Publius Helvius Pertinax (; 1 August 126 – 28 March 193) was
Roman emperor for the first three months of 193. He succeeded
Commodus to become the first emperor during the tumultuous
Year of the Five Emperors.
Born the son of a
freed slave, Pertinax became an officer in the army. He fought in the
Roman–Parthian War of 161–166
The Roman–Parthian War of 161–166 (also called the Parthian War of Lucius Verus) was fought between the Roman and Parthian Empires over Armenia and Upper Mesopotamia. It concluded in 166 after the Romans made successful campaigns ...
, where his success led him to be promoted to higher positions in both the military and political spheres. He achieved the rank of
provincial governor and
urban prefect. He was a member 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 ...
, serving at the same time as the historian
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 ...
.
Following the death of Commodus, Pertinax was proclaimed emperor. He attempted to institute several reform measures, although the short duration of his reign as emperor prevented the success of those attempts. One of those reforms, the restoration of discipline among the
Praetorian Guard
The Praetorian Guard (Latin: ''cohortēs praetōriae'') was a unit of the Imperial Roman army that served as personal bodyguards and intelligence agents for the Roman emperors. During the Roman Republic, the Praetorian Guard were an escort f ...
, led to conflict that eventually culminated in Pertinax's assassination by the Guard. Pertinax would be deified by the emperor
Septimius Severus
Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary succ ...
. His historical reputation has largely been a positive one, in line with Cassius Dio's assessment.
Early life
His career before becoming emperor is documented in the ''
Historia Augusta'' and co