Roman Accomplishments and Emperors

In class today, we finished taking notes on the Roman Empire. We will review on Thursday and take our test Friday.

Some accomplishments...
- expanded the Roman Empire further into Africa
- He set up civil service to run the government/ empire
- building a network of roads
- collecting taxes
- establishing a postal service
- administering the grain supply
- building awesome public facilities
- buildings, aqueducts
- setting up a police department
- running a fire fighting organization
finally died of natural causes
Thus begins the age of emperors:
- after Octavian's death, power was passed down to emperors
- some were good, some were horrible, some appeared to be completely insane
lets review some of the emperors...

Tiberius:
- ruled from ad 14 to ad 37
- an excellent general, but a reluctant emperor
- after the death of his son, he exiled himself from Rome and left his prefects in charge
- died at the age of 77

Caligula:
- ruled from ad 37 to ad 41 (only 4 years)
- won a power struggle after Tiberius' death
- known for his cruelty, extravagance, and perversity -  an insane tyrant
- assassinated by a group of praetorian guards, senators, and. the imperial court, trying to re-establish the Republic
- but it didn't work...

Claudius:
- ruled from ad 41 to ad 54
- suffered from many infirmities: a limp, stammering, shaking, slobbering... possibly because of cerebral palsy
- took over because he was the last adult male in the family
- ruled well- built roads, aqueducts, canals, and started the conquest of Britain
- died of poisoning- it was his last wife's plan (she wanted her son Nero to rise to power)

Nero:
- ruled from 54 to 68
- emphasized the arts
- huge fire in 64 (although he didn't fiddle)
- he wanted to rebuild Rome to be more majestic
- he hugely overspent, and even raided the temples for money
- historians did not look kindly on him.

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