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Tiberius: From Masterly Commander to Masterful Emperor of Rome
History has not been kind to the memory of Tiberius Caesar (42 BC-AD 37), second emperor of the Romans. His reputation for capable generalship and sensible civic leadership are marred by reports of cruelty, treason trials and sexual depravity. Some historians have described him as a ‘tyrant’ or even a ‘monster’. But does he deserve this negative appraisal?
In Tiberius, Lindsay Powell presents a fresh and penetrating reassessment of the life and legacy of the extraordinary man handpicked by Augustus to succeed him. He shows that Tiberius was the right man for the job, at the right time. Tiberius built upon the innovations of Augustus by bolstering the Roman Commonwealth’s institutions and reining in its expenditures. He used his proven leadership skills in military and diplomatic affairs to avoid war whenever possible. A no-nonsense disciplinarian willing to eschew popularity for the good of the Res Publica, he respected the Senate’s independence, recruited competent public administrators, rooted out malpractice in provincial government, and was generous to communities blighted by disaster. Tiberius examines the known facts of the personal and professional life of Ancient Rome’s third longest serving emperor. He was a poet, a collector of art and an astrologer. Lindsay Powell explores how he dealt with success, disappointment and loss all while under the unrelenting pressure of serving Augustus, and then carrying out his ultimate duty by ruling the empire in his own right.
Descended from a famous family, his standing has been undermined by his infamous appointees: right-hand man, Aelius Sejanus, who betrayed him; prefect of Judaea, Pontius Pilatus, who crucified Jesus of Nazareth; and his successor, Caius, better known as Caligula. Yet, when he died of old age (or was he murdered?), he left the Roman Empire both stronger and at peace. Meticulously researched, Tiberius is lucidly written by the author of the acclaimed biographies Marcus Agrippa and Germanicus.
In Tiberius, Lindsay Powell presents a fresh and penetrating reassessment of the life and legacy of the extraordinary man handpicked by Augustus to succeed him. He shows that Tiberius was the right man for the job, at the right time. Tiberius built upon the innovations of Augustus by bolstering the Roman Commonwealth’s institutions and reining in its expenditures. He used his proven leadership skills in military and diplomatic affairs to avoid war whenever possible. A no-nonsense disciplinarian willing to eschew popularity for the good of the Res Publica, he respected the Senate’s independence, recruited competent public administrators, rooted out malpractice in provincial government, and was generous to communities blighted by disaster. Tiberius examines the known facts of the personal and professional life of Ancient Rome’s third longest serving emperor. He was a poet, a collector of art and an astrologer. Lindsay Powell explores how he dealt with success, disappointment and loss all while under the unrelenting pressure of serving Augustus, and then carrying out his ultimate duty by ruling the empire in his own right.
Descended from a famous family, his standing has been undermined by his infamous appointees: right-hand man, Aelius Sejanus, who betrayed him; prefect of Judaea, Pontius Pilatus, who crucified Jesus of Nazareth; and his successor, Caius, better known as Caligula. Yet, when he died of old age (or was he murdered?), he left the Roman Empire both stronger and at peace. Meticulously researched, Tiberius is lucidly written by the author of the acclaimed biographies Marcus Agrippa and Germanicus.
560 pages, Hardcover
First published August 30, 2025
1 person is currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay Powell
25 books49 followersLINDSAY POWELL is a historical detective. He is motivated to tell the stories of the under-reported personalities and events of history in the belief that they deserve to be told to complete our understanding of the past.
A historian and writer, Lindsay has a particular passion for the military history of the Roman Empire. He scours ancient documents, inscriptions, coins and museums for stories, and archaeological, engineering, medical and scientific reports to reveal deeper truths.
He was news editor of Ancient Warfare (2011-2016) and continues to contribute to the magazine. He has written for Military Heritage, Desperta Ferro and Strategy & Tactics magazines, as well as Pen and Sword Books, Osprey Publishing, The History Network and UNRV.com. Lindsay is a veteran of the world renowned Ermine Street Guard. His appearances include BBC Radio and The History Channel,
He divides his time between Austin, Texas and Wokingham, England.
A historian and writer, Lindsay has a particular passion for the military history of the Roman Empire. He scours ancient documents, inscriptions, coins and museums for stories, and archaeological, engineering, medical and scientific reports to reveal deeper truths.
He was news editor of Ancient Warfare (2011-2016) and continues to contribute to the magazine. He has written for Military Heritage, Desperta Ferro and Strategy & Tactics magazines, as well as Pen and Sword Books, Osprey Publishing, The History Network and UNRV.com. Lindsay is a veteran of the world renowned Ermine Street Guard. His appearances include BBC Radio and The History Channel,
He divides his time between Austin, Texas and Wokingham, England.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 28, 2025
I probably speak for a lot of people when I say that my earliest impression of Tiberius was formed from watching "I, Claudius" in high school Latin. In that series, the book it's based on, and writers throughout history portrayed Tiberius as one of Rome's "bad emperors" and as someone more concerned with their personal pleasure on Capri than running the Roman state.
Powell gives a detailed evaluation of the earliest sources to paint a different picture of Rome's second Emperor. Powell's historical Tiberius was a talented military commander who time and time again proved to be an invaluable asset for his stepfather Augustus.
Instead of the autocrat depicted so often, Powell, always citing to sources, shows how as Princeps, Tiberius insisted on the following of proper legal procedures and time and again dismissed cases brought against private citizens on the grounds that they had insulted or said something treasonous against Tiberius or his mother.
Tiberius may not have had the best temperament for a role that required so much peopling. (which I can certainly relate to). Powell points out that late in Tiberius' life, there was pretty much no male relative left alive from the generation after him. His biological son Drusus was dead. His nephew and adopted son, Germanicus was dead. Germanicus' two oldest sons were also dead. Put yourself in Tiberius' shoes for a second. You tired of this job that's been forced upon you and you really want to be left alone (or at least alone except for your closest friends), but everyone groomed to succeed you has predeceased.
Considered from this angle, Tiberius's decision to spend so much of his later life on Capri or the coast of Campania is more understandable. But Powell challenges the popular image of a Tiberius neglected his duties. Again diving into the sources, Powell shows us how frequently (and how quickly) Tiberius and the Senate communicated by letters. Tiberius might have left Rome, but for the most part, he still exercised control and made decisions when he needed to. (the exception to this might be the period when Sejanus controlled access to Tiberius, but after ordering the arrest of Sejanus, the emperor seems to have taken a firmer hand on things.)
Do not be discouraged by the thickness of this book. The actual text is about 285 pages. There are extremely copious appendices, endnotes, and bibliography after this. So unless you're reading every endnote, this isn't going to take as long to read as you might expect when you see it.
I don't know nearly as much about the Roman period as I do about 5th century Greece, but with that caveat, Powell's convinced me of his argument that the popular image of Tiberius is both inaccurate and unfair. Powell spends two chapters tracing the history of Tiberius in literature, theater, movies, and tv shows., commenting on things as recently done as the German Netflix show titled "Barbarians" for English viewers.
Powell's book (and to be honest, pretty much everything I've read by Penn and Sword Press) hits the 'scholarly sweet spot' for me for lack of a better term. This is far more detailed than the "narrative histories" that are more likely to be stocked in your local bookstores, but at the same time, he writes in a manner that is accessible to people who are not trained classicists. If you are researching Tiberius, you probably love the copious amount of endnotes and bibliographical info in the back. If you're more of an armchair historian, you'll enjoy it without feeling overwhelmed.
The colored plates look great as well.
Powell gives a detailed evaluation of the earliest sources to paint a different picture of Rome's second Emperor. Powell's historical Tiberius was a talented military commander who time and time again proved to be an invaluable asset for his stepfather Augustus.
Instead of the autocrat depicted so often, Powell, always citing to sources, shows how as Princeps, Tiberius insisted on the following of proper legal procedures and time and again dismissed cases brought against private citizens on the grounds that they had insulted or said something treasonous against Tiberius or his mother.
Tiberius may not have had the best temperament for a role that required so much peopling. (which I can certainly relate to). Powell points out that late in Tiberius' life, there was pretty much no male relative left alive from the generation after him. His biological son Drusus was dead. His nephew and adopted son, Germanicus was dead. Germanicus' two oldest sons were also dead. Put yourself in Tiberius' shoes for a second. You tired of this job that's been forced upon you and you really want to be left alone (or at least alone except for your closest friends), but everyone groomed to succeed you has predeceased.
Considered from this angle, Tiberius's decision to spend so much of his later life on Capri or the coast of Campania is more understandable. But Powell challenges the popular image of a Tiberius neglected his duties. Again diving into the sources, Powell shows us how frequently (and how quickly) Tiberius and the Senate communicated by letters. Tiberius might have left Rome, but for the most part, he still exercised control and made decisions when he needed to. (the exception to this might be the period when Sejanus controlled access to Tiberius, but after ordering the arrest of Sejanus, the emperor seems to have taken a firmer hand on things.)
Do not be discouraged by the thickness of this book. The actual text is about 285 pages. There are extremely copious appendices, endnotes, and bibliography after this. So unless you're reading every endnote, this isn't going to take as long to read as you might expect when you see it.
I don't know nearly as much about the Roman period as I do about 5th century Greece, but with that caveat, Powell's convinced me of his argument that the popular image of Tiberius is both inaccurate and unfair. Powell spends two chapters tracing the history of Tiberius in literature, theater, movies, and tv shows., commenting on things as recently done as the German Netflix show titled "Barbarians" for English viewers.
Powell's book (and to be honest, pretty much everything I've read by Penn and Sword Press) hits the 'scholarly sweet spot' for me for lack of a better term. This is far more detailed than the "narrative histories" that are more likely to be stocked in your local bookstores, but at the same time, he writes in a manner that is accessible to people who are not trained classicists. If you are researching Tiberius, you probably love the copious amount of endnotes and bibliographical info in the back. If you're more of an armchair historian, you'll enjoy it without feeling overwhelmed.
The colored plates look great as well.
February 7, 2026
Tiberius by Lindsay Powell
Summary: Tiberius, the second emperor of Rome, is one of those figures whose reign, personality, and legacy are difficult to pin down. Was he a military genius, a tyrant, a reluctant servant of the empire, or an immoral recluse indulging his vices on Capri? Powell’s book asks whether Tiberius could have been all of these.
After the death of Agrippa, Augustus’ stepson Tiberius became his most trusted commander, and for good reason. Tiberius found success not only on the battlefield, but also through diplomacy and careful management across the empire. Even so, he never seemed the obvious choice to succeed Augustus. But fate had other plans. With the deaths of Marcellus, Gaius, Lucius, and even Tiberius’ own brother Drusus, there was no one else left with the experience or stature to take the reins.
Ancient sources often focus on Tiberius’ later years, particularly the difficult-to-read accounts of debauchery in his late 60s, treason trials, and the actions of his right-hand man, Sejanus. Powell instead zeros in on the strengths of the second princeps. From 14 to 37, the empire experienced relative peace, and Tiberius frequently attempted to push responsibility back onto the Senate, rewarding those who took initiative rather than expecting everything to flow through him.
I came away leaning toward a view of Tiberius as a soldier first, whose reserved and sometimes double-spoken approach to politics hurt his relationship with the Senate and led to the gossip that followed him. He appears less like someone who wanted the purple and more like someone uncomfortable wearing it, definitely preferring distance from the spectacle and expectations of imperial rule.
Summary: Tiberius, the second emperor of Rome, is one of those figures whose reign, personality, and legacy are difficult to pin down. Was he a military genius, a tyrant, a reluctant servant of the empire, or an immoral recluse indulging his vices on Capri? Powell’s book asks whether Tiberius could have been all of these.
After the death of Agrippa, Augustus’ stepson Tiberius became his most trusted commander, and for good reason. Tiberius found success not only on the battlefield, but also through diplomacy and careful management across the empire. Even so, he never seemed the obvious choice to succeed Augustus. But fate had other plans. With the deaths of Marcellus, Gaius, Lucius, and even Tiberius’ own brother Drusus, there was no one else left with the experience or stature to take the reins.
Ancient sources often focus on Tiberius’ later years, particularly the difficult-to-read accounts of debauchery in his late 60s, treason trials, and the actions of his right-hand man, Sejanus. Powell instead zeros in on the strengths of the second princeps. From 14 to 37, the empire experienced relative peace, and Tiberius frequently attempted to push responsibility back onto the Senate, rewarding those who took initiative rather than expecting everything to flow through him.
I came away leaning toward a view of Tiberius as a soldier first, whose reserved and sometimes double-spoken approach to politics hurt his relationship with the Senate and led to the gossip that followed him. He appears less like someone who wanted the purple and more like someone uncomfortable wearing it, definitely preferring distance from the spectacle and expectations of imperial rule.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews