19 PERTINAX (66; r.193.01-03)
Publius Helvius Pertinax started his military career as an officer in Syria (c.160); had posts in Britain and Moesia in the 160s; helped clear the Marcomanni out of northern Italy (170-1); governed Moesia, Dacia and Syria (?-179), Britain (185-7) and Africa (188); and was both the city prefect and the emperor’s consular colleague in 192.
Following Commodus’ death, Laetus offered the throne to Pertinax, who proceeded to the praetorian camp, promised the troops a large accession bonus of twelve thousand sesterces per man and was immediately hailed as emperor. His distinguished career was much admired and when he attended a meeting of the Senate the jubilant senators hailed the sixty-year-old Pertinax as emperor.
Pertinax set out to stabilise the imperial economy by reducing public expenditure. But he offended many senators by selling high offices to raise desperately needed funds, and he lost the support of the praetorians when he delivered only half of the bonuses that he had promised. Two coups, one on 3 January and the other in early March, failed, but on 28 March he was killed by mutinous soldiers.
20 DIDIUS JULIANUS (58/60; r.193.03-06; d.197)
Didius Severus Julianus served as quaestor, aedile, praetor (162), commander in Germania Superior (170), governor of Gallia Belgica (170-175), consul with Pertinax (175), governor of Dalmatia (176-177), governor of Germania Inferior (178), city prefect (186), governor of Pontus et Bithynia (189-190), and governor of Africa (190-192).
In 193 Julianus was back in Rome and after the praetorians murdered Pertinax, he hurried to the Castra Praetoria (praetorians’ barracks) where the city prefect, 13Flavius Claudius Sulpicianus, was bidding for the throne. When Flavius offered 20,000 sesterces to every soldier, Julianus promised each man 25,000. The soldiers accepted Julianus’ offer and escorted him to the Senate which could only but accept his nomination.
Three rivals, supported by their legions, promptly claimed the emperorship: 04Clodius Septimius Albinus (c.47; fl.175 -197) in Britain, Pescennius Niger (c.65; fl.191-194) in Syria, and 01Septimius Severus (65; fl.162-211) in Pannonia Superior. Julianus tried to organise the defence of Rome but the Senate and the people were angry at the method of his elevation, the praetorians were upset because it had become apparent that he was unable to pay the extravagant donative he had promised them, and he had no legions to support him.
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