Roman Emperors: The Julio-Claudian Dynasty (27 BC to 68 AD)

Name
Time in
Portrait [New Testament Birth Succession Reign Death
office
Scripture Reference]

August 19, 14 AD
Great-nephew and adopted son
Augustus January 16, (aged 75)
of Julius Caesar; became de 40 years, 7
IMPERATOR CAESAR September 23, 63 27 BC – Natural causes or
facto emperor as a result of the months and
DIVI FILIVS AVGVSTVS BC, Rome, Italia August 19, perhaps
'first settlement' between himself 3 days
[LUKE 2:1] 14 AD poisoning by his
and the Roman Senate.
wife, Livia.

March 16, 37 AD
Natural son of Livia Drusilla, (aged 77)
Tiberius Augustus' third wife, by a Probably natural
September
TIBERIVS CAESAR previous marriage; stepbrother causes, possibly 22 years, 5
November 16, 42 18, 14 AD –
DIVI AVGVSTI FILIVS and third husband of Julia the assassinated by months and
BC, Rome, Italia March 16,
AVGVSTVS Elder, daughter of Augustus; Caligula or 27 days
37 AD
[LUKE 3:1] adopted by Augustus as his son praetorian
and heir. prefect Naevius
Sutorius Macro

Caligula January 24, 41 AD

GAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR Great-nephew and adopted March 18, (aged 28)
3 years, 10
AVGVSTVS August 31, 12 grandson of Tiberius; natural son 37 AD – Assassinated in a
months and
GERMANICVS AD, Antium, Italia of Germanicus; great-grandson January 24, conspiracy involving
6 days
[NO NEW TESTAMENT of Augustus. 41 AD senators and
REFERENCE] Praetorian Guards.

Holly Hills Bible Church – 37 The Book of Acts – October 1, 2017

Supplement: Roman Emperors - The Julio-Claudian Dynasty – Page 1 of 2
 Name
Time in
Portrait [New Testament Birth Succession Reign Death
office
Scripture Reference]

October 13, 54
Uncle of Caligula; brother of AD (aged 63)
Claudius
Germanicus; nephew of January Possibly poisoned by
TIBERIVS CLAVDIVS August 1, 10 13 years, 8
Tiberius; great-nephew and 25/26, 41 AD his wife Agrippina the
CAESAR AVGVSTVS BC, Lugdunum, months and
step-grandson of Augustus; – October Younger, in favour of
GERMANICVS Gallia Lugdunensis 18/19 days
proclaimed emperor by 13, 54 AD her son Nero,
[ACTS 11:28; 18:2]
the Praetorian Guard. possibly natural
causes.

Great-nephew, stepson, son-in- June 9, 68 AD (aged

Nero
law and adopted son of October 13, 30)
NERO CLAVDIVS 13 years, 7
December 15, 37 Claudius; nephew of Caligula; 54 AD – Committed suicide
CAESAR AVGVSTVS months and
AD, Antium, Italia great-great-nephew of Tiberius; June 9, 68 after being declared
GERMANICVS 27 days
grandson of Germanicus; great- AD a public enemy by
[Acts 25-26; 28:10]
great-grandson of Augustus the Senate.

These Roman emperors provide the Roman Empire’s historical, legal, cultural and chronological context for the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John, the book of Acts, and the books of the New Testament which were written up to the middle of 68 AD, which is most of them. For example:
Augustus Caesar was behind the decree of taking the census at the time of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:1). John the Baptist began his ministry in the 15th
year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar (Luke 3:1). A great famine took place during the reign of Claudius, who also sent the Jews out of Rome, as
was confirmed by Roman historians (Acts 11:28; 18:2). Nero was the emperor to whom Paul the apostle appealed as a Roman citizen, and who
freed Paul from his house arrest in Rome. When Paul wrote to Timothy that the time of his departure had come, that was under Nero (2 Timothy
4:6,7). All five of the above emperors became emperors by ‘adoption of sons’ (Romans 8:15, 23; 9:4; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5).
The above table is extracted and adapted from the Wikipedia article ‘List of Roman Emperors’ as of September 7th, 2017. The table does not include
the reign of Julius Caesar or of Augustus before he was declared emperor. The use of this table should not to be taken as a ‘blanket’ recommendation
of the specific Wikipedia article or of Wikipedia in general. See also the supplemental table in ‘32 The Book of Acts – August 27, 2017 -
Supplement: New Testament Political Figures Confirmed By Historical Texts And Archaeology’.
Holly Hills Bible Church – 37 The Book of Acts – October 1, 2017
Supplement: Roman Emperors - The Julio-Claudian Dynasty – Page 2 of 2