<noinclude>{{Lore History Trail}}</noinclude>

The {{Lore Link|Septim Dynasty}} was founded by Tiber Septim upon using {{Lore Link|Numidium}} to conquer the whole of Tamriel, after which he declared the start of a new era, {{Year|3E 0}}{{ref|name=BHotE1|{{Cite book|Brief History of the Empire v 1}}}} He rule of 38 years was prosperous and relatively peaceful. His grandson {{Lore Link|Pelagius Septim I|Pelagius}} succeeded him, and was poised to continue the golden age, until he was assassinated by the {{Lore Link|Dark Brotherhood}} after less than 3 years.{{ref|name=BHotE1}} Pelagius was the first and only direct descendant of Tiber Septim to rule, as he was an only child and had no children himself. Thus, the Ruby Throne passed to Tiber's niece, {{Lore Link|Kintyra I|Kintyra}}, in {{Year|3E 41}}. Kintyra and her son, {{Lore Link|Uriel Septim I|Uriel}}, were successful rulers who achieved a level of unity within the Empire that would not be equaled for centuries.{{ref|name=BHotE4|{{Cite book|Brief History of the Empire v 4}}}} {{Lore Link|Uriel Septim II|Uriel II}}, who took the throne in {{Year|3E 64}}, had his reign blighted by plagues and insurrections, and accomplished little in his 18-year reign. Instead, he left many problems, and a great deal of debt, to {{Lore Link|Pelagius Septim II|Pelagius II}}. In response, Pelagius dismissed the entire {{Lore Link|Elder Council}}, and allowed only those who paid a princely sum to return to their seats. While this tactic brought some prosperity back to Tamriel, it ended when Pelagius was poisoned in {{Year|3E 98}}, purportedly by a disgruntled former Council member.{{ref|name=BotWQ|{{Cite book|Biography of the Wolf Queen}}}} His son, {{Lore Link|Antiochus}}, was more interested in debauchery than politics, known across the Empire as a womanizer even before taking the throne. His reign was marred by civil war and other conflicts, and the province of Summerset was almost lost to invading {{Lore Link|Maormer}} in {{Year|3E 110}}. Antiochus died ten years later, leaving the throne in the tenuous grasp of his 15-year-old daughter, {{Lore Link|Kintyra II}}. The succession was contested by Antiochus' siblings and would lead to civil war.{{ref|name=TWQ6|{{Cite book|The Wolf Queen, v6}}}}

The Empire recovered from Tharn's deceit, but ultimately ended when Martin Septim sacrificed himself in a successful bid to seal the rift that had been opened to {{Lore Link|Mehrunes Dagon}}'s plane of Oblivion. {{Lore Link|Ocato of Firsthold|High Chancellor Ocato}} became Potentate Ocato when no candidate to replace Martin could be found. Ocato kept the Empire more or less intact in the tumultuous years after the Oblivion Crisis, but was assassinated in or around {{Year|4E 10}}, which ushered in the seven-year {{Lore Link|Stormcrown Interregnum}}.{{ref|name=RT|{{Cite book|Rising Threat}}}}

At some point in the seven years following Ocato's assassination, a Nibenese witch-warrior named {{Lore Link|Thules the Gibbering}} was crowned Emperor, although he was not well liked by the people, the Elder Council favored him over {{Lore Link|Titus Mede}}, a {{Lore Link|Colovia|Colovian}} warlord who sought the throne. Eventually, in 4E 17, Titus Mede captured the {{Lore Link|Imperial City}} from Thules and crowned himself the first Emperor of a {{Lore Link|Mede Dynasty|new dynasty}}, eventually persuading the Elder Council to accept him as a liberator rather than a conqueror.{{ref|name=RT}}{{ref|{{Cite book|The Infernal City|ns=Books}}}}