Hello, and welcome to the history of Rome.

Episode 56, the King is dead, long live the King.

Last time, we left Augustus reeling from the shocking annihilation of three legions in

the Tudoburg Forest in 980.

The Prince Eps, who was now over 70, never really recovered from the blow.

The self-assuredness that had marked the regime from the beginning, a more tempered

version of the audacious swagger that young Octavian had displayed, now shifted into something

more cautious, more uneasy, and more paranoid.

It was not just that a feat in Germany that caused the change in tone.

Augustus was getting on in years and found himself handing off more and more of the day-to-day

routine of empire to Tiberius, who, as we will see, was nothing if not cautious, uneasy,

and paranoid.

But Tiberius' influence aside, there was no doubt that the disaster in the Tudoburg

Forest affected Augustus mightily.

It was the first time the fate had conspired to deny the Prince Eps, what he really wanted,

in this case, the full annexation of Germany.

He had dealt with setbacks and disappointments in betrayals before, and perhaps a younger

Augustus would have raised more troops in conquered Germany, just to prove to them who

was in charge.

But now, he took the defeat as a sign from the gods that he was overreaching, that he

asked for too much, and then it was time to pull back.

Twilight was settling in on the Emperor, and he knew it.

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