Drusus the Elder

Also known as: Drusus · Family: Julio-Claudian · Role: brother of Tiberius · First appears: Tiberius 7

Drusus was born to Livia within three months of her marriage to Augustus, and was suspected of having been begotten in adultery by him. He married Antonia, and they had three children: Germanicus, Livilla, and Claudius Caesar. After his praetorship, Drusus became consul, while Augustus made him joint-heir with his sons in his wills.

Drusus later died of disease while returning to Germany, in the summer encampment, and was buried in the Campus Martius. Tiberius lost his brother there and brought his body to Rome on foot; later, he betrayed Drusus by producing a letter in which Drusus proposed that Augustus be forced to restore public liberty.

Claudius commemorated him with annual Circensian games and insisted that Drusus’s birthday be observed because it was also that of Mark Antony. Drusus’s monument was later struck by lightning, which was regarded as a presage of Claudius’s death.

Relationship record

Life events

• Drusus the Elder died in Germany.(Tiberius 7 · 📍 Germany)
  • With: Tiberius
  • “He lost his brother Drusus in Germany”
• Tiberius betrayed Drusus by producing a letter proposing that Augustus restore public liberty.(Tiberius 50)
  • With: Tiberius Augustus
  • “betraying him by the production of a letter to himself, in which Drusus proposed that Augustus should be forced to restore the public liberty.”
• Livia gave birth to Drusus.(Claudius 1)
  • With: Livia
  • “was within three months afterwards delivered of Drusus”
• Drusus entered the office of consul.(Claudius 1)
  • “After his praetorship, he immediately entered on the office of consul”
• Drusus died of disease while returning to Germany.(Claudius 1)
  • “returning again to Germany, died of disease, in the summer encampment”
• Drusus was buried in the Campus Martius.(Claudius 1 · 📍 Campus Martius)
  • “being met and received by the recorders of each place, and buried in the Campus Martius”
• Augustus made Drusus joint-heir with his sons in his wills.(Claudius 1)
  • With: Augustus
  • “he always, in his wills, made him joint-heir with his sons”
• Drusus and Antonia left three children: Germanicus, Livilla, and Claudius Caesar.(Claudius 1)
  • With: Antonia Germanicus Livilla Claudius Caesar
  • “He had by the younger Antonia several children, but left behind him only three, namely, Germanicus, Livilla, and Claudius”
• Claudius instituted annual Circensian games commemorating his father Drusus.(Claudius 11)
  • With: Claudius
  • “Besides which, he instituted Circensian games for his father, to be celebrated every year, upon his birth-day,”
• Claudius proclaimed that Drusus's birthday should be observed because it was also Mark Antony's.(Claudius 11)
  • With: Claudius Mark Antony
  • “declaring by a proclamation, ‘That he the more earnestly insisted upon the observation of his father Drusus’s birth-day, because it was likewise that of his grandfather Antony.’”
• Drusus’s monument was struck by lightning, regarded as a presage of Claudius’s death.(Claudius 46)
  • “his father Drusus’s monument being struck by lightning”

Tiberius 7

• siblings with Tiberius “He lost his brother Drusus in Germany, and brought his body to Rome, travelling all the way on foot before it.”

Tiberius 50

• siblings with Tiberius “his brother Drusus”
• enemies with Tiberius “He first manifested hatred towards his own relations in the case of his brother Drusus, betraying him by the production of a letter to himself”
• enemies with Augustus “in which Drusus proposed that Augustus should be forced to restore the public liberty”

Caligula 1

• child: Germanicus “Germanicus, the father of Caius Caesar, and son of Drusus and the younger Antonia,”

Claudius 1

• parent: Livia “Livia, having married Augustus when she was pregnant, was within three months afterwards delivered of Drusus, the father of Claudius Caesar”
• child: Claudius Caesar “He had by the younger Antonia several children, but left behind him only three, namely, Germanicus, Livilla, and Claudius.”
• child: Germanicus “He had by the younger Antonia several children, but left behind him only three, namely, Germanicus, Livilla, and Claudius.”
• child: Livilla “He had by the younger Antonia several children, but left behind him only three, namely, Germanicus, Livilla, and Claudius.”
• parent: Augustus (The passage reports a suspicion that Augustus, Drusus's father-in-law, was his biological father.) “it was suspected that he was begotten in adultery by his father-in-law”
• married with Antonia “He had by the younger Antonia several children”

Claudius 11

• child: Claudius “He the more earnestly insisted upon the observation of his father Drusus’s birth-day, because it was likewise that of his grandfather Antony.”

Claudius 46

• child: Claudius “his father Drusus’s monument being struck by lightning”

Horace

• parent: Augustus “He admired his works so much, and was so convinced of their enduring fame, that he directed him to compose the Secular Poem, as well as that on the victory of his stepsons Tiberius and Drusus over the Vindelici;”

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Extracted from the original text of The Lives of the Twelve Caesars. Made with Rho MD.