How did the Roman state develop after Augustus?

AAUGUSTUS’S SUCCESS IN CREATING SOLID POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS was tested by the dynasty he created, the Julio-Claudians, whose members schemed against one another trying to win and hold power. The incompetence of one of the Julio-Claudians, Nero, allowed a military commander, Vespasian (veh-SPAY-zhuhn), to claim the throne and establish a new dynasty, the Flavians. The Flavians were followed by the “five good emperors,” who were relatively successful militarily and politically.

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Roman Legion Roof PlaqueRoman soldiers practiced many crafts in addition to warfare. They often built roads, bridges, and buildings. They also quarried stone, made their own weapons and armor, and manufactured pottery tiles and dishes. The legionaries of the Twentieth Legion stationed in Britain, whose symbol was a charging boar, made this clay plaque for a roof. (Grosvenor Museum, Chester, U.K.)