Italy: Rulers of Imperial Rome (Century I)
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What's included in this test?
- This test provides powerful, innovative, and interactive DNA-based tools to help you explore your ancestors from the height of the Roman Empire, trace the elite networks of Imperial Rome, and uncover your genetic connections to the individuals who lived during some of the most influential decades of Roman history.
- Discover how closely you are related to Italy: Rulers of Imperial Rome (87–136 AD), individuals associated with Rome’s political, military, and administrative spheres—senators, soldiers, officials, urban elites, and community leaders whose lives reflect the Empire’s peak stability and expansion:
- Receive a detailed breakdown of your ancient geographical origins, interactive ancestry maps showing where your Imperial Roman ancestors lived, governed, served in legions, participated in civic life, managed provinces, and helped shape one of the most powerful states in world history. You will also see your exact genetic similarity to each individual included in this Imperial Rome dataset.
- Compare your DNA with over 50 worldwide ancient and modern populations.
- Journey back nearly two millennia to reconnect with Imperial Rome—its multicultural heart, vast networks of trade and administration, monumental architecture, and the cosmopolitan society that defined the Roman world at its zenith.
- Help us reconstruct the origins, diversity, and sociopolitical dynamics of Imperial Rome using the power of ancient DNA.
- Meet the Rulers of the Empire — Before Byzantium, Before Decline, this can be Your Story.
- Basic test includes 5 members.
- Advanced test includes 10 members. Best Deal: Unlock access to a broader collection of Italian and Mediterranean ancient DNA tests with our compendium: People of Rome
About the test
Italy: Rulers of Imperial Rome — Lives of the High Empire (87–136 AD)
Enter the world of the Roman Empire at its zenith—the age of Trajan, Hadrian, and the consolidation of an empire stretching from Britannia to Arabia. This test traces your genetic affinity to individuals who lived in Italy between approximately 87 and 136 AD, during the height of Rome’s political stability, monumental building programs, military expansion, and administrative sophistication. These people represent the diverse communities that supported—and sometimes governed—the most powerful state of the ancient world.
In this period, Rome was not merely a city but the beating heart of a vast cosmopolitan network. Soldiers, artisans, merchants, administrators, enslaved people, freedmen, and elites moved throughout the empire, bringing with them a wide diversity of origins. The individuals represented here illuminate the demographic complexity of early 2nd-century Italy, capturing the ancestry of those who lived in or near Rome’s urban, suburban, and coastal environments during the Empire’s golden age.
Collected and reconstructed from:
Together, these individuals provide a rare biological snapshot of Italy during the height of Roman power. Their ancestries highlight the extraordinary demographic diversity of the early 2nd-century Empire—an era defined by economic prosperity, monumental architecture, long-distance mobility, and the expansion of citizenship under emperors like Trajan and Hadrian.
This test reveals:
Perfect for:
Your personalized report includes:
Discover your DNA from the age of Imperial Rome—when emperors ruled from the capital, soldiers marched across continents, and the peoples of the empire converged upon the Eternal City.
Enter the world of the Roman Empire at its zenith—the age of Trajan, Hadrian, and the consolidation of an empire stretching from Britannia to Arabia. This test traces your genetic affinity to individuals who lived in Italy between approximately 87 and 136 AD, during the height of Rome’s political stability, monumental building programs, military expansion, and administrative sophistication. These people represent the diverse communities that supported—and sometimes governed—the most powerful state of the ancient world.
In this period, Rome was not merely a city but the beating heart of a vast cosmopolitan network. Soldiers, artisans, merchants, administrators, enslaved people, freedmen, and elites moved throughout the empire, bringing with them a wide diversity of origins. The individuals represented here illuminate the demographic complexity of early 2nd-century Italy, capturing the ancestry of those who lived in or near Rome’s urban, suburban, and coastal environments during the Empire’s golden age.
Collected and reconstructed from:
- Viale Rossini (Necropoli Salaria, Rome) — A major burial ground along the ancient Via Salaria. Individuals from Viale Rossini reflect the multi-layered society of Imperial Rome, including residents tied to commercial, military, and administrative activity in the capital. Their ancestry illustrates the remarkable diversity of Rome during the High Empire, shaped by migration from across Europe and the Mediterranean.
- Via Paisiello (Necropoli Salaria, Rome) — Another sector of the same extensive necropolis system. Individuals buried here represent urban and suburban populations associated with Rome’s northern districts, revealing further evidence of demographic mixture, social mobility, and the imperial urban lifestyle.
- Civitanova Marche (Marche region) — A coastal Adriatic community linked to trade routes, veteran settlements, and regional administrative centers. Individuals from Civitanova Marche capture the genetic landscape of central-eastern Italy during the Imperial period, shaped by interactions with Dalmatia, the Balkans, and the wider Mediterranean basin.
- Monterotondo (Lazio) — A settlement north of Rome associated with agricultural estates, villa economies, and regional movement into and out of the capital. Individuals from Monterotondo reflect suburban and rural populations within Rome’s immediate hinterland during the 1st–2nd centuries AD.
- Isola Sacra (Port of Imperial Rome) — One of the most important sites for understanding everyday life in Imperial Rome. Situated between Portus and Ostia, Isola Sacra was home to merchants, sailors, craftsmen, and freedmen from across the empire. Individuals here embody the cosmopolitan character of Rome’s maritime gateway, representing ancestries from Italy, the Levant, North Africa, and beyond.
Together, these individuals provide a rare biological snapshot of Italy during the height of Roman power. Their ancestries highlight the extraordinary demographic diversity of the early 2nd-century Empire—an era defined by economic prosperity, monumental architecture, long-distance mobility, and the expansion of citizenship under emperors like Trajan and Hadrian.
This test reveals:
- The genetic structure of Italian and Roman metropolitan populations during the Imperial period
- Regional diversity within central Italy, from urban necropoleis to Adriatic coastal towns
- The influence of imperial mobility, migration, and cultural integration on Roman-era ancestry
Perfect for:
- Individuals with Italian ancestry seeking insight into Roman-era origins
- Enthusiasts of Roman history, archaeology, and the High Empire
- Anyone interested in understanding the multi-ethnic fabric of Rome during its greatest age
Your personalized report includes:
- Direct comparison to individuals from Rome’s necropoleis, Italian coastal settlements, and imperial port communities
- mtDNA and Y-DNA haplogroups typical of the Roman High Empire
- A breakdown of your affinity to metropolitan, coastal, and hinterland populations of 1st–2nd century Italy
- Historical context on Roman citizenship, imperial mobility, urban life, and the multicultural nature of the Empire
Discover your DNA from the age of Imperial Rome—when emperors ruled from the capital, soldiers marched across continents, and the peoples of the empire converged upon the Eternal City.
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Why take this test
Up until 2010, reading the DNA of ancient people was a dream. Since then, the DNA of a Neanderthal who lived over 30,000 years ago has been sequenced. After that reading, the DNA of ancient people who lived from 15,000 BC to 1,800 AD all over the world became the main object of paleogenomic research. This leap forward in technology allowed the creation of a new type of DNA test — tests that do not use modern-day populations as stand-ins for the ancient tribes but rather go right to the source and study these ancient peoples themselves.
The Ancient DNA Hub DNA test is the first next-generation DNA test. It is designed solely using the DNA of ancient people throughout history using our novel technologies.
With this test, you will receive a precise ancient ethnicity estimate with far greater geographical details than you could imagine. You will make new connections with historical people and places where your ancestors lived, walked, battled, created, and dreamed thousands of years ago. Using genetic data and evidence from history and archeology, we can revive the past and allow you to take part in this story at the most personal level.
The Ancient DNA Hub DNA test is the first next-generation DNA test. It is designed solely using the DNA of ancient people throughout history using our novel technologies.
With this test, you will receive a precise ancient ethnicity estimate with far greater geographical details than you could imagine. You will make new connections with historical people and places where your ancestors lived, walked, battled, created, and dreamed thousands of years ago. Using genetic data and evidence from history and archeology, we can revive the past and allow you to take part in this story at the most personal level.
