When Octavian Caesar defeated Antony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 B.C.E., most Romans expected a continuation of the cycle of dictatorships and civil wars that had plagued the Republic over the last century. To most everyone's surprise, Octavian, now known as Augustus, proved to be an even greater statesman than his uncle and created the lasting settlement known as the Pax Romana.

This lesson looks at Augustus' settlement and the clever ways he masked his imperial government in the guise of the old Republic. It then looks at the reigns of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and other rulers of the first century of the empire, with numerous pictures and coins to illustrate them.

This is a self-contained PowerPoint that develops slide by slide while other notes for the students scroll down the side. It can be run as a timed presentation on its own, presented slide by slide for discussion, or integrated into your other lectures. There are also extensive pictures with captions mixed in to illustrate the lesson and capture students’ interest. This packet also contains a student reading, flowchart, and the author’s own research notes which contain lots of details and interesting trivia to spice up your class.


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