Domitian was succeeded by an elderly senator of some distinction, Marcus Cocceius Nerva (96–98). Among the beloved rulers of Rome that succeeded him were Trajan (reigned 98–117), Hadrian (117–138), Antoninus Pius (138–161), and Marcus Aurelius (161–180). Together these are known as the Five Good Emperors. Their non-hereditary succession oversaw a golden age, which witnessed a considerable amount of expansion and consolidation. But all the changes that occurred during this era, beneficial as they were, brought with them the attendant evils of excessive centralization. The concentration of an empire in the hands of an emperor like Commodus (180–192)—juvenile, incompetent, and decadent—was ...(100 of 1351 words)