Characters
Lucius Aelius Sejanus
Lucius Aelius Sejanus, originally an obscure figure, rose to unprecedented power as the emperor's closest confidant, having once sold his love to the wealthy Apicius. Sejanus is unscrupulous in his pursuit of power, employing bribery, seduction, unnatural vice, and murder. His ambition leads him to remove Drusus, who despised him, and Sejanus schemes to seize the emperor’s crown, though Tiberius’s numerous relatives pose a significant obstacle.
Sejanus embodies the theory of “reasons of state,” where a ruler who identifies himself with the state must discard any hesitation towards violence if his authority is threatened. Sejanus aims to transform Tiberius into a hated tyrant by continually stoking his fears and exaggerating threats. His strategy is to make Tiberius taste blood, ensuring he becomes an unstoppable force of cruelty. Sejanus plans to eventually sacrifice Tiberius, presenting himself as the savior of the state. In his own words:
. . . The way to put
A prince in blood, is to present the shapes
Of dangers greater than they are, like late,
Or early shadows and, sometimes, to feign
Where there are none, only to make him fear?
His fear will make him cruel: and once he entered,
He doth not easily learn to stop, or spare
Where he may doubt. This I have made my rule,
To thrust Tiberius into tyranny.
Despite his cunning, Sejanus underestimates Tiberius, who is a more adept manipulator and deceives Sejanus into thinking he holds control. Together, they craft a strategy against Agrippina’s faction, unaware that Tiberius plots his downfall. Ultimately, Sejanus overreaches, underestimating Tiberius's guile, and meets his end at the hands of a mob incited by Macro, the emperor’s new instrument.
Tiberius
Tiberius, the emperor of Rome, is a master of duplicity, feigning respect for political traditions while suppressing laws and stripping citizens of their rights. Despotic by nature, Tiberius describes himself as "the master prince of all the world," embodying the concept of rulers being inscrutable, divinely connected, and unaccountable to their subjects. As he claims:
Princes have still their grounds reared with themselves,
Above the poor low flats of common men,
And, who will search the reasons of their acts,
Must stand on equal bases.
Tiberius is driven by suspicion and self-indulgence, allowing Sejanus to assume much of his duties and power. However, his suspicion is piqued by Sejanus’s proposal to marry Livia, leading him to undermine Sejanus through a letter to the Senate, leaving Sejanus defenseless against Macro's machinations. Tiberius cleverly manipulates Sejanus and Macro against each other, intending to discard both when they are no longer useful.
Quintus Naevius Cordus Sutorius Macro
Quintus Naevius Cordus Sutorius Macro, a scheming politician, is used by Tiberius to destabilize Sejanus. Macro is secretive, understanding human weaknesses, and adept at manipulating outcomes. He rationalizes his actions:
Were it to plot against the fame, the life
Of one, with whom I twinned; remove a wife
From my warm side, as loved as is the air;
Practice sway each parent; draw mine heir
In compass, though but one; work all my kin
To swift perdition; leave no untrained engine,
For friendship, or for innocence; nay, make
The gods all guilty; I would undertake
This, being imposed me, both with gain and ease:
The way to rise is to obey and please.
Macro embraces his role as the emperor’s tool, confident that his acts, sanctioned by Tiberius, gain a veneer of virtue. His ascension signifies the replacement of Sejanus with an even more unscrupulous figure. Macro orchestrates the execution of Sejanus’s innocent children following Sejanus's downfall, illustrating his ruthless nature.
Lucius Arruntius
Lucius Arruntius is...
(This entire section contains 1171 words.)
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a virtuous Roman known for his righteous indignation. Throughout the narrative, he provides a satirical and moral commentary on the events unfolding, despising Sejanus and his followers but holding little hope for reform even after Sejanus’s fall.
Marcus Lepidus
Marcus Lepidus, a grave and honest Roman, earns the admiration of Arruntius. Alongside Arruntius and Marcus Terentius, he reflects on Sejanus’s demise and the persistent corruption in Rome.
Marcus Terentius
Marcus Terentius stands as another noble Roman, offering a final warning against the insatiable lust for power and its reckless use.
Drusus Senior
Drusus Senior, son of Tiberius, is characterized as blunt, angry, and immature. He publicly strikes Sejanus for insolence, only to be murdered by Sejanus out of revenge and political ambition.
Livia
Livia, the wife of Drusus Senior, succumbs to Sejanus’s temptations, becoming his mistress and an accomplice in her husband's assassination. Her actions are ultimately uncovered by Apicata.
Apicata
Apicata, Sejanus's estranged wife, never appears onstage but plays a crucial role in exposing the conspiracy involving Livia and Drusus’s murder. Her grief for her children is palpable, adding depth to her offstage presence.
Eudemus
Eudemus, a barber and physician, is swayed by Sejanus to become an accessory in Livia’s seduction and Drusus’s demise. His unscrupulous nature allows him to be easily corrupted.
Agrippina
Agrippina, the widow of Germanicus, forms the nucleus of a group opposing Sejanus and Tiberius. Her pride and lack of discretion render her a formidable yet flawed adversary.
Caligula
Caligula, the son of Agrippina and Germanicus, seeks refuge with Tiberius on Macro’s advice, further igniting Tiberius’s suspicions of Sejanus.
Drusus Junior
Drusus Junior, another son of Agrippina, is caught in the political machinations swirling around Sejanus’s ambitions.
Nero
Nero, the third son of Agrippina, finds himself arrested at Sejanus’s behest after Caligula's departure to Tiberius.
Gaius Silius
Gaius Silius, part of Agrippina's circle, chooses a stoic end by stabbing himself when accused of treason, refusing to fall victim to Sejanus and Tiberius’s plots.
Sosia
Sosia, Silius’s wife and Agrippina’s ally, is executed following her husband’s suicide.
Cremutius Cordus
Cremutius Cordus, a historian documenting Julius Caesar’s era, faces execution with his works condemned to destruction, prompting Arruntius to fiercely criticize such censorship.
Titius Sabinus
Titius Sabinus, another of Agrippina’s allies, is ensnared and executed after being tricked into criticizing the emperor, his loyal dog following him to a watery grave.
Asinus Gallus
Asinus Gallus, a supporter of Agrippina, falls victim to Sejanus’s devious schemes.
Latiaris
Latiaris, a senator and Sabinus’s cousin, betrays Sabinus only to be crushed in Sejanus’s downfall.
Domitius Afer
Domitius Afer, an orator, serves Sejanus by speaking against Silius and Cordus in the Senate.
Varro
Varro, a consul, joins the Senate’s accusations against Silius, aligning with Sejanus.
Pinnarius Natta, Satrius Secundus, Rufus, Opsius
Pinnarius Natta, Satrius Secundus, Rufus, and Opsius function as spies under Sejanus's employ.
Cotta, Haterius, Sanquinius, Pomponius, Julius Posthumus, Minutius, Fulcinius Trio
The likes of Cotta, Haterius, Sanquinius, Pomponius, Julius Posthumus, Minutius, and Fulcinius Trio are opportunistic supporters of Sejanus, shifting allegiances with the tide of power.
Regulus
Regulus, a consul, remains unfriendly to Sejanus’s cause.
Gracinus Laco
Gracinus Laco, the guard commander, is well-meaning but becomes entangled in the rapid changes of power, facilitating Nero’s arrest and securing the Senate against Sejanus’s escape.
