Ancient Literature — Significant Excerpts From the Books of Classical Authors Which You Can Use to Supplement Your History Curriculum — Volume Three: Augustus, Jesus Christ, and Tiberius

Compiled by Laurie Bluedorn

Published by Trivium Pursuit

Use primary sources to enhance your study of ancient history.

This 142 page ebook can be used to supplement any ancient history curriculum and is suitable for ages ten through adult. For this volume, we combed through the books of 18 ancient authors to find 112 significant excerpts concerning the time period from 30 B.C to A.D. 37. We then arranged the excerpts chronologically and provided the text and citation for each.

Also available in this series is Ancient Literature — Significant Excerpts From the Books of Classical Authors Which You Can Use to Supplement Your History Curriculum — Volume One: Julius Caesar and Volume Two: Alexander the Great.

Look for our soon-to-be-released ebooks on other ancient history topics.

142 page ebook; 8.5 X 11; black & white

Cost: $9

Contents of This Ebook

Velleius Paterculus – NAME OF AUTHOR
The Roman History – NAME OF BOOK
Antony and Cleopatra die; Octavian (Augustus) ends the civil wars and returns to Rome (30 B.C.) – DESCRIPTION OF SIGNIFICANT EXCERPT

Plutarch
The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans: Antony
Cleopatra dies (30 B.C.)

Dio Cassius
Roman History
Octavian makes Egypt a tributary (30 B.C.)

Florus
Epitome of Roman History
Revolution and civil war ends (30 B.C.)

Dio Cassius
Roman History
Octavian deals with the Roman senate on his return (30 B.C.)

Dio Cassius
Roman History
How Octavian delivers a speech in the senate, as if he were retiring from the sole rulership; senate “forces” him to assume autocratic power (27 B.C.)

Velleius Paterculus
The Roman History
Octavian given the name Augustus (27 B.C.)

Seutonius
The Lives of the Caesars: Augustus
Octavian given the name Augustus (27 B.C.)

Dio Cassius
Roman History
All power given to Augustus (27 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
How ten men of the citizens of Jerusalem made a conspiracy against Herod the Great for the foreign practices he had introduced which were a transgression of the laws of their country; concerning the building of Sebaste and Cesarea and other edifices of Herod the great (26-25 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Drought in Judea and Syria; Herod the Great provides for his subjects (25-24 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great builds a palace in Jerusalem; marries again; makes his wife’s father the high priest (24-23 B.C.)

Strabo
Ancient Geography
The Romans and Queen Candace, ruler of the Ethiopians (23 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great sends his sons to be raised by Augustus (22 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great and Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa are good friends

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, and Augustus

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great spies on his subjects (20 B.C.)

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Augustus
Domestic life of Augustus

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great rebuilds the temple (19-8 B.C.)

Tacitus
Histories
Tacitus’ view of the Jews

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great brings his two sons home from Rome (16 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great begins to favor his oldest son Antipater (son of Doris) instead of Aristobulus and Alexander (sons of Mariamne I); sends him to Rome to be received by Augustus (13 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
How during Antipater’s abode at Rome, Herod the Great brought Alexander and Aristobulus before Augustus and accused them; Alexander’s defense of himself before Augustus and reconciliation to his father (11 B.C.)

Dionysius of Halicarnassus
The Roman Antiquities
Dionysius begins to write his history; Rome is supreme (7 B.C.)

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Tiberius
Tiberius (married to Augustus’ daughter Julia) retires to Rhodes (6 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great’s relationship with Alexander and Aristobulus worsens (6 B.C.)

Luke
Bible: Luke
Gabriel appears to Zacharias and told him that his wife Elizabeth would have a son (6 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great has his two sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, killed (6 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Antipater intends to have his father killed; Herod the Great’s wives and children

Luke
Bible: Luke
Gabriel visits the virgin Mary in Nazareth of Galilee and Christ was thus conceived (5 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great discovers Antipater’s treason; removes Simon as high priest and substitutes Matthias (5 B.C.)

Luke
Bible: Luke
Augustus calls for a tax; Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem; Jesus born (5 B.C.)

Matthew
Bible: Matthew
The wise men visit Herod the great and give gifts to Jesus (4 B.C)

Matthew
Bible: Matthew
Joseph takes Mary and Jesus to Egypt; Herod the Great kills all the children in Bethlehem and surrounding areas from two years old and under (4 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great tells Antipater to come home from Rome; Antipater’s wickedness is exposed and is put in prison until Augustus is consulted (4 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the great falls sick and makes his will; leaves his kingdom to his son Herod Antipas (son of Malthace)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Seeing that Herod the great is close to death, some of the Jews rebel; Herod makes Joazar (brother of Herod’s wife) high priest (4 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the great grows worse (4 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great has Antipater killed (4 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod the Great makes a new will and dies (4 B.C.)

Matthew
Bible: Matthew
Joseph told to return to Israel; settles in Galilee where Herod Antipas rules (4 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
The Jews revolt again and Herod Archelaus kills 3,000; Herod Archelaus sails to Rome to consult with Augustus about his claim to the throne (3 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Many tumults arise in Judea while the throne is debated by Augustus; Revolt of Judas

Luke
Bible: Acts
Several years later, Gamaliel mentions this Judas (Theudas)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Simon, a former slave of Herod the Great, tries to take the kingdom (3 B.C.)

Tacitus
Histories
Simon, a former slave of Herod the great, usurps the title of king (3 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
How Augustus finally divides Herod the great’s kingdom (3 B.C.)

Strabo
Ancient Geography
Strabo’s report on the rule of Herod the Great

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod Archelaus makes Eleazar high priest (3 B.C.)

Augustus
The Acts of Augustus as Recorded on the Monumentum Ancyranum
Augustus records how he gave money to the poor (2 B.C.)

Dio Cassius
Roman History
Games in the Circus during the time of Augustus (2 B.C.)

Augustus
The Acts of Augustus as Recorded on the Monumentum Ancyranum
Augustus provides a spectacle for the people (2 B.C.)

Velleius Paterculus
History of Rome
Augustus’ two grandsons (adopted sons) Gaius and Lucius die; Tiberius returns from Rhodes; Augustus adopts Tiberius (A.D. 2-4)

Dio Cassius
Roman History
How Livia convinced Augustus to rule more mercifully

Velleius Paterculus
History of Rome
Augustus sends Tiberius to Germany; the historian Velleius Paterculus went with him and served in the cavalry (A.D. 4)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
The Jews complain to Augustus about Herod Archelaus; Herod Archelaus banished to Gaul and his territory annexed to Syria (A.D. 6-7)

Luke
Bible: Luke
Christ brought to Jerusalem at Passover (A.D.8)

Velleius Paterculus
History of Rome
Tiberius has equal power to Augustus (A.D. 12)

Tacitus
Annals
Augustus dies and Tiberius reigns (A.D. 14)

Eutropius
A Concise History of Rome
A summary of the rule of Augustus

Seneca
Essay On Benefits
Seneca’s view of Augustus

Dio Cassius
Roman History
The character of Tiberius

Pliny
Natural History
Earthquake in Asia (A.D. 17)

Dio Cassius
Roman History
Earthquake in Asia

Tacitus
Annals
Jews expelled from Italy (A.D. 19)

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Tiberius
Jews forced to burn their religious clothing (A.D. 19)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Tiberius orders all Jews out of Rome (A.D. 19)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Annas removed as high priest of the Jews (A.D. 23-26)

Tacitus
Annals
A temple to Tiberius is to be built (A.D. 25)

Velleius Paterculus
History of Rome
Tiberius as a great emperor

John
Bible: John
Annas is father-in-law to Caiaphas, who is the high priest (A.D. 26)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Pontius Pilate replaces Valerius Gratus (A.D. 26)

Philo
Embassy to Gaius
Crimes of Pontius Pilate (A.D. 26)

Luke
Bible: Luke
John the Baptist first hears the word of God (A.D. 26)

Luke
Bible: Luke
Jesus is baptized by John (A.D. 27)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod Agrippa I (son of Aristobulus) had, by Cypros, a son named Herod Agrippa II in A.D. 27 and a daughter named Berenice in A.D. 28

John
Bible: John
Jesus performs His first miracle (A.D. 30)

Mark
Bible: Mark
John the Baptist cast into prison by Herod Antipas (A.D. 30)

Matthew
Bible: Matthew
John the Baptist beheaded (A.D. 32)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Josephus’ version of why John the Baptist was killed (A.D. 32)

Luke
Bible: Luke
Herod Antipas wants to see Jesus (A.D. 32)

John
Bible: John
Caiaphas the high priest prophesied about Jesus (A.D. 33)

Luke
Bible: Luke
Some Pharisees warn Jesus that Herod Antipas wants to kill Him (A.D. 33)

Luke
Bible: Luke
Jesus enters Jerusalem on a colt (A.D. 33)

Luke
Bible: Luke
Jesus and the last supper (A.D. 33)

John
Bible: John
Jesus captured and taken to Annas, father-in-law to Caiaphas; Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas (A.D. 33)

Mark
Bible: Mark
Jesus carried away to Pontius Pilate (A.D. 33)

Luke
Bible: Luke
Pontius Pilate sends Jesus to Herod Antipas; Herod Antipas sends Jesus back to Pontius Pilate; Herod and Pilate made friends (A.D. 33)

John
Bible: John
Jesus crucified; Pontius Pilate titles Jesus (A.D. 33)

Luke
Bible: Luke
Sun is darkened and darkness comes over the earth from noon to three PM during crucifixion (A.D. 33)

Julius Africanus
Chronology
Julius Africanus records the words of Thallus and Phlegon concerning the darkening during crucifixion

Matthew
Bible: Matthew
Miraculous events happen directly after Jesus dies (A.D. 33)

Mark
Bible: Mark
Pontius Pilate gives the body of Jesus to Joseph of Arimathaea; Jesus’ body buried (A.D. 33)

Matthew
Bible: Matthew
Chief priests and Pharisees seal the tomb (A.D. 33)

Matthew
Bible: Matthew
Jesus rises from the dead; chief priests bribe soldiers to lie (A.D. 33)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Josephus writes about Jesus

Tacitus
Annals
A mention of Jesus by Tacitus

Luke
Bible: Acts
First Pentecost after the resurrection; the Holy Spirit comes (A.D. 33)

Luke
Bible: Acts
First imprisonment of Peter and John (A.D. 33)

Luke
Bible: Acts
The high priest has Stephen killed; Saul (Paul) is consenting to his death (A.D. 33)

Luke
Bible: Acts
The believers are persecuted and scattered abroad (A.D. 34)

Tacitus
Annals
The phoenix returns to Egypt (A.D. 34)

Dio Cassius
Roman History
The phoenix returns to Egypt

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod Philip the Tetrarch dies (A.D. 34)

Luke
Bible: Acts
Saul (Paul) converted (A.D. 35)

Tertullian
Apology
Tertullian states that Tiberius tried to protect the Christians

Seneca
Essay on Benefits
Seneca’s view of Tiberius

Eusebius
The History of the Church
Eusebius states that Tiberius tried to protect the Christians

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Lucius Vitellius made proconsul for Syria and travels to Jerusalem; removes Caiaphas as high priest and put in his place Jonathan, son of Annas (A.D. 35)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod Agrippa is close friends with Gaius Caligula; Tiberius puts Herod Agrippa in prison (A.D. 36)

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Tiberius
Tiberius dies (A.D. 37)

Eutropius
A Concise History of Rome
A summary of the rule of Tiberius