h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Project Title: The Julio-Claudian Emperors

A-number of Project Title Page: A5836502

Description of Project: [copied from title page] This project intends to include six entries about the early dynasty of Roman emperors known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. The first entry will be an introduction, explaining how the Empire was established after the civil war that followed Julius Caesar's takeover, and include a precis of what happened in the first 100 or so years of the Empire. The other entries will each focus on one of the Julio-Claudian emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula (Gaius), Claudius and Nero.

Proposed Completion Date: 01/11/05

(I believe I have the honour of submitting the first project proposal for the new university! I have been getting round to putting this together for a while. If there's anyone who wants to help out, by tackling a particular emperor or by giving some helpful info, that would be hugely appreciated!)

I too believe you hold that honor

I think there was an entry on Nero in PR recently that you might be able to scavenge off of. Or maybe it was Caligula... You know who I mean, the crazy one

I frankly don't care about Roman History, but I'll try to read your entries as they come out. Really just wanted to congratulate you.

This one? A4083941 It's in the FM right now.

(Yes! Free material I don't have to write!)

Actually, Nero and Caligula were both pretty crazy, but Caligula gets the claim to fame because he married his sister.

That's why it was funny

Which one had the horse?

The one he made a senator? That was Caligula. It was called Incitatus, and it had a 'wife', who, according to Robert Graves' novel I, Claudius, was a very nice mare called, if I'm not mistaken, Penelope.

You know your stuff. I was just, er... testing you.

Fantastic - a speedy entry there!

All the best with the project, I look forward to seeing the finished works!

I ought to mention that I do need a sub, so if anyone wants to step forward and agree to sub the project, I'd be quite pleased.

I've finished my first entry, Claudius - A5855448. If anyone wants to sub the project, I'm still open.

Here's the next entry: A5855466, on Caligula. I'd really, really appreciate feedback on this one, particularly on the length of the entry (as compared to the longer Claudius one) and on the appropriateness of the info about Caligula's sexual exploits that I've included. Although I'm starting to sound like a broken record, if you can sub this project, please let me know! (But there's really no rush, as I'm probably not even going to be done by the provisional end date.

I'm not a sub, but I'll try and comment when I get a free minute.

Tiberius is done: A5836502.

I've had to push back the provisional end date considerably, because all of a sudden real life jumped in and I was forced to procrastinate. Once again, if anyone wants to sub this...

Augustus has also been written: A7146597.

As I've got a school holiday all next week, my plan is to finish Nero tomorrow, so now I really do need a sub...

I'll read it tomorrow.

Near the top "seems" -> "seams".

You refer to Egypt being part of Rome - that's a bit misleading. How about part of the Roman world instead?

Also, at the end you say:

"After Augustus' death, he was unable"

It's a small thing, but I think that would be better as

"After Augustus' death, he was obviously unable".

Don't think there was anything else, fantastic job as ever!

Thanks for those, Elentari. All fixed!

My most abject apologies for the delay, but with the completion of Nero (A3625904) the project is now complete. I'll wait to see if any comments come up here before the editing rights are handed over to my lovely sub-ed, SchrEck.

I like it!

"the Games were rigged so that he won 1800 awards" Really? Is that number right? It seems huge

"However, the historian Suetonius and Tacitus" - "historians"

You mention his "approval ratings" dropping - but it's not like they actually took polls.

Also, when Britannicus (I think it was) was murdered, you imply that it was on Nero's orders, but don't state it. I doubt we know for sure, but could you be more clear if it was probably Nero?

That's it though, great job!

Can you post the PR link when they go in?