2. Tiberius 3. Caliglua 4. Claudius 5. Nero – Was the last of the Augustan (Julius Caesar) dynasty. (68 AD) Known for burning Rome to the ground Some historians believe that he did it to make room for his new house!

 Trajan – Known as possibly the best Caesar ever  Extended Rome’s territory more than any other leader ever  Enhanced Rome’s forums and created many enduring landmarks.  Trajan’s Column is 125 feet tall and depicts Trajan’s victories in the Dacian Wars.  Remarkable in Artistic skill, it is a relief carving of nearly every battle in the war.

 Hadrian – travelled to all of the provinces of Rome  Was a humanist and identified with Greek philosophy  Sought to advance culture in Rome (literature and learning)  Hadrian’s Wall – is a wall in northern England built during Hadrian’s reign to mark the northern boundary of Rome and to keep out Celtic tribes.

 Marcus Aurelius was the last Caesar of the Pax Romana – the end of the Golden Age (31 BC – 180 AD)  His daughter Faustina was a better fit to run the empire, but his son Commodus took over after his death.

 Constantine the Great – ruled (306 – 337)  313 Constantine converted the entire Roman Empire to Christianity  Fought the Battle of Milvian Bridge, had a dream that if he won it was because of the grace of Jesus, and had his soldier place the Chi – Rho on their soldiers shields.  Passed the Edict of Milan - granting religious tolerance to Christians.  Moved the capital of Rome from Rome to Constantinople – modern day Istanbul

 325 Constantine summoned the First Council of Nicaea – organized many Christian traditions that set the stage for Catholicism.  Constantine was baptized in 337 before his death.  His mother St. Helena was responsible for bringing many of the greatest Christian relics to Rome  A relic is a faith based object with special meaning

Sacred steps

 The Roman Empire’s acceptance and eventual transformation from Pagan (Polytheistic) to Christian became a turning point in the Religion  Without the ability to spread throughout Roman lands, Christianity was only practiced in and around Judea (Jerusalem)  This conversion by Rome allowed Christianity to Grow and Grow, eventually becoming the largest religion in the world!  Many of Rome’s Pagan Churches (like the Pantheon) became Christian with this transition. o

A timeline of The Roman Republic & Empire Pax Romana Era of decline

Political Problems:  The empire was too large for one emperor to control  Emperors after the Pax Romana were weak (Except for Constantine and Diocletian)  Citizens experienced a loss of confidence, patriotism, & loyalty to the Roman government Economic Problems :  Rome had a trade imbalance (they bought more than they produced)  Poor harvests led to food shortages  The gov’t raised taxes & printed new coins which led to inflation Military Problems:  Germanic tribes outside Rome were gaining strength  The Roman military was growing weak: generals were challenging the authority of the emperors  To save money, Romans hired foreign soldiers but these “mercenaries” were not loyal to Rome

 Disease, corruption, & declining economy exposed the West to attack from outside invasions

By 370 A.D., “barbarian” groups outside Rome, led by the Huns, began to attack

Attila the Hun:  One of the most ruthless generals in history  Began in 434 AD – Attila attacked and destroyed everything in his path.

 Rome was sacked (taken over) in 476 AD  Rome and all of the Governmental structures were destroyed  Historians still argue whether the empire abruptly ended, or lasted another 1,000 years as the Byzantine Empire.

“Breaking point” – fall of Rome