The Worst Emperors of Rome

FONTS

The Worst Emperors of Rome

Caligula

Caligula

Bibliography

Nero

• After Tiberius died (37 a.d.), Caligula took the throne and at first was a successful Emperor
• Successes: Gave family proper burial, released exiles, ended treason trials, gave generous amounts of money to guards and people, reinstated games and theatrical shows, and made a popular speech condemning Tiberius' wrongful actions

• Assassinated in 41 a.d. - ordered by the Senate
• Entire Empire hated him
• Did not try to lead a single aspect of the Empire
• Spend unnecessary amounts of money
• Surprisingly the government did not fall apart
• short reign
• Senate still had control
• Ultimately did not have a great impact on the Empire except for a bad reputation

"Caligula." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. World History in Context. Web. 11 May 2014.

"Caligula." Historic World Leaders. Gale, 1994. World History in Context. Web. 11 May 2014.

"Nero." The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Ancient Rome. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. 45-46. World History in Context. Web. 12 May 2014.

"Nero Claudius Caesar." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. World History in Context. Web. 12 May 2014.

• Nero neglected his imperial duties and just focused on pleasure for himself
• Spend a lot of money on public works and circuses to gain support of public
• Public was outraged by the murders of his family
• With his mother dead, his true colors began to show - no restrictions on what he would do

Caligula

• Interpreted being an emperor as doing whatever he pleased instead of helping the Empire
• Within a year, he spend all of Tiberius' fortune as well as a great deal of other treasure
• Carried on parties for months
• Called himself a god - had a life-size statue built and priests perform animal sacrifices for him
• Greatest Fiasco:
• Went up north with military to invade Britain - ordered troops to collect seashells on the shore
• Called the shells the spoils of the ocean

Question

Nero

Caligula

How did the actions of two of Ancient Rome’s worst rulers, Caligula and Nero, help define them as rulers and impact the Roman Empire?

Caligula

• Biggest fault:
• In July 64 a.d. a fire struck Rome and destroyed 2/3 of the city
• Nero organized shelters and rebuilding projects
• Rumors circulated that Nero actually started the fire (most likely not true)
• Nero transformed land that could be for the people into a park and palace for himself -> people were outraged

Nero

• 12 a.d. - 41 a.d.
• Born Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus
• Caligula = "little boots"
• nickname from him dressed in a mini soldier outfit when he was a child

• The fire incident caused many people to want him dead
• Nero found out about this plan and had many people killed, exiled, or tortured
• Order Seneca (tutor) to commit suicide
• During the time he killed his pregnant wife by kicking her in the stomach
• 68 a.d. - Senate declared Nero an enemy of the people - he fled the city and killed himself
• He was the last of the Julio-Claudian emperors
• Line that founded the Empire

• Fell ill a few months into reign -> cruel emperor
• Cruel Acts:
• Killed three people closest to him - Gaurd, father-in-law, Tiberius' grandson
• Had an innocent man killed for saying he would give his life for Caligula
• Fed criminals to wild animals in arena
• Made fathers attend their son's executions
• Had trials by torture while he was eating and enjoying himself

Caligula

Nero

Conclusion

• Struck by grief as a child
• Father died
• Mother and Brother exiled - both died
• Other brother imprisoned - died
• Went to live with Tiberius (current Emperor) in Capri for 5 years - responsible for deaths of his family

• Both emperors were obviously mentally unstable and extremely selfish
• Put needs of themselves before needs of the Empire
• Created turmoil in the Empire and unrest within the public
• Ultimately the problems were not catastrophic as the Empire did not end during either of their reigns

• 37 a.d. - 68 a.d.
• Adopted by Claudius (step-father and current emperor)
• Ascended the throne in 54 a.d. when Claudius was poisoned (possibly by Nero's mother)
• Took the name Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus

• In the first months of power, he was very generous and enlightened - looked promising
• Unclear whether that activity is attributed to Nero himself or his tutor (Seneca)
• Promised full restoration of the Republic
• Didn't have a good leader for it to be successful
• After these first couple of months, he ordered his mother, first wife, and eventually his second wife to be killed
• Illegally confiscated property from the wealthy to help finance his own luxuries
• Stopped listening to his advisors - only listened to Ofonius Tigellinus, a commander of the Praetorian Guard, who encouraged his violent behavior