What was the government of Ancient Rome?
3. In 27 BC, the Senate made Octavian Augustus Caesar the first Emperor (Imperator) of Rome. Although there were many attempts to make the position a hereditary one, military commanders, and especially the Emperor’s special security force- the Praetorian Guard- had the most influence over who ruled the Empire. The imperial form of government lasted in the West until 476 AD, when Odoacer forced the last emperor, Romulus Augustus, to abdicate. The Empire survived in Constantinople until it was conquered in 1453 by Sultan Mehmed II and the Ottoman Turks.
