A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1120 TIBERIUS. TTBERIUS.
case of Sardes by a remission of all payment to the in the consulship had come to a violent death. A
aerarium or fiscus for five years. It is just to com- great revolt broke out this year headed by Julius
memorate his refusal to take testamentary bequests, Florus, at Trdves on the Mosel, and by Julius
when not made by persons who were on terms of Sacrovir, among the Aedui. The alleged grounds
intimacy with him; but the emperor did not want of the revolt were the heavy taxation, and the
money, nor yet prudence; and it was not prudent oppression of the Roman governors. Sacrovir musto be taking money from every body, even those of tered forty thousand men at Autun (Augustono character. In this year died Titus Livius, the dunum), eight thousand of whom were furnished
historian, and Ovid in his exile at Tomi. with the arms of the legionary soldiers, which had
Germanicus restored quiet to Armenia (A. D. 18) been secretly fabricated, and the rest had staves,
by crowning with his own hands Artaxias as king knives, and other implements of the huntsman.
in the city of Artaxata. His administration of the The rising was not unlike the style of insurrection
East was prudent and successful, but he died in that has often shown itself in France since 1789.
Syria A. D. 19, and the dislike of Tiberius and the The rebellion was put down; and Florus and
enmity of Cn. Piso, the governor of Syria, gave Sacrovir only escaped from the Romans by dying
credibility to the report that Germanicus was by their own hands. (Tacit. Ann. iii. 40.)
poisoned. About this time Maroboduus, king of The principle of treason against the princeps
the Suevi, being driven from his states by Roman (laesa majestas) was already established under
intrigues, crossed the Danube, came to Italy and Tiberius in its utmost extent, for C. Lutorius
settled at Ravenna. A Thracian king Rhescuporis, Priscus was condemned by the senate for having
who had murdered his nephew Cotys, who was written a poem upon the death of Drusls, in antiking of part of Thrace, wrote to Tiberius to inform cipation of the event, Drusus being then very ill.
him that Cotys had been punished for his treachery. The senate seem to have proceeded in the mode of
Tiberius artfully got Rhescuporis into his power, a bill of pains and penalties, for there does not
and had him brought to Rome, where he was appear to have been any law applicable to such a
convicted by the senate, and Thrace was divided case. Priscus was executed, and Tiberius, in his
between the son of Rhescuporis and the children usual perplexed mode of expression, blamed the
of Cotys. (Tacit. Ann. ii. 64.) senate; he praised their affectionate zeal in
A regard to external decency was one of the avenging insults to the princeps, but he disapproved
characteristics of the reign of Tiberius, and a decree of such hasty penalties being inflicted for words
of the senate was made against certain classes of only. (Tacit. Ann. iii. 49.) It was on this ocwomen who professed the occupation of courtezans. casion that a senatus consultum was enacted, that
(Sueton. Tiber. c. 35; Tacit. Ann. ii. 85.) But no decree of the senate should be carried to the
religious tolerance was not one of the merits of the Aerarium before the tenth day, and thus a reprieve
time of Tiberius; a senatus consultnm imposed pe- of so many days would be allowed to the connalties on those who practised the ceremonial of demned (Tacit. Ann. iii. 51; Dion Cass. lvi. 20).
the Egyptian or Jewish worship, though this was In the year A. D. 22 the senate conferred on Drusus,
not the first example of the kind of intolerance at at the request of Tiberius, the Tribunitia Potestas,
Rome. (Tacit. Ann. ii. 85; compare Seneca, Ep. the highest title of dignity, and an intimation that
] 08.) This year was memorable for the appearance Drusus was to be the successor of Tiberius. Though
of a new island above the sea near Delos. (Plin. the senate had conferred the honour in terms of
list. Nat. ii. 87.) great adulation, Drusus, who appears to have been
In the spring of A. n. 20 Agrippina landed at in Campania at the time, did not think it worth
Brundisium with the ashes of her husband. The while to come to Rome to thank them. (Tacit. Ann.
remains of Germanicus received a public interment, iii. 59.) Tacfarinas, an African chieftain, had long
but Tiberius and Livia did not show themselves, troubled the province of Africa, and Junirs Blaesas
for which Tacitus assigns a reason, which may be was sent as proconsul, with orders to catch him;
true or false. (Ann. iii. 3.) Piso, who came to but it was no easy thing to take this wandering
Rome, was accused before the senate of having robber, and Blaesus only seized his brother. Titaken the life of Germanicus. There was strong berius allowed the soldiers to salute Blaesus with
suspicion, but little or no proof; yet Piso, seeing the title of Imperator, and he was the last Roman
that Tiberius gave him no support, released himself citizen, except the emperors, who enjoyed this
by a voluntary death, or was put to death by order ancient distinction. (Tacit. Ann. iii. 74.)
of Tiberius. His wife Plancina, who was guilty if In A. D. 23 Drusus, the son of Tiberius, died,
her husband was, escaped through the influence of being poisoned by the contrivance of Sejanus
Livia. There is certainly strong reason to believe [SEJANUS]. His death was no loss to the state,
that in this matter of the death of Germanicus as for he gave indications of a character in no respect
well as of Piso, Tiberius was guilty (Tacit. Ann. better than that of his father; yet he had lived on
iii. 16), though Tacitus does not pronounce a good terms with Germanicus, and after his death
positive opinion. Tiberius gave Julia, the daughter he had behaved well to his children, or at least had
of his son Drusus, in marriage to Nero, the eldest not displayed any hostility towards them. The
son of Germanicus, which was a popular measure. emperor either did not feel much sorrow for the
He also moderated the penalties which the Lex death of his son or he concealed it; and when the
Papia, passed in the time of Augustus, imposed on people of Ilium some time after sent him a message
unmarried persons, with the double purpose of of condolence, he returned the compliment by conencouraging matrimony and filling the aerarium. doling with them on the death of their fellow(Tacit. Ann. iii. 25.) citizen Hector (Sueton.'iber. c. 52). It was reThe year A. D. 21 was the fourth consulship of marked that the influence of Sejanus over Tiberius
Tiberius, and the second of his son Drusus Caesar, increased after the death of Drusus, and Tiberius
but it was considered a bad omen for Drusus, be- began to display the vices of his character more
cause all those who had been his father's colleagues and more. The same was remarked also after the