Sejanus

They made up most of the troops stationed in Italy and Augustus had decided that they should be garissoned in groups in the provinces to avoid the impression of a military dictatorship

His statute is erected in Rome

• He accompanied Drusus on the mission to Pannonia which allowed him to showcase his ingenuity and loyalty
• He becomes first preatorian prefect with his father

• He was an equestrian born in Vulsinii
• His quick rise to preator (a position not usually for equestrians) started to gain him enemies among the old senatorial class
• He was an able administrator who quickly won the approval and friendship of Tiberius

He is implicated in the "cover up" of the potential poisoning of Germanicus

• Lucius strabo
• In AD 15 strabo was appointed to be prefect of Egypt and so Sejanus became sole preatorian prefect

When the senate chose a governor of Africa and Quintus Junius Blaesus was "beyond competition, being Sejanus' uncle"

The death of Livia in AD 29

Owing to missing documents, Tacitus' history is incomplete for the later years of Sejanus' career which means we rely on suetonius

He saves Tiberius' life on the way to Capri which increases his power

Socius laborum (partner of my labours)

AD 26, aged 67

• The isolation attracted him
• He had become weary of senatorial life and his mother livia

• Agrippina
• He saw her as a threat to his powers as her children has a claim to the principate

• He really attacked Agrippina and had her friends Sabinus and Silius accused of treason
• Then he had Agrippina and her sons either banished or killed

• The joint consulship with Tiberius and he was awarded pro consular imperium
• He also secured control of some of the provincial armies for his friends

• They didn't like him
• Tacitus says that the public were dissatisfied at the betrothal of Claudius' son to the daughter of Sejanus as they felt it depreciated the nobility the imperial house

• All correspondence had to go through him, meaning people clamoured to be his friend
• Now that Tiberius was gone he had increased control of Rome itself
• He was free to persecute Agrippina

In AD 31 Antonia wrote the letter warning hin that Sejanus' power was unacceptable and a threat

• Suetonius tells us that he have the preatorian guard 1, 000 denarii a head for not aligning themselves with Sejanus
• This is the ONLY time Tiberius ever gave the army anything beyond their pay

• Suetonius tells us that He persuades Tiberius to condense the preatorian guards into one fortified camp within Rome itself
• This enhanced Sejanus' power base and his ability to intimidate

• The death of Drusus
• Called into question the future direction of the principate as Sejanus had no doubt intended

In an attempt to increase his power base he divorced his wife Apicata and asked to marry Livillia

• The marriage of Sejanus and Livillia, although he didn't actually condemn it
• Sejanus was alarmed by this refusal and then attempted to further isolate Tiberius

Macro, previously prefect of the vigiles

"Tiberius felt no affection for Sejanus"

Accusations of maiestas included the general charge of being a friend of Sejanus

• Suetonius says that his savagery increased
• He was hard hit by the realisation that Sejanus had killed Drusus which furthered his bitterness and disillusionment and meant that he could never face returning from Capri