Doug Stanhope

And that's where it all goes wrong for Germanicus. Again, very detailed account of this in Tacitus. Suetonius gives a much more truncated account, but essentially what happens is Germanicus is sent out to the east as Tiberius' plenipotentiary, but Tiberius has also sent out one of his kind of aristocratic mates, a guy called Piso, to be governor of Syria, basically to keep an eye on Germanicus.

And that's where it all goes wrong for Germanicus. Again, very detailed account of this in Tacitus. Suetonius gives a much more truncated account, but essentially what happens is Germanicus is sent out to the east as Tiberius' plenipotentiary, but Tiberius has also sent out one of his kind of aristocratic mates, a guy called Piso, to be governor of Syria, basically to keep an eye on Germanicus.

And that's where it all goes wrong for Germanicus. Again, very detailed account of this in Tacitus. Suetonius gives a much more truncated account, but essentially what happens is Germanicus is sent out to the east as Tiberius' plenipotentiary, but Tiberius has also sent out one of his kind of aristocratic mates, a guy called Piso, to be governor of Syria, basically to keep an eye on Germanicus.

And the two of them have a spectacular bust up. Germanicus falls ill, dies, and on his deathbed accuses Piso of having poisoned him. And the news that their favourite has not only died, but quite possibly been poisoned when it reaches Rome. I mean, it has a devastating impact and a great kind of rolling surge of sentimental grief completely takes Rome over.

And the two of them have a spectacular bust up. Germanicus falls ill, dies, and on his deathbed accuses Piso of having poisoned him. And the news that their favourite has not only died, but quite possibly been poisoned when it reaches Rome. I mean, it has a devastating impact and a great kind of rolling surge of sentimental grief completely takes Rome over.

And the two of them have a spectacular bust up. Germanicus falls ill, dies, and on his deathbed accuses Piso of having poisoned him. And the news that their favourite has not only died, but quite possibly been poisoned when it reaches Rome. I mean, it has a devastating impact and a great kind of rolling surge of sentimental grief completely takes Rome over.

Quite analogous to kind of the Princess Diana situation, which Agrippina then massively ramps up by returning to Rome, holding the urn with Germanicus ashes in it, kind of walking into Rome, clutching it with her, you know, tear streak face and her disheveled hair. And everyone in Rome just goes completely berserk with grief and anger because they blame Piso for his death.

Quite analogous to kind of the Princess Diana situation, which Agrippina then massively ramps up by returning to Rome, holding the urn with Germanicus ashes in it, kind of walking into Rome, clutching it with her, you know, tear streak face and her disheveled hair. And everyone in Rome just goes completely berserk with grief and anger because they blame Piso for his death.

Quite analogous to kind of the Princess Diana situation, which Agrippina then massively ramps up by returning to Rome, holding the urn with Germanicus ashes in it, kind of walking into Rome, clutching it with her, you know, tear streak face and her disheveled hair. And everyone in Rome just goes completely berserk with grief and anger because they blame Piso for his death.

And this anger also kind of involves Tiberius because they think that Tiberius isn't showing adequate grief. So rather like with the queen. Yeah, exactly. So Piso ends up committing suicide because he knows that basically he's doomed. And Tiberius, who is not a sentimental man at all, views it with utter contempt in a kind of Duke of Edinburgh style perspective.

And this anger also kind of involves Tiberius because they think that Tiberius isn't showing adequate grief. So rather like with the queen. Yeah, exactly. So Piso ends up committing suicide because he knows that basically he's doomed. And Tiberius, who is not a sentimental man at all, views it with utter contempt in a kind of Duke of Edinburgh style perspective.

And this anger also kind of involves Tiberius because they think that Tiberius isn't showing adequate grief. So rather like with the queen. Yeah, exactly. So Piso ends up committing suicide because he knows that basically he's doomed. And Tiberius, who is not a sentimental man at all, views it with utter contempt in a kind of Duke of Edinburgh style perspective.

And so it's no wonder that he and Agrippina don't get on, having had that kind of, you know, that kind of relationship. And of course, in due course, Agrippina ends up dead and Caligula's two eldest brothers end up dead, presumably on Tiberius's orders. So... The whole Germanicus story ends very, very sadly with Caligula's two eldest brothers having been eliminated by Tiberius.

And so it's no wonder that he and Agrippina don't get on, having had that kind of, you know, that kind of relationship. And of course, in due course, Agrippina ends up dead and Caligula's two eldest brothers end up dead, presumably on Tiberius's orders. So... The whole Germanicus story ends very, very sadly with Caligula's two eldest brothers having been eliminated by Tiberius.

And so it's no wonder that he and Agrippina don't get on, having had that kind of, you know, that kind of relationship. And of course, in due course, Agrippina ends up dead and Caligula's two eldest brothers end up dead, presumably on Tiberius's orders. So... The whole Germanicus story ends very, very sadly with Caligula's two eldest brothers having been eliminated by Tiberius.

He is now the sole surviving son of Germanicus and the sole surviving great grandson of Augustus, which makes him the obvious successor to Tiberius, which in turn makes his position very, very exposed and precarious.

He is now the sole surviving son of Germanicus and the sole surviving great grandson of Augustus, which makes him the obvious successor to Tiberius, which in turn makes his position very, very exposed and precarious.

He is now the sole surviving son of Germanicus and the sole surviving great grandson of Augustus, which makes him the obvious successor to Tiberius, which in turn makes his position very, very exposed and precarious.

Well, I think it's slightly more complicated than that because essentially the idea is that it's perfectly legitimate for an aristocrat to succeed to the estate and the fortune and the titles and the glory of his ancestors. No one has a problem with that.

Well, I think it's slightly more complicated than that because essentially the idea is that it's perfectly legitimate for an aristocrat to succeed to the estate and the fortune and the titles and the glory of his ancestors. No one has a problem with that.