Nero Claudius Drusus

Bust of Nero Claudius Drusus, in the Musée du Cinquantenaire, Brussels

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 was 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. 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 (a departure from Roman naming convention), 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.

Drusus battles with the West Germanic tribes 12-9 BC

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

There has been some speculation about the paternity of Drusus, some suggesting that he was Augustus' biological son. However this idea is widely discredited by modern historians as Augustus never acknowledged Drusus as his son, nor did he make any attempt to adopt him. Augustus' only biological child was 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 have begotten a child by her.

See also

• Arch of Drusus

External links

• Media related to Nero Claudius Drusus at Wikimedia Commons