Transcript Five Good Emperors and Beyond

Five Good Emperors and
Beyond
Does good leadership make a
difference?
Rebellion
• After the death of
Nero provinces
declared their own
commanders emperor
• For a yr commanders
from the East and the
West claimed power
• Galba, Otho, and
Vitellius all were
emperors in one yr
Vespasian
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Son of middle class Italians, father
auctioneer, served all over the empire and
gained experience under Julio-Claudian
emperors, Nero’s companion, put in charge
of stopping Jewish rebellion in Palestine, in
process of destroying Jerusalem when Nero
murdered by guards, stayed in Alexandria
to secure Egypt
Left Titus in charge of destroying Jerusalem
and the Jewish rebels who hid at Masada
Once emperor determined, practical and
down to earth
Restored Rome through Public works, most
famous was a new theatre called the
Coliseum built on Nero’s lake of the palace
Put down rebellion all over the empire,
extended citizens rights, promoted
urbanization by building huge apartment
complexes
Promoted his son and other to important
positions, kicked intellectuals who criticized
him out of Rome
When he died he had prepared for a
smooth transition to Titus
Titus
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Titus son of Vespasian, considered
wild, immoderate and had been the
one who did the dirty work of
Vespasian
He fell in love with Bernice a Judean
woman he had met while destroying
Jerusalem, brought her to Rome, she
hate Rome and forced Titus to break it
off
Better emperor than heir, kind,
compassionate, fair, intelligent and
respected the office of emperor
Vesuvius exploded under his rule
destroying Pompeii and Herculaneum,
provided disaster relief and visited
area, another fire in Rome, rebuilt
bigger and better w/ public
celebrations, quarantined sections of
Italy as the plague began to spread
After 2yrs suddenly died, dying word I
have made only one mistake.
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Domitian
Rome unprepared for Titus’s death, no
children or heir, his brother Domitian
filled the gap, had ruled Rome after
the death of Vitellius until Vespasian
could rule
Terrible reputation, yet administered
empire well, completed father’s and
brother’s projects, put on extravagant
games at the Coliseum suppressed
rebellions, expanded empire
Many public works like roads, palaces,
and settlements built without raising
taxes
Acted arrogant and paraded around in
royal garb at his palace and royal court
Championed Rome’s religion and
attacked anything that was opposed to
it, attacking Judaism and Christianity
Became paranoid, saw conspiracies
everywhere, his wife, the palace
guards , servants and high ranking
senators all killed him in his bedroom,
Rome celebrated by pulling down his
statues
Nerva
• An aging senator without
an heir made emperor
• Unable to maintain order
• Military discontent
• Revolt broke out, soldiers
pushed past Nerva and
killed Domitian’s killers
• Adopted Trajan, governor
of Germany, giving him
the title father of the
country, lived out life
(months) in peace
Trajan
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One of Rome’s most influential
and popular emperors, ruled 20
yrs, military conquests, good gov’t,
good relations w/ senate and good
attitude
1st emperor born outside of Italy, in
Spain, after Nerva’s death spent
2yrs securing the northern borders
Created public assistance for poor
children, rebuilt the forum (market)
with large buildings, 2 libraries,
brought in luxury goods from all
over the empire, food, spices, and
rare hides
Many military conquests, fell ill
trying to put down rebellion in
East, put Hadrian in charge and
died of a stroke
Hadrian
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Rose through connections in Trajan’s
family, relationship w/ Trajan’s wife
who really adopted him
Followed popular Trajan and cleaned
up his messes, stabilized Rome, built
defenses on borders like Hadrian’s
wall in Britannia
Admired the Greeks so he wore a
beard like a Greek, Studied Greek
literature and gave privilege to Athens,
Started another revolt in Jerusalem by
building a temple to Jupiter where
Solomon’s temple once stood
Cranky, strict disciplinarian, lived out
last yrs in a Palace Tivoli suffering
from a medical ailment that caused
him to try to commit suicide
Died of natural causes
Antoninus Pius
• Hadrian’s successor from a
prominent family , little
administrative or military
experience, 51 and chosen to
maintain order till Hadrian's
nephew Marcus Aurelius was
ready
• Fair, judicious, good looking,
well spoken, even tempered
and unpretentious, loved ruling
from his country estate, ruled
23 yrs , never left Italy, no
major wars, military thinned out
Marcus Aurellius
• Known as the philosopher
emperor, wrote a stoic
journal called Meditations
• Travelled with Hadrian in
battle
• Requested that good
friend Varus be made coemperor
• Persecuted Christians as
a secretive cult, heard
law cases, painful
medical conditions led to
drug addiction, died in
Vienna
Emperors Continue
• Commodus , Marcus Aurelius’s
son next Gladiator movie about
him, loved sex and sports,
killed by senators and favorite
concubine
• Pertinax a 66 yr old senator
who reluctantly to emperor,
tried to bring finances in line,
emperor 87 days
• Severi –Septimus,Caracalla,
Geta, Macrinus, Elagabalus
and Alexander rule Rome with
ever increasing failure, more
money lost, legions unhappy,
borders shrinking