Antoninus Pius

1. BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS

  • NAME:
    • Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus.
  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ DATES OF REIGN AS EMPEROR:
    • From 11 July 138 CE to 7 March 161 CE.
  • FAMILY DYNASTY:
  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ DATE OF BIRTH AND DEATH:
    • Born 19 September 86 CE. Died 7 March 161 CE.
  • PLACE OF BIRTH AND DEATH:
  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ PREDECESSOR:
  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ SUCCESSOR:
  • HEIR TO THE THRONE BECAUSE:
    • He was adopted by Hadrian as his son.
  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ FATHERS:
    • Titus Aurelius Fulvus.
    • Hadrian by adoption.
  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ MOTHER:
    • Arria Fadita
    • Vibia Sabina by adoption.
  • ANTONINUS PIUS’S WIVES AND CHILDREN:
  • DIED PEACEFULLY OR ASSASSINATED:
    • He died of an illness at the age of 70, whilst still in office, possibly brought on by over-feasting on a Gruyere Cheese.
  • WHERE BURIED:
  • THE REASON ANTONINUS PIUS WAS FAMOUS:
    • He ordered the construction of the Antonine Wall in Scotland.
    • His Reign was the longest between that of Augustus and until Constantine I.
    • He changed Roman Law to bring Roman Slaves under the protection of the Roman State.
    • He introduced the concept of prisoners are ‘Innocent until proven Guilty’ in the Courts.
    • The Chinese Records record a Roman Fleet arriving in China in 166 CE from ‘Andun, King of Daquin’ (Rome), five years after he had died. However, this could have been sent by either Antoninus Pius or by his successor, Marcus Aurelius, since both were called Antoninus.

2. GOOD OR BAD EMPEROR

  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ CHARACTER:
    • He was an even handed administrator and recognised as such.
    • He is considered to have been a ‘Good Ruler’.
  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ POPULARITY:
    • The Senate awarded him the Title ‘Pius’ which means ‘Dutiful’.
    • After he died he was deified by the Roman Senate.

3. ANTONINUS PIUS’ EARLY LIFE

4. REIGN OF ANTONINUS PIUS

  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ROMAN SENATE:
    • Antoninus Pius ran the Roman Administration through a small group of Senatorial families who were all members of the Sodales Hadrianales or Cult of Hadrian.
  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ MILITARY CAMPAIGNS/ REFORMS:
  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ DOMESTIC POLICY: TAXATION
    • He split the Imperial Treasury, the Fiscus into the ‘Patrimonium’ and the ‘Res Privata’.
    • Unfortunately, to pay for the Games celebrating 900 years of the Founding of Rome, he was forced to devalue the silver in the Denarius from 89% to 83.5%.
    • Antoninus Pius suspended the collection of Taxes after a Fire in Rome, and two Earthquakes in 140 CE and 152 CE, which affected Rhodes and Asia.
  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ LEGAL REFORMS:
    • The ‘Institutes of Gaius’ were published during his Reign, a beginners book for the study of Roman Law.
    • He introduced the concept that prisoners were ‘Innocent until proven Guilty’ before the Trial.
    • Torture of children under 14 years old was prohibited, but Freedmen were allowed to be tortured during a Financial Investigation. Previously, they had only been tortured during Criminal Cases.
    • He changed Roman Law to bring Slaves under the control of the Roman State, and help the Enfranchisement of Roman Slaves:
      • Already, under Nero, a judge had been appointed to listen to the complaints by Slaves who had been maltreated by their Masters.
      • The Principle of ‘Favor Libertatis’: when a Slave applied to become a Freedman, his Freedom would be granted in cases where his claim was not clear.
      • Hadrian had already removed the Right for a Master to kill his Slave, and Antoninus Pius confirmed this. If a Master killed his Slave, he was now punishable without a Trial.
      • A Proconsul could insist on the forced sale of a Slave to another Master, in the event of persistent mistreatment.
      • The Right to sell a female Slave to a Brothel and therefore into Prostitution was abolished.
  • ANTONINUS PIUS AND THE PROVINCES:
    • Antoninus Pius continued Hadrian’s policy of working with the local Aristocracies to rule their own Province, particularly in Greece, and continuing Hadrian’s exemption from the obligation to spend personal wealth on Public Buildings.
    • Antoninus Pius encouraged the building of Aqueducts in Rome, and Aqueducts, Bridges and Roads throughout the Empire.
  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ RELIGIOUS REFORMS:
    • Antoninus Pius observed the Rites of the old Religion. He promoted the Cult of the Magna Mater (Great Mother) (Cybele in Greece) and included the sacrifice of a Bull, the Taurobolium, to enhance the welfare of the Emperor. He also built a Temple to Mithras in Ostia.
  • NOTABLE EVENTS DURING ANTONINUS PIUS’ REIGN:
    • In 148 CE, Antoninus Pius held Games in the Colosseum to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the Founding of Rome.
  • ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS DURING ANTONINUS PIUS REIGN:
    • 139 CE Sothic Cycle:
      • Sirius and the Sun rise together on 1 January every 1,460 years. Previously, this happened in 1,321 BCE (Akhenaten), and later in 1599 CE. The next time, it will be in 3059 CE.

5. CONSEQUENCES OF ANTONINUS PIUS’ REIGN

  • EXPANSION OR CONTRACTION OF THE EMPIRE:
  • ENRICHMENT OR BANKRUPTCY OF THE STATE:
    • Although he was obliged to devalue the Currency in 148 CE, he left 2,500,000 Sesterces in the Treasury when he died in 161 CE.
    • Unfortunately, these savings were erased by the Antonine Plague of 165-180 CE, which was devastating in its effect and is considered to be the beginning of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
  • ANTONINUS PIUS’ MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS:
    • A long and peaceful Reign, whereby the State and Population became enriched.
    • The Roman State became the protector of Slaves.
    • The concept of prisoners are ‘Innocent until proven Guilty’ in the Courts.

6. THE SUCCESSION

7. BUILDINGS AND MONUMENTS TO VISIT

  • PALACES AND VILLAS:
  • MONUMENTS:
    • Temple of Antoninus and Faustina
      • It is now the Church of San Lorenzo in Miranda, Forum Romanum, Rome.
  • STATUES AND COINS:

8. BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

Antonine Wall. Glasgow

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