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The Emperors

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No King!

Romans struggled and wove their way through all kinds of political adjustments, but the one thing that almost all agreed upon was “No King.” So, how did they end up with an emperor?

Please Read!

● The Grachi brothers● Marius● Sulla

But we aren’t going to talk about them today.

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The First TriumviratePompey and Crassus serve as consul in 70 BC

Julius Caesar serves as consul in 59 BC

Seemed to be powerful and influential, but…………..

Couldn’t get anything they wanted through the Senate

▪Crassus – low life

▪Julius Caesar – family was broke

▪Pompey – great general who had reshaped the world, but was like Rodney Dangerfield

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Successful, Until it is not

Crassus killed fighting ParthiansJulius Caesar recalled from GaulPompey enlisted to defend Rome against Caesar▪The Triumvirate had been an alliance of convenience – it was no longer so

Julius chases Pompey down to Egypt

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Pompey killed by the Egyptians but Julius Caesar found other things in Egypt that interested him.

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The Senate’s Caesar ProblemDeclares himself dictator for life in 44 BCLove affair with Cleopatra and attachment to EgyptDoes he think he is a God? [descendent of Venus]“Et tu Brute?”

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2nd Triumvirate

Octavius – adopted son of CaesarCaesar’s two lieutenants

Marc Antony

Lepidus

Issues: Heir, Money, Power, Influence, Manipulation, Egypt

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Caesar Augustus (31 BC – 14 AD)A return to the Republic was neither possible, nor desirable

Empire had become too big

Someone had to control the armies

After consolidating his power he went through motions of reinstating the republic

Senate made him consul, imperator (head of the army), and princeps (first citizen), Augustus

It was all a façade, but he ruled well

What is “ruling well”

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Julio -Claudians

Tiberius

● Not Octavius first choice● Son of Livia by a previous marriage● Able administrator● Passed reigns of leadership to his

great-nephew Gaius [Caligula]

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Caligula – “little boots”

Assassinated opposition

Seized property

Ordered all temples and shrines to include emperor worship

Delayed in Judea

Claimed to be Jupiter

Increasing madness until the Praetorian Guard terminated and installed his uncle Claudius

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Claudius (A.D. 41-54)

Never sought to ruleUncle of Caligula, nephew of TiberiusLiked to read books and hang out with family, friends, and scholarsExpelled Jews from Rome in 49 AD because they rioted over “Chrestus”

This may have been when Aquila and Priscella left Rome and moved to Corinth (Acts 18:1-3)

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Claudius had woman problemsMarried four times

Messina was a mess

Agrippina manipulated her son Nero into a favorable position for succession, then killed Claudius with poisoned mushrooms

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Nero (AD 54-68)

Always manipulative and violent, but was controlled early when he let Seneca and mother, Agrappina, influence himConsidered himself an aesthete

Sing for twelve hours at a time

Wrote poetry

Played the lyre

Loved chariot racing – reputed to have won 1700+ races in one year

Naughty Nero

Tries to kill motherOrders death of SenecaThe Roman fire of 64 – Did he start it?Christian persecution

Tacitus says “an immense multitude” was put to death

Deposed and kills himself (kind of)

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The Year of Four Emperors (AD 69)Galba

Otho

Vitellius

Vespasian (AD 69-79)

Vespasian (AD 69-79)

Fighting Jewish rebels

Joins with prefects of Syria and Egypt and uses his Mediterranean armies to seize power

Restores order to Empire, strengthens it

Instigates building projects

“I think I feel myself becoming a god….”

Begins the Flavian dynasty

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Titus (79-81 AD)

Assumed command in Judea when Vespasian became emperorDestroys the temple in AD 70The first “natural” son to succeed his father as emperorEveryone dies (sometimes with the help of others)

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Domitian (AD 81-96)

Somewhat able administrator, but not well likedMade his officials call him “Lord and God”Facilitated persecution of Jews and Christians

John on Patmos

Revelation 1-3

He started killing important Romans so they killed him back.

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The preceding emperors cover the period of the Scriptures.

The following emperors cover the period of the Early Church, and will be dealt with in the course “Church and Empires”

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The Five Good Emperors

Nerva (no, not this guy)TrajanHadrianAntoninus PiusLucius VerusMarcus Aurelius

Commodus of “The Gladiator” only slightly resembles the Commodus of history

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Skipping Forward

Diocletian (AD 284-305)

Doesn’t like cults of any kind (including Christianity)

Splits the empire

Reunited (for awhile) under Constantine