▁his ▁mat ernal ▁grand par ents ▁being ▁general ▁N ero ▁Claud ius ▁Dr us us ▁and ▁Anton ia ▁Minor . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁tw in ▁brother ▁of ▁T iber ius ▁Claud ius ▁Ca esar ▁German icus ▁II ▁Gem ell us ▁and ▁the ▁younger ▁brother ▁of ▁his ▁sister ▁Julia . ▁The ▁birth ▁of ▁Gem ell us ▁and ▁his ▁tw in ▁were ▁celebrated ▁by ▁T iber ius , ▁who ▁claimed ▁that ▁never ▁before ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁Rome ▁had ▁tw ins ▁been ▁born ▁to ▁a ▁man ▁as ▁high ▁in ▁rank ▁as ▁Dr us us , ▁and ▁the ▁event ▁was ▁comm emor ated ▁on ▁the ▁reverse ▁of ▁co ins . ▁His ▁tw in ▁died ▁while ▁still ▁a ▁child ▁in ▁ 2 3 . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Jul io - Cla ud ian ▁dynast y , ▁Gem ell us ▁was ▁a ▁close ▁relative ▁of ▁all ▁five ▁Jul io - Cla ud ian ▁em per ors . ▁On ▁his ▁father ' s ▁side , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁grand son ▁of ▁em peror ▁T iber ius , ▁and ▁his ▁adopt ive ▁great - grand father ▁was ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁August us . ▁On ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁side , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁nep hew ▁of ▁Claud ius , ▁the ▁mat ernal ▁uncle ▁of ▁N ero , ▁and ▁the ▁cousin ▁of ▁Cal ig ula . ▁ ▁Life ▁ ▁Down fall ▁of ▁his ▁relatives ▁In ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 2 2 , ▁his ▁father ▁Dr us us ▁received ▁trib unic ia ▁pot est as