Germanicus Julius Caesar
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Sobriquet
Pollux
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History
Germanicus Julius Caesar (24 May 15 BC – 10 October AD 19) was a prominent general of the Roman Empire,
known for his campaigns in Germania. The son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia the Younger, Germanicus
was born into an influential branch of the patrician gens Claudia. The agnomen Germanicus was added to
his full name in 9 BC when it was posthumously awarded to his father in honour of his victories in Germania.
In AD 4, he was adopted by his paternal uncle, Tiberius, who succeeded Augustus as Roman emperor a decade
later. As a result, Germanicus became an official member of the gens Julia, another prominent family, to
which he was related on his mother's side. His connection to the Julii was further consolidated through a
marriage between himself and Agrippina the Elder, a granddaughter of Augustus. He was also the father of
Caligula, the maternal grandfather of Nero, and the older brother of Claudius.
During the reign of Augustus, Germanicus enjoyed an accelerated political career as the heir of the emperor's
heir, entering the office of quaestor five years before the legal age in AD 7. He held that office until AD 11,
and was elected consul for the first time in AD 12. The year after, he was made proconsul of Germania Inferior,
Germania Superior, and all of Gaul. From there he commanded eight legions, about one-third of the entire Roman
army, which he led against the Germanic tribes in his campaigns from AD 14 to 16. He avenged the Roman Empire's
defeat in the Teutoburg Forest and retrieved two of the three legionary eagles that had been lost during the battle.
In AD 17 he returned to Rome where he received a triumph before leaving to reorganise the provinces of Asia Minor,
whereby he incorporated the provinces of Cappadocia and Commagene in AD 18.
While in the eastern provinces, he came into conflict with the governor of Syria, Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso. During
their feud, Germanicus became ill in Antioch, where he died on 10 October AD 19. His death has been attributed to
poison by ancient sources, but that was never proven. As a famous general, he was widely popular and regarded as
the ideal Roman long after his death. To the Roman people, Germanicus was the Roman equivalent of Alexander the
Great due to the nature of his death at a young age, his virtuous character, his dashing physique, and his military
renown.
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