THE ROMAN EMPERORS
Information for
teachers
For students
OBJECTIVES
 Given this PowerPoint, students will be able to identify the years
which an emperor reigned, taking a quiz with 80% accuracy.
 Given this PowerPoint, students will name who an emperor allied
with, taking a quiz with 80% accuracy.
 Given this PowerPoint, students will identify which emperor reigned
during a cer tain battle or conquest, taking a quiz with 80%
accuracy.
 Given this PowerPoint, students will be able to identify how an
emperor died, taking a quiz with 80% accuracy.
TARGET AUDIENCE
 Grades 9-12
 History class with basic knowledge of the Roman Empire.
 Standard high school students
 Middle class community
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
 At home or at a
computer lab alone
 Quiet area conducive to
learning
 Access to paper/pencil
to take notes if desired
MAIN MENU
2. Summary
Video
1. Emperors
4. Quiz
3. Practice Quiz
5. References
EMPERORS
1. Julius Caesar
2. Augustus
3. Tiberius
4. Caligula
JULIUS CAESAR
BACKGROUND
 Lived 100 BC – 44 BC
 Reigned as emperor 46 BC –
44 BC
 During this time he helped
gradually transform the Roman
Republic into the Roman
Empire.
GAINING POWER
 The nobility in Rome was in chaos and there was a strong
need for direction.
 Caesar allied himself against the nobility and slowly gained
power.
 He became the governor of Farther Spain
 Then, in 60 BC he returned to Rome and was elected consul.
FIRST TRIUMVIRATE
 Caesar now allied himself with Pompey, a war hero, and Crassus, a
multimillionaire.
 Although Pompey and Crassus were rivals, Caesar brought them
together forming a power ful “fir st triumvirate”.
Pompey
Crassus
CONQUEST OF GAUL
 Occurred 51 BC
 By conquering Gaul, Rome’s
territory was extended to the
English Channel and the Rhine.
The Roman Republic after
Caesar’s conquests
 Then, they built a bridge across
the Rhine and invaded Britain.
FAILING ALLIANCE
 Crassus died in battle in 53 BC
 Pompey was jealous of Caesar’s
success so he turned on Caesar and
joined the Senate in a revolt
against him.
 They accused Caesar of treason and
insubordination.
CIVIL WAR
 Feeling threatened, Caesar took a legion of troops across the Rubicon
river in to Italy in January 49 BC and started a civil war.
 Caesar was victorious and was made dictator of Rome
 Caesar still felt threatened, and since he had no sons he adopted his
nephew Augustus to take over when he died.
Augustus
THE IDES OF MARCH
 A group of senators, led by Marcus Brutus, assassinated Julius
Caesar on the Ides of March (March 15 44 BC)
 This led to a series of civil wars and then Caesar’s adopted
son Augustus took over and established the Roman Empire.
AUGUSTUS
BACKGROUND
 Augustus was originally named
Octavius
 He lived 62 BC- 14 AD
 He was adopted by Caesar to be his
heir
 When Caesar was assassinated,
Augustus took over and ruled 27 BC 14 AD
 He is considered the first emperor of
the Roman Empire
SECOND TRIUMVIRATE
 Augustus formed a second triumvirate with Marc Antony, a
general.
 Together, they expanded the empire and split the profit.
 Augustus took Rome
 Antony took Egypt
Marc Antony
AN ALLIANCE THREATENED
 Antony fell in love with Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt.
 Augustus was concerned that Cleopatra wanted his throne, so
tensions were high and the second triumvirate dissolved.
BATTLE OF ACTIUM
 With the alliance broken, in
31 BC Augustus attacked
Egypt and destroyed the
majority of the Egyptian
fleet. So the Roman Empire
expanded to include Egypt.
 After his defeat in the Battle
of Actium, Marc Antony
committed suicide.
BECOMING EMPEROR
 At this point, Augustus was now
considered the emperor of Rome.
 He was gaining power because of
financial resources, loyalty of soldiers
and veterans, authority of honors
granted by the Senate, and the respect
of the people.
 He was able to eliminate Senate
opposition with his army.
PAX ROMANA
 Pax Romana means “Roman peace”
 For two centuries he was able to
keep Rome peaceful.
 He expanded the Empire to include
Egypt, nor thern Spain, central
Europe, and Germany.
 He also made peace with Par thia
through diplomacy.
BUILDING A CIT Y
 Augustus improved Rome by:
Reforming taxation system
Developing networks of roads
Establishing a standing army
Establishing the Praetorian
Guard
 Creating official police and firefighting services




END OF HIS REIGN
 Augustus died in 14 BC
 The Senate declared him a god to be worshipped by the
Romans.
 The eighth month of the Roman calendar was renamed
Augustus after him (August in English).
TIBERIUS
BACKGROUND
 Lived 42 BC-37 AD
 His mother divorced and
remarried Augustus, making
Tiberius the step-son of
Augustus.
 He was later adopted by
Augustus.
 Tiberius reigned as emperor
14 AD-37 AD
TROUBLE EARLY ON
 In order to gain the Senate’s trust, he tried to act reluctant to
accept his power.
 His attempts failed and he looked derisive and obstructive.
 He was not trusted.
GERMANICUS
 Armies were threatening to mutiny
because they had not received their
bonus that Augustus had promised
them.
 Tiberius sent his nephew Germanicus
to alleviate the problem.
 Germanicus rallied the troops and led
them to victor y against Germanic
tribes. Whatever treasure the troops
could find was their bonus.
THE FALL OF GERMANICUS
 Because of his ef forts, Germanicus was gaining popularity.
 Tiberius was afraid of losing his throne to Germanicus, so he
appointed him to be the governor of a remote eastern
province.
 Germanicus mysteriously died in 19 AD. It is thought that
Tiberius was behind it.
A NEW STRATEGY
 Tiberius decided to rely on
Lucius Sejanus.
 Slowly, Tiberius began to
withdraw from his
responsibilities.
 In 26 AD, he withdrew to Villa
Jovis at the island of Capri and
left Sejanus in charge of Rome.
Ruins of Villa Jovis
A MISTAKE
 Sejanus abused the power given
to him by removing Senators or
any possible threats from their
positions.
Sejanus
 He also killed Germanicus’ entire
family except for Caligula, the
youngest son.
A PLOT
 Sejanus was creating a plot to overthrow Tiberius and take
over the throne.
 However, Tiberius found out and sent a letter to the Senate. It
condemned Sejanus and ordered his execution.
TIBERIUS’ DEATH
 Tiberius died in 37 AD.
 Tiberius was very unpopular among the Romans and no one
mourned his death.
 Caligula, the only remaining son of Germanicus, took over the
throne as heir.
CALIGULA
BACKGROUND
 Lived 12-41 AD
 Reigned 37-41 AD
 People hoped that after the
oppression of Tiberius, that
Caligula would rejuvenate
Rome.
EARLY REIGN
 At first, Caligula looked
promising. He brought back many
of the people exiled by Tiberius
and seemed to be working in the
best interests of Rome.
 However, 7 months into his reign,
he became ill.
 After his recovery, he acted strange.
People questioned if he had gone
crazy.
A TURN FOR THE WORSE
 Caligula began to pretend that he was a god.
 Then he became murderous and star ted executing many people for
treason.
 Once he was about to make a sacrifice to the gods, and just as he
was about to strike the animal, he threw a mallet at a priest killing
him instantly .
BLACKMAIL AND ROBBERY
 Caligula spent all of Rome’s money, so he began blackmailing
families and taking their property.
 Then in another attempt to get more money, he took troops to
Gaul and robbed all of the citizens.
 When they were about to invade Britain, Caligula made his
troops stop in order to collect seashells as “spoils of the
conquered ocean”.
ASSASSINATION
 Plots against Caligula’s life were common. Everyone hated
him and feared him for his eccentric behavior.
 In 41 AD he was murdered by his closest advisors.
SUMMARY VIDEO
PRACTICE QUIZ
QUESTION 1
When did Julius Caesar rule as emperor?
A 27 BC - 14 AD
B 46 – 44 BC
C 45 – 37 BC
D 44 – 42 BC
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Julius Caesar was not alive during the years in AD.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Julius Caesar died before 37 BC
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Julius Caesar died before 42 BC
CORRECT!
Good job!!
Move on to the next question.
QUESTION 2
What emperor ruled during the Battle of Actium?
A
Augustus
B
Julius Caesar
C
Caligula
D
Tiberius
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Julius Caesar died before the Battle of Actium.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Caligula reigned after the Battle of Actium.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Tiberius reigned after the Battle of Actium.
CORRECT!
Good job!!
Move on to the next question.
QUESTION 3
Who was Augustus allied with?
A
Pompey
B
Sejanus
C
Crassus
D
Marc Antony
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Pompey was allied with Caesar.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Sejanus was working with Tiberius.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Crassus was allied with Caesar.
CORRECT!
Good job!!
Move on to the next question.
QUESTION 4
How and when did Caligula die?
A
Assassinated in 41 AD
B
Suicide in 39 AD
C
Died of old age in 41 AD
D
Assassinated in 39 AD
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Caligula was assassinated.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Caligula did die in 41 AD, but not of old age.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Caligula was assassinated, but not in 39 AD.
CORRECT!
Good job!!
Move on to the next question.
QUESTION 5
When did Tiberius rule as emperor?
A
10 BC – 14 AD
B
14 – 37 AD
C
37 – 41 AD
D
14 – 33 AD
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Tiberius did not rule during the years in BC.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Tiberius was dead during this time period.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
This is close, but Tiberius reigned a little bit longer
than this time period.
CORRECT!
Good job!!
You have now completed the practice
quiz.
WHAT’S NEXT?
It’s your choice. You can either go back to the
main menu to review the material or move on
to the quiz.
QUIZ
QUESTION 1
What is the Ides of March?
A Battle in Egypt led by Augustus
B The assassination of Julius Caesar
C Battle in Britain led by Caligula
D The assassination of Augustus
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
The Ides of March was not a battle.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
The Ides of March was an assassination, but not of
Augustus.
CORRECT!
Good job!!
Move on to the next question.
QUESTION 2
When did the Ides of March occur?
A March 15, 44 BC
B March 10, 46 BC
C January 8, 46 BC
D February 15, 44 BC
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
The Ides of MARCH
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
The word “Ides” means the middle. So the Ides of
March is “the middle of March”
CORRECT!
Good job!!
Move on to the next question.
QUESTION 3
When did Augustus rule as emperor?
A 27 BC – 10 AD
B 30 BC – 20 BC
C 46 BC – 44 BC
D 27 BC – 14 AD
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Augustus’ rule was longer than that time period.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Augustus ruled into the AD years.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
This is when Caesar ruled.
CORRECT!
Good job!!
Move on to the next question.
QUESTION 4
When was the Battle of Actium?
A 31 BC
B 33 BC
C 10 AD
D 31 AD
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
This is very close!
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
The Battle of Actium did not occur in the AD years.
CORRECT!
Good job!!
Move on to the next question.
QUESTION 5
Who was Julius Caesar allied with?
A Sejanus and Crassus
B Pompey and Marc Antony
C Crassus and Pompey
D Sejanus and Marc Antony
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Sejanus was allied with Tiberius.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Marc Antony was allied with Augustus
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Sejanus was allied with Tiberius and Marc Antony was
allied with Augustus.
CORRECT!
Good job!!
Move on to the next question.
QUESTION 6
When did Caligula rule as emperor?
A 37 AD – 41 AD
B 26 AD – 29 AD
C 37 AD – 47 AD
D 38 AD – 40 AD
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Caligula reigned later than this.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Caligula reigned a shorter time period than this.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Caligula reigned longer than this time period.
CORRECT!
Good job!!
Move on to the next question.
QUESTION 7
Who did Tiberius ally with?
A Julius Caesar
B Lucius Sejanus
C Marc Antony
D Pompey
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Julius Caesar was an emperor of Rome before
Tiberius.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Marc Antony was allied with Augustus.
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Pompey was allied with Caesar.
CORRECT!
Good job!!
Move on to the next question.
QUESTION 8
When did Augustus die?
A 12 AD
B 14 AD
C 15 AD
D 14 BC
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Close, but not quite!!
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Augustus did not die in the BC years.
CORRECT!
Good job!!
Move on to the next question.
QUESTION 9
What did the Senate declare Augustus after he died?
A A traitor
B A heretic
C A king
D A god
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Augustus was very well liked and worshiped among
the Roman citizens.
CORRECT!
Good job!!
Move on to the next question.
QUESTION 10
When did Tiberius die?
A 37 AD
B 38 AD
C 27 BC
D 28 BC
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
This is close, but not quite right!
TRY AGAIN!
Hint:
Tiberius lived into the AD years.
CORRECT!
Good job!! You have now completed the quiz!
If you scored an 8 out of 10 or better, you have
passed the quiz. If not, review the material and
take the quiz again.
GREAT JOB!
You have completed the lesson!!!!
REFERENCES
"Augustus." The Roman Empire . PBS, 2006. Web. 6 Apr 2012.
< http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/augustus.html>.
" A u g u s t u s . " W i k i p e d i a , 2 7 M a r. 2 0 1 2 . W e b . 6 A p r 2 0 1 2 .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus >.
"Caligula." The Roman Empire . PBS, 2006. Web. 6 Apr 2012.
< http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/caligula.html>.
" C a l i g u l a . “ W i k i p e d i a , 2 9 M a r. 2 0 1 2 . W e b . 6 A p r 2 0 1 2 .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula >.
" J u l i u s C a e s a r. " T h e R o m a n E m p i r e . P B S , 2 0 0 6 . W e b . 6 A p r
2 0 1 2 . < h t t p : / / w w w . p b s . o r g / e m p i r e s / r o m a n s / e m p i r e / j u l i u s _ c a e s a r. h t m l > .
" J u l i u s C a e s a r. " W i k i p e d i a , 1 A p r. 2 0 1 2 . W e b . 6 A p r 2 0 1 2 .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar>.
"Tiberius." The Roman Empire. PBS, 2006. Web. 6 Apr 2012.
< http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/tiberius.html >.
“ T i b e r i u s . “ W i k i p e d i a , 1 4 M a r. 2 0 1 2 . W e b . 6 A p r 2 0 1 2 .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberius>.