On This Day In Roman History, March 4
Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, at the age of 14, is given the title Princeps Iuventutis (Leader of Youth) on March 4, 51 CE. This term can be traced into the late Republican era and was given originally to young men who showed leadership capabilities in their youth. The later use of this phrase, especially in regards to late Imperial use of the phrase, designates the heir to the Emperor. The ideal images for these titles youths can be found on coinage commemorating the title onto Agrippa's two sons, in which two men appear with honorary shields and weapons.
Did you know?
When Nero was proclaimed an adult with his newfound title in 51, the public probably responded positively to the decision due to the simple fact Nero was very tall at this age. It is reported he was also irregularly strong and built for his age and this helped him to overshadow his competition and stepbrother, Britannicus.
Pictured: The mentioned coin depicting Lucius Julius Caesar and his brother Gaius Julius Caesar. Sons of Agrippa. Photo by Wikipedia user sailko, via Wikimedia Commons.
Both of these boys died very early in the careers from reported illnesses. It is speculated that foul play may have been involved at the hands of the infamous Roman poisoner, Livia.
Opinion
Welcome to my daily opinion! If you have noticed the last two posts have been pretty short, fear not! I am simply on vacation and gave myself a little break by selecting some smaller topics and having them auto-upload while I am gone. This term (Princeps Iuventutis) was specifically difficult to research and doesn't seem to pop up much. I will instead express my opinion on the two sons I mentioned. I really don't think Livia had anything to do with this. People died in antiquity due to illness at a staggering rate. To think two sons of Agrippa could have both fell ill on their travels of early military experience makes sense, which is probably this is exactly what happened. Ancient writers are very trigger happy to point the finger at Livia for a magnitude of stuff she probably just had nothing to do with; these boys fall right into this category.
Hope you had an enjoyable read the last two days, I can assure you I am enjoying Ohio's Hocking Hills this very minute!
Sources
Cicero, M. T., & Rackham, H. (2006). Cicero. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press.
Mommsen, T., Demandt, B., Demandt, A., & Wiedemann, T. (1999). A history of Rome under the emperors. London: Routledge.
Rosen, M. D. (1928). The life of Nero, based on literary sources and on his coins. Berkeley.
Further Reading:
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