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Marcus Cocceius Nerva was Roman emperor from 96 to 98 CE and his reign brought stability after the turbulent successions of his predecessors. In addition, Nerva helped establish the foundations for a new golden era for Rome which his chosen successor Trajan would bring to full fruition.
The Roman Republic was gone. In its place, the government was now a dictatorship, under the leadership of an emperor. The first Roman emperor was Augustus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar. He was emperor for 45 years. This was the beginning of the Pax Romana or Roman Peace. This is a very misleading title. There wasn't really peace. Rome continued to expand the empire, mostly through conquest. Rome itself was still beset by criminals and sometimes riots. It is called the Pax Romana because the empire itself was stable. The people knew that there was an emperor to run things and Roman legions to take care of wars and riots. They didn't have to worry about somebody coming in and conquering Rome and destroying their beautiful city.