Annals I.14

Great too was the Senate's sycophancy to Augusta. Some would have her styled "parent"; others "mother of the country," and a majority proposed that to the name of Caesar should be added "son of Julia." The emperor repeatedly asserted that there must be a limit to the honours paid to women, and that he would observe similar moderation in those bestowed on himself, but annoyed at the invidious proposal, and indeed regarding a woman's elevation as a slight to himself, he would not allow so much as a lictor to be assigned her, and forbade the erection of an altar in memory of her adoption, and any like distinction. But for Germanicus Caesar he asked pro-consular powers, and envoys were despatched to confer them on him, and also to express sympathy with his grief at the death of Augustus. The same request was not made for Drusus, because he was consul elect and present at Rome. Twelve candidates were named for the praetorship, the number which Augustus had handed down, and when the Senate urged Tiberius to increase it, he bound himself by an oath not to exceed it.

So, now, despite Tacitus’ previous claim that Livia was horrible to the state (see I.10), the Senate felt like sucking up to her. To what end? Well, none, because despite Livia being manipulative, she apparantly couldn’t get Tiberius to what she wanted. Germanicus, Tiberius’ adopted son, is given a proconsul powers and Drusus, Tiberius’ real son, is given nothing.

Suspiciously, the whole mother-son relationship between Livia and Tiberius parallels the future adventures of Agrippina the Younger and Emperor Nero too closely. In both of Tacitus’ tales, a manipulative mother (Livia, Agrippina) poisons the emperor (Augustus, Claudius) to put her ungrateful son (Tiberius, Nero) in power who kills the “true” heir (Postumus, Britannicus).

Tacitus is all over the map on Tiberius’ motivations. Is he doing as he pleases, is he doing Augustus’ wishes or is he doing what he needs to do to survive? Dissing his mom against the wishes of the Senate seems to be his wishes. Dissing his son and advancing Germanicus reaffirms Augustus’ wishes. In truth, he’s probably just doing what he can to politically survive. He has to show humility in his line and strengthen the opposition. Tiberius is a Claudian and, while Germanicus is too, he is married to a Julian (Agrippina the Elder). Germanicus and Agrippina's children (i.e. Caligula) represent true unity of the Julians and Claudians while Drusus does not.

Once again, we see that the Emperor is not all powerful