WI: Postumus Agrippa Succeeded Augustus?

The son of Augustus's right hand man, Posthumus Agrippa was born in 12 BC, the same year of Marcus Agrippa's death. He was the designated heir upon the death of Lucius and then Gaius Caesar. Tacitus describes him as, " the young, physically tough, indeed brutish, Agrippa Postumus. Though devoid of every good quality, he had been involved in no scandal "

For reasons that are obscure, Posthumus was exiled in 9 AD and then executed after Augustus's death. So my question to you kind folk, what could be the effects of Postumus succeeding Augustus instead of Tiberius?
 
There is a problem : what do you do with Germanicus ?

He was Augustus' chosen heir : Augustus forced Tiberius to adopt Germanicus so that Germanicus become Princeps after Tiberius.

And since Tiberius was born in 42 BCE, nobody guessed that he would live so old (78 years old). Tiberius was expected to rule no more than 10 years.
 
There is a problem : what do you do with Germanicus ?

He was Augustus' chosen heir : Augustus forced Tiberius to adopt Germanicus so that Germanicus become Princeps after Tiberius.

And since Tiberius was born in 42 BCE, nobody guessed that he would live so old (78 years old). Tiberius was expected to rule no more than 10 years.

Well Postumus was the successor from the time of Lucius and Gaius Caesar's death to the time of his exile in 9 AD. Tiberius was second in the line of succession at that point, and I believe Germanicus was third.
 
No. He was disgraced as soon as 6 AD, and he was never made consul by Augustus.

That makes very weakness pieces of evidence that Augustus Everest wanted him as heir.

Being a grandson does not need being the rightful heir.

My (and not only mine) guess is that as soon as Gaius Caesar's death in 4 AD and on later than 6 AD, Augustus' choice for heir was the husband of his favourite grand daughter Agrippina.

There are letters of Augustus to his grand daughter, asking news of her children's health. Augustus cherished the children of Germanicus and Agrippina because he considered as the future of his lineage.
 
No. He was disgraced as soon as 6 AD, and he was never made consul by Augustus.

That makes very weakness pieces of evidence that Augustus Everest wanted him as heir.

Being a grandson does not need being the rightful heir.

My (and not only mine) guess is that as soon as Gaius Caesar's death in 4 AD and on later than 6 AD, Augustus' choice for heir was the husband of his favourite grand daughter Agrippina.

There are letters of Augustus to his grand daughter, asking news of her children's health. Augustus cherished the children of Germanicus and Agrippina because he considered as the future of his lineage.
Regardless, why didn't Augustus place Germanicus as his successor? He was 29 at the time of Augustus's death.
 
Germanicus was in fact 28 : there was no zero year and in the ancient christian calender, year +1 came immediatly after year -1.

Having such a young man become Princeps was too overtly monarchical for Augustus who pretended having reestablished the Republic.
And Germanicus still had to be tested.
At last, Germanicus was not directly from Augustus' blood : he was only his grand nephew.
Things might have been different for Gaius or Lucius.
 
Germanicus was in fact 28 : there was no zero year and in the ancient christian calender, year +1 came immediatly after year -1.

Having such a young man become Princeps was too overtly monarchical for Augustus who pretended having reestablished the Republic.
And Germanicus still had to be tested.
At last, Germanicus was not directly from Augustus' blood : he was only his grand nephew.
Things might have been different for Gaius or Lucius.

So who would be Augustus's successor had Tiberius died or remained in Rhodes?
 
of the top of my head I can only name the future emperor Claudius, as blood or adopted family of Augustus that were not Children when tiberius was in Rhodes, and he wasn't going to get picked over germanicus or Postumus or really anyone else
 
of the top of my head I can only name the future emperor Claudius, as blood or adopted family of Augustus that were not Children when tiberius was in Rhodes, and he wasn't going to get picked over germanicus or Postumus or really anyone else

Claudius was also Germanicus's younger brother....
 
The son of Augustus's right hand man, Posthumus Agrippa was born in 12 BC, the same year of Marcus Agrippa's death. He was the designated heir upon the death of Lucius and then Gaius Caesar. Tacitus describes him as, " the young, physically tough, indeed brutish, Agrippa Postumus. Though devoid of every good quality, he had been involved in no scandal "

For reasons that are obscure, Posthumus was exiled in 9 AD and then executed after Augustus's death. So my question to you kind folk, what could be the effects of Postumus succeeding Augustus instead of Tiberius?

The immediate effects would be the destruction of Tiberius, Germanicus and Drusus Castor, all three being far too dangerous to let live. His sister Julia the Younger and her husband Lucius Aemilius Paullus would live, as would Paullus Fabius Maximus and his wife Marcia (a great-niece of Julius Caesar and Augustus' cousin) who OTL were killed for betraying Augustus' plans to Livia.

Most likely wife for Agrippa would be his cousin Livilla, the sister of Germanicus, and the widow of Gaius Caesar (his brother) and Drusus Caesar (son of Tiberius), by whom she had a son and daughter.

Until Agrippa married, his heirs would be his nephew Lepidus, although popular opinion and Livia would no doubt favor Germanicus' three sons (Nero, Drusus and Gaius Caligula). Livilla might pressure him to make his step-son heir instead.
 
The immediate effects would be the destruction of Tiberius, Germanicus and Drusus Castor, all three being far too dangerous to let live. His sister Julia the Younger and her husband Lucius Aemilius Paullus would live, as would Paullus Fabius Maximus and his wife Marcia (a great-niece of Julius Caesar and Augustus' cousin) who OTL were killed for betraying Augustus' plans to Livia.

Most likely wife for Agrippa would be his cousin Livilla, the sister of Germanicus, and the widow of Gaius Caesar (his brother) and Drusus Caesar (son of Tiberius), by whom she had a son and daughter.

Until Agrippa married, his heirs would be his nephew Lepidus, although popular opinion and Livia would no doubt favor Germanicus' three sons (Nero, Drusus and Gaius Caligula). Livilla might pressure him to make his step-son heir instead.
Did I ever mention I love your TL so much because of how in depth you get with the inter workings of the imperial family? :D
 
The immediate effects would be the destruction of Tiberius, Germanicus and Drusus Castor, all three being far too dangerous to let live. His sister Julia the Younger and her husband Lucius Aemilius Paullus would live, as would Paullus Fabius Maximus and his wife Marcia (a great-niece of Julius Caesar and Augustus' cousin) who OTL were killed for betraying Augustus' plans to Livia.

Most likely wife for Agrippa would be his cousin Livilla, the sister of Germanicus, and the widow of Gaius Caesar (his brother) and Drusus Caesar (son of Tiberius), by whom she had a son and daughter.

Until Agrippa married, his heirs would be his nephew Lepidus, although popular opinion and Livia would no doubt favor Germanicus' three sons (Nero, Drusus and Gaius Caligula). Livilla might pressure him to make his step-son heir instead.
Tiberius was surely too dangerous to let him live and maybe also his son Drusus Caesar but I do not think who also Germanicus (cousin and also brother-in-law of Agrippa) must necessarily die and he (as Agrippa Postumus) has a direct blood relation with Augustus (being a grandson of Octavia) and was a valiant and much loved general with small personal ambition to rule and being husband of Agrippa elder sister can the heir designated before the birth of his nephews ...
 
So maybe Posthumus pulls a tiberius and gets someone to poison Germanicus?

Difficult. Germanicus was perfectly aware that many people would be served by his death. He kept a close guard. On the other hand, his OTL death might have been poison, so it would have been possible.

Cheers,
Ganesha
 
Tiberius was surely too dangerous to let him live and maybe also his son Drusus Caesar but I do not think who also Germanicus (cousin and also brother-in-law of Agrippa) must necessarily die and he (as Agrippa Postumus) has a direct blood relation with Augustus (being a grandson of Octavia) and was a valiant and much loved general with small personal ambition to rule and being husband of Agrippa elder sister can the heir designated before the birth of his nephews ...

Regarding Germanicus' "small ambition to rule"--while the Roman historians go out of their way to emphasize this, it's usually while mentioning actions that suggest just the opposite. (To put it simply--they needed their heroes, and guys who died before actually becoming emperor--and thus contemptible--were perfect, even when they weren't.) Throw him in this situation...

Yeah, Postumus has got a problem. A BIG problem. With an army.
 
Tiberius was surely too dangerous to let him live and maybe also his son Drusus Caesar but I do not think who also Germanicus (cousin and also brother-in-law of Agrippa) must necessarily die and he (as Agrippa Postumus) has a direct blood relation with Augustus (being a grandson of Octavia) and was a valiant and much loved general with small personal ambition to rule and being husband of Agrippa elder sister can the heir designated before the birth of his nephews ...

There can only be one. Family connections didn't make much difference to the Julio-Claudians. Germanicus as an adult Caesar, famous general, son of the famous general Drusus of late memory, descended from the patrician families of the Julii, Claudii Pulchri and Claudii Nerones, would pose a constant threat to the security of Agrippa Postumus, a man whose father was a complete newcomer, a municipal! Germanicus' blood connection to Mark Antony make him a risk in the East, where many had fond memories and loyalty to the Antony's, and his Julian wife and abundant brood of children would only make him a superior candidacy for the Principate.
 
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