Antoninus Pius(86 — 161)
Antoninus Pius
Rome antique
6 min read
Antoninus Pius was Roman emperor from 138 to 161, the third of the “good emperors” of the Antonine dynasty. His exceptionally long and peaceful reign remained a symbol of stability and prosperity for the Empire.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Adopted by Emperor Hadrian and succeeded him in 138
- Received from the Senate the honorific title of “Pious” (Pius)
- Had the Antonine Wall built in Britain (Scotland) around 142
- A peaceful 23-year reign, with no major war and without ever leaving Italy
- Died in 161, leaving power to his adoptive sons Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus
Works & Achievements
By forcing the hostile Senate to consecrate his adoptive father, Antoninus ensured a peaceful transition of power and earned his nickname “Pius.”
Advance of the Roman frontier in Britain through a new rampart, the principal military achievement of his reign.
A charitable institution created in honor of Faustina the Elder to aid the poor girls of Rome, extending the imperial *alimenta*.
A monument dedicated to his deified wife, one of the best-preserved temples of the Roman Forum and a testament to Antoninus's piety.
Antoninus developed a humane body of law (protection of slaves against cruelty, the principle of favorable presumption), later taken up by the great Roman jurists.
Grand games and coin issues marking the nine centuries since the legendary founding of the City, asserting the greatness of the Empire.
Prudent management of the treasury, allowing help for cities struck by earthquakes and fires (Asia, Rhodes), while leaving an abundant treasury at his death.
Anecdotes
Antoninus received the surname "Pious" (Pius) probably because he insisted that the Senate deify his adoptive father Hadrian, even though many senators detested the late emperor. Out of filial loyalty, Antoninus managed to ease tensions and obtain this honour.
During his 23-year reign, Antoninus never left Italy: he governed the vast Roman Empire from Rome and his villas, through letters and messengers. It was one of the most peaceful reigns in Roman history, in stark contrast to his adoptive grandfather Trajan, the tireless conqueror.
Under his reign, his generals pushed the frontier forward in Britain (present-day Scotland) and built a new rampart of turf and timber, the "Antonine Wall," north of the famous Hadrian's Wall. This was his main military undertaking.
Antoninus deeply loved his wife Faustina the Elder. Upon her death, he had her deified and created a charitable foundation, the "Girls of Faustina" (puellae Faustinianae), which helped the poor girls of Rome.
On his deathbed in 161, the watchword he gave to the officer on guard was "aequanimitas" (equanimity, serenity). Then he turned over as if to sleep and died peacefully, true to his reputation for calm to the very end.
Primary Sources
He was a man remarkable for his physique, distinguished by his moral qualities, full of kindness, noble of countenance, of exceptional intellect, eloquent, highly learned, and temperate.
From my father, gentleness, but also unshakable firmness in decisions carefully thought through; the absence of vain glory in so-called honours; the love of work and perseverance.
The emperor Antoninus, the first of that name, granted many benefits to all his subjects: he had aqueducts and baths built, and came to the aid of cities struck by misfortune.
The whole inhabited earth has been adorned like a garden... the cities shine with brilliance and grace, and the entire earth is in festival, under a universal peace.
Key Places
A town in Latium, near which Antoninus was born into his senatorial family. His family was of Gaulish origin, settled in Italy.
Capital of the Empire from which Antoninus governed without ever leaving Italy. The Forum is home to the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, raised after their deaths.
An imperial villa on the Via Aurelia where Antoninus spent much of his childhood and his reign, and where he died in 161.
A turf-and-timber rampart built around 142 between the estuaries of the Clyde and the Forth, marking the advance of the Roman frontier in Britain.
A wealthy province of which Antoninus was proconsul before his accession, which forged his reputation as a fair administrator.
