I would like to briefly summarize the life of Germanicus, which few Japanese people know.
The official name of Germanicus is Germanicus-Julius-Caesar, a terrific name that draws the blood of the Julia gens as well as the blood of Augustus' rival Antonius.
Let's take a closer look at Germanicus, who told posterity historian Tacitus that he had a talent that surpassed Alexander.
A young man who was said to be the successor to Augustus
Augustus was one of the most famous adults in the history of the world, but he suffered the misfortune that his successor candidates died one after another. His successor, Drusus, died prematurely, and his grandchildren Lucius and Gaius died prematurely. His only remaining grandson, Postumus, was so bad that he was banished from Rome, let alone his successor.
The salvation of Augustus who was in such a disappointment was Germanicus, the son of Drusus.
Drusus was after Augustus's marriage to Revere, and was of the prestigious Claudius family. His wife is Augustus' sister Octavia and Antony's daughter Antonius. Germanicus was born in the meantime, and Augustus decided to succeed him.
As evidence, he demanded that the second Roman emperor Tiberius adopt Germanicus. Tiberius was already over fifty, which meant he was his middle reliever.
By the way, Tiberius is the younger brother of Drusus, the father of Germanicus, so he is the uncle from the perspective of Germanicus.
Tiberius, who was assigned to the middle reliever, wasn't interesting, so there is a discourse from that time to the present that he was mean to Germanicus, but what about it?
I'd be happy if you could read another article about Tiberius, but I feel that his nephew was pretty cute.
In fact, Germanicus and Tiberius' son Drusus are quite close, and Tiberius seems to have considered Germanicus as his successor, as Augustus intended.
Germanicus myth
The popularity of Germanicus was tremendous. He was young and handsome, as was the blood of the first emperor Augustus.
Twink is always justice.
However, it is limited to good-looking guys! Just as the word is prevalent in modern times, good-looking guys are all justified.
Moreover, Germanicus was very good.
As soon as Augustus dies, Germanicus is sent to Germania, where the Germanic people live.
His name is confusing, but Germanicus is a continuation of the honorific title "Germanicus" given to his father Nero Claudius, in order to control the Germanic tribe. It's like being born.
Augustus lost to the Germanic people at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD. Han's high-ranking ancestor, Emperor Gaozu, also lost to the northern people Xiongnu, but it is nothing but humiliation to lose to those who think that they are other peoples and barbaric peoples for the unified dynasty. Especially because in 9 BC he lost Drusus, who he thought was a candidate for his successor in Germania.
Augustus sent the most capable general to the land of Germania. Later the second emperor Tiberius.
Looking at this one thing, you can see how excellent and trusted Tiberius was.
As soon as Germanicus went to Germania, there was a rebellion against Tiberius.
This is because the Germanian garrison rebelled against the throne of the emperor of Tiberius. They demanded that Germanicus be the emperor, but the Germanicus rebuked it, sinking the rebellions and riots that took place all over Germania.
If Germanicus was as ambitious as the emperors of later generations, it could have rebelled here, making the Roman Empire a short-lived country like Qin.
He stood in front of the soldiers who complained about Tiberius one after another, and tried to commit suicide by saying, "It's better to die than to disobey the belief," and there are anecdotes that have been stopped around.
Seeing that, the Germanian garrison swore allegiance to Tiberius.
Germanicus seems to have been quite a passionate person, and in a sense he may be said to be Latin. It seems that he was the exact opposite of Tiberius, who was always calm and didn't know what he was thinking.
The riots in Germania do not seem to subside. His men advised Germanicus to send his family to Gallia.
The Germanicus family had a young son, Gaius. He was very popular among soldiers because he was toddler and wore shoes called Caligae. The nickname taken from this Caligae is "Caligare", the third Roman emperor himself.
It is said that the Germanian garrison was ashamed of his actions only after the Caligula disappeared. It is one of the episodes of how popular Caligula was. No one would have expected him to be one of the worst tyrants in Rome ...
It seems that Germanian Roman soldiers were shocked because they sent their families to Gaul, which they thought was a barbaric land, without knowing it in Rome. Germanicus, who successfully completed the Germanicus rebellion in this way, is finally on the offensive against Germania.
His enemy general, Arminius, was quite skillful. He is an ancestor of today's Germans, so you can imagine his strength. The average height of Germans today is slightly over 180 cm. Anyway, it's smart on the big side.
Germanicus carries out a division operation to the Germanic side before confronting it head-on. Arminius' wife and her father surrendered to Rome, resulting in her relatives turning over to Rome one after another.
However, it seems that he had a hard time with the cold weather in Germania, so he couldn't attack well. At that time, Tiberius asked Germanicus to hold a triumphal ceremony in Rome, but Germanicus chose to attack Germania as it was.
Germanicus was not always obedient to Tiberius. There are some sections that are moving at his own discretion, albeit at his local discretion, and he later entered Emperor Egypt without the emperor's permission.
Germanicus wins a big victory over Arminius as it is. However, it seems that he could not overcome the cold of winter, and many victims came out.
This time Germanicus also listened to Tiberius and held a triumphal ceremony in Rome.
It is said that Germanicus, who defeated the Germanic people, received applause and cheers from all over Rome. Roman citizens were still eager for Germanicus to conquer the land of Germania, but Tiberius decided to send Germanicus to the eastern land.
"Tiberius was jealous of Germanicus and hated to build any more military service."
As Tacitus, the representative of Roman historians, said, all Roman citizens at that time would have thought.
I don't know what Tiberius was really thinking. He may actually have been jealous of him. However, when it comes to Tiberius, the placement of personnel is close to perfection, and the word "the right person in the right place" doesn't look so good, and the invasion of Germania is virtually neglected, so what about jealousy?
No one is as practical as Tiberius. He must have a KY personality in modern times.
Tiberius hated spending. He even got off the circus sponsorship. Thanks to that, the 3rd generation Caligula was wasted with unbelievable momentum. He was the former Germanicus governor of Germanicus and knew the harshness of winter. It seems like the reality is that he hated any more damage.
Flashy expeditions later create exhaustion. Given the immediate division of Alexander the Great's kingdom and the immediate division of the Mongol Empire, too much territory will increase spending and make it difficult. I think it's a part that anyone who has played games such as Sangokushi can understand.
I personally think that Tiberius's judgment is correct in this regard. He could have been like Augustus if he chased poorly, he could have suffered tremendous damage, and he could have been severely resisted by the Germanic people.
However, at this time, and for posterity, it seems that we could not help but expect what would happen if Germanicus remained in Germania. From this, the "Germanicus myth" has been handed down for a long time among Roman citizens. It will soon manifest itself in the form of Caligula's inauguration as emperor and his enthusiasm.
Touhou Dispatch and Lost Time
Which country is Rome's biggest enemy?
It is often thought that this is the Germanic power because it was the Germanic people who destroyed western Rome in later generations, but at this time it was the Parthian kingdom. Given that the later Byzantine Empire was destroyed by the Ottoman Empire, which was born of us, the biggest problem in Rome is the Eastern problem.
This country, which follows the Persian tradition, was mighty, and the Eastern question has always been the top priority of the Roman Empire. In other words, Germanicus was dispatched to the most important place.
By the way, there was a signing ceremony with Parthian in 21 BC. The representative of Rome was Tiberius himself.
For negotiations with Persia, which adopts a tyranny, the existence of royalty and even a successor is suitable for negotiations.
It was also that Germanicus's dispatch to the east was recognized as his successor.
The most important issue in the eastern issue is the Kingdom of Armenia.
It borders Rome, and as long as this country is pro-Rome, it can be said that the eastern part of Rome is safe.
When Germanicus arrived east, the Kingdom of Armenia was also worried about succession issues. Armenian King Vanones was raised in Rome and was a pro-Rome. However, it was said that Zenones, the son of King Pontus, might be the right king of Armenia.
With the support of the Parthians, Zenones expelled Vanones, who went into exile in Roman Syria.
Tiberius tolerated Zenones and ordered Germanicus to perform a Roman coronation. He also requested Zenones to change his name to Altaxes.
This made Armenia a pro-Roman country. The fact that Armenia is also a king recognized by the Roman Empire is great.
Parthian seemed to be convinced of this, demanding a signing ceremony with Rome, and Germanicus completed it without delay and fulfilled its responsibilities brilliantly.
It looks like there is nothing wrong with it, but Germanicus and Syrian Governor Piso were very close. The two were often seen arguing, and it seems that the deal was very difficult.
Germanicus, who has finished mediation with Parthian, suddenly collapses due to high fever. And he became a person who never returned.
I don't know the truth of the matter. However, the trend that Germanicus was poisoned by Piso was widespread. Some said that Tiberius ordered Piso.
Piso is tried and later chooses to commit suicide.
No concrete evidence was given, but Piso was convicted after his death. The truth is unknown until now. The current prevailing theory is that he fell ill with malaria, but given no evidence to support it, Germanicus' death would be an eternal mystery.
Personal evaluation of Germanicus
Tacitus, who hates Tiberius, gives Germanicus the utmost praise and even says he is "better than Alexander the Great."
That's an overstatement, but it must have been a fact that Germanicus was an excellent person. His history might have changed a lot if he was the third Roman emperor, but I can't say anything because there are many Roman emperors who were excellent before the coronation but went crazy when they became emperors.
He was good at military and diplomacy and was popular. He would have been an excellent person at the world history level. However, there were some aspects that were not obedience to Tiberius, and he had troubles because he was a Latin person and easy to heat up, for better or for worse. Such a part looks attractive, but Tiberius may be better as a politician.
In terms of military affairs, it can be said that he is quite talented and has a track record because he is superior to the Germanic people who lost in the Augustus era. He is also responsible for the problems surrounding the Armenian throne without any trouble.
If I decide his ability score like Koei, it's like this.
Leadership:92
Intelligence:83
Political power:84
Charm:92
* The numbers are appropriate, so don't worry too much.