15 Facts About Roman Emperor Tiberius cont.

Augustus continued to put Tiberius in position to eventually rule the empire. However, the process was not going along as well as Tiberius had in mind. In this article, you will learn what Tiberius did to place himself out of favor with the emperor.

8. After Agrippa and his brother Drusus died in 9 BC, it seemed that Tiberius was next in line. The next years were spent acquired more power and enjoying more advancements. However, Tiberius was still not happy with the progress. In 6 BC, Tiberius made the sudden announcement that he was no longer interested in politics. He retired to Rhodes , turning his back on a chance to become the second most powerful man in Rome.

9. The motives of Tiberius are not entirely clear, but his decision threw a monkey wrench into the succession plans of Augustus. His sons, Gaius and Lucius were still in their early teens and unable to effectively take the throne. Augustus was 57 years old and did not have an immediate successor. He had hoped that Tiberius would play a role in an uncomplicated transfer of power after his death. There are tales that say Augustus tried to change Tiberius’ mind by begging for him to stay, and even faking a serious illness. Later on, it is said that Tiberius had a change of heart and made requests to return to Rome on more than one occasion, but Augustus ignored his pleadings.

10. When Tiberius died on March 16, 37 AD, he was 77 years old.

11. When Tiberius died, he was in Misenum. Records of this day state that when the crowd heard of his passing, they rejoiced. However, when they heard that he had recovered, the people grew silent. It wasn’t until they heard that Caligula and Macro had smothered him that they were once again happy.

12. Tiberius left behind a will that stated that Caligula and Tiberius Gemellus would jointly rule. The first thing that Caligula did was to void his uncle’s will. Gemellus was also executed.

13. Tiberius was so unpopular with the people at the time of his death that the Senate refused to vote him divine honors. Mobs gathered in the streets shouting ‘To the Tiber with Tiberius,’ which was the way that the bodies of dead criminals were disposed of. Both the upper and lower classes felt these sentiments. When Tiberius died, his body was cremated and his ashes were quietly laid to rest in the Mausoleum of Augustus.

14. When Tiberius died, his grandnephew Caligula (who was also his adopted grandson), succeeded him as emperor.

15. A great deal of what we know about Tiberius is found in the pages of texts written by Tacitus, Cassius Dio, Suetonius, and Velleius Paterculus. They are responsible for producing the only texts that have survived to this day. Tiberius also wrote an autobiography, which was described as ‘brief and sketchy’ by Suetonius. No one will ever know since this book has been lost.