Editing Sejanus (section)

== Rise to power ==

=== Praetorian prefect ===

It is likely that Sejanus's father Strabo came to the attention of [[Augustus]] through his father's connection with Maecenas. Sometime after 2 BC,<ref>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. See Bingham, p. 39.</ref> Strabo was appointed [[Praetorian prefect|prefect of the Praetorian Guard]], one of the two most powerful positions a Roman knight could attain in the Empire. This office he carried on dutifully and without incident until the death of Augustus in AD 14. Little is known about the life Sejanus led prior to this date, but according to Tacitus, he accompanied [[Gaius Caesar]], adopted son of Augustus, during his campaigns in [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Armenia]] in 1 BC.<ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-1"/> 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.

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.<ref>Bingham, p. 30.</ref> Much more than a guard however, the Praetorians also managed the day-to-day care of the city, such as general security and civil administration.<ref>Bingham, p. 238.</ref> 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.<ref>Bingham, p. 232.</ref> Augustus was careful however to uphold the [[Roman Republic|republican]] veneer of this regime, and only allowed nine [[Cohort (military unit)|cohorts]] to be formed (one fewer than in a normal [[Roman legion]]), which were inconspicuously scattered across various lodging houses in the city, and commanded by two prefects.<ref>Bingham, pp. 231, 40.</ref>

When Strabo was assigned to the [[Roman governor|governorship]] of [[Ægyptus|Egypt]] in AD 15, Sejanus became the sole commander of the Praetorians and instigated reforms that helped shape the guard into a powerful tool of the [[principate]].<ref name="dio-history-lvii-19">Cassius Dio, ''Roman History'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/57*.html#19 LVII.19]</ref><ref>Bingham, p. 43.</ref> In AD 20 the scattered encampments inside the city were centralized into [[Castra Praetoria|a single garrison]] just outside Rome<ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-2">Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#2|IV.2]]</ref><ref>Syme believes Tacitus delayed mention of these reforms until the year 23 for stylistic reasons. The actual date the Castra Praetoria was founded may have been AD 20. See {{cite book | author = Syme, Ronald  | year = 1958 | title = Tacitus | volume = 1 | page = 424 | location = Oxford, UK | publisher = Oxford University Press | isbn = 0198143273}}</ref> and the number of cohorts was increased from nine to twelve,<ref>Bingham, p. 50.</ref> one of which now held the daily guard at the palace. The practice of joint leadership between two prefects was abandoned, and Sejanus himself appointed the [[centurion]]s and [[Tribunus Militum|tribunes]].<ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-2"/> 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. The facade of Augustus was no longer maintained, and Tiberius openly displayed the strength of the guard at parades.<ref>Cassius Dio, ''Roman History'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/57*.html#22 LVII.22]</ref>

=== Feud with Drusus ===
[[File:Drusus minor (Museo del Prado) 01.jpg|thumb|upright|Bust of [[Drusus Julius Caesar|Drusus the Younger (Drusus Julius Caesar)]], son of Tiberius. In a conspiracy that involved his own wife [[Livilla]], Drusus was poisoned in AD 23 by agents of Sejanus.]]

In his capacity as Praetorian prefect, Sejanus quickly became a trusted advisor to Tiberius. 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).<ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-2"/> By this time he had been raised to the rank of [[praetor]], a position which was not normally granted to Romans of the [[Equestrian (Roman)|equestrian class]].<ref name="dio-history-lvii-19"/> A statue had been erected in his honor in the [[Theatre of Pompey]] and in the [[Roman Senate|Senate]] his followers were advanced with public offices and governorships.<ref name="seneca-marcia-xxii-4-6">Seneca the Younger, ''Essays'', To Marcia On Consolation [http://www.stoics.com/seneca_essays_book_2.html#%E2%80%98MARCIAM1 XXII.4–6]</ref><ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-2"/> His privileged position caused resentment among the senatorial class and the imperial family, in particular earning him the enmity of Tiberius's son [[Drusus Julius Caesar]].

The history of Sejanus and Drusus dated back to at least AD 15. That year a [[mutiny]] had broken out among [[Roman legion|legions]] posted in [[Pannonia]] and [[Germania]]. While his adopted son [[Germanicus]] restored order in Germania, Tiberius's biological son Drusus was sent to quell the uprising in Pannonia, accompanied by Sejanus and two Praetorian [[Cohort (military unit)|cohorts]].<ref name="tacitus-annals-i-24">Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 1#24|I.24]]</ref> In part due to what the soldiers believed to be bad [[omen]]s, Drusus quickly managed to restore stability in the army and publicly put the chief instigators to death. The camp was purged of mutineers by the Praetorians and the legions returned to the [[Castra#Types of castra|winter barracks]].<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 1#29|I.29]], [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 1#30|I.30]]</ref> Despite this success, the following years witnessed a growing animosity between Drusus and Sejanus.

Since the death of Germanicus, Drusus had been groomed as the successor of his father, commanding legions in [[Illyricum (Roman province)|Illyricum]] in AD 18,<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 2#44|II.44]], [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 2#62|II.62]]</ref> and sharing the consulship with Tiberius in AD 21.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 3#31|III.31]]</ref> In practice it was still Sejanus who was the second man in the empire, and he was ambitious to further expand his power. As early as AD 20, Sejanus had sought to solidify his connection with the imperial family by betrothing his daughter Junilla to the son of Claudius, [[Claudius Drusus]].<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 3#29|III.29]]</ref> At the time the girl was only 4 years old but the marriage never happened, as the boy mysteriously or accidentally died a few days later of [[asphyxia]]tion.<ref>Suetonius, ''The Lives of Twelve Caesars'', Life of Claudius [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Claudius*.html#27 27]</ref>

When this failed, it seems Sejanus turned his attention toward eliminating Drusus. By AD 23 the enmity between the two men had reached a critical point. During an argument Drusus had struck the prefect with his fist,<ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-3"/> and he openly lamented that "a stranger was invited to assist in the government while the emperor's son was alive".<ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-7">Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#7|IV.7]]</ref>  Tiberius was already in his sixties, thus the possibility of Drusus succeeding his father in the near future loomed large. To secure his position, Sejanus secretly plotted against Drusus and seduced his wife [[Livilla]].<ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-3"/> With her as an accomplice, Drusus was slowly poisoned and died of seemingly natural causes on September 13, AD 23.<ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-8">Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#8|IV.8]]</ref>

=== Consolidation of power ===
[[File:Tiberius NyCarlsberg01.jpg|thumb|upright|Bust of Emperor [[Tiberius]] ([[Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek]], [[Copenhagen]]). During the twenties Tiberius became increasingly disillusioned with Roman politics, and eventually withdrew to the island of [[Capri]], leaving the administration largely in the hands of Sejanus.]]

The loss of his son was a major blow to Tiberius, personally and politically. Over the years he had grown increasingly disillusioned with the position of princeps, and by sharing the [[Tribune of the plebs|tribunician powers]] with Drusus in AD 22 he had prepared to relinquish some of his responsibilities in favour of his son.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 3#56|III.56]]</ref> With these hopes now dashed, Tiberius left his administration more than ever in the care of Sejanus and looked toward the sons of Germanicus ([[Nero (son of Germanicus)|Nero Caesar]], [[Drusus Caesar]], and [[Caligula]]) as possible heirs.<ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-8"/>

Germanicus had died in AD 19, in somewhat suspicious circumstances in [[Roman Syria|Syria]].<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 2#72|II.72]]</ref> 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. Her relations with Tiberius became increasingly fraught, as she made it clear that she believed that he was responsible for the death of Germanicus.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#52|IV.52]], [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#53|IV.53]], [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#54|IV.54]]</ref> The climate was further poisoned by the hatred that Tiberius's mother [[Livia Drusilla]] (the widow of Augustus) felt for her, since Agrippina's ambition, to be the mother of emperors and thus Rome's first woman, was an open secret.<ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-12">Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#12|IV.12]]</ref> Sejanus saw Agrippina's sons Nero, Drusus, and Caligula as a threat to his power.<ref name="tacitus-annals-iv-12"/>

Sejanus again attempted to marry into the [[Julio-Claudian dynasty|Julio-Claudian]] family. Having divorced Apicata two years earlier, in AD 25 he asked to marry Drusus' widow Livilla, possibly with an eye towards placing himself, as an adopted [[Julian (Rome)|Julian]], in the position of a potential successor.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#39|IV.39]]</ref> The emperor denied this request, warning Sejanus that he was in danger of overstepping his rank.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#40|IV.40]]</ref> Alarmed by this sudden denigration, Sejanus changed his plans and began to isolate Tiberius from Rome. 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.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#57|IV.57]], [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#67|IV.67]]</ref>  Sejanus easily controlled all information that passed between Tiberius (guarded by the Praetorians) and the capital.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 4#41|IV.41]]</ref>

Despite the withdrawal of Tiberius from Rome's political scene, the presence of Livia seems to have checked Sejanus's overt power for a time. According to Tacitus, her death in AD 29 changed all that.<ref name="tacitus-annals-v-3">Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 5#3|V.3]]</ref> Sejanus began a series of purge trials of [[Roman Senator|senators]] and wealthy equestrians in the city, removing those capable of opposing his power as well as extending the imperial (and his own) treasury. 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.<ref name="dio-history-lviii-4">Cassius Dio, ''Roman History'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/58*.html#4 LVIII.4]</ref> Among those who perished were [[Gaius Asinius Gallus]], a prominent senator and opponent of Tiberius who was linked to Agrippina's faction.<ref name="dio-history-lviii-3">Cassius Dio, ''Roman History'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/58*.html#3 LVIII.3]</ref> Agrippina and her sons Nero and Drusus were arrested and exiled in AD 30, and later starved to death in suspicious circumstances.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'', [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 6#23|VI.23]] – [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 6#25|VI.25]]</ref> Only Caligula, the youngest son of Germanicus and Agrippina, survived the purges of Sejanus by moving to Capri with Tiberius in AD 31. His three younger sisters, [[Agrippina the Younger]], [[Julia Drusilla|Drusilla]], and [[Julia Livilla|Livilla]], also all survived the purges of Sejanus.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[wikisource:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 6#3|VI.3]]</ref>