The Five Good Emperors Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, and Marcus Aurelius

Nerva (96-98 CE)  Appointed emperor by Domitian’s assassins  Swore to never execute a Roman senator and to deal with senate as a legitmate political body  Spent lavish amounts of money to secure public goodwill, such as tax breaks for the poorest Roman families  Completed many public projects begun by Domitian while actively seeking to destroy his predecessor’s good name  Survived a rebellious abduction by the Praetorian Guard by handing over Domitian’s assassins and adopting Trajan as his heir.

Trajan ( CE)  Took the name Optimus Maximus for his contributions to the Empire through his victories on the frontier and his respectful treatment of the senate  Increase the amount free food stuffs distributed to the poor  Completed many magnificent and beneficial public works, such a new forum, baths, and a large market  Undertook an overly ambitious war against Parthia with an eye to conquering the entire Mesopotamian region  During his war with the Parthians, his health failed and he died of natural causes while trying to return to Rome.

Hadrian ( CE)  Backed off from Trajan’s overly ambitious expansion policies and sought to explore and understand the existing provinces of the empire  As an author and philosopher, Hadrian supported the arts and the city of Athens as a cultural center of the empire  Completed Hadrian’s Wall, which spanned northern Britain from coast to coast  Traveled the entire empire during his reign  Spent his last several years resisting coup attempts and fighting illness, eventually dying of natural causes after adopting Antoninus Pius as his heir

Antoninus Pius ( CE)  Earned his nickname “Pius” with his refusal to put to death those awaiting execution under Hadrian’s rule  Improved the bureaucratic functions of the empire bringing about a prosperous period for the empire  Did not make major changes to Hadrian’s government programs  Ruled from Rome and dealt with rebellions and international crises by delegating responsibility to local governors  Threw a celebration of Rome’s 900th anniversary that were so lavish and expensive he had to debase the currency to pay the costs of the games  Died of natural causes never having left Italy during his reign

Marcus Aurelius ( CE)  Ruled over very troubled times for the empire  Incessant wars in the provinces  Plague in the east  Eminent philosopher and writer, a true intellectual, he wrote the famous Meditations  Very skilled and interested in law, he earned a reputation as devoted to justice  Devoted to defending the empire, he died from illness contracted on the German frontiers