The Life of the Great Antoninus Pius

I the great Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus, who was born in the eighty sixth year of our Lord on September 19, was the fifteenth Princeps of Rome. I was part of a time period known as the “Five Good Emperors” and that I was, but the magnificent man that I am did not arouse over night. It took many years for me to develop into the man that is here today.

I came from very humble beginnings as many other emperors have. I was the only child of my father, Titus Aurelius Fulvus, who was a Roman consul in 89 A.D. His family came from the area of Nemausus, as many people know today as Nîmes. I was born in Lanuvium by my mother Arria Fadilla. My father and died when I was very little so I was raised by Gnaeus Arrius Antoninus, who is my mother’s father. He was a great man, full of integrity, honor and culture. It was he that I modeled my life after. His dear friend was Pliny the Younger and he taught me many things.

I married Annia Galeria Faustina the Elder. She came from a fine lineage of men. Her father was Marcus Annius Verus who was a consul. Faustina and I had four children together, Marcus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus who died before I became emperor; Marcus Galerius Aurelius Antoninus, who also died before I became emperor. Both of these boys were buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian in Rome. Aurelia Fadilla, my first daughter, died in 135 A.D. and had no children; and finally my youngest child, Annia Galeria Faustina Minor became a Roman Empress. When the tragic death of my wife occurred in 141 A.D. I was devastated I was so distraught about the whole situation that I did many things to honor her in the cit. I deified her making her a goddess, I had a temple built for her, and I had many coins made with her face put on them.

Hadrian took a particular liking to me because I had more success at the quaestor and praetor positions than most people. I became a consul in 120 and after I had finished my consulship I was appointed by the Emperor Hadrian himself to be proconsul of Italia and then proconsul of Asia. Hadrian adored me so much that on February 25, 138 A.D. he adopted me as his son and chose me to succeed him as emperor and I honored my lord’s wishes by adopting Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. Once I became emperor the first act I made was to deify Hadrian. It was because of this act that I was given the title “Pius.” I was very much a peace maker during my reign as emperor there were no wars. After having the longest reign since Augustus I suddenly died in Lorium.