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Home / Periods / Ancient Rome / Imperial Rome

Period

Imperial Rome

27 BCE–476 CE

Imperial Rome began with Augustus in 27 BCE and continued through the early and high empire, the crisis of the third century, and the late imperial transformation that ended western imperial government in the fifth century. Republican offices survived in form, but real power increasingly rested with the emperor, the army, the imperial household and provincial administration.

Its significance lies in the balance between order and danger. The empire could deliver law, roads, trade, urban growth and military security, but succession crises, court politics, frontier wars, plague, taxation, religious change and rebellion repeatedly threatened stability.

Imperial Rome is central to many popular Roman series. Simon Scarrow’s Eagles of the Empire, Lindsey Davis’s Falco and Flavia Albia mysteries, Ruth Downie’s Medicus books, Douglas Jackson’s Gaius Valerius Verrens novels, Anthony Riches’s Empire series and Harry Sidebottom’s Warrior of Rome use the empire’s armies, cities, provinces and court politics.

Related people for Imperial Rome

Agrippina the Younger15–59 Alaric Ic. 370–410 Alexander Heliosborn 41 BCE Allectusdied 296 Ammianus Marcellinus330–395 Antinous111–130 Appianc. 95–c. 165 CE Arminius18 BCE–21 Ataulfc. 4th century–415 Attilac. 5th century–453 Augustus64 BCE–14 Aulus Plautius6 BCE–57 Aëtiusc. 390s–454 Balbinus178–238 Belisarius505–565 Boudica30–61 Britannicus41–55 Caesarion47–30 BCE Calgacusborn c. 1st century Caligula12–41 Caracalla188–217 Caratacus15–54 Carausiusdied 293 Cartimanduac. 1st century–69 Catilinec. 108–62 BCE Cicero107 BCE–44 BCE Claudia Acte40–c. 1st century Claudia Octavia40–62 Claudius11 BCE–54 Cleopatra70 BCE–31 BCE Cleopatra Selene II41 BCE–6 BCE Clodius Albinus150–197 Commodus161–192 Constantine the Great272–337 Constantius Chlorusc. 250–306 Constantius Gallus325–354 Constantius II317–361 Constantius III370–421 Crispusc. 300–326 Cunobelinec. 2nd century BCE–43 Decebalusc. 1st century–106 Didius Julianus133–193 Diocletianc. 240s–316 Domitian51–96 Elagabalus203–222 Epictetus50–138 Eugenius345–394 Eusebiac. 4th century–360 Faustac. 289–326 Gaisericc. 389–477 Gaius Julius Civilisc. 25–after 70 Gaius Suetonius Paulinus10–c. 60s Galba4 BCE–69 Galla Placidia386–450 Gallienus218–268 Germanicus16 BCE–19 Geta189–211 Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo7–67 Gnaeus Julius Agricola40–93 Gordian I159–238 Gordian IIc. 190s–238 Gordian III225–244 Gratian359–383 Hadrian76–138 Herod Antipasborn 21 BCE Herod the Great75 BCE–5 BCE Honorius384–423 Horace66 BCE–9 BCE Jesus Christc. 6–4 BCE–c. 30/33 CE John the Baptist7 BCE–30 Josephus37–100 Juba IIc. 48 BCE–23 CE Judas Iscariotdied c. 30s Julia Domnac. 160–217 Julia Mamaea180–235 Julian331–363 Julius Caesar101 BCE–45 BCE Justinian Ic. 483–565 Juvenal55–c. 2nd century Libanius314–393 Liciniusc. 265–325 Livia60 BCE–29 Livy60 BCE–17 Lucan39–65 Macrinusc. 164–218 Magnus Maximus335–388 Majorianc. 420–461 Marciac. 2nd century–193 Marcus Aurelius121–180 Marcus Oclatinius Adventusc. 160–218 Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa64 BCE–13 BCE Mark Antony83–30 BCE Martialc. 40–c. 104 Mary Magdalenedied c. 1st century Maxentius278–312 Maximianc. 250–310 Maximinus Thrax173–238 Maximus of Ephesus310–372 Messalina20–48 Nero37–68 Nerva30–98 Octavia the Youngerc. 69–11 BCE Odaenathusc. 220s–267 Odoacer433–493 Ovid44 BCE–17 Paul the Apostle5–66 Pertinax126–193 Pescennius Nigerc. 135/140–194 Petroniusc. 27–66 Pliny the Elder23/24–79 Plotinus205–270 Plutarchc. 46–after 119 CE Pompey106–48 BCE Pontius Pilatusfl. c. 26–36 CE Poppaea Sabina30–65 Postumusc. 3rd century–269 Priscus of Epirus305–395 Publius Quinctilius Varus47 BCE–9 Pupienusc. 2nd century–238 Quintus Petillius Cerialis30–83 Ricimerc. 405–472 Romulus Augustusc. 460–after 507 Saint Peter2 BCE–65 Sejanus21 BCE–31 Senecac. 0s BCE–65 Septimius Severus146–211 Severus Alexander208–235 Sextus Afranius Burrus1–62 Shapur Ic. 3rd century–272 Shapur II309–379 Sporus49–69 Theodoric the Great454–526 Theodosius I347–395 Tiberius43 BCE–37 Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnusc. 1st century–c. 1st century Tigellinus10–69 Titus39–81 Trajan53–117 Valens328–378 Valentinian I321–375 Valentinian III419–455 Valerian200–c. 260s Vercingetorixc. 82–46 BCE Vespasian9–79 Vibia Sabina86–136 Vindex25–68 Virgil71 BCE–20 BCE Zeno425–491 Zenobiac. 240–after 274

Series

Series about Imperial Rome (6 series)

Eagles of the Empire in Order

by Simon Scarrow 24 books 4.5(104,359)

The Eagles of the Empire series follows Roman soldiers Macro and Cato from the reign of Claudius into that of Nero. Their service takes them through the invasion and occupation of Britain, Mediterranean piracy, revolt, imperial court intrigue and Rome’s eastern wars, combining military campaigning with the politics…

Empire in Order

by Anthony Riches 16 books 4.5(20,598)

The Empire series follows Marcus Valerius Aquila, a Roman aristocrat forced into hiding after his family is destroyed under Commodus. Serving under an assumed name with the Tungrian auxiliaries, he moves from Hadrian’s Wall and the Rhine to Rome, Egypt and the eastern civil wars that follow the…

Dark Eagle in Order

by K. M. Ashman 12 books 4.5(16,553)

The Dark Eagle series follows the Occultum, a fictional Roman covert unit modelled loosely on the scouts, informants and reconnaissance personnel used by imperial armies. Beginning during the reign of Claudius, the sequence sends small teams beyond normal military support into Germania, Britannia, Egypt, Africa, the eastern Mediterranean…

The Empress of Rome in Order

by Kate Quinn 4 books 4.4(15,508)

The Empress of Rome sequence moves from the civil wars of AD 69 through the Flavian and Nerva–Antonine dynasties. Its fictional families cross generations of slavery, gladiatorial combat, military service and senatorial politics while real emperors repeatedly alter their fortunes. Publication order begins with Mistress of Rome, followed…

The Damned Emperors in Order

by Simon Turney 4 books 4.3(4,884)

The Damned Emperors series retells the reigns of Caligula, Commodus, Domitian and Caracalla through people close enough to witness their private fears and public violence. Each novel sets later hostile traditions against the personal, dynastic and political pressures that shaped an emperor condemned by Roman memory. Rather than…

Political Intrigue in Ancient Rome in Order

by Paul Doherty 5 books 4.3(2,022)

Political Intrigue in Ancient Rome moves between the Julio-Claudian court and the transformed empire of Constantine I. Domina follows Agrippina the Younger’s struggle for influence as wife of Claudius and mother of Nero. The four Claudia mysteries then shift to the early fourth century, where an imperial agent…

Books

30 Best Novels About Imperial Rome

Non-Fiction

30 Best Non-Fiction Books About Imperial Rome

Histories, biographies and reference works are listed separately from the historical novels above.