| Pescennius Niger | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usurper of theRoman Empire | |||||||||
.jpg) Aureus of Pescennius Niger, Antioch mint. Legend: IMP CAES C PESC NIGER IVST AVG. | |||||||||
| Reign | 9 April 193 – May 194 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Didius Julianus | ||||||||
| Successor | Septimius Severus | ||||||||
| Born | c. 135/140 Roman Empire | ||||||||
| Died | 194 (aged 53–59) Roman Empire | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Dynasty | None | ||||||||
| Father | Annius Fuscus | ||||||||
| Mother | Lampridia | ||||||||
Gaius Pescennius Niger (c. 135 – 194) was aRoman usurper from 193 to 194 during theYear of the Five Emperors. He claimed the imperial throne in response to the murder ofPertinax and the elevation ofDidius Julianus, but was defeated by a rival claimant,Septimius Severus, and killed while attempting to flee fromAntioch.
According toHistoria Augusta, Niger's parents were Annius Fuscus and Lampridia. It also states that his grandfather was a supervisor of Aquinum.[1] He may have had a brother named Publius Pescennius Niger who is recorded in an inscription to have been a member of theArval Brethren in AD 183, during the reign of Commodus.[2][3]
Although Niger was born into an old Italian equestrian family, around the year 135,[4] he wasthe first member of his family to achieve the rank ofRoman senator.[5] Not much is known of his early career; it is possible that he held an administrative position inEgypt, and that he served in a military campaign inDacia early inCommodus’ reign.[6] During the late 180s, Niger was elected as aSuffect consul, after which Commodus made himimperial legate ofSyria in 191.[7]
He was still serving in Syria when news came of the murder ofPertinax, followed by the auctioning off of the imperial title toDidius Julianus.[8] Niger was a well regarded public figure inRome[6] and soon a popular demonstration against Didius Julianus broke out, during which the citizens called out for Niger to come to Rome and claim the imperial title for himself.[9] As a consequence, it is alleged that Julianus dispatched acenturion to the east with orders to assassinate Niger atAntioch.[10]
The result of the unrest in Rome saw Niger proclaimed Emperor by the eastern legions by the end of April 193.[11] On his accession, Niger took the additionalcognomenJustus, or "the Just".[6] Although imperial propaganda issued on behalf of Septimius Severus later claimed that Niger was the first to rebel against Didius Julianus,[10] it was Severus who persisted, claiming the imperial title on 14 April.[5] Although Niger sent envoys to Rome to announce his elevation to the imperial throne, his messengers were intercepted by Severus.[6] As Niger began bolstering his support in the eastern provinces, Severus marched on Rome which he entered in early June 193 after Julianus had been murdered.[12]
| Roman imperial dynasties | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year of the Five Emperors (193) | ||
| Chronology | ||
193 | ||
193 | ||
193–194 | ||
193–197 | ||
193–211 | ||
| Succession | ||
| ||
Severus wasted no time consolidating his hold on Rome, and ordered his newly appointed prefect of the watch,Gaius Fulvius Plautianus to capture Niger's children and hold them as hostages.[13] Meanwhile, Niger was busy securing the support of all of the governors in theAsiatic provinces, including the esteemedproconsul of Asia,Asellius Aemilianus, who had occupiedByzantium in the name of Niger.[14] He then proceeded to secure direct control overEgypt, while Severus did as much as he could to protect the wheat supply, and ordered troops loyal to him to keep watch on the western border of Egypt and prevent the legion stationed there –Legio II Traiana Fortis – from sending military aid to Niger.[15]
Although the Asiatic provinces contained great wealth, Niger's military resources were inferior to Severus’. While Severus had the sixteen Danubian legions at his disposal, Niger possessed only six: three inSyria, the two stationed inArabia Petraea, and one located atMelitene.[13] Niger therefore decided to act aggressively, and sent a force intoThrace where it defeated a part of Severus’ army underLucius Fabius Cilo atPerinthus.[16]
Severus then marched from Rome to the east, sending his generalTiberius Claudius Candidus ahead of him.[17] Niger, having made Byzantium his headquarters, gave Asellius Aemilianus the task of defending the southern shore of theSea of Marmara.[17] As Severus approached, he offered Niger the opportunity to surrender and go into exile, but Niger refused, trusting in the outcome of a military encounter.[6] In the fall of 193, Candidus met Aemilianus in battle atCyzicus, resulting in Niger's forces being defeated as well as the capture and death of Aemilianus.[18] Byzantium was now placed under siege, forcing Niger to abandon the city and retreat toNicaea.[17] The city remained loyal to Pescennius Niger, and it would take Severus until the end of 195 to finally capture Byzantium.[19]
Another battle took place outsideNicaea in later December 193, which also resulted in a defeat for Niger. Nevertheless, Niger was able to withdraw the bulk of his army intact to theTaurus Mountains, where he held the passes for a few months while he returned to Antioch.[20] However, Niger's support in Asia was falling. Some previously loyal cities changed their allegiance, in particularLaodicea andTyre.[19] By February 13, 194, Egypt had declared for Severus, as had the imperial legate ofArabia, further diminishing Niger's chances.[21]
After Severus had replaced Candidus with another general,Publius Cornelius Anullinus, Niger met Anullinus in battle atIssus in May 194, where after a long and hard-fought struggle, Niger was decisively defeated.[18] Forced to retreat toAntioch, Niger was captured while attempting to flee toParthia.[22] Niger was beheaded, and his severed head was taken to Byzantium, but the city refused to surrender. Eventually, Severus stormed and completely destroyed Byzantium before he had it rebuilt.[19] Niger's head eventually found its way to Rome where it was displayed.[16]
The Historia Augusta relates that after his victory in the east, Severus punished Niger's supporters.[23] He had Niger's wife and children put to death, while his estates were confiscated.[24]`However, according to Roman scholar Geoffrey Turton, Septimius refrained from vindictive reprisals. After Niger's death his wife and children served no use as hostages, and were allowed to live in retirement, where it was supposed, they would play no further part in public affairs. Given the unreliability of the Historia Augusta, which often served as a propaganda vehicle for succeeding emperors, this is almost certainly the more likely outcome.[25]
The namePescennius Niger literally means “black Pescennius,” which contrasts with one of his rivals for the throne in 194,Clodius Albinus, whose name means “white Clodius.”[26] According toCassius Dio’sRoman History, a priest ofJupiter reported a dream in which a “black/dark man” (ἄνθρωποι τὸν μέλανα) broke into the emperor's camp, which was interpreted as referring to Pescennius Niger.
TheHistoria Augusta adds that his father bore thecognomen Fuscus, meaning “brown,” and describes Niger himself as having a pale and corpulent body but a dark-red face with a very black neck. This distinctive appearance was cited by some contemporaries as the origin of his cognomen “Niger.”[27]
Pescennius is known to have been married and had children. The names of his children are not mentioned in any sources, nor how many they were.[28] In the past it has been supposed by some historians based on medals bearing the inscription "Pescennia Plautiana Augusta" that Niger was married to a woman named Plautiana or that he had a daughter named Pescennia Plautiana, but the medals are said to be forgeries.[29]
In the filmThe Fall of The Roman Empire Niger is played byDouglas Wilmer and depicted as a scheming henchman of Commodus. At the end of the film, Niger andDidius Julianus, played byEric Porter, another crony of Commodus, compete against each other in the auction for the throne of Rome.
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Roman Emperor 193 in competition with Septimius Severus andClodius Albinus | Succeeded by |
