IMPERIAL TIMELINE

Expansion under Augustus

The Julio-Claudian Dynasty

Augustus

Tiberius (competent but paranoid and cruel)

Caligula: insane

Claudius: a decent leader; the empire started expanding again

Nero: grandiose and crazy, but perhaps popular with rare glimpses of competence

After the suicide of Nero there is chaos

Stability returns with Vespasian’s accession

The Flavians

Vespasian 69 AD – 79 AD

Titus 79 AD – 81 AD

Domitian 81 AD – 96 AD

The Flavians were competent emperors

Financial reforms bring fiscal health

Massive building program

Disasters: Vesuvius, plague, and the destruction of Jerusalem, all under the short reign of Titus.

The 5 good emperors (2nd c. AD)

Nerva

Trajan

Hadrian

Antoninus Pius

Marcus Aurelius

Each adopted a competent successor. This is the high point of Imperial Rome. Under Trajan Rome reaches its greatest expansion in 117 AD.

Roman Empire under Trajan

The Decline and Fall

The 3rd century crisis

Diocletian divides the empire into 4 parts in order to make it governable

4th c: Constantine temporarily reunites the empire and advances Christianity

After his death the empire splits into two.

The Western part would be overrun by 476 AD

The Eastern part would continue for another 1000 years, but changed into a Greek-speaking, Christian empire (Byzantium).