Most fascinating but lesser-known Roman emperor?

[Blue3]

Who are the most fascinating, but lesser-known, Roman emperors? And what makes them fascinating?

[gerritcole]

Elagabalus, likely the only trans Roman emperor

[Antonio the Sixth]

Antoninus Pius has long been a favorite of mine. He avoided the sweeping military campaigns and wild internal projects of his predecessors and focused on sound and efficient administration, stamping out corruption, and maintaining good relationships with Rome's neighbors. His reign was largely uneventful, which is why he's not made a huge mark on historical memory, but for the people living under his reign that was probably a blessing. Although iirc he enacted the first regulations on the treatment of slaves, which while a low low bar was still a step in the right direction.

[Ricardian1485]

Gallienus, he led the Roman empire during the nadir of the crisis of the third century, and managed to prevent the total collapse of Roman civilization. While he failed to prevent the secession of the Gallic empire and the de facto independence of Palmyra, he defeated a number of Governors and commanders who attempted to secede or usurp the throne, while at the same time defeating multiple barbarian invasions. Even just a few more breakaway attempts succeeding could have caused a domino effect of secession which would have destroyed the empire.

He also heavily reformed the Roman military to handle barbarian invasions through the creation of mobile armies that could quickly be dispatched to deal with border incursions.

Without Gallienus the crisis would have been much worse, and the empire would have been less equipped to handle it. The empire could have fragmented into numerous successor states which would easily be overrun by invasions from outside powers. Aurelian reunited the empire, but he did it with Gallienus's military.

He also reigned for 15 years before getting murdered, which is extremely long by third century standards.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Justinian's II "the Slit Nosed" - real bastard who lived life as a Shakespearean anti-hero. Deposed, had nose cut off, formed various Machiavellian schemes to come back.

Andronokus I - spent his life as an unbelievable villain who was constantly seducing underage family members and destroying their marriages/engaging in light treason and improbably became an emperor as an old man, where he somehow became even more evil and killed everyone around him, including most of his extended family.

[Battista Minola 1616]

Maximinus Thrax is kind of interesting for being the first emperor who was a commoner from the far out provinces, the first to be proclaimed by the army and the first who spent his entire reign away from Rome.

[Elcaspar]

Definitely Pertinax. Came in right after the not so great reign of Commodus, a man who was both an experienced military commander and had some administrative experience in the provinces. Comes in to try and restore financial responsibility, as well as bringing the Preatorians to heel....needless to say this ended in his death, but not before standing up to his assassins and almost convinced them to let him off.....but it was not enough. In a less tumultuous time, he might have been one of the emperors we would remember.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Gallienus, he led the Roman empire during the nadir of the crisis of the third century, and managed to prevent the total collapse of Roman civilization. While he failed to prevent the secession of the Gallic empire and the de facto independence of Palmyra, he defeated a number of Governors and commanders who attempted to secede or usurp the throne, while at the same time defeating multiple barbarian invasions. Even just a few more breakaway attempts succeeding could have caused a domino effect of secession which would have destroyed the empire.

He also heavily reformed the Roman military to handle barbarian invasions through the creation of mobile armies that could quickly be dispatched to deal with border incursions.

Without Gallienus the crisis would have been much worse, and the empire would have been less equipped to handle it. The empire could have fragmented into numerous successor states which would easily be overrun by invasions from outside powers. Aurelian reunited the empire, but he did it with Gallienus's military.

He also reigned for 15 years before getting murdered, which is extremely long by third century standards.

Gallienus is interesting for a similar reason to Maximinius Thrax: both emperors bookend the usurpation of the Senatorial elite by the professional soldiery. Gallienus was the emperor who opened the officer corps to the (shock horror) equites, including career soldiers.

Gordian is also interesting in the same way, a wizened old aristocrat dragged out of peaceful obscurity to lead a revolt against the unpopular barracks emperor.