Augustus had complete power in Rome,
but he showed great respect for the Senate. Later emperors made
no secret of their power. The Senate still existed, but they no
longer controlled the affairs
of the empire. Some of the emperors who followed Augustus ruled
wisely. Others were foolish and cruel.
Nero
was perhaps the most notorious emperor in Roman history. He divorced
and murdered his wife in AD62. Later that year he introduced laws
that allowed him to kill his enemies. In AD64, a fire destroyed
most of the city. A rumor started that Nero set the fire in order
to make room for his new palace. People said that he played a fiddle
and recited poetry while watching the blaze.
Nero
was proud of his chariot driving and singing. In AD67 he toured
Greece, a land he controlled. He participated in many games and
contests for driving and singing, and always came in first place.
As Nero devoted himself to his artistic pursuits, he lost power.
In AD68, Nero committed suicide in the face of a revolt from his
soldiers.
The Roman Empire reached its greatest
size in AD117 under the emperor Trajan. In Europe, it extended from
Britain and Spain, across France, southern Germany, and the Balkan
Mountains. The Empire also included North Africa, and stretched
as far east as the Caspian Sea. The Romans claimed all of the land
surrounding the enormous Mediterranean Sea, which they called "a
Roman lake."
In AD121, the emperor Hadrian built
a wall across northern England to keep out invaders from Scotland.
The Romans called the Scottish "barbarians," probably because their
Celtic language reminded the Romans of the sounds made by sheep.
In time, the Romans called all of the people they felt were uncultured
"barbarians." Barbarian warriors from Germany would later lead to
the end of the empire.