Editing Tiberius (section)

=== Early reign ===
[[File:Aureus à l'effigie de Tibère.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Aureus]] of Tiberius, {{Circa|AD 27–30}}. Caption: TI. CAESAR DIVI AVG. F. AVGVSTVS / MAXIM. PONTIF.]]

On 17 September Tiberius called the [[Roman Senate|Senate]] in order to validate his position as ''[[Princeps]]'', and, as had [[Augustus]] before him, grant himself its powers.{{sfn|Levick|1999|pp=[https://archive.org/details/tiberiuspolitici00levi_0/page/68/mode/2up 68–81]. «The senatorial decree of 17 September was to make him ''Divi fiilius'', son of the deified Princeps, and the will imposed the title Augustus&nbsp;... Tiberius's powers lapsed on Augustus's death, required redefinition, or were surrendered on 17 September.»}}{{sfn|Tacitus, ''Annales''|loc=[[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 1|I.9–11]]}}<ref>Gaius Tranquillus Suetonius, Graves, R., & Grant, M. (2006). ''The Twelve Caesars'' (p. 118). Penguin.

"Tiberius used his Tribunician powers to convene the Senate and break the news of Augustus' death."</ref> Tiberius already had the administrative and political powers of the ''[[Princeps]]'', but he lacked the titles of ''[[Augustus (title)|Augustus]]'' and ''[[Pater Patriae]]'' ("Father of the country"), and refused the [[Civic Crown]].{{efn| A crown made from [[bay laurel|laurel]] and [[oak]]. It had been awarded to Augustus for "saving the lives of Roman citizens".}} Like Augustus before him, Tiberius may have sought to represent himself as a reluctant yet devoted public servant, no more than an ordinary citizen who wanted to serve the state and people to the best of his ability,{{sfn|Seager|2005|pp=44–45}} but his refusal of these titular, quasi-religious honours, and his reluctance to accept the full powers of a ''[[princeps]]'' were taken as insults to the elite who offered them; signs of hypocrisy, not humility. According to Tacitus, Tiberius derided the Senate as "men fit to be slaves".{{sfn|Tacitus, ''Annales''|loc=[[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 3#65|III.65]], [[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 1#12|I.12–13]]}}{{sfn|Suetonius, ''Tiberius''|loc=26}} Antagonism between Tiberius and his senate seems to have been a feature of his rule.{{sfn|Suetonius, ''Tiberius''|loc=24}} In his first few years as emperor, Tiberius seems to have wanted the Senate to act alone, with no reference to him or his responsibilities as "first Senator".{{sfn|Tacitus, ''Annales''|loc=[[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 3#35|III.35]], [[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 3#53|III.53–54]]}} His direct orders were rather vague, inspiring debates on what he actually meant, rather than passing his legislation.{{sfn|Tacitus, ''Annales''|loc=[[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 3#32|III.32]], [[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 3#52|III.52]]}}