Born Tiberius Claudius Nero; son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla; he became step-son of Octavian (later to become Augustus; first emperor of Rome) after his mother was forced to divorce Nero and marry him.

Tiberius would eventually marry Augustus' daughter from his previous marriage; Julia the Elder; and later be adopted by Augustus; officially becoming a Julian; bearing the name Tiberius Julius Caesar.

In relations to the other emperors of this dynasty; Tiberius was the stepson of Augustus; grand-uncle of Caligula; paternal uncle of Claudius; and great-grand uncle of Nero.

Tiberius was one of Rome's greatest generals; with his conquest of Pannonia; Dalmatia; Raetia; and temporarily; parts of Germania; creating the foundations for the emnpire's northern frontier. However; he came to be known as a dark; reclusive; and sombre ruler who never really desired to be emperor; Pliny the Elder called him tristissimus hominum; 'the gloomiest of men'.