Was tiberius gay

Answer 1

Yes he was! He had many male servants with whom he struck up sexual relationships with. He also married Geng Shi Di

, the Emperor of Han. Just as many other Roman leaders, Tiberius greatly enjoyed the company of young prepubescent boys. After his death from AIDS, Tiberius was buried with his favorite little boy, Johnny.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Tiberius Julius Caesar would not have considered himself gay, straight, or bisexual. These categories are modern constructs that even 100 years ago would have seemed alien. What we know about Tiberius would indicate that he was able to form an intimate connection with a woman. All historians agree that he was deeply in love with his first wife, Vipsania Agrippina, who was the granddaughter of his predecessor and adopted father, Caesar Augustus. They were married in 19 BC. When her father--Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa--died, Augustus saw an avenue for advancement for Tiberius and his brother and encouraged Tiberius to divorce his wife for Marcus' widow in 11 BC. In a move he would regret for the rest of his life, Tiberius went along with Augustus' plan. He would pine for her and even attempt a very public and tearful reconciliation, causing Augustus to ensure that no further meetings would occur. Things would go downhill for Tiberius from there.

Augustus married Tiberius to his daughter, Julia the Elder. They were both opposed to the joining but had little choice in the matter. Julia's well-known reputation for infidelity didn't make a recipe for a happy marriage, nor did the fact that she was the mother of his first wife. The Roman senator and historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus wrote that Julia's public promiscuity and his being banned from seeing his beloved was Tiberius' intima causa, his innermost reason for leaving for Rhodes in 6 BC.

Following the death of his son Drusus in 23 AD, Tiberius's failing interest in politics seemed to take a nosedive and in AD 26 he withdrew to Capri. Roman historian Suetonius wrote about supposed sexual perversity that occurred at Tiberius' island retreat. It is important to remember that Suetonius was writing approximately 100 years after Tiberius' death. Rumors were flying at the time about what exactly was going on at Capri. As time went on, imaginations became even more fertile. Tiberius was not the most popular Caesar among the Senatorial class. Mudslinging is not a new phenomenon.

There may be some truth to these stories; we will never know for certain. Is it possible that Tiberius engaged in homosexual behavior? Yes, it is possible. We don't have any proof one way or the other. Was he gay? The proof we have would indicate that he was not. He had two wives--one that he loved very much. His first wife Vipsannia Agrippina could be said to be the love of his life. All reports we have seem to indicate that he never stopped loving her. Anything beyond that is speculation.

Answer 2

There is historical evidence that suggests Tiberius had relationships with both men and women, but it is not definitive whether he identified as gay. Tiberius was known to have had a close and possibly romantic relationship with his male companion Antinous. However, it is important to note that historical accounts can be subject to interpretation.