Roman Emperors

Emma Southon

2010 WW2 WW1

America Victorians Tudors

... ... Romans

Crazy Emperors

What do you think about Caligula now?

How do we know this information?

Gossip

March 13th 2012 February 24th 2012

October 31st, 2011 November 26th 2011

September 19th 2011 January 24th 2012

Do YOU think all this is true?

Gossip

Why do tabloids lie?

Why do tabloids lie?

• To sell more copies• For entertainment• To tell a story• Because truth is not important

What would future historians think about us?

Roman Tabloids

Suetonius

• The Twelve Caesars

•Biographies

•Very exciting

Suetonius Lies Too...

• “He did not want people to think that Agrippa was his Grandad, because Agrippa was poor. He grew very angry if anyone wrote or sang that Agrippa was his ancestor.”

• Suetonius, Caligula: 23.

TRUE OR FALSE?

Good Emperors and Bad Emperors

Augustus = Good

Tiberius = Bad

Caligula = Bad

Claudius = Good

Nero = Bad

Augustus1. True2. False3. True4. True5. False

Tiberius

1. False

2. True

3. True

4. True

5. False

Caligula

1. True

2. False

3. True

4. True

5. False

Claudius

1. True

2. True

3. False

4. False

5. True

Why does Suetonius Lie?

• To fit his story• For entertainment• For morality• Because the “Truth” is not

important

What did we learn?

• Ancient historians lie (including me)• My job is to find out what’s true• And WHY ancient historians lie• Crazy stories are always fun to read!