The roman empire Mr. Cline History Marshall High School Marshall High School Mr. Cline Western Civilization I: Ancient Foundations Unit Four EA
* Introduction to the Julio-Claudian Dynasty In this lesson, we're going to tackle the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, the first imperial dynasty of the Roman Empire. In power from 27 BC to 68 AD, the dynasty included the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. Although many of its members seemed a bit nuts, the Julio-Claudian Dynasty is arguably the most famous dynasty of the Empire. As we go through the details of this dynasty, it may just seem like a really violent soap opera. Men came to power through forced marriage, divorce, assassination, and murder. While discussing the twists and turns that make this dynasty infamous, there are three main points I'd like us to grasp. First, the Julio-Claudian Dynasty was the first dynasty to rule the Roman Empire. Second, Augustus was its first emperor and the only Julio-Claudian not to face a violent death.
* Introduction to the Julio-Claudian Dynasty Last, none of the emperors of the dynasty were succeeded by their biological sons, or in other words, their direct male heir. Keeping these three things in mind, let's get to our Julio-Claudian emperors. Augustus As previously stated, Augustus kicked off the Julio-Claudian Dynasty. From the Roman family group, Julia, he gives us the Julio part of the Julio- Claudian name. Although he is remembered by history as Augustus, his actual name was Octavian. Furthermore, he was the adopted son and actual great nephew of the famous Julius Caesar. After the assassination of Julius Caesar, and after winning an infamous battle with the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, the Roman senate declared Octavian the guy in charge, giving him the name Augustus, meaning great, venerable, or revered. This occurred in the year 27 BC.
* Introduction to the Julio-Claudian Dynasty Augustus As previously stated, Augustus kicked off the Julio-Claudian Dynasty. Ironically, Augustus never declared himself emperor, but instead called himself the First Citizen (Princeps). However, due to the power and control he wielded, history and tradition have awarded him the title of the first Roman emperor. During his reign, he definitely lived up to this title, having complete authority over every Roman colony. This power enabled him to restore peace within the Empire, beginning the famous Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. Under this peace, the agricultural production, economy, and arts of the Empire boomed, and in 2 BC Augustus was declared Pater Patriae, the father of his country.
* Introduction to the Julio-Claudian Dynasty Tiberius Augustus illustrious reign came to an end with his natural, non-violent death in the year 14 AD. Upon his death, Tiberius, from the Roman family group, Claudia, took the throne. Hence the name, Julio-Claudian Dynasty. Now, let's remember none of the Julio-Claudian emperors were succeeded by their biological sons. In fact, Tiberius was the son of Augustus' wife from her first marriage. He was, what we would call, Augustus' step-son. In order to make the family connection even stronger, and in perfect soap opera style, Augustus forced Tiberius to divorce his wife, and then take the hand of his, Augustus', daughter in marriage. Unlike his predecessor, Tiberius was a soldier who never really wanted to be an emperor.
* Introduction to the Julio-Claudian Dynasty Tiberius Not one for enjoying the pomp and circumstance of Rome, he spent a large part of his reign on the island of Capri. While there, he abandoned most of his imperial duties to his advisor, Sejanus. Unfortunately, Sejanus decided to have an affair with the wife of Tiberius' son. This didn't go over to well with Tiberius, and after a series of very dramatic events, Sejanus was brutally executed. History tells us Tiberius became more and more paranoid as he aged. His later years were filled with the trial and executions of those he even suspected of treason. As his paranoia grew, he remained on the island of Capri.
* Introduction to the Julio-Claudian Dynasty Tiberius Caligula and Claudius Having reached their fill of his paranoia and murderous reign, Tiberius was assassinated by a member of his praetorian guard, or body guards, in the year 37 AD. With this violent death of the second Julio-Claudian emperor, Caligula took the throne. Caligula was the adopted, not biological, son of Tiberius. In actuality, he was his nephew, the son of his deceased brother Germanicus. Germaincus had been a great general, beloved by his troops, and he had taken his young son on campaign with him, and even provided him with a miniature military uniform, right down to some little boots, which is what Caligula means in Latin, little boots. Although they weren't truly father and son, it could be said Caligula was a chip off the old Tiberius block.
* Introduction to the Julio-Claudian Dynasty Caligula and Claudius Like his adopted dad, Caligula executed many of his subjects for treason. Taking things a step further, he murdered his own adopted son, pillaged the treasuries of Rome, and is generally remembered as being a madman. Whether all the stories of his violent reign are true, his unpopularity did lead to his assassination in the year 41 AD, making him the second Julio-Claudian emperor to die a violent death. This brings us to Claudius, the next guy to claim the throne. Turning things a bit up-side down, Claudius was actually the uncle of his predecessor, Caligula. Making him stand out from his fellow Julio-Claudians, Claudius was chosen by the army, not a ruling emperor or the senate.
* Introduction to the Julio-Claudian Dynasty Caligula and Claudius Although the army actually chose him because they thought he would be weak and easy to control, as he was lame in one leg, and never considered intelligent, nor athletic or warrior like by the other members of his family, including his mother and step father, Claudius ended up being rather competent. He waged several military campaigns and is credited for increasing the territory of the Roman Empire. He is most famous for his conquering of Britain in the year 43 AD. Although Claudius may have been an excellent military leader, he was a very poor judge of character. In 54 AD he was murdered by his wife, who also happened to be his niece, and her son Nero, a son from another man, we might add, took the throne. Thus, we have another Julio-Claudian dying a violent death and someone not his son taking the throne.
* Introduction to the Julio-Claudian Dynasty Nero Unfortunately for the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, Nero takes the cake as one of the most infamous emperors of Rome. Although it has never been proven, he is accused of starting the 64 AD Great Fire of Rome. Making him even more notorious, history tells us he blamed the Christians for the fire and began persecuting them en masse. Add to this, he is credited with the murder of his mom (yes, the same woman who poisoned her husband so he could have the throne), his first wife, and his stepbrother, and you can see why Rome reached their fill of him by 68 AD. Facing a sentence of death from the Roman senate, Nero committed suicide. Dying with no heir in place, his suicide brought the final violent death to the Julio-Claudian Dynasty.
* Year of the Four Emperors Other than Caesar Augustus, the most famous emperors of Rome are arguably the Flavian Emperors. These famous Flavians, Vespasian and his two sons, Titus and Domitian, reigned during some of Rome's greatest triumphs and tragedies. Before we get to the details of these famous Flavians, let's see how they came to power in the year known to history as the Year of the Four Emperors. When Emperor Nero was deposed without an heir in the year 68 AD, the position of emperor was up for grabs. What ensued was a bloody year in which four men claimed, then tried to hold, the crown. The first man to begin the Year of the Four Emperors was Galba. As a respected general, Galba seemed to have what it took to be emperor. Unfortunately, he was old, and when he chose his heir, a man named Otho challenged this decision.
* Year of the Four Emperors When a supporter of Otho assassinated Galba, Otho took the throne as the year's second emperor. Sadly for Otho, he lacked the military might to hold the throne. When Vitellius, another military man, challenged the throne, Otho actually committed suicide, handing the crown to Vitellius, the year's third emperor. Ironically, Vitellius proved to be as weak as his predecessor. Within a very short time, his generals had more power than he did, and Vitellius was actually dragged into the streets and murdered. * Vespasian as Victor Enter Titus Flavius Vespasianus, a conquering general, who claimed the throne as the year's fourth and final emperor. Known to history as Vespasian, he took and held the crown, beginning the Flavian Dynasty of emperors. Since Vespasian sort of won the Year of the Four Emperors, we're giving him the nickname, Vespasian the Victor.
* Year of the Four Emperors This is especially fitting since he restored stability to the Empire after a year of chaos. As the victor, he also suppressed several rebellions throughout the Empire, the most famous being the Jewish rebellion, centered in Judea. Adding to these victories, Vespasian won the heart of Rome by creating a welloiled propaganda machine. For example, when his son, Titus, sacked Jerusalem, Vespasian organized an extravagant ceremony, or triumph, in which they showed off their spoils of war. Not content with only showing off the spoils of war, Vespasian won public opinion by beginning the construction of one of Rome's greatest treasures, the Colosseum, known to ancient Rome as the Flavian Amphitheatre. Winning the game of public opinion, Vespasian ruled until his death by illness, not assassination, in the year 79 AD. Upon his death, his eldest son, Titus, took his crown.
* The Tragedies of Titus As emperor, Titus held great promise. After all, it was he who commanded the Roman legions that conquered Jerusalem. It was he who marched through Rome in victorious triumph. One of Rome's greatest monuments, the Arch of Titus, commemorates his fame. Despite this illustrious resume, Titus' reign was short. It was also filled with some of Rome's greatest tragedies. For this reason, we'll remember him as Titus the Tragic. It was within Titus' reign that Mt. Vesuvius erupted, burying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under volcanic ash. Adding to this tragedy, a fire ravaged Rome in the year 80 AD. As if this wasn't enough to earn him the nickname Titus the Tragic, his reign also saw the outbreak of the plague within the Empire.
* The Tragedies of Titus On top of all these ill-fated events, Titus himself succumbed to illness, dying in 81 AD. * Domitian Dominates Upon the tragic death of Titus, the third and last Flavian emperor took the throne. His name was Domitian, son of Vespasian and younger brother of Titus. Because of Domitian's overbearing personality, and his propensity to see himself as a god, we'll be remembering him as Domitian the Domineering. As a domineering emperor, this famous Flavian considered himself a god. While previous emperors at least referred to themselves as 'first citizens' or 'first among equals,' Domitian preferred to be called 'master and god.' Seeing himself in this light, Domitian usually ignored the desires of the Roman senate and aristocracy. He dealt cruelly with his critics, seizing their property, and ordering their deaths.
* Domitian Dominates He also levied heavy taxes, and spent a great deal of money staging extravagant games and building monument after monument in his family's honor. Eventually, the aristocracy of Rome reached their fill of Domitian and his domineering ways. In 96 AD, Domitian was assassinated. Since he died without a living heir, the famous Flavian Dynasty died with him. * Introduction to Five Good Emperors When Emperor Domitian was assassinated without a living heir in the year 96 AD, the Roman Senate quickly and wisely chose a man to take his place. This man's name was Nerva, and lucky for the Empire, this choice was a good one. Nerva's reign began the Nervan-Antonine Dynasty, which included what history calls the Five Good Emperors.
* Introduction to Five Good Emperors In order of their reign, they were: Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, And, last but certainly not least, Marcus Aurelius. As we discuss these emperors, we'll highlight the details of each reign. In doing this, there are two main points I'd like you to grasp. First, the Five Good Emperors brought relative peace, stability, and prosperity to Rome. Since they were preceded, then followed by, some pretty ruthless characters, this makes them stand out in the pages of Roman history.
* Introduction to Five Good Emperors Second, the reign of the Five Good Emperors was characterized by the adopting of one's heir to the throne, rather than the crown simply going to a biological son or whoever was strong enough to take it. In other words, the emperor passed his crown on to the man he felt was the most worthy to wear it, regardless of blood ties. Making this transition even more seamless, the adopted son actually shared in the imperial duties while his adopted father still lived. Now, onto our Five Good Emperors. Nerva and Trajan As already stated, Nerva began the reign of the Five Good Emperors in 96 AD. Unlike many emperors, he is remembered in history as a rather honorable guy. He lessened the strain of taxation on his people and worked to bring back into the fold of Rome those who had been mistreated and exiled by his predecessor, Domitian.
* Introduction to Five Good Emperors Since Nerva was up there in age when he took the crown, his reign was short lived. However, before he died, he adopted Trajan as his heir, thus beginning the custom of adoption to the throne. Trajan ruled as a soldier and went to work expanding the boundaries of the empire. He annexed several areas, and grew the empire larger than ever before. Adding to this, he oversaw many building programs within Rome, including the renovation of the Circus Maximus and the enlargement of the Forum. Today, Trajan's Column still stands in honor of his reign. Before Trajan died, he adopted Hadrian as heir. Hadrian and Pius Unlike Trajan, Hadrian did not work to extend the boundaries of the empire.
* Introduction to Five Good Emperors On the contrary, he is most famous for the wall he built in order to plant them firmly in place. Although the most famous of these is Hadrian's Wall in Britain, several others were constructed throughout the empire. Apart from the walls he built, Hadrian is also remembered for the Second Jewish War. In this conflict, his reign squelched a Jewish rebellion in Judea, destroying the city of Jerusalem, its population, and its surrounding villages. And, with this we come to his successor, Antoninus Pius. Antoninus Pius reigned from 138 AD to 161 AD. Although his reign was long, we know very little about the man himself. Perhaps the least famous of the Five Good Emperors, history tells us he was actually very well-liked by the subjects he ruled.
* Introduction to Five Good Emperors Unlike his predecessors, Pius was content to stay within the borders of Italy, ruling the Empire during one of its most peaceful eras. Perhaps his most memorable accomplishment is his adoption of Marcus Aurelius as heir and his odd choice to give Aurelius a co-heir named Lucius Verus. Aurelius and Verus Coming to the throne in 161 AD, Aurelius and Verus shared the title of emperor. Although Aurelius never sought to rob Verus of honor or power, Verus died from illness less than a decade into their reign. With his early death, Verus has been overshadowed by Aurelius. In fact, he is not even included as one of the Five Good Emperors. With this we turn attention to Marcus Aurelius, arguably the most famous of the Five Good Emperors.
* Introduction to Five Good Emperors Aurelius and Verus Ironically, Marcus Aurelius is not usually remembered for military accomplishment or political advancement. Instead he's remembered for his philosophical beliefs. As a student of Stoicism, Aurelius held to the belief that any destructive emotions (for example jealousy, rage, fear) come from an error in a person's judgment. Accordingly, through exercising self-control, a wise man can free himself of such emotions, thus reaching moral perfection. This belief system ruled Aurelius' life and left us with his famous writings known simply as his Meditations. In this collection, Marcus Aurelius gives a glimpse into the man he was. Here are just a few of his most famous meditations.
* Introduction to Five Good Emperors Aurelius and Verus You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth. * Commodus And perhaps my favorite: Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one. With these quotes, we come to the end of our Five Good Emperors, but unfortunately, not the end of the Nervan-Antonine Dynasty. There is one more emperor we must mention, and he is known to history as Commodus. He is definitely not remembered as good. Commodus took the throne as the actual biological son of Marcus Aurelius in the year 180 AD.
* Commodus Unlike his father and the other Five Good Emperors, Commodus had no compunction toward self-control or goodness. Upon taking the throne, he began executing anyone he felt was a threat to his power. He also terrorized the Senate, robbing them of their possessions in order to fill his own pockets. Remembered by history as being rather nuts, he believed himself to be the embodiment of the god Hercules. Not only did he believe this, he forced those around him to address him as such. After putting up with his craziness for over a decade, Rome reached its fill of the Emperor Commodus. He was assassinated in the year 192 AD. This assassination would make him the only emperor of the Nervan- Antonine Dynasty to meet a violent death. It would also spell the end of the dynasty.