Greatest Roman Emperor?

**Smeagol** · 10-20-2018, 05:25 AM

Who was it in your opinion. IMO, the top 3:
1: Octavian/Augustus
2: Trajan
3: Constantine

**~~TheForeigner~~** · 10-20-2018, 05:55 AM

I voted Trajan, because I am Romanian and he conquered Dacia and that led to the Latinization of the natives and eventually the emergence of the Romanian people. He was also a great administrator and during his rule, the Roman Empire was at it's greatest extent territorially.

**Carpatz** · 10-20-2018, 07:48 AM

Tough choice but I had to pick the founder of the Empire, Octavian.

**Smeagol** · 10-20-2018, 08:03 PM

bump

**MinervaItalica** · 10-20-2018, 08:11 PM

Probably Augustus, at least from what other sources state.

Imo these:

Marcus Aurelius
Trajan
Hadrian

They made the Roman Empire really great and fearsome.

**Mens-Sarda** · 10-20-2018, 10:05 PM

Surely Augustus at first place, he was a skilled and intelligent politician, he outwitted all his enemies (and the Senate) managing to continue the heritage of Caesar bringing it to a new level of greatness.

Second place : Trajanus, Hadrianus, Antoninus and Marcus Aurelius, the Optimos Principes, during their century Rome knew the best rulers of its long history. After the death of Marcus Aurelius Rome was no more the same.

Third place : Aurelianus and Diocletianus; they inherited the empire after 80 years of military anarchy and civil wars, an empire divided, with secessionist provinces in both West and East, with rebel emperors appearing here and there elected by that or that other legion. While Aurelianus reorganized the army and crushed all the rebels, his successor Diocletianus totally reorganized the provincial system and the imperial government, he managed to strengthen the empire after an epoch of extreme chaos; this gave to the (western) empire other 176 years of life, and put the basis for the eastern empire to endure for other 1150 years.

I really love this scene of the tv series Rome, Octavianus after having persuaded Cicero to present him as Consul, ignores the advices of Cicero and pursues his own agenda declaring the assassins of Caesar as enemies of Rome.