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Sejanus: Regent of Rome
The figure of Sejanus has fascinated from ancient to more modern times. Sejanus, the emperor Tiberius' infamous Praetorian Prefect, is synonymous with over-reaching ambition, murder, conspiracy and betrayal. According to the traditional storyline, this man craved the imperial throne for himself and sought it by isolating the naive emperor in his island pleasure palace on Capri whilst using his control over the Praetorian Guard, coupled with his immense power and influence in Rome, to purge the capital of potential opponents. His victims supposedly included the emperor's son, Drusus, poisoned by his own wife who had been seduced by Sejanus. The emperor, forewarned of Sejanus' ambition, struck first. The Prefect was arrested in the Senate, strangled and his corpse cast down the Gemonian Stairs.
Study of Sejanus has generally been overshadowed by focus on Tiberius. John McHugh makes a fresh appraisal of the sources to offer the first full-length study in English to focus on this highly influential figure and his development of the Praetorian Prefecture.
Study of Sejanus has generally been overshadowed by focus on Tiberius. John McHugh makes a fresh appraisal of the sources to offer the first full-length study in English to focus on this highly influential figure and his development of the Praetorian Prefecture.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published June 19, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 20, 2020
Sejanus: Regent of Rome by John S. McHugh more than met my expectations for a readable and impeccably documented account of Sejanus. An equestrian by birth, Sejanus rose to power as prefect of the Roman imperial bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, of which he was commander from AD 14 until his death in AD 31. The book details the political backdrop during Sejanus's military career beginning with his assignment as a tribune to Gaius Caesar—the grandson and co-heir to Emperor Augustus. Sejanus gain the trust of Tiberius by helping to quell a rebellion among the Roman legions after Augustus died in AD 14 and Tiberius was proclaimed his successor. Tiberius reluctantly assumed imperial powers with the hope of transferring his imperial powers to his son, Druses. After the death of Druses in 23 AD, the line of succession was left in question. The situation provided an opportunity for Sejanus to rise in power as second-in-command, taking over many of the administrative duties of Rome while Tiberius retired in Capri. At what appeared to be the pinnacle of Sejanus's powers in 31 AD, Tiberius unexpectedly strikes and brutally executes him. The carnage of Sejanus’ family, friends, and clients that continued until Tiberius's death in 37 AD is gut-wrenching to read. The book left me with an open-ended question on whether Sejanus overreached his ambition by murder, conspiracy, and betrayal. Or did he, in truth, quell some of Tiberius's worst impulses and carry out the emperor's mandates.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the power of three imperial women that shaped and drove the political climate of Rome behind the scenes. Even though Tiberius' succession to the imperial throne was heavily influenced by his mother (Livia, Augustus’ wife), he ultimately resented the influence she had over him and other powerful politicians. Antonia Minor (widow of his younger brother) was highly esteemed by Tiberius. He heeded her warning that Sejanus was plotting to succeed him as emperor. Sejanus’ attack on Agrippina the Elder (wife of Germanicus) and her sons—recognized as successors to the throne—help set the stage for the prefect's downfall. Additional bonuses in the book include photographs of coins, portrait busts, and archaeological sites; timeline of major events; and an overview of family, friends, and clients of Sejanus.
Sejanus: Regent of Rome is a must-read for those interested in the detailed and well-documented history of Ancient Rome and the political machinations of those in power. Highly Recommended.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the power of three imperial women that shaped and drove the political climate of Rome behind the scenes. Even though Tiberius' succession to the imperial throne was heavily influenced by his mother (Livia, Augustus’ wife), he ultimately resented the influence she had over him and other powerful politicians. Antonia Minor (widow of his younger brother) was highly esteemed by Tiberius. He heeded her warning that Sejanus was plotting to succeed him as emperor. Sejanus’ attack on Agrippina the Elder (wife of Germanicus) and her sons—recognized as successors to the throne—help set the stage for the prefect's downfall. Additional bonuses in the book include photographs of coins, portrait busts, and archaeological sites; timeline of major events; and an overview of family, friends, and clients of Sejanus.
Sejanus: Regent of Rome is a must-read for those interested in the detailed and well-documented history of Ancient Rome and the political machinations of those in power. Highly Recommended.
August 23, 2020
For those who are familiar with the early Roman Empire the story of Sejanus should be one that sounds familiar, the praetorian guard who worked as the right hand man of Tiberius, but whose ambition became caught in the cross hairs of misunderstandings and the jealousies of powerful Roman senators. I have always imagined Sejanus as the Roman Icarus, whose career was so successful and who tied himself extremely close to the imperial family through marriage, that many believed that he sought the throne, while the deaths of members of the family took place under mysterious circumstances around this man.
John McHughs biography of Sejanus is the first to have been written in English and is quite a good read as it tries to rifle through the myths and foul play that was performed on this mans name both during and after his life, in John's attempt to set the record straight. While I did find the book quite good and I did learn a fair amount, one thing about many of McHugh's books is that he knows his history but he once again does not seem to really make clear who his audience is, as on the one hand he seems to write for the casual reader while on the other hand he casually throws names after names after one while giving their names very little importance.
I would only recommend the book if you are genuinely curious about this man's life, as already mentioned I believe it is the only one in English and if you want to see McHugh's perspective of this man's life. McHugh's does seem to be a fan of Sejanus as he does try to explain away with rational and deep detective work any of the accusations made against him in trying to set the record straight.
John McHughs biography of Sejanus is the first to have been written in English and is quite a good read as it tries to rifle through the myths and foul play that was performed on this mans name both during and after his life, in John's attempt to set the record straight. While I did find the book quite good and I did learn a fair amount, one thing about many of McHugh's books is that he knows his history but he once again does not seem to really make clear who his audience is, as on the one hand he seems to write for the casual reader while on the other hand he casually throws names after names after one while giving their names very little importance.
I would only recommend the book if you are genuinely curious about this man's life, as already mentioned I believe it is the only one in English and if you want to see McHugh's perspective of this man's life. McHugh's does seem to be a fan of Sejanus as he does try to explain away with rational and deep detective work any of the accusations made against him in trying to set the record straight.
September 23, 2020
His name is synonymous with burning ambition; a man who had enough but wanted it all. At his peak, Sejanus’s power rivalled that of the Roman Emperor, but he overstepped (don’t they always?) and died a traitor’s ignominious death. Along the way, he fundamentally changed Roman history and political culture. John S McHugh brings us Sejanus’s story and attempts to solve the mysteries that still surround him.
Sejanus was born into an influential, though not noble, family during the fiery death of the Roman Republic in 20 BCE. He began his army career as a young man, hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps as one of the Emperor’s Praetorian Prefects, which he duly achieved after climbing the military ladder. He had done so through patronage and exercising his ambition, but Sejanus was also charismatic and energetic and politically astute. Sejanus was now near the centre of power but that only stoked the fires of his ambition. He watched and learned how power worked, becoming the Emperor Tiberius’s right-hand man in the process. When Tiberius removed himself from Rome, Sejanus filled the void as a regent. He now controlled Rome through fear and patronage while keeping Tiberius ill-informed as to events in his capital. Then Sejanus fell, sharply, as tyrants do; Tiberius finally wise to Sejanus’s power-grab. The man who would be Emperor was imprisoned, garrotted, and his corpse defiled, though he suffered his fate bravely. A six-year terror followed against Sejanus’s supporters, real and imagined, fuelled by Tiberius’s vindictiveness and spurred on by his new Praetorian Prefect, Macro. It ended only when Tiberius died. McHugh concludes on a sympathetic note for Sejanus who he sees as little different from those who came after, though Sejanus set the precedent.
The sources for Sejanus are patchy at best, but McHugh picks his way through them with care – his handling of the ‘murder’ of Drusus is an excellent example of this. That might not make for the most enjoyable reading experience at times, but it is necessary and provides great insight into the pitfalls and rewards of studying ancient history. McHugh’s draws the reader in with his clear narrative of events and descriptions of the major players in this extended drama, and his placement of Sejanus’s rise and fall in the context of Roman politics is skilfully exposited. Sejanus’s dramatic rise and fall still serves as a morality tale through the centuries, and it is one that McHugh tells well.
Sejanus was born into an influential, though not noble, family during the fiery death of the Roman Republic in 20 BCE. He began his army career as a young man, hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps as one of the Emperor’s Praetorian Prefects, which he duly achieved after climbing the military ladder. He had done so through patronage and exercising his ambition, but Sejanus was also charismatic and energetic and politically astute. Sejanus was now near the centre of power but that only stoked the fires of his ambition. He watched and learned how power worked, becoming the Emperor Tiberius’s right-hand man in the process. When Tiberius removed himself from Rome, Sejanus filled the void as a regent. He now controlled Rome through fear and patronage while keeping Tiberius ill-informed as to events in his capital. Then Sejanus fell, sharply, as tyrants do; Tiberius finally wise to Sejanus’s power-grab. The man who would be Emperor was imprisoned, garrotted, and his corpse defiled, though he suffered his fate bravely. A six-year terror followed against Sejanus’s supporters, real and imagined, fuelled by Tiberius’s vindictiveness and spurred on by his new Praetorian Prefect, Macro. It ended only when Tiberius died. McHugh concludes on a sympathetic note for Sejanus who he sees as little different from those who came after, though Sejanus set the precedent.
The sources for Sejanus are patchy at best, but McHugh picks his way through them with care – his handling of the ‘murder’ of Drusus is an excellent example of this. That might not make for the most enjoyable reading experience at times, but it is necessary and provides great insight into the pitfalls and rewards of studying ancient history. McHugh’s draws the reader in with his clear narrative of events and descriptions of the major players in this extended drama, and his placement of Sejanus’s rise and fall in the context of Roman politics is skilfully exposited. Sejanus’s dramatic rise and fall still serves as a morality tale through the centuries, and it is one that McHugh tells well.
September 5, 2025
Historian John S. McHugh Studies The Life & Political Career Of The Praetorian Prefect, Lucius Aelius Sejanus.
There are few men throughout history who have possessed as much raw ambition or unbridled ruthlessness as the infamous Praetorian prefect, Aelius Sejanus.
Insinuating himself into the confidence & trust of the notorious tyrant Tiberius after the death of Augustus in 14 A.D., Sejanus eventually rose to a position where he was able to effectually control whom had access to the emperor at all times, he essentially spoke with Tiberius' voice. The prefect was able to successfully leverage the emperor's fear & paranoia, which found an outlet via his misplaced reliance in astrology, to root out individuals in the Roman aristocracy whom he felt threatened his rule to be publicly tried for 'maiestas', or 'treason'.
Sejanus had many 'clients' whom generally were ambitious, power-hungry equestrians with inferior social status seeking advancement. He would utilize Tiberius' 'amicitae' or 'imperial favor' to gain the loyalty & trust of these men to further his ends over a sustained period. These 'delatores', or 'accusers', would accuse their aristocratic contemporaries possessing superior lands, titles, & status, of attempting to undermine the Imperial family & put the individual on trial publicly, with the potential to destroy them if successful. Many upper-echelon equestrians would beg for Tiberius to bestow some form of clemency, which almost always was refused. Usually, the accused would then commit suicide rather than see the trial through to its end, & the 'delatore' would receive a portion of the estate. Illicitly employing astrological methods to subvert the dynasty of the Caesars was far from the only charge used when Sejanus & Tiberius orchestrated these one-sided "trials."
Eventually, a Roman aristocrat could stand to lose his livelihood, his estate, & his life, for the mere offense of having a poet recite at his estate a soliloquy in which the emperor was perceived to have been mocked. Ancient Rome had different views on how the ruling family in power was referred to. Punishments for portraying them in an unfavorable way often were extremely harsh, exile or death in many cases.
Tiberius' style of ruling was unique, to say the least. He was inclined to employ an aloof, isolationist method which involved keeping the equestrian class constantly on the defensive with his vicious tactics involving Sejanus' cooperation. He probably viewed the condemnations & 'delatore' trials as a necessity to stay in power. Tiberius on one occasion affectionately referred to Sejanus as, 'Socius Laborum'. It means, 'My partner in my toils'.
Aelius Sejanus possessed numerous connections within the Roman aristocracy, which afforded to him a great deal of leverage in the areas of blackmail & coercion. He essentially took the brutal intimidation & martial conditioning of a Praetorian guardsman & combined a layer of political lethality to it. The results were utterly devastating. A soldier trained to kill, yet with a capable intellect able to grasp the subtlety of politics. At the height of his power, Sejanus was able to effectively suffocate the Roman Aristocracy under a reign of terror which lasted almost a full decade. He slowly & methodically eliminated rivals & opposition with finesse & precision; some of his schemes could take years to yield results. There is a chapter in the book almost solely devoted to this topic alone, it was reminiscent to me of Winterling's chapter of 'Caligula : A Biography' where Gaius' brutal subjugation of the senate & equestrian order is described in extremely painful detail.
This is but a fraction of what the reader will find in this fascinating biography written on one of the most brutal men to have ever lived. John McHugh has done a stunning amount of research & historical reconstruction to make 'Sejanus : Regent of Rome' as comprehensive a resource as I've seen on Sejanus & the people he kept in his circles. The book consists of eight chapters of varying length, all of which have artfully-chosen historical excerpts & quotations prefacing them. They assist in making the book feel less like a historical treatise, which at times it does tend to do. The writer does a remarkable job of keeping the reader engaged in the story he's telling, & McHugh frequently cites & references historical sources such as 'The Annals' & Cassius Dio's Roman History, also providing relevant, often critical analysis of these extant works. He seems to adopt a stance which favors Sejanus, which I would absolutely expect him to do given that he wrote a book on the man. Tacitus is criticized for the negative light he casts on Sejanus in 'The Annals', & much of Dio's work is called into question, many of the speeches recorded in his 'Roman History' apparently were fictitious. I found much of what I read to be immensely interesting. While I'm just a layman without credentials, I have read 'The Annals' & can say that Tacitus is very biased in his portrayal of Sejanus' character.
The supplemental materials included in the back of the book are also very impressive particularly for how comprehensive they are in scope. First, there's actually a family tree of Sejanus' family, though McHugh had to perform some conjecture which he makes note of, it's nonetheless amazing as Sejanus' family was well-known but not quite enough to make them appear in enough surviving official records which would help trace his lineage.
There's also a lengthy glossary that lists the family & 'amici' (friends/associates) of Sejanus, of which there are many appearing in this book. Many of the people in this glossary have detailed descriptions which detail their life & relation to Sejanus. Quite a lot of content to be found here! Finally, there's a list of every Roman Consul to have served from the year 1-37 A.D.
I'd wholeheartedly recommend 'Sejanus : Regent of Rome' to any serious enthusiast of Roman History, it's the only biography I've found to be devoted solely to the topic of Sejanus' life. Most of the material I've run across on the prefect is attached to or overshadowed by the people around him such as Tiberius, Livia, Drusus, & Agrippina the Elder. I enjoyed this book tremendously & if you would like to learn more about this man, I believe you will as well.
There are few men throughout history who have possessed as much raw ambition or unbridled ruthlessness as the infamous Praetorian prefect, Aelius Sejanus.
Insinuating himself into the confidence & trust of the notorious tyrant Tiberius after the death of Augustus in 14 A.D., Sejanus eventually rose to a position where he was able to effectually control whom had access to the emperor at all times, he essentially spoke with Tiberius' voice. The prefect was able to successfully leverage the emperor's fear & paranoia, which found an outlet via his misplaced reliance in astrology, to root out individuals in the Roman aristocracy whom he felt threatened his rule to be publicly tried for 'maiestas', or 'treason'.
Sejanus had many 'clients' whom generally were ambitious, power-hungry equestrians with inferior social status seeking advancement. He would utilize Tiberius' 'amicitae' or 'imperial favor' to gain the loyalty & trust of these men to further his ends over a sustained period. These 'delatores', or 'accusers', would accuse their aristocratic contemporaries possessing superior lands, titles, & status, of attempting to undermine the Imperial family & put the individual on trial publicly, with the potential to destroy them if successful. Many upper-echelon equestrians would beg for Tiberius to bestow some form of clemency, which almost always was refused. Usually, the accused would then commit suicide rather than see the trial through to its end, & the 'delatore' would receive a portion of the estate. Illicitly employing astrological methods to subvert the dynasty of the Caesars was far from the only charge used when Sejanus & Tiberius orchestrated these one-sided "trials."
Eventually, a Roman aristocrat could stand to lose his livelihood, his estate, & his life, for the mere offense of having a poet recite at his estate a soliloquy in which the emperor was perceived to have been mocked. Ancient Rome had different views on how the ruling family in power was referred to. Punishments for portraying them in an unfavorable way often were extremely harsh, exile or death in many cases.
Tiberius' style of ruling was unique, to say the least. He was inclined to employ an aloof, isolationist method which involved keeping the equestrian class constantly on the defensive with his vicious tactics involving Sejanus' cooperation. He probably viewed the condemnations & 'delatore' trials as a necessity to stay in power. Tiberius on one occasion affectionately referred to Sejanus as, 'Socius Laborum'. It means, 'My partner in my toils'.
Aelius Sejanus possessed numerous connections within the Roman aristocracy, which afforded to him a great deal of leverage in the areas of blackmail & coercion. He essentially took the brutal intimidation & martial conditioning of a Praetorian guardsman & combined a layer of political lethality to it. The results were utterly devastating. A soldier trained to kill, yet with a capable intellect able to grasp the subtlety of politics. At the height of his power, Sejanus was able to effectively suffocate the Roman Aristocracy under a reign of terror which lasted almost a full decade. He slowly & methodically eliminated rivals & opposition with finesse & precision; some of his schemes could take years to yield results. There is a chapter in the book almost solely devoted to this topic alone, it was reminiscent to me of Winterling's chapter of 'Caligula : A Biography' where Gaius' brutal subjugation of the senate & equestrian order is described in extremely painful detail.
This is but a fraction of what the reader will find in this fascinating biography written on one of the most brutal men to have ever lived. John McHugh has done a stunning amount of research & historical reconstruction to make 'Sejanus : Regent of Rome' as comprehensive a resource as I've seen on Sejanus & the people he kept in his circles. The book consists of eight chapters of varying length, all of which have artfully-chosen historical excerpts & quotations prefacing them. They assist in making the book feel less like a historical treatise, which at times it does tend to do. The writer does a remarkable job of keeping the reader engaged in the story he's telling, & McHugh frequently cites & references historical sources such as 'The Annals' & Cassius Dio's Roman History, also providing relevant, often critical analysis of these extant works. He seems to adopt a stance which favors Sejanus, which I would absolutely expect him to do given that he wrote a book on the man. Tacitus is criticized for the negative light he casts on Sejanus in 'The Annals', & much of Dio's work is called into question, many of the speeches recorded in his 'Roman History' apparently were fictitious. I found much of what I read to be immensely interesting. While I'm just a layman without credentials, I have read 'The Annals' & can say that Tacitus is very biased in his portrayal of Sejanus' character.
The supplemental materials included in the back of the book are also very impressive particularly for how comprehensive they are in scope. First, there's actually a family tree of Sejanus' family, though McHugh had to perform some conjecture which he makes note of, it's nonetheless amazing as Sejanus' family was well-known but not quite enough to make them appear in enough surviving official records which would help trace his lineage.
There's also a lengthy glossary that lists the family & 'amici' (friends/associates) of Sejanus, of which there are many appearing in this book. Many of the people in this glossary have detailed descriptions which detail their life & relation to Sejanus. Quite a lot of content to be found here! Finally, there's a list of every Roman Consul to have served from the year 1-37 A.D.
I'd wholeheartedly recommend 'Sejanus : Regent of Rome' to any serious enthusiast of Roman History, it's the only biography I've found to be devoted solely to the topic of Sejanus' life. Most of the material I've run across on the prefect is attached to or overshadowed by the people around him such as Tiberius, Livia, Drusus, & Agrippina the Elder. I enjoyed this book tremendously & if you would like to learn more about this man, I believe you will as well.
November 22, 2021
Image picking up Tacitus, Suetonius and all our ancient souces, pierce them together in an incohesive mess, emitting an array of unsubstained, sensationalistic statements and call the day. That's this book in a nutshell. The author claims that Sejanus was born ca. 20 BC, then accepts with no criticism whatsoever that he was a friend of Drusus the Elder, who died in 9 BC. Should we assume Drusus was a friend of a 10 years old? He is seemingly confused about the identity of the Paconius quoted by Suetonius - his assumption that he's to be emended as Sextus (not Sextilius!) Paconianus is incredibly naive. His judgements are utterly stupid, and offers no food for thought - yes, Tiberius became more authoritarian in later years, and? The author is completely unaware on how to handle Suetonius as a source - he's unable to distinguish his 'minutiae', and accepts with no problem whatsoever that Tiberius threw people from the cliff (for some reason, Lygdus was thrown for the cliff - but people that we know for sure were execute in Capri, like Julius Marinus, were not). At the end of the day, this book is a poor piece of scholarship. If you want some serious information on the period, look elsewhere.
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