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
. Pupienus (M. Clodius Pupienus Maximus), Balbinus (D. Cælius Balbinus), and Gordian (M. Antonius Gordianus),
411
. Philip (M. Julius Philippus),
412
. Decius (C. Messius Quintus Trajanus Decius),
413
. Gallus (C. Vibius Trebonianus Gallus),
414
. Æmilianus (C. Julius Æmilianus),
414
. Valerian (P. Licinius Valerianus) and Gallienus (P. Licinius Gallienus),
415
. Gallienus (P. Licinius Gallienus),
417
. The thirty tyrants,
418
. Claudius (M. Aurelius Claudius),
420
. Aurelian (L. Domitius Aurelianus),
421
. Aurelian walls Rome and invades the East,
422
. Zosimus describes the defeat of Zenobia,
423
. The fall of Palmyra,
424
. Aurelian quells revolts; attempts reforms; is murdered,
426
. Tacitus (M. Claudius Tacitus),
427
. Probus (M. Aurelius Probus),
428
. The Isaurian robbers,
430
. Carus, Numerianus and Carinus,
431
.
CHAPTER XLI
New Hope for the Empire: The Age of Diocletian and Constantine
(286-337
A.D.
)
433
Diocletian appoints Maximian Co-Regent,