Tiberius

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Tiberius, the Roman emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD, took power after Augustus, the first emperor. Born on November 16, 42 BC, to Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla in a Claudian family, he was originally named Tiberius Claudius Nero. His mother divorced Nero and married Octavian, who later became Emperor as Augustus, making him Tiberius' stepfather. Tiberius would eventually marry Julia the Elder, Augustus' daughter, and even adopt him to become a Julian with the name Tiberius Julius Caesar. This blended dynasty of both families continued for thirty years after Tiberius, earning it the name Julio-Claudian dynasty. In comparison to other emperors in this dynasty, Tiberius was the stepson of Augustus, grand-uncle of Caligula, paternal uncle of Claudius, and great-grand uncle of Nero. His 22-and-a-half-year reign lasted longer than Augustus' until Antoninus Pius surpassed it by a few months. Tiberius proved to be one of Rome's greatest generals; his conquests in Pannonia, Dalmatia, Raetia, and parts of Germania laid the foundation for the northern border. However, he became known as a dark, reclusive, and somber ruler who never truly desired to be emperor; Pliny the Elder called him "the gloomiest of men." After his son Drusus Julius Caesar died in 23 AD, Tiberius became more isolated and distant. In 26 AD, he left Rome and entrusted administration largely to his unscrupulous Praetorian prefects Lucius Aelius Sejanus and Quintus Naevius Sutorius Macro. When Tiberius died, he was succeeded by Caligula, his grand-nephew and adopted grandson.