Claudius is famous as the survivor of the Julio-Claudian family – an unlikely emperor according to both ancient historians and Robert Graves alike. His apparent devotion to his wives led Tacitus and Suetonius to ridicule him, and may he may have been murdered by his fourth wife, Agrippina, the mother of Nero. Nero, in turn, is Rome's most infamous emperor: accused of incest, matricide, sexual deviance and arson. This lecture investigates the reasons why both emperors are represented in such outrageous terms. It also considers the perils faced by those in the imperial court, as well as Nero's interest in Greek culture, and the path which led to his violent death. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Claudius is famous as the survivor of the Julio-Claudian family – an unlikely emperor according to both ancient historians and Robert Graves alike. His apparent devotion to his wives led Tacitus and Suetonius to ridicule him, and may he may have been murdered by his fourth wife, Agrippina, the mother of Nero. Nero, in turn, is Rome's most infamous emperor: accused of incest, matricide, sexual deviance and arson. This lecture investigates the reasons why both emperors are represented in such outrageous terms. It also considers the perils faced by those in the imperial court, as well as Nero's interest in Greek culture, and the path which led to his violent death. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

When Augustus died in 14 CE, he had successfully established a dynastic form of monarchy which was confirmed by the continuation of the principate. This is despite the loss of all of the male heirs related to him by blood, as his successor was his stepson, Tiberius, seen as gloomy and paranoid in ancient sources. He was in turn succeeded by Caligula - a short-lived emperor who nevertheless made his mark as one of Rome’s most notoriously cruel and deviant rulers. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

When Augustus died in 14 CE, he had successfully established a dynastic form of monarchy which was confirmed by the continuation of the principate. This is despite the loss of all of the male heirs related to him by blood, as his successor was his stepson, Tiberius, seen as gloomy and paranoid in ancient sources. He was in turn succeeded by Caligula - a short-lived emperor who nevertheless made his mark as one of Rome’s most notoriously cruel and deviant rulers. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Augustus continued the late Republican trend of utilising public building as a propagandist tool, to promote himself and his regime. However, Augustan monuments are also notable for their elevation of the emperor's dynasty and their portrayal of women and children – a first in Roman public art. These buildings are therefore useful tools for popularising Augustus' regime and preparing the way for his succession, as well as further cementing his family values in ahighly public way. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Augustus continued the late Republican trend of utilising public building as a propagandist tool, to promote himself and his regime. However, Augustan monuments are also notable for their elevation of the emperor's dynasty and their portrayal of women and children – a first in Roman public art. These buildings are therefore useful tools for popularising Augustus' regime and preparing the way for his succession, as well as further cementing his family values in ahighly public way. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Love poetry during the Augustan period is notable for the elegiac genre, a short-lived but significant body of poetry which represents the poet as enslaved and entirely dominated by his mistress. This lectures examines the love poetry of Propertius and Ovid, and also looks at Ovid's controversial poem, The Art of Love, which trivialised the family values being promoted by Augustus, and was probably responsible for the harsh punishment imposed by the emperor: the poet's exile to the Black Sea. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Love poetry during the Augustan period is notable for the elegiac genre, a short-lived but significant body of poetry which represents the poet as enslaved and entirely dominated by his mistress. This lectures examines the love poetry of Propertius and Ovid, and also looks at Ovid's controversial poem, The Art of Love, which trivialised the family values being promoted by Augustus, and was probably responsible for the harsh punishment imposed by the emperor: the poet's exile to the Black Sea. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

War is the central theme of Aeneid 7-12, as Aeneas faces opposition to his settlement in Italy, primarily from the Rutulian prince, Turnus. This lecture concentrates on books 7, 10 and 12, showing how Juno, via Allecto manipulates Turnus and other characters to create conflict and bloodshed in Italy. Throughout, Virgil reminds us of the sorrow and loss involved in warfare, concentrating particularly on the father-son relationship. However, unlike Homer's Iliad, Vergil gives no reconciliation at the end of his epic, leaving this poem open to multiple interpretations. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

War is the central theme of Aeneid 7-12, as Aeneas faces opposition to his settlement in Italy, primarily from the Rutulian prince, Turnus. This lecture concentrates on books 7, 10 and 12, showing how Juno, via Allecto manipulates Turnus and other characters to create conflict and bloodshed in Italy. Throughout, Virgil reminds us of the sorrow and loss involved in warfare, concentrating particularly on the father-son relationship. However, unlike Homer's Iliad, Vergil gives no reconciliation at the end of his epic, leaving this poem open to multiple interpretations. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.