How many caesars are there

But this is no mere haphazard catalogue of sex and corruption. In the second century A. The stories of virtue and vice in the Caesars are carefully selected to illustrate whether emperors measured up to this standard. Suetonius is fair and evenhanded in his treatment of his subjects. All emperors appear as flawed men with both virtues and vices, but the balance between them depends on the individual ruler.

He even gives due credit to the notorious Caligula, who began his reign by publishing the imperial budget and showing generosity to the people. Suetonius then signals a change:. Thus far, it is as if we have been writing about an emperor, but the rest must be about a monster. Although they are now translated into English, these graphic tales still have the power to shock and unsettle the reader.

As Tacitus describes in his Agricola , Aulus Plautius was Britain's first Roman governor, appointed by Claudius after Plautius had led the successful invasion, with a Roman force that included the future Flavian emperor Vespasian whose older son, Titus, was a friend of Britannicus. After adopting his fourth wife's son, L. Tradition has it that Claudius' wife Agrippina, now secure in her son's future, killed her husband by means of a poison mushroom on October 13, 54 CE. Britannicus is thought to have died unnaturally in His father died in As a young boy, Lucius received many honors, including leading youth in the Trojan Games in 47 and being prefect of the city probably for the 53 spring Latin games.

He was allowed to wear the toga virilis at a young age probably 14 instead of at the normal Lucius' stepfather, the Emperor Claudius, died, probably at the hands of his wife Agrippina. A series of unpopular treason laws in 62 CE and the fire in Rome in 64 helped seal Nero's reputation. Nero used the treason laws to kill whomever Nero considered a threat and the fire gave him the opportunity to build his golden palace, the "domus aurea.

It was moved during the reign of Hadrian and was probably destroyed by the Goths in or by earthquakes. Unrest throughout the empire eventually led Nero to commit suicide himself on June 9, 68 in Rome. Sulpicius Galba and Mummia Achaica. Galba served in civil and military positions throughout the reigns of the Julio-Claudian emperors, but when he then governor of Hispania Tarraconensis became aware that Nero wanted him killed, he rebelled. Galba's agents won over to their side Nero's praetorian prefect.

After Nero committed suicide, Galba, who was in Hispania, became emperor, arriving in Rome in October 68, in the company of Otho, governor of Lusitania. Although there is scholarly debate as to when Galba actually assumed power, taking titles of emperor and caesar, there is a dedication from October 15, 68 about the restoration of liberty that implies his ascension.

Galba antagonized many, including Otho, who promised financial rewards to the praetorians in exchange for their support. They declared Otho emperor on January 15, 69, and killed Galba. He had entertained hopes of being adopted by Galba whom he had helped, but then turned against Galba.

After Otho's soldiers proclaimed him emperor on January 15, 69, he had Galba assassinated. Meanwhile the troops in Germany proclaimed Vitellius emperor.

Otho offered to share the power and to make Vitellius his son-in-law, but that was not in the cards. After Otho's defeat at Bedriacum on April 14, it is thought that shame led Otho to plan his suicide. He was succeeded by Vitellius. Vitellius was born in September of 15 CE and spent his youth at Capri. He was on friendly terms with the last three Julio-Claudians and advanced to proconsul of North Africa. He was also a member of two priesthoods, including the Arval brotherhood.

Galba appointed him governor of Lower Germany in Vitellus' troops proclaimed him emperor the next year instead of swearing their allegiance to Galba. In April, the soldiers in Rome and the Senate swore their allegiance to Vitellius. Vitellius made himself consul for life and pontifex maximus. By July, the soldiers of Egypt were supporting Vespasian.

Otho's troops and others supported the Flavians, who marched into Rome. Vitellius met his end by being tortured on the Scalae Gemoniae, killed and dragged by a hook into the Tiber. A Gaulish chieftain named Commius was sent across the Channel to enlist support for the Romans among the British tribes, while a trusted officer took a fast galley to reconnoitre the coast.

Caesar assembled eighty ships at Boulogne to carry two legions, the Seventh and the Tenth, plus irregulars, altogether some 12, men. The cavalry and their horses were to sail separately from Ambleteuse, a few miles north. After waiting for a wind the Roman ships left Boulogne in the early hours of August 26th and came in sight of the white cliffs of Dover around 9am.

The cliffs were bristling with menacing British warriors, horsemen and war chariots. It was obviously no place to land, but Caesar waited for hours offshore for the cavalry, which had got penned in Ambleteuse by tide and wind. In the afternoon the Roman fleet sailed north-east without them to pass the South Foreland and come in sight of the long stretch of flat shore to the north. The Britons moved along on land to keep pace. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry.

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