Pertinax: The Son of a Slave Who Became Roman Emperor

by Simon Elliott

A biography of the man who ascended the ranks of the military and government to become Roman Emperor.

The son of a former slave, Pertinax was the Roman Emperor who proved that no matter how lowly your birth, you could rise to the very top through hard work, grit and determination.

Born in AD 126, Pertinax made a late career change from working as a grammar teacher to a position in the army. As he moved up the ranks and further along the aristocratic cursus honorum, he took on many of the most important postings in the Empire, from senior military roles in fractious Britain, the Marcomannic Wars on the Danube, to the Parthian Wars in the east. He held governorships in key provinces, and later consulships in Rome itself. When Emperor Commodus was assassinated on New Year's Eve AD 192/193, the Praetorian Guard alighted on Pertinax to become the new Emperor, expecting a pliable puppet who would favour them with great wealth. But Pertinax was nothing of the sort and when he then attempted to reform the Guard, he was assassinated. His death triggered the beginning of the "Year of the Five Emperors" from which Septimius Severus, Pertinax's former mentoree, became the ultimate victor and founder of the Severan Dynasty.

This previously untold story brings a fascinating and important figure out of the shadows. A self-made everyman, a man of principle and ambition, a role model respected by his contemporaries who styled himself on his philosophizing predecessor and sometime champion Marcus Aurelius, Pertinax's remarkable story offers a unique and panoramic insight into the late 2nd century AD Principate Empire.

Praise for Pertinax

"A story that echoes and rivals that of Spartacus." --Books Monthly (UK)

"An authoritative new history unearths the true story of a slave's son who rose through the ranks to become the Roman Empire's most powerful man. . . . The author vividly documents Pertinax's last days and effectively captures the tenor of the era, a time awash in corruption and violence. Roman history enthusiasts will find new material to digest and general readers, useful context for the Roman way of life." --Kirkus Reviews

Genres: History, Biography, Roman History, Ancient History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Politics

224 pages, ebook

Published December 19, 2020

Reviews

[Martin, I stand with ISRAEL · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning two thirds of this book is very dry. The author goes into great detail about Rome’s provinces, military, hills of Rome, and daily Roman life. What about Pertinex?

In the last third of the book we actually learn how Pertinex becomes emperor
It start right the murder of Commodus. As a side note, the movie Gladiator is really only fiction. Pertinex is given the the office of emperor by the two consoles had Commodus killed
(To be continued later)

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 2 out of 5]

Om jag hade varit tonåring och ny antiknörd hade denna varit perfekt. Den är lika mycket en introduktion till romerskt styre, som en beskrivning av en skicklig och plikttrogen general. Denna noggrannhet med att fylla i alla bakgrundskunskaper man kan tänkas behöva straffar sig. Den innebär att författaren helt enkelt inte har utrymme eller fokus nog att skriva en speciellt intressant biografi.

[Andrew Dockrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

As my first time reading a Simon Elliott book, it will most likely also be my last as this book was such a mixed bag. While the information on Pertinax was interesting, there was so much filler in between. This book was definitely directed to a none academic audience as he goes through much of the history of Rome - which if your already very comfortable with that, then this is very boring.

Now I understand completely why this is the case as we do not all know alot about Rome necessarily, so that is no fault of the author and it is also important to place him in the context of his period but his voice and approach to doing this was terribly boring. Another thing I did not like was at times his cheesy writing style, calling Commodus continually the "mad and bad" emperor, despite also stating that Cassius Dio an the Historia Augusta are quite unreliable, and they are the ones who write poorly on Commodus, you can tell he is clearly not a fan.

Another issue I had with his writing was the strange layouts of his chapters, where I remember specifically he would discuss the lead up to Pertinax's assassination by the Praetorians, but before he dealt with it he just jumped right into the Rome of Pertinax's time which was an extremely jarring and abrupt change in direction. I felt myself saying, why did you place this section here when you could have put it in the section where you were discussing Pertinax's time spent in Rome on his return of Brittania or Carthage as Governor. His decision to do that really took me out of the atmosphere of the chapter.

While I love Roman history and was really looking forward to this book I was really disappointed by Elliotts writing style and I did not like his voice, I would definitely have preferred John McHughs having done this. I would recommend the book to someone who really wants to learn about Pertinax and hopefully they will have a better experience, but I was really let down and likely won't be returning to Elliott.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Pertinax is a well written layman accessible historical biography of the Roman emperor Pertinax. Due out 30th Sept 2020 from Pen & Sword on their Greenhill Books imprint, it's circa 240 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a careful and well written story of an emperor who might otherwise have been simply a footnote in the history books. As the short lived (3 months) first of the emperors whose assassination marked the start of the year of the five emperors, Pertinax was a self made man who moved up through the ranks from the lowest to the highest social strata.

The book is meticulously annotated throughout. The author has cited both period and modern scholarly research to support the narrative. There are numerous chapter notes, a timeline, and an index. The bibliography notes alone will keep keen readers reading for ages. Probably the most engaging part of the book for me were the numerous photos of buildings and artifacts which give a comprehensive context for the history. It was strangely moving to see the places where Pertinax himself traveled and lived.

The author has a casual academic style of writing; accessible and careful, with proper annotation, but not overly convoluted or impenetrably difficult to read. He manages to convey a wealth of information without being pedantic or preachy. I also really enjoyed reading the historical timeline provided by the author which showed how closely Pertinax's rise to power was intertwined with place, with social development and expansion, and with the other men of influence who lived contemporaneously (and who were eventually responsible for his downfall).

This would be a great choice for libraries, military historians, ancient historians, students of Roman/Empire history, early British history, and similar.

Five stars. It's abundantly clear that the author has poured prodigious effort and careful academic research into this tome. I can't imagine there's much left unanswered about the history or reign of Pertinax. I feel much enlightened anyhow. Despite being a student of Latin for many years (and a product of 7+ years of formal Latin instruction) and a huge military history nerd, I had only the mildest familiarity with Pertinax (or the year of the 5 emperors).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My sincere thank you to Greenhill Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an honest review.

Seldom does one hear of Pertinax who ruled for only 89 days yet in that time accomplished so much. My first introduction was shortly before a first visit to the Vatican Museum so when there kept my eyes peeled for a glimpse of a likeness of this fascinating man.

This riveting book brought his story to life and I learned far, far more than ever before. The maps and detailed timeline are excellent. I really enjoyed reading the background and life throughout the Roman Empire (not just Rome) before, during and after his rule, such as various taxes, military, agriculture, ancient wonders, etc.

Pertinax rose to power over many years of hard work and diligence and led by example by dramatically reducing personal costs. He initiated land reforms. He sold off Commodus' possessions. He initiated a complex census to determine the taxable population. All this (and much more) in three months! I wonder how much more he would have done had he lived longer.

People who are eager to learn more about the Roman Empire and its emperors will be drawn to this book. The amount of research done by Dr. Simon Elliott is staggering! My depth of knowledge of this particular rule has increased significantly.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The son of a former slave, Pertinax was the Roman Emperor who proved that no matter how lowly your birth, you could rise to the very top through hard work, grit and determination." As much as I love reading history, I read it much less than fiction and personal development nonfiction simply because history books can be hard and slow to read. I know very little about Roman history, and still this book was a treat!

The author organized the book into easily digestible bits: with very clear introductory paragraphs at the beginning of each chapter, graphs and maps when necessary, and titled subsections within chapters that allowed for mental breaks and a clear reminder of where we were in the story.

My husband, on the other hand, is an enthusiastic lover of Greco-Roman history. My hope in reading this book was to learn something he didn't already know. This book by Dr Simon Elliott is the first book dedicated solely to the figure of Pertinax, and thankfully, I learned quite a few things my spouse didn't know! Dr Elliott lays a foundation for Pertinax's rise and gives context to each part of the story and culture, all while still keeping the book relatively short and concise.

In Dr Elliott's writing, his research and passion for the subject is apparent. He writes about the people, places, and events like he was a fly on the wall, like he knew them personally. I especially enjoyed reading his descriptions about the military, geographical locations, and the especially dramatic discourses between politicians.

I very much enjoyed learning new things and that the book was easy to read. I consider myself a voracious, quick reader, but some nonfiction history books have taken me months or years to finish. This was a very approachable and still thorough book on an obscure time in early history.

Thank you netgalley, publisher, and Dr Simon Elliott for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

[ERIC PECHINOT · Rating 1 out of 5]

What would you make of a book on PM Rishi Sunak in which the author goes back to William the Conqueror?
This is exactly what Elliott does about Pertinax, a character so little is known of, except for his being born to the shadowy family of a freedman, an obscure origin that did not hamper his rising to the highest position at length, only to be killed soon afterwards...
In order to make up for the lack of historical substance , Elliott keeps on blathering from start to finish, unable to put flesh on the bones of the stopgap emperor.
So at the end of the day, you'd better not pick the book at all for it is a rip-off.

[Vladimiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mi è piaciuto, ma non mi ha entusiasmato come speravo. Rimane tuttavia un buonissimo libro, perciò partiamo dai difetti per chiudere in crescendo.

Come scrivere un libro di 200-300 pagine su un imperatore che regno tre mesi e di cui ci rimangono tre fonti storiche, pochi accenni, materiale epigrafico ed archeologico sparso per l'impero? Riempiendo ovviamente con inserti storici che, con la scusa di contestualizzare gli avvenimenti, riempiono pagine su pagine. Esempio: nel 187 o giù di lì Pertinace, dopo un lungo servizio in giro per l'impero, giunge finalmente a Roma come senatore. L'autore allora per qualche pagina ci riassume TUTTA la storia di Roma dalla fondazione (parlando addirittura dei due miti fondativi poi fusi in un solo racconto da Virgilio); ecco questi sono gli inserti veramente troppo troppo troppo riempitivi e che fanno venire voglia di chiudere il libro.

Altri sono molto più interessanti, per quanto sempre riempitivi: la panoramica geopolitca sull'impero (provincia per provincia) mi ha fatto conoscere cose che non sapevo; quella sull'esercito un po' troppo "accademica" e standard. Questo è il più grosso difetto del libro: pagine e pagine di riempitivi che, per chi già sa le cose come me, sono una noia mortale.

Passiamo ai pregi. Anzitutto, è l'unica biografia di Pertinace, che è una figura molto interessante della storia. Personaggi che furono più potenti e a lui contemporanei (nonché sovrani per più tempo), sono meno interessanti del nostro. Pertinace infatti era figlio di un liberto, cioè uno schiavo liberato, e fino a 35 anni faceva l'insegnante senza troppo successo; da lì, la svolta, entra nell'esercito e fa una lunga e onorata carriera.

L'autore ricostruisce con dovizia di dettagli. Lo sforzo da apprezzare è quello di aver riletto con grade cautela le fonti, compararle e offrire quindi una narrazione completa. Non siamo ai livelli di un Canfora, ovviamente, ma comunque sufficienti per imparare qualcosa (in particolare, l'esistenza di una perduta tradizione storica latina sul periodo che si contrappone a quella sopravvissuta, che è di lingua greca).
Ogni episodio della vita del nostro (ci sono parecchi punti interrogativi) è sviscerato con dovizia di dettaglia, e la narrazione del regno breve ma intenso è davvero dettaglia e avvincente.
Altro pregio è che il libro non ha note extratesto, ma i riferimenti necessari sono tutti nel testo. In questo caso, ho apprezzato la scelta.

In definitiva, lo consiglio se siete fortemente interessati al personaggio e al particolare periodo; lo consiglio anche se siete digiuni di storia e volete approcciarvi alla storia romana; non lo consiglio se siete esperti di storia romana e non fortemente interessati a Pertinace.

[Joe Singleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book this is. The research and work done by the author must have taken a very long time and the level of detail is amazing. Not only does Dr Elliott look at the life of Pertinax but also so many other facets that would affect life in Rome, etc

This is a large piece of work and if you are at all interested in Roman history it is something you will keep going back too for reference.

Definitely a 5 star review from me

[Andrea Di Bernardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we think about the history of Rome, surely our imagination goes to Romulus, to the Punic Wars, to the characters with the great charisma of the 1st century a. C. as Julius Caesar, Pompey, Cato, Mark Antony, Cicero and Augustus. Then if we want to look further there are the first centuries of the Empire, with Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius and Septimius Severus ... but the mind never goes to a little known figure who wore the imperial purple for a very short time between the last two figures mentioned. Yet the story of Pertinax, the protagonist of today's beautiful book, written by Dr. Simon Elliott and published by Greenhill Books, is almost a film story, a story that deserves to be told even if perhaps a few years ago someone thought about this figure to tell the story (or at least part of it) in a famous Ridley Scott film, "Gladiator".
In fact, the story of Pertinax is inserted chronologically speaking, between the death of Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher emperor and that of Septimius Severus, lapping the years of madness of that other figure also mentioned in the Hollywood film, that Commodus who loved to descend into arena to fight with gladiators, beheading ostriches and killing lions and believing himself to be the reincarnation of Hercules. But Pertinax is much more than that. As the title says, the figure of this emperor is singular for a series of elements. Primarily for his origin, certainly not "noble". He is in fact the son of a former slave, "manumitted", or freed by the master and this already makes Pertinax certainly not facilitated in the climb along the "Cursus Honorum" or the positions that had to be covered to reach the top of the imperial administration. However, another element makes Pertinax's story singular, namely the fact that he is a grammaticus (a teacher) until the age of 30, when he chooses to change his life and become a soldier thus obtaining a series of posts (which Elliott documents based on literary sources such as Cassius Dio, the Historia Augusta and Herodian, as well as from epigraphic sources such as the Inscription of Bruhl) more and more prestigious. He becomes a reliable figure in the military and civil administration by covering leading and increasingly prestigious roles starting from the lowest steps of the military organization chart up to becoming governor of some provinces and then coming to be Praefectus Urbi and then getting closer to the center of power of the capital. All this, challenging the folly of Commodus, who had made the desert around him by having all the trusted people of his father Marcus Aurelius killed, one of those trusted people was Pertinax, the only one who out of cunning or perhaps because he was not perceived as a threat, had survived. We are in 193, when Commodus is assassinated because he is now out of control. The purple is proposed to Pertinax, although we do not know if he, as Praefectus Urbi (commander of some military corps placed in the city as the "vigiles") has a part in the plot. It is certainly not easy to rely on sources that are either written later (such as the Historia Augusta) or biased (Cassius Dio was a living senator at the time but obviously he is not impartial), but Elliott evaluates every possibility. At the time Pertinax was almost 70 years old (he was born in 126) and for the time it was a very advanced old age. As an emperor, he most likely knows that he does not have much time and therefore immediately undertakes to reform the state, creating however the worst of the enemies, those closest to his person, the praetorians. This corps , set up by Augustus and commanded by two figures (the double command was to divide tasks, responsibilities and not to centralize too much power in a single figure), had already in the past been the tip of the balance in the struggle for power. The Prefects of the Praetorium, or rather the two commanders of the equestrian class, had often been led to rebellion and conspiracy (remember for example Seianus, under Tiberius) or even the praetorians themselves had acted. They concentrated enormous power and living in the city were always at the center of intrigue and trafficking. They had been spoiled by Commodus with donations and privileges and his death had them ill disposed towards Pertinax who wanted to reduce their status and make them more manageable. So it was that just a few months after his acceptance of the purple, Pertinax goes to meet a revolt of the praetorians ...
The last pages of the book are the most exciting, both for the historical events and for the style with which Elliott tells them. Obviously I do not anticipate them, but I only put some reflections on the fact that the death of Commodus inaugurates a year that is defined as "of the 5 Emperors", echoing 69 c. e. in which with the death of Nero there was the year "of the 4 emperors". 193 brought to the fore one of the greatest reformers and one of the most charismatic emperors in history, Septimius Severus. However, Pertinax should not be forgotten as he tried to remedy the chaos that was the government of Commodus. He, perhaps inspired by the ancient "mores" (customs) of Roman times, tried to fix everything immediately, immediately losing the favor of the Prefect of the Praetorium (the only one at the time) Emilius Laetus (who had been instrumental in the fall of Commodus) and of the praetorians. What happened after Pertinax's death was perhaps one of the lowest points in the empire, with the purple auctioned off among the best bidders, or whoever paid the most to each praetorian. Didius Julianus won over Flavius ​​Sulpicianus (who was Pertinax's father-in-law). But Septimius Severus, a friend of Pertinax, is already moving from his government in Pannonia ... and so are others like Clodius Albinus(in Britain) and Pescennius Niger (in Syria). But that's another story.
Elliott introduces us with his book to a figure who ruled very little but who remains in history for his extremely singular human and political story. He was the model of that man of government who could play different roles in the civil and military administration of the 2nd century AD. An administration that Elliott among other things explains very well, providing the reader with various excursus and also aware of how the military and civil administration presented itself as well as describing cities like London (where Pertinax lived and administered as governor) or Rome itself. The customs of the time are not neglected, in reality still anchored to those of a more classical Rome. Pertinax in his climb (not always linear, since he also found himself exiled) makes use of the powerful friendships of his family, with Lollianus Avitus and Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus acting as sponsors and protectors. He comes to play leading roles and even be consul twice (although not as important as in republican times this was a position of absolute prestige). Thus, a very interesting figure in the first biography in English emerges from the shadows of who came first (Marcus Aurelius and Commodus) and who came later (Septimius Severus). An extremely accurate and well-researched book that will not fail to fascinate the reader and the historian.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pertinax is one of the many Roman emperors who would be unknown to all bar the student of his era or perhaps classicists in general, due in part because of his relative short reign (approximately three months) and the lack of scandal associated with his regime. Perhaps he may be most famous for succeeding Commodus (one of the legendary 'bad' emperors), and the succession process that followed Pertinax's death is also somewhat infamous (the so-called Praetorian auction 'won' by Didius Julianus). So Simon Elliott has a relatively worthwhile task at hand with his book, i.e. to revive the name and history of a relatively forgotten emperor.

Elliott succeeds, however his achievement is less than the scale of the work he has produced. That is down to the fundamental problem of Pertinax's life and regime being rather shallow in range and detail as established through the consideration of the primary sources. Elliott relies on the three major relevant texts, Dio Cassius, Herodian and the Historia Augusta, and whilst each gives independently and in combination some impression of Pertinax, they are insufficient on their own to detail the scope of Pertinax's life and regime. Elliott thus spends somewhere in the region of half if not more of the book recounting and analysing contextual history. This ranges from how slavery was constructed in ancient Rome, through the formation and details of the Roman legionary and auxiliary forces in the late Republic, Augustan and later periods, to a broad historical narrative treating the events and people associated with Second Century CE Rome. Elliott has to supplement his study of Pertinax with all things Roman that he believes are necessary to understand the man and his times, and the end result is a book that is too reliant on extraneous information.

This is not meant to deride Elliott, however if one is going to be reading a book about Pertinax it is almost certain that the audience will have more than a nodding acquaintance with the emperor. It might have been more valuable for the author to forego most of the historical information that was not specifically linked to Pertinax. Yes, that may have led to a shorter book, however that would've enhanced its focus. Furthermore Elliott does not do enough critical analysis of his texts. As stated he uses Dio, Herodian and the Historia Augusta and all three deserve more exploration as to their validity and authority. Surprisingly there is no mention of any numismatic evidence, and scant reference to lesser literary sources such as pseudo-Aurelius Victor, Eutropius or Orosius. Pertinax's historical legacy and reputation is also only given a few pages when perhaps more could've been said here.

However at the end of the day this book can only achieve so much because of the subject. It might've been more appropriate for Elliott to revise the intended purpose of his book and referred to his text as a study of Roman Imperial power and succession in the last twenty years of the second century CE. That would have given the (potential) reader a fairer indication of the book's focus and also allowed for a proper acknowledgement of Elliott's considerable effort in mapping and discussing the regimes and lives of Commodus, Pertinax, Didius Julianus and Septimus Severus.

'Pertinax: The Son of a Slave Who Became Roman Emperor' is a commendable, if problematically structured text on a relatively unknown ruler of the 2nd Century CE empire. It will appeal most to those curious about the man and the history who have none to a basic understanding of the text's subject. More academically minded readers may find issues, lacunae and a misapplication of authorial focus that negate some of the more positive aspects of the book.

[Robert Neil Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Pertinax, Simon Elliott brings us the life and times of arguably the most unique Emperor of Rome. The son of a manumitted slave, Pertinax rose through the ranks into the Roman aristocratic elite, and from there to the pinnacle of power. It is an almost perfect story, but there was a tragic catch in the end.
Elliott wastes no time in outlining Pertinax’s career and establishing his own credentials as Pertinax’s biographer along with the sources he used. After some housekeeping, laying the groundwork for us to understand what is to follow, Elliott sets out on Pertinax’s biography, which is interspersed with informative background details on Roman life, including slavery and patronage. Elliott works two lengthy background chapters in next, the first for the Principate Empire, the second on the Principate military complete with tables of legions and fleets and a section on the Praetorian Guard that would play such a major role in Pertinax’s rise and fall. He then returns to Pertinax’s military career. The rising star saw action in Syria and Britain where Elliott lingers for a while to describe Rome’s difficulties in the region. Moving along, Elliott narrates Pertinax’s meteoric rise through a series of postings, including fighting on the Danube, commanding a legion, then appointed as suffect consul, though not everyone supported his rise. Most of this was achieved under Marcus Aurelius, but when he died, Pertinax’s ascent continued under Commodus. In 185, Pertinax returned to an unruly Britain where he dealt with mutinous legions. A brief sojourn in Rome was followed by a proconsulship in prestigious Africa Proconsularis, then back to Rome where he spent the rest of his life. Elliott establishes the final stage of Pertinax’s career with descriptions of Rome and Commodus’s final descent into madness. When Commodus was assassinated, the Emperorship was offered to the level-headed Pertinax. The catch was that the new reform minded Emperor threatened the privileges of the Praetorian Guard, and a few months later, they killed him. Elliott concludes with the story of the year of the five emperors, 193 CE, Septimius Severus’s emergence as Emperor, and Pertinax’s legacy as an incredible man whose story should be more widely known.
Simon Elliott is correct that Pertinax needs a biographer because he was an extraordinary Roman. And Elliott fulfils that role well, narrating Pertinax’s rise and dramatic fall set against the dramatic backdrop of the 3rd Century Roman Empire. The text suffers from a lack of flow, disrupted by needless chapter introductions, bullet-point lists, and material that should be in footnotes incorporated into the main text. Nevertheless, Elliott includes a lot of pertinent information and his biography fills a hole in the historiography of one of the most turbulent periods in Roman history.

[Mac · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bust.

This is a bad book.

1. Elliot has taken two pages of historical facts and stretched them over 200 pages to sell a book with a cool title and cool picture. Yes, we all want to know more about Pertinax but if there are no sources, you can't write one.

2. If you know anything, and I mean anything, about the Roman Empire already, this is not for you. Elliot babysteps you through everything he knows about it, while consistently not mentioning Pertinax in any factual way at all. "Maybe Pertinax was there...maybe he did this..." Ridiculous.

3. The 15 page introduction layed out all the facts before the book even started like modern movie trailers that show you the whole film before you even go see it. Literally on Page 11-12, Elliot tells the reader exactly what he will outline in Chapter 1 and then nearly word for word on Page 15 does the same thing again. You get the real sense, almost immediately, that he is just filling space.

This is brutal writing by a total amateur who has found a way to make a career out of a very basic understanding of the Roman world. Shame on this publisher for masquerading his books as a real contribution to history.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sure I must have heard the name "Pertinax" before seeing this book for the first time, but I couldn't have told you a single thing about him... So, I wanted to know who he was, how he became emperor, and all the other parts in between. Dr. Simon Elliott managed to answer every single question that came to mind during the course of reading. The book is written in an easy to understand way, but doesn't talk down to the reader at all. I truly feel like my knowledge of the Roman Empire has been added to... though I may need a second read to soak everything up properly!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

[Fadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elliott wove a narrative as he could of this man's rise from humble beginnings to the top of the Roman world using the Historia Augusta, Dio and Herodian's writings. He cites all three sources whenever they differ on certain details, but overall we get a clear picture of his life.

A background of the Roman world, the provinces, military and political hierarchy, and the slave system is provided which is useful for bringing readers up to speed on the world he was born into and the opportunities and hazards he faced. The ending is bitter-sweet as we see Pertinax honoured in death by his friend and successor, Septimius Severus, and his son's flourishing political career before being told he was executed by Severus' son, Caracalla.

[David Brimer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars: Here we have an example of an author stuffing too much back story into their book in order to make it book length. Pertinax was the first to hold the throne during year of five emperors, holding it for roughly three months. Not much is really known about Pertinax beyond a few sources, one of which is considered mostly fictional. So, if you don’t have a previous knowledge of Ancient Rome and, specifically, life in the legions, then this book will be full of surprises. Considering its subjects relative obscurity, I can only imagine you, like I, have a base knowledge of ancient Roman life and will find much of this as a repeat of things you already know. That being said, as a scholarly look at an obscure emperor, it is successful.

[Dorin Lazăr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other than the click-baity title, I feel that this is a fair summary of the life of Pertinax and his short reign; while Simon Elliott cannot maintain focus on Pertinax (because there's simply not enough information to do so), he does a good job synthesizing the career and the context for Pertinax' exploits. Intriguing character, and a well documented book.

The rare things I would complain about would be the anachronisms - the „British” governors, the „imperial throne”, etc. But these are acceptable especially for the casual readers.

[Beachcomber · Rating 2 out of 5]

As others have said, this was a very dry, mixed bag book. I understand wanting to set the scene, but the vast majority of the book was about Rome, the army, the ranks, etc. Very dry, academic style. Eventually I speed read just to get through it.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review - apologies for the long delay in providing this.

[Shuaronda Loney · Rating 2 out of 5]

History buffs

If you are a history buff and you would like to know more about the Roman era this is the book for you. If you are looking to read about the life and times of Emperor Pertinax this is also the book for you however your interest won’t be peaked until chapter four. The first three chapters talk about Roman era in regards to the military and political leadership. Chapter four gets into the actual life of the emperor. This book just didn’t meet my expectations.

[Rich Bowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pertinax: The Son of a Slave Who Became Roman Emperor by Simon Elliott


Summary: After the assassination of Commodus on New Year’s Day 192, a little-known emperor named Pertinax briefly took the purple. Though he lived an impressive life, his reign was cut short by the Praetorian Guard less than 90 days into the role.

Pertinax’s father was a freedman who leveraged his connections to set his son on an unlikely path. Pertinax himself began as a teacher and entered military service in his 30s. That late start makes his rise all the more impressive. From battles in Parthia and Britain to the Marcomannic Wars, he distinguished himself and steadily climbed the cursus honorum (the ladder of Roman public offices) until he reached the ultimate position of Princeps.

Elliott’s book is concise but an informative read. He provides great information on Rome's process of freeing of slaves, how provinces functioned, the structure of the military, and the complexities of Roman politics. At times, it does feel that Pertinax's life isn't covered enough in the pages, but the surrounding details of the events around where Pertinax would have been at the time more than makes up for it.