(A) Required Experience: 

This is a mutli-day class addressed to students who already have a background on ancient civilizations, and a special interest in the Roman History. 
N.B.: This course is entitled Part 4, which means that there are three other courses preceding this one. However, the students do not necessarily need to take first my courses on "Roman Republican History" or on "Julius Caesar and Octavian Augustus" (offered also as multi-day courses under the title of Roman History Part 1 and 2 respectively) in order to sign up for this one. Nor do they need to take the course on the life and time of Emperor Augustus (also offered as a multi-day course under the title Roman History Part 3), but they are strongly recommended to do so. In other words, anyone interested in learning about Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero (the Julio-Claudian Dynasty) is welcomed in the classroom. 

(B) Teaching style and students interaction:

The learning process of this class is based on a combination of a power-point presentation, a lecture that asks students to participate, class dialogue, questions based on the ongoing lecture, and new ideas based on the participants. There is not one universal solution to teach. Rather I combine techniques to achieve the maximum of my strengths and of my students. Having taught so far young kids, teenagers, University students and mature learners, I know that teachers need to approach students with understanding. After all, such a small class has the advantage of making the combined technique of ppt presentation-lecture-dialogue feasible and efficient. Thanks to Zoom, engaging students and interacting with them is always possible. 

(C) Topics to be covered, and class structure: 

Weeks 1 to 5: The Successor of Augustus
(We will explore the first Roman to succeed the legendary Octavian Augustus, inheriting a whole empire as the next "Augustus")
Week 1: The Deificiation of Augustus
Week 2: Tiberius and his mother Livia Augusta
Week 3: The potential successors of Tiberius (Germanicus, Drusus Minor, Nero Julius Caesar and Drusus Julius Caesar)
Week 4: Tiberius ruling - Sejanus
Week 5: Tiberius in the provinces

Weeks 6 to 8: The Short Reign of Caligula 
(We will try to understand if he was really a sociopath or a young man misunderstood and misrepresented)
Week 6: Caligula and His Family
Week 7: Caligula, Divus Augustus and Other Gods
Week 8: Caligula as Augustus

Weeks 9 to 14: The Unexpected Reign of Claudius
(We will discusss why Caligula's assassination in 41 CE was really the "End" of the Roman "Republic")
Week 9: Caligula's Assassination - The Accession of Claudius - Claudius and the Imperial Family
Week 10: Claudius and His Family
Week 11: Claudius' Conquest of Britain (Claudius, as all his predecessors, needed a military triumph and a court to praise him for it)
Week 12: Claudius and the provinces (Roman colonization and the case of Lugdunum [mod. Lyons])
Week 13: Claudius as Augustus (Claudius proved himself an empire-wide administrator)
Week 14: Claudius' Freedmen - Nero as Young Augustus - Death of Claudius

Weeks 15 to 19: The Spectacular Reign of Nero 
(As a dynasty, the Julio-Claudians need a successor of Claudius from the family of Augustus. This one is the notorius Nero who start his career as emperor in a much promising way)
Week 15: Deification of Claudius - Nero and his mother Agrippina the Younger
Week 16: Nero in Rome (the spectacles and spectacular life of Nero)
Week 17: Nero's Domus Aurea
Week 18: Nero's "spectacular" triumph in Armenia and Parthia
Week 19: Nero as Apollo - Nero's spectacular journey in Greece - Nero's spectacular, yet mocking triumph
Week 20: Conspiracies and Revolts against Nero

A Fifth Part of this series of Multi-Day Roman History Classes will be offered focused mainly on the Flavian Dynasty (ca. 69/70 - 96 CE) and its Aftermath.