Early Roman Empire, Julio-Claudian Dynasty, 02 Tiberius: Succession

02 Tiberius (78; r.14.09-37.03)

In AD 13 the Senate and the Roman people, at the request of Augustus and to ensure a smooth succession, decreed that his rights in all the provinces and armies of the Empire should also be invested in Tiberius. Thus when Augustus died his successor was already in full power. His first act was to use his tribunician privilege to summon the Senate to receive oaths of loyalty from the consuls, the equestrian prefects, the senators, the soldiers and the people.

In Germania the Roman legions were commanded by Caecina Severus (cos.1 BC) in the north and ⁰²Silius Aulus (cos.13) in the south, both of them under the supreme command of Germanicus. In Pannonia the three legions fell under the command of ¹⁴Junius Blaesus (cos.10) and ⁵⁵Cornelius Dolabella (cos.10). The commander in Spain was Aemilius (17) Lepidus (c.63; fl.6-33), and the governor in Africa was Nonius Asprenas (cos.6).

Almost immediately a mutiny broke out among the legions in Pannonia and along the Rhine hoping to compel the new regime to give them better conditions, increased payment, and retirement at the correct age. The mutiny in Pannonia was dealt with fairly quickly. Tiberius sent his son Drusus ¹³Julius Caesar (36; fl.13-23) and ⁰⁵Aelius Sejanus (51; fl.14-31), prefect of the praetorians, together with a detachment of praetorians to Pannonia. A convenient eclipse of the Moon (27 September) worked on the superstitions of the rebels and was enough to convince them that their mutiny was doomed.