{"id":2018,"date":"2026-10-11T02:20:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T20:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cosmossailor.com\/?p=2018"},"modified":"2026-10-12T03:11:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T21:41:58","slug":"roman-republic-roman-empire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cosmossailor.com\/?p=2018","title":{"rendered":"Roman Republic & Roman Empire (509 BCE \u2013 395 CE)"},"content":{"rendered":"

ROMAN REPUBLIC<\/h2>\n

During the Roman Republic (c. 509 BCE \u2013 27 BCE)<\/b>, Rome was not ruled by hereditary monarchs or single emperors, but by elected magistrates. Executive authority rested with two Consuls<\/b> elected annually. During extreme crises, supreme power was temporarily vested in a Dictator<\/b> (traditionally appointed for up to six months). Towards the end of the Republic, military strongmen took extraordinary commands and instituted the Triumvirates<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Below is a chronological table highlighting the most defining statesmen, generals, and de facto rulers who shaped Roman power from the founding of the Republic through its transition into the Empire, alongside standard historiographical estimates of Roman territory during their leadership:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
No.<\/strong><\/td>\nRuler \/ Leader Name<\/strong><\/td>\nLeadership \/ Office Period<\/strong><\/td>\nEstimated Roman Territory<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1<\/span><\/td>\nLucius Junius Brutus & Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n509 BCE (Founding Consuls)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~800 \u2013 1,000 km\u00b2 (Latium city-state and immediate countryside)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/span><\/td>\nTitus Lartius<\/b><\/span><\/td>\nc. 501 \/ 498 BCE (First recorded Dictator)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~1,000 \u2013 1,500 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/span><\/td>\nLucius Quinctius Cincinnatus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n458 & 439 BCE (Famed Dictator)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~1,500 \u2013 2,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/span><\/td>\nMarcus Furius Camillus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n396 \u2013 367 BCE (Dictator; “Second Founder of Rome”)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~2,500 \u2013 3,500 km\u00b2 (Following the conquest of Veii)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/span><\/td>\nAppius Claudius Caecus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n312 \u2013 296 BCE (Censor and Consul)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~20,000 \u2013 25,000 km\u00b2 (Central Italy \/ Samnite Wars)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/span><\/td>\nManius Curius Dentatus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n290 \u2013 274 BCE (Consul; Pyrrhic Wars)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~100,000 \u2013 130,000 km\u00b2 (Unification of peninsular Italy)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/span><\/td>\nQuintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n221 \u2013 203 BCE (Dictator \/ Consul; “The Delayer”)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~160,000 \u2013 200,000 km\u00b2 (Italy, Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/span><\/td>\nPublius Cornelius Scipio Africanus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n210 \u2013 201 BCE (Proconsul; defeated Hannibal)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~300,000 \u2013 350,000 km\u00b2 (Acquisition of eastern Hispania)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/span><\/td>\nTitus Quinctius Flamininus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n198 \u2013 194 BCE (Consul \/ Proconsul in Greece)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~350,000 \u2013 400,000 km\u00b2 (Expansion into the Balkans)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/span><\/td>\nLucius Mummius & Scipio Aemilianus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n146 BCE (Consuls \/ Commanders)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~500,000 \u2013 600,000 km\u00b2 (Destruction of Carthage and Corinth; Africa & Achaea)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11<\/span><\/td>\nGaius Marius<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n107 \u2013 100 BCE (Held 7 Consulships; Army Reformer)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~800,000 \u2013 900,000 km\u00b2 (Transalpine Gaul, Numidian sphere)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12<\/span><\/td>\nLucius Cornelius Sulla<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n82 \u2013 79 BCE (Dictator rei publicae constituendae)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~1,000,000 \u2013 1,100,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13<\/span><\/td>\nGnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great)<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n67 \u2013 48 BCE (First Triumvirate \/ Consul)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~1,800,000 \u2013 2,200,000 km\u00b2 (Conquest of the East: Syria, Judea, Pontus)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
14<\/span><\/td>\nJulius Caesar<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n49 \u2013 44 BCE (Dictator perpetuo; annexed Gaul)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~3,200,000 \u2013 3,400,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
15<\/span><\/td>\nThe Second Triumvirate<\/b> (Mark Antony, Octavian, Marcus Lepidus)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n43 \u2013 32 BCE (Extraordinary governing triumvirs)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~3,400,000 \u2013 3,600,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
16<\/span><\/td>\nOctavian (Sole Ruler of Rome)<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n31 \u2013 27 BCE (Post-Actium sole magistrate until becoming Augustus)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n~3,600,000 \u2013 4,000,000 km\u00b2<\/b> (Annexation of Ptolemaic Egypt)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

ROMAN EMPIRE<\/h2>\n

The highlighted map represents the Roman Empire at its absolute peak territorial extent in 117 CE (AD 117)<\/b>, at the conclusion of the reign of Emperor Trajan<\/b>. At this moment, Roman dominion encompassed the entire Mediterranean basin (Mare Nostrum<\/i>), spanning Britannia, Hispania, Gaul, Italy, the Balkans, North Africa, Egypt, Anatolia, the Levant, Armenia, and Mesopotamia down to the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n

Below is the chronological table of the rulers of the Roman Empire from its founding through the classical imperial era up to the division in 395 CE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
No.<\/strong><\/td>\nRuler Name<\/strong><\/td>\nReign Period<\/strong><\/td>\nEstimated Land Area Under Reign<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1<\/span><\/td>\nAugustus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n27 BCE \u2013 14 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,000,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/span><\/td>\nTiberius<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n14 \u2013 37 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,100,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/span><\/td>\nCaligula<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n37 \u2013 41 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,100,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/span><\/td>\nClaudius<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n41 \u2013 54 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,250,000 km\u00b2 <\/span><\/p>\n

(conquest of Britain initiated)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

5<\/span><\/td>\nNero<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n54 \u2013 68 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,250,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/span><\/td>\nGalba<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n68 \u2013 69 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,250,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/span><\/td>\nOtho<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n69 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,250,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/span><\/td>\nVitellius<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n69 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,250,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/span><\/td>\nVespasian<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n69 \u2013 79 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,300,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/span><\/td>\nTitus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n79 \u2013 81 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,300,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11<\/span><\/td>\nDomitian<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n81 \u2013 96 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,350,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12<\/span><\/td>\nNerva<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n96 \u2013 98 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,350,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13<\/span><\/td>\nTrajan<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n98 \u2013 117 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~5,000,000 km\u00b2<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

(Peak territorial extent)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

14<\/span><\/td>\nHadrian<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n117 \u2013 138 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,400,000 km\u00b2 <\/span><\/p>\n

(consolidated; abandoned Mesopotamia)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

15<\/span><\/td>\nAntoninus Pius<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n138 \u2013 161 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,400,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
16<\/span><\/td>\nMarcus Aurelius<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

(with Lucius Verus 161\u2013169)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n

161 \u2013 180 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,400,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
17<\/span><\/td>\nCommodus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n180 \u2013 192 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,350,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18<\/span><\/td>\nPertinax<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n193 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,350,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
19<\/span><\/td>\nDidius Julianus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n193 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,350,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20<\/span><\/td>\nSeptimius Severus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n193 \u2013 211 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,500,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
21<\/span><\/td>\nCaracalla<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n198 \u2013 217 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,400,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
22<\/span><\/td>\nGeta<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n209 \u2013 211 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,400,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
23<\/span><\/td>\nMacrinus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n217 \u2013 218 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,350,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
24<\/span><\/td>\nElagabalus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n218 \u2013 222 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,350,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
25<\/span><\/td>\nSeverus Alexander<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n222 \u2013 235 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,300,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
26<\/span><\/td>\nMaximinus Thrax<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n235 \u2013 238 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,200,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
27<\/span><\/td>\nGordian I & Gordian II<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n238 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,200,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
28<\/span><\/td>\nPupienus & Balbinus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n238 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,200,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
29<\/span><\/td>\nGordian III<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n238 \u2013 244 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,200,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
30<\/span><\/td>\nPhilip the Arab<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n244 \u2013 249 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,200,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
31<\/span><\/td>\nDecius<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n249 \u2013 251 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,150,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
32<\/span><\/td>\nTrebonianus Gallus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n251 \u2013 253 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,100,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
33<\/span><\/td>\nAemilian<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n253 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,100,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
34<\/span><\/td>\nValerian<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n253 \u2013 260 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,000,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
35<\/span><\/td>\nGallienus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n253 \u2013 268 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~2,500,000 km\u00b2 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Gallic & Palmyrene splits)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

36<\/span><\/td>\nClaudius Gothicus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n268 \u2013 270 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~3,200,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
37<\/span><\/td>\nQuintillus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n270 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~3,200,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
38<\/span><\/td>\nAurelian<\/b> (Restitutor Orbis)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n270 \u2013 275 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,300,000 km\u00b2 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Reunified the empire)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

39<\/span><\/td>\nTacitus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n275 \u2013 276 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,300,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
40<\/span><\/td>\nFlorianus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n276 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,300,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
41<\/span><\/td>\nProbus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n276 \u2013 282 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,300,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
42<\/span><\/td>\nCarus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n282 \u2013 283 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,300,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
43<\/span><\/td>\nCarinus & Numerian<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n283 \u2013 285 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,300,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
44<\/span><\/td>\nDiocletian<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

(Introduced Tetrarchy)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n

284 \u2013 305 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,400,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
45<\/span><\/td>\nMaximian<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n286 \u2013 305 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,400,000 km\u00b2 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Joint imperial area)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

46<\/span><\/td>\nConstantius Chlorus<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n305 \u2013 306 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,400,000 km\u00b2 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Joint imperial area)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

47<\/span><\/td>\nGalerius<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n305 \u2013 311 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,400,000 km\u00b2 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Joint imperial area)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

48<\/span><\/td>\nConstantine the Great<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n306 \u2013 337 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,400,000 km\u00b2 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Fully reunified by 324)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

49<\/span><\/td>\nConstantius II<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n337 \u2013 361 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,300,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
50<\/span><\/td>\nJulian the Apostate<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n361 \u2013 363 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,300,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
51<\/span><\/td>\nJovian<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n363 \u2013 364 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,200,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
52<\/span><\/td>\nValentinian I<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n364 \u2013 375 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,200,000 km\u00b2 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Western half ~2.1M km\u00b2)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

53<\/span><\/td>\nValens<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n364 \u2013 378 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,200,000 km\u00b2 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Eastern half ~2.1M km\u00b2)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

54<\/span><\/td>\nGratian<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n367 \u2013 383 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~2,100,000 km\u00b2 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Western empire)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

55<\/span><\/td>\nValentinian II<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n375 \u2013 392 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~2,100,000 km\u00b2 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Western empire)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

56<\/span><\/td>\nTheodosius I<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

(Last to rule both East & West)<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n

379 \u2013 395 CE<\/span><\/td>\n~4,200,000 km\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ROMAN REPUBLIC During the Roman Republic (c. 509 BCE \u2013 27 BCE), Rome was not ruled by hereditary monarchs or single emperors, but by elected magistrates. Executive authority rested with two Consuls elected annually. During extreme crises, supreme power was temporarily vested in a Dictator (traditionally appointed for up to six months). Towards the end … <\/p>\n

Read more “Roman Republic & Roman Empire (509 BCE \u2013 395 CE)”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2019,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosmossailor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosmossailor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosmossailor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosmossailor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosmossailor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2018"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/cosmossailor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2318,"href":"https:\/\/cosmossailor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018\/revisions\/2318"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosmossailor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosmossailor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosmossailor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosmossailor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}