Tiberius

Tiberius Claudius Nero, often simply referred to as Tiberius, was Roman Emperor from A.D. 14 to his death in 37. He succeeded Augustus, his adoptive father. Before becoming Emperor, Tiberius was a successful military commender, serving first in the east and later in northern Europe.

Biography

Tiberius Claudius Nero was born on 16 November 42 B.C., the son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. Though the elder Tiberius Claudius Nero had initially been a supporter of Julius Caesar he ended up supporting his assassins. Tiber Claudius Nero fathered another son by Livia (Nero Drusus) but divorced his wife before the child was born. Octavian, later the Emperor Augustus, divorced his own wife and married Livia. The younger Tiberius Claudius Nero therefore became the step-son of the man who would become Emperor of Rome after a civil war in which he defeated Mark Antony.

As the wife of the Emperor, Livia was hugely influential and along with Marcus Agrippa was one of Augustus’ main confidents. Though Tiberius was Augustus' step-son, this was by no means a guarantee that he would succeeded him as Emperor. In 22 B.C. Augustus arranged for his daughter, Julia, to marry Agrippa and when they had children Augustus adopted the eldest two boys marking them as his heirs. In the 20s B.C. Tiberius was militarily active, serving in the east where Rome was establishing its dominance. Later, his military career took him to northern Europe where he earned a reputation as an efficient commander.