Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XIV 21 Sep 2017
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Pertinax AV Aureus. Rome, AD 193. IMP CAES P HELV PERTIN AVG, laureate head right / AEQVIT AVG TR P COS II, Aequitas, draped and standing left, holding scales in right hand and cornucopiae in left. RIC 1a; Woodward, Pertinax, dies 12/F; Calicó 2379; BMCRE 14. 7.22g, 20mm, 6h.
Good Extremely Fine. Attractive and statesmanlike portrait with full beard. An exceptional example.
Although his reign as emperor lasted a mere 87 days and was relatively unremarkable from a historical perspective, his journey to the purple is a more fascinating tale. Born to a freed slave, Helvius Successus, and given a classical education, Pertinax eventually became a teacher. Realising that as such he could never earn the glory or financial return that he desired, at the age of 35 he set his sights on a military career. His first command, over of a cohort stationed in Syria, proved successful and he quickly rose through the ranks. Gaining favour with the emperor Commodus, Pertinax was appointed urban prefect in AD 189. At this time, a successful conspiracy against the life of Commodus was orchestrated by the Praetorian Prefect Laetus, aided by the emperor's mistress Marcia and his chamberlain Eclectus, which some sources have suggested Pertinax played a part in too. In any case, supported by the Praetorian Guard, Pertinax was swiftly proclaimed emperor, a position which would prove to be harder to retain than it had been to gain.
To ensure the loyalty of the Guard, Pertinax promised a donativum of twelve thousand sestertii per man. Upon discovering the lack of funds in the imperial treasury Pertinax resorted to auctioning off all of the luxury items once owned by Commodus, including the concubines and youths kept for his sexual pleasures, in order to produce the promised money.
His frugal intentions were not only extended to those within government and the military, he also included his own family within his economical ideology. Upon becoming emperor he divided up his wealth between his children and wife, Flavia Titiana so they would not have to rely on funds from the state, and he sensibly refused to give his wife the title of Augusta or corrupt his young son by giving him the title of Caesar too early. He began a wide reform of the coinage and restored the denarius from 74 to 87% silver weight and increased the actual silver weight from 2.22 grams to 2.75 grams. Under the auspices of Aequitas, as utilised for the present type, Pertinax evidently had great intentions to restore some measure of equality and stability to the people of Rome following the capricious and damaging reign of Commodus. However, his attempts to curb the power of the Praetorian Guard and increase discipline within the unit led a contingent of some three hundred soldiers to storm the palace in March of AD 193; though Pertinax attempted to reason with them, and was almost successful in doing so, he was struck down and killed by one of the soldiers. His family, who had not taken imperial titles, were spared.
The Praetorian Guard auctioned off the imperial position, which was bought by Senator Didius Julianus, thus triggering a brief civil war over the succession, won later in the same year by Septimius Severus. After his entry to Rome, Septimius recognised Pertinax as a legitimate emperor, executed the soldiers who killed him, and not only pressured the Senate to deify him and provide for him a state funeral, but also adopted his cognomen of Pertinax as part of his name, and for some time held games on the anniversary of Pertinax's accession and his birthday.
Good Extremely Fine. Attractive and statesmanlike portrait with full beard. An exceptional example.
Although his reign as emperor lasted a mere 87 days and was relatively unremarkable from a historical perspective, his journey to the purple is a more fascinating tale. Born to a freed slave, Helvius Successus, and given a classical education, Pertinax eventually became a teacher. Realising that as such he could never earn the glory or financial return that he desired, at the age of 35 he set his sights on a military career. His first command, over of a cohort stationed in Syria, proved successful and he quickly rose through the ranks. Gaining favour with the emperor Commodus, Pertinax was appointed urban prefect in AD 189. At this time, a successful conspiracy against the life of Commodus was orchestrated by the Praetorian Prefect Laetus, aided by the emperor's mistress Marcia and his chamberlain Eclectus, which some sources have suggested Pertinax played a part in too. In any case, supported by the Praetorian Guard, Pertinax was swiftly proclaimed emperor, a position which would prove to be harder to retain than it had been to gain.
To ensure the loyalty of the Guard, Pertinax promised a donativum of twelve thousand sestertii per man. Upon discovering the lack of funds in the imperial treasury Pertinax resorted to auctioning off all of the luxury items once owned by Commodus, including the concubines and youths kept for his sexual pleasures, in order to produce the promised money.
His frugal intentions were not only extended to those within government and the military, he also included his own family within his economical ideology. Upon becoming emperor he divided up his wealth between his children and wife, Flavia Titiana so they would not have to rely on funds from the state, and he sensibly refused to give his wife the title of Augusta or corrupt his young son by giving him the title of Caesar too early. He began a wide reform of the coinage and restored the denarius from 74 to 87% silver weight and increased the actual silver weight from 2.22 grams to 2.75 grams. Under the auspices of Aequitas, as utilised for the present type, Pertinax evidently had great intentions to restore some measure of equality and stability to the people of Rome following the capricious and damaging reign of Commodus. However, his attempts to curb the power of the Praetorian Guard and increase discipline within the unit led a contingent of some three hundred soldiers to storm the palace in March of AD 193; though Pertinax attempted to reason with them, and was almost successful in doing so, he was struck down and killed by one of the soldiers. His family, who had not taken imperial titles, were spared.
The Praetorian Guard auctioned off the imperial position, which was bought by Senator Didius Julianus, thus triggering a brief civil war over the succession, won later in the same year by Septimius Severus. After his entry to Rome, Septimius recognised Pertinax as a legitimate emperor, executed the soldiers who killed him, and not only pressured the Senate to deify him and provide for him a state funeral, but also adopted his cognomen of Pertinax as part of his name, and for some time held games on the anniversary of Pertinax's accession and his birthday.