Profile for Emperor: Nerva - A guide to the coins of the Roman Empire

Nerva

Reece Period attributed: Period 5

Member of the The Adoptive Emperors dynasty.

Coins for this issuer were issued from 96 until 98.

Marcus Cocceius Nerva was born in AD 35 and held public offices under Nero and Vespasian. He may have been banished by Domitian, with whom he may have had a relationship, to Tarentum. Nerva was known for his quiet lifestyle before becoming emperor, and wrote poetry. Domitian\'s assassins approached Nerva as a potential emperor only after others had turned down the offer.

He was known to have a kindly disposition, and he set free many who had been wrongly accused of treason. In fact, some accused Nerva of giving Romans too much freedom and abolishing too many taxes; he tempered his leniency but never put anyone, even those plotting his downfall, to death.

After a year of rule, Nerva was taken captive by the angered Praetorian Guard. The Guard had been faithful to Domitian and sought to avenge his death. He survived and adopted Trajan, naming him a Caesar and co-consul. Nerva died of an illness and was later deified by Trajan. Suetonius describes Nerva as feeble in health but handsome, with a large nose.

View all coins recorded by the scheme attributed to Nerva.

Wikipedia derived information

Nerva, was Roman Emperor from 96 to 98.

Nerva became emperor at the age of sixty-five, after a lifetime of imperial service under Nero and the rulers of the Flavian dynasty. Under Nero, he was a member of the imperial entourage and played a vital part in exposing the Pisonian conspiracy of 65. Later, as a loyalist to the Flavians, he attained consulships in 71 and 90 during the reigns of Vespasian and Domitian respectively.

On 18 September 96, Domitian was assassinated in a palace conspiracy involving members of the Praetorian Guard and several of his freedmen. On the same day, Nerva was declared emperor by the Roman Senate. This was the first time the Senate elected a Roman Emperor.

As the new ruler of the Roman Empire, he vowed to restore liberties which had been curtailed during the autocratic government of Domitian. However, Nerva's brief reign was marred by financial difficulties and his inability to assert his authority over the Roman army. A revolt by the Praetorian Guard in October 97 essentially forced him to adopt an heir.

After some deliberation Nerva adopted Trajan, a young and popular general, as his successor. After barely fifteen months in office, Nerva died of natural causes on 27 January 98. Upon his death he was succeeded and deified by Trajan.

Although much of his life remains obscure, Nerva was considered a wise and moderate emperor by ancient historians. Recent historians have revised this assessment, characterizing Nerva as a well-intentioned but ultimately weak ruler, whose reign brought the Roman Empire to the brink of civil war. Nerva's greatest success was his ability to ensure a peaceful transition of power after his death, thus founding the Nerva-Antonine dynasty..

Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerva
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