How do historians view the successes or failures of the ancient Roman emperor Tiberius?

Answer 1

Modern historians have a more positive view of Tiberius than ancient historians. While ancient historians hated Tiberius, highlighted his weaknesses, and made possibly false allegations against him, modern historians have pointed to more positive aspects of his rule.

Tiberius was known as a reluctant emperor. He did not really want to be an emperor. He tried to limit the power he would have, but this was rejected. He had to accept his powers, but refused the titles bestowed on an emperor pater patriae (father of the nation), Imperator (winner) and Augustus (the venerable one) and the Civic Crown and the laurel. He seemed to wish that the state would govern without him and only gave vague and confusing orders. He did not give a clear answer to the grievances of the legions in Germania and Pannonia who had not been paid promised bonuses. This led to a mutiny and Tiberius sent the general Germanicus and his son to deal with it. Germanicus was then granted control over the eastern part of the Roman Empire, but was murdered. The man accused of the murder threatened to implicate Tiberius, but committed suicide when it became clear that the senate was against him. Tiberius had become tired of politics and started to make increasingly longer yearly sojourns at his villa on the Island of Capri, off Naples.

Tiberius left a lot of power to Sejanus, the head of the imperial bodyguards (the Praetorian Guard) and withdrew to Capri,. Sejanus plotted against him, but was found out and executed. In the final year of his rule, Tiberius was said to have become paranoid and ordered many treason trials. Apart from this, withdrew completely from Rome and left governance to the bureaucracy. Tiberius was viewed negatively by ancient historians because of the treason trials. There was also speculation about depravity while in Carpi.

Modern historians have a more positive view of Tiberius. Some argue that the extent and cruelty of the treason trials were exaggerated. It has been pointed out that only 54 people were tried in the whole of his reign and that half of them were acquitted, which means that the many of the trials must have been fair. It has also been suggested that the perusal of the trials might have been down to the zeal of the senate (even through many of the condemned people were senators) rather than Tiberius' will. Modern historians have also pointed out that Tiberius' financial management was good and that he left a large surplus in the treasury. He strengthened the empire by building more garrisons and through diplomacy, rather than embarking of expansive military campaigns. He kept out of disputes between the rules of Rome's client states or between peoples on the border of the empire.