Roman Emperor: Life and Reign of Tiberius Quiz

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.

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.

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.

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.

Answer: False

Tiberius bitterly resented being forced to marry Julia the Elder and hated her for it. Most sources that speak of the matter state that he had a very low opinion of her. Some other sources claim she was equally unimpressed with him.

Before she married Tiberius, she had married Agrippa in 21 BC. They had five children, including Agrippina the Elder, who would become Caligula's mother. Agrippa died in 12 BC. Augustus sought the marriage between Tiberius and Julia after this. By 6 BC, when Tiberius had decided to exile himself from Rome, the marriage was over.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Answer: Sejanus

Sejanus was commander of a unit of the Imperial Roman Army called the "Praetorian Guard" from 14 BC until he died in 31 AD. His opinion carried considerable weight with Tiberius, who even had statues erected of Sejanus in the Theatre of Pompey, and other places.

By 26 AD, Tiberius had retired from politics, and left Sejanus to manage the empire. He set his sights on Tiberius' adopted his grandchildren by Germanicus, Nero and Drusus. Between 28-29 AD, Nero was exiled to the island of Ponza as an enemy of the empire. He died in exile in 33 AD. Drusus starved to death in the dungeon of the palace on Palatine Hill, in 28-29 AD.

According to ancient historians Tacitus, Sejanus was plotting against Drusus in hope that he could steal his inheritance to the Roman Empire. It is also alleged that Sejanus had seduced Drusus' wife, Livilla, and convinced her to poison him.

The precise reason for Sejanus' execution remain unclear. He was arguably the most powerful man in Rome during the several times Tiberius was absent as emperor. He made enemies. He was strangled, and his body was thrown down the Gemonian Stairs, also known as the Stairs of Mourning - a flight of stairs in ancient Rome where executions took place. Corpses were usually left to rot on the stairs for a period of time, before being thrown in the Tiber River.

Sejanus was replaced as commander of the Praetorian Guard by Naevius Sutorius Macro, who later served under Caligula.

Answer: Capri

Capri is across the Tyrrhenian Sea from Italy. Tiberius had inherited a villa complex from Augustus, and the island at the time was a traditional holiday destination for Rome's upper classes. Tiberius ran the empire in name from Capri, until his death in 37 AD. The Roman citizens saw his moving out of Rome as desertion, and his popularity further declined.

Answer: Jews

During Tiberius' rule the Jews had become more commonplace in Rome, and their preaching and attempts at trying to convert Roman citizens led to ill feelings. Tiberius commanded that all Jews of military age were to join the Roman Army. The rest were banished from Rome and risked permanent enslavement if they ever returned to the city.

Answer: Smyrna

Smyrna was located where the city of Izmir is in present-day Turkey. Unlike Augustus and other previous emperors, Tiberius was uncomfortable at being worshiped as a god and would only allow the construction of one temple for himself.

Smyrna was chosen for its location out of 11 other cities for its beauty. Smyrna petitioned its wish to build the temple in 23 AD. Around 3 years later, Smyrna was finally chosen out of the 11 cities, and the temple was built.

Answer: He was smothered with a pillow by Aulus Caecina Paetus

He was actually smothered by Naevius Sutorius Macro. Some say Caligula also took part in smothering him. Tiberius had stopped breathing and as Caligula had the Roman Empire in his sights, Tiberius called for assistance. They smothered him and the public rejoiced, for they had truly turned against Tiberius at this point - so happy at his death, they were chanting to have his body thrown in the Tiber.

Aulus Caecina Paetus was a senator condemned to death during the reign of Emperor Claudius (who reigned from AD 41 AD- 54 AD), for taking part in a revolt against the Emperor.

Answer: Caligula

Tiberius had awarded Caligula, and Drusus's son Tiberius Gemellus, joint ownership of the throne. The first thing Caligula did upon gaining power was to dismiss Tiberius' will.

Caligula likely had little sentimentality for Tiberius. Germanicus was Caligula's father. Rumours that Tiberius had Germanicus murdered to pave the way for Drusus followed him for the rest of his reign. Caligula was also the sole survivor of a bitter feud that his mother, Agrippina the Elder, had with Tiberius. In 30 AD Caligula's brother Drusus was imprisoned for treason, and his other brother, Nero, died in exile. The cause of his death was reported as either starvation or suicide. Caligula eventually came to live on the island of Capri, where Tiberius spent his last years. Caligula was only spared because he was a "natural actor" and managed to conceal his feelings of resentment and hatred. Tiberius never had him killed, to the astonishment of many.

Personal feelings for Tiberius aside, another reason Caligula likely voided the will, was to seize power. From his reign it is apparent he loved power, taking great pleasure in his harsh actions toward the nobles and Senate. His sadism was well known. Before Caligula was assassinated, he had expressed his desires to leave Rome, move to Egypt and be worshiped as a living god. He was assassinated in 41 AD, stabbed repeatedly by a group of his own guards.