Lucius Julius Ursus Servianus (45 – 136 AD) was an Iberian

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

politician. He was a prominent public figure in the reigns of Roman emperors Nerva,

Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...

and

Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...

. He was the last private citizen to receive a third consulship; such honors came to be reserved for members of the emperor's family. According to an inscription found, his full name is Gaius Julius Servilius Ursus Servianus, however, in the '' Augustan History'', he is known as Lucius Julius Ursus Servianus.

Life

Little is known about his origins.

Ronald Syme Sir Ronald Syme, (11 March 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a New Zealand-born historian and classicist. He was regarded as the greatest historian of ancient Rome since Theodor Mommsen and the most brilliant exponent of the history of the Roman ...

has argued that he was originally named Servius Julius Servianus, suffect consul in 90, and that

Lucius Julius Ursus Lucius Julius Ursus was a relative of the Flavian dynasty, who was originally one of the equites who held several imperial appointments, but afterwards was promoted to the Roman senate. He was suffect consul three times: once under Domitian and tw ...

adopted him after that year, leading to a name change; no scholar has spoken against this identification, and it has been considered accepted by all. Before the accession of Trajan in 98, Servianus had married

Aelia Domitia Paulina Paulina or Paullina (, ) was a name shared by three relatives of the Roman Emperor Hadrian: his mother, his elder sister and his niece. Mother of Hadrian Domitia Paulina or Paullina, Domitia Paulina Major or Paulina Major, (''Major'' Latin f ...

, the elder sister of Hadrian, who was thirty years younger than he was. During Trajan's reign (98-117), Paulina and Servianus had a daughter called

Julia Serviana Paulina Paulina or Paullina (, ) was a name shared by three relatives of the Roman Emperor Hadrian: his mother, his elder sister and his niece. Mother of Hadrian Domitia Paulina or Paullina, Domitia Paulina Major or Paulina Major, (''Major'' Latin f ...

. When Nerva died on January 27 of the year 98, Hadrian travelled to

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

to find Trajan, to announce the death of Nerva. Servianus tried unsuccessfully to stop Hadrian's travel to Germany, because he was jealous of the favor shown Hadrian by Trajan. However, Servianus and Hadrian reconciled and were for a long time on good terms. Servianus served twice as consul under Trajan, and once as consul under Hadrian in 134. As a senator he was a very influential and powerful man. Trajan appointed him governor of Germania Inferior for 97 to 99, and immediately afterwards made him governor of

Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now wes ...

for 99 to 100, granting him important military commands against

Dacia Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It ...

. Servianus was a friend to the Senator and historian Pliny the Younger; two of Pliny's surviving letters are addressed to him, and Pliny mentions him in two more. Through Servianus' influence, Trajan granted Pliny immunities only usually granted to a father of three, the ''

jus trium liberorum The jus trium liberorum, meaning "the right of three children" in Latin, was a privilege awarded to Roman citizens who had produced at least three children or freedmen of either sex who had produced at least four children. It was a direct result ...

''. Before Pliny's death around 111, Servianus and Paulina had arranged and married their daughter Julia to

Gnaeus Pedanius Fuscus Salinator Gnaeus Pedanius Fuscus Salinator was a Roman senator active in the late 1st century AD. He is estimated to have been born between BCE 29 and 91 He was suffect consul in either AD 83 or 84. Salinator is known to have been proconsular governor of As ...

, ordinary consul in 118 as the colleague of emperor Hadrian. Pliny the Younger sent him and his wife a letter of congratulations about their daughter's wedding. When Trajan died on August 8, 117, his cousin and adopted son Hadrian became emperor. As Emperor, Hadrian treated Servianus with distinguished honor, considering him to be his first successor. When Paulina died in 130, Hadrian and Servianus shared a private ceremony for her. For a long time, the emperor Hadrian had considered Servianus as his unofficial successor. As Hadrian's reign drew to a close, however, he changed his mind. Although the emperor certainly thought Servianus capable of ruling as an emperor after Hadrian's own death, Servianus, by now in his nineties, was clearly too old for the position. Hadrian's attentions turned to Servianus' grandson, who was also named

Lucius Pedanius Fuscus Salinator Lucius ( el, Λούκιος ''Loukios''; ett, Luvcie) is a male given name derived from ''Lucius'' (abbreviated ''L.''), one of the small group of common Latin forenames (''praenomina'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius derives from L ...

. Hadrian promoted the young Salinator, his great-nephew, gave him special status in his court, and groomed him as his heir. Servianus, who always cherished the idea that his youthful grandson would one day succeed his brother-in-law, was overjoyed. However, in 136, Hadrian changed his mind and decided to adopt

Lucius Aelius Lucius Aelius Caesar (13 January 101 – 1 January 138) was the father of Emperor Lucius Verus. In 136, he was adopted by Hadrian and named heir to the throne. He died before Hadrian and thus never became emperor. After Lucius' death, he was ...

Caesar as his son and heir. Servianus and the younger Salinator were angry with Hadrian and wanted to challenge him over the adoption. It is possible Salinator went so far as to attempt a coup against Hadrian in which Servianus was implicated. In order to avoid any potential conflict in the succession, Hadrian ordered the deaths of Salinator and Servianus. Anthony Birley, ''Hadrian the Restless Emperor'', pp. 291-292. Ironically, Aelius died before Hadrian in 138, forcing Hadrian to adopt

Antoninus Pius Antoninus Pius ( Latin: ''Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius''; 19 September 86 – 7 March 161) was Roman emperor from 138 to 161. He was the fourth of the Five Good Emperors from the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. Born into a senatori ...

Sources

* Augustan History - Hadrian * https://web.archive.org/web/20070125184755/http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/3125.html * http://www.fofweb.com/Onfiles/Ancient/AncientDetail.asp?iPin=ROME1573 * http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07104b.htm

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Julius Servilius Ursus Servianus, Lucius 45 births 136 deaths 1st-century Romans 2nd-century Romans Imperial Roman consuls Roman governors of Pannonia Roman governors of Germania Inferior Executed ancient Roman people People executed by the Roman Empire 2nd-century executions Executed Spanish people Ursus Servianus, Lucius Julius Ursus Servianus, Lucius Nerva–Antonine dynasty Ancient Roman adoptees