The end of Cleopatra was even more tragic. The Egyptian queen seems at
first to have thought that she would be able to bewitch the young Cæsar;
but having in vain essayed her arts on the cold, calculating Octavius,
she, sooner than be led in chains to adorn the triumph of the victor,
and glut the eyes of the populace of Rome with the sight of the daughter
and last of the Ptolemies, preceding the chariot of the adopted son of
him who had done homage to her charms, gave herself voluntary death by
the bite of an asp, or the scratch of a poisoned needle. Egypt now
became a Roman province in 30 B. C., and Rome’s dominion in the
Mediterranean basin became formally, as it had long been virtually,
complete.
The Roman Empire, replacing the Roman Republic, founded by Julius Cæsar,
after the battle of Pharsalia, was consolidated by Octavianus in the
following year.
V. PERIOD OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE TO CONSTANTINE, 31 B.C.-306 A.D.--The
_fifth_ period begins with the establishment of the Imperial
Government under Augustus Cæsar to the reign of Constantine, A.D.
306. As Christianity was introduced into the world in this period,
and was opposed until the end of it by the Roman government, it is
often designated as the period of Pagan Emperors.
The reign of Augustus, the name taken by the first Emperor Octavius,
has become proverbial for an age flourishing in peace, literature,
and the arts. It is distinguished, also, for the birth of Jesus
Christ; as the next reign, that of Tiberius, is, for his crucifixion
and death.--The four reigns succeeding, viz.: those of Tiberius,
Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, are chiefly memorable for the tyranny
of the Emperors, and the profligacy of their families and favorites.
On the death of Nero, A.D. 69, follows a year of dissension and
bloodshed, in which Galba, Otho, and Vitellius successively gained
the empire and lost their lives.--The Flavian family, Vespasian and
his two sons, Titus and Domitian, next in order receive the supreme
power. Titus is celebrated as the final conqueror of the Jews, whose
obstinacy provoked him to destroy the city of Jerusalem. Domitian,
the last emperor of the family, provokes his own assassination, A.D.
96.
Passing the reigns of the feeble Nerva, the martial Trajan, and the
peaceful Hadrian, we arrive at a brilliant age in the imperial
history, the age of Antonines, extending from A.D. 138 to 180, a
space of about forty years. Literature and the arts of peace revived
under their benign influence.
After the death of Marcus Aurelius, A.D. 180, there follows a whole
century of disorder, profligacy, conspiracy and assassination. The
army assumes the absolute disposal of the imperial crown, which is
even sold at public auction to the highest bidder. Within the last
fifty years of the time, nearly fifty emperors are successively
proclaimed, and deposed or murdered.--In the year 284, Diocletian
began to reign, and attempted a new system of administration.
Ten special persecutions of Christians are recorded and described,
the first under Nero, A.D. 64, and the last under Diocletian,
commencing A.D. 303, and continuing ten years, unto A.D. 313. But,
notwithstanding these repeated efforts to hinder the progress of
Christianity, it was spread during this period throughout the whole
Roman Empire.