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Caezar GermanikThe commander was twice awarded the honorary title of emperor
Country:
 Italy |
Content:
- Julius Caesar Germanicus: A Biography
- A Man of Extraordinary Qualities
- A Brilliant Military Commander
- A Tragic End
- The Mourning of a Nation
- The Funeral and Aftermath
Julius Caesar Germanicus: A Biography
Julius Caesar Germanicus, also known as Germanicus Julius Caesar, was a renowned military commander who was twice honored with the prestigious title of emperor. He was born as the eldest son of Drusus the Elder and Antonia Minor. In 4 AD, by the order of Octavian Augustus, he was adopted by his uncle Tiberius and became known as Germanicus Caesar, or Julius Caesar Germanicus.
A Man of Extraordinary Qualities
Germanicus possessed exceptional physical and mental qualities like no other. He was blessed with rare beauty and bravery, remarkable intellectual abilities, and eloquence. His kindness, strong desire to win the favor and earn the support of the people, made him highly respected and beloved. He was skilled in hand-to-hand combat and continued to deliver speeches in court even after his triumphs. He even wrote comedies in Greek, showcasing his scholarly talents. Germanicus's exceptional qualities yielded abundant fruits. His family held him in great respect and admiration, so much so that even Augustus himself hesitated to appoint him as his successor and eventually ordered Tiberius to adopt him. The Roman people loved him so much that his life was sometimes endangered during his arrivals and departures due to large crowds. When he returned from Germany after quelling a rebellion, all the Praetorian cohorts came out to meet him, even though only two had been ordered, and the Roman people, regardless of their social standing, age, and gender, poured out to greet him from twenty miles away (Suetonius, Life of Caligula, 3-4). Germanicus's popularity was so great that after the death of Augustus in 14 AD, all legions offered him supreme power, but he declined, not wishing to go against his uncle and stepfather, Tiberius. Germanicus always put loyalty to duty above all else and never allowed himself to be enslaved by ambition.
A Brilliant Military Commander
Germanicus proved himself to be an outstanding military commander and was twice honored with the title of emperor. From 13 AD, Germanicus served as the commander-in-chief of eight legions stationed on the banks of the Rhine. His popularity among the soldiers and his successes in Germany were so significant that they aroused the envy of Tiberius. To achieve a final victory over the Germans, another summer campaign was needed, but in 18 AD, Tiberius, under various plausible pretexts, recalled Germanicus and sent him to fight in the East.
A Tragic End
In 19 AD, at the age of 34, Germanicus fell victim to the machinations of the governor of Syria, Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso, and his wife Plancina. Germanicus was slowly poisoned. Before his death, he said, "If I were departing from this life by the decree of fate, my complaints against the gods would still be justified, for they have snatched me away prematurely from my family, my children, and my homeland. But I was maliciously destroyed by Piso and Plancina. I want to imprint my final request in your hearts: inform my father and brother of the torments I endured, the plots surrounding me, and how I ended my miserable life with an even worse death" (Tacitus, Annals, II, 71). Germanicus was held in universal love, so his death not only caused great sorrow among the people but also anger at the injustice of the gods.
The Mourning of a Nation
"On the day he died, people pelted stones at the temples, overturned the altars of the gods, some threw their household gods out onto the streets, and others abandoned their newborn children. Even the barbarians, it is said, who fought among themselves or with the Romans, ceased their wars, united in their common and personal grief. Some prominent barbarians let their beards grow long and shaved the heads of their wives as a sign of the greatest sorrow. Even the king of kings himself, Artabanus III of Parthia, gave up hunting and banquets with nobles, which is a sign of mourning among the Parthians. In Rome, the people, overwhelmed and saddened by the first news of his illness, waited and waited for new messengers. And when, in the evening, the news suddenly spread from an unknown source that he was healthy again, the crowd rushed to the Capitol with torches and sacrificial animals, almost tearing down the doors of the temple in their eagerness to fulfill their vows. Tiberius himself was awakened in the middle of the night by jubilant singing coming from all sides: Germanicus is alive, healthy, and saved. Rome is saved, and the world is saved. And when it finally became definitively known that he was no more, no appeals, no edicts could calm the public grief, and the mourning continued even during the December holidays (Saturnalia, celebrated on December 17, 18, and 19). The glory of the deceased and the mourning for him were exacerbated by the horrors of the years to come, and it seemed to everyone, not without reason, that the unleashed ferocity of Tiberius was previously restrained only by respect for Germanicus and fear of him" (Suetonius, Life of Caligula, 5-6).
The Funeral and Aftermath
Germanicus's urn was brought to Rome, and a solemn burial ceremony was held, although neither Tiberius nor Livia were in attendance. According to Tacitus, "everyone knew well that Tiberius was pleased with the death of Germanicus and was finding it difficult to hide it. Tiberius and Livia did not appear before the people, either because they believed it would diminish their majesty to indulge in grief in public or because they feared revealing their hypocrisy under so many gaze" (Tacitus, Annals, III, 2-3). Antonia Minor, the mother of Germanicus, was also absent from the funeral. There were rumors in Rome that Tiberius and Livia had prevented her from attending, to make it seem as if they themselves had remained in the palace only to console her.
"To prevent public disturbances, Tiberius reminded the people through a special edict that numerous illustrious Romans had given their lives for their homeland but no one had been mourned as inconsolably as Germanicus. It would be a great honor for him and for all if the appropriate measure was observed. However, it is not fitting for men in high positions and rulers of the people to liken themselves to common families and small communities. Rulers are mortal, but the state is eternal. Therefore, let them return to their daily occupations and not give up their amusements, as there will soon be theatrical performances in honor of the Great Mother of the Gods" (Tacitus, Annals, III, 6).
Legal proceedings were initiated against Piso and Plancina, during which Piso took his own life, and Plancina was pardoned thanks to the intercession of Livia. However, the hatred of the Romans towards Plancina was so great that she had to take her own life after the death of Livia.
