View source for Pertinax

{{short description|Roman emperor in 193}}
{{other uses}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox royalty
| image        = Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence (19676748662).jpg
| image_size   = 
| alt          = White bust
| caption      = Bust, [[Galleria degli Uffizi]], Florence<ref>[http://www.digitalsculpture.org/florence/main/model/f23e722f0e7d4b61af40ddf30e38c78f Pertinax Inv. 1914 n. 202]. ''Uffizi Digitization Project''.</ref>
| succession   = [[Roman emperor]]
| reign        = 1 January 193 – {{nowrap|28 March 193}}
| predecessor  = [[Commodus]]
| successor    = [[Didius Julianus]]
| birth_date   = 1 August 126
| birth_place  = [[Alba Pompeia]], [[Roman Italy|Italy]]
| death_date   = 28 March 193 (aged 66)
| death_place  = [[Rome]],     Italy
| burial_place = Rome
| spouse       = [[Flavia Titiana]]
| issue        = {{ubl|[[Pertinax the Younger|Helvius Pertinax]], ''[[caesar (title)|caesar]]''<ref>''[[Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae]]'' [https://archive.org/details/inscriptioneslat21dessuoft/page/438 5842, 5845.]</ref>|[[Helvia (daughter of Pertinax)|Helvia]]<ref>{{Cite book|title=Pertinax: The Son of a Slave Who Became Roman Emperor|last=Elliott|first=Simon|publisher=Greenhill Books|year=2020|isbn=978-1-78438-526-2|page=115|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AnH1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA115}}</ref>}}
| issue-link   = 
| issue-pipe   = 
| full name    = Publius Helvius Pertinax
| regnal name  = Imperator Caesar Publius Helvius Pertinax Augustus<ref>{{cite book |last=Cooley |year=2012 |first=Alison E. |title=The Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=494|isbn=978-0-521-84026-2 |url={{googlebooks|VlghAwAAQBAJ|plainurl=y}} |author-link=Alison E. Cooley }}</ref>
| father       = Helvius Successus
}}
{{Year of Five Emperors}}

'''Publius Helvius Pertinax''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɜr|t|ɪ|n|æ|k|s}} {{respell|PER|tin|ax}}; 1 August 126 – 28 March 193) was [[Roman emperor]] for the first three months of 193. He succeeded [[Commodus]] to become the first emperor during the tumultuous [[Year of the Five Emperors]].

Born to the son of a [[freed slave]], Pertinax became an officer in the army. He fought in the [[Roman–Parthian War of 161–166]], where his success led to higher positions in both the military and political spheres. He achieved the rank of [[Roman governor|provincial governor]] and [[urban prefect]]. He was a member of the [[Roman Senate]], serving at the same time as the historian [[Cassius Dio]].

Following the death of Commodus, Pertinax was proclaimed emperor. He instituted several short-lived reform measures, including the restoration of discipline among the [[Praetorian Guard]]. This led to resistance that culminated in Pertinax's assassination by the Guard. Pertinax would later be deified by the emperor [[Septimius Severus]]. His historical reputation has been largely positive, in line with Cassius Dio's assessment.

==Early life==
His career before becoming emperor is documented in the ''[[Historia Augusta]]'' as well as [[Cassius Dio]]'s ''History of Rome'', and confirmed in many places by existing inscriptions. He was born in [[Alba, Italy|Alba Pompeia]] in Italy,<ref name="dio 74:3">Dio, 74:3</ref> the son of [[freedman]] Helvius Successus. Cassius Dio writes that Helvius was not of noble birth but was at least able to earn enough money to allow Pertinax education to gain a livelihood.<ref name="dio 74:3">Dio, 74:3</ref><ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 1:1</ref> Through this as well as patronage from [[Lucius Hedius Rufus Lollianus Avitus (consul 144)|Lucius Avitus]] (or [[Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus]] according to Dio), Pertinax was commissioned as an officer in a [[Cohort (military unit)|cohort]].<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 1:6</ref><ref name="dio 74:3">Dio, 74:3</ref>

In the [[Roman–Parthian War of 161–166|Parthian War]] that followed,<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 2:1</ref> he distinguished himself, which resulted in a string of promotions, and after postings in [[Roman Britain|Britain]] (as military tribune of the [[Legio VI Victrix|Legio VI ''Victrix'']]){{sfnp|Birley|2005|page=173}} and along the [[Danube]], he served as a [[Procurator (Roman)|procurator]] in [[Roman Dacia|Dacia]].<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 2:4</ref> He suffered a setback as a victim of court intrigues during the reign of [[Marcus Aurelius]], but shortly afterwards, he was recalled to assist [[Claudius Pompeianus]] in the [[Marcomannic Wars]].<ref name="dio 74:3"/> In 175, he received the honour of a [[Roman consul|suffect consulship]]{{sfnp|Meckler|1997}} and until 185, Pertinax was governor of the provinces of Upper and Lower [[Moesia]], [[Roman Dacia|Dacia]], [[Syria (Roman province)|Syria]], and finally [[List of Roman governors of Britain|governor of Britain]].{{sfnp|Birley|2005|page=173}}

During the 180s, Pertinax took a pivotal role in the [[Roman Senate]] until the praetorian prefect [[Sextus Tigidius Perennis]] forced him out of public life.<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 3:3</ref> He was recalled after three years to Britain, where the Roman army was in a state of mutiny.<ref name="dio 74:4">Dio, 74:4</ref> He tried to quell the unruly soldiers there but one legion attacked his bodyguard, leaving Pertinax for dead.{{sfnp|Birley|2005|page=174}} When he was forced to resign in 187, the reason given was that the legions had grown hostile to him because of his harsh rule.<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 3:10</ref>

He served as [[proconsul]] of [[Africa (Roman province)|Africa]] from 188 to 189,<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 4:1</ref> and followed this term of service with a term as the urban prefect of Rome,<ref>Victor, 18:2</ref> and a second consulship as ordinarius with the emperor [[Commodus]] as his colleague.{{sfnp|Birley|2005|page=174}}

==Emperor==
[[File:Pertinax Providentia Aureus.jpg|thumb|300px|Roman [[aureus]] struck under the rule of Pertinax. Inscription: IMP. CAES. P. HELV. PERTIN. AVG. / PROVIDentia DEORum COnSul II]]
When Commodus' actions became increasingly erratic in the early 190s, a conspiracy led to his assassination on 31 December 192.  The plot was carried out by the [[Praetorian prefect]] [[Quintus Aemilius Laetus]], Commodus' mistress [[Marcia (mistress of Commodus)|Marcia]], and his chamberlain Eclectus.{{sfnp|Campbell|2005|page=1}}  After the murder had been carried out, Pertinax, who was serving as [[urban prefect]] at this time, was hurried to the [[Castra Praetoria|Praetorian Camp]] and proclaimed emperor.<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 4:5</ref> His short reign of 87 days<ref>Dio 74:6</ref> was an uneasy one. He attempted to emulate the restrained practices of [[Marcus Aurelius]] and made an effort to reform the ''[[alimenta]]'', but he faced antagonism from many quarters.{{sfnp|Gibbon|1788|ps=, chapter 4.}}

Ancient writers detail how the [[Praetorian Guard]] expected a generous ''[[donativum]]'' on his ascension, and when they were disappointed, agitated until he produced the money, selling off [[Commodus]]' property,{{sfnp|Campbell|2005|page=2}} including the concubines and youths Commodus kept for his sexual pleasures.<ref name="dio 74:5">Dio, 74:5</ref><ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 7:8</ref> He reformed the [[Roman currency]] dramatically, increasing the silver purity of the [[denarius]] from 74% to 87% – the actual silver weight increasing from 2.22&nbsp;grams to 2.75&nbsp;grams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tulane.edu/~august/handouts/601cprin.htm |publisher=Tulane University |title=Roman Currency of the Principate |author=Kenneth W. Harl |date=1999 |access-date=1 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081101003844/http://www.tulane.edu/~august/handouts/601cprin.htm|archive-date=1 November 2008}}</ref>

Pertinax attempted to impose stricter military discipline upon the pampered Praetorians.<ref>Zosimus, 1:8</ref> In early March he narrowly averted one conspiracy by a group to replace him with the consul [[Quintus Pompeius Sosius Falco|Quintus Sosius Falco]] while he was in [[Ostia Antica|Ostia]] inspecting the arrangements for grain shipments.<ref name="dio 74:8">Dio, 74:8</ref> The plot was betrayed; Falco himself was pardoned but several of the officers behind the coup were executed.<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 10:4</ref>

On 28 March 193, Pertinax was at his palace when, according to the ''Historia Augusta'', a contingent of some three hundred soldiers of the Praetorian Guard rushed the gates<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 11:1</ref> (two hundred according to Cassius Dio).<ref name="dio 74:9">Dio, 74:9</ref> Ancient sources suggest that they had received only half their promised pay.<ref name="dio 74:8"/> Neither the guards on duty nor the palace officials chose to resist them. Pertinax sent Laetus to meet them, but he chose to side with the insurgents instead and deserted the emperor.<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 11:7</ref>

Although advised to flee, Pertinax then attempted to reason with the insurgents and was almost successful before being struck down by one of the soldiers.<ref name="dio 74:10">Dio, 74:10</ref> Pertinax must have been aware of the danger he faced by assuming [[Tyrian purple|the purple]], for he refused to use imperial titles for either his wife or son, thereby protecting them from the aftermath of his own assassination.{{sfnp|Campbell|2005|page=1}}

==Aftermath==
[[File:Tetradrachm Pertinax Caesar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Coin of Pertinax's son with the legend: "KAI[C]AP [ΠΕΡΤΙΝΑΞ]" (''[[caesar (title)|Caesar]] Pertinax'')]]
After Pertinax's death, the Praetorians auctioned off the imperial title; the winner was the wealthy senator [[Didius Julianus]], whose reign would end mere weeks later with his assassination on 1 June 193.<ref>{{cite book|author1= Glay, Marcel le |author2= Voisin, Jean-Louis |author3= Bohec, Yann le |title= A History of Rome |edition= Third |translator= Nevill, Antonia |publisher= Blackwell Publishing |location= Oxford, UK |year= 2001 |isbn= 1-4051-1083-X |pages= 369–372}}</ref> Julianus was succeeded by [[Septimius Severus]].<ref>Dio, 74:17:4</ref> After he entered Rome, Septimius recognized Pertinax as a legitimate emperor, executed the soldiers who had killed him, and not only pressured the Senate to [[deification|deify]] him and provide him a [[state funeral]],<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 15:1</ref> but also adopted his ''[[cognomen]]'' of "Pertinax" as part of his own name.<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 15:2</ref> For some time, he held games on the anniversary of Pertinax's accession and on his birthday.<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Pertinax'', 15:5</ref>

==Historical reputation==
Pertinax's historical reputation is largely a positive one, beginning with the assessment of Cassius Dio, a historian and senator who was a colleague of Pertinax. Dio refers to him as "an excellent and upright man"<ref>Dio, 74:1</ref> who displayed "not only humaneness and integrity in the imperial administrations, but also the most economical management and the most careful consideration for the public welfare".<ref name="dio 74:5"/>
[[File:Gold Aureus of Pertinax.jpg|thumb|200x200px|Gold Aureus of Pertinax]]
Dio's approval is not unqualified, however. He acknowledges that while some would call Pertinax's decision to confront the soldiers that would wind up killing him "noble", others would call it "senseless".<ref name="dio 74:9"/> He is also critical of Pertinax's judgment when it came to the speed with which he tried to reform the excesses of the reign of Commodus by suggesting that a more tempered approach would have been less likely to result in his murder.<ref>Dio, 74:10. "He failed to comprehend, though a man of wide practical experience, that one cannot with safety reform everything at once, and that the restoration of a state, in particular, requires both time and wisdom".</ref>

Pertinax is discussed in ''[[The Prince]]'' by [[Niccolò Machiavelli]]. Discussing the importance of a prince not being hated, Machiavelli provides Pertinax as an example of how it is as easy for a ruler to be hated for good actions as for bad ones. Though describing him as a good man, Machiavelli considered Pertinax's attempt to reform a soldiery that had become "accustomed to live licentiously" a mistake, as it inspired their hatred of him, which led to his overthrow and death.<ref>Machiavelli – ''The Prince'', Ch. XIX. Pertinax, [[Marcus Aurelius]] and [[Severus Alexander]] are described as "men of modest life, lovers of justice, enemies to cruelty, humane, and benignant". However, Machiavelli considers that Roman soldiers, "being accustomed to live licentiously under Commodus, could not endure the honest life to which Pertinax wished to reduce them".</ref>

Pertinax is described in [[David Hume]]'s essay ''Of the Original Contract'' as an "excellent prince" possessing an implied modesty when, on the arrival of soldiers who had come to proclaim him emperor, he believed that Commodus had ordered his death.<ref>Hume – ''[[Essays, Moral, Political, and Literary]]'', II.XII.41</ref>

During the debate over ratification of the [[US Constitution|United States Constitution]], [[Virginia]] politician [[John Dawson (U.S. politician)|John Dawson]], at his [[Virginia Ratifying Convention|state's ratifying convention]] in 1788, spoke of the "atrocious murder" of Pertinax by the Praetorian Guard as an example of the danger of establishing a [[standing army]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Graham |first=John Remington |date=2009 |title=Free, Sovereign, and Independent States: The Intended Meaning of the American Constitution |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7fOeMT99m44C&q=%22John+Dawson%22+Pertinax&pg=PA139 |location=United States |publisher=Pelican Publishing |page=139 |isbn=9781589805897}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Richard |first=Carl J. |date=1994 |title=The Founders and the Classics: Greece, Rome, and the American Enlightenment |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uSEIrw6QryoC&q=%22John+Dawson%22+Pertinax&pg=PA103 |location=United States |publisher=Harvard University Press |page=103 |isbn=0-674-31426-3}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
Pertinax was the [[pseudonym]] of the French journalist [[André Géraud]] (1882–1974).<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,792453,00.html |title=The Press: Pertinax Goes Home |date=15 October 1945 |magazine=Time |access-date=26 March 2018 |language=en-US |issn=0040-781X}}{{subscription required}}</ref>

In ''[[Romanitas (novel)|''Romanitas'']]'', a fictional [[alternate history fiction|alternate history]] novel by [[Sophia McDougall]], Pertinax's reign is the [[point of divergence]]. In the history as established by the novel, the plot against Pertinax was thwarted, and Pertinax introduced a series of reforms that would consolidate the Roman Empire to such a degree that it would still be a major power in the 21st century.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.romanitas.com/text/history.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060630171948/http://www.romanitas.com/text/history.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 June 2006 |title=A Short History of the Roman Empire |last=McDougall |first=Sophia |website=Romanitas |access-date=26 March 2018 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==

===Primary sources===
* [[Historia Augusta]], ''Life of Pertinax'', [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Pertinax*.html English translation at ''Lacus Curtius'']
* [[Herodian]], ''History of the Roman Empire'', [https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/herodian_02_book2.htm English translation at ''Lacus Curtius'']
* [[Cassius Dio]], ''Roman History'', Book 74, [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/74*.html English translation at ''The Tertullian Project'']
* [[Aurelius Victor]],'' "Epitome de Caesaribus"'', [http://www.roman-emperors.org/epitome.htm English translation at ''De Imperatoribus Romanis'']
* [[Zosimus (historian)|Zosimus]], ''"Historia Nova"'', [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/zosimus01_book1.htm English translation at ''The Tertullian Project'']

===Secondary sources===
* {{cite book|last=Birley|first=Anthony|title=The Roman Government of Britain|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2005|isbn=9780199252374|author-link=Anthony Birley}}
*{{cite book|last=Campbell |date=2005 |first=Brian |section=The Severan dynasty |title=The Cambridge Ancient History XII: The Crisis of Empire, A.D. 193–337 |edition=2nd |editor=Alan K. Bowman |editor2=Peter Garnsey |editor3=Averil Cameron |publisher=Cambridge University Press |name-list-style=amp |editor-link=Alan Bowman (classicist) |editor-link2=Peter Garnsey |editor-link3=Averil Cameron |url=https://archive.org/stream/iB_Ca/012 }}
* {{cite book|last=Elliot|first=Simon|title=Pertinax: The Son of a Slave Who Became Roman|year=2020|publisher=Greenhill Books |isbn=9781784385255}}
* {{cite book|last=Gibbon|first=Edward|title=[[The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]]|year=1788|author-link=Edward Gibbon}}
* {{cite web|last=Meckler|date=1997|first=Michael L.|title=Pertinax (193 A.D.)|url=http://www.roman-emperors.org/pertinax.htm|website=[[De Imperatoribus Romanis]]|access-date=1 December 2015}}
* {{cite book|last=Pococke|first=Edward|title=The History of the Roman Empire from the Time of Vespasian to the Extinction of the Western Empire.|year=1853|location=London}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Pertinax}}
* [https://www.livius.org/articles/person/pertinax/ Pertinax at Livius.Org]
* {{CathEncy|wstitle=Publius Helvius Pertinax}}
* [http://www.roman-emperors.org/pertinax.htm Pertinax at roman-emperors.org]

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Lucius Calpurnius Piso (consul 175)|L. Calpurnius Piso]]|before2=[[Publius Salvius Julianus|P. Salvius Julianus]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Roman consuls|Roman consul]]|years=175 (suffect)|with=[[Didius Julianus]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Titus Pomponius Proculus Vitrasius Pollio|T. Vitrasius Pollio]]|after2=[[Marcus Flavius Aper|M. Flavius Aper]]&nbsp;II}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Ulpius Marcellus]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Roman governors of Britain|Governor of Britain]]|years=c. 185 – 187}}
{{s-aft|after=Unknown, then [[Clodius Albinus]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Popilius Pedo Apronianus]]|before2=[[Marcus Valerius Bradua Mauricus|M. Valerius Bradua Mauricus]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Roman consuls|Roman consul]]|years=192|with=[[Commodus]] VII}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Quintus Pompeius Sosius Falco|Q. Pompeius Sosius Falco]]|after2=[[Gaius Julius Erucius Clarus Vibianus|G. Julius Erucius Clarus Vibianus]]}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Commodus]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Roman emperors|Roman emperor]]|years=[[Year of the Five Emperors|193]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Didius Julianus]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Roman Emperors}}
{{Pharaohs}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:126 births]]
[[Category:193 deaths]]
[[Category:2nd-century births]]
[[Category:2nd-century deaths]]
[[Category:2nd-century murdered monarchs]]
[[Category:2nd-century Roman emperors]]
[[Category:2nd-century Roman governors of Syria]]
[[Category:Assassinated ancient Roman politicians]]
[[Category:Deified Roman emperors]]
[[Category:Helvii (Romans)]]
[[Category:2nd-century Roman consuls]]
[[Category:People from Alba, Piedmont]]
[[Category:Roman emperors murdered by the Praetorian Guard]]
[[Category:Roman governors of Britain]]
[[Category:Roman governors of Dacia]]
[[Category:Roman governors of Lower Moesia]]
[[Category:Roman governors of Syria]]
[[Category:Roman pharaohs]]