Rome -- History -- Tiberius, 14-37; Tiberius, Emperor of Rome 42 B.C.-37 A.D.
Tiberius Nero was not among those who accepted the amnesty; he again
fled, this time to Corinth, which was associated with his family by
ancient ties of patronage. He became a wanderer, a hunted man; romantic
adventures are assigned to the months of danger and hardship which
followed; he even sought the protection of Antonius; at length he
too made terms with Octavian and returned to Rome, where a further
disappointment awaited him; his young wife attracted the notice of
Octavian; she accepted his attentions, and shortly afterwards an
amicable divorce and re-marriage were arranged. Six months later Livia
bore a second son, who was sent to her first husband by Octavian,
and acknowledged by him as his own. The families lived on terms of
intimacy, and when Tiberius Nero died five years later, both his sons
passed under the care of their mother and Octavian, whose family now
consisted of his own daughter Julia by a previous wife, Scribonia, and
his two stepsons. Julia was a little over a year younger than Tiberius
the future Emperor.
So far there had been nothing discreditable in the life of Tiberius
Nero, and it was never attacked even by the bitterest enemies of his
son. He followed the fortunes of Cæsar, so did many men who saw in
Cæsar the only hope of a reformed constitution; he was frightened by
Cæsar’s root and branch reforms, so were many moderate men; he saw in
Cæsar the tyrant, and applauded the men who cut him down, so did Cicero
and many honourable men; in the confusion that ensued he steadily clung
to any power that seemed to make for the restoration of the Republic;
in this he may have been mistaken, but was not dishonourable; he
eventually made terms with the one party which promised a restoration
of order--no other policy was open to a wise and prudent man; he
surrendered his wife to the conqueror; at this point we withdraw our
approval; we think of Cæsar, who refused to put away his wife at the
bidding of Sulla, and our inclination is to see in the action of
Tiberius Nero contemptible weakness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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