by
Damien F. Mackey
“During
the reigns of the Roman emperors Claudius and Nero, an artist named
Zenodorus made a copy in Gaul (a statue of Mercury), and he was later invited
to
build a similar statue in Rome, which became known as the "colossus
Neronis".
It
was finished during the reign of Vespasian”.
Livius.org
1. The Name
Tiberius:
Tiberius
Claudius Nero
Tiberius
Julius Caesar Augustus
Claudius:
Tiberius
Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus
Nero:
Nero Claudius Caesar
Augustus Germanicus
Lucius
Domitius Ahenobarbus
2. Reluctant to rule
Regarding
the reluctance of, now Tiberius, now Claudius, now Nero, to assume imperial
responsibility, see my article:
Tiberius,
Claudius, Nero, reluctant about rulership
(3) Tiberius,
Claudius, Nero, reluctant about rulership
For further
comparisons between Tiberius and Claudius, see my article:
Tiberius
– Claudius similarities
Tiberius – Claudius
similarities | Parallel Lives, Also BC Afterglows In AD
For
comparisons between Tiberius and Nero, see my articles:
Tiberius
Claudius Nero knew how to bring the house down
(4) Tiberius
Claudius Nero knew how to bring the house down
One
or two villains: Sejanus and Tigellinus?
(4) One or two
villains: Sejanus and Tigellinus?
3.
Following an emperor Gaius Julius Caesar
Tiberius:
Tiberius succeeded Gaius
Julius Caesar Augustus.
Claudius
Claudius succeeded Gaius
Julius Caesar Caligula.
Nero:
Supposedly
succeeded Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus.
(Though I
expect to have reason to query this one in the future).
4.
Dependent upon Praetorian Guard, Princeps
Tiberius:
As Tiberius
became more embittered with the position of Princeps, he began to depend more and more upon the
limited secretariat left to him by Augustus, and specifically upon Sejanus and
the Praetorians.
Claudius:
According to
tradition, a Praetorian named Gratus found [Claudius] hiding behind a curtain and
suddenly declared him princeps. …. Claudius was spirited away to
the Praetorian camp and put under their
protection.
Claudius declared emperor
by the Praetorian Guard.
Nero:
Nero
ascended to the throne with the backing of the Praetorian Guard ….
5.
Difficulty with the Senate, Plots
Tiberius:
From the outset, Tiberius
had a difficult, resentful relationship with the Senate and suspected many plots against him.
Nevertheless, he proved to be an effective and efficient administrator. ….
According to Tacitus, Tiberius derided the Senate as “men fit to be slaves”.
…. Antagonism between Tiberius and his senate seems to have been a feature
of his rule. ….
Claudius:
Claudius set about
remodeling the Senate into a more efficient, representative body. ….
Nevertheless, many in the
Senate remained hostile to Claudius, and many plots were made on his life. This
hostility carried over into the historical accounts. As a result, Claudius
reduced the Senate’s power for the sake of efficiency.
Nero:
However, Nero’s obsession
with the Hellenistic East and his mingling
with the common folk angered the aristocratic elite, including the members of
the Senate, who considered Nero’s behavior undignified for an emperor and an
insult to traditional Roman values.
A group of senators and equestrians, led by Gaius Piso, planned to assassinate Nero.
6.
Law Court
Tiberius:
…. thereafter Tiberius
began appearing in court as an advocate, and it was presumably at this time
that his interest in Greek rhetoric began.
Tiberius prided himself on
his knowledge of Roman law, both sacral and secular, and on his respect for it.
…. The ius auxilii inherent in the tribunician power and his imperium gave him
the right to come to the aid of a citizen who appealed to him against
magisterial injustice and to take cognizance of cases from all over the Empire,
in Italy, and at Rome. …. They were already his before AD 14, although he is
not likely to have used them when Augustus was available. His return to Rome
and his accession to sole power, together with his election to the supreme
pontificate on 10 March AD 15 … gave full scope to his auctoritas (prestige and
influence), and at least one senator argued that Senate and equites could not
carry on their business without his supervision. …. Tiberius intended to use
his influence well, and eight years after his accession could still proclaim
the supremacy of law. ….
Claudius:
Claudius personally judged
many of the legal cases tried during his reign.
Ancient historians have
many complaints about this, stating that his judgments were variable and
sometimes did not follow the law. …. He was also easily swayed.
Nevertheless, Claudius paid detailed attention to the operation of the judicial
system. He extended the summer court session, as well as the winter term, by
shortening the traditional breaks. Claudius also made a law requiring
plaintiffs to remain in the city while their cases were pending, as defendants
had previously been required to do. These measures had the effect of clearing
out the docket.
Nero:
Nero's Prohibition of Paid
Advocacy: A Legal Reform of AD 56
“In the
early years of Emperor Nero’s reign, a period often remembered for its promise
and the guidance of influential figures like Seneca the Younger and Burrus, a
notable legal reform took place. In AD 56, Nero issued a decree prohibiting
paid advocacy, a practice that had long been a contentious issue within Roman
society and its legal system. This bold move by the young emperor, undoubtedly
influenced by his advisors, aimed to curb the perceived corruption and abuse of
power by wealthy or influential orators who charged exorbitant fees for their
services. The concept of Nero paid advocacy was to transform
the landscape of Roman justice, theoretically making legal representation
accessible and equitable, rather than a privilege exclusively for those who
could afford the highest price for legal counsel. This measure reflected a
desire to purify the courts and project an image of imperial justice, even as
the complexities of Roman litigation continued to present significant
challenges for both the accused and the accuser”.
7. Missing architecture
Tiberius:
Arch of Tiberius
- The
Arch of Tiberius is no longer in existence, but appears to have been a
single Arch located near the Forum Romanum in Rome.
Description
- It
was built in 16 CE to celebrate the retrieval of the lost Eagle Standards of
the Legion from
Germany.
….
Location
- The
Arch was located at the entrance of the Forum Romanum, on the Vicus Jugarius between
the Temple of Saturn and the Basilica Julia. ….
Claudius:
Roman Structures | Arch of
Claudius
“The Arch of
Claudius was a triumphal arch built in honour of the emperor Claudius's
successful invasion of Britain. It is now lost …”.
Nero:
“Today, nothing remains of
the Colossus of Nero save for the foundations of the pedestal at its second
location near the Colosseum. It was possibly
destroyed during the Sack
of Rome in
410, or toppled in one of a series of fifth-century earthquakes, and its metal
scavenged …”.
See also my article:
Nero’s
missing architecture
(6) Nero’s missing
architecture
8. Rhodes
Tiberius:
In 6 BC, while on the
verge of accepting command in the East and becoming the second-most powerful
man in Rome, Tiberius announced his withdrawal from politics and retired
to Rhodes. ….
Claudius:
Claudius also settled
disputes in the provinces. He freed the island of Rhodes from Roman rule for their good faith ….
Nero:
During the reigns of the
Roman emperors Claudius and Nero, an artist named Zenodorus made a copy in Gaul (a
statue of Mercury), and he was later invited to build a similar statue in Rome,
which became known as the "colossus Neronis". It was finished during
the reign of Vespasian.
Colossus of Rhodes |
Description, Location, & Facts | Britannica
“Colossus of Rhodes, colossal statue of the sun god Helios that stood in the
ancient Greek city of Rhodes and was one of the Seven Wonders of the World”.
9. The Jews
Tiberius:
In AD 19 Tiberius ordered
Jews of military age to join the Roman Army. …. He banished the rest of
Rome’s Jewish population, on pain of enslavement for life.
Claudius:
(Acts 18:2): “…
Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome”.
Nero:
“Nero, influenced by his
secretary Burrus, who had been bribed by the Greeks, gave a verdict against the
Jews and deprived them of their civil rights”.
….
“The emperor, insulted by
this refusal, and taking it as a sign of rebellion, deputed Vespasian to wreak
vengeance on the Jews”.
10. Triumphal procession
Tiberius:
“Tiberius returned and
celebrated the triumph which he had postponed, accompanied also by his
generals, for whom he had obtained the triumphal regalia”.
Claudius:
“[Claudius] left Britain
[sic] after 16 days, but remained in the provinces for some time. The Senate
granted him a triumph for his efforts”.
Nero:
Suetonius : The Life of
Nero (English translation)
“[Nero] … with the
praetorian cohorts drawn up in full armour about the temples in the Forum,
while he himself sat in a curule chair on the rostra in the attire of a
triumphing general, surrounded by military ensigns and standards”.
11. Sickly, also strong
and tall
Tiberius:
Suetonius describes
Tiberius as being pale skinned, broad shouldered, left-handed, and exceptionally strong and tall for a Roman,
although he had poor posture. …. Suetonius and Paterculus both write that,
as a young man, he was considered attractive by Roman beauty standards.
…. Even in adulthood, he was prone to severe acne outbreaks.
Claudius:
According to Cassius Dio, Claudius became sickly and thin by the end of
Caligula’s reign, most likely due to stress. …. A possible
surviving portrait of Claudius from this period may support this. …. However,
he showed no physical deformity, as Suetonius notes that when calm and seated
he was a tall, well-built figure of dignitas.
… When angered or stressed, his symptoms became worse. Historians agree
that this condition improved upon his accession to the throne. …. Claudius
himself claimed that he had exaggerated his ailments to save his life. ….
Nero:
Nero's Good Side: 10
Surprising Facts About the Roman Emperor - RankedFacts.com
“Regardless of how he won,
Nero was a capable athlete, a rare claim for a ruler”.
12. Suspicious death
Tiberius:
Tiberius died in Misenum on 16 March
AD 37, months before his 78th birthday …. While ancient sources agree
on the date and location of his death, contradictory accounts exist of the
precise circumstances.
…. Macro took advantage of
the chaos to have Tiberius smothered with his own bedclothes.
Claudius:
Ancient historians agree
that Claudius was murdered by poison – possibly contained in mushrooms or on a
feather (ostensibly put down his throat to induce vomiting) – and died in the
early hours of 13 October 54. …. Nearly all implicate his final and powerful
wife, Agrippina, as the instigator.
Agrippina and Claudius had become more combative in the months leading up to
his death. ….
Nero:
Emperor Nero's Death: The
Demise Of The Notorious Roman Ruler
“In 68 C.E., Emperor Nero
stabbed himself in the throat with a dagger as he heard the hoofbeats of the
approaching centurions who were sent to arrest him for his extravagant spending
and tyrannical behavior”.
