7 most notorious Roman emperors

The Roman Empire was one of the most powerful and influential civilizations in history, lasting for over a thousand years from the 8th century BC to the 5th century AD. However, not all of its rulers were wise and virtuous. Some of them were infamous for their cruelty, madness, and excess, leaving behind a legacy of horror and scandal. Here are seven of the most notorious Roman emperors, in the order of their reign.

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Caligula, whose real name was Gaius, was the third Roman emperor and the nephew of Tiberius. He started his reign with some positive reforms, but soon became a tyrant who indulged in his perverse and violent whims. He is said to have committed incest with his sisters, slept with other men’s wives, killed anyone who displeased him, and even declared himself a god. He also wasted huge amounts of money on lavish projects, such as building a bridge across the sea and making his horse a consul. He was assassinated by his own guards after only four years of rule.

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Nero was the fifth Roman emperor and the stepson of Claudius. He was a talented musician and poet, but also a ruthless and megalomaniac ruler who eliminated anyone who threatened his power, including his own mother and wife. He is blamed for starting the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD, which destroyed much of the city, and then using the land to build his own palace, the Domus Aurea. He also persecuted the Christians, blaming them for the fire and subjecting them to brutal executions. He committed suicide after a revolt against him in 68 AD.

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Commodus was the son of Marcus Aurelius, one of the most respected Roman emperors. However, he did not inherit his father’s wisdom and virtue, but rather his vanity and cruelty. He neglected his duties as emperor and focused on his personal pleasures, such as hunting, gladiator fights, and orgies. He also had a delusional sense of his own greatness, renaming Rome and the months of the year after himself, and claiming to be the reincarnation of Hercules. He was killed by a wrestler hired by his own courtiers in 192 AD.

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Elagabalus was the cousin of Caracalla and the grandson of Julia Maesa, a powerful woman who orchestrated his rise to power. He was only 14 years old when he became emperor, and he proved to be a scandalous and eccentric ruler. He was devoted to the cult of the sun god Elagabal, whose name he adopted, and tried to impose his religion on the whole empire. He also shocked the Romans with his sexual behavior, marrying and divorcing several women and men, and even offering a huge reward for anyone who could perform a sex change operation on him. He was assassinated by the Praetorian Guard in 222 AD.

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Carinus was the son of Carus, who died in 283 AD, leaving him and his brother Numerian as co-emperors. Carinus ruled the western part of the empire, while Numerian ruled the east. However, Carinus was more interested in his own luxury and lust than in his responsibilities. He had a reputation for being a womanizer, a rapist, and a murderer, who killed his own wife and many of his rivals. He also faced several rebellions and invasions, which he managed to suppress with the help of his generals. He was killed by one of his officers in 285 AD, after his brother Numerian was also murdered by his own general, Diocletian, who became the new emperor.

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Maximinus Thrax, whose name means “the Thracian”, was a soldier of humble origins who rose through the ranks of the army and became emperor after the assassination of Alexander Severus in 235 AD. He was the first of the so-called “barracks emperors”, who ruled by military force rather than by political legitimacy. He was a brutal and oppressive ruler, who increased taxes, confiscated property, and executed anyone who opposed him. He also waged war against the Germanic tribes and the Parthians, but with little success. He was killed by his own troops in 238 AD, after a civil war broke out against him.

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Domitian was the younger son of Vespasian and the brother of Titus, who were both popular and successful emperors. However, Domitian was neither loved nor respected by the people or the senate, who saw him as a paranoid and autocratic ruler. He increased his own power and authority, demanding to be addressed as “Lord and God” and punishing anyone who disobeyed him. He also spent lavishly on public works, festivals, and wars, but neglected the welfare of the provinces and the army. He was assassinated by a conspiracy of his own courtiers in 96 AD.

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