Marmoream
relinquo, quam
latericiam
accepi
The Julio-Claudian Emperors
From Republic to Empire

Imperial expansion brought wealth to Rome, but
the wealth was unequally distributed which
aggravated class tensions
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Conflicts arose over political and social policies
Optimates and Populares
During the 1st Century B.C. and the 1st Century A.D.,
Roman civil and military leaders will gradually
dismantle the republican constitution and replace it
with a centralized imperial form of government

Marius, Sulla, 1st Triumvirate, 2nd Triumvirate
Julius Caesar
Caesar centralized military and political functions
and brought them under his control
 He confiscated property from conservatives and
distributed it among veterans of his
army and other supporters
 He launched large scale building
projects to provide employment for
the poor
 He extended Roman citizenship
to people in the imperial provinces

Julius Caesar

But Caesar’s reforms
alienated many of Rome’s
elite who considered him a
tyrant


In 44 B.C. they assassinated
him
However it was too late to
return to the old
conservative ways and a
new round of civil crisis
ensued for thirteen years

Octavian emerged in power
Octavian
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Octavian was a
nephew, protégé,
and adopted son
of Julius Caesar
He defeated his
principal rival,
Mark Anthony,
and Anthony’s
ally Cleopatra at
Actium, Greece
in 31 B.C.
Anthony and Cleopatra by Sir
Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Octavian

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Octavian centralized political and
military power like Julius Caesar
did,
but he was careful to preserve
traditional republican offices and
forms of government
and included members of the
Roman elite in his government

Octavian called
himself "princeps," or
"first"
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(from which we get
the word, "prince");
his full title that he
assumed was "first
among equals."
So, in language at
least, nothing had
really changed in
Roman freedom and
equality.
Octavian

His successors,
however, would
name themselves
after their power,


the "imperium,"
and called
themselves
"imperator."

Where we get
Emperor.
Government under Octavian

He radically reformed the government
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to curb corruption and ambition;
he also extended Roman citizenship to all
Italians.
he allowed elections to public office,
he rigged those elections so that only the best
candidates would fill the office,
 and so many members of the lower classes
entered into government.

Augustus

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Octavian built massive roads bridges,
government buildings, and huge public baths.
He said, Marmoream relinquo, quam
latericiam accepi
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The Roman people awarded Octavian with the
title Augustus,
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“I left Rome a city of marble, though I found it a
city of bricks.”
“respected one.”
Many Romans deified Augustus after his
death.

This means they worshipped him as a god.
Pax Romana

By stopping the civil wars, Augustus
inaugurated an era known as pax romana
(“Roman peace”) which greatly facilitated
trade and communication

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Lasted from 27 B.C. to 180 A.D.
Also included applying standards of justice
and a basic code of law throughout the
empire
AUGUSTUS (31 B.C. - 14 A.D.)


Augustus is arguably the
single most important figure in
Roman history.
Augustus ruled Rome for 41
years,
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though he did not call himself an
emperor.
He was careful to not meet the
same fate as his great uncle.
Augustus was very respectful
to the senators,
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but the Senate knew he
controlled the army
and could do as he pleased.
Tiberius 14-37 A.D.

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The reign of Tiberius is important
because it was the first occasion when
the powers designed for Augustus
alone were exercised by somebody
else
His reign abounds in contradictions.
Despite his keen intelligence,
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Despite his vast military experience,
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he allowed himself to come under the
influence of unscrupulous men who, as
much as any actions of his own, ensured
that Tiberius's reputation would be
unfavorable;
he oversaw the conquest of no new
region for the empire;
despite his administrative abilities

he showed such reluctance in running the
state as to retire entirely from Rome and
live out his last years in isolation on the
island of Capri.
Gaius 'Caligula' Caesar
(A.D. 37-41)

Son of the deceased Germanicus
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As a baby he accompanied his parents on military
campaigns in the north and was shown to the
troops wearing a miniature soldier's outfit,
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Caligula had the deepest admiration of the Roman
world, and faced little political adversity.
Yet within four years he lay in a bloody heap in a
palace corridor, murdered by officers of the very
guard entrusted to protect him.
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Being the son of the once revered Germanicus also
brought the support of the Legions, an all important
factor to consider in imperial politics.
His popularity, along with the now defined tradition
of Imperial rule, granted him freedom of governing
not known by either of his predecessors.
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including the hob-nailed sandal called caliga, whence
the nickname by which posterity remembers him.
Loosely translated as “Little Boots”
25 years old when he takes power
Initially, the young Emperor's rule was very
promising.
'Gaius' was initially welcomed with great joy by
both the masses and the Senate.


Appointed heir of Tiberius by Augustus
The Praetorian Guard
What Went Wrong?
The ancient sources are practically unanimous as
to the cause of Gaius's downfall: he was insane.

The sources describe spending massive amounts of the royal treasury
on opulence and foolish endevers

the building of a pontoon bridge across the Bay at Baiae – so he could ride
across it!
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But rather than actually cross to Britain to achieve his goals of conquest he
simply marched the legions to shore in some sort of show of strength.
"Finally, as if he intended to bring the war to an end, he drew up a line of
battle on the shore of the Ocean, arranging his ballistas and other artillery;
and when no one knew or could imagine what he was going to do, he
suddenly bade them gather shells and fill their helmets and the folds of their
gowns, calling them "spoils from the Ocean".
Despite this complete waste of time and resources, Caligula demanded a
triumph from the Senate, which of course was awarded. Included in the
complete mockery were Gauls dressed as Germans and the spoils taken from
the shore.
His reign highlighted an inherent weakness in the Augustan Principate,
now openly revealed for what it was

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the plan to make his horse a consul.
Caligula apparently shifted his focus to Britain.

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the entire reason for this grand display was that an astrologer once said, "Gaius
(Caligula) had no more chance of becoming emperor than of riding about over the gulf
of Baiae with horses."
-- a raw monarchy in which only the self-discipline of the incumbent acted as
a restraint on his behavior.
That the only means of retiring the wayward princeps was murder
marked another important revelation:

Roman emperors could not relinquish their powers without simultaneously
relinquishing their lives.
Claudius Caesar Augustus.
(41-54 A.D.)

In an age that despised weakness, Claudius was
unfortunate enough to have been born with defects.
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while the Senate perhaps sought a Republican return,
Claudius was taken to the safety of the Praetorian camp.
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He limped, he drooled, he stuttered and was constantly ill.
His family members mistook these physical debilities as
reflective of mental infirmity and generally kept him out of
the public eye as an embarrassment.
Caligula, it seems, liked to use his bookish, frail uncle as
the butt of cruel jokes and, in keeping with this pattern of
behavior, promoted him to a suffect consulship to be heir on
1 July 37 A.D
Whatever intentions the Senate may have had, without the
loyalty of the legions and the Praetorians, their cause was
doomed.
They had no choice but to hail Claudius as the next 'Caesar'.
Claudius's reign was a mixture of successes and failures
that leads into the last phase of the Julio-Claudian line.
During his reign he promoted administrators who did not
belong to the senatorial or equestrian classes, and was
later vilified by authors who did.
Expansion: 38 – 43 AD/CE

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He followed Caesar in carrying Roman arms across
the English Channel into Britain
but, unlike his predecessor, he initiated the fullscale annexation of Britain as a province,
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His relationships with his wives and children
provide detailed insights into the perennial
difficulties of the succession problem faced by all
Roman Emperors.
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which remains today the most closely studied corner
of the Roman Empire.
His 4th wife was the emperor's ambitious niece,
Agrippina the younger, sister of Caligula.
She persuaded Claudius to adopt her son Nero as his
own.
Claudius resisted the final steps to secure Nero as
heir,
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and Agrippina, rather than wait him out, decided to
take matters into her own hands.
On October 13, AD 54, Claudius died while attending
a feast.
Though the reports are conflicting all indicate that he
was poisoned by tainted mushrooms
Nero, his step-son, and Britannicus, His son,
succeeded him.
Nero Claudius Caesar
(54-68 A.D.)

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Nero was perhaps the most notorious emperor in Roman
history.
Nero was only 16, when he ascended to the throne, and
his mother Agrippina controlled politics through him
(because women could not be tribunes or senators), until
Nero was in his mid-20's.
 But then he decided he would rather rule on his own,
and had his step-brother and mother killed.
Nero ruled the empire by day, but at night he prowled the
streets of Rome assaulting women.
Nero took less interest in the governing of the Empire but
seemed more interested in the pursuance of the arts.
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singing, acting and playing the harp. indulgences that were
considered fit for slaves.
He believed himself to be the greatest artist in the
empire. Never before had a Roman Emperor appeared
on a stage.
Many Roman nobles considered his performances
outrageous, but no one would risk torture or death by
criticizing him.
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Nero may be best known for how he handled
the Great Fire at Rome in 64 AD.
Some of the Romans said that Nero had
started the fire and had prevented it from
being put out.
Most of the six days during which the fire
lasted he spent in a high tower, enjoying the
sight.
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People were blaming him for the fire,

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He played on his harp, sang merry songs, and
recited verses about the burning of the ancient
city of Troy.
so he rounded up a lot of Christians and had
them burned alive as if the fire was their fault.
Nero was also in charge for the executions of St.
Peter and St. Paul (leading founders of
Christianity).
In AD67 he left Rome not to review his troops
but to compete in Greek games,
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and as a further slight had left a freedman,
Helius, in his place at Rome to govern in his
absence.,
As Nero toured Greece. He participated in many
games and contests, always finishing first.
As Nero devoted himself to his artistic pursuits, he lost
power. In AD68, Nero faced a revolt from his soldiers.


In June, the Senate took
the initiative to rid itself of
Nero, declaring him
persona non grata.
The governor of Spain,
Galba, revolted against
him and marched his army
toward Rome.

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Galba was recognized as
emperor and welcomed
into the city at the head
of his legions
His guard claimed Nero
lamented, “What an artist
the world is losing,” then
stabbed himself in the
neck.
69 AD…Year of the 4 Emperors
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January 1 – The Rhine legions refuse to swear loyalty to Galba
January 2 – Vitellius acclaimed emperor by the Rhine
January 15 – Galba killed by the Praetorian Guard; in the same day, the
senate recognizes Otho as emperor
April 14 – Vitellius defeats Otho
April 16 – Otho commits suicide; Vitellius recognized emperor
July 1 – Vespasian, commander of the Roman army in Judea, proclaimed
emperor
August – The Danubian legions announce support to Vespasian (in Syria)
and invade Italy in September on his behalf
October – The Danube army defeats Vitellius and Vespasian occupies Egypt
December 20 –Vitellius killed by soldiers in the Imperial Palace
December 21 – Vespasian recognized emperor
Flavian Dynasty
Vespasian
69-79 AD

Vespasian was popular because he
lived very simply,
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didn't throw big parties or spend a lot of
money like the Julio-Claudian emperors.
If he were alive today he would rather
watch a football game today than an
opera
So the empire had a lot of money in
the treasury. He was emperor ten
years, until he died in bed in 79 A.D.
Vespasian
Flavian Amphitheater


The construction started
in 72 AD under the rule
of the Emperor Vespasian
of the Favian dynasty and
hence was originally
named Flavian
Amphitheater.
The construction was
finally completed in 80
AD under Emperor Titus.
It got the name
Colossium thanks to the
colossal statue of
Emperor Nero next to it
Titus

When Vespasian died, his older son Titus took
over.

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Everyone seemed to have been happy to avoid another
civil war.
Titus is negatively remembered for how he crushed a
Jewish revolt in Israel

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destroyed the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem,
And dispersed the population of Judea throughout the empire.
which he reminded Romans about with a big stone triumphal arch.
Still he is mostly remembered as a good
emperor. He died of a brain tumor in 81 AD,
after ruling less than three years.
Titus
Only one month after Titus' accession though a disaster should strike which
should overshadow his reign. The eruption of the Mount Vesuvius volcano
overwhelmed the towns of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae and Oplontis.
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The inhabitants of Pompeii, as those of the area
today, had long been used to minor tremors and
wisps of gas from Mt. Vesuvius, and in 62 AD
there had been a series of earthquakes serious
enough to cause structural damage to houses in
town.
In early August of 79, all the town's wells dried
up, but the warnings were not sharp enough, and
the Roman world was stunned when on the mild
afternoon of August 24, a catastrophic eruption of
the volcano obscured the sun and buried the city.
Coincidentally, the date was that of the
Vulcanalia, the festival of the Roman god of fire.
The only reliable eyewitness account of the event
was recorded by Pliny the Younger in a letter to
the historian Tacitus. Pliny saw a remarkable
phenomenon occurring over Mt. Vesuvius: a large
dark cloud shaped rather like a pine tree
emanating from the mouth of the mountain. After
some time the cloud rushed down the flanks of
the mountain and covered everything around it,
including the surrounding sea.
Titus
visited the stricken area, announced a state of emergency,
set up a relief fund into which was put any property of victims who
died with no heirs, offered ssistance in rehousing survivors, and
organized a senatorial commission to provide whatever help it
could.
Yet this disaster should tarnish Titus' memory until this
day, many describing the outbreak of the volcano as divine
punishment for the destruction of the Great Temple in
Jerusalem.
Domitian

Then Titus' younger brother Domitian became emperor.
Domitian was a very different sort of man.

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He had always felt that his father, Vespasian, liked Titus better,
and this feeling made him angry and mean.
He even tried to organize revolts against Titus when Titus was
emperor.
As emperor, Domitian was convinced that everyone was plotting
to kill him,
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and he had many senators and other people killed because he
suspected them.
He also may have persecuted some early Christians.
He also made people call him "Lord and God" (Dominus et
Deus).
In the end people couldn't stand this sort of behavior, and he
was assassinated in 96 AD.
Reincarnation?
And he looks a lot like Bobby Flay of the
Food Network...
5 Good Emperors
5 Good Emperors
Five Good Emperors
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Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius, known as the
Five Good Emperors, were a series of excellent emperors who ruled in
Rome from 96-180 AD. following the Flavian Dynasty. They were so called
because they succeeded in winning the support and cooperation of the
senate, which is something their predecessors had failed to accomplish.
All of these emperors died without passing the succession on (except
Marcus Aurelius), so each of these emperors were elected by the Senate
from within its own ranks. This period was the period of the greatest
political stability in Imperial Rome after the age of Augustus; when Marcus
Aurelius broke the pattern and was succeeded by his son, Commodus (180192), all hell broke loose again.
This period saw the widespread exporting of Roman culture, government,
and law. The Romans actively built up large urban centers throughout the
Empire and granted these cities all the rights and privileges granted to
Romans. At the same time, Rome began to exercise more control over
these municipalities; unlike earlier empires which were more or less loose
confederacies, the Roman Empire was converted into what amounted as a
single state under the centralized control of a Roman bureaucracy.