Narmer- Early Dynastic,
-also known as Menes, united Upper and Lower Egypt
-First Pharoah of the 1st Dynasty
-Narmer Palette -depicts Narmer on one side wearing the red crown (lower Egypt), and the other shows Narmer wearing the white crown (upper Egypt)
-established capital of Memphis (north of previous boundary), and built a dam to prevent the flooding of the city
Dynasty 3
Djoser- Old Kingdom,
-built the step pyramid made of 6 stacked mastabas
-3rd Dynasty Pharoah Imhotep- Old Kingdom, Dynasty 3
-the architect of Djoser's step pyramid
Dynasty 4
Sneferu- Old Kingdom,
-built three pyramids (Red, Bent, pyramid at Meidum)
-Bent was the first attempt at a "true" pyramid but half way through building it, the slope had to decrease so it wouldn't collapse
-Red was the first "true" pyramids
-father of Khufu Khufu- Old Kingdom, Dynasty 4
-built Great Pyramid at Giza (Khufu's Horizon)
-father of Khafre
-remembered as harsh ruler Khafre- Old Kingdom, Dynasty 4
-son of Khufu
-possibly built the Great Sphinx though it may have been built Pre-Dynastically
-built his own shorter pyramid at the Giza complex near his father's
Dynasty 11
Mentuhotep II- Middle Kingdom,
-founder of 11th dynasty and the Middle Kingdom
-reunited the nomes
-came from Thebes and established it as the new capital
-enslaved the nomadic peoples
-succeeded finally by Mentuhotep IV who was succeeded by Amenemhat
-huge funerary complex
Dynasty 12
Amenemhat- Middle Kingdom,
-seized power after Mentuhotep's rule (sketchy seizure of power)
-made clear his successor and made many improvements to the system of succession (coregency, instruction)
-tried to take credit for the reunification of Egypt
-made the ceremonial capital Itjtawy Senusret II- Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12
-oversaw major agricultural and regional expansions near the Faiyum Lake
-built his tomb as a brick pyramid
Dynasty 18
Ahmose I- New Kingdom,
-founder of 18th dynasty and the New Kingdom
-laid siege to Avaris (Hyksos capital)
-led expeditions into Asia
-rid the land of Hyksos people, ending the second intermediate period Hatshepsut- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-regent for Thutmose III but seized complete power
-numerous building projects
-military expeditions into the Punt region for incense, wood and other supplies
-huge temple at Deir el-Bahri
-unable to gain respect in still highly male dominated society Thutmose III- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-tried to erase all memory of Hatshepsut and her deeds
-'Napoleon' of Egypt, made Egyptian sphere of influence larger than ever before
-new enemy = Mitanni, fought battle of Megiddo against Mitanni using surprise night attack, used more advanced weaponry
-took sons of rulers back to his capital in order to ensure the following of his laws by conquered lands (also taught the boys Egyptian ways and raised them to obey the pharoahs) Amenhotep III- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-ruled at the peak of the New Kingdom
-built temple at Luxor (temple to Amun-Ra), extended Karnak
-cemented peace between Egyptians and Mitanni by marrying a Mitannian princess
-successful departmental bureaucracy
-peaceful, prosperous reign Akhenaten- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-previously known as Amenhotep IV
-replaced the traditional gods with Aten (the sun)
-took wealth and land from traditional temples
-made a new capital at Amarna (also called Akhetaten)
-new style of more intimate art as well as new architecture (no canon of proportion in artwork)
-married to Nefertiti
-widely disliked because of massive reforms and changes Nefertiti- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-favorite wife of Akhenaten
-famous tomb and mummy
-possibly the most famous Queen of Egypt Tutankhamon- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-called the 'boy king'
-name was originally Tutankhaten
-tomb found with riches still intact
-succeeded by Ay (his vizier)
-attempted the continuation of emphasis on worship of Aten as well as traditional gods Horemheb- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-restored the 18th Dynasty to its former glory
-claimed direct succession of Amenhotep III (tried to erase memory of Akhenaten, Tutankamon, and Ay)
-restored tradition and total worship of traditional gods
-resumed imperialist ideas, but had a new enemy, the Hittites
Dynasty 19
Seti I- New Kingdom,
-battled Hittites
-captured key cities but never defeated enemy completely
-used a huge amount of propaganda
-made extremely exquisite and longest tomb in the Valley of the Kings Ramses II- New Kingdom, Dynasty 19
-fought the Battle of Kadesh and made the Treaty of Kadesh with the Hittites
-numerous building projects (Abu Simbel, Ramesseum, Pi-Ramesse, Hypostyle Hall at Karnak as well as Sphinxes, gateways to Luxor temple)
-thought to be the pharoah of the Exodus
Dynasty 20
Ramses III- New Kingdom,
-repelled two assaults by the Sea Peoples
-Egypt was weakened and never recovered
-last great Pharoah of Egypt
China
Yu- Xia - Large scale flood control and irrigation projects Jie - Xia
-last Xia king, described as 'thoroughly evil'
-possibly part of a myth by Shang to justify seizure of power
Shang
Wuding -Shang
-first justified ruler of Ancient China Fu Hao- Shang
-exquisite tomb
-warrior woman who led her own army
-married to King Wuding Di Xin- Shang
-last Shang King
-thought to be evil, lacked morals (pool of wine, forest of meat)
-said of have lost the Mandate of Heaven -- Justified Zhou rule Wen- Shang
-official in Shang government
-thrown in prison for protesting against Shang leadership
Western Zhou
Wu -Western Zhou
-son of Wen
-defeated Shang and established Zhou rule
-established several states
-seen as a just and able ruler Duke of Zhou- Western Zhou
-brother of King Wu
-acted as a regent of Cheng (Wu's son)
-stepped down once Cheng was old enough to rule
-formatted the Mandate of Heaven
-made good reforms and work You-Western Zhou
-married to Bao Si
-overthrown by his first wife's father's army
-end of the Western Zhou Bao Si- Western Zhou
-married to King You (second wife)
-sour woman, delighted only by the mislighting of signal fires causing the guards to go into action
-brought about the destruction of the Western Zhou period (boy-who-cried-wolf effect)
Spring and Autumn (Eastern Zhou)
Duke Huan of Qi-Spring and Autumn (Eastern Zhou)
-made Guan Zhong his advisor even though he had supported a rival candidate for his office
-became hegemon and did not step down even after country was out of period of distress Guan Zhong-Spring and Autumn (Eastern Zhou)
-supported rival candidate for Duke (opponent of Duke Huan of Qi)
-did not commit suicide when his candidate did (would have been honorable)
-made honorary uncle and advisor to Duke Huan of Qi (possessions, land) Shensheng-Spring and Autumn (Eastern Zhou)
-stood in way of Lady Li's son's rise to power
-committed suicide because he was in danger of having to leave which would be disloyal to his father (considered honorable) Lady Li-Spring and Autumn (Eastern Zhou)
-second wife of Shensheng's father
-wanted her son to be king though there were already elder sons in line
-manipulated Shensheng's father using reverse psychology
-killed by Shensheng's brothers after his death Laozi
-wrote the Daodejing, little known of him except for a few legends
Warring States (Eastern Zhou)
Han Feizi- Warring States (Eastern Zhou)
-major legalist leader
-believed everyone should be punished for misdeeds including nobles
-King should be sole leader
-Laws should apply to all subjects equally (no preferential treatment for the royal clan)
-Rule by manipulating people's self-interest with clearly articulated rewards and punishments Confucius (Kong Fu Zi)-Warring States (Eastern Zhou)
-wanted to be advisor to a King but always fired because he wanted the leaders to rule morally
-believed that Western Zhou period had been an ideal time
-scholar, believed in class roles and morals, especially in leader figures
-analects written by his students Sun Wu-Warring States (Eastern Zhou)
-wrote The Art of War (book of guerrilla war tactics)
-not a fan of bloodshed, liked just war
-tactics avoided attacking common people and cities, just defeating armies by outsmarting them
Qin
Shi Huangdi- Qin
-also known as Ying Zheng
-attempts on life earlier in lifetime led him to fear assassination
-reunited the seven warring states
-legalist reforms
-not popular leader
-attached a bunch of smaller walls together to create what is called today The Great Wall of China
-made exquisite tomb filled with terra cotta army and mini city complete with buildings and a river of mercury
-possibly died by drinking a potion of eternal life that contained poison (possibly mercury) Hu Hai-Qin
-son of Shi Huangdi
-tricked out of office because Xiang Yu showed the nobles of his stupidity by bringing a deer into the courtyard, having all of the nobles claim it was a horse, and Huhai eventually agreed that it was a horse
Han
Xiang Yu- Han
-led a revolt of nobles against Huhai, lost power to Liu Bang because he mistreated the people in the short time that he controlled the capital Liu Bang-Han
-bandit who became emperor for being more kind and virtuous than Xiang Yu
-very popular because he empathized with people
-repealed many of Shi Huangdi's reforms
-ruled with Confucian virtue
-started Civil Service exams to gain positions in government Wang Mang- Han
-tried to start the Xin dynasty
-tried to rule according to Confucian virtue
-overthrown by red eyebrows
-followed by a series of weak rulers whose reigns led to the eventual decline of the empire
Background to Persia
Ashurbanipal
Assyrian Ruler
Ruled through intimidation and force
Practices cruel and harsh ways of torture and punishment
Flaying
peeling skin off
disassembling body
Cutting off head and putting it on a pike
Hammurabi
First King of Babylon, role model for Nebuchadnezzar II when he created the New Babylonian Empire
Nebuchadnezzar II
Babylonian ruler
married a Median princess to seal the alliance between the Medes and Babylonians
Disliked by Jews
Conquered Judah
Destroyed Solomon's temple
Forced Jewish captives to march to Babylon
Rebuilt Babylon surpassing its former glory under Hammurabi
Ishtar Gate
blue glazed tiles with animal decorations
Hanging Gardens
For his wife
miraculous Irrigation
Nabonidus
Babylonian Ruler
Disliked by people
Worship of Sin, moon God, over Marduk, the traditional sun God
frequently absent--> Lived in Egypt
Religious ceremonies could not happen without the King present
When Cyrus attacked, He was welcomed
Soldiers switched sides
Cyaxares II
Median ruler
organized army for specialized use on the battlefield
standardized military uniform
long sleeve lather clothing--> nomadic roots
Expanded quickly and could not keep control very well
Attack on Lydia
5 year war
halted by Eclipse
Cyaxares retreats
Astyages
Median ruler
Cyaxares successor
Unpopular
When Cyrus marched on Ecbatana, many Medes deserted and switched sides
Cyrus showed leniency
Cyrus allowed Medians to be generals and political leaders
Cyrus kept Ecbatana intact
Cyrus let Astyages live in the royal court
Cyrus called it "Land of the PERSIANS and MEDES"
Croesus
Lydian Ruler
Oracle at Delphi
"One great Kingdom will fall"
Croesus misinterpreted this to mean the Persians would fall at the hands of the Lydians
REALLY it meant the Lydians would be crushed
When Cyrus showed up
Camels
Persia
Zoroaster
created Zoroastrianism
beliefs recorded in the Avesta
Ahuramazda
single god of zoroastrianism
represents "good" in the cosmic battle between good and evil
in the end; good will prevail, all will be judged, and those who were good will go to the House of Good Thought
Achaemenes
Grandfather of Cyrus
Achaemeneid Dyansty named for him
Cyrus
Persian ruler
Modeled after Assyrians:
Army
Sparabara
War chariots
decimal system military organization
Government
Came up with the idea of Satrapies from the Assyrians' provincial system
Conquests
rebellion against Median control
claimed all Median territory
Gave Medes positions as generals and officials
Cyrus called his empire "Land of the Medes and Persians"
Kept Ecbatana intact
Astyages was spared with honor
Defeated Croesus of Lydia
Oracle of Delphi
"One great Empire will fall..."
Trick of the camels
Subdues the Ionian City states
Croesus is gone.... FREEDOM
but....CYRUS now takes over
(Munchkin, House, Witch gone)
Greeks write to Sparta
Sparta writes a letter
Cyrus calls their bluff--> Cyrus attacks and the Spartans do not come
Extends his control Eastward
People there don't really care that "Cyrus controls them"
those nomadic people...
Defeated Nabonodis
welcomed into Baylon
Babylonian soldiers desert and switch sides
Cyrus
presides over Babylonian rituals--> well liked
Allows free worship--> well liked
Allows the Jews to return to Israel and Judah--> Well liked
help rebuild temple
allow free worship
CYRUS DIES before he invades Egypt
but he comes up with the strategy of baggage ships that Cambyses uses
Religion
Believes in one God who wishes good on people
"Ethical Monotheism"
Zoroastrianism
Cambyses
Persian ruler
Son of Cyrus
granted the Western satrapies when Cyrus died
Conquered Egypt
Baggage ship strategy
fleet of ships sailing along the coast carries food, water, and other supplies while troops march on land
Cambyses dies under mysterious circumstances
Bardiya
Persian "ruler"
Younger brother of Cambyses
Cyrus's favorite son
much more popular than Cambyses
had a reputation for being kind
Scandal
May or may not have been murdered
either dies at the beginning--> imposter takes over
dies at the end
REALLY not sure whether he ruled for sure or not
Gautama
Darius tells us that he is an imposter who claims to be Bardiya
either made changes too fast
Darius I
Persian ruler
belonged to a branch of the Achaemenid family
therefore he had a claim to the throne after Cyrus
ambitious, productive, and effective
conquered
Macedonia
Thrace
more area to the east
attempted to conquer the Greeks and the Scythians
Hired Mercenaries
costly
Builds the royal roads
Sardis--> Susa
111 stops and inns
Guards along it
Rebuilt Susa
Persepolis
built on a Terrace
drainage
Apadana
inspired by a tent
Paradasia
walled gardens
rectangles and squares
Canats
Darius's Canal
Red Sea--> Nile--> Mediterranean
Taxation
Each satrapy pays a certain amount of money depending on its wealth
except the ethnic Persians in Fars
Satraps
divided by religion and tradition
Darius seemed distant and god-like
Checks
multiple satraps were paired with one general
military commanders answered to Darius
Spies
Top officials all answer to Darius
including Financial officers
Persian Military
mandatory for men ages 20-24
all organized in Decimals
Immortals
increased number of Archers in Sparabara-->9:1
Dies on the way to put down Egyptian rebellion
Xerxes I
Persian ruler
Son of Darius
Accomplished little despite the wealth and power of his empire
Assassinated bu conspiring military leaders
Artemisia
Only female naval commander in the Persian fleet
Escapes the battle of Sardis by posing as a Greek
Megabyzus
Conspired to kill Xerxes with Artabanus
claim that Darius III killed Xerxes
Put Artaxerxes on the throne, who was a weakling
Artabanus is basically ruling
Artabanus plots Artaxerxes' murder so that he can be king
Megabyzus figures out the plan and saves Artaxerxes
Great General
angry that Artaxerxes is getting all the credit for his military feats
REBELS
Artaxerxes attempts to put him down....CANNOT
Artaxerxes pays Megabyzus off and fully pardons him
Artabanas
Conspired to kill Xerxes with Megabyzus
claim that Darius III killed Xerxes
Put Artaxerxes on the throne, who was a weakling
Basically ruling
Artabanus plots Artaxerxes' murder so that he can be king
Megabyzus figures out the plan and saves Artaxerxes
Artaxerxes is KILLED
Artaxerxes I
Put into power by conspirators
Weak and incompetent
Controlled by Artabanus and manipulated by his mother
weakly pardoned Megabyzus
Gave too much power to sunordinates
Artaxerxes II
Darius II eldest son
Brother Cyrus plots to kill him at his crowning ceremony
Artaxerxes allowed him to live because the mother, Amestris, begs for his life
Opposing side to Cyrus the Younger in the Battle of Cunaxa
Satraps become hereditary under his rule --> decline in power
Cyrus the Younger
Plots his brother, Artaxerxes', murder
allowed to live
hires mercenaries and rebels against Artaxerxes
wounds Artaxerxes in battle, but the Immortal immediately kill him
Darius III
fell to Alexander the Great in 331BCE
Otis
Peter Weller's Mother's Cat
Fat, fluffy, Persian
Greece
Homer- composed the Iliad and the Odyssey during the dark Age, about the Bronze Age, which would be written down during the Early Archaic Period Lycurgus- written about by Plutarch, gives a valuable description of Spartan ways; changes during 6th and 7th C BCE were attributed to him; Code of Lycurgus came about due to the fear of a helot uprising Solon- given absolute power by the Athenian leaders for one year, told to fix all of Athens' problems, did what he could to fix problems but he could only buy so much time for aristocrats who put him in power; eliminated debt slaves Pisistratus- became tyrant in 560 BCE, helped to improve trade; his son was overthrown, ending all Athenian tyranny Cleisthenes- instituted democratic reforms, gave people a vote; created demes and tribes Leonidas-King of the Spartans who died at Thermopylae Themistocles- convinced Athenians to build ships for the city with the money from a silver vein (could have either a navy or money for the people), then tried to persuade the Athenians that they could not survive a siege after Marathon, making the final battle a naval battle at Salamis Herodotus-Historian; wrote a lot about Egypt and Persia Aeschylus- added a 2nd actor, moral religious focus in plays; wrote with a grand sweeping style --> Agamemnon (Orestia - Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, The Eumenides) Sophocles- added a 3rd actor, focused on character motivation; chorus was less important --> Oedipus Rex Euripides- questioned traditional values; characters are more real and less noble; gods resolved plot at end (deus ex machina) --> Medea Pericles- continually elected strategos for over thirty years; tried to establish a land empire, moved Delian League treasury to Athens, made government jobs paid, opened more offices to lower class citizens, built the Parthenon and Long Walls using the Delian League's money Aspasia-hetaira of Pericles Alcibiades- exiled for the statues that were defiled by participants of his party one week before beginning of Sicilian Campaign which he was to head from Athens; goes and convinces Spartans to get help from the Persian fleet after exile Socrates- hated Sophists because they did not seek out truth and justice; the truth is absolute and can be uncovered using the Socratic Method; distrusted Democracy and did not think that the masses were capable of ruling justly; 'WHAT IS A CHAIR?' Plato- theory of Ideas or Forms; perfect examples of all objects exist, we experience their imperfect shadows, learning is remembering imperfectly what we knew perfectly in the realm of Ideas; organized the Academy Aristotle- one of Plato's students, no Realm of Ideas; learned through observation and categorization, but lacked experimentation (scientific method); "nothing to excess" Hippocrates-Father of medicine Xenophon-Wrote the March of Ten Thousand(after being leader of the Greek force); student of Socrates Demosthenes- wrote 'Philippics' warning Greeks that Philip will conquer and enslave them (CICERO LATER GIVES 'PHILIPPICS' ABOUT MARC ANTONY)
Hellenistic
Philip II of Macedonia- becomes king of Macedonia, 2 step plan: 1. Conquer Greece 2. Conquer Persia (Isocrates comes up with plan); expands the phalanx and the length of spears, adds cavalry wings; subdues Greece in 338 BCE, and declares himself hegemon over League of Corinth (NEVER CALLS HIMSELF KING) Alexander the Great Aristarchus- heliocentric view of the universe, said Earthy rotated on its own axis; his ideas were rejected by most scholars Eratosthenes- measured the circumference of the Earth using two cities and angles, basing his calculation only on the distance between cities and angle of the sun Archimedes- formulas for spheres and cylinders, found value of pi; invented the Archimedean screw, compound pulley, new siege engines and defensive measures; lived in Syracuse Ptolemy II 'Philadelphus'- one of Alexander's generals who took the Egyptian portion of his empire following his death Arsinoe II- sister/wife of Ptolemy II Antiochus IV 'Epiphanes'-Hellenization; believed he was Zeus; little military success, spread Greek religion and ideas Cleopatra VII- queen of Egypt during Julius Caesar's rule, sister/wife of Ptolemy who she fought for control, killed sister Arsinoe to get rid of only challenge for power, had affair with Julius Caesar and named the child with him Caesarion; later fell in love with Marc Antony and killed herself at the battle of Actium where she and Marc Antony surrendered to Octavian's forces
Rome-Elle, Osei, and Michael S.
Carthage
Hamilcar Barca- led the Carthaginians while in Spain, died in revolt started by the Romans, son Hannibal took over after death Hannibal- brilliant Carthaginian general, led army over the Alps and the Pyrenees and conquered much of Italy, but never the city of Rome
Roman Republic
Aeneas- son of Venus and Anchises, fled Troy to Carthage, then traveled to Italy where he met Latinus, king of the Latins, then married his daughter Lavinia, after whom he named the city he founded Lavinium; his son Anchises would go on to found Alba Longa from which the twins Romulus and Remus would be born Romulus & Remus- sons of Mars and Rhea Silvia, abandoned at birth in the Tiber, grew up to kill the king Amulius, restore their grandfather Numitor to the throne, and found the city of Rome; Romulus would eventually kill Remus because he was teasing his brother and they had a disagreement about which hill their city should be built upon (you dont actually need to know most of these names) Tarquin the Proud (Tarquinius Superbus)- final king of Rome, overthrown by the husband of Lucretia (Collatinus) and L. Junius Brutus (ancestor of Julius Caesar's Brutus) because his son Sextus Tarquin raped the noblewoman Lucretia Lucretia- husband and L. Junius Brutus overthrow Tarquinius Superbus after her rape by Sextus Tarquin (L. Junius) Brutus- overthrows Tarquinius Superbus, starts republic; one of the first two consuls; descendant Brutus would go on to assassinate Julius Caesar (somewhat symbolically) Cincinnatus- left his farm to assume the dictatorship and restore order to the port (was being raided by pirates) and returned to his farm 15 days later Fabius Maximus- 'the delayer'; worked alongside the Senate to delay the Carthaginians while a new army was being raised Scipio Africanus- general who defeated the Carthaginians at the battle of Zama Livy- wrote a history of Rome during the Augustan rule Cato the Elder-"Carthage must be destroyed", very conservative senator who called for the destruction of Carthage after 2nd Punic leading to the destruction to the city Carthage Cornelia-daughter of Scipio Africanus, mother of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, "Cornelia's Jewels" Tiberius Gracchus- trusted by the Gauls, disliked by the Senate but loved by the common people, passed land reforms through the plebeian assembly, seized the Pergamum inheritance to take land away from aristocratic control and lease it cheaply to the farmers, clubbed to death by a mob of senators Gaius Gracchus-brother of Tiberius, increase the speed of land redistribution, lowered prices through grain subsidies, gave control of law courts to the equites and took it from the senate; executed through a 'senatus consultum ultimum' passed by the senate Marius- married into the Julian family; elite officer during the Jugurthine War; made populares military reforms allowing landless volunteers to be soldiers, trained the army, generals would get land from the senate to give to their troops (STARTS LOYALTY) Sulla- feud with Marius about credit in the Jugurthine war; assumed position as dictator and declared a state of emergency (caused by him bringing his army into the city....), served for longer than 6 months, decreased the power of tribunes and assemblies and expanded the senate, carried out a prosciption Crassus- first triumvirate, bought property cheaply of those who had been executed by Sulla, put down Spartacus' slave rebellion; co-consul with Pompey Spartacus- led a slave rebellion of the gladiators, which was put down by Crassus who executed the survivors Pompey- first triumvirate; benefitted from Sulla's proscription by turning in those on the lists, military hero with enormous popularity Cicero- killed in Marc Antony and Octavian's proscription for his speeches opposing Marc Antony which he called 'Phillipics' (speeches by Demosthenes about Philip II) Verres- corrupt proconsul of Sicily who took money from the taxes; tried by Cicero who was offended by this crime because of the misuse of the Republican system Julius Caesar-part of the first triumvirate, elected consul in 59 BCE, gained military command in Gaul, wrote the book The Gallic Wars about his victories in Gaul which gained fame for him even before he returned to Rome, crossed the Rubicon which effectively started civil war against the senate led by Pompey, Caesar wins and has pardon instead of proscription, increases number of senators to 900, created the Julian calendar which based on the solar year; assists Cleopatra in seizing the Egyptian throne and fathers Caesarion, a son by Cleopatra; assassinated by a group of optimates senators led by Brutus, sending the country into civil war Marc Antony- fell in love with Cleopatra, defeated by Octavian at Actium, known for being an alcoholic
Roman Empire
Octavian/Augustus-first Emperor, reunified Rome after civil war with Antony, started Pax Romana and had a model rule Tiberius-second emperor, Manipulated by Sejanus during his reign after "leaving" power for peace on the island of Capri; tried to follow Augustus' example, but incompetent Jesus-born during Augustus's census; died during Tiberius' reign; Christian Savior Paul-First saint/pope Caligula-3rd emperor, went mentally insane, tried to make horse a consul, assassinated by Praetorian guard and left no heir Claudius-Found cowering behind curtain after Caligula's death; put in power by praetorian guards, uncle of Caligula and actually good emperor; conquered Britain Messalina- Claudius' wife before Agrippina, killed by Agrippina Agrippina the Younger- Nero- preferred chariot-racing and competing in musical contests to ruling, had step-brother, mother (Agrippina) and wife killed, built his "Golden House" on land cleared by the Great Fire (blamed fire on Christians), army revolted after he executed popular generals, committed suicide Vespasian- used army to seize power ending the Year of the 4 Emperors, good relations with the Senate legitimized and confirmed his imperial powers, started building the Colosseum, first to use "imperator" as a formal title, Titus- son of Vespasian, brother of Domitian, squashed first Jewish Revolt and destroyed the 2nd Temple during his father's reign, finished the Colosseum, eruption fo Mt. Vesuvius durin reign (79 AD) only ruled briefly , died of illness Domitian- brother of Titus, son of Vespasian, despised the Senate refused to consult them, created special treason courts, used treason trials and and book burnings to stifle opposition, universally disliked, assassinated by wife and guards, left no sucessor Nerva - appointed by Senate after the reign of Domitian, old with no children, focussed on Rome's less-fortunate, liked by all, established pattern of adopting sucessor, followed by all of the 5 Good Emperors, good relationship with the Senate, 1st of 5 Good Emperors Trajan- 2nd of the 5 Good Emperors, from Spain, conquest of Mesopotamia and Dacia, empire at it's largest Hadrian- 3rd of the 5 Good Emperors, abandoned some territories, adopting a more defensive military stance (departed from expansion), great admirer of Greek culture Marcus Aurelius-last of the 5 Good Emperors, wrote the book "Meditations" (stoic philosophy), first signs of cracks in the empire during his reign, raised taxes, instituted conscription to deal with frontier wars and plague, instead of adopting his sucessor he left the thrown to his son Commodus Commodus- inherited thrown for his father, Marcus Aurelius, renamed Rome Commodiana for himself, used the threat of treason trials to extort money from the rich, believed he was Hercules, participate in rigged gladiatorial games, assassinated Didius Julianus-Bought the throne from the Praetorian guard after Pertinax's assassination; failed to pay the guards and was killed Sepitimius Severus - Marched on Rome to take capital, defeated Niger (East Rome) and Albinus (Britain) to gain full control, began military monarchy (Severan dyansty) quoted as saying," Pay the soldiers and ignore everyone else) Caracalla- gave citizenship to all freemen in the Empire causing problems with finding people to fight (now the 24 year auxilia insentive had been taken away) It also caused problems because the granting of citizenship was no longer a free reward. Julia Mamaea- Diocletian- Constantine- Romulus Augustulus-"last emperor" of Rome; officially last Roman emperor, but not really; kicked off throne, not even killed Odoacer-Goth in Roman military who led internal revolt which deposed Romulus Augustulus and takes throne in 476; signals "end" of Western Roman Emperor Justinian-Emperor of the Eastern Roman Emperor who reunites the Western Roman empire and Eastern Roman empire; after his 565 no one person controls both spheres of the empire
Key People
Table of Contents
Egypt
Dynasty 1
Narmer- Early Dynastic,-also known as Menes, united Upper and Lower Egypt
-First Pharoah of the 1st Dynasty
-Narmer Palette -depicts Narmer on one side wearing the red crown (lower Egypt), and the other shows Narmer wearing the white crown (upper Egypt)
-established capital of Memphis (north of previous boundary), and built a dam to prevent the flooding of the city
Dynasty 3
Djoser- Old Kingdom,-built the step pyramid made of 6 stacked mastabas
-3rd Dynasty Pharoah
Imhotep- Old Kingdom, Dynasty 3
-the architect of Djoser's step pyramid
Dynasty 4
Sneferu- Old Kingdom,-built three pyramids (Red, Bent, pyramid at Meidum)
-Bent was the first attempt at a "true" pyramid but half way through building it, the slope had to decrease so it wouldn't collapse
-Red was the first "true" pyramids
-father of Khufu
Khufu- Old Kingdom, Dynasty 4
-built Great Pyramid at Giza (Khufu's Horizon)
-father of Khafre
-remembered as harsh ruler
Khafre- Old Kingdom, Dynasty 4
-son of Khufu
-possibly built the Great Sphinx though it may have been built Pre-Dynastically
-built his own shorter pyramid at the Giza complex near his father's
Dynasty 11
Mentuhotep II- Middle Kingdom,-founder of 11th dynasty and the Middle Kingdom
-reunited the nomes
-came from Thebes and established it as the new capital
-enslaved the nomadic peoples
-succeeded finally by Mentuhotep IV who was succeeded by Amenemhat
-huge funerary complex
Dynasty 12
Amenemhat- Middle Kingdom,-seized power after Mentuhotep's rule (sketchy seizure of power)
-made clear his successor and made many improvements to the system of succession (coregency, instruction)
-tried to take credit for the reunification of Egypt
-made the ceremonial capital Itjtawy
Senusret II- Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12
-oversaw major agricultural and regional expansions near the Faiyum Lake
-built his tomb as a brick pyramid
Dynasty 18
Ahmose I- New Kingdom,-founder of 18th dynasty and the New Kingdom
-laid siege to Avaris (Hyksos capital)
-led expeditions into Asia
-rid the land of Hyksos people, ending the second intermediate period
Hatshepsut- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-regent for Thutmose III but seized complete power
-numerous building projects
-military expeditions into the Punt region for incense, wood and other supplies
-huge temple at Deir el-Bahri
-unable to gain respect in still highly male dominated society
Thutmose III- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-tried to erase all memory of Hatshepsut and her deeds
-'Napoleon' of Egypt, made Egyptian sphere of influence larger than ever before
-new enemy = Mitanni, fought battle of Megiddo against Mitanni using surprise night attack, used more advanced weaponry
-took sons of rulers back to his capital in order to ensure the following of his laws by conquered lands (also taught the boys Egyptian ways and raised them to obey the pharoahs)
Amenhotep III- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-ruled at the peak of the New Kingdom
-built temple at Luxor (temple to Amun-Ra), extended Karnak
-cemented peace between Egyptians and Mitanni by marrying a Mitannian princess
-successful departmental bureaucracy
-peaceful, prosperous reign
Akhenaten- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-previously known as Amenhotep IV
-replaced the traditional gods with Aten (the sun)
-took wealth and land from traditional temples
-made a new capital at Amarna (also called Akhetaten)
-new style of more intimate art as well as new architecture (no canon of proportion in artwork)
-married to Nefertiti
-widely disliked because of massive reforms and changes
Nefertiti- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-favorite wife of Akhenaten
-famous tomb and mummy
-possibly the most famous Queen of Egypt
Tutankhamon- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-called the 'boy king'
-name was originally Tutankhaten
-tomb found with riches still intact
-succeeded by Ay (his vizier)
-attempted the continuation of emphasis on worship of Aten as well as traditional gods
Horemheb- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
-restored the 18th Dynasty to its former glory
-claimed direct succession of Amenhotep III (tried to erase memory of Akhenaten, Tutankamon, and Ay)
-restored tradition and total worship of traditional gods
-resumed imperialist ideas, but had a new enemy, the Hittites
Dynasty 19
Seti I- New Kingdom,-battled Hittites
-captured key cities but never defeated enemy completely
-used a huge amount of propaganda
-made extremely exquisite and longest tomb in the Valley of the Kings
Ramses II- New Kingdom, Dynasty 19
-fought the Battle of Kadesh and made the Treaty of Kadesh with the Hittites
-numerous building projects (Abu Simbel, Ramesseum, Pi-Ramesse, Hypostyle Hall at Karnak as well as Sphinxes, gateways to Luxor temple)
-thought to be the pharoah of the Exodus
Dynasty 20
Ramses III- New Kingdom,-repelled two assaults by the Sea Peoples
-Egypt was weakened and never recovered
-last great Pharoah of Egypt
China
Yu- Xia- Large scale flood control and irrigation projects
Jie - Xia
-last Xia king, described as 'thoroughly evil'
-possibly part of a myth by Shang to justify seizure of power
Shang
Wuding -Shang-first justified ruler of Ancient China
Fu Hao- Shang
-exquisite tomb
-warrior woman who led her own army
-married to King Wuding
Di Xin- Shang
-last Shang King
-thought to be evil, lacked morals (pool of wine, forest of meat)
-said of have lost the Mandate of Heaven -- Justified Zhou rule
Wen- Shang
-official in Shang government
-thrown in prison for protesting against Shang leadership
Western Zhou
Wu -Western Zhou-son of Wen
-defeated Shang and established Zhou rule
-established several states
-seen as a just and able ruler
Duke of Zhou- Western Zhou
-brother of King Wu
-acted as a regent of Cheng (Wu's son)
-stepped down once Cheng was old enough to rule
-formatted the Mandate of Heaven
-made good reforms and work
You-Western Zhou
-married to Bao Si
-overthrown by his first wife's father's army
-end of the Western Zhou
Bao Si- Western Zhou
-married to King You (second wife)
-sour woman, delighted only by the mislighting of signal fires causing the guards to go into action
-brought about the destruction of the Western Zhou period (boy-who-cried-wolf effect)
Spring and Autumn (Eastern Zhou)
Duke Huan of Qi-Spring and Autumn (Eastern Zhou)-made Guan Zhong his advisor even though he had supported a rival candidate for his office
-became hegemon and did not step down even after country was out of period of distress
Guan Zhong- Spring and Autumn (Eastern Zhou)
-supported rival candidate for Duke (opponent of Duke Huan of Qi)
-did not commit suicide when his candidate did (would have been honorable)
-made honorary uncle and advisor to Duke Huan of Qi (possessions, land)
Shensheng- Spring and Autumn (Eastern Zhou)
-stood in way of Lady Li's son's rise to power
-committed suicide because he was in danger of having to leave which would be disloyal to his father (considered honorable)
Lady Li- Spring and Autumn (Eastern Zhou)
-second wife of Shensheng's father
-wanted her son to be king though there were already elder sons in line
-manipulated Shensheng's father using reverse psychology
-killed by Shensheng's brothers after his death
Laozi
-wrote the Daodejing, little known of him except for a few legends
Warring States (Eastern Zhou)
Han Feizi- Warring States (Eastern Zhou)-major legalist leader
-believed everyone should be punished for misdeeds including nobles
-King should be sole leader
-Laws should apply to all subjects equally (no preferential treatment for the royal clan)
-Rule by manipulating people's self-interest with clearly articulated rewards and punishments
Confucius (Kong Fu Zi)- Warring States (Eastern Zhou)
-wanted to be advisor to a King but always fired because he wanted the leaders to rule morally
-believed that Western Zhou period had been an ideal time
-scholar, believed in class roles and morals, especially in leader figures
-analects written by his students
Sun Wu- Warring States (Eastern Zhou)
-wrote The Art of War (book of guerrilla war tactics)
-not a fan of bloodshed, liked just war
-tactics avoided attacking common people and cities, just defeating armies by outsmarting them
Qin
Shi Huangdi- Qin-also known as Ying Zheng
-attempts on life earlier in lifetime led him to fear assassination
-reunited the seven warring states
-legalist reforms
-not popular leader
-attached a bunch of smaller walls together to create what is called today The Great Wall of China
-made exquisite tomb filled with terra cotta army and mini city complete with buildings and a river of mercury
-possibly died by drinking a potion of eternal life that contained poison (possibly mercury)
Hu Hai-Qin
-son of Shi Huangdi
-tricked out of office because Xiang Yu showed the nobles of his stupidity by bringing a deer into the courtyard, having all of the nobles claim it was a horse, and Huhai eventually agreed that it was a horse
Han
Xiang Yu- Han-led a revolt of nobles against Huhai, lost power to Liu Bang because he mistreated the people in the short time that he controlled the capital
Liu Bang-Han
-bandit who became emperor for being more kind and virtuous than Xiang Yu
-very popular because he empathized with people
-repealed many of Shi Huangdi's reforms
-ruled with Confucian virtue
-started Civil Service exams to gain positions in government
Wang Mang- Han
-tried to start the Xin dynasty
-tried to rule according to Confucian virtue
-overthrown by red eyebrows
-followed by a series of weak rulers whose reigns led to the eventual decline of the empire
Background to Persia
Ashurbanipal- Assyrian Ruler
- Ruled through intimidation and force
- Practices cruel and harsh ways of torture and punishment
- Flaying
- peeling skin off
- disassembling body
- Cutting off head and putting it on a pike
HammurabiNebuchadnezzar II
Nabonidus
Cyaxares II
Astyages
Croesus
Persia
Zoroaster- created Zoroastrianism
- beliefs recorded in the Avesta
Ahuramazda- single god of zoroastrianism
- represents "good" in the cosmic battle between good and evil
- in the end; good will prevail, all will be judged, and those who were good will go to the House of Good Thought
Achaemenes
- Grandfather of Cyrus
- Achaemeneid Dyansty named for him
CyrusCambyses
Bardiya
- Persian "ruler"
- Younger brother of Cambyses
- Cyrus's favorite son
- much more popular than Cambyses
- had a reputation for being kind
- Scandal
- May or may not have been murdered
- either dies at the beginning--> imposter takes over
- dies at the end
- REALLY not sure whether he ruled for sure or not
Gautama- Darius tells us that he is an imposter who claims to be Bardiya
- either made changes too fast
Darius I- Persian ruler
- belonged to a branch of the Achaemenid family
- therefore he had a claim to the throne after Cyrus
- ambitious, productive, and effective
- conquered
- Macedonia
- Thrace
- more area to the east
- attempted to conquer the Greeks and the Scythians
- Hired Mercenaries
- costly
- Builds the royal roads
- Sardis--> Susa
- 111 stops and inns
- Guards along it
- Rebuilt Susa
- Persepolis
- built on a Terrace
- drainage
- Apadana
- inspired by a tent
- Paradasia
- walled gardens
- rectangles and squares
- Canats
- Darius's Canal
- Red Sea--> Nile--> Mediterranean
- Taxation
- Each satrapy pays a certain amount of money depending on its wealth
- except the ethnic Persians in Fars
- Satraps
- divided by religion and tradition
- Darius seemed distant and god-like
- Checks
- multiple satraps were paired with one general
- military commanders answered to Darius
- Spies
- Top officials all answer to Darius
- including Financial officers
- Persian Military
- mandatory for men ages 20-24
- all organized in Decimals
- Immortals
- increased number of Archers in Sparabara-->9:1
- Dies on the way to put down Egyptian rebellion
Xerxes I- Persian ruler
- Son of Darius
- Accomplished little despite the wealth and power of his empire
- Assassinated bu conspiring military leaders
Artemisia- Only female naval commander in the Persian fleet
- Escapes the battle of Sardis by posing as a Greek
Megabyzus
- Conspired to kill Xerxes with Artabanus
- claim that Darius III killed Xerxes
- Put Artaxerxes on the throne, who was a weakling
- Artabanus is basically ruling
- Artabanus plots Artaxerxes' murder so that he can be king
- Megabyzus figures out the plan and saves Artaxerxes
- Great General
- angry that Artaxerxes is getting all the credit for his military feats
- REBELS
- Artaxerxes attempts to put him down....CANNOT
- Artaxerxes pays Megabyzus off and fully pardons him
Artabanas- Conspired to kill Xerxes with Megabyzus
- claim that Darius III killed Xerxes
- Put Artaxerxes on the throne, who was a weakling
- Basically ruling
- Artabanus plots Artaxerxes' murder so that he can be king
- Megabyzus figures out the plan and saves Artaxerxes
- Artaxerxes is KILLED
Artaxerxes I- Put into power by conspirators
- Weak and incompetent
- Controlled by Artabanus and manipulated by his mother
- weakly pardoned Megabyzus
- Gave too much power to sunordinates
Artaxerxes II- Darius II eldest son
- Brother Cyrus plots to kill him at his crowning ceremony
- Artaxerxes allowed him to live because the mother, Amestris, begs for his life
- Opposing side to Cyrus the Younger in the Battle of Cunaxa
- Satraps become hereditary under his rule --> decline in power
Cyrus the Younger- Plots his brother, Artaxerxes', murder
- allowed to live
- hires mercenaries and rebels against Artaxerxes
- wounds Artaxerxes in battle, but the Immortal immediately kill him
Darius IIIOtis
Greece
Homer- composed the Iliad and the Odyssey during the dark Age, about the Bronze Age, which would be written down during the Early Archaic PeriodLycurgus- written about by Plutarch, gives a valuable description of Spartan ways; changes during 6th and 7th C BCE were attributed to him; Code of Lycurgus came about due to the fear of a helot uprising
Solon- given absolute power by the Athenian leaders for one year, told to fix all of Athens' problems, did what he could to fix problems but he could only buy so much time for aristocrats who put him in power; eliminated debt slaves
Pisistratus- became tyrant in 560 BCE, helped to improve trade; his son was overthrown, ending all Athenian tyranny
Cleisthenes- instituted democratic reforms, gave people a vote; created demes and tribes
Leonidas-King of the Spartans who died at Thermopylae
Themistocles- convinced Athenians to build ships for the city with the money from a silver vein (could have either a navy or money for the people), then tried to persuade the Athenians that they could not survive a siege after Marathon, making the final battle a naval battle at Salamis
Herodotus-Historian; wrote a lot about Egypt and Persia
Aeschylus- added a 2nd actor, moral religious focus in plays; wrote with a grand sweeping style --> Agamemnon (Orestia - Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, The Eumenides)
Sophocles- added a 3rd actor, focused on character motivation; chorus was less important --> Oedipus Rex
Euripides- questioned traditional values; characters are more real and less noble; gods resolved plot at end (deus ex machina) --> Medea
Pericles- continually elected strategos for over thirty years; tried to establish a land empire, moved Delian League treasury to Athens, made government jobs paid, opened more offices to lower class citizens, built the Parthenon and Long Walls using the Delian League's money
Aspasia-hetaira of Pericles
Alcibiades- exiled for the statues that were defiled by participants of his party one week before beginning of Sicilian Campaign which he was to head from Athens; goes and convinces Spartans to get help from the Persian fleet after exile
Socrates- hated Sophists because they did not seek out truth and justice; the truth is absolute and can be uncovered using the Socratic Method; distrusted Democracy and did not think that the masses were capable of ruling justly; 'WHAT IS A CHAIR?'
Plato- theory of Ideas or Forms; perfect examples of all objects exist, we experience their imperfect shadows, learning is remembering imperfectly what we knew perfectly in the realm of Ideas; organized the Academy
Aristotle- one of Plato's students, no Realm of Ideas; learned through observation and categorization, but lacked experimentation (scientific method); "nothing to excess"
Hippocrates-Father of medicine
Xenophon-Wrote the March of Ten Thousand(after being leader of the Greek force); student of Socrates
Demosthenes- wrote 'Philippics' warning Greeks that Philip will conquer and enslave them (CICERO LATER GIVES 'PHILIPPICS' ABOUT MARC ANTONY)
Hellenistic
Philip II of Macedonia- becomes king of Macedonia, 2 step plan: 1. Conquer Greece 2. Conquer Persia (Isocrates comes up with plan); expands the phalanx and the length of spears, adds cavalry wings; subdues Greece in 338 BCE, and declares himself hegemon over League of Corinth (NEVER CALLS HIMSELF KING)Alexander the Great
Aristarchus- heliocentric view of the universe, said Earthy rotated on its own axis; his ideas were rejected by most scholars
Eratosthenes- measured the circumference of the Earth using two cities and angles, basing his calculation only on the distance between cities and angle of the sun
Archimedes- formulas for spheres and cylinders, found value of pi; invented the Archimedean screw, compound pulley, new siege engines and defensive measures; lived in Syracuse
Ptolemy II 'Philadelphus'- one of Alexander's generals who took the Egyptian portion of his empire following his death
Arsinoe II- sister/wife of Ptolemy II
Antiochus IV 'Epiphanes'-Hellenization; believed he was Zeus; little military success, spread Greek religion and ideas
Cleopatra VII- queen of Egypt during Julius Caesar's rule, sister/wife of Ptolemy who she fought for control, killed sister Arsinoe to get rid of only challenge for power, had affair with Julius Caesar and named the child with him Caesarion; later fell in love with Marc Antony and killed herself at the battle of Actium where she and Marc Antony surrendered to Octavian's forces
Rome-Elle, Osei, and Michael S.
Carthage
Hamilcar Barca- led the Carthaginians while in Spain, died in revolt started by the Romans, son Hannibal took over after deathHannibal- brilliant Carthaginian general, led army over the Alps and the Pyrenees and conquered much of Italy, but never the city of Rome
Roman Republic
Aeneas- son of Venus and Anchises, fled Troy to Carthage, then traveled to Italy where he met Latinus, king of the Latins, then married his daughter Lavinia, after whom he named the city he founded Lavinium; his son Anchises would go on to found Alba Longa from which the twins Romulus and Remus would be bornRomulus & Remus- sons of Mars and Rhea Silvia, abandoned at birth in the Tiber, grew up to kill the king Amulius, restore their grandfather Numitor to the throne, and found the city of Rome; Romulus would eventually kill Remus because he was teasing his brother and they had a disagreement about which hill their city should be built upon (you dont actually need to know most of these names)
Tarquin the Proud (Tarquinius Superbus)- final king of Rome, overthrown by the husband of Lucretia (Collatinus) and L. Junius Brutus (ancestor of Julius Caesar's Brutus) because his son Sextus Tarquin raped the noblewoman Lucretia
Lucretia- husband and L. Junius Brutus overthrow Tarquinius Superbus after her rape by Sextus Tarquin
(L. Junius) Brutus- overthrows Tarquinius Superbus, starts republic; one of the first two consuls; descendant Brutus would go on to assassinate Julius Caesar (somewhat symbolically)
Cincinnatus- left his farm to assume the dictatorship and restore order to the port (was being raided by pirates) and returned to his farm 15 days later
Fabius Maximus- 'the delayer'; worked alongside the Senate to delay the Carthaginians while a new army was being raised
Scipio Africanus- general who defeated the Carthaginians at the battle of Zama
Livy- wrote a history of Rome during the Augustan rule
Cato the Elder-"Carthage must be destroyed", very conservative senator who called for the destruction of Carthage after 2nd Punic leading to the destruction to the city Carthage
Cornelia-daughter of Scipio Africanus, mother of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, "Cornelia's Jewels"
Tiberius Gracchus- trusted by the Gauls, disliked by the Senate but loved by the common people, passed land reforms through the plebeian assembly, seized the Pergamum inheritance to take land away from aristocratic control and lease it cheaply to the farmers, clubbed to death by a mob of senators
Gaius Gracchus-brother of Tiberius, increase the speed of land redistribution, lowered prices through grain subsidies, gave control of law courts to the equites and took it from the senate; executed through a 'senatus consultum ultimum' passed by the senate
Marius- married into the Julian family; elite officer during the Jugurthine War; made populares military reforms allowing landless volunteers to be soldiers, trained the army, generals would get land from the senate to give to their troops (STARTS LOYALTY)
Sulla- feud with Marius about credit in the Jugurthine war; assumed position as dictator and declared a state of emergency (caused by him bringing his army into the city....), served for longer than 6 months, decreased the power of tribunes and assemblies and expanded the senate, carried out a prosciption
Crassus- first triumvirate, bought property cheaply of those who had been executed by Sulla, put down Spartacus' slave rebellion; co-consul with Pompey
Spartacus- led a slave rebellion of the gladiators, which was put down by Crassus who executed the survivors
Pompey- first triumvirate; benefitted from Sulla's proscription by turning in those on the lists, military hero with enormous popularity
Cicero- killed in Marc Antony and Octavian's proscription for his speeches opposing Marc Antony which he called 'Phillipics' (speeches by Demosthenes about Philip II)
Verres- corrupt proconsul of Sicily who took money from the taxes; tried by Cicero who was offended by this crime because of the misuse of the Republican system
Julius Caesar-part of the first triumvirate, elected consul in 59 BCE, gained military command in Gaul, wrote the book The Gallic Wars about his victories in Gaul which gained fame for him even before he returned to Rome, crossed the Rubicon which effectively started civil war against the senate led by Pompey, Caesar wins and has pardon instead of proscription, increases number of senators to 900, created the Julian calendar which based on the solar year; assists Cleopatra in seizing the Egyptian throne and fathers Caesarion, a son by Cleopatra; assassinated by a group of optimates senators led by Brutus, sending the country into civil war
Marc Antony- fell in love with Cleopatra, defeated by Octavian at Actium, known for being an alcoholic
Roman Empire
Octavian/Augustus-first Emperor, reunified Rome after civil war with Antony, started Pax Romana and had a model ruleTiberius-second emperor, Manipulated by Sejanus during his reign after "leaving" power for peace on the island of Capri; tried to follow Augustus' example, but incompetent
Jesus-born during Augustus's census; died during Tiberius' reign; Christian Savior
Paul-First saint/pope
Caligula-3rd emperor, went mentally insane, tried to make horse a consul, assassinated by Praetorian guard and left no heir
Claudius-Found cowering behind curtain after Caligula's death; put in power by praetorian guards, uncle of Caligula and actually good emperor; conquered Britain
Messalina- Claudius' wife before Agrippina, killed by Agrippina
Agrippina the Younger-
Nero- preferred chariot-racing and competing in musical contests to ruling, had step-brother, mother (Agrippina) and wife killed, built his "Golden House" on land cleared by the Great Fire (blamed fire on Christians), army revolted after he executed popular generals, committed suicide
Vespasian- used army to seize power ending the Year of the 4 Emperors, good relations with the Senate legitimized and confirmed his imperial powers, started building the Colosseum, first to use "imperator" as a formal title,
Titus- son of Vespasian, brother of Domitian, squashed first Jewish Revolt and destroyed the 2nd Temple during his father's reign, finished the Colosseum, eruption fo Mt. Vesuvius durin reign (79 AD) only ruled briefly , died of illness
Domitian- brother of Titus, son of Vespasian, despised the Senate refused to consult them, created special treason courts, used treason trials and and book burnings to stifle opposition, universally disliked, assassinated by wife and guards, left no sucessor
Nerva - appointed by Senate after the reign of Domitian, old with no children, focussed on Rome's less-fortunate, liked by all, established pattern of adopting sucessor, followed by all of the 5 Good Emperors, good relationship with the Senate, 1st of 5 Good Emperors
Trajan- 2nd of the 5 Good Emperors, from Spain, conquest of Mesopotamia and Dacia, empire at it's largest
Hadrian- 3rd of the 5 Good Emperors, abandoned some territories, adopting a more defensive military stance (departed from expansion), great admirer of Greek culture
Marcus Aurelius-last of the 5 Good Emperors, wrote the book "Meditations" (stoic philosophy), first signs of cracks in the empire during his reign, raised taxes, instituted conscription to deal with frontier wars and plague, instead of adopting his sucessor he left the thrown to his son Commodus
Commodus- inherited thrown for his father, Marcus Aurelius, renamed Rome Commodiana for himself, used the threat of treason trials to extort money from the rich, believed he was Hercules, participate in rigged gladiatorial games, assassinated
Didius Julianus-Bought the throne from the Praetorian guard after Pertinax's assassination; failed to pay the guards and was killed
Sepitimius Severus - Marched on Rome to take capital, defeated Niger (East Rome) and Albinus (Britain) to gain full control, began military monarchy (Severan dyansty) quoted as saying," Pay the soldiers and ignore everyone else)
Caracalla- gave citizenship to all freemen in the Empire causing problems with finding people to fight (now the 24 year auxilia insentive had been taken away) It also caused problems because the granting of citizenship was no longer a free reward.
Julia Mamaea-
Diocletian-
Constantine-
Romulus Augustulus-"last emperor" of Rome; officially last Roman emperor, but not really; kicked off throne, not even killed
Odoacer-Goth in Roman military who led internal revolt which deposed Romulus Augustulus and takes throne in 476; signals "end" of Western Roman Emperor
Justinian-Emperor of the Eastern Roman Emperor who reunites the Western Roman empire and Eastern Roman empire; after his 565 no one person controls both spheres of the empire