Customer Reviews

Nerva and the Roman Succession Crisis of AD 96-99 (Roman Imperial Biographies)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In his treatment of Nerva's brief reign as Roman Emperor, John Grainger makes the best of the very limited available information from written sources and archaeological evidence to build up a persuasive explanation of what was actually happening in the background during Nerva's reign: the circumstances and participants in the conspiracy to assassinate his predecessor, Domitian; Nerva's own personal and political background; and the circumstances behind Nerva's choice of Trajan as his successor. In order to make his case, he often has to rely on logical thinking and speculation, but he always makes clear that that's what he's doing.

Some of his analyses seem to be on more solid ground than others, for instance, his proposed list for senatorial co-conspirators and their alternative candidates for emperor before settling on Nerva is extensively argued and may well be correct, but must remain speculative. Far more interesting and surprising was his analysis of Trajan's family connections, putting him at the center of a network of influential senatorial families. At least since Pliny the Younger and down to present times, Nerva's choice of Trajan has been often presented as "the choice of the best man for the job". This image is rather shattered by Grainger analysis, which implicitly (and sometime explicitly) portrays Trajan as a relative mediocrity who literally happened to be at the right place at the right time, both in terms of his family connections and his positivion as a provincial governor in Germany and so in command of legions fairly close to Rome.

In this context, I did not find Grainger's proposed scenario of extensive consultations between the several senatorial factions connected to the provincial governors, finally settling on Trajan - and with Nerva himself merely informed of their decision, or at best consulted - to be necessary. No matter what other qualities or defects Nerva may have had, he was clearly a masterful backroom political operator and survivor - moving from Nero's inner circle to the Flavians', and emerging as the chosen candidate for emperor in the conspiracy to murder Domitian. I can't imagine how he could *not* have a map of all the senatorial political and familial networks in his head. So I wonder why it should be even necessary for the choice of his successor to be imposed on him, or even to emerge after consultations - from the point of view of political connections, the choice of Trajan would have been as obvious to Nerva as to anyone. In a way that confirms that Trajan was the "best possible choice", but *not* due to his personal abilities or qualities - merely due to his connections.

Grainger elaborates on the subject of Trajan's choice by making the caae that Trajan was a much worse military strategist than Domitian: by the time of his assassination, Domitian was planning campaigns on the upper regions of the Danube, which Grainger describes as a sounder strategy than Trajan's glory-seeking campaigns against Dacia. Grainger seems to regard Trajan as a relative mediocrity as far as substance was concerned, but much better connected (and better at public relations) than the far more competent Domitian. Whether one agrees with this view or not, Grainger does present his case with a great deal of thought.

Of the recent Roman imperial biographies in English, this is certainly the one that has given me the most to think about and reconsider.