Bible Dictionaries
Tiberius (2)

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

Search for…

Enter query below:

or

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Prev Entry
Tiberius

Next Entry
Tiles

Resource Toolbox

Print Article

TIBERIUS.—In Luke 3:1 f. it is stated that a word of God came upon John the Baptist, in the 15th year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar. It is by no means certain what year is indicated by this date. The sole rule of Tiberius began in a.d. 14; the 15th year of this sole rule would be a.d. 28. But it is more probable that we ought to count from the time at which Tiberius received power equal with that of Augustus over the provinces of the Empire, that is, from the end of a.d. 11; this brings us to a.d. 25–26 (Ramsay, Was Christ Born at Bethlehem? p. 199 ff.).

Tiberius Claudius Nero, named after his adoption Tiberius Julius Caesar, on the monuments bears the name Tiberius Caesar Augustus. He was the son of Tiberius Claudius Nero (a Roman noble) and Livia (whom Augustus took to wife while her husband was still alive), and was born in b.c. 42. Constitutionally, the principate died with each Emperor, and the Emperor could not appoint a successor. Augustus got over this difficulty by appointing a partner or co-regent in the Empire: it was practically impossible to pass over such in electing to the principate. The Imperial powers were gradually conferred on this consort. M. Vipsanius Agrippa first held this position (died b.c. 12). Marcellus (who died b.c. 23) and Gaius and Lucius Caesar were marked out as successors. In their youth they were entrusted to the care of Tiberius, who was forced to divorce his wife and marry Augustus’ daughter Julia (b.c. 11). By this time Tiberius had proved himself an able soldier, and in b.c. 9 was raised to the position which Agrippa had occupied. Augustus had a dislike to Tiberius, and did not desire his succession. This obvious desire to use Tiberius selfishly, for his own ends, embittered the life of the latter, and in b.c. 6 he retired to Rhodes, and remained there eight years in solitude, while his young stepsons received advancement in the State. But they died—Lucius in a.d. 2, and Gaius in a.d. 4. In this latter year Tiberius was adopted by Augustus, and was at the same time compelled to adopt his own nephew Germanicus. In a.d. 11 he was raised practically to a position of equality with Augustus. On the death of the latter, in a.d. 14, his sole reign began. He was a thoroughly competent Emperor; but a naturally reserved temperament, influenced by early disappointments and outraged feelings, resulted in weakness and cruelty. His fear of conspiracy made him encourage informers, and many supposed rivals were put to death. In the second half of his reign he was much under the influence of one Sejanus, an accomplished schemer, whose duplicity and crime he realized only after much evil had been wrought by him. By this time he had retired to spend the closing years of his life in the island of Capri, where he died on 16th March a.d. 37. His principate thus covers all the period of the Gospel history.

Literature.—J. B. Bury, A History of the Roman Empire (London, 1893 and later); J. Bergmans, Die Quellen der Vita Tiberii des Cassius Dio (Amsterdam, 1903); R. Cagnat, Cours d’Epigraphie Latine^{3 [Note: designates the particular edition of the work referred]} (Paris, 1898), p. 179 ff. etc. It is generally admitted that the ancient authorities take too severe a view, based on the memoirs of Agrippina, the enemy of Tiberius: these ancient authorities are, Tacitus, Annals; Suetonius, Life of Tiberius; and Dio Cassius.

Alex. [Note: Alexandrian.] Souter.