Pertinax AD 193 Silver Denarius Rome

Pertinax AD 193 Silver Denarius

Laureate bust right/ Pertinax sacrificing

Rome

RCV 6048, 20mm, 2.20g

 

Pertinax was born in Liguria around AD 126. His father was a freed slave who achieved success through becoming a timber merchant. Initially Pertinax was a school master who later joined the military where he was well placed to gain promotion in the Eastern wars of the 160’s. Appointed to the Senate by Marcus Aurelius Pertinax served his first consulship in AD 175 before being appointed governor of several important provinces. Whilst he fell out of favour with Commodus he was recalled to take charge of a difficult situation in Britain where the army was in a mutinous state. By the time Commodus was assassinated in AD 192 Pertinax was both consul and city prefect of Rome making him the obvious choice to succeed.
Pertinax quickly tried to address some of the ills which had befallen the state under Commodus however this made him very unpopular particularly as he was a strict disciplinarian. Matters came to a head when he was murdered by members of the Praetorian guard after less than 3 months on the throne.