Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus
- Restoration Issue unde Roman Emperor Titus -
Bronze As 27mm Rome mint: 80 A.D.
Reference: RIC 216 (Titus), S 2594
DRVSVSCAESARTIAVGFDIVIAVGN - Bare head left.
IMPTCAESDIVIVESPFAVGREST - Legend around large S C in center.
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Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus (14 January 38 BC - 14 September 9
BC), born Decimus Claudius Drusus also called Drusus, Drusus I,
Nero Drusus, or Drusus the Elder was a
Roman
politician and military commander. He was a patrician Claudian on his father's
side but his mother came from the Livii Drusi, a plebeian family.
Childhood
Drusus the youngest son of Roman Empress
Livia Drusilla
from her marriage to
Tiberius Nero. Drusus was born between 18 March 38 BC and 13 April 38 BC and
the most possible birthdate according to Suetonius is the 11th of April, 38 BC.
He was born shortly before Livia divorced Tiberius Nero and married
Augustus
(17 January, 38 BC), giving rise to
rumors that
Augustus was the real father, although this is widely discredited by modern
historians as Augustus had not yet met Livia when Drusus would have been
conceived. Before Augustus married Livia, Tiberius Claudius Nero was declared
Drusus' biological father. According to
Suetonius, he was born with the
praenomen
Decimus, but it was later changed to Nero. He was raised in
Claudius Nero's house with his brother, the future emperor
Tiberius,
until his father's death. Drusus and his brother
Tiberius
developed a famously close relationship in this environment that would last the
rest of their lives. Tiberius named his eldest son after his brother (in
violation of Roman naming standards), and Drusus did likewise.
Marriage
Drusus married
Antonia Minor, the daughter of
Mark
Antony and Augustus' sister,
Octavia Minor, and gained a reputation of being completely faithful to her.
Their children were
Germanicus,
Livilla, the
future Emperor
Claudius, and at least two others who did not survive infancy. After Drusus'
death, Antonia never remarried, though she outlived him by nearly five decades.
Career
Augustus bestowed many honors on his stepsons. In 19 BC, Drusus was granted
the ability to hold all public offices five years before the minimum age. When
Tiberius left Italy during his term as praetor in 16 BC, Drusus legislated in
his place. He became quaestor the following year, fighting against
Raetian bandits
in the Alps. Drusus
repelled them, gaining honors, but was unable to smash their forces, and
required reinforcement from Tiberius. The brothers easily defeated the local
Alpine tribes.
In 13 BC, Drusus was sent to govern
Gaul to quell riots
caused by the actions of a previous administrator. While there, a tribe of
Germans entered Gaul and proceeded to attack Roman settlements. Drusus mobilized
his legions and beat the invaders back across the
Rhine. He
penetrated deep into German territory, traveling as far as the
North Sea
and placing a yearly tribute on the
Frisians.
As a reward, Drusus was made
praetor urbanus
for 11 BC.
Drusus did not have it in him to stay in Rome. In the spring of his term, he
set out for the German border once more. He pushed once more into the territory
of the various German tribes, only stopping at the onset of winter. He was
attacked while making his way back to Roman territory, but managed to rout the
German force. His troops proclaimed him Imperator and he was granted triumphal
ornaments, as well as the office of proconsul for the following year. In 10 BC,
the Chatti
joined with the
Sicambri and attacked Drusus' camp, but were easily defeated. Drusus then
went to meet Augustus and Tiberius in
Lugdunum
(at which point Claudius was born), and traveled with them to Rome. He was
easily elected
Consul for 9 BC, but once more left the city before assuming office. He once
again smashed the
Chatti, and then began a campaign against the
Marcomanni,
but was turned back across the Rhine. Drusus died soon after in consequence of a
fall from a horse, lingering on for a month after the accident, by which
point Tiberius had joined him.
Suetonius reports that he had refused to return to Rome just before his
death. Drusus' body was brought back to the city, and his ashes were deposited
in the "Mausoleum
of Augustus." He remained extremely popular with the
legionaries,
who erected a monument in Moguntiacum (modern
Mainz) on his
behalf. His family was granted the hereditary honorific "Germanicus", which was
given to his eldest son before passing to his youngest. Augustus later wrote a
biography of him which did not survive.
Question
of paternity
Julia the Elder, his daughter by
Scribonia.
She gave birth to the five grandchildren (3 boys, 2 girls), whom he adopted as
his heirs. After the deaths of 2 of his grandsons by Julia, and the banishment
of the third, Augustus never moved to adopt Drusus' sons, Germanicus and
Claudius. Augustus chose the much older Tiberius, who was definitely not related
by blood, as sole heir and invested him with the powers of principate. Augustus
seems to have had Tiberius adopt Germanicus as heir because of the latter's
marriage to his granddaughter Agrippina (the last of Augustus' living
grandchildren not in disgrace), and not because of any secret blood
relationship.
Another reason the theory is unlikely is because Augustus and Livia were
married for 51 years and never had children after their marriage. It may have
been that Augustus and Livia were incapable of having their own children
together despite the fact they had both successfully had children with other
people ((Augustus
had
Julia with
Scribonia
and Livia had
Tiberius
and Drusus with their father.) Finally, Augustus didn't know Livia at the
time that Drusus would have been conceived,[dubious
–
discuss] meaning he couldn't beget a child by her.
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