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The Flavian Dynasty (69–96)
The Flavians were a new dynasty. And when I say new, I mean new in the sense that they lacked the old blood or money the Julio-Claudians possessed. Vespasian’s grandfather was a mere centurion among hundreds others serving under Pompey. What made it worse was that the old Patriarch fled from the field during the final Battle of Pharsalus, an act that would have seen him chopped into little mutton-chops were it not for the fact that Pompey lost that battle and war. Successive generations managed to turn things around through well-placed marriages and public service – not in the army – but as tax collectors skimming off the top…
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The Year of the Four Emperors (68–69)
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse! No, that’s not right… The Ambitious Four? Still not there… The Four Unfortunates? Hmmm, Vespasian did win out in the end… The Four Candidates? It is hard to put a title to these four gentlemen coming up next. History tags their period “The Year of the Four Emperors.” Only one of them made it past the goal post, and even then, it was something of a close call. Even then, while history acknowledges just these four, there were several others who made claims on the throne. Among the most notable were Gaius Julius Vindex, a governor from Gallia, and Nymphidius Sabinus, a Praetorian Prefect…
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The Roman Empire | Julio-Claudian Dynasty (27 BC – AD 68)
The First Dynasty (27 BC-68 AD) – The Julio-Claudian Dynasty From “Build Back Better” to “Burn Them ALL!!!” “First was Augustus, wisest and strongest, Next came Tiberius, darkest, and moodiest. Alas came Caligula, ye “Little Boots,” the nuttiest and wackiest of them all, Hear the tale of Claudius, lame to the last, And of Nero, last of the name…er…dynasty” The first dynasty held the promise of a better future for the empire. From aqueducts, temples, and statues, to military reforms, conquests, and conspiracies; this was the dynasty that set the tone for the future lives of the purple-clad. Even as the dynasty was in decline, its emperor vowing to destroy…
