Augustus reign: 31 BCE - 14 CE 1st Emperor of Rome Established Pax Romana Nephew of Julius Caesar -Battled Marc Antony for power after the death of Caesar Helped Rome recover after about 100 years of Civil War: -meritocratic when it came to giving out high- paying jobs -started having a census (for tax purposes) -put unemployed men on public works projects -reign marked the beginning of the Pax Romana -issued new coins to make trade easier -set up a postal service -created law enforcement (police) Death: Natural causes. The next emperor was already taking power a year before his death. Tiberius Reign: 14 CE - 37 CE 2nd Emperor of Rome Stepson of Augustus after his parents divorced. Augustus eventually adopted him after his own natural sons died. -Emperor who Pontius Pilate worked for -Generally hired good governors for the provinces -Had a poor relationship w/the Senate -By end of his reign he was hated by patricians & plebs -Spent final years on Capri, depressed by betrayals from those closest to him. Communicated w/Senate via letters Death: natural causes (though some believe Caligula had something to do with it) -When he died, people in the streets were saying “To the Tiber with Tiberius!” Gaius (Caligula) Reign: 37 CE - 41 CE Crazy/Punky Young Emperor Nephew & adopted son of Tiberius, whose own son was murdered. Tiberius had given his power to both Caligula & a cousin. Caligula had his cousin killed. When he became Emperor, age 25, everyone loved him: -gave money to high ranking officials & military -burned Tiberius’ papers publicly -reimbursed people who had been wronged by Tiberius’ unfair tax system -let exiles come back into Rome Some of his odd behaviors: -nominated his horse to be Consul -liked to dress up like peasants, sometimes women, & walk around the streets -made people worship him like a god -“accidentally” sacrificed a priest instead of a sacrificial animal Death: murdered by his own bodyguards in the hallway of his palace - perhaps at the urging of Claudius, who would be the next Emperor Nero reign: 54 CE - 68 CE Evil Emperor of Rome Julio-Claudian Dynasty -possibly set fire to Rome in 64 CE -“Fiddled while Rome burned” -blamed Christians for the fire -persecuted Christians -kicked his pregnant wife, Poppaea, to death after a bad day at the race track -later had a male servant dress up as his dead wife & go by the name Poppaea -liked to act in the theater (which was only for low class people) -was declared by Senate to be a public enemy Death: Committed suicide after he was declared public enemy by the Senate. (His praetorian guard had been bribed by Galba - who would be the next emperor - to betray him, & that’s probably why he did it.) Vespasian Reign: 69 CE - 79 CE Builder of the Colosseum Flavian Dynasty -Parents were patrician business people -He became a senator -Nero gave him special command in the Holy Land to calm things down after a big revolt in Judea. He got Galilee under control and then Jerusalem. -Nero’s suicide in 68 led to chaos and there were 3 emperors within the next 18 months -He restored order & put the government back on track Death: Natural causes. Famous for his last words, “Vae, puto deus fio” (Dear me, I must be turning into a god). Marcus Aurelius Reign: 161 CE - 180 CE Philosopher Emperor Period of the Five Good Emperors His reign was the last of the Pax Romana -Father of Commodus (who is in Gladiator) -Co-emperor with Lucius Verus, his half-brother and son-in-law -Wrote book The Meditations -Considered very bright & fair -Close to Greek idea of a ‘philosopher king’ -Increased prosperity of Rome -Spent much of his rule fighting Germanic tribes on the northern border of the empire -Addicted to opium -Defeated invaders into Rome -Prohibited Christianity Death: Serious illness that caused him to refuse food and drink. He was succeeded by his son, Commodus, who was only 5. Commodus Reign: 180 CE - 192 CE Megalomaniac Emperor -Son of Marcus Aurelius; emperor at 5, took power at 19 -Promptly made peace deals w/the northern tribes and beat it back to Rome to enjoy peace. Received with a hero’s welcome. -People were excited to have an end to the fighting -He taxed members of Senate, & they hated him -The people & the army loved him -Later he began to dress like Hercules & eventually wanted to be called Hercules Romanus -Renamed Rome Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana -Liked to fight as a gladiator. He won every time! -In 190 he declared himself the new Romulus and said it was a new Golden Age in Rome, & said everyone should recognize it’s because of his greatness -In 190 he renamed all the days of the month to reflect the titles he held (Lucius, Aelius, Aurelius, Commodus, Augustus, Hercules, Romanus, Exsuperatorius, Amazonius, Invictus, Felix, Pius) -Relaxed persecution of Christians, thought it was still illegal to be a Christian. (Probably so he would be viewed as kind.) Death: After many attempts on his life, including one that his sister Lucilla planned and one by his mistress Marcia, he was finally strangled in his bath by his wrestling coach, Narcissus. His memory was cursed..