Who was Tiberius Gemellus?
Tiberius Gemellus was the son of Drusus and Livilla, the grandson of the emperor Tiberius, and the cousin of the emperor Caligula. He was born on the 10th of October AD 19 and died in late 37 or early 38.
Questions about Tiberius Gemellus
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why was Tiberius Gemellus called Gemellus?
Gemellus is a nickname meaning "the twin," referring to Tiberius Gemellus's twin brother, Germanicus Gemellus, who died as a young child in AD 23.
How did Tiberius Gemellus become joint heir with Caligula?
After Tiberius Gemellus's father and older cousins died, deaths contemporary sources suspect the praetorian prefect Sejanus orchestrated, the emperor Tiberius named Gemellus and Caligula as joint heirs to his estate in 35.
When did Tiberius Gemellus die and how?
Tiberius Gemellus died in late 37 or early 38 after Caligula ordered him to take his own life. Soldiers gave him a sword and had to help him use it, since he reportedly did not know how.
Why did Caligula have Tiberius Gemellus killed?
Caligula had Tiberius Gemellus put to death after accusing him, according to Cassius Dio, of praying for and anticipating Caligula's death during an illness. Suetonius adds that the smell of Gemellus's cough medicine was mistaken for evidence he had taken a poison antidote.
Who has played Tiberius Gemellus on screen?
Tiberius Gemellus has been played by Douglas Melbourne in the 1976 BBC series I, Claudius, by Bruno Brive in the 1979 film Caligula, and by Leon Wadham in the third season of the Netflix series Roman Empire.