Roman Emperors
Where the Trouble Started…
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Augustus unable to
produce heir
Died in 14 CE
"Alas for the
Roman people,
to be ground by
jaws that crunch
so slowly!"
Tiberius
(Tiberius Claudius Nero)
Augustus’ adopted son
 Reigned from 14-37 CE
 Never wanted to be
emperor
 Failed at “playing
Augustus”
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Bad Behavior in Public
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Treason trials
Rarely left Rome
Poorly managed
provinces, Spain in
particular
Neglected Public
Works, Augustus’
Temple, Pompey’s
Theatre
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Daily executions
Nearly every crime
became punishable
by death
More Succession Problems
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Tiberius withdrawn in
later years
No heir named,
immediate family
dead
Two possible heirs,
Gaius Caesar and
Tiberius Gemellus
Died March 16, 37 CE
Caligula
(Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus)
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Son of Germanicus, a
great Roman general
Nickname stuck- “little
soldiers’ boots”
Very popular with the
masses and soldiers
Reigned from 37 to 41 CE
No Problems at First
Caligula appeals to Roman people
 Recalled exiles
 Held banquets and gave many gifts
 Revived Public Works
 However, later in the same year he
was appointed, suffered a “brain
fever”
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…Possibly Drove Him Insane
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Replaced heads of
statues of gods with his
own
Wore a wig and
commoners’ clothes for
‘nightly activities’
Declared himself a living
god
Cancelled some holidays
honoring Augustus
Killed several relatives,
painfully
More Exploits
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Hoped for natural
disasters
Stole from
Alexander the
Great’s tomb
Created poisons in
spare time
Named his horse to
the council
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Palace on the
water
Emptied treasury
Altered the games
unexpectedly
Secretly killed
people for fun
Had people
tortured while he
was eating
Caligula Assassinated…
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41 CE, Caligula
violently stabbed to
death
Issue of succession
comes up again…
Augustus took special
measures to ensure
that Tiberius Claudius
would not become
emperor
Only one ‘capable’ left
alive
Claudius
(Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus
Germanicus)
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Reigned from 41 to
54 CE
Historians have
differing opinions on
his character
Generally agreed that
he had some forms
of physical disabilities
Better than the Last Two..
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Erratic court behavior
Paranoid
Easily swayed by
others
Killed thirty-five
senators and 300
equites
Gluttony
Bribery
Adopted Nero
Succession Once Again Disputed
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Claudius died in 54 CE
Senate was naturally
concerned with safety
Claudius named his
adoptive son Nero as
heir
Not many options…
Nero
(Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus
Germanicus)
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Became emperor at age
sixteen
Influenced by Agrippina
and Seneca early in reign.
Ruled from 54 to 68 CE
Promised to rule as
Augustus had
Difficult to discern fact
from fiction.
Nero’s Offenses
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Forced senators to
do battle in the
gladiatorial games
Shows he put on
were dangerous at
times
Would ignore pleas
to return to Rome
Would don a
disguise and attack
men at night
Petty crimes
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Emptied treasury
Seized assets of
those ‘disloyal’ to
him
Matricide
Fratricide
Gruesomely killed
aunt
Great Fire of Rome
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64 CE
Strongly suspected
Nero caused fire
“fiddled while Rome
burned”
Lasted six days,
seven nights
Persecution of Christians
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First emperor to do so
Would throw parties
lit by Christians on
burning crosses
Blamed fire on them
Suspicious due to
their strange rituals
and monotheism
End of Julio-Claudians
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Nero committed suicide
in 68 CE
No living male relatives
Start of Flavian dynasty
soon to follow
Rome may never have
truly recovered
Start of Flavian dynasty
under Vespasian
Flavians
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Following Nero’s death, civil wars raged in
Rome
Four military leaders claimed throne in
turn
Last, Vespasian reestablished order, as did
reigns of two sons
Stability returned under Flavians
The Good Emperors
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96 CE, new line of emperors established—
Good Emperors
Five rulers governed Rome for almost a
century
From provinces different than Rome,
continued opening Roman imperial society
The Good Emperors
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Nerva (96-98 CE)
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Trajan (98-117 CE)
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Built the Pantheon in Rome and Hadrian’s Wall in
England
Antoninus Pius (138-161 CE)
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Strong military leader that put down revolts and lead
to an era of peace
Hadrian (117-138 CE)
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Considered a wise and moderate ruler
Deified his father, Hadrian, and released senators
sentenced to death by his father
Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE)
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Strong military and civil leader
The Good Emperors
Empire grew tremendously under Good
Emperors
 Reached
limits of expansion under Trajan
 Added
what are now Romania, Armenia,
Mesopotamia, and the Sinai Peninsula
 Successor
Hadrian thought empire too large
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Withdrew from almost all eastern additions
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Built defensive fortifications to guard against invasions
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Built wall 73 miles long in northern Britain