Emperor Aurelian: “Restorer of the World”

emperor-aurelian

Whilst Emperor Aurelian only ruled for five years as leader of the Roman world, his importance to its history is immense. Born in relative obscurity, somewhere in the Balkans (possibly near modern Sofia) in September 215, to a peasant family, Aurelian was in some ways a typical “soldier emperor” of the third century. However, unlike …

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Commodus: The First Ruler of the End of Rome

Commodus

Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, commonly known more briefly as Commodus, was the 18th emperor of the Roman empire and the last of the widely praised “Nerva-Antonine Dynasty”. He was, however, instrumental in the downfall and demise of that dynasty and is remembered in sharp contrast to his close predecessors. Indeed, his image and identity …

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The Twelve Tables: The Foundation of Roman Law

twelve tables roman law

Like the Magna Carta, the US Constitution, or the Rights of Man, the Twelve Tables are rightly considered one of the foundational bits of legislation for Western law and legal practice. Spawned from a class conflict that was raging in Republican Rome, they outlined the rights of every citizen of the ancient state. What Were …

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