Emperors of Ancient Rome

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        Emperors were the great rulers of Rome. They were the leaders of the Roman Empire. The Emperors were sculpted in marble and portrayed in the finest pictures. Most emperors were former generals, or soldiers in war like Caesar and Octavian, who were one of the best generals.

Julius Caesar

    Julius was a great emperor statesman, and general. Caesar conquered Gaul (France and Belgium). Julius won a civil war in Rome from 49 - 46 BC. With that victory Julius Caesar was named dictator and dictated from 46 - 44 BC. Over time Julius kept taking more and more power away from the senate, they were not happy. On March 15, 44 BC  the senate called Julius in, the senate had knives behind their backs. When Julius walked in they charged and assassinated Julius. It was his best trusted friend Marcus Janius Brutus who led the revolt. This was known as the "Ides of March." After Julius Caesar's death there was another civil war.    

Augustus

    Octavian ( Caesar's great nephew) was another great emperor. First he was a general. He is the one who led the revolt against the group that killed Caesar. Then a bloody17 year Civil War broke out. Octavian was victorious in 27 BC. After the war he was determined to repair the bitter wounds of the civil war. Then he was given the name Augustus, which means the "exalted."  Then Augustus started the period known as the "Pax Romana." The "Pax Romana" was 200 straight years without any major wars. He was said to be the greatest emperor.

Tiberius

   Augustus tried to regain power in the Julian family by disguising the fact that he had built a monarchy instead of a republic. He had two daughters Livia and Julia. Livia had two sons Tiberius and Drusus. Tiberius Claudius Nero was born on November 16, 42 BC. Tiberius grew up and was a great emperor. Tiberius and later Drusus's son, Claudius, became an emperor, which began the Claudian line.

Claudius

    In an age that despised weakness, Claudius was unfortunate enough to have been born with defects. He limped, he drooled, he stuttered and was constantly ill. His family members mistook these physical debilities as reflective of mental infirmity and generally kept him out of the public eye as an embarrassment. Claudius was the third emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. As emperor he brought Britain to the Roman Empire. He always showed intelligence and compassion. Sadly his fourth wife Agrippa (known as Agrippa the younger) poisoned him to ensure her son Nero would get the throne.  

Nero

     The 15- year old Nero began his reign amid predictions of a new Golden Age for Rome. Fawning courtiers encouraged his despotic tendencies. In 64 A.D. a great fire left much of the city in ruins, and while it is not certain that Nero himself had the fires set, it is true that his ambitious building campaign, which followed the fires (and in particular the construction of the Domus Aurea), represented to many a private selfishness at a time when public reconstruction was most needed. He murdered both his mother and his wife at the urging of his mistress. Nero was a singing emperor. Nero's artistic inclinations, present since his accession, became truly public, and in a display which shocked conservative tastes he appeared on stage and sang for audiences. Romans didn’t like the fact that he was he emperor and kicked him off. Everyone left him. Even the army was restless!