Tiberius I(J)ulius Caesar Augustus

The second Roman Emperor (reigned 14-37). He was born as the eldest son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia, but when his mother divorced hers and remarried Octavian (later Emperor Augustus), he became his mother's stepchild. He was chosen as the adopted successor of his stepfather, the emperor, because he won many campaigns and helped him. In the early part of his reign, he was faithful to Augustus' governing ideals and ruled well. However, he made a great use of the Praetorian Prefect Sejanus, whose power was growing, and retired to the island of Capri, entrusting him with the governance (26), which led to Sejanus plotting to usurp the throne. Sejanus was executed in 31. Tiberius was a suspicious man and spent most of his later years on the island of Capri. It is said that he was never popular with the people due to his reign of terror, his implementation of austerity measures, and his lack of friendliness, but the main sources of his reign are written from the biased perspective of historians such as Tacitus and Suetonius who supported the Senate, making it difficult to make any definitive statements about his thoughts or character.

[Ryoji Motomura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

第2代ローマ皇帝（在位14～37）。父ティベリウス・クラウディウス・ネロと母リウィアとの長子として生まれたが、離婚した母がオクタウィアヌス（後のアウグストゥス帝）と再婚したために、母の連れ子となる。幾多の遠征で勝利を収め、義父帝を手助けしたので、その養子として後継者に指名された。治世の初期には、アウグストゥスの統治理念に忠実で善政を敷いた。しかし、勢力の増大した親衛隊長官セイヤヌスを重用し、彼に統治を託してカプリ島に引退した（26）ことは、セイヤヌスの帝位簒奪(さんだつ)の陰謀を誘因した。31年にセイヤヌスは処刑された。猜疑(さいぎ)心の強いティベリウスは晩年のほとんどをカプリ島で過ごした。後半の恐怖政治や緊縮財政の断行および親しみに欠ける性格のために、民衆の人気を博することはなかったといわれる。もっとも、彼の治世に関する主たる史料がタキトゥスやスエトニウスら元老院擁護派の歴史家の偏見に満ちた立場から記されており、彼の思想や性格を断言することはむずかしい。

［本村凌二］

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