After Augustus:Emperors

Social Studies for 9th EGBTeacher: Mauricio Torres

Important Periods

Roman emperors came and went. Chosen, killed, inherited the position or outlived plots against themSome were good, some were bad. Some were wise, some were nuts!

Empire RebornYears of TrialAge of Augustus

Elected Emperors

Julio-Claudian dynastyAugustus

Julio-Claudian DynastyFamily by blood and Adoption

It normally refers to the first five Roman Emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero.

They ruled the Roman Empire from its formation, in the second half of the 1st century, until AD 68, when the last of the line, Nero, committed suicide.

The Weakest LinkTiberius

Augustus had outlived his preferred heirs - his two grandsons. So when he died, it was his son-in-law, Tiberius, who became emperor. He had none of Augustus' political skills or judgment. He was also suspected of murdering the war-hero, Germanicus.

The Weakest LinkTiberius

Tiberius eventually became a recluse and appointed an amoral opportunist, Sejanus, as his deputy. Seeing the chance of a lifetime, Sejanus began persecuting his rivals.

But just when he seemed unstoppable, Tiberius turned against him and Sejanus was executed.

With no sons of his own, Tiberius named his great-nephew, Caligula, as his heir.

Mad, bad and dangerous to know Caligula

At first, Caligula was a breath of fresh air. But shortly after taking power, he began behaving strangely.

He pretended to be a god and seduced married women. Suspecting everyone, he persecuted both friends and rivals for treason.

Before long, his advisors had had enough and Caligula was murdered by his closest advisors.

His only heir was his uncle, Claudius.

The “Fool” who RuledClaudius

Possibly Rome's most unlikely emperor, Claudius worked hard and was a surprising success:

At home, he passed a number of far-sighted laws.Abroad, he conquered Britain, succeeding where Caesar had failed.

He was muredered by his wife Agrippina in order to have her own son, Nero, become emperor.

The Emperor who "fiddled while Rome burned"Nero

Now Nero was emperor. Again, a good start soon gave way to a darker side of extravagance and random killings.

Then, fed up with Agrippina's interference, Nero had her killed.

Nero was out of control and Rome was at the mercy of a mad tyrant. There was only one solution. After 14 years as emperor, the Senate declared Nero as a public enemy.

He fled and committed suicide. Augustus' dynasty was over and Rome descended again into civil war.

Empire RebornNew Dynasties

Nero's death propelled Rome back into civil war. Before long, Vespasian emerged as victor. Rome had a new emperor and a new dynasty (Flavian Dynasty), with the same dangers as before.

Civil WarThe Year of the Four Emperors

The death of Nero marked the end of Augustus' dynasty. With nobody to take command, Rome descended again into civil war. The months that followed became known as the "year of the four emperors." Almost as soon as they had been fitted out for their robes, Galba, Otho and Vitellius were all dead, either murdered or killed in battle.

Last Man StandingVespasian

After bloody fighting in Rome itself, Vespasian was declared emperor. An army general who had been suppressing the rebellion in Judea, he wasted no time in establishing his own dynasty.

Vespasian was a successful emperor: He restored the city's finances, began a huge building program, reinvigorated the army and gave Rome a decade of stability and peace.

Brief HappinessTitus

When Vespasian died, the throne passed to Titus, his eldest son. Although at first he was widely feared, Titus emerged as a calm, fair and generous emperor.

But he died after just two years and his brother, Domitian, took control.

Return to TyrannyDomitian

Domitian was a bad one - an emperor in the mold of Nero or Caligula:

He terrorized leading Roman figures and executed or banished even his mildest critics.

Although he had bought the army's loyalty, it was not enough to save him.

In 96 AD he was murdered by his senior advisors and the throne was again up for grabs.

Short BreakNerva

The Senate immediately appointed Nerva as emperor. He had served under Nero and the Flavian Dynasty (Vespasian, Domitian and Titus)

But the army were furious that Domitian was dead. Soldiers stormed the palace and killed many of those responsible.

Nerva died just months later.

Elections!Trajan

Shortly before Nerva's death, Rome's generals had chosen to debate who should next serve as emperor. They chose Trajan, a former general and the governor of Upper Germany.

The very fact he was elected made Trajan special. What's more, he came from Hispania and so was the first emperor born outside Italy.

Elections!Trajan

It was a good choice. Trajan expanded the empire to its furthest limits and looked for honest and capable people to govern it - a stunning departure from tradition.

In Rome, he started a massive building program, reduced taxes and began giving poor children state welfare.

Trajan's very existence as emperor meant that educated and wealthy men from across the empire could now reach the top.

His civilized, humane rule set the tone for the future and suggested that Rome's best days still lay ahead!

The Roman Empire