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Roman Emperors

Roman Emperors. Tiberius. Claudius. Gaius (Caligula). Nero. SUCCESSION. In theory, the position of emperor was not hereditary It was not passed down automatically from father to son

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Roman Emperors

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  1. Roman Emperors Tiberius Claudius Gaius (Caligula) Nero

  2. SUCCESSION • In theory, the position of emperor was not hereditary • It was not passed down automatically from father to son • According to law, when an emperor dies, his power reverted back to the people of Rome and they could then give this power to whomever they liked • Most Romans accepted this principle without serious opposition • Saw it as the only alternative to the bloody civil wars of the Late Republic

  3. THREE THINGS NECESSARY TO BECOME AN EMPEROR • Some sort of relationship with the previous ruler • Either through blood or adoption • Formal recognition by the Senate and its granting the new emperor full legal powers • Could be obtained by force or intimidation if the senators were hesitant to do so voluntarily • An expression of loyalty by the armies and especially by the Praetorian Guard • Often obtained through bribes

  4. SUPPORT To remain in power, emperors needed to retain the support of three powerful factions: • His staff • Including the Praetorian Guard • The army • Wealthy aristocrats who made up the Senate

  5. PRAETORIAN GUARD • 5000 stationed in camp outside of Rome • Only several hundred used in the palace at any one time • Rotated on a routine basis • Guarded the emperor and his family • To retain their support, emperors gave them monetary gifts and bonuses • Failure to do so was often fatal

  6. THE ARMY • Had to have loyalty of troops on the frontier • Emperors exerted great effort to accomplish this • Made sure they were always present at major campaigns • Gave generous veteran benefits and periodic bonuses • Continually transferred commanders

  7. SENATE ARISTOCRACY • Senate no longer had any real power • But it did include the wealthiest and most powerful men in Rome. • No emperor could afford to ignore them as a result • Senate was not powerful enough to overthrow an emperor by itself • But when its opposition was added to that of the Praetorian Guard or army, that was usually it for an emperor

  8. THE PEOPLE • They did still occasionally riot • But they never overthrew or even seriously threatened the power of an emperor • Not a serious factor as long as they received free food and entertainment

  9. HARDWORKING GUYS • A few emperors did goof off but most were busy men who took their jobs seriously • Administered justice, directed war, supervised imperial administration, maintained unity of empire

  10. IN THE SPOTLIGHT • Emperor and his family in the spotlight • Subject to both vicious gossip and graffiti as well as unbelievable public worship • What is remarkable is not that some emperors became mad with power and acted like irresponsible tyrants but that most of them resisted this temptation and ruled well and fairly

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