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the Younger. Arrius served as consul in the terrible civil war year of 69 A.D. and then aided the
victorious VESPASIAN by serving him in Asia. By 96, Antoninus was back in Rome, where he was
counted as one of the aged but wise advisors to the short-lived NERVA.
¤ ANTONINUS PIUS (86 A.D.-161 A.D.) One of the ablest emperors of Rome. Coming to power at the
death of his mentor Hadrian, Antoninus Pius ruled Rome from 138 to 161 A.D. and founded the dynasty of
the ANTONINES.
Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Antoninus, called Antoninus Pius, came from a good family in Nimes, in
GALLIA NARBONENSIS, now southern France. His family's consular history allowed him to serve as a
quaestor and as a praetor before receiving the post of IV vir consularis, a judical office in Umbria and
Etruria. Around 133-136 he served in Asia as proconsul and there earned the respect of Emperor Hadrian,
who appointed him to his Consilium principis, the royal council. Antoninus Pius served faithfully and
distinguished himself so that, upon the death of his heir L. Aelius Caesar, Hadrian officially adopted him -
on February 25, 138 - as successor to the throne. On July 10, upon Hadrian's death, and after
administering the imperial offices for a time, Antoninus became emperor.
His first act came as a surprise to the Roman Senate. He refused to order the executions of a list of men
proposed for such punishment. He declared to the Senate: "I must not begin my reign with such actions."
He gained the name Pius as a result, and was later also called the father of the country. Plodding, patient
and administratively inclined, Antoninus ruled the Empire with a firm and steady hand. He did not allow an
extravagant style at court, and he did not exhibit any great desire to conquer other lands, thus
rendering his period of rule uneventful but prosperous.
Antoninus Pius restored the status of the Senate, without losing any of his imperial powers, improved and
strengthened the great bureaucratic machinery of the Empire, and was a great builder, especially in Italy.
Rome and its surrounding provinces were Antoninus' principle areas of concern. The Senate was given back
administrative control of many areas, while Antoninus assisted towns and took on the responsibility for
construction. He probably never left Italy, preferring his own estate at Lanuvium.
In matter of foreign policy, Antoninus Pius watched the frontiers and outlying Roman holdings with a
cautious eye, ensuring the defense of these possessions first by peaceful means, then by administrative
and finally military tactics. In Britain the Wall of Antoninus was constructed after 141. In Partian areas
of influence Roman control was tightened by the creation of an Armenian kingdom. A similar situation