The Collector Ranks Ten Most Famous Ancient Romans, From Caesar to Constantine
The Collector highlights ten prominent personalities from ancient Rome. Julius Caesar, who was born circa 100 BC, served as consul in 59 BC, established the First Triumvirate, and expanded Roman territory through his Gallic campaigns from 58 to 50 BC. He famously crossed the Rubicon in 49 BC, became dictator for life in 44 BC, and met his end on the Ides of March. His adopted heir, Octavian, originally named Gaius Octavius and born in 63 BC, triumphed over Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC and ruled as Augustus from 27 BC until 14 AD. Cicero, consul in 63 BC, revealed the Catilinarian Conspiracy, faced exile in 58 BC, and was murdered on December 7, 43 BC. Other notable figures include Virgil, Nero, Scipio Africanus, Marcus Aurelius, Trajan, and Constantine the Great.
Key facts
- Julius Caesar was elected consul in 59 BC and formed the First Triumvirate with Pompey the Great and Marcus Licinius Crassus.
- Caesar crossed the Rubicon in 49 BC, was declared dictator for life in 44 BC, and was assassinated on the Ides of March after being stabbed 23 times.
- Augustus, born Gaius Octavius in 63 BC, defeated Mark Antony at the 31 BC Battle of Actium and reigned from 27 BC to 14 AD.
- Cicero was elected consul in 63 BC, exposed the Catilinarian Conspiracy, was exiled in 58 BC, and was killed on Mark Antony's order on December 7, 43 BC.
- Virgil, born in 70 BC near Mantua, wrote the Eclogues (42–37 BC), Georgics (37–30 BC), and the Aeneid.
- Nero was blamed for the 64 AD Great Fire of Rome, launched a persecution of Christians, and committed suicide in 68 AD.
- Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal at the 202 BC Battle of Zama, earning his surname and securing Roman supremacy in the Mediterranean.
- Constantine the Great issued the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, legalizing Christianity, and founded Constantinople in 330.
Entities
Artists
- Julius Caesar
- Augustus
- Cicero
- Virgil
- Nero
- Mark Antony
- Scipio Africanus
- Marcus Aurelius
- Trajan
- Constantine the Great
- Pompey the Great
- Marcus Licinius Crassus
- Mithridates VI Eupator
- Lucius Sergius Catilina
- Cleopatra
- Hannibal Barca
- Tiberius
- Lucius Verus
- Antoninus Pius
- Commodus
- Nerva
- Maxentius
- Suetonius
- Cassius Dio
- Livy
- Eusebius
- Dante Alighieri
- Zeno of Citium
- Agrippa
- Pope Sylvester
- Lionel Royer
- Andrea di Pietro di Marco Ferrucci
- Cesare Maccari
- Charles Jalabert
- Karl Theodor von Piloty
- Maria Anita Ronchini
- Daniel Martin
- Nathan Hughes Hamilton
- William Shakespeare
Institutions
- The Collector
- Roman Senate
- First Triumvirate
- Second Triumvirate
- Praetorian Guard
- Roman Catholic Church
- Vatican Museums
- Musei Capitolini
- The MET Museum
- Musée Crozatier
- Musée des Beaux-Arts, Nimes
- Hungarian National Gallery
- Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
- Musée Saint-Raymond
- Glyptothek, Munich
- Palazzo dei Conservatori
- Wikimedia Commons
- Flickr
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Gaul
- Rubicon River
- Emilia-Romagna
- Mediterranean Sea
- Pontus
- Arpinum
- Lazio
- Mantua
- Carthage
- Spain
- Liternum
- Campania
- Vindobona
- Vienna
- Austria
- Danube
- Italica
- Dacia
- Mesopotamia
- Armenia
- Arabia
- Selinus
- Türkiye
- Milan
- Constantinople
- New York City
- Le Puy-en-Velay
- France
- Nimes
- Copenhagen
- Denmark
- Toulouse
- Munich
- Germany