ared ▁each ▁fruit ▁with ▁poison ▁while ▁still ▁on ▁the ▁tree ▁to ▁pre - empt ▁him . ▁In ▁Imperial ▁times , ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁fig ▁cultiv ated ▁in ▁Roman ▁gard ens ▁was ▁called ▁the ▁Liv iana , ▁perhaps ▁because ▁of ▁her ▁re put ed ▁h ort icult ural ▁ab ilities , ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁tongue - in - che ek ▁reference ▁to ▁this ▁rum or . ▁ ▁For ▁some ▁time , ▁Liv ia ▁and ▁her ▁son ▁T iber ius , ▁the ▁new ▁Emperor , ▁appeared ▁to ▁get ▁along ▁with ▁each ▁other . ▁Spe aking ▁against ▁her ▁became ▁tre ason ▁in ▁AD ▁ 2 0 , ▁and ▁in ▁AD ▁ 2 4 ▁he ▁granted ▁his ▁mother ▁a ▁the ater ▁seat ▁among ▁the ▁V est al ▁Vir g ins . ▁Liv ia ▁exerc ised ▁uno fficial ▁but ▁very ▁real ▁power ▁in ▁Rome . ▁Event ually , ▁T iber ius ▁became ▁res ent ful ▁of ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁political ▁status , ▁particularly ▁against ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁she ▁who ▁had ▁given ▁him ▁the ▁throne . ▁At ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁his ▁reign ▁T iber ius ▁v eto ed ▁the ▁un pre ced ented ▁title ▁M ater ▁Pat ria e ▁(" M other ▁of ▁the ▁Father land ") ▁that ▁the ▁Senate ▁wished ▁to ▁best ow ▁upon ▁her , ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁manner ▁in ▁which ▁August us ▁had ▁been ▁named ▁P ater ▁Pat ria e ▁(" F ather ▁of ▁the ▁Father land ") ▁( T iber ius ▁also ▁consist ently ▁refused ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁P ater ▁Pat ria