Roman Emperors

Global Studies I

A superb general

and politician Turned Rome from republic to empire Reigned 46 – 44 BC changed the course of Roman history

1. Answer questions in the Reading Review. 2. Highlight words from each document that 3. 4. 5. 6.

you do not know and define. What kind of documents are these? Who are the speakers? Who is the audience for each document? What other information do you need to better understand these documents?

 Adopted by Caesar  Reigned 31 BC – 14 AD  huge expansion in the

Roman Empire  ended 100 years of civil war  Pax Romana  won over the Senate  surrendered to public scandals at home and abroad

reigned 14 – 37 AD political inability,

poor judgment and jealousy led Rome into a dark age of political purges, murder and terror When he died in 37 AD, Rome welcomed the news

 Reigned 37 – 41 AD  eccentricities became

terrifying  murdered after just five years in power  Dressed in silk robes and covered in jewels, Caligula pretended he was a god.  forced senators to grovel and kiss his feet and seduced their wives at dinner parties  Wife and daughter were killed to prevent reprisals

 Disfigured, awkward and

clumsy  Reigned 41 – 54 AD  black sheep of his family  made major improvements to Rome’s judicial system, passed laws protecting sick slaves, extended citizenship and increased women's privileges  treated his people with unusual respect  murdered by his wife Agrippina (Nero’s mother)

 reigned 54 – 68 AD  started out well as emperor  ended secret trials and gave

the Senate more independence  banned capital punishment, reduced taxes and allowed slaves to sue unjust owners  provided assistance to cities that had suffered disasters, gave aid to the Jews and established open competitions in poetry, drama and athletics  Dark side; committed Matricide – the murder of his own mother  declared a public enemy by the

Roman Senate  Committed suicide

 reigned 69 – 79 AD  proclaimed emperor by the

Senate  military dictatorship  worked hard to restore law, order and self-respect to Rome after the civil war  approached his work with an earthy humor and common sense unusual in someone of his rank  established the new, Flavian

dynasty  died of natural causes

 reigned 81 – 96 AD  known for wild excess  hated by the Roman

aristocracy, largely because of his cruelty and showiness  insisted on being addressed as “master and god”  launched treason trials, and executed or banished even his mildest critics  murdered by a group that included senior Praetorian Guards, palace officials and even the emperor’s own wife

 ruled 96 – 98 AD  became emperor

immediately after Domitian’s murder in 96 AD  swore that he would never execute any senator, whatever the provocation  badly humiliated by the Praetorian Guard  he died soon afterwards

 reigned 98 – 117 AD  expanded the Roman Empire to

become larger than ever before  tried to find competent and honest officials to rule the provinces  fair but strict with the army, ordering

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the execution of the Praetorian Guard who had defied Nerva ignored those who wanted Christians persecuted and, instead, treated them like other citizens generous to Rome’s population, giving out cash and increasing the number of poor citizens who could receive free grain. began a massive program of public works, building bridges, harbors and aqueducts reduced taxes and started a new welfare program for poor children

 reigned 117 – 138 AD  stabilized the empire, realigned

the borders and reformed the military, legal and economic systems of the Roman empire  Hadrian’s Wall  passion for architecture and Greek culture  extensive building program included the Pantheon in Rome, his villa in Tivoli and the city of Antinopolis

 reigned 138 – 161 AD  unusual peace and prosperity  rebellion in Britain forced him

to build (140–42) a wall between the Forth and Clyde rivers as a defense against invasions from Scotland (Wall of Antoninus)

 reigned 161 – 180 AD  concerned with public welfare and

sold even his personal possessions to lessen the effects of famine and plague in the empire

 persecuted Christians, believing them

a threat to the imperial system  champion of the poor, for whom he

founded schools, orphanages, and hospitals and alleviated the burden of taxes

 tried to humanize criminal laws and

the treatment of slaves by their masters  a Stoic philosopher, he is remembered

for his Meditations, a compendium of 12 books of moral precepts written in Greek