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Caligula
Caligula (Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) was Roman emperor from 37 to 41 CE. Among the great emperors of the Roman Empire stand Augustus and Marcus Aurelius. At the other end of the spectrum is Emperor Caligula who the historian...
Definition
Trajan
Trajan, or Marcus Ulpius Traianus, was Roman emperor from 98 to 117 CE. Known as a benevolent ruler, his reign was noted for public projects which benefitted the populace such as improving the dilapidated road system, constructing aqueducts...
Definition
Commodus
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...
Definition
Manuel I Komnenos
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...
Definition
Theophilos
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...
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Roman Emperor Galba
Statue of an emperor, heavily restored by Bartolomeo Cavaceppi as a portrait of emperor Galba. (Sala Rotonda Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican Museums)
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Emperor Taizong
A painted silk scroll depicting Taizong, second emperor during the Tang Dynasty of China, r. 626-649. The emperor's robe shows a dragon, a traditional symbol of rulership as the creature represents wisdom, justice, and benevolence. National...
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Michael III Crowns Basil Co-emperor
A 13th century CE illustration showing Byzantine emperor Michael III (r. 842-867 CE) crowning his great friend and political ally Basil the Macedonian co-emperor. The latter would take the crown himself in 867 CE as Basil I. (Madrid Sklitzes...
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Ming Taizu, aka Hongwu Emperor
The Hongwu Emperor, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644 CE) who reigned from 1368 to 1398 CE. 14th century CE painted silk hanging.
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Portrait of Emperor Guangxu
A portrait of Emperor Guangxu (r. 1875-1908), the 10th emperor of the Chinese Qing dynasty.