# "I, Clavdivs" questions

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-clavdivs-questions/46518>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 20, 2000, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-clavdivs-questions/46518 "2000-12-20T14:45:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-clavdivs-questions/46518/21 "2000-12-28T05:56:34Z")

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**Dr\_Paprika** writes:

> [@](#):
>
> But from what I can recall, most historians did not use the phrase Julio-Claudian. They were simply Julians, Claudians, or members of the “Age of the Five Good Emperors”.

Ack, no! The “Five Good Emperors” were the adoptive emperors who ruled from 98-180CE. The “Julio-Claudians” were the _first_ five emperors who ruled from (conventionally) 27BCE-68CE.

While Augustus _was_ pretty darn good, and Tiberius I and Claudius I weren’t bad, it is hard to imagine _anyone_ describing Caligula or Nero as a “good emperor”. Not and keep a straight face at the same time, anyway.

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**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-clavdivs-questions/46518/22 "2000-12-28T07:42:28Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Akatsukami \*  
> \*\*Ack, no! The “Five Good Emperors” were the adoptive emperors who ruled from 98-180CE. The “Julio-Claudians” were the _first_ five emperors who ruled from (conventionally) 27BCE-68CE.  
> \*\*

Correct. Also known, if I recall correctly, as the “Adoptive Emperors” becauas of their practice of adopting as their political heir the man they thought was best suited to govern the empire, as opposed to their natural son or relative.

This ended when Marcus Aurelius made his son Commodus his co-ruler and eventual successor. This succession was discussed in the following thread:

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=29519](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=29519)

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