Nerva and the Roman Succession Crisis of AD 96-99 (Roman Imperial Biographies)

191 Pages·2003·50.5 MB·English

by  John Grainger

NERVA AND THE
ROMAN SUCCESSION CRISIS
OF AD 96-99

First published 2003
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
Routledge is an imprint ([the Tr.ylor & Francis Grot.p
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-LibraIY, 2003.
© 2003 John D. Grainger
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
British LibralY Cataloguing in Pubiication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
LibralY ([Congress Catakging in Pubiication Data
Grainger, John D., 1939-
Nerva and the Roman succession crisis AD 96-99/John D. Grainger.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Nerva, Emperor of Rome, ca 30-98 2. Emperors-Rome-Biography.
3. Rome-History-Antonines, 96-192. 1. Title.
DG293.G732002
937.07'092-dc21 2002067991
IBI
ISBN 0-203-21807-8 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-27367-2 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-415-28917-3 (Print Edition)
CONTENTS
List (fillustrations
Vl
List (fa bbreviations
Vll
Plates
lX
Tables
XlII
M"ps XVlll
Introduction xxv
1 Assassination 1
2 Conspiracy 4
3 Nerva 28
4 Reactions 45
5 The emperor's work 52
6 The succession problem 66
7 The aristocratic networks 73
8 Choice 89
9 Heir 103
10 New emperor 109
Conclusion 126
Notes 129
BibliGgruphy 149
Index 155
v
ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATES
Domirian ix
2 Nerva-exDomitian x
3 N erva - himself xi
4 Trajan xii
TABLES
Consuls 96-100 xiii
2 The family connections ofFronto xiv
3 The descentofNerva xiv
4 The Ulpii xv
5a The Asian network 1: the N arbonensian branch xvi
5h The Asian network 2: the Asian branch - the Italian families xvi
5c The Asian network 3: the Asian branch - the royal families xvii
MAPS
The northern frontier xviii
2 Distribution oflegions, AD 96 xix
3 Narbonensis and Spain xx
4 The origins of consuls AD 96-100 xxi
5 'Domirian' inscriptions xxii
6 The' alimenta' schemes xxiii
7 The Asian network xxiv
vi
ABBREVIATIONS
AE Annie tpigrr.phique
AlVRW Alfstitg und Niedngang der Romis(hen Welt
BAR British Archaeological Reports
Bennett, Trt.jan J. Bennett, Tn jan, Cp timus Princ/ps, a Lfe and Times, london, 1998
Birley, Fasti A.R. Birley, The 'Fasti' cfR oman Britain, Oxford, 1981
BMCIII H. Mattingly, Coins lithe Roman Empire in the BritlJh Museum, Part
111: Nerva to Hadrian, London 1936
C1L COl pus J nscn'ptionum Latinarum
Dusanic and Vasic, S. Dusanic and M.B. Vasich, 'An Upper Moesian Diploma of
'Moesian Diploma' AD 96', Chiron 7, 1986
Eck, 'Statthalter' W. Eck, 'Jahres- und Provinzialfasten der senatorischen Statt
halter von 68/70 bis 138/139 (I)', Chiron 12, 1983,281-362
Garzetti, Nerva A. Garzetti, Nerva, Rome 1950
HSCP Harvard Studies in Classical Philokgy
lLS J nscn'ptiones Latinae Selectae
Jones, Domitian B.W. Jones, The Emperor Domitian, London, 1992
Jones, Senatorial B.W. Jones, Domitian and the Senatorial Order: a Proscpo
Order graphical Study (/D omitian 's Relationshlp with the Senate, AD
81-96, Philadelphia 1979
jRS Journal cfR oman Studies
lambrechts P. Lambrechts, La Composition dusenat romain de l'accession au
a
trone dHadrien fa mort de Commodus, Ghent 1936
McCrum and M. McCrum and A.G. Woodhead, Select Documents (/ the
Woodhead Prindpates tfthe Flavian Emperors, including the Year(j Revolu
tion, AD 68-96, Cambridge, 1966
GG1S W. Dittenberger, Orientis Graeci lnscn'ptiones Selectae
P1R ProscpGgrr.phia Imperii Romani
Pliny, Letters Pliny the Younger, Letters
PBSR Pr.pers (fthe British School at Rome
Raepsaet-Charlier M.T. Raepsaet-Charlier, ProscpGgrr.phie des femmes de l'ordre
senatorial (ier-lIe siecleJ), Louvain 1987
RlC Roman Imperial Coinage
vii
ABBREVIATIONS
RMDl M.M. Roxan, Roman Militmy Dlplomas 1954-77, Institute of
Archaeology Occasional Publication, London 1978
RMD III M.M. Roxan, Roman Militmy Dlplomas, 1985-93, Institute of
Archaeology Occasional Publication, London, 1994
Roman Pr.pers R. Syme, Roman Papers, 7 vols, Oxford 1979-91
SEC SlJ!plementum Epigrr.phicum Graecum
SHA Scn'ptores Historiae Augustae
Smallwood E.M. Smallwood, Documents iilmtratir.g lhe Prim;'paus (fN ena, Trt. jan
and Hadrian, Cambridge 1966
Syme, Tacitus R. Syme, Tacitus, Oxford 1958
Vidman,FO L. Vidman, Fast! Ostienses, Prague 1981
ZJE Zeitschrfi fur hpyrologie und Epig"jik
viii
PLATES
Plate 1 Domitian. A bust of Do miti an which was recovered from the bed of the River Tiber.
It is undamaged, and may be assumed to have been thrown into the river as part of
the reaction against the emperor after his assassination. It is the sort of bust which
would be in private possession, so one may conjecture a private gesture of hatred.
The owner had, however, clearly gone to some expense to acquire it-itwas no doubt
a social and political requirement to display some devotion.
Source: Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen; Cat. 664. Photo © Jo Selsing.
ix