Roman Emperors

The Emperors did not immediately abolish the Quæstiones, and at first they committed an extensive criminal jurisdiction to the Senate, in which, however servile it might show itself in fact, the Emperor was no more nominally than a Senator like the rest.

It is impossible not to see that the succession of the early Roman Emperors to each other was considered reasonably regular, and that, in spite of all that had occurred, no absurdity attached to the pretension of such Princes as Theodosius or Justinian to style themselves Cæsar and Augustus.

From this to the abolition of the kings, when there came to be consuls, two hundred and forty-three years;

After which time, the kingdom of the Romans, down to the death of Commodus, two hundred and twenty-two years.

Gaius Julius Caesar three years, four months, six days, after whom Augustus reigned forty-six years, four months, one day;

There were many places formerly belonging to the Roman Empire, over which the Emperor has at present no controul.

It would scarce have been necessary to refute the foolish opinion of some, who have ascribed to the Roman Emperors dominion over the most remote and unknown nations, if Bartolus, deemed a lawyer of the first eminence, had not pronounced it heresy to deny those pretensions.

Two or more emperors frequently existed in the Roman empire, each claiming the absolute powers of sovereignty.