Tiberius (42 BCE) was the second Roman emperor. The stepson of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, he undertook his first military command at age 22 and earned great acclaim. Forced to give up his beloved wife to marry Augustus's daughter, he went into a self-imposed exile until he was recalled by Augustus and named his heir. As emperor, he initially ran the state efficiently and instituted reforms, but he became increasingly brutal. Who smothered Tiberius while he was recovering from an illness in 37 CE