NERVA!!!!!!!

By Nicholas Green

I am Marcus Cocceius Nerva! I began my life on November 8th, 30 A.D. in the small town in central Italy, Narni. This town has a great significance in your futuristic life because the author C.S. Lewis named his “Narnia” after my home town. I began my political career unusually, not following the usual path taken to become emperor by moving from aedile up. Rather, I was made praetor-elect in 65 A.D. and helped out emperors such as Nero. I then succeeded the trite Domitian after his assassination on September 18, 96 A.D., the date I was made emperor. In my reign, from September 18, 96 A.D. to January 25, 98 A.D., I accomplished very little. However, my few accomplishments were the releasing of all imprisoned by Domitian, who was suspicious of many people trying to assassinate him, the granting of allotments of land to poor Roman citizens, repairing roads and expanding aqueducts, and the construction of the Horrae Nervae, a granary. During my reign, my main building project was the completion of Domitian’s Imperial Forum. It was finished and dedicated in 97 A.D. and was named after me. Its purpose was to serve a “transition forum” or an easy passage way into the Forum of Augustus. Its size was relatively small, occupying only the space between the Fora of Augustus and Vespasian, which were in the near center of Rome. One main important feature of my forum was the Temple of Minerva. Minerva, being the protector of emperors, was the perfect fit for this area, which was based so much on the expansion done by emperors. As I neared the end of my reign, I suffered a stroke, making me reside in the Gardens of Sallust. These gardens were created by the historian Sallust in 1 B.C. in north Rome near the Three Temples of Fortuna. Unfortunately, I died in the gardens from a fatal fever. I was then buried in the ever so famous Mausoleum of Augustus. This place holds an important part in history, as it holds the body of Augustus and many other emperors including myself. It was constructed in 28 B.C., reaching a size of about 300 modern yards. The mausoleum’s location is northwest Rome, bordering the Tiber River.