XVII. Lucius Verus (Nerva-Antonine Dynasty VI)
Emperor: 161 to 169 AD
Born: December 15th 130 AD Died: 169 AD
Lucius Verus ruled with Marcus Aurelius as co-emperor from 161 until his death in 169. During his reign, the Empire defeated a revitalized Parthian Empire in the East due to an army under his command. Lucius Verus was the son of Lucius Aelius Caesar, the first adopted son and heir of Emperor Hadrian. When his father died in 138, Hadrian chose Antoninus Pius as his successor on the condition that Verus and Hadrian’s great-nephew Marcus Aurelius were to be adopted by Antoninus. As a prince, Verus received a great education. He was an excellent student, fond of writing poetry and delivering speeches. Verus started his political career as a quaestor in 153, became consul in 154, and in 161 was consul again with Marcus Aurelius as his senior partner. Antoninus died in 161, and was succeeded by Marcus Aurelius, who forced the Senate to confirm Lucius as his co-emperor, in order to carry out the succession plans of Hadrian. It was the first time Rome was ruled by two emperors. Marcus and Lucius proved popular with the people of Rome, who strongly approved of their lack of pomp in court.
In 161, the Parthian Empire invaded Syria, a Roman protectorate. It was decided Lucius should direct the war in person, as he was stronger and healthier than Marcus. Lucius detoured a lot on the way to Syria to see the sights of the East. Critics criticised his luxurious lifestyle. He had taken to gambling, enjoyed the company of actors, and had taken a mistress. Finally, Lucius arrived in Syria, but he faced quite a task: the Syrian army had grown soft during the East's long peace. They spent more time at the open-air cafés than in their quarters. Under Lucius, training was stepped up, their saddles were stripped of padding, gambling and drinking were banned. It was reported that Lucius was on foot at the head of his army as often as on horseback. He personally inspected soldiers in the field, including the sick bay.
An army under Verus captured the Armenian capital Artaxata, causing Verus to take the title Armeniacus, despite having never seen combat. Meanwhile, the Parthians invaded the Roman client kingdom of Edessa, so Lucius had to cross the Euphrates in order to retake the kingdom. The Parthian army was routed and fled past the Tigris River. Lucius continued on and captured the capital of Ctesiphon, but had to retreat due to a shortage of supplies. Parthia made peace but was forced to cede territory to the Romans. Lucius is reported to have been an excellent commander, without fear of delegating military tasks to more competent generals.
The next two years were spent in Rome. Verus continued his glamorous lifestyle and kept the troupe of actors and favorites with him. He had a tavern built in his house, where he celebrated until dawn. He also enjoyed roaming around the city among the population, without revealing his identity. The games of the circus were another passion, especially chariot racing. Aurelius disapproved of his conduct but, since Verus continued to perform his official tasks with efficiency, there was little he could do.
In 168, war broke out in the Danubian border when the Marcomanni invaded. This war would last until 180, but Verus did not see the end of it. In 168, as Verus and Marcus returned to Rome from the field, Verus fell ill with symptoms attributed to food poisoning, dying after a few days. However, scholars believe that Verus may have been a victim of smallpox, as he died during a widespread epidemic known as the Antonine Plague. Despite the differences between them, Marcus Aurelius grieved the loss of his adoptive brother. He accompanied the body to Rome, and offered games to honour his memory. After the funeral, the senate declared Verus to be worshipped as Divus Verus.