Transcript The Emperors

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The Emperors
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No King!
Romans struggled and wove their way through
all kinds of political adjustments, but the one
thing that almost all agreed upon was “No
King.” So, how did they end up with an
emperor?
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Please Read!
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The Grachi brothers
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Marius
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Sulla
But we aren’t going to talk about them today.
The First Triumvirate
Pompey and Crassus serve as consul in 70 BC
Julius Caesar serves as consul in 59 BC
Seemed to be powerful and influential,
but…………..
Couldn’t get anything they wanted through the
Senate
▪Crassus – low life
▪Julius Caesar – family was broke
▪Pompey – great general who had reshaped the world,
Dangerfield
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but was like Rodney
Successful, Until it is not
Crassus killed fighting Parthians
Julius Caesar recalled from Gaul
Pompey enlisted to defend Rome against
Caesar
The Triumvirate had been an alliance of convenience –
it was no longer so
▪
Julius chases Pompey down to Egypt
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Pompey killed by the Egyptians
but Julius Caesar found other
things in Egypt that interested
him.
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The Senate’s Caesar Problem
Declares himself dictator for life in 44 BC
Love affair with Cleopatra and attachment to
Egypt
Does he think he is a God? [descendent of
Venus]
“Et tu Brute?”
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2nd Triumvirate
Octavius – adopted son of Caesar
Caesar’s two lieutenants
Marc Antony
Lepidus
Issues: Heir, Money, Power, Influence,
Manipulation, Egypt
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Caesar Augustus (31 BC – 14 AD)
A return to the Republic was neither possible, nor desirable
Empire had become too big
Someone had to control the armies
After consolidating his power he went through motions of
reinstating the republic
Senate made him consul, imperator (head of the army), and
princeps (first citizen), Augustus
It was all a façade, but he ruled well
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What is “ruling well”
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Act in a fiscally responsible way both in terms of financial income and
expenditure.
Are militarily conservative in terms of land grabbing.
Are fair with provincials, providing military support and minimizing the
tax burden.
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Balance the interests of the military, Senate, and plebs.
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Act as a model for all Roman citizens.
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Act in a decisive and timely way.
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Establish a secure succession to prevent civil war after their deaths
[list borrowed from Francis Tichener]
Julio -Claudians
Julius
Octavius
Tiberius
Gaius [aka. Caligula]
Claudius
Nero
Remember Virgil’s Aeneid
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Tiberius
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Not Octavius first choice
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Son of Livia by a previous marriage
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Able administrator
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Passed reigns of leadership to his greatnephew Gaius [Caligula]
Caligula – “little boots”
Assassinated opposition
Seized property
Ordered all temples and shrines to include emperor
worship
Delayed in Judea
Claimed to be Jupiter
Increasing madness until the Praetorian Guard
terminated and installed his uncle Claudius
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Claudius (A.D. 41-54)
Never sought to rule
Uncle of Caligula, nephew of Tiberius
Liked to read books and hang out with family,
friends, and scholars
Expelled Jews from Rome in 49 AD because
they rioted over “Chrestus”
This may have been when Aquila and Priscella left
Rome and moved to Corinth (Acts 18:1-3)
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Claudius had woman problems
Married four times
Messina was a mess
Agrippina manipulated her son Nero into a favorable
position for succession, then killed Claudius with
poisoned mushrooms
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Nero (AD 54-68)
Always manipulative and violent, but was
controlled early when he let Seneca and
mother, Agrappina, influence him
Considered himself an aesthete
Sing for twelve hours at a time
Wrote poetry
Played the lyre
Loved chariot racing – reputed to have won
1700+ races in one year
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Naughty Nero
Tries to kill mother
Orders death of Seneca
The Roman fire of 64 – Did he start it?
Christian persecution
Tacitus says “an immense multitude” was put to
death
Deposed and kills himself (kind of)
The Year of Four Emperors (AD
69)
Galba
Otho
Vitellius
Vespasian (AD 69-79)
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Vespasian (AD 69-79)
Fighting Jewish rebels
Joins with prefects of Syria and Egypt and uses his
Mediterranean armies to seize power
Restores order to Empire, strengthens it
Instigates building projects
“I think I feel myself becoming a god….”
Begins the Flavian dynasty
Titus (79-81 AD)
Assumed command in Judea when Vespasian
became emperor
Destroys the temple in AD 70
The first “natural” son to succeed his father as
emperor
Everyone dies
others)
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(sometimes with the help of
Domitian (AD 81-96)
Somewhat able administrator, but not well
liked
Made his officials call him “Lord and God”
Facilitated persecution of Jews and Christians
John on Patmos
Revelation 1-3
He started killing important Romans so they
killed
him
back.
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The preceding emperors cover the period of the
Scriptures.
The following emperors cover the period of the
Early Church, and will be dealt with in the
course “Church and Empires”
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The Five Good Emperors
Nerva
(no, not this guy)
Trajan
Hadrian
Antoninus Pius
Lucius Verus
Marcus Aurelius
Commodus of “The Gladiator” only slightly
resembles
the Commodus of history
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Skipping Forward
Diocletian (AD 284-305)
Doesn’t like cults of any kind (including Christianity)
Splits the empire
Reunited (for awhile) under Constantine
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