PROBLEM
OF IMPERIAL SUCCESSION: Week III O’Neil
JULIO-CLAUDIAN DYNASTY: 14-68 AD
AUGUSTUS : one daughter JULIA by former wife Scribonia
LIVIA: one son by prior marriage TIBERIUS
JULIA: marriages
arranged by Augustus:
Marcellus (nephew of Augustus, Theater of Marcellus)
Agrippa (Augustus' closest advisor),
Julia’s sons die: Agrippa Postumus killed
daughter: Agrippina, mother of Caligula
Tiberius (Augustus' stepson, son of Livia)
TIBERIUS (14-37 AD): adopted by Augustus
GERMANICUS
: nephew of Tiberius, popular general;
adopted as Tiberius’ successor;
grandson of Octavia,
Augustus’ sister,
wife Agrippina (the
elder) daughter of Agrippa & Julia
CALIGULA (37-41): “Little Boots” - chosen as heir by Tiberius
popular at first because son of Germanicus
persecutes Senatorial class: makes his horse Senator
assasinated by Praetorian Guard
CLAUDIUS (41-54) : uncle of Caligula, Germanicus’ brother
poisoned by wife Agrippina,
(the younger)
who has son by previous marriage,
Nero
NERO (54-68) : last of Julio Claudian dynasty
biography in TACITUS’ ANNALS (section reading)
(See Sbragia lecture on Nero)
FILM: 1960'S made for TV series, I, Claudius tells story of succession
from Augustus to Nero; Livia protrayed as schemer
FLAVIAN DYNASTY
VESPASIAN (69-79)
takes power by military force
Colosseum on
site of Nero's lake; gladiatorial games
sons:
1) TITUS - conqueror of Judea: seige of Jerusalem
70 AD destroyed Temple 74 siege of Masada
ARCH OF TITUS in Roman Forum
DAMNATIO MEMORIAE: “erasure of memory”
decreed by Senate
TACITUS: historian of Empire; lives under Domitian
hostile to imperial power & court
NERVA Tacitus’ favorite Emperor, theme of libertas
TRAJAN 98-117 : social welfare programs, public works
title of “Optimus” = “best” granted by Senate
113 TRAJAN’S COLUMN depicting Dacian wars
112 FORUM OF TRAJAN - marketplace, shops
HADRIAN 117-38 building projects include
Pantheon, Hadrian’s Villa,
Mausoleum (later Castel Sant'Angelo)
Policy of peace within fixed frontiers:
HADRIAN’S
WALL - Britain 122
MARCUS AURELIUS 161-180
German frontier: military commander
Stoic philosopher: The Meditations