Tiberius Essay, Research Paper

Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar

Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar was born in 42B.C. and was the second emperor of Rome. Tiberius took over the throne after his step-father Augustus died. He ruled from AD 14 to AD 37 during the first part of the rise of the Roman Empire. Even though his parents were divorced when Tiberius was four years old, Augustus saw that he was well educated and at an early age obtained intellectual power and military skill.

By the time Tiberius was twenty-two he was commanding an army in Armenia and helped to subdue the Rhaetians. Tiberius also fought against the Pannonians from 12 BC to 9 BC. He was happily married for twelve years to Vipsania Agrippina before the emperor forced him to divorce and marry his daughter Julia. His marriage to Julia was a disaster because she was unfaithful.

To get away from the mess of his personal life Tiberius sought military commands away from Rome and went into exile on the island of Rhodes in 6 BC. He stayed there until about 2 BC when the last of the potential successors to the throne had died.

Tiberius improved the civil service, kept the navy in strict discipline and managed the finances with great ability and generosity. The provinces were better governed during his reign than ever before. When his son Drusus died in AD 23, Tiberius became very depressed and a lot of power passed to the head guard, Sejanus. In AD 27 Tiberius left Rome and settled on the island of Capri.

Tiberius became mean and cruel and he built palaces with prisons, torture rooms, and places of execution. Sejanus was trying to seize the imperial power that Tiberius had gained but Tiberius was on to him so he had him murdered by Marco, the new head of the Praetorian Guard. In March of AD 37 Tiberius became ill and when he started to recover Marco smothered him on March 16.

As you see Tiberius was a successful part in the rise of the Roman empire. He wasn t as great as some emperors but he did have a successful reign. Although it is not apparent that he had anything to do with the history of the United States, I believe that everything that happened effects us in some way, because the early settlers came from Europe and no matter how small a change in history could have changed something today.

Tiberius obtained power in the empire through his step-father Augustus. Even though he was remembered as a monster and tyrant, who tortured and killed with ferocity, he helped the rise of the empire by being a strong ruler, building a strong navy, and replenishing the treasury.