Transcript Roman Emperors Powerpoint

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What changes did Augustus introduce?
How did he increase his power?
What isThe Principate?
Describe the society that Augustus created
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Stepson of Augustus
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Great General
◦ Augustus outlived his five appointed successors
◦ Conquered Pannonia (north and east of the
Danube), Dalmatia (Albania, Bosnia, Croatia), and
temporarily Germania
 Laid the foundations for the northern frontier
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Ruled with Augustus for last 10 years of Augustus’
life
◦ Never held administrative position before
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Ruled from Isle of Capri – life of debauchery
A dark, reclusive, and sombre ruler who never desired
to be emperor
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Pliny the Elder called him tristissimus hominum, "the gloomiest of
men”
Christ crucified during his reign
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Bitter, little man
Scheming
Suspicious
Instituted a reign of terror
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Caligula is Latin for “little baby boots”
Adopted grandson of Tiberius
◦ Great-grandson of Julius Caesar and Marc Antony
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Became ill after a few months in power and
became insane
◦ Sacrificed 160,000 slaves to the gods
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Claimed he was a god
Made a serious attempt to have his horse
elected Consul
Very cruel and unpopular
Assassinated with wife and daughter (at 28
years old)
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He demonstrates that mental illness can
strike anyone without warning
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First emperor made by the Praetorian Guard
(Emperor’s body guards)
◦ Found him cowering as the Pratorians were looting
Caligula’s palace
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Nephew of Tiberius
Though intelligent and well-educated, he was
physically frail and crippled
Added province of Britain (43 CE) and named it
after his son, Britannicus
All 5 marriages ended in failure
◦ First wife died on wedding night!
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Poisoned to death (mushrooms) by fifth
wife/niece, Agrippa (Nero’s mother)
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Physically weak
Shrewd administrator
◦ Extended Roman citizenship in
the provinces
◦ Founded Roman cities in the
provinces
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Emperor at 16 years and soon became a
tyrant
Murdered:
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Agrippina, his mother (Caligula’s sister) in 59 CE
Poppaea, pregnant 2nd wife, by kicking her to death
Second wife’s husband
Seneca, his teacher/advisor
Britannicus, his step-brother (Claudius’ son) by
poison
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64 CE – accused of setting fire to Rome
◦ 2/3 of Rome destroyed
◦ Nero bought up burned land for palace complex
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Scapegoated Christians for fire and carried out
first persecutions of Christians
Many Romans sacrificed at “sports” events
Painted, sculpted, sang, acted
Very extravagant – taxed Patricians
68 CE – committed suicide at age 30 as 3
provinces were in revolt and Praetorian Guard
deserted him
Last of Julius Caesar’s bloodline
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Poster child showing the folly of excess
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Senate gave him imperial power after the Year of
4 Emperors (civil war) following Nero’s suicide
Led Roman invasion of Britain (43 CE) and
subjugated Judea during Jewish rebellion (66 CE)
Gave citizenship to people in many provinces
Founded the Flavian dynasty
◦ First emperor to be succeeded by his own son
Built Flavian Amphitheatre (aka Colosseum) on
grounds of Nero’s palace
 First emperor since Augustus
who did not die violently
or unnaturally
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Stable
Able
Memorable
Vespasian’s son
 Famous for capture of
Jerusalem in 70 CE
 Given a Triumphal Arch
 Ideal Emperor
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◦ Spent lavish sums on games and
monuments
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Gave financial aid to people who
suffered from explosion of Mt
Vesuvius and victims of the Great
Fire in Rome
Died of fever
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Stable
Able
Memorable
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Younger brother of Titus
Efficient but arrogant
Tyrannical and totalitarian ruler:
◦ He saw himself as the new Augustus, an enlightened
despot destined to guide the Roman Empire into a new
era of brilliance.
◦ Religious, military, and cultural propaganda fostered
a cult of personality
◦ Nominated himself as perpetual censor, seeking to
control public and private morals
◦ Popular with the people and army but considered a
tyrant by members of the Roman Senate
◦ First Roman Emperor who had demanded to be
addressed as dominus et deus (master and god)
Assassinated by those paid by the Senate and his
wife Domitilla, thus ending the Flavian Dynasty
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Potentially good, yet ultimately bad
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First of the so-called Five “Good” Emperors
(i.e. he worked well with the Senate)
Chosen by the Senate (first time) to rule after
Domitian’s assasination (Domitian’s advisor)
Started method of imperial succession
Took the title of Augustus and chose a new
Caesar to replace him (Trajan)
Increased welfare payments to the masses
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Stable
Able
Memorable
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Born in Spain
Outstanding soldier and general
Officially declared by
the senate as optimus
princeps ("the best ruler")
Military conquests expanded
empire to its maximum extent
Conquered Dacia (Romania) and
Parthia
◦ Dacian conquests commemorated with
sculpted column
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Public works projects in Rome
included baths, markets, basilica,
new forum
Considered a “virtuous pagan” by
medieval scholars
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Great soldier
Able administrator
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Succeeded his adopted father, Trajan
Great admirer of Greek culture
Great soldier who spent much time with his
armies on the frontier establishing permanent
barriers against barbarians
Gave up new territories in east, accept Dacia
Political reformer: senators and Equities
received training
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Hadrian built 73 mile (117 km)
defensive wall across Britain to
separate Romans from
barbarians
Wall is 20 bricks high x 2.5m
wide
Small forts installed every
1500m and lookouts every
500m
Manned by 13,000 auxiliaries
living on south side
Wall took 3 legions 5 years to
build
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Great soldier
Builder of defensive walls
Enemy of Jewish peoples
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Co-emperor with brother, Lucius Verus, until
Verus’ death in 169 CE
Spent most of his rule on frontiers keeping
barbarians out
Increased size of army and taxes, yet lowered
taxes for poor
Lenient towards political criminals
Plague killed thousands during rule, causing
much doubt in Empire
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Reign marked by fighting
barbarians
Known for his Stoic
philosophy
◦ Transient nature of all things on
earth
◦ Do not let emotion override
reason
◦ Do not lament things that
happen beyond your control
◦ Only thing you can control is
your attitude and outlook
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Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
Heliogabalus (218-224 CE)
Emperor at 14
Held hereditary rank of high
priest to Carthaginian and
Syrian god Ba’al (human
sacrifice)
Homosexual
Wanted to be a woman: plucked
hair from body, wore make-up
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Raped, married, then divorced a vestal
virgin known as aquila severa (“the great
sewer”)
Prostituted himself in the taverns and
brothels
Enjoyed severe punishment when caught
Executed with his mother; bodies thrown in
Tiber River
His followers’ fate: genitals ripped off and
pierced by pikes in the anus “so that their
death fitted their lives”