The Historians' History of the World 06

136

. Internal government,

142

. Velleius Paterculus eulogises Tiberius,

148

. The fall of Sejanus,

151

. Tacitus describes the last days of Tiberius,

154

. Suetonius characterises Tiberius,

156

. Merivale’s estimate of Tiberius,

157

. The character of the times,

159

. Caligula (Caius Julius Cæsar Caligula),

160

. Suetonius describes Caligula,

163

. Claudius (Tiberius Claudius Drusus Cæsar),

168

. The misdeeds of Messallina described by Tacitus,

171

. The intrigues of Agrippina,

176

. Tacitus describes the murder of Claudius,

178

. The character of Claudius,

179

. The living Claudius eulogised by Seneca,

180

. The dead Claudius satirised by Seneca,

181

.

CHAPTER XXXIV

Nero: Last Emperor of the House of Cæsar

(54-68

A.D.

)

184

Nero (Claudius Cæsar Drusus Germanicus),

184

. Corbulo and the East,

186

. The Roman province of Britain,

188

. The war with Boadicea, Queen of the Iceni,

190

. Britain again a peaceful province,

193

. Burrus and Seneca,

194

. Octavia put to death,

196

. The great fire at Rome; persecution of the Christians,

199

. Conspiracy met by cruelty and persecution,

202

. Personal characteristics of Nero, according to Suetonius,

206

. Merivale’s estimate of Nero and his times,

208

. Nero in Greece,

215

. Nero’s return to Italy and triumphant entry into Rome,

218

. Discontent in the provinces,

219

. Galba is saluted imperator by his soldiers,

220

. The death of Nero,

223

.

CHAPTER XXXV

Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and the Three Flavians

(68-96

A.D.

)

225

Galba (Servius Sulpicius Galba),

225

. Otho (M. Salvius Otho),

226

. Vitellius (Aulus Vitellius),

228

. Vespasian (T. Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus),

231

. Vespasian performs miracles and sees a vision, according to Tacitus,

232

. Vespasian returns to Rome,

233

. Titus continues the Jewish war,

234

. Josephus describes the return

of Titus and the triumph,

236

. The empire in peace,

240

. Banishment and death of Helvidius,

241

. Sabinus and Epponina,

242

. The character and end of Vespasian,

243

. A classical estimate of Vespasian,

244

. Personality of Vespasian,

246

. Titus (T. Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus II),

247

. The destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum,

250

. Pliny’s account of the eruption,

253

. Agricola in Britain,

255

. The death of Titus,

255

. Domitian (Titus Flavius Domitianus),

257

. Suetonius on the death and character of Domitian,

261

. A retrospective glance over the government of the first century of Empire,

262

.

CHAPTER XXXVI

The Five Good Emperors: Nerva to Marcus Aurelius

(96-180

A.D.

)

267

Nerva (M. Cocceius Nerva),

267

. Trajan (M. Ulpius Trajanus Crinitus),

268

. The first Dacian war,

269

. Trajan dictates terms to Decebalus,

271

. The second Dacian war,

273

. Oriental campaigns and death of Trajan,

274

. The correspondence of Pliny and Trajan,

276

. Trajan’s column,

277

. Hadrian (P. Ælius Hadrianus),

280

. The varied endowments of Hadrian,

281

. Hadrian’s tours,

282

. Hadrian as builder and administrative reformer,

284

. Personal traits and last days of Hadrian,

286

. Renan’s estimate of Hadrian,

288

. Hadrian as patron of the arts,

289

. Antoninus (Titus Aurelius Antoninus Pius),

290

. Renan’s characterisation of Antoninus,

292

. Marcus Aurelius (M. Ælius Aurelius Antoninus),

294

. The plague and the death of Verus,

296

. Border wars,

296

. The revolt of Avidius,

299

. An imperial tour and a triumph,

300

. Last campaigns and death of Aurelius,

303

. Merivale compares Aurelius and Alfred the Great,

305

. Gibbon’s estimate of Marcus Aurelius and of the age of the Antonines,

305

.

CHAPTER XXXVII

The Pagan Creeds and the Rise of Christianity

307

Stoicism and the Empire,

308

. Christians and the Empire,

313

. The Christian and the Jew,

315

. Religious assemblies of the Christians,

317

. Christianity and the law,

318

. The infancy of the Church,

320

. Persecutions under Nero,

321

. Persecution under Trajan and the Antonines,

324

.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

Aspects of Civilisation of the First Two Centuries of the Empire

329

The spirit of the times,

329

. Manners and customs,

335

. Suppers and banquets,

339

. The circles,

342

. Public readings,

345

. Libraries and book-making,

346

. The ceremony of a Roman marriage,

349

. The status of women,

352

. Paternal authority and adoption: The slavery of children,

356

. The institution of slavery,

359

. Games and recreations,

367

. The Roman theatre and amphitheatre,

370

. Sheppard’s estimate

of the gladiatorial contest,

375

.

CHAPTER XXXIX

A Half Century of Decline: Commodus to Alexander Severus

(161-235

A.D.

)

377

Commodus,

378

. Cruelties and death of Commodus,

379

. Pertinax (P. Helvius Pertinax),

382

. Julianus (M. Didius Severus Julianus),

383

. Severus (L. Septimius Severus),

385

. Conquests of Severus,

387

. Caracalla (M. Aurelius Antoninus Caracalla),

391

. Macrinus (M. Opilius Macrinus),

393

. Elagabalus (Narius Avibus Bassianus),

395

. Dion Cassius on the accession and reign of Elagabalus,

396

. Alexander Severus (M. Aurelius Alexander Severus),

400

. Renan’s characterisation of the period,

403

.

CHAPTER XL

Confusion Worse Confounded: The Second Half of the Third Century of Empire

(235-285

A.D.

)

406

Maximin (C. Julius Verus Maximinus),

408

. Rival emperors and the death of Maximin,

409