Tiberius

• Tiberius

  • Highly successful military commander
  • Capable and efficient administrator of Rome and the Empire
  • Reserved and aloof by nature
  • Reluctant in his position of princeps
• Tiberius had a strong sense of duty and tradition; wanted to continue the Republic
• Tiberius maintained many principles and practices Augustus established, ushering twenty years of peace
• There were no significant changes in the style of Augustan rule
• Tiberius did not represent himself in coinage, or personality cults, and there were no extravagant temples, statues or memorials to his name, nor did he want to be worshipped as a god
• The image of Tiberius passed down is mostly negative, painting him as someone who managed to hide his evil nature
• Tiberius' actions

  1. Reduced spending in public buildings and games

  2. Completed building programs which were started by Augustus but never started any new ones

  3. Opposed constructions in his own name

  4. Completed Pompey's theatre, a temple to Augustus, a palace on the Palatine, Villa Jovis in Capri

  5. Replaced buildings destroyed by fires in 26/36 AD
• Tiberius used his position to safely govern Rome, extending the prosperity of Augustan times = people experienced peace at home
• Tiberius avoided imperial expansion under Augustus' command
• Tiberius encouraged work on economic infrastructure
• Tiberius spread the military along Rome's frontiers
• Tiberius' relationship with the Senate

  • Tried to cooperate with the Senate, as he preferred an independent body to support him in his hesitation to rule
  • Needed the help of experienced administrators
  • Genuinely sought their aid and extended the administrative and legal functions of the Senate
  • Encouraged them to be independent
• The senate had become subservient in the 40 years of Augustus' rule, which infuriated Tiberius because he thought they were incompetent
• Tiberius showed great respect for the Senate and individual senators
• Roles of the Senate Tiberius transformed

  • Election of magistrates was now up to the Senate
  • Allowed to make some military decisions such as the allocation of certain military commands
  • Became the chief criminal court for senators and equestrians
• Senators' dislike of Tiberius

  • Tiberius had a reserved temperament and hesitant attitude which made people unsure of what he was really thinking
  • Senators preferred not to take chances and say what was really on their minds to a man who could end their careers with one word
  • Tiberius was the opposite of what the senators thought of princeps
  • Senators disliked the use of informers (delatores), who Tiberius used to keep track of any senator suspected of maiestas (treason)
  • There was no clear distinction between free speech and treason
• Treason trials under Augustus and Tiberius

  1. During Augustus' reign, Augustus made any offences to the princeps punishable through a series of trials

  2. Individuals could press charges against others, and if charges went through, they were awarded at least one-quarter of the property confiscated from the guilty person

  3. Delatores often lied, bribed or manufactured evidence out of greed and to eliminate rivals
• Tiberius' attitude

  • Restrained his power accordingly and rejected divine honours
  • Refused to have temples built in his name and hated flattery
  • Wanted to show himself as a citizen on equal terms
  • Shockingly modest, showing courtesy and respect to individuals senators, the entire House, and allowed consuls initiative as if the Republic was still in place
• Tiberius drew the line at foreign cults, forcing those practising in Jewish or Egyptian cults to destroy their religious accessories. Jewish men of military age were removed from Rome, and astrologers were banned unless they asked for forgiveness
• Tiberius created new settlements from Spain to Syria, which helped with Romanisation
• Tiberius ensured fair taxes and would not allow his officials to plunder provinces
• Tiberius kept governors in place for much longer, creating a more effective rule which allowed governors to understand their provinces better
• Tiberius demanded honest behaviour amongst troops and civilians in provinces
• 4. Trials increased after the death of Sejanus and attempts on Tiberius' life increased

  5. 52 people were charged; 12 were executed. Tiberius ordered the death of 8, while the Senate charged the remaining 4

  6. Many chose suicide over the verdict