DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18096#0262
194
Roman Africa
into the glorious days of the Republic, and furnishing emperors
for a period of more than two centuries, had ceased to exist.
The Julian line became extinct with the death of Nero. The
Flavian family, which had contributed so largely to the exten-
sion of empire, had lost its authority, and the Antonines came
to an end when the wretched Commodus fell by the hands of
an assassin. The accession of Marcus Aurelius, whose early
career as a prince of the Empire had been conspicuous for
popularity, was thought to presage a long run of peace and
prosperity. His eleven successful years of independent rule
had encouraged the notion that a form of government, based on
the creed of some ancient school of philosophy, was preferable
to the stirring administration favoured by more active emperors.
The world was henceforth to be governed in accordance with
the principles enunciated in the groves of Athens ; and the
dictum of Plato, that an era of happiness for mankind would be
the immediate result, seemed likely to ensue when the Emperor
assumed the role of a disciple of the school of Zeno. To his
credit it may be said that he loyally fulfilled his mission,
upheld the doctrines of his youth, and passed away unconscious
of the coming storm which taxed the energy and resources of
later emperors to dispel. Any further notice of his depraved
son and successor Commodus is unnecessary, nor would it
throw any light on African history. Everything in connection
with this Emperor appears to have been treated with contempt
by a later generation, and his name erased from public memo-
rials. But his wife, Brutia Crispina, daughter of Brutus Prsesens,
was happily saved from the same indignity, clearly indicated on
the annexed inscription at Thamugas, found nearly fifty years
ago between the Byzantine fort and the remains of the Roman
theatre :1
CRISPINAE
__AVG_
"rMP^^CAES-
L • AELI AV
RELI • COM
MODI • AVG
CONIVGI
D-D P • P
1 I.R.A. No. 1496, noted by De la Mare and Creully.
Roman Africa
into the glorious days of the Republic, and furnishing emperors
for a period of more than two centuries, had ceased to exist.
The Julian line became extinct with the death of Nero. The
Flavian family, which had contributed so largely to the exten-
sion of empire, had lost its authority, and the Antonines came
to an end when the wretched Commodus fell by the hands of
an assassin. The accession of Marcus Aurelius, whose early
career as a prince of the Empire had been conspicuous for
popularity, was thought to presage a long run of peace and
prosperity. His eleven successful years of independent rule
had encouraged the notion that a form of government, based on
the creed of some ancient school of philosophy, was preferable
to the stirring administration favoured by more active emperors.
The world was henceforth to be governed in accordance with
the principles enunciated in the groves of Athens ; and the
dictum of Plato, that an era of happiness for mankind would be
the immediate result, seemed likely to ensue when the Emperor
assumed the role of a disciple of the school of Zeno. To his
credit it may be said that he loyally fulfilled his mission,
upheld the doctrines of his youth, and passed away unconscious
of the coming storm which taxed the energy and resources of
later emperors to dispel. Any further notice of his depraved
son and successor Commodus is unnecessary, nor would it
throw any light on African history. Everything in connection
with this Emperor appears to have been treated with contempt
by a later generation, and his name erased from public memo-
rials. But his wife, Brutia Crispina, daughter of Brutus Prsesens,
was happily saved from the same indignity, clearly indicated on
the annexed inscription at Thamugas, found nearly fifty years
ago between the Byzantine fort and the remains of the Roman
theatre :1
CRISPINAE
__AVG_
"rMP^^CAES-
L • AELI AV
RELI • COM
MODI • AVG
CONIVGI
D-D P • P
1 I.R.A. No. 1496, noted by De la Mare and Creully.