Augustus, Tiberius and their generals: people and fate
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Who were Augustus, Tiberius and the generals Drusus and Germanicus beyond their glamorous titles? At least one picture about Augustus can be sketched out when one looks at his youth: the time between the age of 20 and thirty is already rich in political refinement and personal ambition. He reached an old age of seventy-six yearsAnd died, as many wished, calmly and without much suffering, almost as if fate had provided a gentle departure.
Origin and peculiarity of Tiberius
But what kind of man was Tiberius actually, what was he capable of, and how did his descent shape him? Tiberius came from one of the oldest Roman family branches that every genealogist would have proudly looked at. The Claudier, his ancestors, once came from a small Sabine town to Rome and have gained remarkable success over the centuries: dozensConsulates, dictatorships, various censorates and numerous triumphal processions. Her influence and deeds were legendary and decisively shaped Rome.Tiberius’ father showed backbone when, after Caesar’s assassination, he did not demand the pardon of the assassins like other senators, but demanded their reward. Later he had to cede his wife Livia, just mother of his son and again pregnant, to Augustus. This practice became almost normal, because Nero, one of the successors, later used suchmethods. The sons of Tiberius, Tiberius II and Drusus, became the most important generals of Augustus, especially during the fighting in Germania. Tiberius II, who later emperor, shared his father’s fate: Augustus’ daughter Julia kept an eye on him, although he was happily married to Agrippina and a father. But the political interests of Augustus demanded a divorce- Tiberius had to marry Julia, whose behavior was to cause unrest for a long time to come.
character and fateful belief
It is less about trace the life of Tiberius without gaps than trace his character. Character shapes fate, not as a rigid process, but as an individual form of the circumstances in which one lives. Tiberius was clearly aware of his origins as Claudier. Even as a child, astrologer Scribonius prophesied him a great future -He would become ruler, but without the outer signs of a king. This was exactly the case with the new principal that Augustus had created. The risk was low for the astrologer, because in such influential families a career was almost pre-programmed. Other omens were not missing either: altars that flared up in campaigns as if by magic, golden cubes with maximum numbers, eagles on theHouse and other signs were interpreted as favorable harbingers. Later, before the famous Battle of Idistaviso, eight eagles appeared – another sign that was charged with meaning.
The Power of Signs and Prophecies
When Tiberius called back to Rome after he had finished his apparent banishment and was about to throw his astrologer into the sea, the longed-for ship appeared with the message of his return – a moment that seemed as if staged by the gods. But how much substance is really in such predictions? For many, they are no longer than literary embellishments,as they were common centuries later in the biography of famous men. Today one would speak of retrospective errors: The narrative will put the later success in the cradle. In fact, the value of such prophecies is questionable; Often they are only made appropriate afterwards or simply forgotten if they are not true.
Manipulation and staging of signs
Even the famous characters and oracles were by no means always magical: Altars could be ignited by helpers, cubes with unequal weight distribution could be manipulated. The oracle priests were pros in packing their prophecies in such a way that they were never wrong. Anyone who builds on centuries of experience knows how to keep statements so general that they are always appropriate afterwardsappear. Golden cubes that are thrown into the water can easily be designed so that the desired number is on top – especially since nobody checked their condition in advance. Such productions impressed the powerful, but not the simple people, because signs always apply only to those who want to interpret them.
Destiny and Sensitivity
In earlier times, the awareness of fate and signs was more pronounced. Dreams were considered messages that could come true – like Caesar’s wife Calpurnia or Kriemhild in the Nibelungenlied. Anyone who lives far away from civilization for a long time, in solitude or danger, often develops this sensitivity to connections and premonitions again. Fate then appears as a comprehensiveConnection that links people, times and places and sharpens perception for the essentials.
The “salvation” and the obligation to greatness
The so-called “salvation” was more than just imagination or coincidence for these sexes. It was an expression of a type of person who fully developed his physical and mental abilities – carried by inherited discipline, long tradition and the claim to get the best out of himself. For the relatives of such families, there was hardly any choice other than the law and the meaning of their ownto fulfill gender – be it as a king, general or emperor. Whether there was a way out of this compulsive striving for greatness always depended on the social character and the pressure of the respective community.
Survival pressure and lack of tolerance
Germanic society, characterized by a high degree of insecurity and constant threat, would probably not have offered room for people who did not fit in or swerve out of the community. Since each individual was actually dependent on the support of the others, no one could have afforded to show forbearance to those whodid not do justice. Whether a society is dependent on the contributions of its members or how negligence can afford is not just a question of generosity, as is often assumed today, but is largely determined by the economic and political framework conditions.
Decadence and Consequences
If the Germanic leadership had allowed itself those excesses that had long been commonplace in the Roman upper class, the fate of a Germanic tribe would have been quickly sealed. The wealthy Rome could afford decadence. Morality, cohesion and personal responsibility are therefore not a sign of a superior type of person, but the result of cultural development andadjustment. Whether you like it or not: The further a society progresses, the more its technique is refined, social structures become more complex, the risk of survival decreases, and individual freedoms increase – but at the expense of a sense of responsibility and strict morals.
A closer look at Tiberius
If we now take a closer look at Tiberius’ personality, the bitter opponent of the Germanic freedom fighters, it shows how little it is of showing him simply as a counter-image to idealized Germanic heroes by and through the corrupted Romans by and through the standards of Germanic morality. It finally took only a few centuries for a Germanic-Franconian upper class to behad climbed similar heights of power and luxury.
Takeover and cruelty
Tiberius’ first official act after Augustus’ death was to eliminate a potential rival before the death of Augustus and the takeover of Tiberius became known. After a last conversation with his successor, Augustus is said to have declared in front of the listening valet that a bad fate is now imminent. On the other hand, August will be the calculationattributed, such a successor makes one’s glory shine brighter. For Romans, post-happy was the true form of survival. Tiberius spent the last eleven years of his rule on Capri, an island that he liked mainly because of her seclusion – a only accessible, narrow landing place, otherwise steep rocks and deep seas all around.
Retreat to Capri and Reign of Fear
Tacitus, who pretends to report in his annals of not having hatred or partisanship, cites Tiberius’ wish to be able to live out his cruelties and debauchery in secret as a real reason for the escape to the rocky paradise of Tiberius. With Sueton you have to state: The enumeration of individual crimes would lead too far, it is enough to exemplify the patterns of the crimes.Executions were part of everyday life, even on public holidays people murdered, even on New Year’s Day. Whole families were wiped out, and an edict forbade the bereaved to mourn. Denunciants were generously rewarded, and everyone was believed. Tiberius did not only like killing, but also in the condemnation and the staging of fear.
Persecution, Torture and Perversion
It was enough that poets made allusions in their works or praised historical figures who had stood against the empire to be accused of high treason. Many defendants tried to take their own lives to avoid the atrocities during the trial, but even injured were jailed until the death sentence was completed.No one escaped the brutal fate, the pushing down and the corpses’ slipping were the order of the day. Up to twenty people, including women and children, were tortured and executed in one day. Since virgins were not allowed to be strangled, they were raped before they were murdered to allegedly fulfill religious regulations.
Arbitrariness and cover-up
In the pursuit of a particular crime, Tiberius fell into a rush of blood and had anyone he encountered tortured or killed. Even an invited guest fell victim to the torturers, and when the error was discovered, he too was murdered to cover up the incident. The site where the abused were plunged into the sea and killed by sailors with polesto visit today.
Cruelty as a trait
The other atrocities that Sueton describes is unnecessary. Was it all madness? Hardly, because cruelty was Tiberius’ trademark at a young age – and by the way, not uncommon. The image of the person who seemed more forgiving in between must be corrected: Ever since man has the choice between good and evil, he has decided on both.Psychological anomalies are an excuse because there are mentally ill people who don’t kill, who kill, and many who neither do nor experience both. What should be the standard of mental illness in violence? Who was there, lent a hand? Then all the perpetrators in the concentration camps must have been insane, even those who made lampshades from the skin of murdered.
Cruelty and history
In the countless wars of the recent past, far more than just one Tiberius, Caligula, Nero or Caracalla worked. And yet, as one would hardly believe, Tiberius was a brilliant strategist and capable soldier leader. He governed soberly and efficiently, reforming the administrative system to better exploit the provinces. His end came in bed, but under dubious circumstances.
Last Hours and Death
Tacitus describes his last hours: the body refused service, but his mind remained alert and devious. In his house on Misenum, a doctor, Charikles, wanted to shake his hand reverently, but secretly touched his pulse, which Tiberius is said to have understood immediately. Charicles predicted Tiberius’ death in two days and the environment made all the preparations. On March 16, 37aD began shortness of breath; Caligula was already congratulated on becoming emperor. But Tiberius came to himself, asking for servants and food, and suddenly all the pity was back. Caligula had to wait for death again. Finally, Marco gave the order to kill Tiberius with suffocating robes and leave the room. In some places it is said that Caligula had already used poison before.
Reverberation and law
Thus Tiberius came to an end in the seventy-eighth year of his life. The news of his death sent Rome into a frenzy of joy, with the cry: “Into the Tiber with Tiberius!” Some wanted to drag his body across the steps of the Capitol – as happened to those executed. The reason was that death became known too late and in the meantime the ten-day period for someDelinquents who could otherwise have been pardoned. But law enforcement went ahead, and so these people were murdered and their bodies thrown onto the steps. However, the famous “Fiat justitia, et pereat mundus” did not come from the Romans, but from Emperor Ferdinand I, the successor of a ruler, in whose empire the law repeatedly perished.
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