Generals

In the Roman Republic all of the Senators, served as Generals on the battlefield. But, when the Emperors took power they began to command the army. Juius Ceaser fought the Gauls and Germanic tribes, Trajan expanded the borders to their farthest length, Augustus was an outstanding military tactitian, and even the Legendary Romulus was a military genius. Many more Roman Senators and Emperors were all crucial for the military of Rome to reach its full potential. Gaius Maximus was a Senator that might have changed the Republican military the most. Prior to him the romans republican army consisted of state militia that was draining citizens out of agriculture. He shifted the army into a professional force that was more dependent on its commanders that the state. The legion size was increased into separate battalions which were more tactically formidable against barbarians and calvary from asia. Julius Caesar is a name known by almost all people who even think of rome. He may be the single most influential person in Rome’s history. Granted, he didn’t have a long reign but he set the bar for what would soon become an empire. He was also a great military commander, and led campaigns in Gaul, Spain, Britain, Germania, and even Italy itself. When he became governor of Gaul he conquered the remaining Franc lands, Belgium, and when he crossed the Rubicon river he went against the Senates orders by crossing the river without dismissing his army. This caused a civil War in which Caesar defeated the Republican force and banished Pompey to Egypt. Trajan Perhaps the greatest Roman commander in terms of Land obtained was the Spaniard Trajan. He was the first emperor that wasn’t born in Italy, and expanded the Roman borders to their largest range. Trajan led many campaigns including the Dacian War101-102(A.D and 105-106 A.D ) and the Parthians a long time enemy of Rome(115A.D) which gave Rome access to the Persian gulf. He was a fair but strict commander, and only punished christians and others when they had done something wrong. Trajan increased the Empire’s size as well as the quality of their daily life, by building things like aqueducts and the coliseum. Augustus/Octavian Augustus Caesar wasn’t called this during his lifetime, he was born as Octavian and eventually became the first emperor of Rome. He created the first standing Imperial army.He declared war on his former ally Marc Antony, who was in charge of Egypt, and defeated the Egyptians in 31 B.C. in the sea-battle of Actium where he destroyed a third of the Egyptian fleet. He also started a campaign to eliminate the “Barbarian” threat, but he appointed his stepsons Tiberius and Drusus for this job. They pushed the line from the Rhine to the Elbe in Germany and to the Danube. After Drusus’ death 9 roman Legions were destroyed at Varian, and Rome abandoned German Conquest east of the Rhine. Alltogether Augustus expanded the Empire greatly by capturing Northern Spain, Egypt, and parts of Germany.
 * Rome’s generals and Commanders **
 * Gaius Maximus **
 * Julius Caesar **

Those are just a few of the Emperor/Commanders of Rome; people who used their social and political power to execute military campaigns. Without these men the fate of the Roman Empire could have seemed very different as we see it in hindsight. Fight on Romans, Fight on.

Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/augustus.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/caesar_julius.shtml http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/nerva_trajan.html