Tiberius variously announced that he would arrive in Rome the next day or that he was at the point of death. During an argument Drusus had struck the prefect with his fist,[7] and he openly lamented that "a stranger was invited to assist in the government while the emperor's son was alive". The practice of joint leadership between two prefects was abandoned, and Sejanus himself appointed the centurions and tribunes. [39] Only Caligula, the youngest son of Germanicus, managed to survive the purges of Sejanus, by moving to Capri with Tiberius in AD 31.[40]. The Seii were Romans of the equestrian class (or knights), the lower of the two upper social classes of the Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire. An equestrian by birth, Sejanus rose to power as prefect of the Roman imperial bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, of which he was commander from AD 14 until his death in AD 31. The Praetorians also resorted to looting when they were accused of having conspired with the former prefect. Tacitus reports (or invents) a speech in which an about-to-be condemned friend of Sejanus claims that though he is guilty because of his friendship, the emperor is innocent in spite of him making Sejanus his ‘son-in-law’. [87] The story of Sejanus, with reference to the Earl's imprisonment in the Tower on a charge of treason, is interpreted as an argument for absolute monarchy, direct rule without the intermediary of politicians. He explicitly stated, ‘Of this the cause and origin was Aelius Sejanus.’ [35] The evil under Nero’s reign is, similarly, determined by Nero himself; continually the narrative has Nero as the main agent of change, the one who ordered the killings. [46] According to Juvenal, a letter was sent from Capri with orders to execute Sejanus without a trial. Sejanus, who ruled Rome as Tiberius lay idly on Capri, is described as wicked and crafty. With the intentions of the emperor no longer clear, it was now deemed a safer course of action in Rome to withdraw from overtly supporting Sejanus until the matter was clearly resolved. Under Tiberius, Tacitus viewed Sejanus as the cause of a rise in tyranny. Tiberius had not been seen in Rome since AD 26 and senators and equestrians courted Sejanus' favour as if he were Emperor. In the early 3rd century, Plautianus was executed after a failed conspiracy against Septimius Severus. [26] Tiberius was already in his sixties, thus the possibility of Drusus succeeding his father in the near future loomed large. It was at this time when Sejanus was left in control of the administration of the empire in Rome. IV, 12, 2) 1. According to the ancient historian Tacitus, Sejanus was also a former favourite of the wealthy Marcus Gavius Apicius, whose daughter may have been Sejanus' first wife Apicata. For a time the most influential and feared citizen of Rome, Sejanus suddenly fell from power in AD 31, the year his career culminated with the consulship. [53], That same evening the Senate convened at the Temple of Concord and summarily condemned Sejanus to death. This office he carried on dutifully and without incident until the death of Augustus in AD 14. Edward Togo Salmon wrote that, In the whole twenty two years of Tiberius' reign, not more than fifty-two persons were accused of treason, of whom almost half escaped conviction, while the four innocent people to be condemned fell victims to the excessive zeal of the Senate, not to the Emperor's tyranny. Tacitus was a Roman senator, who wrote the Annals in the early second century AD, during the reigns of Trajan (AD 98-117) and Hadrian (AD 117-138). [50] The ensuing confusion was successful in alienating Sejanus from many of his followers. Networks of spies and informers brought the victims to trial with false accusations of treason, and many chose suicide over the disgrace of being condemned and executed. Although Rome at first rejoiced at the demise of Sejanus, the city was quickly plunged into more extensive trials as Tiberius persecuted all those who could in any way be tied to the schemes of Sejanus or had courted his friendship. With Apicata, Sejanus had three children, two sons and one daughter: Strabo, Capito Aelianus and Junilla. Tacitus has, seemingly, extensive documentation of the discussion. Tiberius then launched an investigation into the conspiracy. [19] We also know from this source that Cordus starved himself to death. When Tiberius withdrew to Capri in AD 26, Sejanus was left in control of the administration of the empire. While his adopted son Germanicus restored order in Germania, Tiberius' biological son Drusus was sent to quell the uprising in Pannonia, accompanied by Sejanus and two Praetorian cohorts. Published By: Société d'Études Latines de Bruxelles, Read Online (Free) relies on page scans, which are not currently available to screen readers. With the exception of Velleius Paterculus, ancient historians have universally condemned Sejanus, although accounts differ regarding the extent to which Sejanus was manipulated by Tiberius or the other way around. He was taken from prison and strangled, after which his body was cast onto the Gemonian stairs, where the crowd tore it to pieces. Publius Cornelius Tacitus was one of the most reliable of all Roman historians and many first century figures are known to us solely through his mention of them. [47], Further details concerning Sejanus' fall are provided by Cassius Dio, writing nearly 200 years later in his Roman History. I, 49, 2 ; Ann. [79] This reviews the destruction of his statues after the damnatio memoriae judgment and reflects on the fickleness of public opinion. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions Livilla committed suicide or was starved to death by her mother Antonia Minor. [15] By this time he had been raised to the rank of praetor, a position which was not normally granted to Romans of the equestrian class. Sejanus was sent with the young Drusus to quell the mutiny on the Danube (Tacitus, Annales, 1.24). Sejanus' statues were destroyed, his name obliterated from public records, and former supporters tortured and executed. [27], The loss of his son was a major blow to Tiberius, personally and politically. He became the most feared ruler of Rome. George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, is the target of an anonymous manuscript Roman tragedy, The Emperor’s Favourite. The history of Sejanus and Drusus dated back to at least AD 15. [62] The political turmoil continued until the death of Tiberius in AD 37, after which he was succeeded by Caligula. In this Antonia sends the letter of accusation to Tiberius via Claudius, after discovering her daughter is plotting with Sejanus. Tacitus took an opportunity to demonstrate a unique example of his wit. In AD 31, despite his equestrian rank, Sejanus shared the consulship with Tiberius in absentia,[41] and finally became betrothed to Livilla. According to Tacitus, Sejanus's first subversive act was the seduction of Tiberius's daughter-in-law, Livilla, at the time married to Drusus, Tiberius's son. David Wishart's Sejanus (London, 1998) features Marcus Corvinus, and James Mace's Empire Betrayed: Tribune Cursor and the Fall of Sejanus (2013) focused on a military colleague, Aulus Nautius Cursor. Under Tiberius, Tacitus viewed Sejanus as the cause of a rise in tyranny. [36] Sejanus began a series of purge trials of senators and wealthy equestrians in the city, removing those capable of opposing his power as well as extending the imperial (and his own) treasury. A. Chaulk (1923), A later fictional treatment of the historical episode appeared as the first story of Edward Maturin's Sejanus, and Other Roman Tales (New York 1839). But suddenly, at the end of AD 31, he was arrested, summarily executed and his body unceremoniously cast down the Gemonian stairs. On October 24, Sejanus' eldest son Strabo was arrested and executed. Drusus, it seems, resented Sejanus's influence over his father so the Prefect, in conjunction with Livilla, poisoned him in A.D. 23. [The remainder of the fifth book and the beginning of the sixth, recounting Sejanus' marriage and fall and covering a space of nearly three years, are lost. THE year when Caius Asinius and Caius Antistius were consuls was the ninth of Tiberius's reign, a period of tranquillity for the State and prosperity for his own house, for he counted Germanicus's death a happy incident. For he has lived like a sad One, from the first Day that the Emperor Tiberius took him into Favour. See, Siobhan C. Keenan, “Staging Roman History, Stuart Politics, and the Duke of Buckingham: The Example of The Emperor’s Favourite. In his work he praised Tiberius and Sejanus, even defending the latter's high position in the government, despite not ranking higher than equestrian. Tacitus is criticized for the negative light he casts on Sejanus in 'The Annals' & much of Dio's work is called into serious question, many of the speeches given … Close this message to accept … [34] Guarded by the Praetorians, Sejanus easily controlled all information that passed between Tiberius and the capital. Tacitus on Galba and Sejanus : Two Textual Notes (Hist. Sejanus, who ruled Rome as Tiberius lay idly on Capri, is described as wicked and crafty. [5], Sejanus was later adopted into the Aelia gens, possibly by Gaius Aelius Gallus the prefect, or Sextus Aelius Catus his half-brother's half-brother, and by Roman custom became known as Lucius Aelius Seianus or simply as Seianus. By fueling his paranoia towards Agrippina and the Senate, he induced the emperor to withdraw to the countryside of Campania, which he did in AD 26, and finally to the island of Capri, where he lived until his death in AD 37. [82] The prudent need for anonymity, is suggested by the arrest of Sir John Eliot, who was sent to the Tower of London for his outspoken criticism of the Duke in the 1626 parliament, comparing him to Sejanus. [7] With her as an accomplice, Drusus was slowly poisoned and died of seemingly natural causes on September 13, AD 23. Throughout chapter 1, Tacitus combines a range of literary techniques with a variety of contextual factors (such as the death of Germanicus and certain rumours surrounding the underhand methods with which Sejanus rose to power) to characterise both men in a highly negative manner, reflecting the general subordination of integrity and moral fibre to the acquisition of power. [54][56] The accusations were further corroborated by confessions from Livilla's slaves, who, under torture, admitted to having administered the poison to Drusus. In the year 23 the long feud between Drusus and himself grew to a head when during an argument Drusus struck Sejanus in the head and declared, A stranger was invited to assist in the government while the emperors son was alive. We might expect that such matters were discussed in darkened corners and secret whispers, but the proposal was made… With a personal account, you can read up to 100 articles each month for free. Sejanus is also a leading figure in another Roman history play of about this time, the anonymous Tragedy of Claudius Tiberius Nero (1607). See Bingham, p. 39. [63][full citation needed], The reforms of Sejanus most significantly included the founding of the Castra Praetoria, which established the Praetorian Guard as the powerful political force, for which it is primarily known today. Throughout chapter 1, Tacitus combines a range of literary techniques with a variety of contextual factors (such as the death of Germanicus and certain rumours surrounding the underhand methods with which Sejanus rose to power) to characterise both men in a highly negative manner, reflecting the general subordination of integrity and moral fibre to the acquisition of power. [52] The senators at first congratulated Sejanus, but when the letter, which initially digressed into completely unrelated matters, suddenly denounced him and ordered his arrest, he was immediately apprehended and imprisoned in the Tullianum. According to the Bingham dissertation, while the Guard had been formally established by Augustus in 27 BC, the first prefects were not appointed until 2 BC. [23] In practice it was still Sejanus who was the second man in the empire, and he was ambitious to further expand his power. Claudius is seen as a man not only with a thoughtful personality but also dominated by his wives and freedmen. On September 14 in 23 AD Drusus suddenly died. One of his wives was Cosconia Gallita, sister of Servius Cornelius Lentulus Maluginensis (suffect consul in AD 10) and Publius Cornelius Lentulus Scipio (suffect consul in AD 2).[3]:p. She was not a political player, which gave her opinions a certain weight. Les langues utilisées par Latomus sont le français, l'anglais, l'allemand, l'espagnol, l'italien et le latin. Newer editions of Tacitus mark the division between the fifth and sixth books at this point rather than at the end of section 11; but references are regularly made to the older numbering, and so it has been retained here. Some were convicted and executed; some were allowed to turn state's e… [3], The adoptive family of Sejanus counted two consuls among their ranks: Quintus Aelius Tubero (consul in 11 BC) and Sextus Aelius Catus (consul in AD 4), who was the father of Aelia Paetina, the second wife of the future Emperor Claudius. [15] With these changes in effect, Sejanus now commanded the complete loyalty of a force of around 12,000 soldiers, all of which were at his immediate disposal. In Tacitus’ picture of the monarchy, the real power lies behind closed doors, where senators jockey for favour with men such as Sejanus, not to … [74][75] His fall is elaborated upon by Seneca the Younger, in his letter to Cordus' daughter Marcia To Marcia, On Consolation. [37] Instead, Tiberius addressed a number of contradictory letters to the Senate, some of which praised Sejanus and his friends and some of which denounced them. The remainder of the fifth book and the beginning of the sixth, recounting Sejanus' marriage and fall and covering a space of nearly three years, are lost. According to Josephus, it was Antonia, the mother of Livilla, who finally alerted Tiberius to the growing threat Sejanus posed (possibly with information provided by Satrius Secundus), in a letter she dispatched to Capri in the care of her freedman Pallas. Chapter 7 zeroes in on Sejanus, an administrator who wields considerable influence over the emperor. [2] Upon the accession of Tiberius in AD 14, Sejanus was appointed prefect of the Praetorian Guard as the colleague of his father Strabo, and began his rise to prominence. Although many attempts have been made to reconstruct the motives, nature, and course of Livia's involve-ment, no scholar to date has discussed Tacitus' account of the episode Tacitus' final assessment of Galba in the Histories I, 49, 2-4 begins with general observations on the old emperor's life and fortunes (tribus et septuagin ta annis quinqué priticipes … La "Société d'Études Latines de Bruxelles - Latomus", A.S.B.L., fondée le 11 juillet 1936, publie, sous le titre Latomus, une Revue trimestrielle et une Collection de livres. Tacitus, on the other hand, attributes much of the decline of Tiberius' rule after 23 to the corrupting influence of Sejanus, although he is generally also harsh on Tiberius himself. By AD 23, he exerted a considerable influence over the decisions of the emperor, who referred to Sejanus as "Socius Laborum" (my partner in my toils). Of these men, Tacitus reports, Geminius was a friend of Sejanus not for any serious reason but because of the prodigality of his for- tune, prodigentia opum, and the softness of his life, mollitia vitae.54 Extravagance and effeminacy are not the first qualities one would think of as attractive to a Sejanus. Sejanus, who was the praetorian prefect and Tiberius special favorite, as a result of a long feud, poisoned the emperor’s son Drusus. On September 14 in 23 AD Drusus suddenly died. The storyline itself follows a familiar Renaissance arc. The Pinnacle of Power Perhaps in 25, Sejanus suggested that he marry Drusus' widow, Livilla, whose bed he possibly already shared (Annales 4.39). [36] [85][86] Later in the century Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, was the target of the four-page political pamphlet Sejanus, or The popular favourite, now in his solitude, and sufferings, signed with the pseudonym Timothy Tory (1681). Sejanus was born in 20 BC at Volsinii, Etruria, into the family of Lucius Seius Strabo. 5 of them connects to Tiberius, the most important character of all and the stand-in for the The Praetorians placed Claudius on the throne, daring the Senate to oppose their decision. Enraged upon learning the truth, Tiberius soon ordered more executions. The camp was purged of mutineers by the Praetorians and the legions returned to the winter barracks. Sejanus was able to corrupt Drusus wife, Livilla, and hoped to use their affair, and his plans to marry her in the future, to finally enter into the … In Chapter 8, after a gap in the manuscript, Lucius Aelius Sejanus (d. 31 CE) falls from grace and is executed. W. Thomas, Wilfrid Laurier University 2006. At the beginning of the following year, damnatio memoriae was also passed on Livilla.[59]. The dramatist Ben Jonson borrowed from the poem for some passages in his Sejanus: His Fall. [50], When it became obvious to Tiberius that support for Sejanus was not as strong as the emperor had feared, his next step was to choose Naevius Sutorius Macro, previously prefect of the vigiles (Roman police and fire department), to replace Sejanus and effect his downfall. Seneca tells us that her father most likely incurred Sejanus' displeasure for criticising him because he had commissioned a statue of himself. However, he realised that an outright condemnation could provoke Sejanus to attempt a coup. [45] Unfortunately the relevant section pertaining to this period in the Annals of Tacitus has been lost. 4.3-11) relies to a considerable degree on his presentation of Sejanus' accomplice-in-crime, the victim's own wife Livia. '[89] A subtler attack on a later prime minister occurred in 1769 when Jonson's Sejanus was reissued under the title of The Favourite. In Galilee and Judea Antipas and Pilate, as political beneficiaries of Sejanus, had reason to fear and needed to tread carefully. [81], Making contemporary political points in this way through reinterpretation of distant historical episodes was now common. All of Sejanus' family were killed, as was customary.46 Though Tacitus describes this period as a reign of terror and a blood-bath, Seutonius and others disagree.47 Tarver says that Tiberius moved in to check the indiscriminate persecution of Sejanus' friends.48 Tiberius evidently made a real effort to be just in his investigation. Abridged and ‘improved’ by some additions of his own, he published his Sejanus, a tragedy: as it was intended for the stage (1752), when he could not get it acted. The practice of joint leadership between two prefects was abandoned, and Sejanus himself appointed the centurions and tribunes. Tacitus is criticized for the negative light he casts on Sejanus in 'The Annals', & much of Dio's work is called into question, many of the speeches recorded in … They assassinated emperors, bullied their prefects or turned on the people of Rome. Through years of crafty intrigues and indispensable service to the emperor, Sejanus had worked himself up to become the most powerful man in the Empire. through the major characters of the Annals: Livia, Germanicus, and Sejanus, showing how each 4 Tacitus Ann. [52] Although the Praetorian Guard proved faithful to the aging Tiberius, their potential political power had been made clear.[66]. [33] Alarmed by this sudden denigration, Sejanus changed his plans and began to isolate Tiberius from Rome. [25], When this failed, it seems Sejanus turned his attention toward eliminating Drusus. Tacitus interprets the divorce of Sejanus as attempt to convince Livilla of his love, and he informs us about a scuffle between cuckolded husband and lover in public. [61] Arrests and executions were now supervised by Naevius Sutorius Macro, who succeeded Sejanus as the Prefect of the Praetorian Guard. Sejanus' grandfather maintained relations with senatorial families through his marriage with Terentia, a sister of the wife of Gaius Maecenas, who was one of Emperor Augustus' most powerful political allies.[3]:p. [32] The emperor denied this request, warning Sejanus that he was in danger of overstepping his rank. 76 Sejanus was once thought to have possibly been a child of this marriage but Ronald Syme has asserted that Sejanus' mother was a Junia Blaesa,[4] sister of Junius Blaesus. [78][citation needed], Sejanus' fall is depicted in the section in Juvenal's Satire X on the emptiness of power. [68] Following his death, the Guard began to play an increasingly ambitious and bloody role in the Empire. (Tacitus) This enraged Sejanus enough to plot the death of Drusus through the slow use of poison in the hopes that it would pass as natural causes. According to Tacitus, her death in 29AD changed all that. In AD 41 Caligula was killed by conspirators from the senatorial class and from the Guard. He was charged for having eulogized Marcus Junius Brutus and spoken of Gaius Cassius Longinus as the last of the true Romans, which was considered an offence under the Lex Maiestatis; the Senate ordered the burning of his writings. The remainder of the fifth book and the beginning of the sixth, recounting Sejanus' marriage and fall and covering a space of nearly three years, are lost. Lucius Aelius Sejanus (3 June 20 BC – 18 October AD 31), commonly known as Sejanus (/sɪˈdʒeɪnəs/),[1] was an ambitious soldier, friend and confidant of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. [80] The play is seen as a topical reference to the fall of the former royal favourite, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, executed for treason two years before. They included Jean de Magnon's rhyming tragedy, Sejanus (1647) and Henri van der Zande's De dood van Elius Sejanus of Spiegel voor der vorsten gunstelingen (The death of Sejanus, a mirror for the favourites of princes, Amsterdam 1716). [29] Following his death, his wife Agrippina the Elder returned to Rome with their six children and became increasingly involved with a group of senators who opposed the growing power of Sejanus. The facade of Augustus was no longer maintained, and Tiberius openly displayed the strength of the guard at parades.[18]. In England other royal favourites were seen in these terms too. [10] Furthermore, their presence served as a constant reminder to the people and the Senate of the substantial armed force which served as the basis for the imperial power. Her relations with Tiberius became increasingly fraught, as she made it clear that she believed that he was responsible for the death of Germanicus. [45] Upon learning of his death, Apicata committed suicide on October 26, after addressing a letter to Tiberius which claimed that Drusus had been poisoned with the complicity of Livilla. Since the death of Germanicus, Drusus had been openly groomed as the successor of his father, successfully commanding legions in Illyricum in AD 18,[22] and sharing the consulship with Tiberius in AD 21. In his capacity as Praetorian prefect, Sejanus quickly became a trusted advisor to Tiberius. The accusations were further corroborated by confessions from Livilla’s slaves, who admitted to having administered the poison to Drusus.Tacitus, Annals IV.11 . [91][92] Later there was another recycling of Jonson's tragedy in England by the Irish actor Francis Gentleman. Upon the suicide of Emperor Nero in AD 68, the Guard prefect Gaius Nymphidius Sabinus attempted to have himself declared emperor, on the pretence that he was the illegitimate son of Caligula. Tiberius refused the marriage (Annales 4.40). Yet, in all this, it is hard to see just … By AD 23 the enmity between the two men had reached a critical point. He explicitly stated, ‘Of this the cause and origin was Aelius Sejanus.’ [35] The evil under Nero’s reign is, similarly, determined by Nero himself; continually the narrative has Nero as the main agent of change, the one who ordered the killings. Sejanus was born in 20 BC at Volsinii, Etruria, into the family of Lucius Seius Strabo. The Praetorian Guard was an elite unit of the Roman army formed by Augustus in 27 BC, with the specific function to serve as a bodyguard to the emperor and members of the imperial family. 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