Tiberius is perhaps one of the most underrated Roman emperors in history books: an expert military leader and administrator, he left nothing unresolved. But Tiberius was above all the successor to Augustus and, unlike his illustrious predecessor, he had no evangelion (good news) to refer to. If, as a member of the senatorial class, Augustus had “restored” the res publica after putting an end to the civil wars, what had Tiberius, a patricius and their equal, done to deserve his position as princeps? Who was Tiberius really?

Born on 16 November 42 BC, the son of the patrician Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla, upon the death of his biological father, the young Tiberius was raised in the house of Octavian, years after the latter, having convinced his father to divorce his mother, married her while she was still pregnant with his brother Drusus. Over the years, Tiberius distinguished himself in various civil and military fields, but especially in Germany, where, together with his brother Drusus, he was noted for his prudence in dealing with military matters. It was thanks to the campaigns conducted by the two brothers in Germany that Rome expanded beyond the Alps to the River Elbe. As for his private life, Augustus forced him to divorce his first wife Vipsania, daughter of Agrippa, with whom he had had his son Drusus Minor, in order to marry his own daughter Julia, a decision that certainly contributed to exacerbating his already closed and thoughtful character.

Upon the death of Augustus's direct grandchildren, not without suspicion of involvement on the part of his mother Livia, Tiberius was finally adopted by the emperor, succeeding him upon his death in 14 AD. However, according to Tacitus, he was not the only candidate eligible for succession, as the historian reports the provocations received by Tiberius in the Senate from his peers during his inaugural speech, including Asinius Gallus, son of the famous Asinius Pollio, and Lucius Arruntius. His was not a peaceful reign, however, as he was forced to eliminate subversive elements within his own family, such as Agrippina the Elder, wife of his nephew Germanicus, and to deal harshly with the plots of his praetorian prefect Sejanus. All this, combined with his constant recourse to the crime of lese majesty against his opponents, only served to alienate him from various historical sources of the time. Nevertheless, the Empire benefited from his prudence: upon his death in 37 AD, he left his successor Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus (Caligula) with a surplus budget and stable borders.