Germanicus Julius Caesar (24 May 15 BC – 10 October AD 19) was an
ancient Roman general and politician most famously known for his campaigns against
Arminius in
Germania. The son of
Nero Claudius Drusus and
Antonia Minor, Germanicus was born into an influential branch of the
patrician gens Claudia. The
agnomen Germanicus was added to his full name in 9 BC when it was posthumously awarded to his father in honor of his victories in Germania. In AD 4 he was adopted by his paternal uncle
Tiberius, himself the stepson and heir of Germanicus' great-uncle
Augustus; ten years later, Tiberius succeeded Augustus as
Roman emperor. As a result of his adoption, Germanicus became an official member of the
gens Julia, another prominent family, to which he was related on his mother's side. His connection to the
Julii Caesares was further consolidated through a marriage between him and
Agrippina the Elder, a granddaughter of Augustus. He was also the father of
Caligula, the maternal grandfather of
Nero, and the older brother of
Claudius. This
bust, depicting Germanicus in AD 4, is in the collection of the
J. Paul Getty Museum.
Sculpture credit: unknown; photographed by J. Paul Getty Museum
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