Bust of Nero Claudius Drusus, in the Musée du Cinquantinaire, Brussels

Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, born Decimus Claudius Drusus and variously called Drusus, Drusus I, Drusus Claudius Nero, or Drusus the Elder (14 January 38 - 9 BC) was the youngest son of Livia, wife of Augustus, and her first husband, Tiberius Claudius Nero, and was thus a patrician Claudian on both sides. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 131 KB)Bust of Drusus the Elder (Nero Claudius Drusus), in the Musée du Cinquantinaire, Brussels Image by ChrisO File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 131 KB)Bust of Drusus the Elder (Nero Claudius Drusus), in the Musée du Cinquantinaire, Brussels Image by ChrisO File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Nickname: Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Coordinates: Country Belgium Region Brussels-Capital Region Founded 979 Founded (Region) June 18, 1989 Government  - Mayor (Municipality) Freddy Thielemans Area  - Region 162 km²  (62. ... Drusus Claudius Nero is the name of two prominent Roman citizens. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 43 BC 42 BC 41 BC 40 BC 39 BC 38 BC 37 BC 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC - 0s BC - 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s 14 BC 13 BC 12 BC 11 BC 10 BC 9 BC 8 BC 7 BC 6 BC 5 BC 4 BC Events... Livia Drusilla, after 14 AD called Julia Augusta (Classical Latin: LIVIA•DRVSILLA, later IVLIA•AVGVSTA[1]) (58 BC-AD 29) was the wife of Caesar Augustus (also known as Octavian) and the most powerful woman in the early Roman Empire, acting several times as regent and being Augustus faithful advisor. ... For other uses, see Augustus (disambiguation). ... Tiberius Claudius Nero (c. ...

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== Birth

Drusus was born shortly before Livia divorced Tiberius Claudius Nero and married Augustus (17 January, 38 BC), giving rise to rumors that Augustus was the real father, although this is widely discredited by modern historians as Augustus had not yet met Livia when Drusus would have been conceived. Before Augustus married Livia, Tiberius Claudius Nero was declared Drusus' biological father. According to Suetonius, he was born with the praenomen Decimus, but it was later changed to Nero. He was raised in Claudius Nero's house with his brother, the future emperor Tiberius, until his father's death. Drusus and Tiberius developed a famously close relationship in this environment that would last the rest of their lives. Tiberius named his eldest son after his brother (in violation of Roman naming standards), and Drusus did likewise. Livia Drusilla, after 14 AD called Julia Augusta (Classical Latin: LIVIA•DRVSILLA, later IVLIA•AVGVSTA[1]) (58 BC-AD 29) was the wife of Caesar Augustus (also known as Octavian) and the most powerful woman in the early Roman Empire, acting several times as regent and being Augustus faithful advisor. ... Tiberius Claudius Nero (c. ... For other uses, see Augustus (disambiguation). ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 43 BC 42 BC 41 BC 40 BC 39 BC 38 BC 37 BC 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC... Rumours is a rock and roll album released by Fleetwood Mac in 1977. ... The Twelve Caesars is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire. ... In the Roman naming convention used in ancient Rome, male names typically contain three proper nouns which are classified as praenomen (or given name), nomen gentile (or Gens name) and cognomen. ... Tiberius Caesar Augustus, born Tiberius Claudius Nero (November 16, 42 BC – March 16 AD 37), was the second Roman Emperor, from the death of Augustus in AD 14 until his own death in 37. ...

Marriage

Drusus married Antonia Minor, the daughter of Mark Antony and Augustus's sister, Octavia Minor, and gained a reputation of being completely faithful to her. Their children were Germanicus, Livilla, the future Emperor Claudius, and at least two others who did not survive infancy. After Drusus' death, Antonia never remarried, though she outlived him by nearly 5 decades. Julia Antonia Cretica Minor (the younger) (31 January 36 BC - September/October 37 AD) or Antonia the Younger or simply known as Antonia. ... Bust of Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (Latin: M·ANTONIVS·M·F·M·N[1]) ( January 14 83 BC – August 1, 30 BC), known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. ... Octavia Minor (69 - 11 BC), also known as Octavia the Younger or simply Octavia, was the sister of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, and half sister of Octavia Thurina Major. ... Germanicus Julius Caesar (24 May 15 BC–October 10, 19 AD) was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty of the early Roman Empire. ... (Claudia) Livia Julia (Classical Latin: LIVIA•IVLIA[1]), most commonly known by her family nickname of Livilla (the little Livia) (circa 13 BC–AD 31) was the only daughter of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia. ... For other persons named Claudius, see Claudius (disambiguation). ...

Augustus bestowed many honors on his step-sons. In 19 BC, Drusus was granted the ability to hold all public offices 5 years before the minimum age. When Tiberius left Italy during his term as praetor in 16 BC, Drusus legislated in his place. He became quaestor the following year, fighting against Raetian bandits in the alps. Drusus repelled them, gaining honors, but was unable to smash their forces, and required reinforcement from Tiberius. The brothers easily defeated the local Alpine tribes. In 13 BC, Drusus was sent to govern Gaul to quell riots caused by the actions of a previous administrator. While there, a tribe of Germans entered Gaul and proceeded to attack Roman settlements. Drusus mobilized his legions and beat the invaders back across the Rhine. He penetrated deep into German territory, traveling as far as the North Sea and placing a yearly tribute on the Frisians. As a reward, Drusus was made praetor urbanus for 11 BC. Languages in Iron Age Italy, 6th century BC Raetic or Rhaetic is a largely obscure language of antiquity, which used to be spoken in the province of Raetia, in the Eastern Alps, to the north and west of Venetic. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... The Rhine (Dutch: ; French: ; German: ; Italian: ; Romansh: ) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe at 1,320 kilometres (820 miles), with an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... The Frisians are an ethnic group of northwestern Europe, inhabiting an area known as Frisia. ... // Definition According to Cicero, Praetor was a title which designated the consuls as the leaders of the armies of the state. ...

Drusus did not have it in him to stay in Rome. In the spring of his term, he set out for the German border once more. He pushed once more into the territory of the various German tribes, only stopping at the onset of winter. He was attacked while making his way back to Roman territory, but managed to rout the German force. His troops proclaimed him Imperator and he was granted triumphal ornaments, as well as the office of proconsul for the following year. In 10 BC, the Chatti joined with the Sicambri and attacked Drusus' camp, but were easily defeated. Drusus then went to meet Augustus and Tiberius in Lugdunum (at which point Claudius was born), and traveled with them to Rome. He was easily elected Consul for 9 BC, but once more left the city before assuming office. He once again smashed the Chatti, and then began a campaign against the Marcomanni, but was turned back across the Rhine. Drusus died soon after in consequence of a fall from a horse, lingering on for a month after the accident, by which point Tiberius had joined him. Suetonius reports that he had refused to return to Rome just before his death. Drusus' body was brought back to the city, and his ashes were deposited in the "Mausoleum of Augustus." He remained extremely popular with the legionaries, who erected a monument in Moguntiacum (modern Mainz) on his behalf. His family was granted the hereditary honorific "Germanicus", which was given to his eldest son before passing to his youngest. Augustus later wrote a biography of him which did not survive. The Chatti (also Catti) were an ancient Germanic tribe settled in central and northern Hesse and southern Lower Saxony, along the upper reaches of the Weser river and in the valleys and mountains of the Eder, Fulda and Werra river regions, a district approximately corresponding to Hesse-Cassel, though probably... The Germanic tribe of the Sicambri (var. ... Colonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum (modern: Lyon) was an important Roman city in Gaul. ... Consul (abbrev. ... The Chatti (also Catti) were an ancient Germanic tribe settled in central and northern Hesse and southern Lower Saxony, along the upper reaches of the Weser river and in the valleys and mountains of the Eder, Fulda and Werra river regions, a district approximately corresponding to Hesse-Cassel, though probably... The Marcomanni were a Germanic tribe, probably related to the Suebi or Suevi. ... This is a list of people and fictional characters who had severe injuries, or died from accidents related with horses. ... The Twelve Caesars is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire. ... Roman legionaries, 1st century. ... Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. ...

Biological Father

Evidence that Augustus was the biological father of Drusus

Augustus was infamous for being chronically "sickly" (although he lived to be 75), and records of the symptoms he suffered from match those of Wilson's disease, an autosomal recessive genetic disease. Wilsons disease or hepatolenticular degeneration is an autosomal recessive hereditary disease, with an incidence of about 1 in 30,000 in most parts of the world and a male preponderance. ... An autosome is a non-sex chromosome. ... In genetics, the term recessive gene refers to an allele that causes a phenotype (visible or detectable characteristic) that is only seen in a homozygous genotype (an organism that has two copies of the same allele). ...

Tiberius was already 4 when Augustus married Livia, while she supposedly was already pregnant with Drusus. Drusus' son was Germanicus, and Germanicus married Agrippina the Elder. Their son was Caligula. Caligula, often called "the Mad Emperor", was affected by more severe symptoms that match with Wilson's disease; apart from the intestinal problems and immune system weakness of Augustus, he was mentally unstable and suffered from psychosis. Germanicus Julius Caesar (24 May 15 BC–October 10, 19 AD) was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty of the early Roman Empire. ... Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (August 31, 12 – January 24, 41), more commonly known by his nickname Caligula, was the third Roman Emperor and a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from 37 to 41. ... Psychosis is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a loss of contact with reality. Stedmans Medical Dictionary defines psychosis as a severe mental disorder, with or without organic damage, characterized by derangement of personality and loss of contact with reality and causing deterioration...

Because Wilson's disease is recessive autosomal, each of his parents would have to have been a latent carrier for the disease. It is entirely possible that Agrippina inherited the allele for Wilson's disease from her grandfather Augustus, but the only way Caligula could have Wilson's disease is if his father Germanicus was also a carrier. As it is a rare disease, it is unlikely that Germanicus inherited it from his normal-type mother. Thus Germanicus had to have been given the allele by Drusus, and the only way that Drusus could have the allele for Wilson's disease is if he got it from his biological parent: Augustus. This linkage shows that Augustus was Drusus' biological father. For the hard rock band, see Allele (band). ...

Nero also probably suffered from Wilson's disease, and he was the son of Caligula's sister Agrippina the Younger and Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus. Claudius, brother of Germanicus, probably also suffered symptoms of Wilson's disease, lending further proof to the genetic mapping. (Compare this pedigree to that of, say, the presence of the hemophilia gene in the monarchs of Europe descended from Queen Victoria). For other uses, see Nero (disambiguation). ... Julia Agrippina (Classical Latin: IVLIA•AGRIPPINA; from the year 50, called IVLIA•AVGVSTA•AGRIPPINA[1]), most commonly known as Agrippina Minor or Agrippina the Younger (November 6, 15 – March 59), was the daughter of Germanicus and Agrippina Major. ... Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus (11 December 17 BC - January 40 AD) was a close relative to the Roman Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. ... For other persons named Claudius, see Claudius (disambiguation). ... Haemophilia or hemophilia is the name of any of several hereditary genetic illnesses that impair the bodys ability to control bleeding. ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 May 1876, until her death on 22 January 1901. ...

Evidence that Augustus was not the biological father of Drusus

Augustus never acknowledged Drusus as his son, he didn't even adopt him. He believed he only had one known biological child, Julia the Elder, his daughter by Scribonia. She gave birth to the five grandchildren (3 boys, 2 girls), whom he adopted as his heirs. After the deaths of 2 of his grandsons by Julia, and the banishment of the third, Augustus never moved to adopt Drusus' sons, Germanicus and Claudius. They were nearly the same age as Julia's sons (Germanicus was older than Postumus), and would have been his illegitimate grandsons if he were Drusus' father. Instead Augustus chose the much older Tiberius, who was definitely not related by blood, as sole heir and invested him with the powers of principate. Augustus seems to have had Tiberius adopt Germanicus as heir because of the latter's marriage to his granddaughter Agrippina (the last of Augustus' living grandchildren not in disgrace), and not because of any secret blood relationship. To meet Wikipedias quality standards and to make a clear distinction between fact and fiction, this article may require cleanup. ... Scribonia (70 BC/68 BC-16) was the daughter of Lucius Scribonius Libo and Cornelia Sulla, the granddaughter of Pompey the Great and Lucius Cornelius Sulla. ...

Augustus and Livia were married for 51 years and both young when they married. Augustus was 25 and Livia was 19 but they never had children after their marriage. It may have been that Augustus and Livia were incapable of having their own children together. They had both successfully had children with other people (Augustus had Julia with Scribonia and Livia had Tiberius and Drusus with their father) but not with each other. For other uses, see Augustus (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and to make a clear distinction between fact and fiction, this article may require cleanup. ... Scribonia (70 BC/68 BC-16) was the daughter of Lucius Scribonius Libo and Cornelia Sulla, the granddaughter of Pompey the Great and Lucius Cornelius Sulla. ... Livia Drusilla, after 14 AD called Julia Augusta (Classical Latin: LIVIA•DRVSILLA, later IVLIA•AVGVSTA[1]) (58 BC-AD 29) was the wife of Caesar Augustus (also known as Octavian) and the most powerful woman in the early Roman Empire, acting several times as regent and being Augustus faithful advisor. ... Tiberius Caesar Augustus, born Tiberius Claudius Nero (November 16, 42 BC – March 16 AD 37), was the second Roman Emperor, from the death of Augustus in AD 14 until his own death in 37. ...

Iullus Antonius (45 BC-2 BC), also known as Iulus, Julus, Jullus or Julius Antony, was the second son of Mark Antony and his third wife Fulvia. ... The List of Roman Consuls to the Death of Commodus 33 Imperator Caesar Divi filius II, L. Volcacius Tullus 32 Cn. ... Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, c. ... Gaius Asinius Gallus was an ambitious Roman senator with family connections to the Julio-Claudian house. ...

See also

• Arch of Drusus

Arch of Drusus Gate in the Aurelian Wall of Rome, through which the Via Ardeatina or, more generally, the Via Appia, leaves Rome. ...

External links

• Media on Nero Claudius Drusus in the Wikicommons.