Nerva Nerva was a Roman emperor that ruled from the year 96 until 98. Many historians refer to him as being a "good emperor." One reason for this was his decision to choose a successor by merit instead of by blood. This practice was used after his reign had ended, and this led to a time of peace and stability. When it came to his childhood, Nerva was more like Vespasian. While his family was noble, he was not considered to be a member of the Roman elite. He came from a family who had consistently held high offices over the years. Members of his family had served as both consuls and members of the royal entourage. He is connected to the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nerva was the start of what would be called the Five Good Emperors. |  |
He was also the final emperor that was Italian. While he had not studied adminstration, he had been consul during the reign of Vespasian. In addition to this, he also served under Domitian as well. Once Domitian was killed, he became emperor in the same year. Nerva was already past the age of 60 when he was chosen to be emperor, and he did not have any heirs. Many believe that he was chosen because of this and the fact that Domitian had planned to kill him. Once he became emperor, Nerva released many of those who were imprisoned by Domitian because of treason. He also shared his power with the Roman Senate. It appears that the goal of Nerva was to be popular. Indeed, failing to be popular as emperor had often resulted in death for so many in the past, and Nerva likely wanted to avoid becoming a victim. While these tactics were sophisticated, he still had some problems. There were a number of soldiers in the army that were still loyal to Domitian. These soldiers attacked the Imperial Palace in the year 97 and took Nerva as a hostage. The soldiers demanded that Nerva reveal those who were responsible for the death of Domitian. The two people blamed for the death of Domitian were Parthenius and Petronius, and they both were executed. Even though Nerva was not physically harmed, his reputation was destroyed. Even though he didn't have any children, Nerva decided to pick an heir who would have the best interests of the people and the army in mind. His choice was Trajan, a general who commanded the armies in Germany. Once Trajan became emperor, he executed those who were responsible for the move against Nerva. Original Authors: Stephen Palmer
Edit Update Authors: RPN
Updated On: 02/02/2007
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