Dr Jane Bellemore

This analysis shows that the circumstances surrounding Tiberius withdrawal to Rhodes, because he became an unpopular historical figure, were twisted to prove his ambition and cunning. Too much weight has been given to this model of Tiberius, and too little to a close examination of the events in which he was involved. Most striking is the way that the sources ignore the paradox of their depiction of Tiberius as being insatiable in his desire to be princeps, although in fact he displayed an unerring aim to leave Rome in 6 and to remain away for as many years as he could. Similarly, they misconstrue the intentions of Augustus who had promoted Tiberius to be his successor and was extremely reluctant to allow him to leave imperial service, even for a short while, and yet they argue that Augustus was forced by circumstances alone to make Tiberius his heir again in AD 4. My analysis provides a more subtle interpretation of this period, both in terms of the chronology and of the significance of the events, and it reveals that Augustus never lost sight of Tiberius as his chosen heir, and when Tiberius showed himself willing, Augustus drew him very close to himself through adoption. In the period from 6 BC to AD 4 Tiberius was, however, a most reluctant successor. © 2014, Akademie Verlag GmbH, Markgrafenstr. 12-14, 10969 Berlin. All rights reserved.