1 Tiberius

What years did Tiberius rule?

14 - 37 AD

Who was Sejanus?

Sejanus was a man of equestrian rank who gained Tiberius’ trust. He was made prefect of the praetorian guard upon Tiberius’ accession in 14 AD and made reforms to increase its power (==Tacitus==). He gained even more power in 25 AD when Tiberius left Rome.

What happened to Sejanus?

Tiberius eventually realised that Sejanus had gained too much power and ordered his execution. ==Suetonius== claimed that the reason Tiberius realised things had gone too far was that Sejanus was persecuting Germanicus’ sons.

When did Tiberius leave Rome, and where did he go?

He withdrew from Rome in 25 AD and reached Capri in 26 AD (==Tacitus==)

What were the treason trials?

The treason trials were a series of trials of people, mostly senators, who were accused of treason. They were mostly aimed at senators and the upper classes, and wouldn’t have significantly affected ordinary peoples’ lives. However they did foster a sense of mistrust and fear within Rome. This was compounded by those who profited off making accusations, whether true or false.

Tacitus is particularly negative about the trials due to his hatred of Domitian and his similar trials.

What were his relations like with the Senate?

Despite making an effort to work with the Senate, he found that they were annoyingly sycophantic. ==Tacitus== claims that he said that they were ‘Men primed for slavery!’. Tiberius sought cooperation with the Senate, but at this point it had such limited political power that it was almost impossible for senators to freely express their opinions.

What were his relations like with the people?

He was unpopular. He didn’t fund public entertainment or building projects. ==Suetonius== records the joy of the plebs after the announcement of his death. People apparently shouted ‘To the Tiber with Tiberius!’.

However, his portrayal is almost certainly biased, so the sources should be treated with caution. Any emperor following the beloved Augustus would have suffered by comparison.

He did save money and bring some stability.