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Commodus was Roman emperor from 180 to 192 CE. With the death of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius in March of 180 CE, the long reign of the five good emperors came to an end and with it so did the Pax Romana (the Roman Peace). Those emperors...

Manuel I Komnenos was emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 1143 to 1180 CE. Manuel continued the ambitious campaigns of his grandfather Alexios I and father John II to aggressively expand the boundaries of his empire. Manuel turned out to...

Theophilos was emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 829 to 842 CE. He was the second ruler of the Amorion dynasty founded by his father Michael II. Popular during his reign and responsible for a lavish rebuilding of Constantinople's palaces...

Admiral Zheng He (aka Cheng Ho, c. 1371-1433 CE) was a Chinese Muslim eunuch explorer who was sent by the Ming dynasty emperor Yongle (r. 1403-1424 CE) on seven diplomatic missions to increase trade and secure tribute from foreign powers...

Insei or 'cloistered government' describes the strategy of emperors during the late Heian Period (794-1185 CE) in ancient Japan where they abdicated in favour of a chosen heir yet still ruled in some capacity, typically after retiring to...

A portrait of Liu Bang who became the Chinese emperor Gao of the Han (Gaozu). Victor in the famous battle of Gaixia in 202 BCE, he founded the Han dynasty which would rule China from 202 BCE to 220 CE.

A 1st century CE marble bust of Roman Emperor Domitian, r. 81-96 CE. (Musée de Louvre, Paris).

Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712-756 CE) of the Tang Dynasty.

Menelik II, emperor of Ethiopia (r. 1889-1913) and his attendants, German postcard, approximately 1905.

A print of the Jade Emperor, (aka Yuhuang Shangdi, Yudi and Mr Heaven), the supreme deity in Chinese traditional religion. He is often depicted, as here, seated on a throne and wearing full imperial costume.