Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus - born on November 16, 42 BC B. C., died March 16, A. D. 37 e. (77 years old) - the second emperor of Rome (since 14 years old) from the Julian-Claudian family.
Rule - AD 14 e. to death (he was in power for 23 years). After death he was not ranked among the host of gods.
Tiberius was 55 years old when he became emperor of Rome. He was a tall man of strong build, with regular, sharp, typically Roman features; this face, however, was sometimes spoiled by acne. Thick, long hair extended to the shoulders, covering the neck.
Tiberius was distinguished by great physical strength and excellent health; During his reign, he never once consulted a doctor, perhaps also because he despised them. Restrained, arrogant and withdrawn, he reluctantly entered into communication even with close people.
At the same time, his speeches in the Senate were brilliant, because he received a good education and was keenly interested in literature. The secretive nature and mistrust of people, inherent in nature, were further aggravated during Tiberius's stay in the imperial environment - life taught cruel lessons one after another.
Tiberius gained vast experience as a politician and military leader thanks to Octavian Augustus and his advisers, and he always took his duties seriously.
Such was the man recognized by Augustus as the son and declared the heir and successor of power. Even during the life of Augustus, Tiberius was given the leadership of the army and was awarded the title of the people's tribune. In addition, it was Caesar who left most of his personal fortune to Tiberius.
However, the formal side of the case was not so obvious. The Roman state seemed to have remained a republic. There was no, and could not be, any legal justification for the nomination of the head of state, the traditions of the transfer of power have not yet appeared. And is it obligatory to transfer it? Why not return to the previous form of the state system, when the Senate ruled and two consuls elected by it for each year, and local authorities were exercised by collective bodies of free citizens?
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Augustus died on August 19, while Tiberius was in no hurry to formally accept the title of emperor until September 17. In response to requests from senators and friends, he got off with evasive exclamations: "But can you imagine what a beast this power is?" And when, in the end, he considered it necessary to yield to persuasion and entreaties, he declared: “You are placing an evil and heavy yoke on me. I reserve the hope that I can throw it off when you deem it necessary to give rest to old age."
Historians of antiquity, with their hostile attitude towards the emperor Tiberius, call such statements of pure water acting. But, declaring this, they already know about the tragedy at the end of the gloomy Tiberian rule. And at that time, the words of Tiberius could well be sincere, coming from the heart. An intelligent and observant person, he could not help but understand what dangers unlimited power conceals in himself, how easily one can succumb to its sweet poison.
In all fairness, it should be noted that the beginning of Tiberius's reign was calm and even somewhat exemplary. True, immediately after the death of Augustus, Agrippa Postumus was killed, the only surviving grandson of the late emperor, who had been imprisoned for many years on a small remote island. On whose orders was the young man killed? They did not know exactly, but agreed: it was done in the public interest …
A few months later, Julia, Agrippa's mother, died. They said - from hunger. She was imprisoned in the town of Regius. It was rumored that Tiberius had robbed her of all means of subsistence - her, the only daughter of Augustus, his ex-wife! He hated this woman, perhaps for a reason. However, all these are family matters.
For the state, the rebellion of the legions on the Rhine and in Pannonia could have much more important consequences. The soldiers demanded payment of salaries, but the main goal of the rebels was to make their beloved leader Germanicus, a talented military leader, who had every right to claim imperial power, as emperor, since Tiberius officially recognized him as his adopted son. Fortunately, the prudence of Germanicus himself and the skillful actions of Drusus, the son of Tiberius, helped to extinguish this revolt in a short time.
Germanicus remained at the head of the army and for a number of three years led his legions across the Rhine in order to strike fear into the Germanic tribes. In 17 year, by order of Tiberius, Germanicus left the northern limits of the empire. In Rome, he had a triumph, and then he was sent to the East. A talented leader, Germanicus acted successfully there too: he strengthened the position of Rome in Armenia and annexed to the empire two regions of Asia Minor - Cappadocia and Commagene on the banks of the Euphrates.
This, in fact, limited the conquest of new lands during the reign of Tiberius. He firmly adhered to the advice of Augustus not to enlarge the empire anymore and limited himself to strengthening the borders along the Rhine and Euphrates, suppressing uprisings in Gaul and Africa, and expanding Roman influence in Thrace (modern Bulgaria).
Tiberius himself at first did not leave the capital a single step, and in general, after becoming emperor, did not travel outside Italy. In many ways, he was a faithful successor to the cause of Augustus and, perhaps, even surpassed him in modesty, more precisely, in observing its appearance. He never called himself "emperor", did not accept the title of pater patriae, which means "Father of the Fatherland", did not agree to rename the month of September to Tiberius. He did not like toadies, he treated jokes in his address with condescension, tirelessly repeating that in a free country both languages and thoughts should be free.
Tiberius was surprisingly loyal to the Senate, giving him the opportunity at meetings to express opinions contrary to the imperial ones, and even vote against his own proposals. Having declared that a good sovereign is a servant of all citizens, Tiberius, in fact, was just as tolerant of patricians as he was to ordinary Roman citizens, and even to the inhabitants of the provinces. Caesar did not agree to a tax increase in the provinces. “A good shepherd shears sheep, but he will never rip off their skin,” Tiberius reasoned.
Under him, a number of reforms were carried out aimed at strengthening the country's economy. He even decided to reduce the cost of games and folk entertainment, which, of course, greatly undermined his popularity among the city's residents. The people did not appreciate the fact that at the same time Tiberius had set firm maximum prices for food.
The emperor defiantly opposed luxury, proclaiming himself to be a supporter of a simple, modest life, and set a personal example, abandoning the custom of giving and receiving gifts for the New Year - and they were not a small source of income for the "administration."
According to tradition, Tiberius continued the persecution of religious cults alien to Rome. 4,000 Jewish youths, drafted into the army in Rome, were sent to Sardinia, ostensibly to fight the robbers. Most of the young men died, unable to endure the harsh conditions of life on the wild island.
He was tolerant of astrologers, although at first he tried to expel them from Rome. Taking care of the safety of citizens, Caesar established strict order in Rome, Italy and the provinces. A monument to this is the giant Castra Praetoria barracks, a huge stone quadrangle, in which the emperor housed the Praetorian detachments, the imperial guard, created by Augustus, which had been scattered throughout the city until then.
The main initiator of the construction of the aforementioned barracks was Seyan, the permanent prefect of the Praetorian Guard, appointed to this position by Tiberius upon coming to power. In general, under Tiberius, construction work did not differ on a special scale - mainly for reasons of economy, although many buildings were restored.
In 19, in the Syrian city of Antioch, Germanicus died, who is still extremely popular among the people, but fell out of favor with Caesar because of his unauthorized visit to Egypt. Since the governor of Syria, Piso, did not like Germanicus very much, the suspicion arose that it was he (perhaps by secret command of Tiberius) who poisoned the young successful military leader. The widow of Germanicus, Agrippina the Elder, was left alone with six children (three sons and three daughters), among whom were Guy, the future emperor Caligula, and the daughter of Agrippina the Younger, in the future the wife of Emperor Claudius and mother of the Emperor Nero.
Drusus, the native son of Tiberius, also a talented leader who is very popular among the capital's people (despite his tendency to debauchery and some manifestation of cruelty), died suddenly in 23. It was said that his wife Livilla (sister of Germanicus) poisoned him at the instigation of her lover Sejanus.
These two deaths, and the wave of dark suspicion they raised, hit Tiberius painfully, although he tried not to show it. Piso was formally charged by the Senate, and he was forced to commit suicide, while Sejanus continued to enjoy the full confidence of the emperor.
Tiberius's relationship with his mother Libya was getting worse. From the very first days when he came to power, he made her feel his dislike, having refused the title of "Mother of the Fatherland" and removed from participation in public celebrations. She did not remain in debt and gave everyone to read the letters of her late husband, Caesar Augustus, containing criticism of the bad character of Tiberius. Perhaps this finally prompted the emperor, already filled with gloomy suspicion, to leave the hateful world.
In 26, he left the capital forever and settled on the island of Caprea (now Capri) in the Gulf of Naples. There he lived almost without a break until his death, for more than 10 years. The most exquisite works of art, mostly of an erotic nature, were brought from all over the world to his palace on a high rocky cliff. Here, by order of the emperor, they brought the most beautiful young men and women for his entertainment. Special agents searched for them all over Italy and kidnapped them.
If you believe the ancients (although many historians question this), in Capri, in this corner of paradise, hellish sadism and cruelty flourished, they organized the most unbridled orgies that the world has ever seen, to please the sick imagination of a dissolute old man who knew no obstacles to his whims.
Emperor Tiberius lived in the conviction that on a high rock, where his palace towered over a deserted island, he was cut off from the whole world and that the world could not learn about anything. Tiberius was wrong, as many before him and after him. There is no such solitude, there is no such guard, there are no walls that could keep the personal amusements of high-ranking officials secret.
Perhaps the rumors about the debauchery of the Emperor Tiberius were embellished and exaggerated by his enemies. Now this is difficult to establish. Indisputable, however, is the fact that Caesar had little interest in public affairs. He completely handed them over to Sejanus. The prefect's power was practically unlimited, and his ambitions grew enormously. The frightened senate cringed to him, powerless opposition pressed against Agrippina the Elder, the widow of Germanicus.
Seyan shamelessly eliminated the senators he disliked, depriving them of their fortune and life with the help of far-fetched accusations, arranging show trials for this purpose to give the appearance of legitimacy to the repressions. That is how in 29 year he dealt with his main enemy - Agrippina. She herself and her eldest son Nero were deprived of their rights and property and were exiled to two different remote islands. First, in 30, Nero died, and three years later, Agrippina. They showed special cruelty towards her: they flogged with rods, deprived of food. In the same 33 year in Rome, in prison on the Palatine, the second son of Agrippina, Drusus, died of hunger.
But Seyan himself was not destined to wait for the death of his victims. He was killed in 31 by order of Tiberius. Nevertheless, news of Sejanus's abuses reached the hermit's hearing, apparently, mainly due to the efforts of the highly respected Antonia, the widow of brother Tiberius, who died 40 years ago. Emperor Tiberius realized all the danger of the prefect's actions, ultimately directed against him. And although even at this critical moment he did not leave his island, he skillfully organized the overthrow of a dangerous almighty dignitary.
This was not such a simple matter, because at the disposal of Sejanus were the units of the Praetorian Guard, with the help of which he could seize the city and proclaim himself emperor. Therefore, we had to act with caution, using the moment of surprise. Everything happened as in a play directed by a good director.
On October 18, the almighty prefect went to the Senate meeting in high spirits. He had no doubt that Macron, Caesar's special envoy, who had arrived that night, would submit to the venerable senators a decree recognizing him, Sejanus, as a tribune of the people, that is, in fact, co-ruler. Macron managed to hint about this, and there was no reason not to believe him, because Tiberius had already expressed his consent to the betrothal of Sejanus to his granddaughter Julia.
And now, in the Temple of Apollo on the Palatine, where the ceremony was to take place, a crowd of flatterer senators surrounds the prefect, who stands with a triumphant face. In a solemn atmosphere, Macron began reading the message. It began with obligatory general phrases. They were followed by some meaningful threats, addressed to unknown persons. And in the end, harsh, clearly formulated accusations, directed bluntly against the prefect, fell.
It was probably curious to observe how the behavior of those present changed as the emperor's plan became clear: obliging, ready to do anything - disbelief in their own ears - horror and complete confusion - and a furious outburst of hatred towards a person whose feet they were ready to lick just a minute ago. Of course, the most furious of all in the accusations, filled with noble indignation, were Seyan's closest friends, who tirelessly supported all the repressions of the temporary worker.
Seyan stood numb and dumbfounded. Without allowing him to recover, he was immediately taken into custody, tried on the same day, sentenced and executed. The Praetorians took it calmly - the new prefect Macron promised to raise their salaries. For three days the Roman mob dragged the corpse of Sejanus through the streets and, having outraged him, threw it into the Tiber. Death also befell the children of Sejanus. The daughter, already betrothed to Claudius, was raped by the executioner before execution, for it is useless to put a girl to death.
The people hoped that with the fall of Sejan, a better life would come. This did not happen. Arbitrariness prevailed as before, only the direction of the persecution changed. At first, everyone who was somehow connected with the former prefect became victims. It has been proven that Seyan was plotting a coup - sufficient reason to justify terror and repression.
Tiberius surrendered to his power from a naturally fierce disposition. "A day did not pass without execution," writes Suetonius, "whether it be a holiday or a reserved day." Death seemed to Tiberius too light a punishment, it was usually preceded by the most cruel tortures. Tiberius did not consider it necessary to free Agrippina and Drusus, despite the fact that they were imprisoned by Seyan.
For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that at least equal to Tiberius' responsibility for countless political processes was borne by senators, who, with the help of the most vile intrigues, denunciations and slanderous accusations, took advantage of the opportunity to deal with their opponents, mostly senators too.
The legal basis for numerous proceedings was the law on the crime of crimen laesae maiestatis, insult to the majesty. The law, adopted during the time of the Republic, was intended to protect the dignity and interests of the people of Rome. Now Caesar became the embodiment of this majesty, because he served as a tribune of the people.
The very concepts of majesty and his insults, never clearly formulated, were so broad and vague that any gesture, any ill-considered word or joke could become a reason for accusation. And so it happened. During the time of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, the Senate considered about a hundred such cases, and almost all of them ended in confiscation of property and the death sentence or forced suicide of the accused.
Terror raged, many processes were conducted. Terror seized Rome. The gloomy picture of that time, which has come down to us, is masterfully depicted by Tacitus. That is so, but it must be remembered that the dramatic events affected only a handful of the richest Roman inhabitants. Only a few hundred patrician families were in real danger. Millions of citizens of the empire lived and worked quietly, in conditions of, as we would now say, law and order.
The administration acted regularly, the decrees of the emperor Tiberius - and this was recognized even by his enemies - were reasonable and useful. True, Caesar was reproached for keeping governors in the provinces for too long, but Tiberius had his own reason. He said: “Every official is like a horsefly. A drunk on blood sucks victims less, but a new one is more dangerous. You must have pity on your subjects! In this case, we are not surprised that the procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, who was distinguished by special cruelty and planted a forest of crosses on which the criminals were crucified, remained in his office for 10 years (26–36).
At the beginning of 1937, Caesar unexpectedly left his beautiful island and headed to the capital. True, he did not enter Rome, only looked at her from afar. For some reason unknown to us (it is possible that he was frightened by some prophetic sign), he turned back, reached the shores of the Gulf of Naples and stopped in the small town of Misene, in an old palace that once belonged to Lucullus. There, Tiberius was the emperor of Rome and died on March 16, 37. The circumstances of Tiberius's death are not clear.
A. Kravchuk