old, and rather "dumpy" in appearance, much more realistically than the "eternally young" Augustus. This is pretty neat when you look back at how glorified the previous emperors were.

Gallus overall wasn't a great emperor, he ruled I think for only a few months before being wiped out by the germanic barbarian tribes if I remember right, but that's what makes him interesting really, far from the typical view of an extremely powerful god-like figure.

Hope you enjoyed this, and I'm interested in reading what other people think =^)

-InspirationThroughLatin

 

[Cato]

It's difficult to develop a good opinion on the emperors, given that the histories were often either court flattery or scandalously vicious.

I suspect most of us here above, say, 35 will have a soft spot for Claudius, based in large measure on the excellent "I, Claudius" miniseries (if you are a fan of Roman history and great drama and have not seen this, put it on your Netflix queue immediately).

 

[Andy]

Marcus Aurelius, by far. But this is because I've read his Meditationes and because of his wise and humble way of ruling.

 

[Dramatical]

I'm going to have to go with Augustus there; he made Rome what it came to be. He is my favorite because he is one of, if not the, most influential Roman emperors.

 

[Iacobulus]

Vespasian, a no-nonsense pragmatist. He brought stability and integrity to Rome, which had fallen on hard times due to Nero and the year of the four emperors.

I admire him because he was a loyal Roman general and soldier who cared about Rome and its prosperity more than anything, he sort of reminds me of Maximus in Gladiator.

Marcus Aurelius humble? Let's not forget that he campaigned extensively and conquered much of western Europe.

 

[Andy]

The thing with Marcus Aurelius is that there were two sides to him. One, an outward persona of duty and responsability, which he did not like or aspire to, but did nonetheless, and the private person that you can hint at through the meditations. You can hint at this private person even in the first three lines:

From my grandfather Verus I learned good morals and the government of my temper.

From the reputation and remembrance of my father, modesty and a manly character.

From my mother, piety and beneficence, and abstinence, not only from evil deeds, but even from evil thoughts; and further, simplicity in my way of living, far removed from the habits of the rich.

Curiously enough, Marcus Aurelius was inspired by Vespasian's (and Iulius Caesar's) sieze of power through the military to have Lucius Ceionius Commodus Verus apointed as a co-emperor to defend both the German and Parthian borders without giving one general too much power.

 

[Agricola]

Does Julian the Apostate count? Because he ranks highly in my 'interesting' column.

 

[teleplasm]

How can you consider anyone but Elagabalus?

What a cute kid!

 

[Decimvs]

Augustus, for brilliantly disguising a military dictatorship as a legitimate rule. The master of propaganda and spin in politics. I also think it ironic that the problem of the succession was so vast. Everyone that he kept appointing as his successor kept dying, lol.

Elagabalus - I feel a strong sense of sorrow and confusion for this boy emperor. So young when he came to rule, and his emotional issues. His life must have been filled with confusion and pain.

Nero - Killing your mother, and then dressing up and performing in plays as characters who killed their mothers, priceless. The true master of political spin! Despite the vicious attacks of him by the historians (those who wrote were mostly senators) I think that this man had a hidden genius. Although, on the downside he also came to power very early in life and did not pay enough attention to military matters, leaving Rome only once, and that was to go to Greece for chariot racing and lyre playing competitions, lmao.

 

[Hawkwood]

Has to be Julian the Apostate for me.

 

[Discens Discipulus]

I'd have to go with Traianus. Traianus was the first in line of the "Nerva–Antonine dynasty" and by reading about his life you get the sense that he was an astute politician and general. The people of his day and age acknowledged that and it's not without a reason that for a long time after Traianus died the sentence: "Felicior Augusto, melior Traiano" became a formula delivered in the Roman Senate at the inauguration of late Roman emperors. Having said all that, in general I don't really "admire" autocrats, they're interesting though.

 

[Hawkwood]

Ditto (pertaining to last bit), 'favourite' probably isn't the best word to use for this thread heading.

 

[malleolus]

Definitely Nero. You have to be mad to be liked by the plebs.

 

[Aescleah]

Hummm
I have a few actully Julian, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius

Ashley