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Michael McGill 💻 🏛

@mcgillmd921

Jul 20

Julius Caesar is one of the most powerful, admired, and artistically depicted figures from Roman History.

Caesar and the renowned events of his life were a favorite topic for majestic works of art over the centuries.

These are the best. 🧵

Julius Caesar - Peter Paul Rubens

Vercingetorix throws down his arms at the feet of Julius Caesar - Lionel Royer - 1899

The painting depicts the surrender of the Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix after the Battle of Alesia (52 BC).

Caesar's Triumph - Peter Paul Rubens

Depicts a magnificent procession celebrating the victories of the Roman general – and later dictator – Julius Caesar over Gaul between 58 and 50 BC.

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Michael McGill 💻 🏛

@mcgillmd921

Jul 12

G.K. Chesterton said:

"Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her."

The love of the Roman Empire continued long after it fell, and it inspired breathtaking works of art portraying it's Emperors.

Here are 10 of the greatest.

/Thread🧵

"Augustus At The Tomb Of Alexander The Great" (1878) by Lionel-Noël Royer

This painting depicts a meeting between two storied figures from history, Octavian—soon to be named Augustus—visiting the grave of the long-dead Alexander the Great.

"Virgil reading The Aeneid before Augustus, Livia and Octavia" (1812) - Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

Depicts the moment when Virgil, reciting his work to the Emperor Augustus, Livia and Octavia, mentions the name of Octavia's dead son, Marcellus, causing Octavia to faint

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Michael McGill 💻 🏛

@mcgillmd921

Jun 21

The Roman Empire's Most Horrible Emperors

The Roman Empire had more than it's fair share of dreadful Emperors.

But some of them were particularly vile and/or incompetent.

Let's examine the worst of the worst Emperors of Rome.

/Thread 🧵

Tiberius

Dynasty: Julio-Claudian

Reign: 17 September 14 – 16 March 37 (22 years, 5 months and 27 days)

Bio:

Tiberius Claudius Nero, was the second Roman Emperor. Adopted by Augustus, he was a skilled military commander and administrator. Tiberius initially maintained the stability of the empire but became increasingly reclusive, ruling from Capri in his later years. His reign is marred by the notorious
treason trials, driven by paranoia. His legacy is overshadowed by his perceived tyranny and the brutal suppression of perceived threats to his authority.

Why he's on the list:
• Didn't want to be Emperor in the first place
• Abandoned Rome and self-exiled himself to Capri
• Did unspeakable things on that island
• Extremely paranoid
• Unjustly killed several people through his "Treason Trials"

Caligula

Dynasty: Julio-Claudian

Reigned: 18 March 37 – 24 January 41 (3 years, 10 months and 6 days)

Bio:

Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, was the third Roman Emperor. Nicknamed "Caligula" for the small boots he wore as a child. Initially popular, his reign soon turned infamous for alleged cruelty, extravagance, and claims of insanity. He purportedly squandered Rome’s wealth, indulged in grandiose projects, and exhibited erratic behavior, including declaring himself a god. Caligula’s rule ended abruptly when he was assassinated in a conspiracy involving Praetorian Guards, senators, and courtiers, leaving a legacy marked by tyranny and chaos.

Why he's on the list:
• Claimed to be a god
• Committed incest with his sisters
• Marched his legions to the shores of the English Channel just to collect shells
• Tries to make his horse a Consul
• Particularly cruel and vicious, making fathers watch as their sons were executed

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Michael McGill 💻 🏛

@mcgillmd921

Jun 7

The 5 Good Emperors of Rome

Five men who ruled Rome during the magnificent height of the Pax Romana, when Rome was at the height of it's might and majesty.

Let's do a deep dive into the most scintillating period in Roman History.

/Thread 🧵

Who Were the 5 Good Emperors of Rome?

The reign of the Five Good Emperors of Rome spanned 84 years from 96 to 180 AD. Here are the emperors and their respective reigns:

• Nerva (96–98 AD) – 2 years
• Trajan (98–117 AD) – 19 years
• Hadrian (117–138 AD) – 21 years
Antoninus Pius (138–161 AD) – 23 years
• Marcus Aurelius (161–180 AD) – 19 years

These were five emperors who made up the lion's share of the Nerva-Antonine Dynasty, along with Lucius Verus (Marcus Aurelius' brother by adoption) and Commodus (Marcus Aurelius's son 🤮)

Why Were They Called the 5 Good Emperors?

These Emperors were known for their just and effective governance. Times were good in the Roman Empire, it was the height of the Pax Romana, a time of unprecedented peace and economic prosperity throughout the Empire. Rome expanded to its greatest territorial extent under Trajan in 117 AD.

These 5 Emperors represented a very unique time in Roman History. This was a period of peaceful transition of power, a very rare thing indeed in the Roman Empire.

Violence was the norm as one Emperor's reign ended and another's began. Murder, assassination, poisoning...you name it. The trasnition of power in the Roman Empre was typically bloody and brutal.

But not for the 5 Good Emperors.

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Michael McGill 💻 🏛

@mcgillmd921

May 31

The Late Roman Republic

Pound for pound, the most fascinating period in Roman History.

No other time in human history had such a high density of captivating individuals.

Let's do a deep dive into the incredible people of the late Roman Republic.

/Thread 🧵

The People of the Late Roman Republic

For purposes of this thread, we will look at the people involved in the events starting with Caesar crossing the Rubicon in 49 BC and ending with the battle of Actium in 31 BC.

This period has the highest density of of fascinating people in the late Roman Republic.

This period is literally a "who's who" of famous people. The history books are filled with their names, countless books are written about them, and they fill our imaginations with the might and majesty of Roman History.

• Julius Caesar
• Pompey the Great
• Cicero
• Mark Antony
• Brutus
• Cato the Younger
• Cleopatra
• Octavian

Julius Caesar - The GOAT of Roman History

Roman General and Statesman.

He was a member of the First triumvirate along with Crassus and Pompey. He led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars and ultimately defeated Pompey the Great in the Civil Wars. He subsequently became dictator of Rome from 49BC until his assassination at the hands of Roman senators in 44 BC.

He was the central figure in the events of the late Roman Republic. He was the straw that stirred the drink of the fall of the Republic.

The wheels were already in motion from earlier events, but Caesar toppled down the remaining vestiges of the Republic.

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Michael McGill 💻 🏛

@mcgillmd921

May 24

"Marcus Aurelius was a terrible Roman Emperor."

/Thread 🧵

This is the inevitable response I receive when I say Marcus Aurelius is my favorite Roman Emperor.

It's mostly because of Commodus.

But I don't get angry at the people who say this. They're simply looking at the reign of Marcus Aurelius through the lens of his one mistake and not seeing all the things he did that made him an excellent emperor.

Maybe we can sway their opinion?

Let's do a deep dive into the reign of Marcus Aurelius.

Who Was Marcus Aurelius?

Marcus Aurelius was the 16th Emperor of Rome.

He reigned from 7 March 161 to 17 March 180. For the first eight years of his reign he co-ruled with his adoptive brother Lucius Verus.

He was a member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty and the last of the rulers known as "The Five Good Emperors of Rome."

He reigned during a challenging time in Roman History. He faced plague, warfare, invasion, and rebellion.

He is also known as a Stoic philosopher and wrote Meditations, one of the most famous works of Stoic philosophy.

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