Tiberius

Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (was born at Rome 16th of November 42 BC – and died 16th of March AD 37. He was the second Roman emperor reigning from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus Caesar.

Tiberius' father was the politician Tiberius Claudius Nero and his mother was Livia Drusilla, who would eventually divorce his father, and marry the future-emperor Augustus in 38 BC.

Tiberius had proved himself an able diplomat, and one of the most successful Roman generals: his conquests of Pannonia, Dalmatia, Raetia, and (temporarily) parts of Germania laid the foundations for the empire's northern frontier.

Tiberius with his younger brother Drusus helped carry out the expansion of the Roman empire along the Danube and into modern day Germany (16 BC - 7 BC, 4 AD - 9 AD).

When his nephew Germanicus died in 19 AD and his son Drusus in 23, Tiberius became depressed and reclusive.

In 26 he retired from Rome and left administration in the hands of the praetorian prefect Sejanus, whom he later executed for treason, and also Quintus Naevius Cordus Sutorius Macro (21 BC – AD 38) who was a prefect of the Praetorian Guard his successor.

When Tiberius died, he was succeeded by his grand-nephew and adopted grandson, Germanicus' son Caligula.

Caligula had lavish building projects and questionable military endeavours which drained much of the wealth that had been accumulated in the public and Imperial coffers through good management by Tiberius.

Tiberius allowed the worship of his divine Genius as the Son of God in one temple, in Rome's eastern provinces, and promoted restraint in the Imperial Cult of Rome to the deceased Augustus.

During his retreat from Rome his health was poor and often delegated power to hos procurators like Pontius Pilate who was married to his favorite grand daughter.

When Tiberius died, he was given a an elaborate by funeral befitting his office, but no divine honours.

He came to be remembered as a dark, reclusive and somber ruler who never really wanted to be emperor; Pliny the Elder called him "the gloomiest of men."

Luke 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.