Germanicus Julius Caesar

Any record of who this family member was? And if I am understanding correctly, Caesar's line died off. And those after were not from the Julii family he was from.

Read up on Ursus. Quite the guy it seems. Thanks for the comments so far.

Were there any famous 'Julii' after the reign of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, or did the family essentially fall into decline and become inconsequential?

Yes ,I did not mean historical accounts in that sense of the word. Thanks very much for your thoughts. Now, is there any record of who trained him, or taught him the rudimentary tactics of war? Or did he just have a natural proclivity for leadership and warfare? Thanks again. This has been a tremendous help.

I have been looking for some time to the modern location of the famed Battle of Maranga, where Julian the Apostate died. I did a search on your site, and did not see any topics pertaining to this. I also would like your opinions to just how great, or not so great a General he was. By all accounts, he had little, if no, military experience. Thanks in advance, and this is truly a terrific site. Germanicus

Ok, but he was still excluded from succession. Castor is far easier to type than his full name. lol. But if he was mediocre, what, or who do you use as sources for this claim? What evidence is there that he was not a fine General who had no aspirations to become the next Emperor. If he was a safe, and mediocre General, I do not think he would have made it out of Germania. That place had a habit of devouring ordinary men. I do not think he was a Julius Caesar, but neither was he some listless General who had no special attributes, or was so inept he could not lead or stategize with the best. The truth is always in the middle. Probably the case here as well.

Considering Tiberius was one of Rome's better Generals, and only 56 at the time, I do not think that was a good strategy to take, nor the correct one. I do not believe Germanicus wanted to be Emperor. Perhaps it is just that simple. He was a great hero, a good general, and one of those rare men who put their country first. Thats just my personal view, and it warms me to think that such a man is still possible. As for Castor, he was only related to the Claudian side of the family, and not the Julians. When Augustus forced Tiberius to adopt Germanicus as his son and heir, Castor was removed from the succession. Thats not to say Tiberius did not wish it, but Augustus spoke, and he obeyed. I am sure it factored in to his dislike of Germanicus. As for his military skills. Is there contrary evidence that his foray into Germania against Arminius was riddled with bad decisions?

How factual was the story of Agrippina's involvement in quelling that riot? By all accounts, she shamed the Legions that day, and helped preserve his command. She was a very influential aspect of his character, and it is difficult to dismiss her, when regarding him as a leader. I do not think he was puppet, or weak, but from all accounts, she was brazen, and direct. There is no doubt, in my mind, she spoke frankly with him. That being said, I think he was a damned fine General. It was a tough job. Afterall, it was, at that time, one of Rome's greatest humiliations. Considering what he had to face, I believe he did well. I would like to think that the Roman people would recognize a great General, and by all accounts, he was a hero, and almost too good to be true. To me, his refusing to be Emperor, was unlike anything I had ever heard of. His honor and loyalty alone, speak volumes of his character, which no doubt affected his skills as a military tactician. This is just my personal view, not anything someone said.