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Rome: The Julio-Claudian emperors
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True or false? The stepson of Augustus was called Caligula.
Augustus and the four emperors after him belong to the same family: the Julio-Claudian family. Since the title these emperors hold, "Princeps" is inherited, this family is really powerful. This is Augustus' stepson, Tiberius. He is 54 years old when he becomes emperor, and neither young nor ambitious. He would rather let the Senate take care of everything.
Contemporary with Tiberius, but in the Roman province of Judaea, lives a Jewish prophet: Jeshua, or Jesus. Jesus is sentenced to death by the Romans, and crucified. This is the beginning of Christianity, but of course Tiberius doesn't know this. Tiberius has a palace on the Island of Capri, and lives there in seclusion. Rumours spread about what terrible things he gets up to.
Tiberius lets his friend, the consul Sejanus handle most things in Rome. But Sejanus is planning a coup. He wants to become princeps. He is not from the Julio-Claudian family so he tries to get adopted into it. Tiberius finds out about the coup, and sentences Sejanus to death.
But that isn't enough... Tiberius now believes that everyone is conspiring against him, so he executes everyone that has had anything to do with Sejanus - even women and children. Tiberius becomes hated in Rome. Tiberius dies on Capri. Many believe he doesn't deserve a real funeral.
They want to throw him into the river. "In the Tiber with Tiberius" - they shout. But now Tiberius' adopted son, Caligula, is the emperor. For the sake of family honour he gives Tiberius an imperial funeral after all. Caligula is, by the way, a nickname meaning "the little soldier boot." This is because he has grown up in military camps with his father - a famous general. Tiberius had decided that Caligula should reign together with Tiberius' grandson Gemellus.
But Caligula doesn't care. He executes Gemellus. Caligula is a popular emperor at first, but he becomes ill. When he regains his health his personality is changed. Now he enjoys tormenting people and, it is claimed, devotes himself to orgies.
Caligula is murdered. He is succeeded by his uncle, Claudius. As a child Claudius is very sickly, and he limps and stutters all his life. The rest of the family considers him an idiot who will never become emperor. This is fortunate for Claudius.
Because there are power-struggles in the Julio-Claudian family. They murder each other right and left... but no one bothers about Claudius. So when Caligula eventually dies... Claudius is next in line to become emperor.
During the reign of Claudius the first Christians appear in Rome. This causes unrest in the Jewish community here - so Claudius expels the Jews from Rome. He doesn't bother whether they are Christians or not. From the Roman viewpoint, Christianity is just a Jewish issue. Claudius gets married...
to a woman called Agrippina. Agrippina has a son that she very much would like Claudius to adopt: Nero. Claudius hesitates... buuut... finally does what she wants.
Claudius dies in the year 54 CE. How he dies, no-one knows. Perhaps Agrippina murders him so that Nero can take power? Nero... is only 16 when he becomes emperor.
During his first year, 'mummy' Agrippina tries to interfere with his reign. After a while Nero manages to block her. Then she tries to put Nero's brother on the throne instead. Nero gets tired of Agrippina and murders her. And his brother.
In the year 64 Rome burns. Nero uses a part of the burned ground to build a big palace for himself. Many believe that it was Nero who planned the fire. But Nero puts the blame on the Christians in the city. He persecutes them, crucifies them, and burns them alive.
A military coup ends the reign of Nero. He tries to escape but the military prevents him. Nero takes his own life. Now the Julio-Claudian family's time in power is over.