le Drusus was sent to Illyricum. This prince was the son of
Tiberius by his first wife, Vipsania, and was the cousin of Germanicus. He
was disgraced by the vices of debauchery and cruelty, and was finally
poisoned by his wife, Livilla, at the instance of Sejanus. So long as
Germanicus lived, the court was divided between the parties of Drusus and
Germanicus, and Tiberius artfully held the balance of favor between them,
taking care not to declare which should be his successor. But Drusus was,
probably, the favorite of the emperor, although greatly inferior to the
elder prince in every noble quality. Tiberius, in sending him to
Illyricum, wished to remove him from the dissipations of the capital, and
also, to place a man in that important post who should be loyal to his
authority.

(M1060) In appointing Germanicus to the chief command of the provinces
beyond the AEgean, Tiberius also gave the province of Syria to Cnaeus Piso,
of the illustrious Calpurnian house, one of the proudest and most powerful
of the Roman nobles. His wife, Plancina, was the favorite of Livia,--the
empress-mother,--and he believed himself appointed to the government of
Syria for the purpose of checking the ambitious designs which were imputed
to Germanicus, while his wife was instructed to set up herself as a rival
to Agrippina. The moment Piso quitted Italy, he began to thwart his
superior, and to bring his authority into contempt. Yet he was treated by
Germanicus with marked kindness. After visiting the famous cities of
Greece, Germanicus marched to the frontiers of Armenia to settle its
affairs with the empire--the direct object of his mission. He crowned a
prince, called Zeno, as monarch of that country, reduced Cappadocia, and
visited Egypt, apparently to examine the political affairs of the
province, but really to study its antiquities, even as Scipio had visited
Sicily in the heat of the Punic war. For thus going out of his way, he was
rebuked by the emperor. He then retraced his steps, and shaped his course
to Syria, where he found his regulations and appointments had been
overruled by Piso, between whom and himself bitter altercations ensued.
While in Syria, he fell sick and died, and his illness was attributed to
poison administered by Piso, although there was little evidence to support
the charge.

(M1061) The death of Germanicus was received with great grief by the Roman
people, and the general sorrow of the Roman world, and his praises