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Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Aurelian (214/215-275 CE) rose from humble beginnings, and earned his way through the ranks of the Roman Army to a position of power and influence under Emperor Claudius Gothicus. After a brief few months when the throne was seized by Claudius' brother, Quintillus, after the former's death in 270, Aurelian ascended to become emperor by the will of his soldiers.<br/><br/> Like Claudius before him, Aurelian had inherited an Empire that had been effectively broken into three pieces, with the Gallic Empire in the West and the Palmyrene Empire to the East. Various Germanic and barbarian tribes also threatened the Roman Empire, and he set to work defeating them all. By 273, the Palmyrene Empire had fallen to his armies, while he conquered the Gallic Empire the following year, reuniting the Roman Empire into one complete whole once more. This feat ended the Crisis of the Third Century.<br/><br/> Aurelian's disdain for corruption within both his own soldiers and officials, resulting in severe punishments for anyone found guilty, eventually led to his death when a fearful secretary forged a document listing officials marked for execution by the emperor. These officials, including high-ranking officers of the Praetorian Guard, feared for their lives and murdered Aurelian. It is believed that his wife, Ulpia Severina, ruled briefly alone for a period of time before a new emperor was proclaimed, becoming the only known woman to have ruled the entire Roman Empire on her own.
Born Lucius Ceionius Commodus (130-169) in 130, his name was altered to Lucius Aelius Commodus when his father was adopted by Hadrian as his heir. When Lucius' father, who shared the same name, died in 138 CE, Lucius was adopted by Antoninus Pius alongside Marcus Aurelius.<br/><br/> Now known as Lucius Aelius Aureius Commodus, Lucius would finally become Lucius Verus after his ascension to co-emperor in 161, sharing power with Marcus Aurelius as part of the latter's demands to the Roman Senate when he became emperor. During their reign, the Empire defeated a resurgent Parthian Empire, sacking the capital of Ctesiphon in 164.<br/><br/> Lucius Verus died in 169 after 8 years of rule, struck down by either food poisoning or smallpox, dying during the widespread Antonine Plague. He was deified by the Roman Senate as the Divine Verus after his death. Despite ruling alongside Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus is not included in the 'Five Good Emperors'.
Born Lucius Ceionius Commodus (130-169) in 130, his name was altered to Lucius Aelius Commodus when his father was adopted by Hadrian as his heir. When Lucius' father, who shared the same name, died in 138 CE, Lucius was adopted by Antoninus Pius alongside Marcus Aurelius.<br/><br/> Now known as Lucius Aelius Aureius Commodus, Lucius would finally become Lucius Verus after his ascension to co-emperor in 161, sharing power with Marcus Aurelius as part of the latter's demands to the Roman Senate when he became emperor. During their reign, the Empire defeated a resurgent Parthian Empire, sacking the capital of Ctesiphon in 164.<br/><br/> Lucius Verus died in 169 after 8 years of rule, struck down by either food poisoning or smallpox, dying during the widespread Antonine Plague. He was deified by the Roman Senate as the Divine Verus after his death. Despite ruling alongside Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus is not included in the 'Five Good Emperors'.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Aurelian (214/215-275 CE) rose from humble beginnings, and earned his way through the ranks of the Roman Army to a position of power and influence under Emperor Claudius Gothicus. After a brief few months when the throne was seized by Claudius' brother, Quintillus, after the former's death in 270, Aurelian ascended to become emperor by the will of his soldiers.<br/><br/> Like Claudius before him, Aurelian had inherited an Empire that had been effectively broken into three pieces, with the Gallic Empire in the West and the Palmyrene Empire to the East. Various Germanic and barbarian tribes also threatened the Roman Empire, and he set to work defeating them all. By 273, the Palmyrene Empire had fallen to his armies, while he conquered the Gallic Empire the following year, reuniting the Roman Empire into one complete whole once more. This feat ended the Crisis of the Third Century. <br/><br/> Aurelian's disdain for corruption within both his own soldiers and officials, resulting in severe punishments for anyone found guilty, eventually led to his death when a fearful secretary forged a document listing officials marked for execution by the emperor. These officials, including high-ranking officers of the Praetorian Guard, feared for their lives and murdered Aurelian. It is believed that his wife, Ulpia Severina, ruled briefly alone for a period of time before a new emperor was proclaimed, becoming the only known woman to have ruled the entire Roman Empire on her own.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertinax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Cleopatra VII (69—30 BCE) was the last pharaoh of ancient Egypt and last of the Ptolemaic dynasty.<br/><br/> Famed historically as a classic femme fatale, Cleopatra seduced Roman emperor Julius Caesar in order to secure her place on the Egyptian throne. After Caesar’s assassination in 44 BCE, Rome became divided between his heir, Gaius Octavian (later known as Augustus), and his military commander Mark Anthony. Cleopatra aligned herself with Mark Anthony and used her powers of seduction upon him. He fell in love with her and stayed with her at the Egyptian court in Alexandria. The couple had two children. But after losing the Battle of Actium, both Mark Anthony and Cleopatra committed suicide rather than be taken to Rome as prisoners. Cleopatra famously killed herself on 12th August, 30 BCE, by the bite of an asp.<br/><br/> In this scene from her court in Alexandria, Cleopatra has bet her lover Mark Anthony that she could there and then host a banquet for the princely sum of 10 million sestertia. After Mark Anthony accepted the wager, Cleopatra removed one of her pearl earrings, dissolved it in vinegar, then drank it. She is in the process of removing her second earring to do likewise, but is stopped by the disapproving former Roman senator Lucius Plancus.
Antonio Canova's statue Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss, first commissioned in 1787, exemplifies the Neoclassical devotion to love and emotion. It represents the god Cupid in the height of love and tenderness, immediately after awakening the lifeless Psyche with a kiss, a scene excerpted from Lucius Apuleius' The Golden Ass. A masterpiece of its period, it appeals to the senses of sight and touch, yet simultaneously alludes to the Romantic interest in emotion co-existing with Neoclassicism.<br/><br/> Joachim Murat donated the first version (pictured) to the Louvre Museum in Paris, France in 1824; Prince Yusupov, a Russian nobleman who acquired the piece in Rome in 1796, gave a later version (created in 1796) to the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. The plaster cast for this later version is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.