Ancient Rome Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Julio-Claudian dynasty=== The [[Julio-Claudian dynasty]] was established by [[Augustus]]. The emperors of this dynasty were Augustus, [[Tiberius]], [[Caligula]], [[Claudius]] and [[Nero]]. The Julio-Claudians started the destruction of republican values, but on the other hand, they boosted Rome's status as the central power in the Mediterranean region.<ref>[http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jucl/hd_jucl.htm The Julio-Claudian Dynasty (27 BC β 68 AD)]. by the Department of Greek and [[Roman art|Roman Art]], The [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]. October 2000. Retrieved 18 March 2007.</ref> While Caligula and Nero are usually remembered in popular culture as dysfunctional emperors, Augustus and Claudius are remembered as successful in politics and the military. This dynasty instituted imperial tradition in Rome<ref>{{Cite book |last=James Orr |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tn4PAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA2598 |title=The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia |publisher=Howard-Severance Company |year=1915 |page=2598}}</ref> and frustrated any attempt to reestablish a Republic.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Charles Phineas Sherman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F1iuAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA50 |title=Roman law in the modern world |publisher=The Boston book company |year=1917 |page=50}}</ref> Augustus ({{Reign|27 BC|AD 14}}) gathered almost all the republican powers under his official title, ''[[princeps]]'', and diminished the political influence of the [[Roman Senate|senatorial class]] by boosting the [[equestrian class]]. The senators lost their right to rule certain provinces, like Egypt, since the governor of that province was directly nominated by the emperor. The creation of the [[Praetorian Guard]] and his reforms in the military, creating a [[standing army]] with a fixed size of 28 legions, ensured his total control over the army.<ref>Werner Eck, ''The Age of Augustus''</ref> Compared with the Second Triumvirate's epoch, Augustus' reign as ''princeps'' was very peaceful, which led the people and the nobles of Rome to support Augustus, increasing his strength in political affairs.<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Augustus|volume=2|page=912|first=Henry Francis|last=Pelham|author-link=Henry Francis Pelham}}</ref> His generals were responsible for the field command; gaining such commanders as [[Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa]], [[Nero Claudius Drusus]] and [[Germanicus]] much respect from the populace and the legions. Augustus intended to extend the Roman Empire to the whole known world, and in his reign, Rome conquered [[Cantabrian Wars|Cantabria]], [[Aquitania]], [[Raetia]], [[Dalmatia]], [[Illyricum (Roman province)|Illyricum]] and [[Pannonia]].<ref>[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Augustus*.html] Suetonius, ''The Twelve Caesars'', ''Augustus'', XXI, 1.</ref> Under Augustus' reign, Roman literature grew steadily in what is known as the [[Golden Age of Latin Literature]]. Poets like [[Virgil]], [[Horace]], [[Ovid]] and [[Lucius Varius Rufus|Rufus]] developed a rich literature, and were close friends of Augustus. Along with [[Maecenas]], he sponsored patriotic poems, as Virgil's epic ''[[Aeneid]]'' and historiographical works, like those of [[Livy]]. Augustus continued the changes to the calendar promoted by [[Julius Caesar|Caesar]], and the month of August is named after him.<ref>[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Augustus*.html] Suetonius, ''The Twelve Caesars'', ''Augustus'', XXI.</ref> Augustus brought a peaceful and thriving era to Rome, known as ''[[Pax Romana|Pax Augusta]]'' or ''Pax Romana''. Augustus died in 14 AD, but the empire's glory continued after his era. [[File:Impero romano sotto Ottaviano Augusto 30aC - 6dC.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Extent of the Roman Empire under Augustus. The yellow legend represents the extent of the Republic in 31 BC, the shades of green represent gradually conquered territories under the reign of Augustus, and pink areas on the map represent [[client state]]s; areas under Roman control shown here were subject to change even during Augustus' reign, especially in [[Germania]].]] The Julio-Claudians continued to rule Rome after Augustus' death and remained in power until the death of Nero in 68 AD.{{Sfn|Duiker|Spielvogel|2001|page=[https://archive.org/details/worldhistoryto1500duik/page/140 140]}} Influenced by his wife, [[Livia Drusilla]], Augustus appointed her son from another marriage, [[Tiberius]], as his heir.<ref>[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Augustus*.html] Suetonius, ''The Twelve Caesars'', ''Augustus'', LXIII.</ref> The Senate agreed with the succession, and granted to Tiberius the same titles and honours once granted to Augustus: the title of ''princeps'' and ''[[Pater patriae]]'', and the [[Civic Crown]]. However, Tiberius was not an enthusiast for political affairs: after agreement with the Senate, he retired to [[Capri]] in 26 AD,<ref>[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/57*.html#ref4] Cassius Dio, ''Roman History'', LVII, 12.</ref> and left control of the city of Rome in the hands of the [[praetorian prefect]] [[Sejanus]] (until 31 AD) and [[Naevius Sutorius Macro|Macro]] (from 31 to 37 AD). Tiberius died (or was killed)<ref name="tarver1902">{{Cite book |last=John Charles Tarver |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3MHPAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA342 |title=Tiberius, the tyrant |publisher=A. Constable |year=1902 |pages=342β428 |access-date=31 May 2012}}</ref> in 37 AD. The male line of the Julio-Claudians was limited to Tiberius' nephew [[Claudius]], his grandson [[Tiberius Gemellus]] and his grand-nephew [[Caligula]]. As Gemellus was still a child, Caligula was chosen to rule the empire. He was a popular leader in the first half of his reign, but became a crude and insane tyrant in his years controlling government.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Johann Jakob Herzog |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VOkXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA99 |title=The Protestant Theological and Ecclesiastical Encyclopedia: Being a Condensed Translation of Herzog's Real Encyclopedia |last2=John Henry Augustus Bomberger |publisher=Lindsay & Blakiston |year=1858 |page=99}}; {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g8fmAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA445 |title=The Chautauquan |publisher=M. Bailey |year=1881 |page=445}}</ref> The Praetorian Guard murdered Caligula four years after the death of Tiberius,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Compendium |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d4ADAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA109 |title=A compendium of universal history. Ancient and modern, by the author of 'Two thousand questions on the Old and New Testaments'. |year=1858 |page=109}}</ref> and, with belated support from the senators, proclaimed his uncle [[Claudius]] as the new emperor.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sir William Smith |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ok4pAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA776 |title=Abaeus-Dysponteus |publisher=J. Murray |year=1890 |page=776}}</ref> Claudius was not as authoritarian as Tiberius and Caligula. Claudius conquered [[Lycia]] and [[Roman Thrace|Thrace]]; his most important deed was the beginning of the [[Roman conquest of Britain|conquest of Britannia]].<ref>[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Claudius*.html#ref74] Suetonius, ''The Twelve Caesars'', ''Claudius'', XVII.</ref> Claudius was poisoned by his wife, [[Agrippina the Younger]] in 54 AD.<ref>Claudius By Barbara Levick. p. 77.</ref> His heir was [[Nero]], son of Agrippina and her former husband, since Claudius' son [[Britannicus]] had not reached manhood upon his father's death. Nero sent his general, [[Gaius Suetonius Paulinus|Suetonius Paulinus]], to invade modern-day [[Wales]], where he encountered stiff resistance. The [[Celtic Britons|Celts]] there were independent, tough and resistant to tax collectors and fought Paulinus, as he battled his way across from east to west. It took him a long time to reach the north west coast, and in 60 AD he finally crossed the [[Menai Strait]] to the sacred island of Mona ([[Anglesey]]), the last stronghold of the [[druid]]s.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Brief History: Brief History of Great Britain |date=2009 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |page=34}}</ref> His soldiers [[Roman conquest of Anglesey|attacked the island]] and massacred the druids: men, women and children,<ref>{{Cite book |title=England Invaded |date=2014 |publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited |page=27}}</ref> destroyed the shrine and the [[sacred grove]]s and threw many of the sacred standing stones into the sea. While Paulinus and his troops were massacring druids in Mona, the tribes of modern-day [[East Anglia]] staged a revolt led by queen [[Boudica|Boadicea]] of the [[Iceni]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire |date=2010 |publisher=Hachette UK |page=30}}</ref> The rebels sacked and burned [[Camulodunum]], [[Londinium]] and [[Verulamium]] (modern-day [[Colchester]], London and [[St Albans]] respectively) before they were [[Defeat of Boudica|crushed by Paulinus]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 September 2016 |title=Gaius Suetonius Paulinus |url=https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/military-history/gaius-suetonius-paulinus/ |access-date=21 February 2023 |archive-date=13 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713102217/https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2016/09/27/gaius-suetonius-paulinus/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Boadicea, like [[Cleopatra]] before her, committed suicide to avoid the disgrace of being paraded in triumph in Rome.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Making Europe: The Story of the West, Volume I to 1790 |date=2013 |page=162}}</ref> Nero is widely known as the first persecutor of [[Christians]] and for the [[Great Fire of Rome]], rumoured to have been started by the emperor himself.<ref>[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Nero*.html#note119] Suetonius, ''The Twelve Caesars'', ''Nero'', XVI.; [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Tacitus/Annals/15B*.html#38] Tacitus, ''Annales'', XXXVIII.</ref> A conspiracy against Nero in 65 AD under [[Gaius Calpurnius Piso (conspirator)|Calpurnius Piso]] failed, but in 68 AD the armies under [[Gaius Julius Vindex|Julius Vindex]] in Gaul and [[Galba|Servius Sulpicius Galba]] in modern-day Spain revolted. Deserted by the Praetorian Guards and condemned to death by the senate, Nero killed himself.<ref>[http://www.roman-emperors.org/nero.htm Nero (54β68 AD)] by Herbert W. Benario. De Imperatoribus Romanis. 10 November 2006. Retrieved 18 March 2007.</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page