The heyday of the Roman Empire began in 69 AD, when the new emperor Vespasian came to power in a vast and declining country . The arrival of Vespasian was preceded by a rather long period of civil wars, fierce competition for supreme power and the upset of many public services.
Vespasian. New laws and regulations
First of all, the main difference between the policy of the ruler and that of his predecessors was the emperor’s clear intention to establish new laws in his empire and thereby create strong foundations not only for his own power, but also for its transfer to his heirs.
In December 69, the Roman Senate adopted a special law "On the Power of Vespasian", which vested the emperor with the same powers that such great rulers of Rome as Augustus, Tiberius and Claudius had, but legally. Thus, a legal order of government and the inheritance of power was established in the empire, a compromise was reached between landowners and slave owners.
However, despite the fact that Vespasian managed to agree with the Senate on the boundaries of his own power, almost immediately after the adoption of this law, the emperor conducted a rather aggressive sweep of the Senate and carried out the people he needed there. The ten years of Vespasian's rule are called the beginning of the heyday of the Roman Empire.
Vespasian's heir
Since Vespasian established fairly transparent rules of inheritance and was at peace with the Senate, his eldest son, his full namesake Titus Flavius Vespasian, who went down in history under the personal name Titus, became his heir. For only two years, Titus managed to be emperor, since already at the age of forty-one he died of a fever.
However, these years were overshadowed by three extremely unpleasant events in the Eternal City. During the short tenure of Titus in power in the subject empire, there was an eruption of Vesuvius, an epidemic of plague and a major fire in Rome itself.
Almost all Roman historians characterize the emperor himself as a harmonious, well-educated person, distinguished by his love of music, versification. His father gave him a good education, which he himself was deprived of due to his origin.
Prerequisites for Greatness
The structure of the Roman Republic underwent significant changes by the beginning of the first millennium AD. Most historians agree that the emergence of a strong centralized power could take place due to relative political stability. The population of the Roman Empire in its heyday reached 60 million people, and its structure has changed significantly due to the inclusion of new provinces in the state, as well as due to the ordering of the estates.
Significant changes are undergoing a system of replenishing the Senate with new members. Now only the representatives of the highest class of the country - nobles, could be part of the highest state body, while the riders were given the opportunity to work in the imperial administration and lead provinces and armies.
In addition, a number of restrictions were introduced on the ownership of slaves. For example, replenishment of slaves at the expense of prisoners of war became almost impossible, and unreasonable cruel treatment with them was prohibited. But a person could fall into eternal slavery without paying the debt on time.
Empire in l-lll centuries of our era
The first person who approached the emperor’s gaining power was Octavian Augustus, who held the post of principle, that is, the first senator. He was in charge of relations with foreign powers and judicial decisions of national importance. At the same time, the army becomes the pillar of state power, which subsequently will lead not only to strengthening the power of the supreme ruler, but also to a number of problems and instability of state power. But all this will be later, and in the sixties BC, it seemed that all these advances in Roman democracy had mostly pluses.
The heyday of the Roman Empire was also accompanied by a division of power between the Senate and the emperor, who were engaged in various affairs. The Senate gained the right to appoint rulers of individual provinces, leaving the control of the army in the hands of the First Consul.
Dominate lll-V century AD
The heyday of the Roman Empire, which most people know from the samples of pop culture, falls on the third to fifth centuries of our era. At this time, the institute of the so-called dominate is being formed.
The first dominant in history was Diocletian, who led the empire in 284. It was with the advent of Diocletian that it became clear that the emperor was not only the First Senator, but a full-fledged autocratic ruler, in whose hands enormous power was concentrated over the immense empire that subjugated most of the Mediterranean.
The emperor was in power for twenty-one years and during this time he won several internecine wars, pacified Gaul and ensured the integrity of the empire for a while.
The Golden Age of Roman Culture
Most researchers of the culture of the empire agree that the greatest flowering of art of various types reached in ll century AD. It was at this time that the reign of such famous emperors as Trajan and Marcus Aurelius fell.
At the peak of the power of the Roman Empire, Christianity emerges within its borders, which in a short time will become the state religion of the most powerful empire, and after that it will spread throughout the world, becoming one of the three world religions.
In the first century of the new era, which accounts for the unconditional flowering of the Roman Empire, the country still had such important centers of ancient culture as Athens and Alexandria of Egypt. Although the importance of these centers has been steadily declining compared with Rome, which draws together all the basic intellectual, financial and cultural resources of the empire. At the turn of the millennium, such thinkers as Strabo, Ptolemy and Pliny the Younger work in the empire . Apulia creates one of the most important monuments of Roman literature - Metamorphoses, also known as the Golden Donkey.
The heyday of Ancient Rome could not be imagined without architecture that was to satisfy the ambitions and conceited intentions of its rulers, each of whom sought to rebuild the Eternal City at its discretion and make significant changes to cities throughout the empire. It is worth noting that in the province the Roman army carried not only destruction, but also culture - baths, circuses, forums and schools.
Five good emperors
In the period known as the Time of the Five Good Emperor, - in its heyday - the area of the Roman Empire reaches its largest size. By the middle of the second century, the borders of the empire stretched from Great Britain to Transcaucasia, from the lands of Germanic tribes to the Persian Gulf.
The period of five good emperors is called the time of the reign of the Antonin dynasty, which include Nerva, Trajan, Adrian, Antonin Pius, Mark Anthony. It was at the time of these emperors that the capital of the empire was adorned with the greatest of known monuments of ancient architecture, and a unified system of power spread throughout the vast country. However, the foundations of the Roman Republic were also undermined by the same rulers, which subsequently led to the split of the country into the Eastern and Western Roman Empire and the subsequent fall of Rome under the onslaught of the barbarians.