Tiberius (Massie novel)

Tiberius is a historical novel by Allan Massie, part of his sequence of novels exploring the lives of the Roman Emperors. Published in 1991, the novel provides a fictionalized account of the life and reign of Tiberius Claudius Nero, the second Roman Emperor, who succeeded Augustus.

The novel aims to portray Tiberius as a complex and often misunderstood figure, offering an alternative perspective to the generally negative portrayals found in ancient historical sources such as Tacitus and Suetonius. Massie's Tiberius explores his military successes, his relationship with Augustus and his stepson Germanicus, his eventual withdrawal to Capri, and the intrigues and power struggles that characterized his reign. The narrative delves into Tiberius's character, examining his perceived stoicism, his intellectual pursuits, and his possible motivations for his increasingly reclusive behavior. The novel emphasizes the pressures and burdens of leadership in the early Roman Empire. It aims to understand the man behind the imperial facade.