The Roman Emperors

Augustus

-lived in a simple home -speeches are about good moral behaviour -all his clothes made by his wife -Julia held orgies in the Roman forum -he banished his daughter -famous for his love affairs -44 year reign -no son so he named Tiberius as heir -Livia poisoned him with figs

Tiberius

-palace in Capri was remote -loved feasting—huge parties -pornography of all kinds all over the walls -like little boys—broke the legs of boys that refused his advances -bitter and cruel -perceived rivals were tortured and thrown off the cliffs -soldiers waiting at sea level with boat hooks -killed a lot of senators for trumped up charges -smothered by his own guards

Caligula

-25 year old adopted grandson -ended the treason trials and began a public building -after witness the death of his mother and brothers at the hands of Tiberius—he was plagued by nightmares and insomnia -watched tortures while he was eating -executed his own father in law -siezes the wives ofhis guests at his will---he would go and have sex with her and then returning to recount her various merits to her husband and the rest of the diners -marble stable, slaves for his favourite race horse -spending bankrupted the treasury -opened a brothel in the royal palace -declared himself a living god, replaced heads on the statues of the gods with his own face

-he kicked his pregnant wife to death for questioning his whereabouts -Mommy poisoned her husband Claudius to put Nero on the throne -had Agrippina exiled from the palace and then had her killed… built a collapsible boat designed to drown her…she survives… so he has her stabbed -fire allowed him to hand out charity afterwards -cleared as spot for his golden house -120 feet tall statute in his new house -mile long corridors -circulating dome in dining hall painted with the stars -blamed the Christians for the fire -100s crucified, burned alive at night to serve as lamps, torn to death by wild beasts -unable to pay the army toward the end because he was bankrupting the empire -army revolted -Senate sentenced to be flogged to death…committed suicide

Domitian -81CE -afraid of assassination -very paranoid -worried about his balding -wrote a book called “The Care of the Hair” -lived in the shadow of his father and brother -huge palace -public didn’t like him -seen as a fake -shiny marble palace so he could see the shadow of anyone approaching him -hundreds of people executed for violations of “public morals” -executed lots of Senators -Sept 18, 96CE…predicted date of his death…hugely paranoid -wife helped plan his murder -killed in his bedroom by a messenger….grabs the dagger under his pillow had the blade removed

Hadrian

-most extravagant palace -become emperor in 117 CE -300 acre house…twice the size of Pompeii -artificial island in the palace -900 rooms -had a tremendous passion for architecture -took 1000 soldiers to guard the perimeter -20 tons of food to feed soldiers -hated his wife *she was difficult and moody -had a particular favourite male lover: Antinuous -Antinuous fell overboard and drowned in the Nile -Hadrian made an enormous fuss about his death -statues everywhere of Antinuous, named cities after him