Tiberius:
Was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. His mother divorced his father and was remarried to Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian. Tiberius would later marry Augustus' daughter Julia. He officially became a Julian, bearing the name Tiberius Julius Caesar. Tiberius was the stepson of Augustus and great-uncle of Caligula. Tiberius was one of Rome's greatest generals. He came to be remembered as a dark and somber ruler who never really desired to be emperor; Tiberius is considered to have lacked the political ability of his predecessor Augustus and was a jealous emperor; particularly distrustful of his popular general Germanicus. After the death of Tiberius’ son Drusus Julius Caesar in 23, the quality of his rule declined and ended in a terror. In 26, against better judgment, Tiberius exiled himself from Rome. Caligula, Tiberius' grand-nephew and adopted grandson, succeeded the emperor after his death.
Caligula:
Was Roman Emperor from 37 to 41. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most beloved public figures. The young Gaius earned the nickname Caligula (meaning "little soldier's boot") from his father's soldiers while accompanying him during his campaigns in Germania. Caligula accepted the invitation to join the emperor on the island of Capri in 31. At the death of Tiberius in 37, Caligula succeeded his great-uncle and adoptive grandfather. Although he is described as a noble and moderate ruler during the first two years of his rule. After this, his cruelty and extravagance presented him as an insane tyrant. Caligula worked to increase the authority of the emperor. In early 41, Caligula was assassinated as the result of a conspiracy involving officers of the Praetorian Guard, as well as members of the Roman Senate and of the imperial court. On the same day, the Praetorian Guard declared Caligula's uncle Claudius emperor in his place.
Claudius:
Was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54 and was the first emperor to be born outside Italy. Afflicted with a limp and slight deafness due to sickness at a young age, his family excluded him from the public until his nephew Caligula died in 37. Claudius probably saved himself from the fate of many other nobles during the purges of Tiberius' and Caligula's reigns. His survival led to his being declared emperor by the Praetorian Guard after Caligula's assassination, at which point he was the last adult male of his family.
Despite his lack of experience, Claudius proved to be an able and efficient emperor. He began the conquest of Britain. However, he was seen as vulnerable throughout his reign. Claudius was constantly forced to give up his position; this resulted in the deaths of many senators. These events damaged his reputation among the ancient writers, though more recent historians have revised this opinion. After his death in 54, his grand-nephew and adopted son Nero succeeded him as emperor.
