Editing Germanicus (section)

{{short description|Roman general}}
{{other uses}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox royalty
| image        = (Toulouse) Portrait de Germanicus - Musée Saint-Raymond Ra 342 c.jpg
| caption      = {{br entries|Bust of Germanicus|([[Musée Saint-Raymond]])}}
| alt          = White bust
| birth_date   = 24 May 15 BC
| birth_place  = [[Rome]], [[Roman Italy|Italy]]
| death_date   = 10 October AD 19 (aged 33)
| death_place  = [[Antioch]], [[Roman Syria|Syria]]
| burial_place = [[Mausoleum of Augustus]]
| spouse       = [[Agrippina the Elder]]
| issue        = {{ubl|[[Nero Julius Caesar]]|[[Drusus Caesar]]|[[Caligula|Gaius Caesar]]|[[Julia Agrippina]]|[[Julia Drusilla]]|[[Julia Livilla]]}}
| issue-link   = #Family and early life
| issue-pipe   = among others
| full name    = Germanicus Julius Caesar
| dynasty      = [[Julio-Claudian]]
| father       = {{ubl|[[Nero Claudius Drusus]]|[[Tiberius]] (adoptive)}}
| mother       = [[Antonia the Younger]]
| module       = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| battles      = {{ubl|[[Great Illyrian Revolt]]|[[Battle of Idistaviso]]|[[Battle of the Angrivarian Wall]]}}
}}
}}
'''Germanicus Julius Caesar''' (24 May 15 BC – 10 October AD 19) was a [[Roman people|Roman]] general and politician most famously known for his campaigns against [[Arminius]] in [[Germania]]. The son of [[Nero Claudius Drusus]] and [[Antonia the Younger]], Germanicus was born into an influential branch of the [[Patrician (ancient Rome)|patrician]] ''[[gens Claudia]]''. The [[Victory title|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]].

During the reign of Augustus, Germanicus enjoyed an accelerated political career, entering the office of [[quaestor]] five years before the legal age in AD 7. He held that office until AD 11, and was elected [[Roman consul|consul]] for the first time in AD 12. The year after, he was made [[proconsul]] of [[Germania Inferior]], [[Germania Superior]], and all of [[Roman Gaul|Gaul]]. From there he commanded eight [[Roman legion|legions]], about one-third of the entire [[Roman army]] at the time, which he led against the Germanic tribes in his [[Roman campaigns in Germania (12 BC – AD 16)|campaigns]] from AD 14 to 16. He avenged the [[Roman Empire]]'s defeat [[Battle of the Teutoburg Forest|in the Teutoburg Forest]] and retrieved two of the three [[aquila (Roman)|legionary eagles]] that had been lost during the battle. In AD 17, he returned to Rome, where he received a [[Roman triumph|triumph]] before leaving to reorganize the provinces of [[Asia Minor]], whereby he incorporated the provinces of [[Cappadocia (Roman province)|Cappadocia]] and [[Commagene]] in AD 18.

While in the eastern provinces, Germanicus came into conflict with the governor of [[Roman Syria|Syria]], [[Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso (consul 7 BC)|Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso]]. During their feud, Germanicus became ill in [[Antioch]] and died on 10 October AD 19. His death has been attributed to poison by ancient sources, but that was never proven. As a famous general, he was widely popular and regarded as the ideal Roman long after his death.<ref>{{harvnb|Barrett|1993|p=27}}.</ref> To the Roman people, Germanicus was the Roman equivalent of [[Alexander the Great]] due to the nature of his death at a young age, his virtuous character, his dashing physique, and his military renown.<ref name="Barrett20">{{harvnb|Barrett|2015|p=20}}.</ref>