Presented by Daniel DeSelm
Historians commonly pinpoint the apogee of Roman power and grandeur to the period of the so-called “Five Good Emperors,” whose reigns stretched consecutively from 96 to 180 CE. These emperors—Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius—presided over an empire at the summit of its size and strength, but also one on the precipice of decline. So what was so “good” about these emperors? Why did they succeed? As the poster-boys of effective Roman governance, the Five Good Emperors show how the fate of empires can balance on a knife-edge of unpredictable factors. Their far-reaching administrative reforms and military escapades were impressive, but also set in motion changes that would shatter the empire within a few decades.
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Earlier Event: February 1
The Hapsburg Empire 2/2
Later Event: February 7
Legendary Lovers in Opera 3/3