By Saugat Adhikari

The Roman emperors were the designated ruler of Roman empire which started after the end of Roman republic: the period of ancient roman civilization that began with the end of roman kingdom. The legitimacy of an emperor's rule was dependent upon his control of the army and the recognition by the Senate; an emperor would normally be proclaimed by his troops, or invested with imperial titles by the Senate, or both.

But the Roman people regarded their emperors as equivalent of kings, even though the very first emperor Augustus the great absolutely refused to be taken as a monarch. The age of Roman Republic came to an end with the death of Julius Caesar and then Augustus marked the era of Roman empire that lasted from 27 BC to 476 AD. 

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Source: http://www.ancienthistorylists.com/