General
The first Roman emperor who established the Principate.
Augustus
Who was Tiberius' adoptive father?
Augustus
The group Caligula increasingly alienated through humiliation and contempt.
The Senate
The emperor whose assassination unexpectedly led to Claudius becoming ruler.
Caligula
Nero's ambitious mother who engineered his path to the throne.
Agrippina the Younger
Period of relative peace and stability beginning under Augustus.
Pax Romana
The elite military body that increasingly accompanied Tiberius in Rome.
Praetorian Guard
According to many ancient writers, this event marked the turning point in Caligula's reign.
Illness in 37 CE
Claudius relied heavily on these former slaves to administer the empire.
Freedmen
Nero's tutor and chief adviser during the quinquennium.
Seneca
The Roman historian who claimed to write "without anger or partiality."
Tacitus
The island from which Tiberius later ruled the empire.
Capri
The Praetorian Prefect who supported Caligula's succession after Tiberius's death.
Macro
The famous brother whose reputation helped improve Claudius's public image.
Germanicus
Nero's second wife, famous for her beauty and ambition.
Poppaea Sabina
Writer of The Twelve Caesars.
Augustus's grandson whose mysterious murder became known as "the new reign's first crime."
Agrippa Posthumus
The tribune of the Praetorian Guard who led the successful assassination of Caligula.
Cassius Charaea
The province whose conquest became Claudius's most famous military achievement.
Britain
The Praetorian commander who escorted Nero to secure support after Claudius's death.
Burrus
Rome's hatred of this form of government can be traced back to the rule of Tarquin Superbus.
Monarchy
Tacitus said Tiberius compared ruling Rome to doing this to a wolf.
Holding a wolf by the ears
The translation of the title Caesar Optimus et Maximus.
Caesar the Best and Greatest
Claudius's biological son who was pushed aside in favour of Nero.
Britannicus
The massive palace complex begun after the fire.
Domus Aurea