Characters of Early Imperial period in the work of Velleius Paterculus

The purpose of this study is to examine the substantial characters of the Early Roman Imperial Period, especially the reign of Emperor Tiberius, within the scope of political history and in the light of the events and individuals mentioned in "Historiae Romanae", work of a Roman historian, Velleius Paterculus. "Annales" of Tacitus and "De Vita Duodecim Caesarum" of Suetonius are the other primary sources employed in this study. As well as displaying a universal understanding of history, the work of Velleius Paterculus is also the single primary source reaching today, the author of which witnessed a significant part (14-29 B.C) of the reign of the Emperor Tiberius. Within the frame of the history of the period in question, the roles of certain individuals who lived in the Early Roman Imperial Period, within the historical events mentioned in the work of Velleius Paterculus are portrayed in the course of this study. It is indicated from these portraits that the military expeditions of the Emperor Tiberius, the positions that Velleius Paterculus who had a notable military carreer, held at that time, and the relationships between these characters had an important place within the Roman history. Considering the works of other ancient Roman authors, the work of Velleius Paterculus remained in the background. Thus, a thorough scientific examination and a study on the apparent differences between "Historiae Romanae" and the works of Tacitus and Suetonius will lead a better understanding of the period, therefore it is essential to identify and interpret the events which Velleius Pateculus did or did not mention in his work. The modern contraversions on whether Velleius Paterculus was an encomiast or a historian, are also attempted to be clarified within the scope of this study. Keywords: Early Roman Empire Period, Gaius Velleius Paterculus, Historiae Romanae,Principatus.