Tiberius

For the city in Israel, see Tiberias.

Heir to Augustus

Tragedy worked for the benefit of Tiberius. In 2 AD, Lucius Caesar died of an illness at Massilia. Augustus, resistant to the idea of allowing Tiberius to return, finally yielded to the requests of Livia and Gaius Caesar. Tiberius returned to Rome and lived as a private citizen when, unexpectedly, Gaius Caesar died of a wound received during a siege in Armenia. Augustus, devastated, was left without his adoptive sons and, more importantly, without an heir and successor. His careful planning for the succession had come to nothing. In the crisis, he turned once more to Tiberius.

Related Topics:
Lucius Caesar - Massilia - Gaius Caesar - Armenia

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Tiberius was summoned from private life and adopted as Augustus?s son. Also adopted by Augustus was Postumus Agrippa, the third son of Julia Caesaris and Marcus Agrippa. Tiberius, despite having a natural son, was required to adopt his nephew, Germanicus, the son of his brother Drusus. Augustus seemed to be re-establishing a slate of candidates, with Tiberius at its head and the others as potential substitutes in the event of disaster. Tiberius's forced adoption of Germanicus appears to have been Augustus?s attempt to mark out the succession in the third generation of the Principate.

Related Topics:
Postumus Agrippa - Julia Caesaris - Marcus Agrippa - Germanicus

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From 4 AD to 14 AD Tiberius was clearly Augustus?s successor. When he was adopted, he also received grants of proconsular power and tribunician power; and in 13 AD his proconsular power was made co-extensive with that of Augustus?s. In effect, Tiberius was now co-emperor with Augustus so that when the latter finally died on 19 August, 14 AD, Tiberius's position was unassailable and the continuation of the Principate a foregone conclusion. After fifty-five years living in the shadow of his stepfather, Tiberius finally assumed the mantle of sole ruler.

Related Topics:
4 AD - 14 AD - 13 AD - 19 August

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