Tiberius

Tiberius married Vipsania Agrippina, the daughter of Augustus’s close friend, General Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. He had one son from this marriage, ‘Drusus Julius Caesar’. Agrippa died in 12 BC and the following year, Augustus forced Tiberius to divorce Vipsania and marry Agrippa’s widow, Julia.

Tiberius was deeply unhappy with his second marriage as he still pined for Vipsania and his misery was compounded by Julia’s flagrant and licentious behaviour. The marriage finally ended in 2 BC with Julia’s exile.

After his accession as the emperor, his reign was unstable as he was indecisive. His instructions were not clear and he was neither popular with the Senate, nor with the people. His son’s untimely death in 23 AD made him even more withdrawn.

Tiberius was born on 16 November 42 BC, to politician Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla in Rome. His parents divorced in 39 BC and his mother then married the emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus.

At the age of twelve, he rode in a chariot with his father Octavian to celebrate the victory over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium.

In 24 BC, under the emperor Augustus, seventeen-year-old Tiberius was appointed as a ‘quaestor’, a public official for financial affairs.

He operated as a public prosecutor and successfully convicted Fannius Caepio and Varro Murena of high treason. He was also involved in other administrative affairs like regulating grain supply and inspecting slave barracks.

In his first military campaign, he led forces to Armenia and crowned Tigranes as the emperor and also accompanied Augustus to free Roman standards from the Parthians.

The initial years of reign were difficult for Tiberius as the Senate did not trust him. He tried to project himself as a reluctant and unselfish ruler, but this did more harm than good to his reputation.

He carried out several reforms during this period. He controlled excesses, disallowed Egyptian and Jewish cults, banished astrologers, subdued riots and removed the right of sanctuary.

Soon after his ascendency, two northern legions in ‘Pannonia’ and Germania began mutinies. Tiberius sent his nephew Germanicus, whom he had also adopted, to suppress the revolts. Germanicus combined forces with the rebels and made further conquests in Germania.

Post Germanicus’ triumphs, Tiberius gave him control of the eastern provinces. But in 19 AD, Germanicus died from poisoning under mysterious circumstances.

In the following years, Tiberius vested many powers in the long-serving Praetorian Prefect, Sejanus, and his own involvement in matters of state kept reducing, due to his indifference. He did not perform his civic duties and went on long excursions annually. Finally, he left Rome and moved to Capri in 26 AD, leaving Sejanus as the sole ruler.

Before his accession, Tiberius led an army into Armenia to convert it to a Roman client-state, and hence end the threats at the borders. He was able to forge a compromise by which, the standards were returned to the Romans and Armenis was allowed to remain as a free state. He personally oversaw the crowning of King Tigranes.

In a campaign in Germany in 12 BC, Tiberius came out victorious and took about 40,000 prisoners. He then released these prisoners and relocated them to new lands in Gaul.

He annexed Marcomanni by allying with general Gaius Sentius Saturninus. While Tiberius attacked from the east, General Gaius attacked from the west. The Romans won the battle easily. But before Tiberius could subjugate the Marcomanni, he was called to Germania.