The Libo Drusus case is a fine example of a most negative feature of Tiberius’ reign: the lawsuits on laesa maiestas.4 “During the empire the crimen laesae maiestatis was extended by legalization of physical offence to the imperial dignity”, exposing the personal safety of the emperor and his family.5
Young Drusus was denounced during an effective year for foreign policy, when Germanicus, Tiberius’ adopted son was stopped in his successful German expedition and was ordered to return.
Sub idem tempus e familia Scriboniorum Libo Drusus defertur moliri res novas. Eius negotii initium, ordinem, finem curatius disseram, quia tum primum reperta sunt, quae per tot annos rem publicam exedere, Tac. ann.
2,27,1.
One of Drusus’ confidants (ex intima amicitia) encouraged him to listen to the promises of dream interpreters, the chaldeus, and attend sorcerer ceremonies.
Firmius Catus senator, ex intima Libonis amicitia, iuvenem improvidum et facilem inanibus ad Chaldaeorum promissa, magorum sacra, somniorum etiam interpretes impulit, dum proavom Pompeium. Tac. ann. 2,27,2.
2 CRAMER (1954: 254).
3 CIL 12 (1893: 244) = CIL 9 (1883: 402) = EHRENBERG–JONES (1976: 52).
4 WIEDEMANN (2006: 219).
5 BAGNALL et al. ed. (2012: 4238).
165 This incident reoccurred later and in fact formed the basis of his prosecution. Subsequent to having found the necessary number of witnesses and slaves, the aforementioned senator Firmius Catus6, one of Drusus’ friends, submitted the case to Tiberius via Flaccus Vescularius7, a Roman knight. The emperor awarded Libo the praetorian rank and invited him to a feast. Simultaneously, Libo Drusus was denounced to Fulcinius Trio8, Roman knight and famous delator, who even called a meeting of the senate in relation to an “important and atrocious” case.
Atque interim Libonem ornat praetura, convictibus adhibet, non vultu alienatus, non verbis commotior (adeo iram condiderat); cunctaque eius dicta factaque, cum prohibere posset, scire malebat, donec Iunius […] ad Fulcinium Trionem indicium detulit. […] et vocantur patres, addito consultandum super re magna et atroci. Tac. ann. 2,28,2–3.
Tacitus’ articulation on this matter is certainly ironic9 but I believe he considered this an important case. Unlike Velleius Paterculus, Tacitus never speaks of the possibility of plotting in this case. Libo Drusus desperately sought help from his relatives (circumire domos, Tac. ann.
2,29,1), but, citing various reasons, they did not come to his protection.
Tacitus’ account reveals that Libo Drusus could count only on his brother (L. Scribonius Libo, consul in year A.D. 16) and that he had himself taken to the senate as if he was a sick man, in a sedan-chair (Tac. ann. 2,29,2).
Two other senators (Fonteius Agrippa and Gaius Vibius) joined the denouncers.10 Of the numerous charges against Libo Drusus, Tacitus stresses one: Libo was accused with having an intention to pave the Via Appia with money. This accusation arguably supports, rather than refutes, Libo’s innocence, due to its absurdity.11 Indeed, Seneca also refers to this
6 In A.D. 16 he obtained senatorial status. Later, in A.D. 24, he was excluded from the senate when he was convicted of calumnia. RUTLEDGE (2001: 232).
7 Vescularius Flaccus accompanied Tiberius on the island of Rhodes and later on Capri. He was executed in A.D. 32 for his involvement in Seianus’ plot. BORZSÁK
(1970: 166–167).
8 His name appears first in Tacitus’ discussion of Libo’s trial in A.D. 16. He was already a celebrated talent (celebre ingenium) among accusatores (Tac. ann.
2,28,4) and later he played important roles in other cases (eg. in Piso’s case).
RUTLEDGE (2001: 234–235).
9 BORZSÁK (1970: 167–168).
10 Tacitus names altogether six individuals (delatores) that joined the prosecution:
Firmius Catus, Flaccus Vescularius, Iunius, Fulcinius Trio, Fonteius Agrippa, Gaius Vibius.
11 SEAGER (2005: 75).
Krisztián Márványos
166
charge as nonsensical. This aside, Seneca criticizes Libo Drusus disdainfully for his simplicity.
Scribonia, gravis femina, amita Drusi Libonis fuit, adulescentis tam stolidi quam nobilis, maiora sperantis quam illo saeculo quisquam sperare poterat aut ipse ullo. Sen. ep. 8,70,10.
Tacitus also mentions one of the most serious accusations: that “there were frightening, secret marks on Libo’s hand with the names of the Caesars or senators”:
uni tamen libello manu Libonis nominibus Caesarum aut senatorum additas atroces vel occultas notas accusator arguebat. Tac. ann. 2,30,2.
The phrase uni libello may mean a form of curse or scribble or something of similar interpretation.12 Libo denied that it was his writing, but his slaves recognised it. Presumably, they could not have acted otherwise under torture. Tiberius bridged arising legal difficulties by having the treasury’s prosecutor select and buy the slave witnesses13 so that he could freely investigate them:
et quia vetere senatus consulto quaestio in caput domini prohibebatur, callidus et novi iuris repertor Tiberius mancipari singulos actori publico iubet, scilicet ut in Libonem ex servis salvo senatus consulto quaereretur.
Tac. ann. 2,30,3.
Libo Drusus requested that the case be delayed (comperendinatio) and returned home. Tiberius was adamant and refused to show any sign of leniency.14 His soldiers surrounded Libo’s house (cingebatur interim milite domus, Tac. ann. 2,31,1); the psychological pressure reached its peak. Libo committed suicide in order to escape his hopeless situation.15
Atque illis, dum trepidant, dum refugiunt, evertentibus adpositum mensa lumen, feralibus iam sibi tenebris duos ictus in viscera derexit. Tac. ann.
2,31,2.
The senate then continued the process as usual (adseveratione eadem, Tac.
ann. 2,31,1), and the sovereign reasoned that Libo’s guilt was proven by
12 BORZSÁK (1970: 169).
13 Cassius Dio (55,5,4) (unlike Tacitus) attributes this bypassing of the law Augustus’ innovation. GOODYEAR (1981: 277).
14 GOODYEAR (1981: 278).
15 KOESTERMANN (1955: 90–91).
167 the fact that he had taken his own life. In the third book of Tacitus’ work, in connection with the Clutorius Priscus case (in A.D. 21), Marcus Lepidus worded this in the following way in one of his speeches:
Saepe audivi principem nostrum conquerentem si quis sumpta morte misericordiam eius praevenisset. Tac. ann. 3,50,2.
Libo Drusus’ property was distributed among his accusers (bona inter accusatores dividuntur, Tac. ann. 2,32,1). Restrictive measures were also taken. Most importantly, his picture could not be presented during the burial of his descendants;16 the members of the Scribonius family could not take the name Drusus; thank-offering days were assigned for Jupiter;
and the day of his suicide was declared a holiday.17
When wording his opinion on the submitting of toadies and wrigglers, Tacitus returns to the structure defertur moliri res novas that he used at the beginning of this story, by framing his message in this way: ut sciretur vetus id in re publica malum, ann. 2,32,2. In my opinion, evidence suggests that the senate’s decrees regarding casting out astrologers and sorcerers provide an even larger framework to this case. In that spirit, two additional capital cases (that of Lucius Pituanius and that of Publius Marcius)18 were brought following the case of Libo Drusus.
Facta et de mathematicis magisque Italia pellendis senatus consulta;
quorum e numero L. Pituanius saxo deiectus est, in P. Marcium consules extra portam Esquilinam, cum classicum canere iussissent, more prisco19 advertere. Tac. ann. 2,32,3.