Marcus Cocceius Nerva He was born on November 8, 30 AD, in Narnia, Umbria, north of Rome. He came from a long line of Roman aristocrats: his great-grandfather M. Cocceius Nerva was consul in 36 AD, his grandfather was a well-known consul and friend of the Emperor Tiberius, his mother’s aunt was Tiberius’s great-granddaughter, and his great-uncle was a negotiator. of the Emperor Octavian. While little is known of Nerva’s upbringing or childhood, he did not become a professional military man, but he was well known for his poetic writings.
NervaFollowing in the footsteps of his family, he pursued a political career. He became an elected praetor in AD 65 and later became an advisor to Emperor Nero. He discovered and exposed a plot against Nero (the Pisonian conspiracy); his work on this subject was so significant that he received “triumphal military honors” (although he was not a member of the army) and statues of his likeness were placed in the palace.
Nero’s suicide in 68 led to a year of chaos sometimes called the “Year of the four emperorsIn 69, as a result of unknown services rendered, Nerva became consul under Emperor Vespasian. Although there are no records to support the assumption, it seems likely that Nerva continued as consul to Vespasian’s sons, Titus and Domitian, until the year 89 CE.
Domitian, as a result of the armed conspiracies against him, had become a tough and vengeful leader. On September 18, 96 he was assassinated in a palace plot. Some historians speculate that Nerva may have been involved in the plot. At least, it seems likely that he did. On the same day, the Senate proclaimed Nerva emperor.
When it was appointed, Nerva He was already in his sixties and had many health problems, so it was unlikely that he would rule for long. Furthermore, he had no children, which raised questions about his successor; it was probably specifically selected because it could handpick the next Roman emperor.
The first months of the leadership of Nerva they focused on correcting Domitian’s mistakes. The statues of the former emperor were destroyed, and Nerva he granted amnesty to many citizens Domitian had exiled. Following tradition, he did not execute the senators but, according to Cassius Dio, “killed all the slaves and freedmen who conspired against their masters“.
While many were satisfied with the approach of Nerva, the military remained loyal to Domitian, in part because of his generous pay. Members of the Praetorian Guard rebelled against Nerva, they imprisoned him in the palace and demanded the release of Petronio and Partenio, two of Domitian’s assassins. Nerva he actually offered his own neck in exchange for the prisoners’, but the military refused. Finally, the murderers were caught and executed; Nerva was released.
Nerva He spent much of the remainder of his 16-month reign trying to stabilize the empire and secure his own succession. Among his achievements were the dedication of a new forum, the repair of roads, aqueducts and the Colosseum, the allocation of land to the poor, the reduction of taxes to the Jews, the institution of new laws that limited public games and exercise of greater budget oversight.
There is no record that Nerva is married and has had biological children. His solution was to adopt a son, and he selected Marcus Ulpius Traianus, Trajan, the governor of Upper Germany. The adoption, which took place in October 97, allowed Nerva placate the army by selecting a military commander as its heir; at the same time, it allowed him to consolidate his leadership and take control of the northern provinces. Trajan was the first of many adopted heirs, many of whom served Rome extremely well. In fact, Trajan’s own leadership is sometimes described as a “golden age.”
Nerva he suffered a stroke in January 98 and died three weeks later. Trajan, his successor, had Nerva’s ashes placed in the Augustus mausoleum and asked the Senate to deify him.
Nerva he was the first of five emperors to oversee the best days of the Roman Empire, as his leadership set the stage for this period of Roman glory. The other four “good emperors” were Trajan (98–117), Hadrian (117–138), Antoninus Pius (138–161), and Marcus Aurelius (161–180). Each of these emperors personally selected his successor through adoption. During this period, the Roman Empire expanded to include northern Britain, as well as parts of Arabia and Mesopotamia. Roman civilization was at its peak and a consistent form of government and culture spread throughout the empire. At the same time, however, the government became increasingly centralized; While there were benefits to this approach, it also made Rome more vulnerable in the long run.