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How successful were the Julio-Claudian dynasty in the Roman Empire?

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Damian_Cray (U14758704) on Sunday, 23rd October 2011

  The Julio-Claudian Dynasty (Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero) were the first Roman Emperors. Augustus, created a strong empire whilst adhering to the demands of the military and a currency, yet from then on many people though the bad, mad, sad emperors failed to keep his standards. Although some feel that the timid Claudius and strong but ruthless and gloomy Tiberius kept order, it is debatable whether the Julio-Claudians achieved success in Rome.
  
  What do you think?

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Mutatis_Mutandis (U8620894) on Sunday, 23rd October 2011

  All appear to have struggled to find a constitutional basis for the institution of the emperor. Augustus relied greatly on personal prestige, which probably obscured the fact that the empire lacked well defined, functional institutions. Tiberius relied too much on a single favorite, Seianus, and was betrayed by him. Caligula tried to adopt the eastern concept of a divine emperor, but the main result was that he was widely regarded as insane. Claudius relied on his own household of trusted advisers, mostly freedmen, but this was resented because these men did not belong to the senatorial class and had no official status. Nero courted and apparently won public popularity, but that did not impress the Roman upper class at all, who regarded this as an undignified spectacle.
  
  But the detrimental effect on the empire seems to have been limited until Nero's death and the civil war. The emperor and senate in Rome might indulge too much in conspiracy and assassination, but order in the empire was reasonably well maintained, and the borders defended. Perhaps it was because the empire was relatively stable, that the men at the top could focus on infighting.
  

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