Gaius Octavius Munich Museum Father of Octavian (Augustus) The first Emperor of Rome Gaius Octavius married Atia who was the daughter of Julia, the sister of Julius Caesar. They had two children Octavian and Octavia. Octavia became the second wife of Marc Antony in a political marraige arranged by her brother. Octavian became the heir to his uncle Julius Caesar […]

GNAEUS DOMITIUS CORBULO (Died 67 AD) GNAEUS DOMITIUS CORBULO was a Roman general who preserved Roman supremacy in Germania and in the East. He was the son of the famous Praetor, master of the Roman roads during the reigns of Tiberius and Gaius Caligula. Corbulo achieved some success as a military officer quite early in […]

Port of Ostia The above sesterius of Nero depicts an aerial view of the port of Ostia with eight ships inside the harbor. At the top is a pharos surmounted by a statue of Neptune, below is a reclining figure of Tiber holding a rudder in his right hand and a dolphin in his left. […]

Temple of Alexandria Black Busts of the Julio-Claudians Cleopatra constructed an elaborate temple, or Caesareum, to Julius Caesar opposite the harbor of Alexandria. Inside stood an image of the deified Caesar. Following the defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra and the conquest of Egypt by Octavian, this temple of Caesar was dedicated to Augustus and […]

Julia Executed 43 AD Daughter of Drusus & Livilla Granddaughter of Tiberius Julia was the daughter of Drusus Caesar and Livilla and granddaughter of the Emperor Tiberius. In 20 AD, she was married to Nero, son of Germanicus, but by 30 AD, Nero had been banished to Pontia as part of the ambitious plans of […]

Livilla Livilla was the daughter of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia and sister to Germanicus and the future Emperor Claudius. While Livilla was reported to be a rather common appear child, she is said to have grown into a beautiful woman. Livilla was married to Drusus, the son of the Emperor Tiberius. She bore him […]

Tiberius Gemellus Died 37 AD Son of Dusus & Livilla Grandson of Emperor Tiberius Tiberius Gemellus was the son of twins born to Drusus and Livilla in 19 AD. Thus, Gemellus was the grandson of Emperor Tiberius and potential heir to the throne. His brother died as a child so Gemellus was raised along with his older […]

Colosseum Flavian Amphitheater Officially opened by Emperor Titus 80 AD The Colosseum was the greatest structure erected during the age of the Flavian emperors (69-96 AD) and arguably the finest architectural achievement in the history of the Ro man Empire. The Colosseum was originally called the Fla vian Amphitheater, but it became known as the […]

Taxation Important element in the collection of revenue in the Roman Empire. For centuries, the imperial tax system was a demonstration of the favored status of Rome and Italy, and mirrored Rome’s policy toward its prov inces and subject peoples. The government of the Republic followed the Greek model in its program of taxation, in […]

The Palace of Diocletian at Split Diocletian was the first and only Emperor of Rome who voluntarily retired from office. Upon his retirement, Diocletian built a magnificent palace where he lived, eventualy died and was burried. The city of Spalato, which means “little palace”, was the site of this wonderful structure located in the former […]