Introduction

About the lecture

In this lecture we provide a short introduction to Vespasian and the Flavian Dynasty, and outline some of the themes that will be covered in the rest of the course: (i) the establishment of the Flavian Dynasty; (ii) the nature of the principate; (iii) the personalities of Vespasian, Titus and Domitian; (iv) propaganda and image-making; and (v) religion.

About the lecturer

Matthew Nicholls is a visiting professor of classics at the University of Reading and Senior Tutor at St John's College, Oxford, specialising in the political and social history of the Romans, and the way the built environments of Rome and cities around the empire expressed their values and priorities. In 2014, Matthew was presented with a Guardian Teaching Award for his 'Virtual Rome' project, a digital model of the city of Rome, showing the city as it appeared in c. AD 315.