Sextus Tigidius Perennis (died 185) served as Praetorian Prefect under the Roman emperor Commodus. Perennis exercised an outsized influence over Commodus and was the effective ruler of the Roman Empire. In 185, Perennis was implicated in a plot to overthrow the emperor by his political rival,

Marcus Aurelius Cleander Marcus Aurelius Cleander ( gr, Μᾶρκος Αὐρήλιος Κλέανδρος; died 19 April 190), commonly known as Cleander, was a Roman freedman who gained extraordinary power as chamberlain and favourite of the emperor Commodus, rising ...

, and executed on the orders of Commodus.

Sources

Herodian Herodian or Herodianus ( el, Ἡρωδιανός) of Syria, sometimes referred to as "Herodian of Antioch" (c. 170 – c. 240), was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful history in Greek titled ''History of the Empire from the Death o ...

Cassius Dio Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

, and the '' Augustan History'' provide conflicting accounts of the rise and fall of Perennis, but all three agree on the essential points of his powerful position under Commodus and his swift execution in 185. His name also appears among the signatories on the Tabula Banasitana, dated to 177.

Rise to power

Perennis perhaps served as '' praefectus annonae'' during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. The precise date of his elevation to Praetorian Prefect is uncertain. Herodian's account indicates that he did not assume the post until the accession of Commodus, but it is possible that he served as the junior partner of

Publius Tarrutenius Paternus Publius Tarrutenius Paternus was a Roman '' eques'' who flourished during the reign of emperor Marcus Aurelius. He achieved several military successes, leading first to his appointment as praetorian prefect and subsequently to his adlection into ...

as early as 177. Paternus was alleged to have displeased Commodus by ordering the death of the emperor's lover and friend

Saoterus Saoterus ( gr, Σαώτερος ὁ Νικομηδεύς; died 182) was a Bithynian Greek freedman from Nicomedia who served as the Roman Emperor Commodus's palace chamberlain (''a cubiculo''). His career is sketched by Herodian, Dio Cassius and t ...

for his questionable involvement in an assassination plot headed by

Lucilla Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla or Lucilla (7 March 148 or 150 – 182) was the second daughter of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Roman Empress Faustina the Younger. She was the wife of her father's co-ruler and adoptive brother Lucius Verus ...

and

Marcus Ummidius Quadratus Annianus Marcus Ummidius Quadratus Annianus (138–182) was a Roman Senator and the nephew of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. He was involved in an unsuccessful plot to assassinate his cousin the Emperor Commodus, which led to his execution afterwards. Offic ...

. Whatever the extent of his involvement in the removal of Paternus, Perennis thenceforth wielded enormous power as the lone prefect.

Career under Commodus

describes how Perennis capitalized on Commodus's distrust of the

Roman Senate The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...

(following the aforementioned assassination attempt to which the Senate was linked) by destroying many powerful Senators and claiming their wealth as his own. So too was Perennis thought to have held ambitions of military power: soldiers were given lavish gifts in an attempt to seduce them to his cause, and his sons were appointed to commanding army roles. The Augustan History suggests Perennis also persuaded Commodus to allow him political control, freeing the Emperor for his more hedonistic personal pursuits.

Downfall

Herodian wrote that Perennis began to plot against Commodus. Gifts from his newly acquired fortune were to curry favor with the army and his sons were secretly recruiting additional forces in anticipation of the coming revolt. Before they could act, however, the plot was exposed. First, during a public festival honoring Capitoline Jupiter, an unknown person took the stage before the performers and warned the emperor and the assembled crowd of Perennis' plans. He wasn't believed, and Perennis had him executed. Later, a group of soldiers came to Commodus and relayed the details of the plot, and showed him coins with Perennis' portrait that they had stolen from one of prefect's sons.Roman History, Cassius Dio, Book Seventy Three, Chapter IX
/ref> The emperor had him and his sons executed. Also instrumental in Perennis' downfall was

, who would go on to fulfill a similar role in the next period of Commodus's reign.

References

External links

Primary Sources *

, ''Roman History''
Book 73
English translation *

, ''Roman History''
I.8I.9
English translation *'' Historia Augusta''
Life of Commodus
Latin text with English translation
Tabula Banasitana, Latin text
Secondary Sources * Brunt, P. (1973)
The Fall of Perennis: Dio-Xiphilinus 72. 9. 2. The Classical Quarterly, 23(1), 172-177.

Pflaum, H. (1978). La préfecture de l'annone (à propos d'un ouvrage récent). Revue Historique De Droit Français Et étranger (1922-), 56(1), quatrième série, 49-77.
*Rossignol, B. (2007)
LES PRÉFETS DU PRÉTOIRE DE MARC AURÈLE. Cahiers Du Centre Gustave Glotz, 18, 141-177.
*Brill's New Pauly
Tigidius
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tigidius Perennis, Sextus 185 deaths 2nd-century executions 2nd-century Romans Executed ancient Roman people People executed by the Roman Empire Praetorian prefects Year of birth unknown