Giving You Sejanus and His Growing Ambition (Roman Prefect of the Praetorian Guard)

Sejanus was a high ranking Roman official who had a notorious rise and fall from power during the reign of Emperor Tiberius. Sejanus was born in 20 BC to one of the upper social class families of Rome from the time of the Old Republic. He was not of the senatorial class families but his relations had ties with such influential people.

Sejanus entered the Praetorian Guard - an elite unit of Roman soldiers formed by Emperor Augustus in 27 BC when the Republic fell and the rule of Emperor’s came about. He entered the elite bodyguard through his father’s influence. In time Sejanus became the Praetorian prefect and a trusted advisor to Emperor Tiberius.

In his capacity as the Praetorian prefect, at age 23, Sejanus exerted a strong influence over the decisions of the emperor, who developed a strong trust in him. He was then raised to praetor which was not a position of his class. He was becoming a social climber.

Sejanus began to get involved in the intrigues of power and many high ranking people were eliminated in near and far places that opened new channels of power for him to ascend.

A widow called Agrippina came to Rome from Syria where her husband had died. His name was Germanicus and he was an opponent to Sejanus’ political ambitions. She tried to get in with other senators who were worried about Sejanus’ growing influence. She attracted the Emperor’s displeasure and the mother of Emperor Tiberius, Livia who was a most formidable lady.

One of Agrippina’s sons was a young man called Caligula. He and his brothers were regarded by Sejanus as threats to his ambitions of power. Caligula would one day become Emperor and his four-year reign would be most feared by the noble families of Rome.

In this time, however, Sejanus was trying to marry above his class into one of the ruling families. He had divorced his wife and was trying to get himself into a position of succession to the Emperor’s throne, but Tiberius became suddenly alarmed that Sejanus was getting above his station in life.

Sejanus backed off but persuaded Emperor Tiberius to live on the island of Capri under the protection of his Praetorian guard. He could then control all information coming from Tiberius and to him.

When Tiberius’ mother Livia died Sejanus became bolder and moved upon all those that might oppose him. Among them, Agrippina and two of her three sons perished. Caligula managed to escape the roundup.

Sejanus, unofficially, was sharing power with the old Emperor who was on his island retreat in Capri. With, what he thought, was the complete elimination of opposition Sejanus became careless. He believed his position was unassailable. Emperor Tiberius was little more than a puppet. Sejanus needed to find a way to make himself completely legitimate and only marriage into the ruling family would do that.

It is not known absolutely how, but Tiberius struck and brought Sejanus to an untimely end. How he became knowledgeable to Sejanus’ ambitions is not clear but he must have begun to have his suspicions over time.

Sejanus was arrested at the Senate when he appeared to receive an appropriation of new powers. His Praetorian guard was replaced and he was interned. A short time later, Sejanus was executed by strangulation and thrown traditionally onto the Gemonian stairs where the Roman mob tore the corpse to pieces. So ended Sejanus and his dark ambition of imperial rule over the Roman Empire.

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