1. IMPERIAL TIMELINE

2. Expansion under Augustus

3. The Julio-Claudian Dynasty Augustus Tiberius (competent but paranoid and cruel) Caligula: insane Claudius: a decent leader; the empire started expanding again Nero: grandiose and crazy, but perhaps popular with rare glimpses of competence After the suicide of Nero there is chaos Stability returns with Vespasian’s accession

4. The Flavians Vespasian69 AD – 79 AD Titus79 AD – 81 AD Domitian81 AD – 96 AD The Flavians were competent emperors Financial reforms bring fiscal health Massive building program Disasters: Vesuvius, plague, and the destruction of Jerusalem, all under the short reign of Titus.

5. The 5 good emperors (2 nd c. AD) Nerva Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius Each adopted a competent successor. This is the high point of Imperial Rome. Under Trajan Rome reaches its greatest expansion in 117 AD.

6. Roman Empire under Trajan

7. The Decline and Fall The 3 rd century crisis Diocletian divides the empire into 4 parts in order to make it governable 4 th c: Constantine temporarily reunites the empire and advances Christianity After his death the empire splits into two. The Western part would be overrun by 476 AD The Eastern part would continue for another 1000 years, but changed into a Greek-speaking, Christian empire (Byzantium).