The Pax Romana

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The Pax Romana

• Roman History 31 BCE-1st Century AD

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Augustus Takes Power 31 BCE

• The title Augustus
• 45 year reign
• Creator of imperial state.
• Constitutional monarchy
• Stability
• Expansion
• Pax Romana

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Pax Romana

• Roman Roads
• Roman Law
• Literary flowering and architectural genius

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The Aeneid
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Aeneid

• The story puts a Roman spin on the Homeric epics.
  
• Aeneas follows many of the same paths that
  Odysseus and Achilles follow, putting a Roman
  spin on things.

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Roman Rulers post Augustus

• Tiberius
• Able general poor leader, disinterested leader.

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Caligula

• Extravagant, ecclectic
• Assassinated by his guards, a brutal reign comes
  to an end.
• The Horse

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Claudius

• Saved from his nephews bloodpurge
• Known for his hiding behind curtains, conquest of
  Britannia and able administration
• Continued bloodpurge.

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Nero

• Last emperor of the Julio-Claudians
• Fancied himself an artist and musician.
• Poisoned several times by his overbearing Mom
  (Thutmosis III)
• Mushrooms the food of the gods
• City of wonder
• Religion

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Year of the Four Emperors

• 69 AD
• Galba, Otho and Vitellius until the final
  accession of Vespasian,

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Flavor Flavians

• Titus
• Vespasian
• Domitian
• Bringing order to chaos after the Julio-Claudiuns

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Nervan-Antonian dynasty

• Nerva
• Trajan
• Hadrian
• Antoninus Pius
• Marcus Aurelius
• Commodus
• The Five Good Emperors (and Commodus)

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Year of the Five Emperors

• All resulting in assassination in the year 192 AD
  
• The years after Gladiator should be taking place