▁▁ 1 0 ▁October ▁AD ▁ 1 9 – 3 7 / 3 8 ) ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Dr us us ▁and ▁Liv illa , ▁the ▁grand son ▁of ▁the ▁Emperor ▁T iber ius , ▁and ▁the ▁cousin ▁of ▁the ▁Emperor ▁Cal ig ula . ▁Gem ell us ▁is ▁a ▁nick name ▁meaning ▁" the ▁tw in ". ▁His ▁tw in ▁brother , ▁T iber ius ▁Claud ius ▁Ca esar ▁German icus ▁II ▁Gem ell us , ▁died ▁as ▁a ▁young ▁child ▁in ▁ 2 3 . ▁His ▁father ▁and ▁older ▁c ous ins ▁died , ▁and ▁are ▁sus pected ▁by ▁contemporary ▁sources ▁as ▁having ▁been ▁system atically ▁elimin ated ▁by ▁the ▁powerful ▁pra et or ian ▁pre fect ▁Se jan us . ▁Their ▁removal ▁allowed ▁Gem ell us ▁and ▁Cal ig ula ▁to ▁be ▁named ▁joint - he irs ▁by ▁T iber ius ▁in ▁ 3 5 , ▁a ▁decision ▁that ▁ultimately ▁resulted ▁in ▁Cal ig ula ▁assuming ▁power ▁and ▁having ▁Gem ell us ▁killed , ▁or ▁by ▁forcing ▁him ▁to ▁kill ▁himself , ▁in ▁late ▁ 3 7 ▁or ▁early ▁ 3 8 . ▁ ▁Background ▁Gem ell us ▁was ▁born ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Dr us us ▁Julius ▁Ca esar ▁and ▁Liv illa ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁October ▁AD ▁ 1 9 , ▁the ▁same ▁day ▁his ▁uncle ▁German icus ▁died ▁in ▁Sy ria . ▁His ▁pat ernal ▁grand par ents ▁were ▁em peror ▁T iber ius ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁V ips ania ▁Ag ri pp ina , ▁with