DRUSUS, CLAU'DIUS NERO, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and of Livia, was born in the year roc. 38, three months after his mother's marriage with Augustus. He served early in the army, and was sent in mc. 17, with his brother Tiberius, against the Rhieti and Vindelici, who had made an irruption into Italy. Ile defeated the invaders, pursued them across the Alps, and reduced their country. Horace celebrated this victory in one of his finest Odes (lib. iv. 4.) Drusus married Antonia Minor, daughter of Antony and Octavio, by whom he had Gertnauicus and Claudius, afterwards emperor, and Livia or Livilla. In s.c. 14, being sent to quell an insurrection in Gaul occa sioned by the extortions of the Roman tax.gatherers, he succeeded by his conciliatory address. In the following year he attacked the Germans, and carrying the war beyond the Rhine, ho obtained a series of victories over the Sicambri, Chemed, Catti, and Tencteri, and advanced as far as the Vlsurgis, or Weser, for which the senate bestowed the surname of Germanious upon him and his posterity, In s.c. 9 Drums ono made consul, with L. Quintius Crispinua He was soon after sent again by Augustus against the Germans, crossed the Visurgis, and advanced as far as the Albis or Elbe. lie imposed a moderate tribute 011 the Frisians, consisting of a certain quantity of hides., which, being afterwards aggravated by the extortion of his
successors, caused a revolt, under the reign of Tiberius. (Tacitus, 'Ann.,' iv. 72.) He caused a canal to be cut, for thepurpose of uniting the Rhine to the Yam], which was known long after by the name of Foust Drusi; and he also began to raise dykes to prevent the imindetions of the Rhine, which were completed by Paulinus Pompelus under the reign of Nero. Prunus did not cross the Albis, probably because ho thought ho had advanced already far enough : ho retired towards the Rhine, but before he reached that river ho died, at the age of thirty, in consequence, as it was reported, of his horse falling upon him and fracturing his leg. (Livy, ' Epitome?) Tiberius, who was sent for in haste, and found his brother expiring, accompanied his body to Rome, where his funeral was performed with the greatest solemnity. Both Augustus and Tiberius delivered orations in his praise. Drusua was much regretted both by the army and by the Romans in general, who had formed great expectations from his manly and generous sentiments. One of his grandsons, Drusus, son of Germanicus and of Agrippina, was starved to death by order of Tiberius, and Nero, the other, was put to death in the island of Pours.