How Emperor Pertinax Was Killed
On August 1, 126 AD, in the Roman town of Alba Pompeia (now Alba in Piedmont, Italy), a son was born to Helvius Successus, a freedman wool trader. His nickname is derived from the Latin word “successio,” meaning “heir, successor.” The boy was named Publius Helvius Pertinax. The word “pertinax” means “persistent, stubborn.” Throughout his life, Pertinax persistently pursued a career and aspired to the heights of power in the Roman Empire.
His father had enough money to give him an excellent education. He was taught grammar by the renowned scholar Gaius Sulpicius Apollinaris. After completing his education, Pertinax decided to earn a living teaching grammar. However, as a young teacher without Apollinaris’s reputation, he was paid much less and decided to join the army, of course, not as a common legionary. Thanks to the patronage of Consul Lollianus Avitus, an acquaintance of his father, Pertinax was appointed directly as a centurion. Later, he became the prefect of the IV Gallic Cohort in Syria.
During the Parthian War, Pertinax distinguished himself and received the position of tribune of the VI Victorious Legion, stationed in Eboracum, a Roman camp in Britain. His career was more than…
