Western Roman Empire

   

The Western Roman Empire is the name given to the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian. The West had significant social difference with the East; whereas the East was Greek-speaking and (later) followed Orthodoxy and Monophysitism, the West was Latin-speaking and followed Catholicism. The East (Roman for less time than the West, obviously) had a history of autocratic rule, whereas the West was based on the values of republicanism.

Division in Republican Times

For obvious reasons, the West had been part of Rome for longer than the East. The province of Asia was willed to the Republic in the late 2nd century BC by its last king, and Syria was annexed by Pompey in the mid 1st century BC. These provinces were administered just like the western ones were.

In 43 BC, after the assassination of Julius Caesar, the chief 'Liberators', Brutus and Cassius, fled to the East. Thanks to Cicero, they were legally made governors of the provinces of Macedonia and Syria, and occupied Thrace and Achaea as well. Meanwhile, the Second Triumvirate had formed, composed of Marc Antony, Octavian Caesar, and Lepidus. The triumvirs divided the western empire amongst themselves: Octavian received Africa, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and the Balearics; Antony, the Gallic provinces; and Lepidus, the Hispanic provinces.

The following year, the Liberators were defeated at Philippi, and in 40 BC, the empire was divided again: Octavian received Italy, Gaul, Hispania, and Illyria; Antony, Cyrenaica, Achaea, Macedonia, and Syria; and Lepidus, Africa. Sicily was controlled by pirates under the command of Sextus Pompeius.

In 36 BC, Octavian’s lieutenant Agrippa defeated Pompeius. Following his victory, Lepidus attempted to seize control of Octavian’s legions, but was defeated. Octavian unilaterally expelled Lepidus from the Triumvirate, and assumed control of his army and province.

Antony and Octavian continued to fall out, and in 32 BC, the Roman Senate declared war upon the former and his lover, Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. Octavian was pronounced dux (commander), and the entire west swore an oath of loyalty to him. The combined forces of Antony and Cleopatra were defeated the following year at the Battle of Actium, and their combined suicides the year after that left Octavian in sole control of the Roman Republic.

In 27 BC, Octavian was given the title of Augustus by the Senate, considered to be the start of the Roman Empire. The west and east were ruled as one for the next two-and-a-half centuries.

Gallic Empire

Through the centuries, the East and the West were ruled as one, much the same way as they had been in the Republic. Various usurpers arose in both halves, but either were killed or assumed power over the entire Empire.

Starting in 235 with the assassination of Emperor Alexander Severus, the Roman Empire fell into a fifty-year cycle of civil wars known as the Crisis of the Third Century. In 259, Emperor Valerian I was captured by the Sassanids, and his son, Gallienus (now emperor) was off fighting in the east. His son and the Praetorian Prefect were residing in Colonia Agrippina. The governor of the German provinces, Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus, took it upon himself to assault Colonia Agrippina, kill the heir and the prefect, and create an independent state now known as the Gallic Empire.

Its capitol was at Augusta Trevivorum, and in time it expanded to control not just the German provinces, but also all of Gaul, Hispania, and Britannia. It had its own senate, and a partial list of consuls still survive. It maintained Roman religion, language, and culture, and was more concerned with fighting the Germanic tribes than other Romans. However, in the reign of Claudius Gothicus (268-270), large expanses of the Gallic Empire were returned to Roman rule.

At roughly the same time, the eastern provinces were rebelling as the “Kingdom of Palmyra,” ruled over by Queen Zenobia. In 272, Emperor Aurelian managed to finally subdue Palmyra and return its territory to the Empire. With the East secure, he turned his attention west, and in the next year, the Gallic Empire fell. Aurelian spared the lives of the Gallic emperor and his son, going so far as to give them important positions in Rome.

Tetrarchy

After the restoration of Gaul, the west was largely quiet for the remainder of the Crisis of the Third Century.

Permanent Division

To be completed - feel free to add stuff

Fall of the West

To be completed - feel free to add stuff

The Continued Tradition of Empire

To be completed - feel free to add stuff - Charlemagne, Holy Roman Empire, etc

List of Western Roman Emperors

Gallic Emperors (259-273):

Tetrarchy (293-313):

Augusti are shown with their Caesares, regents, etc., further indented

Constantinian Dynasty (313-363):

Non-Dynastic (363-364):

Valentinian Dynasty (364-392):

Non-Dynastic (392-394):

Theodosian Dynasty (394-455):

Non-Dynastic (455-480):

See also: Gallic Empire; Byzantine Empire and List of Byzantine Emperors; Holy Roman Empire and List of Holy Roman Emperors; List of barbarian kings of Italy; Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Franks, and Vandals; Roman Republic; Roman Empire; Roman Emperors

External Links


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