Germānĭcus Cæsar

, a son of Drusus and Antonia the niece of August us. He was adopted by his uncle Tiberius, and raised to the most important offices of the state. When his grandfather August us died, he was employed in a war in Germany, and the affection of the soldiers unanimously saluted him emperor. He refused the unseasonable honour, and appeased the tumult which his indifference occasioned. He continued his wars in Germany, and defeated the celebrated Arm in i us, and was rewarded with a triumph at his return to Rome. Tiberius declared him emperor of the east, and sent him to appease the seditions of the Armenians. But the succe of Germanic us in the east was soon looked upon with an envious eye by Tiberius, and his death was meditated. He was secretly poisoned at Daphne near Antioch by Piso, A.D. 19, in the 34th year of his age. The news of his death was received with the greatest grief and the most bitter lamentations, and Tiberius seemed to be the only one who rejoiced in the fall of Germanic us. He had married A grip pin a, by whom he had nine children, one of whom, Caligula, disgraced the name of his illustrious father. Germanic us has been commended not only for his military accomplishments, but also for his learning, humanity, and extensive benevolence. In the midst of war, he devoted some moments to study, and he favoured the world with two Greek comedies, some epigrams, and a translation of Aratus in Latin verse. Suet on i us. ――This name was common in the age of the emperors, not only to those who had obtained victories over the Germans, but even to those who had entered the borders of their country at the head of an army. Domitian applied the name of Germanic us , which he himself had vainly a umed, to the month of September, in honour of himself. Suet on i us , Domitian , ch. 13 .— Martial , bk. 9 , ltr. 2 , li. 4 .