WI: Augustus Retires

I had been thinking about this for quite a while. What if Augustus retired and appointed someone as emperor (Tiberius I guess). Could this then set a precedent of emperors retiring and thus severely curbing the succession problems the empire would experience after the suicide of Nero and beyond? Would Augustus even do this?

Alternatively, what other ways could Augustus help make succession less problematic.
 
I had been thinking about this for quite a while. What if Augustus retired and appointed someone as emperor (Tiberius I guess). Could this then set a precedent of emperors retiring and thus severely curbing the succession problems the empire would experience after the suicide of Nero and beyond? Would Augustus even do this?

Alternatively, what other ways could Augustus help make succession less problematic.

Good emperors who appointed bad ones can bitch slap them and appoint someone else. (Marcus Aurelius and Commodus for example)
 
I had been thinking about this for quite a while. What if Augustus retired and appointed someone as emperor (Tiberius I guess). Could this then set a precedent of emperors retiring and thus severely curbing the succession problems the empire would experience after the suicide of Nero and beyond? Would Augustus even do this?

Alternatively, what other ways could Augustus help make succession less problematic.


Thats a different but not bad idea. Something similar was done in Japan, in which an Emperor would abdicate in favor of his heir, who was usually underage, and would act as Regent and eventually a close adviser.

So the idea isn't new and could work. Alternatively, Augustus could have assosiated Tiberious (or homever would be the heir) with the throne much earlier, live how Byzantine Emperors would name their successors as Co-Emperor.
 
Thats a different but not bad idea. Something similar was done in Japan, in which an Emperor would abdicate in favor of his heir, who was usually underage, and would act as Regent and eventually a close adviser.

So the idea isn't new and could work. Alternatively, Augustus could have assosiated Tiberious (or homever would be the heir) with the throne much earlier, live how Byzantine Emperors would name their successors as Co-Emperor.

I am not all to sure Augustus would do it though. He tried to keep up the facade that it was still a republic so much, that he went ridiculously out of his way to do it. Appointing a successor while still alive might seem too much.

But then again, it isn't out of the ballpark. I'm torn.
 
Well Augustus did sort of do this, although he never formally abdicated. Tiberius had been associated as a sort of Co-Emperor for many years prior to Augustus' death. He held extra-ordinary powers and was second only to Augustus himself. In the later years Tiberius was practically Emperor but still acted in Augustus' name, like with the organisation of the Census which occurred roughly when Augustus started to die (and Augustus was in no shape to assist). From memory Tiberius had to cancel a trip to Dalmatia associated with this purpose to be by Augustus' side.

Also Marcus Aurelius did a similar thing with Commodus and started to associate him as a Co-Emperor. Remember Commodus actually started out OK, he just descended into silliness and, according to Gibbons at least, surrounded himself with bad advisors.
 
For whatever reason, Tiberius was never Augustus' first choice though. It was only due to Drusus' chance death, (i.e. falling off his horse) that Tiberius was finally acknowledged as Augustus' heir.
 
For whatever reason, Tiberius was never Augustus' first choice though. It was only due to Drusus' chance death, (i.e. falling off his horse) that Tiberius was finally acknowledged as Augustus' heir.

Didn't Tiberius through a hissy fit at one point, putting him on Augustus' bad side?

If anything, I feel like Augustus picked Tiberius because he had few other options left.
 
Didn't Tiberius through a hissy fit at one point, putting him on Augustus' bad side?

If anything, I feel like Augustus picked Tiberius because he had few other options left.

Yeah I can't remember why but at one point he resigned all his offices and went off to Rhodes. Tiberius was only picked because all the other heirs were dead.
 
It's not a bad idea, it even has a vaguely 'republican' feel that would appeal to Augustus (i.e. it's not a proper monarchical succession). I don't think it would necessarily cause greater stability in long term. I don't think it would prevent the infrequent dynastic coups of the Principate. And revolving door coups didn't really set in until the Third Century, and I don't think that a culture of abdication would necessarily improve that.
 
Yeah I can't remember why but at one point he resigned all his offices and went off to Rhodes. Tiberius was only picked because all the other heirs were dead.
I think the reason was that two people had recently been named heir and died soon after and he didn't feel like dying.

Anyway many of the emperors who went crazy were quite reasonable at first and before gaining power, so most would probably just wait for the last guy to croak before going nuts, and then probably never retiring on their own.
 
Augustus' bid for imperial power hinged on him essentially pretending to resign to either manipulate the senate into affirming his power or the people into thinking that he was necessary to keep them safe. A pod with him genuinely resigning instead of only saying he would to gain more power would e interesting. In his one autobiographical work where he listed his achievements (Res Augustae or something) he included restoring the Republic. It was propaganda but if he ha genuinely resigned at the moment he was sort of referring to it might've been restored in some way.
At any rate, when he was emperor Tiberius was usually his last pick for heir. Off the top of my head, Agrippa, a couple others, an his grandchildren Gaius and Lucius were all before Tiberius. Augustus simply lived longer than he himself expected and most of his heirs therefore died first. So the imperial succession would probably be quite different.
 
Augustus heirs was: his nephew Marcellus (only son of Octavia, first husband of Julia Major), Agrippa (second husband of Julia) Gaius Caesar (eldest son of Julia and Agrippa), Lucius Caesar (second son of Julia and Agrippa) and then Tiberius but AQugustus liked both Drusus (younger son of Livia and husband of Antonia Minor, youngest daughter of Octavia) and his son Germanicus much more than Tiberius and if Drusus not die he will be the heir or if Augustus after his grandsons' deaths do not think who he also will die shortly is almost sure who he will named heir directly his great-nephew, grandson-in-law and step-grandson Germanicus (Germanicus was grandson of both Livia and Octavia and his wife Agrippina Major was granddaughter of Augustus). OTL the reason for the adoption of Tiberius was who Augustus was sure he will be dead very soon and Germanicus was too young for reign and thus the Emperor decide to adopt his eldest stepson (and uncle of Germanicus) as heir and forced him to adopt his nephew as heir.
 
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