Julio-Claudian dynasty

The Julio-Claudian dynasty was the series of the first five Roman Emperors. They ruled the Roman Empire from 27 BC to AD 68, when the last of the line, Nero, committed suicide.

Grandnephews

It is interesting how commonly the blood relationship of grand-uncle

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/grand-nephew is found between the rulers of Julio-Claudian dynasty.

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• 1) Augustus was the grand-nephew of Julius Caesar (and his adopted son).
• 2) Caligula was the grand-nephew of Tiberius (and his adopted son)
• 3) Claudius was the grand-nephew of Augustus.
• 4) Nero was the grand-nephew of Claudius (and his adopted son).

The other recurring relationship between emperor and successor is that of stepfather/stepson, a relationship not by blood but by marriage:

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• 1) Tiberius was Augustus's stepson
• 2) Nero, as well as being Claudius' grand-nephew, was also his stepson (his mother Agrippina being Claudius' niece, and also Claudius' fourth wife).

The uncle/nephew relationship also is prominent: Tiberius was Claudius' uncle, and Claudius was Caligula's uncle.

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No Julio-Claudian Emperor was a direct blood descendent of his immediate predecessor (his son, grandson or great-grandson by blood).

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Both Tiberius and Claudius had male direct descendants (Tiberius' grandson Tiberius Gemellus, Claudius' son Britannicus) available for the succession, but their grand-nephews were preferred, perhaps because Caligula and Nero, unlike Gemellus and Britannicus, were direct descendants of Augustus, perhaps because in the case of both Gemellus and Brittanicus there may have been suspicion that they were actually the products of their mothers' extra-marital affairs (Livilla's with Sejanus, Messalina's with her countless lovers, possibly with Caligula), and thus not in truth direct descendants of the reigning emperor.

Related Topics:
Tiberius Gemellus - Britannicus - Livilla - Messalina - Caligula

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The fact that ordinary father-son (or grandfather-grandson) succession did not occur has contributed to the image of the Julio-Claudian court presented in Robert Graves' I, Claudius, a dangerous world were scheming family members were all too ready to murder the obvious, direct heirs so as to bring themselves, their own immediate families, or their lovers closer to the succession. Thus Livia is depicted as arranging the death of Augustus' grandsons Gaius and Lucius to bring her own son Tiberius closer to the throne, and Livilla poisons Tiberius' son Julius Caesar Drusus so as to clear the way for her lover Sejanus. It is certainly true that the Julio-Claudian court was a dangerous place to be the direct heir, although Graves probably exaggerated somewhat Livia's poisoning proclivities.

Related Topics:
I, Claudius - Livia - Tiberius - Livilla - Julius Caesar Drusus - Sejanus

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