La successione augustea: il rapporto tra Tiberio e Germanico

Our sources have maintained a deformed interpretation of the relationship between Tiberius and Germanicus, due to the fact that they insisted to attack the emperor on a moral and behavioural basis. Perhaps Augustus hoped for Germanicus to become emperor, but it was Tiberius who realized Augustus’ aspiration: Tiberius, even if he had a son of his own (Drusus the younger), chose Germanicus as his heir for political reasons (although he did not succeed in fully consecrating himself), discarding for the second time one of his direct descendants (Tiberius Gemellus). Tiberius followed Augustus’ desire about the succession line: the leader of the empire had to be a member of the domus belonging to the gens Iulia.