When Augustus died in 14 CE, he had successfully established a dynastic form of monarchy which was confirmed by the continuation of the principate. This is despite the loss of all of the male heirs related to him by blood, as his successor was his stepson, Tiberius, seen as gloomy and paranoid in ancient sources. He was in turn succeeded by Caligula - a short-lived emperor who nevertheless made his mark as one of Rome’s most notoriously cruel and deviant rulers. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.