1. The Good, the Bad, and Some Really Ugly
Rome’s “Box of Chocolates” Emperors

2. Rome’s Best Emperor Octavian Augustus First Roman Emperor
Senate named him Augustus meaning “revered personage” or “exhalted one” in 27 BC
Rules from 27 BC to 14 AD
Ended years of civil war
Was not interested in dictatorial rule; shared power with close advisors
Successfully discharged soliders reducing army (still kept 28 legions for auxillery strength)
Died of illness on August 19, 14 AD

3. TIBERIUS (14 CE – 37 CE) Stepson of Augustus
Designated Augustus’ successor when others died
Morose and suspicious
Unpopular because he spent little money on public games
Good administrator and economist
Became old and senile
Smothered to death

4. GAIUS “CALIGULA” (little boots)
Unbalanced nephew of Tiberius
Also unpopular
Megalomaniac
Tried to make his horse a senator
Murdered by a member of the Praetorian Guard

5. CLAUDIUS (41 CE – 54 CE) Uncle of Caligula
Ungainly, doltish appearance
An excellent organizer
Expanded the bureaucracy
Served poisoned mushrooms by his fourth wife

6. NERO (54 CE – 68 CE) Son of Claudius
Killed his own mother (tried to poison, drowning, then just had her executed)
Considered a tyrant
Ordered assassination of real and imagined enemies
Artist and poet (mostly self-proclaimed)
Supposedly fiddled as Rome burnt
Blamed the fire on the Christians and persecuted them
Committed suicide, had a companion stab him

7. Vespasian (69-79AD)
Worked hard and lived in a stable relationship with a woman he loved
First rate soldier
Built the Flavian Amphitheater later known as the Coliseum
Died in 79 AD just before completion of the Coliseum
Granted citizenship to non-Italians
Famous for sacking Jerusalem, destroying the Temple, and dispersing the Jews
Stabilized gov’t spending

8. DOMITIAN (81 CE – 96 CE) Brother of Titus “Holy Terror”
Murdered after 15 years by people in his own household
Persecuted Jews and Christians
Otherwise governed well

9. Trajan Ruled from 98-117 AD Public works: Built Trajan’s Forum
Extensive reconstruction of the Circus Maximus, the great arena for chariot races
Great reputation and very efficient
Expanded Rome militarily
Fell ill and died on August 9, 117 AD

10. Trajan’s Forum

11. Trajan’s Forum

12. Trajan’s Column (Depicting success in Dacia)

13. Trajan’s Forum Today

14. HADRIAN (117 CE – 138 CE) Brilliant and versatile
Excellent administator and brave soldier
He consolidated the Empire and built walls in Scotland and along the Rhine River to contain the Barbarians
Gifted architect
Built the Pantheon
Constructed the Castel Saint Angelo, a beautiful fortress tomb which still stands in Rome.

15. THE PANTHEON

16. COMMODUS (180 CE – 192 CE) Son of Marcus Aurelius
Unfit, broke the tradition of “best man”
Fought in the gladitorial contests
Poor ruler
Strangled to death in his bath

17. Marcus Aurelius Ruled from 161-180 AD Gifted general Philosopher
Fell ill and died on March 17, 180 AD
Empire began to erode under his son Commodus (end of Pax Romana)

18. CONSTANTINE Ruled with 4 others from 305 – 324
Ruled alone from 324 – 337
312 had a religious vision, seeing a cross and so became a Christian
Passed the Edict of Milan in 313 which granted religious toleration
As Western Empire collapsed, moved to Constantinople and made it the capital city