(Octavian or Princeps) Emerges as sole ruler after civil war between him and Mark Antony but "resigns" his dictorial powers
Tries to maintain the illusion that the Republic remains
He became sole tribune and consul for life.
He gave Senate power to control funds and finances oversee provinces and advise him
He began Pax Romana (period of 200 years of relative peace)
He uses propaganda and uses idealism when others use realism so people think he is really young and able
He makes various reforms
He makes census which makes taxation more fair by taxing the rich more than the poor
He gives Auxilia citizenship after 24 years of military service
He provides free entertainment
He makes roads and creates the Imperial Post
as well as other public projects to make jobs
Women can become more independent if they have 3 children
He makes grain dole (basically a soup kitchen)
He makes traditional laws
Makes adultery illegal- exiles his daughter for breaking the law showing that no one is above the law
"Attempted to legislate morality
Expands Rome's boarders to the Danube River, and advises not to expand further
Decreases size of army
Made the Praetorian Guard
Died of old age.
Tiberius
Not the first choice of Augustus to be the heir, all fo his successors kept dying.
Tiberius originally supported Augustus but he lacked all the great qualities that Augustus had.
Grew increasingly paranoid throughout his reign
His most trusted man, Sejanus, betrayed him and pushed Tiberius further into becoming the cruel emperor he was known to be.
Became more cruel overtime and became extremely paranoid
He died without an heir.
Caligula
Heir but not son of Tiberius
He began as a child very innocent and his name meant little boots and he got it from wearing a army suit as a child.
His reign was good but then he either fell off a horse and hit his head, or had a fever that hurt him, or he was poisoned and he suddenly became a bad ruler.
He thought he was a god, he tried to make his horse the consul, he hated the senate,
Was obsessed with his horse, he would talk with it and eat with it.
Killed by the Praetorian Guard.
Claudius
Caligula's uncle
gained power after being caught hiding behind a curtain by the Praetorian Guard during the assassination of Caligula
people thought he was a joke because of clubbed foot and stutter
created the illusion of stupidity so that he would not be assassinated
was actually a very good emperor
conquered Britain
makes career government workers who are his freed slaves
they were loyal to him
many wives, his last wife is Agrippina
mother of Nero
wanted Nero to be Emperor so she sent his sons to die in battle
killed Claudius and Nero gains the throne
Nero
starts reign young and is helped by Seneca and other advisors
soon becomes rebellious against his advisors and overbearing mother
kills his mother after many attempts, but is still haunted by her spirit
pressures Seneca to commit suicide
saw himself as a preformer, not an emperor
Great Fire mysteriously breaks out destroying much of Rome
builds Golden House over the ashes of the ruined city
needs a scapegoat and blames it on the Christians and persecutes them
no one is now loyal to him
he has killed his mother, 2 wives, and step brother
kills himself leaving no heir and ending the dynasty
The Flavians
Vespasian
After Year of the Four Emperors, he gained power
He gained power after taking Egypt's grain supply instead of racing to Rome
Asks Senate to be ruler in order to legitimatize his rule
Begins Colosseum
tears down nero's palace to do it
Has son destroy and loot 2nd Jewish temple to fund the Colosseum
First to use Imperator as a formal title
Titus
Finishes the Colosseum and it helps to legitimize his reign
Mount Vesuvius erupts and people think gods are against him but the Colosseum legitimizes his reign
Only ruled for 2 years
He sieged Jerusalem and looted the 2nd Temple in order to fund the building of the Colosseum
Not known how he died
Domitian
Has a terrible relationship with the Senate and he refuses to consult them.
Uses treason trials and book burnings to stop opposition.
He buries Vestal Virgins alive because they were thought to have committed adultery.
Hard to kill, but his wife and guards assassinated him and left no successor.
The Five Good Emperors
Nerva
put in power by senate because he was old and hold power for long
Senate chooses him INSTEAD of republic
liked by most
pays attention to provinces and helps poor
begins pattern of adopting successor (Trajan)
Trajan
First Emperor from a province (Spain)
conquers Dacia and Mesopotamia
rules the largest amount of land ever included in the Empire
Trajan's column
commemorates Trajan's victory in Dacia
Mesopotamia is a great accomplishment because its and advanced civilization
good accomplishment but the eastern conquests were hard to control
Hadrian
Extremely different reign from militaristic Trajan
reverses what Trajan did by giving up much of his conquests including mesopotamia
knows it will be time consuming, expensive and not easily defendable
Embraces greek culture including bisexuality
grows beard which becomes a sign of later emperors
Builds Hadrian's wall across northern Britain
may have just been to give soldiers something to do so that they would ot rebel
Spent a great deal of time touring the Empire
Antoninus Pius
If you are reading, don't. This emperor blows. He was very very boring
Marcus Aurelius
Very effective emperor but faced problems that would haunt Rome later
The Roman Empire
Table of Contents
Julio-Claudians
Augustus
Tiberius
Caligula
Claudius
Nero
The Flavians
Vespasian
Titus
Domitian
The Five Good Emperors
Nerva
Trajan
Hadrian
Antoninus Pius
Marcus Aurelius
The Severans
Septimus Severus
Caracalla
The Late Emperors
Diocletian
Constantine