Tiberius Trivia

1. Tiberius was Roman Emperor from 14-37 AD. Who did he succeed as Emperor of Rome?

From Quiz Roman Emperor: Life and Reign of Tiberius

Answer: Augustus

Augustus was Tiberius' step-father. He was the first Roman Emperor, his reign started in 27 BC and ended with his death in 14 AD. He expanded this new empire from as far away from Rome to places which are now modern day Austria, and Egypt. Tiberius' biological father was Tiberius Claudius Nero. Tiberius' birth name was somewhat similar, as Tiberius Caesar Augustus.

From Quiz Tiberius, a not so popular emperor

Answer: Tiberius Claudius Nero

Tiberius was born in the Claudian gens and was the son of Tiberius Claudius Nero. Augustus became his stepfather when he married, Tiberius' mother, Livia. Neither Sextus Pompey nor Mark Antony were any relation to Tiberius.

From Quiz Tiberius Caesar and the Roman Empire

Answer: 42 BC

Tiberius was born on th 16th November to Tiberius Cladius Nero and Livia Drusilla.

From Quiz The Reign of Tiberius

Answer: A giant tooth

The details about the earthquake are recorded in Tacitus, Pliny, and Dio Cassius. The story of the giant tooth is found in Phlegon of Tralles.

From Quiz Roman Emperor: Life and Reign of Tiberius

Answer: Livia Drusilla

Around 43 BC, Livia Drusilla married Tiberius Claudius Nero. They had two sons, one of which was Tiberius. In around 39 BC she and Tiberius Claudius Nero divorced, and the following year she married the politician Octavian, who would later become Emperor Augustus, Tiberius' step-father, whom he succeeded. Livia Drusilla married Octavian even though she was already pregnant with her ex-husband's child. Tiberius Claudius Nero at first had Tiberius raised in exile, as he did not want him to be influenced by Octavian. When Tiberius became Roman Emperor in 14 AD, Livia used being the mother of the Emperor to further her political power. She died in 29 AD.

From Quiz Tiberius, a not so popular emperor

Answer: Twice

Tiberius was married twice, first to the love of his life, Vipsania, and then to Julia the Elder, daughter of Augustus. Tiberius descended into misanthropy after he was forced by Augustus to divorce Vipsania for state reasons and marry his daughter, Julia. The marriage to Julia was an unhappy one, and later she was exiled for adultery. He never remarried after that.

From Quiz Tiberius Caesar and the Roman Empire

Answer: Vipsania

Tiberius' first marriage was reputedely a happy one it bore a son: Drusus. Tiberius was forced to divorce Vipsania by Augustus in order to marry Augustus' own daughter: Julia. This was in order to cement the succession of the Julio-Claudians.

From Quiz The Reign of Tiberius

Answer: Cappadocia and Commagene

As we know from Tacitus, after the deaths of King Archelaus of Cappadocia and King Antiochus of Commagene their kingdoms became Roman provinces.

From Quiz Roman Emperor: Life and Reign of Tiberius

Answer: Anthony and Cleopatra

This took place after the Battle of Actium was won by Augustus. The Battle of Actium was a naval battle, staged on the Ionian sea in 31 BC. This important battle was born out of a decade of hostility between Augustus and Antony and Cleopatra after the murder of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. It resulted in Augustus being able to cement his power over Rome and all of its territories.

From Quiz Tiberius, a not so popular emperor

Answer: Germanicus

Augustus induced Tiberius to adopt Germanicus, son of Drusus the Elder and Antonia the Minor. He undoubtedly saw Germanicus as a potential heir to the throne upon the demise of Tiberius. Cestius Gallus had no part in this arrangement, and Tiberius never adopted Caligula, he merely left him in his will as an heir to spite Rome.

From Quiz Tiberius Caesar and the Roman Empire

Answer: Parthia

Tiberius was rewarded by Augustus for his part in the military and diplomatic manoeuvres that involved the standards recovery; he received the praetor's insignia for example. Tiberius later, when he was himself princeps was to have more dealings with this eastern kingdom.

From Quiz Roman Emperor: Life and Reign of Tiberius

Answer: Vipsania Agrippina

Vipsania Agrippina was betrothed to Tiberius before her first birthday. They got married in about 19 BC. Vipsania Agrippina was the daughter of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, a Roman statesman, architect and general, and Pomponia Caecilia Attica. Her grandfather was the best friend of the Roman statesman, Cicero. Vipsania and Tiberius had a happy marriage, but Augustus insisted it must end. This was when Vipsania's father, who was also married to Augustus's daughter, Julia the Elder, died. Tiberius was persuaded to divorce her in 11 BC, and also persuaded to marry Julia the Elder, his step-sister, but this caused him a great mental anguish. He even followed Vipsania after the divorce with tears in his eyes. Augustus' court took precautions to ensure that no more embarrassing meetings between them would happen again. Vipsania died in 20 AD.

From Quiz Tiberius, a not so popular emperor

Answer: He kept them in office for a long time

Tiberius was known for keeping governors in office for long periods of time. There were no fixed salaries for governors, and weekly reports would be impractical, considering how long it would take a courier from the provinces to Rome. Tiberius could be strict about who married into the imperial family, but he did not limit these appointments to members of the imperial family. For one thing, he didn't think that much of his family members.

From Quiz The Reign of Tiberius

Answer: Velleius Paterculus

Velleius Paterculus's short history still survives.

From Quiz Tiberius, a not so popular emperor

Answer: Herod Agrippa

Herod Agrippa was imprisoned for remarks about Tiberius which he considered disparaging. Herod Antipas was deposed towards the end of Tiberius' reign, but he was not imprisoned. Aretas was king of Nabataea, who declared war on Herod Antipas for slighting his daughter. Antipas was engaged to marry Aretas' daughter, but he fell in love with Herodias, and he sent Aretas' daughter back to Nabataea. He could hardly have imprisoned Cleopatra since he was only twelve years old when Cleopatra died.

From Quiz Tiberius Caesar and the Roman Empire

Answer: Gnaius Calpurnius Piso

He was never actually charged with the killing of Germanicus and indeed the evidence from Tacitus suggets that he was innocent. He did, however, commit suicide as Tiberius could not forgive him for reentering the province of Syria at the head of an army.

From Quiz The Reign of Tiberius

Answer: A rivalry between theater-goers

Riots between supporters of rival actors in Rome are recorded by Velleius, Suetonius, and Tacitus, and Dio Cassius says that actors were banished from Rome in A.D. 23.

From Quiz Roman Emperor: Life and Reign of Tiberius

Answer: Rhodes

Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese Islands, now part of Greece. Rhodes has acquired the nickname 'The Island of the Knights' due to Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem's rule of the island from 1310-1522. Tiberius' reason for the sudden decision to leave his life behind and go to Rhodes remains unclear. Some historians cite that he hated his wife Julia, and her infidelity was becoming common knowledge. Augustus had taken steps to ensure that he would never see his true love, Vipsania, ever again. Some say the fact that Augustus had adopted his wife Julia's sons via Agrippa - Gaius and Lucius - was a factor. He thought Augustus was going to propel them on a political path. He was probably afraid of only being in power until they came of age. Regardless of Tiberius' motives, this proved a great problem for Augustus. Augustus was nearly 60 years old. Gaius and Lucius were still teenagers. This caused him to worry about his succession.

From Quiz Tiberius, a not so popular emperor

Answer: The Danube

Tiberius led several campaigns in Germany before he became emperor. He was leading an expedition in the Alps when he discovered the source of the Danube River. The Danube arises in the Black Forest in Germany.

From Quiz Tiberius Caesar and the Roman Empire

Answer: Sejanus

Sejanus was to remain as Tiberius favourite for around a decade until the princeps became suspicious of him. He denounced him in a letter to the Senate which was enough to see him and many of his supporters lynched in 31 AD

From Quiz The Reign of Tiberius

Answer: Gnaeus Piso

Germanicus died mysteriously in A.D. 19, and Piso was charged with having used poison and magic to kill him.

From Quiz Roman Emperor: Life and Reign of Tiberius

Answer: Infected wound

When Gaius Caesar's wound claimed his life in 4 AD, Augustus was left with no choice but to adopt Tiberius as his son, who therefore became his successor. Lucius suddenly became ill in in Massilia, Gaul, in 2 AD while he was on his way to Hispania to meet the Roman Army. The same year, Gaius invaded Armenia, which had been invaded by the Parthians. He was tricked into meeting the leader of the Parthian rebels in Armenia, under the pretense of the two just having a conversation. Gaius was stabbed, but not killed. Accounts differ as to where he was stabbed. Gaius did not think his wound was too concerning, and continued to fight in Armenia. One year later Gaius was weakened and ill by the wound, and did not wish to take any further part in public life. Augustus tried to rekindle his interest in being the emperor one day, but this was to no avail. Gaius died in a small town in what is now Turkey in 4 AD.

From Quiz Tiberius, a not so popular emperor

Answer: Tacitus

The other historians also wrote histories of Tiberius, but Tacitus wrote the most detailed account. The first six chapters of Tacitus' Annals are devoted to the reign of Tiberius.

From Quiz Tiberius Caesar and the Roman Empire

Answer: Asia

Though he has a bad reputation from the descriptions of Suetonius and Tacitus many historians today feel that Tiberius has been badly done by. There is much evidence for him helping those in trouble; he would use his own money to help senators who had fallen on hard times; M.Hortensius Hortalus for example, though this was done grudgingly.

From Quiz The Reign of Tiberius

Answer: Long-haired and left-handed

Suetonius says that Tiberius had such a strong left hand that he could break the head of a boy or young man with one snap, and he also noted that he wore his hair long at the back, a family custom.

From Quiz Roman Emperor: Life and Reign of Tiberius

Answer: Germanicus

Germanicus Julius Caesar was Tiberius' nephew, a successful and popular Roman military general, son of military leader and politician, Nero Claudius Drusus, and Antonia Minor, the youngest of the surviving daughters at the time of Mark Antony and Octavia Minor. He is well known for his successful military expeditions in Germania, north-central Europe. Germanicus was connected further to Tiberius' family by his marriage to Augustus' granddaughter, Agrippina the Elder. Germanicus was also the brother of Claudius, and father of Caligula. Augustus considered naming Germanicus heir after Gaius died in 4 AD. But Livia convinced him to choose Tiberius instead. Germanicus died in 19 AD. It has been speculated that he was poisoned as he suddenly fell ill, after greatly displeasing Tiberius as emperor. The rumours of the murder of Germanicus made Tiberius less popular.

From Quiz Tiberius, a not so popular emperor

Answer: Jesus Christ

Tiberius reigned from 14 to 37 AD, and the ministry of Jesus Christ took place during his reign. Paul of Tarsus was executed in the reign of Nero, Caiaphas was the high priest responsible for the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus, and he was deposed later in Tiberius' reign, but was not executed. Rabbi Gamaliel flourished during this time and was a key figure in the rabbinical school in Jerusalem.

From Quiz The Reign of Tiberius

Answer: Tacfarinas

The exploits of this Numidian are most fully found in Tacitus.

From Quiz Roman Emperor: Life and Reign of Tiberius

Answer: Drusus Julius Caesar

When Germanicus died in 19 AD this left Drusus as Tiberius' heir. Germanicus' wife, Agrippina, suspected that Tiberius had Germanicus murdered, so that his biological son would be the next Roman Emperor. Drusus Julius Caesar was born in 14 AD. He entered Roman politics in 10 AD, as a public official, or 'quaestor.' His political career was very similar to that of Germanicus, and it was originally intended that the two would jointly rule Rome. Drusus died suddenly, seemingly of natural causes, at the age of 36 in 23 AD. But it is alleged that he was poisoned - likely by a prominent Praetorian prefect.

From Quiz Tiberius, a not so popular emperor

Answer: Crassus

Marcus Licinius Crassus lost Roman standards to the Parthians in 53 BC at the Battle of Carrhae.

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