Publius Licinius Nerva was a Roman politician during the Late

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

. As a

propraetor In ancient Rome a promagistrate ( la, pro magistratu) was an ex-consul or ex-praetor whose ''imperium'' (the power to command an army) was extended at the end of his annual term of office or later. They were called proconsuls and propraetors. Thi ...

he was assigned as Governor of Sicily in 104 BC at the outbreak of the

Second Servile War The Second Servile War was an unsuccessful slave uprising against the Roman Republic on the island of Sicily. The war lasted from 104 BC until 100 BC. Background The Consul Gaius Marius was recruiting soldiers for the war against the Cimbri and ...

. In the midst of the

Cimbrian War The Cimbrian or Cimbric War (113–101 BC) was fought between the Roman Republic and the Germanic and Celtic tribes of the Cimbri and the Teutons, Ambrones and Tigurini, who migrated from the Jutland peninsula into Roman controlled territory, ...

, Italian allies of Rome, upon the mustering of troops, protested ''publicani'' tax farmers selling their citizens into slavery as punishment for tax arrears. As these abuses interfered with Roman ability to speedily raise troops, the Senate decreed that any citizen of an ally would be immediately emancipated. The Senate assigned Nerva to establish a tribunal in Sicily to determine who qualified for release. A coalition of slaveholders in Sicily confronted the praetor and, with bribes and threats, shut the tribunal down. Due to the mounting pressure from the slaveholders and the slaves themselves, Nerva feared violent outbreaks from the side who came off worse in the confrontation and refused to listen to any more of the slaves' complaints. Claiming that they would not face repercussions for their actions, Nerva told the slaves to disperse and return to their masters. However, the slaves instead decided amongst themselves to start a revolt. Nerva tried to put down the revolt, but failed to react with decision; by false promises he was able to return one body of the rebels to slavery, but neglected to address more serious outbreaks near Heraclea and near

Lilybaeum Marsala (, local ; la, Lilybaeum) is an Italian town located in the Province of Trapani in the westernmost part of Sicily. Marsala is the most populated town in its province and the fifth in Sicily. The town is famous for the docking of Giuse ...

. Eventually, Nerva dispatched a detachment of 600 soldiers to Heraclea but they were defeated, the slaves now gained confidence, having won a large supply of armaments. Nerva was replaced at the end of his term by Lucius Licinius Lucullus.Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca Historica'', 36,8; A. H. Beesely, ''The Gracchi, Marius, and Sulla Epochs of Ancient History'', VI, p. 57

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Licinius Nerva, Publius Roman governors of Sicily Nerva, Publius Roman Republican praetors 1st-century BC Romans