2016-11-16 Wed

Tiberius was the second emperor of Rome and was born today on 16 November 42 A.D. and a successful soldier and had a reputation of arrogance.

As an infant, Tiberius had been a fugitive and then a pawn. As a man, he had been a popular and victorious general and then an exile. He came to supreme power already growing old. When he died, he left the Roman Empire prosperous and stable, and the institution was so strong that for a long time it was able to survive the excesses of his successors. Without him, the later history of Rome might have been less colourful, but probably it would also have been far shorter.

Tiberius’s father, also named Tiberius Claudius Nero, a high priest and magistrate, was a former fleet captain for Julius Caesar. His mother, the beautiful Livia Drusilla, was her husband’s cousin and may have been only 13 years old when Tiberius was born. Tiberius Claudius Nero was born to his mother Livia, and she divorced his father and married Octavian, the future emperor Augustus in 27 BC. Tiberius had a brilliant military career and carry out the expansion of the Roman Empire.

In 11 BC, Augustus forced Tiberius to divorce his wife Vipsania and marry Julia, Augustus' daughter. In 6 BC, Tiberius abruptly retired to Rhodes. In 2 AD, he returned to Rome and in 4 AD, with Augustus's grandsons both dead, Tiberius was adopted as Augustus's son. He then went on campaign in northern Germany, securing the frontier and returning to Rome a hero.

Tiberius succeeded Augustus in 14 AD. Initially, his rule was positive. He improved the civil service and restored Rome's financial condition. He issued various coins in gold, silver and copper as well. All the coins had his bust on the obverse with legend “TI CAESAR DIVI F AVG F AVGVSTVS”.

However, Tiberius lacked Augustus' natural rapport with the Senate and he became increasingly unpopular. This contrasted strongly with the popularity of the charismatic Germanicus, his expected successor. When Germanicus died in 19 AD, it was widely believed that Tiberius had poisoned him in order that his own son, Drusus, should succeed. But in 23 AD, Drusus died, throwing open the question of the succession.

Tiberius's reliance upon the ambitious and brutal Sejanus, the head of the Praetorian guard (the imperial bodyguards), resulted in allegations of tyranny. In 27 AD, Tiberius retired to Capri, never returning to Rome. Two years later, realising that Sejanus was trying to seize power, Tiberius had him executed. In 35 AD, Tiberius made Gaius (son of Germanicus) and his own grandson, Gemellus, joint heirs.

Tiberius died on 16 March 37 AD and was succeeded by Gaius, also known as Caligula.