Pertinax Caesar

Tetradrachm from Alexandria

Pertinax Caesar (actually Publius Helvius Pertinax ; * around 180; † probably 212 in Rome ) was the son of the Roman emperor of the same name Pertinax and his wife Flavia Titiana .

After his father took over government on January 1, 193, the young Pertinax was given the title of Caesar by the Senate , making him heir to the throne and co-regent. Although Emperor Pertinax rejected the title for his then underage son, he was still recognized as Caesar , especially in the eastern provinces, as evidenced by the corresponding coins minted in Alexandria .

The younger Pertinax survived the coup on 28 March 193 and was designed by Septimius Severus as flamen his divinized used father. Probably at the beginning of the (sole) rule of Caracalla (212?) Pertinax held the suffect consulate . When he gave Caracalla the equivocal nickname Geticus maximus because of Geta's murder - based on honorary titles such as Germanicus and Parthicus - the emperor had him executed immediately.

literature

Alfred von Sallet : Pertinax Caesar, the son of the Emperor Pertinax . In: Zeitschrift für Numismatik , Vol. 1 (1874), pp. 314-318.
David L. Vagi: Coinage and history of the Roman Empire. C. 82 BC-AD 480. Dearborn Books, Chicago 2000, ISBN 1-579-58316-4 .

History , p. 259.
Coinage , p. 379.

Web links

Jona Lendering: Publius Pertinax Helvius Jr. . In: Livius.org (English)

Portrait head of Pertinax Caesar in the Arachne archaeological database

Remarks

^ Cassius Dio , Roman History 74.7 .
↑ In Historia Augusta , Caracalla 4,8 , the name of Pertinax with the designation suffectus consul is listed among the victims of the executions after Geta's murder (probably at the end of December 211). The Pertinax suffect consulate cannot be precisely dated. The information in the Historia Augusta therefore does not necessarily testify that he was consul at the time of his execution. Since Pertinax was most likely no older than 14 years in 193, but the minimum age for the consular office was 32, he can hardly have held the office before 211. On the other hand, Pertinax does not necessarily have to have fallen victim to the first "wave of purges" after Geta's murder. See also Müller, Herodian , note p. 325.
↑ Historia Augusta, Caracalla, 10.5 .

personal data
SURNAME	Pertinax Caesar
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Publius Helvius Pertinax
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Son of the Roman Emperor Pertinax
DATE OF BIRTH	at 180
DATE OF DEATH	at 212
Place of death	Rome

[1] Cassius Dio , Roman History 74.7 .

[2] In Historia Augusta , Caracalla 4,8 , the name of Pertinax with the designation suffectus consul is listed among the victims of the executions after Geta's murder (probably at the end of December 211). The Pertinax suffect consulate cannot be precisely dated. The information in the Historia Augusta therefore does not necessarily testify that he was consul at the time of his execution. Since Pertinax was most likely no older than 14 years in 193, but the minimum age for the consular office was 32, he can hardly have held the office before 211. On the other hand, Pertinax does not necessarily have to have fallen victim to the first "wave of purges" after Geta's murder. See also Müller, Herodian , note p. 325.

[3] Historia Augusta, Caracalla, 10.5 .