The Roman Empire

• Octavian-Caesar Augustus
• begins the Pax Romana - a period of peace
• built roads, and aqueducts
• set up civil service to take care of roads, the grain supply, and postal service
• dies at age 76 in 14 AD
• Tiberius
• Augustus stepson and adopted son
• great general but was dark, somber, reclusive, and reluctant emperor
• her referred to the Senate as "men fit to be slaves"
• Germanicus started out as Tiberius ally, since he quelled a legion mutiny but when it look like he would succeed Tiberius, he got paranoid and had Germanicus killed
• died in 37 AD at the age of of 77
• Caligula (good)
• he was Germanicus' son
• he was Tiberius adopted grandson and great-nephew
• he started off well: granted bonuses to those in the military, declaring treason trials a thing of the past, and made government spending a matter of public record 
• Caligula (bad)
• fighting with the Senate
• claimed to be a god and had statues displaying in many places including the Jewish temple in Jerusalem
• other examples of cruelty and insanity: he slept with other mans wives and bragged about it, indulged in too much spending and sex, and even tried to make his horse a consul and priest
• assassinated by his own aides in 41 AD at age 28
• Claudius
• made fun of because of his disabilities
• last known adult man in his family
• he conquered Britain
• built road, canals, and aqueducts
• he renovated the Circus Maximus
• Had an awful marriage to Messalina, who was unfaithful to him
• Religious Trouble
• Christianity and Judaism: monotheistic
• Romans had many gods plus at times the emperor
• in 66 AD a group of Jews called the Zealots tried to rebel, but roman troops put them down and burned their temple (except for one wall)
• the western wall today is the holiest of all the Jewish shrines
• half a million Jews died in the rebellion
• Persecution of Christians
• Romans were harsh toward those who would not worship the emperor
• especially Christians who were viewed as followers of a new upstart religion (cult)
• used to through them in lions den for entertainment
• grew quickly despite oppression
• by 200 AD around 10% of people in the roman empire were Christians 
• Jesus
• roman citizen
• Jew
• at 30 he began his ministry preaching to the poor in the empire and reaching out to outsiders
• statements like "my kingdom is not of this world" made the Romans nervous and they began to plan his execution
• the governor of the roman province of Judea, Pilate sentenced Jesus to death
• he is a historical figure
• Paul never met got he became blind and saw Christ
• he told everyone about Jesus's life and death and resurrection and message
• he writes letters to many of those he spoke to these epistles are part of the New Testament
• If it wasn't for Paul  not a lot of people would have known about him
• 100 most influential people in history
• Muhammad 
• Sir Isaac Newton
• Jesus
• Buddha
• Confucius
• St Paul of Tarsus