World History
Nerva (96-98 A.D.). This is a good biography of the elderly man who replaced the hated Domitian as Emperor of the Roman Empire.
Edward Gibbons claimed that Nerva was the first of the Five Good Emperors. He changed the practice of Imperial succession where the Emperor picked his successor based on ability rather than on family inheritance. The system worked for the next 90 years until Marcus Aurelius had the bad sense to allow his son Commodus to inherit the throne.
From the site:
Nerva was born on 8 November, 30 A.D.[[2]] Little is known of his upbringing beyond the fact that he belonged to a senatorial family and pursued neither a military nor a public speaking career. On the other hand, he did hold various priesthoods and was a praetor-designate.[[3]] More importantly, as praetor designate in 65, Nerva was instrumental in revealing the conspiracy of Piso against the emperor Nero.
As a result, he received triumphal ornaments and his statue was placed in the palace.[[4]] Following Nero's fall in 68, Nerva must have realized that support of Vespasian and the Flavian cause was in his best interests.[[5]] In 71 his loyalty was rewarded with a joint consulship with the emperor, the only time that Vespasian ever held the office without his son Titus. It was under the reign of Vespasian's other son, Domitian, that Nerva's political fortunes were ultimately determined, however. He shared the ordinary consulship with Domitian in 90, an honor that was perhaps the result of his alerting the emperor about the revolt of Antonius Saturninus, the governor of Upper Germany, in 89.[[6]] Even so, like so many others of the senatorial class, Nerva came under scrutiny in the final years of Domitian's reign, when the emperor was unwilling to tolerate any criticism.
Whether or not Nerva was forced to withdraw from public life during Domitian's final years remains an open question.[[7]] What is not in dispute is that he was named emperor on the same day that Domitian was assassinated in September, 96. Indeed, in some respects the accession was improbable, since it placed the Empire under the control of a feeble sexagenarian and long-time Flavian supporter with close ties to the unpopular Domitian. On the other hand, Nerva had proven to be a capable senator, one with political connections and an ability to negotiate. Moreover, he had no children, thereby ensuring that the state would not become his hereditary possession.
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World History
Nerva (96-98 A.D.)
Nerva (96-98 A.D.). This is a good biography of the elderly man who replaced the hated Domitian as Emperor of the Roman Empire.
Edward Gibbons claimed that Nerva was the first of the Five Good Emperors. He changed the practice of Imperial succession where the Emperor picked his successor based on ability rather than on family inheritance. The system worked for the next 90 years until Marcus Aurelius had the bad sense to allow his son Commodus to inherit the throne.
From the site:
Nerva was born on 8 November, 30 A.D.[[2]] Little is known of his upbringing beyond the fact that he belonged to a senatorial family and pursued neither a military nor a public speaking career. On the other hand, he did hold various priesthoods and was a praetor-designate.[[3]] More importantly, as praetor designate in 65, Nerva was instrumental in revealing the conspiracy of Piso against the emperor Nero.
As a result, he received triumphal ornaments and his statue was placed in the palace.[[4]] Following Nero's fall in 68, Nerva must have realized that support of Vespasian and the Flavian cause was in his best interests.[[5]] In 71 his loyalty was rewarded with a joint consulship with the emperor, the only time that Vespasian ever held the office without his son Titus. It was under the reign of Vespasian's other son, Domitian, that Nerva's political fortunes were ultimately determined, however. He shared the ordinary consulship with Domitian in 90, an honor that was perhaps the result of his alerting the emperor about the revolt of Antonius Saturninus, the governor of Upper Germany, in 89.[[6]] Even so, like so many others of the senatorial class, Nerva came under scrutiny in the final years of Domitian's reign, when the emperor was unwilling to tolerate any criticism.
Whether or not Nerva was forced to withdraw from public life during Domitian's final years remains an open question.[[7]] What is not in dispute is that he was named emperor on the same day that Domitian was assassinated in September, 96. Indeed, in some respects the accession was improbable, since it placed the Empire under the control of a feeble sexagenarian and long-time Flavian supporter with close ties to the unpopular Domitian. On the other hand, Nerva had proven to be a capable senator, one with political connections and an ability to negotiate. Moreover, he had no children, thereby ensuring that the state would not become his hereditary possession.
- Birthplace Of Emperor Vespasian Found?
The AP Wire has a story out titled Birthplace of Roman emperor found in Italy. Some archaelogists think this may have been were the future Emperor Vespasian came into the world. Vespasian would go on to win the civil war of AD 69 and found his own short...
- World History Blog Poll: Which Of These Men Was The Most Evil Roman Emperor?
There were a lot of good men who ruled the Roman Empire. They are easy to identify when they were both decent human beings and good rulers to boot. Unfortunately, the Romans also suffered under the hands of evil men as well. These men were depraved but...
- Which Roman Emperor Are You?
You scored as Trajan, You are quite fortunate to rank as the emperor Trajan, possibly the greatest of Roman emperors. You have relentlessly expanded the empire and even humbled the mighty Parthian empire. Loved by all, vastly larger than life, you are...
- Litweb.net - Marcus Aurelius
LitWeb.net - Marcus Aurelius. This is a short biography by Petri Liukkonen of Marcus Aurelius who was the 2nd-century Roman emperor, Stoic philosopher and author of the twelve-volume Meditations. Considered one of the greatest of the Roman Emperors, Marcus...
- A Flavius Josephus Page
A Flavius Josephus Page - Site on the famous Jewish historian including his biography, works, and extracts with commentary. Includes additional articles about Josephus, Judaism, and Jewish history and practices. Josephus fought in the revolt against Rome...