Pescennius Niger

Pescennius Niger

Infobox Roman emperor
name =Gaius Pescennius Niger
title =Usurper of the Roman Empire


caption =Coin of Pescennius Niger
reign =193 - 194
predecessor =Didius Julianus
successor =Septimius Severus
spouse =
spouse 2 =
issue =
dynasty =None
father =
mother =
date of birth =c. 140
place of birth =
date of death =194
place of death =
place of burial =|

Gaius Pescennius Niger (c. 140–194) was a Roman usurper from 193 to 194. The name "Niger" means "black", contrasting him with one of his rivals for the throne, Clodius Albinus, whose name means "white". (Niger born of an Italian equestrian family as is written in Cassius Dio's Book 75 and described as a "black man" in some translations. Since the ethnic make-up of Italians during that era consisted of Indo-European and Etruscan stock it may imply simply skin tone rather than racial background. However, it is probably just a pun on his name, as Cassius Dio says that a priest prophesied that a "black man" would seize the throne and meet his end by violence, and people decided that it referred to Niger due to his name.)

Niger, an Italian of the equestrian order, was a governor of Syria who was proclaimed emperor by the eastern legions after the murder of Pertinax and the auctioning off of the imperial title to Didius Julianus. Among the provinces that fell under his direct control was Aegyptus, and he also enjoyed support from the government of Asia. Although these lands contained great wealth, another rebel general, Septimius Severus, succeeding in taking Rome first, and he then marched east to confront Niger. Niger was defeated at
Cyzicus and Nicea (193) and then, definitively, at Issus (194); forced to retreat to Antioch, Niger was killed while attempting to flee to Parthia.

References

*Southern, Pat. "The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine". London and New York: Routledge, 2001.

Primary sources

* [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Pescennius_Niger*.html Historia Augusta: Life of Pescennius Niger]
* [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/75*.html Cassius Dio Book 75]

econdary material

* [http://www.livius.org/pen-pg/pescennius/niger.html Pescennius Niger at Livius.Org]

External links

*CathEncy|wstitle=Pescennius Niger


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pescennius Niger — • Emperor of Rome (193 194). Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Pescennius Niger     Pescennius Niger     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Pescennius Niger — Pescennius Niger, s. Niger …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • PESCENNIUS Niger — Imperator Roman. cuius vitam scripsit Ael. Spartianus. Vide Niger …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Pescennĭus Niger — Pescennĭus Niger, Gaius, röm. Kaiser 193–194 n. Chr., ein tüchtiger Feldherr, der auch Manneszucht im Heere zu halten verstand; er war in Rom bekannt und geliebt und ließ sich auf die Nachricht der Ermordung des Pertinax als Statthalter Syriens… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Pescennius Niger — Pescennĭus Niger, röm. Kaiser, 193 nach Ermordung des Pertinax Gegenkaiser des Didius Julianus, 194 von Septimius Severus besiegt und getötet …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Pescennius Niger — Gaius Pescennius Niger Pescennius Niger Usurpateur romain …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Pescennius Niger — Denarius des Pescennius Niger Gaius Pescennius Niger (* vermutlich um 135/140, angeblich in Aquinum; † im April 194 in der Nähe von Antiocheia) war römischer Gegenkaiser von Mitte April 193 bis zu seiner entscheidenden Niederlage etwa Ende März… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Pescennius Niger — Gaius Pescennius Niger era gobernador en Asia menor cuando en Roma fue asesinado el emperador Pertinax en 193 d.C.. Tras este acontecimiento sus tropas le proclamaron emperador y le reconocieron las provincias de Asia y Egipto. Sin embargo, no se …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Niger (Begriffsklärung) — Niger bezeichnet: einen Staat in Afrika, siehe Niger einen Fluss in Afrika, siehe Niger (Fluss) einen Bundesstaat in Nigeria, siehe Niger (Bundesstaat) Niger ist der Namenszusatz für mehrere römische Feldherren bzw. Soldatenkaiser sowie deren… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Niger, Pescennius — ▪ Roman emperor original name  Gaius Pescennius Niger Justus   died 194       rival Roman emperor from 193 to 194.       An equestrian army officer from Italy, Niger was promoted to senatorial rank about 180. Most of his earlier service had been… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”