March 16th: TIBERIUS' death.

Emperor Tiberius died in Misenum (Italy) on March 16th 37AD, just before he turned 78 years old. But how did he died exactly ? I dont know, there are too many versions from ancient historians. So I'll present you the three most popular and you choose the one you like the best...



He died shortly afterwards, at a villa formerly belonging to Lucullus, in the seventy-eighth year of his age, and the twenty-third of his reign, upon the seventeenth of the calends of April (16th March). Some think that a slow-consuming poison was given him by Caius. Others say that during the interval of the intermittent fever with which he happened to be seized, upon asking for food, it was denied him. Others report, that he was stifled by a pillow thrown upon him, when, on his recovering from a swoon, he called for his ring, which had been taken from him in the fit. Seneca writes, “That finding himself dying, he took his signet ring off his finger, and held it a while, as if he would deliver it to somebody; but put it again upon his finger, and lay for some time, with his left hand clenched, and without stirring; when suddenly summoning his attendants, and no one answering the call, he rose; but his strength failing him, he fell down at a short distance from his bed. (The lives of the twelve Caesar, Suetonius LXXIII)


On the 15th of March, his breath failing, he was believed to have expired, and Caius Cæsar was going forth with a numerous throng of congratulating followers to take the first possession of the empire, when suddenly news came that Tiberius was recovering his voice and sight, and calling for persons to bring him food to revive him from his faintness. Then ensued a universal panic, and while the rest fled hither and thither, every one feigning grief or ignorance, Caius Cæsar, in silent stupor, passed from the highest hopes to the extremity of apprehension. Macro, nothing daunted, ordered the old emperor to be smothered under a huge heap of clothes, and all to quit the entrance-hall. (Annales Tacitus VI, 50)


He died at Misenum before learning anything about the trials. He had been ill for a good while, but expecting to live because of Thrasyllus' prophecy, he neither consulted his physicians nor changed his manner of life; and so, wasting away gradually, as he was well stricken in years and subject to a sickness that was not severe, he would often all but expire and then recover again. These changes would alternately cause Gaius and the rest great pleasure, when they thought he was going to die, and great fear, when they thought he would live. Gaius, therefore, fearing that his health might actually be restored, refused his requests for something to eat, on the ground that it would hurt him, and pretending that he needed warmth, wrapped him up in many thick clothes and so smothered him, being aided to a certain extent by Macro. (Roman History, Cassius Dio, LXIII, 28)

The coinage
Tiberius broadly followed the pattern put in place by his predecessor, both because the coinage renovated by Augustus was considered an integral part of his political heritage and because the quantities produced at the end of the Republic and under Augustus had been considerable. He does not introduce major changes in the denominations. In addition to a few early strikes in the continuation of the Augustan coinage, Tiberius minted in his effigy many series of gold and silver with the legend PONTIFEX MAXIMVS and a reverse representing a seated female figure, probably Livia, already present on the last series of Augustus.

He also developed bronze coinage, mainly in Rome. Once at the head of the empire, Tiberius celebrated his Augustan lineage, the basis of his power, especially on bronze coinage, whose iconography, which had remained relatively sober and fixed under Augustus, is much more original. While many base metal issues, mostly of 22-23 AD, publicized Tiberius' own deeds and honors, the pluriality of his coins type were actually issued bearing the posthumus portrait of Augustus. The aes of Rome was rich in both pictorial and verbal information ; there were references to Livia, Drusus, Drusus' twins sons, the imperial virtues of Justitia, Pietas, Salus, Clementia, Moderatio, and to Tiberius' relief of earthquake-striken cities in Asia. Also a new school of engravers and designer had suddenly arisen at the mint of Rome, bringing the arts of lettering, portraiture and balanced design to a height never before reached, with particular care paid to the newly pictorial sestertius.
So on the day he passed away, show me your Tiberius' examples !
(Of course you can show-off your "tribute penny".)

Tiberius As Lugdunum


Tiberius As Magnesia ad sipylum
Issued to honor the help of the Emperor after the earthquake of 17 AD

 

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Tiberius (14 - 34 A.D.)
Billon Tetradrachm
EGYPT, Alexandria
O: [TI]BERIOS KAISAR SEBASTOS, laureate head of Tiberius right; LID (date) in right field.
R: QEOS SEBASTOS, radiate head of Augustus left.
EGYPT, Alexandria Mint, year 14=27/28 A.D.
13.43g
23mm
RPC I 5090; Milne 54; Emmett 61.


Tiberius & Drusus ( 14 - 37 A.D.)
AR Drachm
CAPPADOCIA, Caesarea-Eusebia
O: [TI C]AES AVG PM TRP XXXV, Laureate head of Tiberius right.
R: DRVSVS CAES TI] AVG F COS II R P, Head of Drusus left.
Caesarea in Cappadocia mint 33- 34 A.D.
3.47g
19mm
RIC I 87; RPC I 3622. Syd 46

 

Great post, as always!

I have only the one Tiberius. The reverse has an incomplete legend, but I like the portrait and toning on the obverse:

Tiberius AR Denarius, 18-35 AD, Lugdunum (Lyons) Mint, “Tribute Penny.” Obv. TI CAESAR DIVI AVG AVGVSTVS, Laureate head right/ Rev. PONTIF MAXIM, Livia, as Pax, holding long sceptre & olive branch, seated right on throne with ornate legs, her feet resting on low footstool, single line below. RIC I 30, RSC II 16a, Sear RCV I 1763, Giard Lyon, group 4, 150 [Jean Baptist Giard, Le Monnayage de l'atelier de Lyon (Wetteren, 1983)] [see https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=tribute penny]. 19 mm., 3.82 g. Ex. Tom Cederlind Sale 86 (1989), Lot 305; Ex. JMB collection; Ex. Kirk Davis, Cat # 72, Fall 2018, Lot 80.

 

Thanks for sharing those varying accounts, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix.



Tiberius. AD 14-37. AR Denarius (17 mm, 3.2 g). TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head right; one ribbon on shoulder. / PONTIF MAXIM, Livia (as Pax) seated right on chair, holding scepter in right hand and olive branch in left, ornate chair legs.



Tiberius, 14-37. Denarius (Silver, 19 mm, 3.87 g, 10 h), Lugdunum. TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS Laureate head of Tiberius to right / PONTIF MAXIM Livia (as Pax) seated right on a chair with ornamented legs, holding scepter in her right hand and olive branch in her left. BMC 48. Cohen 16. RIC 30.

 

I'm not going to let an opportunity go by to show off my Tribute penny!


Tiberius, AD 14-37.
Roman AR Denarius, 3.87 g, 18.5 mm, 5 h.
Lugdunum, AD 16-37.
Obv: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head, right.
Rev: PONTIF MAXIM, Female figure seated right, holding long olive branch and inverted spear; legs of chair ornate, triple line below.
Refs: RIC 28; BMCRE 42-44; RSC 16b; RCV 1763 var.
Notes: The identity of the female figure on the reverse is uncertain.

 

My only Tiberius (before and after cleaning).

Tiberius, Roman Empire
AR denarius
Obv: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head right
Rev: PONTIF MAXIM, Livia (as Pax) seated right, holding long scepter in her right hand and olive branch in her left; plain chair legs
Mint: Lugdunum
Date: 14-37 AD
Ref: RIC 26

 

I always got the feeling that Tiberius got something of a bum rap. I guess it really doesn't help that he has to follow somebody with the political adroitness of Augustus and he knew that despite all his accomplishments he was something of the emperor of last resort.
Tiberius Av Aureus no date but most likely towards the end of his reign. Lugdunum Obv Head right laureate Rv. Pax seated left. RIC 29 7.79 grms 20 mm Photo by W. Hansen His silver and gold coinage is in a word monotonous. in fact all he did was to continue with the last issue of his predecessor Augustus. It is perhaps surprising given the extremely varied silver and gold coinage of Augustus. However by copying the last issue by Augustus he was establishing an implied continuity of policy. However the continuation to the point of obsessiveness is very difficult to assess. In a really odd way his precious metal coinage with there unvarying types does sort of resemble the coins from the Hellenistic east with their unchanging designs.

 

Great post on this reclusive emperor. We will probably never know the true story of his death, but I tend to believe he died from "natural causes" and would probably give Caius a pass on this one.

several of his coins... Also , an AS f his son Drusus struck under his reign.

 

Great narrative, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix ... very nice coins!

Tiberius


RI Tiberius AE As 14-37 CE Laureate-Pont Max Globe Rudder sinister left RIC I 58

 

I have said this previously, @octavius, and I will say it again here: those are stunningly magnificent coins! I am glad you posted them.

James

 

Another interesting article by Ocat ! There are many great coins of Tiberius posted on this thread . One coin that breaks the "monotonous" style of his coins cited by Terence Cheesman, is the provincial coin posted below. I put this coin in the CNG auction Triton XXIV, where it sold for $1,560 on an estimate of $750 !


Syrtica-Oea, Tiberius. AD 14-37 (struck c. 22-29), AE 32 mm, 19.25 gm, 3 h. Obverse: TI CAESAR AVGVSTVS, Tiberius facing left, eagle in left field with palm frond in beak, dot below, palm frond in right field. Reverse: Apollo facing right, Neo-Punic inscription WY'T in left field, cithara in right field, all surrounded by a laurel wreath. RPC I 832, MAA 34, SNG Copenhagen 31.

 

Here's a provincial:

Provincial Bronze (AE26)
Spain, Emerita
Obv: TI CAESAR AVGVSTVS PON MAX IMP
Rev: COL AVGVSTA EMERTA - City gate
RPC 42
26mm, 10.9g.

 

A decent provincial:


MYSIA. Pergamum. Germanicus & Drusus (Caesares, 14-19). Ae. Struck under Tiberius.
Obv: ΓEPMANIKOΣ KAIΣAP.
Bare head of Germanicus right.
Rev: ΔPOVΣOΣ KAIΣAP.
Bare head of Drusus right.
RPC I 2367.

 

Beware the Ides of March plus one...


I always thought that the actor from the 1960 “Village of the Damned” would have made a great young Tiberius.

 

Interesting write-up and some great coins in this thread!

I can't help but think that this emperor received a lot of slander by later historians. Though Tiberius reign appears somewhat chequered and is certainly outshone by the example of his predecessor Augustus, he appears to have done rather decent job compared to many of his successors.


Tiberius, Roman Empire, denarius, 15–18 AD, Lyon mint. Obv: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate portrait right. Rev: PONTIF MA[XIM], Livia as Pax seated right on chair with ornately decorated legs, holding sceptre (or spear) and branch. 18mm, 2.8g. Ref: RIC I Tiberius 28; RSC II 16b; Sear 1763; Giard: Le monnayage de l'atelier de Lyon 1 (1983), group 2, 146.

 

Great coins all. I subscribe to the smothering theory as it is mentioned by several sources. When my father died 3 years ago he passed away in his deathbed, extremities turned blue, and the heart stopped for almost 24 hours, A nurse officially declared be had passed away. But then the next day he awoke, the extremities returned to normal, and he asked for a chocolate sundae. After the sundae he managed a smile and fell into a deep sleep from which he never recovered. I can see Gaius alternately celebrating and then being grasped by fear as the news came that Tiberius had not, in fact, died.

 

Pretty coins in this thread. Tiberio from Hispania: Augusta Emerita withcamp gateway.

 

Silver drachm, RPC I 3620; Sydenham 42; BMC Cappadocia p. 46, 11, Caesarea mint, weight 3.498g, maximum diameter 18.0mm, die axis 0o, obverse TIBERIOS KAISAR SEBASTOS, laureate head right; reverse QEOU SEBASTOU UIOS, Mount Argaeus, surmounted by radiate and nude statue holding globe in right and scepter in left.
The imperial mint at Caesarea was founded by Tiberius c. 30 AD. This is the only coin of Tiberius issued solely in his name at Caesarea.

 

Omg.