The fact that ordinary father-son (or grandfather-grandson) succession did not occur has contributed
to the image of the Julio-Claudian court presented in Robert Graves' I, Claudius, a dangerous world
where scheming family members were all too ready to murder the obvious, direct heirs so as to bring
themselves, their own immediate families, or their lovers closer to the succession.
The Julio-Claudian dynasty was the series of the first five Roman Emperors. They ruled the Roman
Empire from 27 BC to AD 68, when the last of the line, Nero, committed suicide.
Common name Imperial name Reign from year Reign to year
AUGUSTUS
IMPERATOR CAESAR DIVI FILIVS AVGVSTVS
TIBERIUS
TIBERIVS CAESAR AVGVSTVS
CALIGULA
GAIVS CAESAR AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS
CLAUDIUS
41
TIBERIVS CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS PONTIFEX MAXIMVS
54
14
-27
14
37
37
41
NERO NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR DRVSVS GERMANICVS/NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR
AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS
54
68
Dynastic relations
The dynasty is so named because its members were drawn from two of the patrician gentes of
Ancient Rome, the Julii and the Claudii. Its founder, Caesar Augustus, was a Julian through his
adoption by his great-uncle, Julius Caesar. Augustus' stepson Tiberius, whom he adopted as his
successor, was a Claudian. The final three Julio-Claudian emperors—Caligula, Claudius I and Nero—
were all of joint Julio-Claudian ancestry.
The dynasty of the five emperors included in the Julio-Claudian dynasty are all linked to Julius Caesar
either by marriage or adoption, and their "right to rule" by their relationship to the first emperor,
Caesar Augustus. Augustus was not initially a Julian, but became one after being adopted by Julius
Caesar. Tiberius was born a Claudian but, like Augustus before him, became a Julian upon his
adoption. The third emperor, Caligula, however, had both Julian and Claudian ancestry being a JulioClaudian, and was also a direct blood great-grandson of Augustus. The fourth emperor Claudius was
a Claudian, though he was descended from the Julian family through his maternal grandmother
Octavia—sister of Augustus—whose own maternal grandmother had been a Julia, Caesar's sister.
Like Caligula before him, Nero also shared Julian and Claudian ancestry. Nero, again like Caligula,
was a descendant of Augustus, a blood great-great-grandson.
Great-nephews
Augustus was the great-nephew of Julius Caesar (and his adopted son).
Caligula was the great-nephew of Tiberius (and his adopted son)
Claudius was the great-nephew of Augustus.
Nero was the great-nephew of Claudius (and his adopted son).
No Julio-Claudian Emperor was a blood descendent of his immediate predecessor. Both Tiberius and
Claudius had male direct descendants (Tiberius' grandson Tiberius Gemellus, Claudius' son
Britannicus) available for the succession, but their great-nephews were preferred.
Julio-Claudian dynasty
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