Editing Sejanus (section)

=== 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>