Augustan Histories [Historia Augusta]
Scriptores Historiae Augustae
117-284 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
DIDIUS IULIANUS IULI CAPITOLINI
I. Didio Iuliano qui post Pertinacem imperium adeptus est, proavus fuit Salvius Iulianus, bis consul, praefectus urbi et iuris consultus, quod magis eum nobilem fecit.
[After Pertinax, the principate fell to Didius Julianus whose forefather was Salvius Julianus --consul twice, a Prefect of the City and jurisconsultant, which made him all the more noble.]
2 Mater Clara Aemilia, pater Petronius Didius Severus, fratres Didius proculus et Nummius Albinus, avunculus Salvius Iulianus, avus paternus Insubris Mediolanensis, maternus ex Adrumetina colonia.
[His mother was Clara Emilia, Petronius Didius Severus was his father, his brothers were Didius Proculus and Nummius Albinus, Salvius Julianus is maternal uncle, his paternal uncle was from Milan (Medionalum), and his maternal one was from the colony of Adrumetu.]
3 Educatus est apud Domitiam Lucillam, matrem Marci imperatoris.
[He was raised in the house of Domitia Lucilla, the mother of emperor Marcus Aurelius.]
4 Inter viginti viros lectus est suffragio matris Marci.
[Through the petition of Marcus' mother, he was chosen to join the Commission of the Twenty.]
quaestor ante annum, quam legitima aetas sinebat, designatus est.
[He was appointed quaestor before his time, so far as the legal age limit used to allow.]
5 Aedilitatem suffragio Marci consecutus est.
[Through Marcus' petition, he moved on to the office of the aedile.]
6 Praetor eiusdem suffragio fuit.
[Via the same petition, he became the praetor.]
Post praeturam legioni praefuit in Germania vicensimae secundae Primigeniae.
[After the prefecture, he gained command over the legion, the 2nd Primigenia in Germany.]
7 Inde Belgicam sancte ac diu rexit.
[From then on did he rule Belgium, in pious fashion and for a long time.]
Ibi Cauchis, Germaniae populis, qui Albam fluvium adcolebant, erumpentibus restitit tumultuariis auxiliis provincialium.
[He restored his province from the riots that broke out among the Cauchians, a German race of people who resided by the Elbe River.]
8 Ob quae consulatum meruit testimonio imperatoris.
[On account of these things, he earned the office of consul, thanks to the emperor's recommendation.]
9 Cattos etiam debellavit.
[He also conquered the Catti.]
inde Dalmatiam regendam accepit
[And from there, he took over rule in Dalmatia]
eamque a confinibus hostibus vindicavit.
[and he avenged it against its neighboring foes.]
Post Germaniam inferiorem rexit.
[Afterward he ruled Lower Germany.]
II. 1 Post hoc curam alimentarum in Italiam meruit.
[After this, he gained administration over the food supply directed toward Italy.]
Tunc factus est reus
[And then he became the main suspect of conspiracy]
per quendam Severum clarissiarium militem coniurationis
[for a man named Severus, who was the most distinguished soldier there was]
cum Salvio contra Commodum.
[alongside Salvius,. and directed against Commodus.]
Sed a Commodo, quia multos iam senatores occiderat et quidem nobiles ac potentes in causis maiestatis,
[But from Commodus, because he had already killed many men of senatorial rank before, and even men of noble and powerful rank, through charges of slandering the name of the emperor]
ne tristius gravaretur,
[he could have fallen upon a more tragic suffering of events]
Didius liberatus est accusatore damnato.
[but instead Didius was acquitted, while his accuser was condemned to punishment.]
2 Absolutus iterum ad regendam provinciam missus est
[Once he was absolved, he again was sent out to the take rule of a province.]
. 3 Bithyniam deinde rexit,
[So then, he took control of Bithynia,]
sed non ea fama qua ceteras.
[but this was not the story goes according to other versions.]
Fuit consul cum Pertinace
[He was the consul with Pertinax,]
et in proconsulatu Africae eidem successit
[and he suceeded the same fellow in the office of Africa's proconsul]
et semper ab eo collega est et successor appellatus.
[and ever on was he his colleage, and called his successor.]
Maxime eo die, cum filiam suam Iulianus despondens adfini suo ad Pertinacem venisset idque intimasset, dixit
[On the very exact day when Julianus, who was giving his daughter away in marriage to one of his familiars , had come to visit Pertinax and had some told him the news, he proclaimed:]
: "Observaque debita reverentia,
[Take heed and pay your respect,]
quia collega et successor meus est."
[because he is my colleague and my successor."]
statim enim mors Pertinacis secuta est.
[by that account, Pertinax's death immediately followed after.]
4 Quo interfecto cum Sulpicianus imperator in castris appellari vellet
[Whereby after he was murdered, Sulpician began to desire the title of emperor, in the safety of the camps]
et Iulianus cum genero ad senatum venisset,
[and Julianus had come to the Senate with his father-in-law]
quem indictum acceperat,
[whom he welcomed, once called up,]
cumque clausas valvas invenisset
[and as soon as he had arrived that the doors, barred at the time]
atque illic duos tribunos repperisset,
[and had discovered the presence of two tribunes there]
Publicium Florianum et Vectium Aprum, coeperunt cohortari tribuni,
[that is, Publicius Florianus and Vectius Aper, they began to call out to the tribune]
ut locum arriperet.
[in a request to give them access to the area.]
5 Quibus cum diceret iam alium imperatorem appellatum,
[By such things he already began to call another by the name of emperor,]
retinentes eum ad praetoria castra duxerunt.
[while his retinue led him to the camps of the praetorian guard.]
6 Sed posteaquam in castra ventum est,
[But after he arrived at the camps,]
cum Sulpiciano praef. urbi, socero Pertinacis,
[accompanied by Sulpician, the Prefect of the City, and his brother-in-law Pertinax,]
contionante sibique imperium vindicante Iulianum e muro ingentia pollicentem nullus admitteret,
[no one would allow Julianus in, even though he was promising to take upon the rule of the government, with a tremendous entourage outside the wall]
primum Iulianus monuit praetorianos,
[at first, Julian warned the praetorian guards]
nec eum facerent imperatorem,
[nor were they willing to make him emperor,]
qui Pertinacem vindicaret;
[even though he could avenge Pertinax;]
deinde scripsit in tabulis se Commodi memoriam restituturum.
[And then he wrote in his tablets that he would later restore the good name of Commodus.]
7 Atque ita et admissus est
[And so he was then welcomed in,]
et imperator appellatus rogantibus praetorianis,
[and was hailed as emperor by the praetorians who asked so]
ne Sulpiciano aliquid noceret,
[to prevent anything harm from coming to Sulpician,]
quod imperator esse voluisset.
[because he had before wished to become emperor.]
III. 1 Tunc Iulianus Flavium Genialem et Tullium Crispinum suffragio praetorianorum praef. praetorii fecit
[And then Julianus made Flavius Geniales and Tullius Crispinus the prefects of the Praetorian Guard, by the collective vote of praetorian soldiers,]
stipatusque est caterva imperatoria per Maurentium,
[He threw his imperial grip upon Maurentius,]
qui et ante se Sulpiciano coniunxerat.
[who had previously allied himself to Sulpician.]
2 Sane cum vicena quina milia militibus promisisset, tricina dedit.
[And even though he had clearly promised to give 25,000 coin to his soldiers, he gave them 30,000.]
3 Inde habita contionem militari vespera in senatum venit
[From there, he went to the Senate in the evening, after organizing a military meeting,]
totumque se senatui permisit
[and the entirety of the Senate permitted his presence]
factoque senatus consulto imperator est appellatus
[and after the Senate made its decision, he was hailed as emperor]
et tribuniciam potestatem, ius proconsulare in patricias familias relatus emeruit.
[and he gained the power of the tribune, as well as proconsular power for his patrician family members.]
4 Uxor etiam Mallia Scantilla et filia eius Didia Clara Augustae sunt appellatae.
[And also his wife Mallia Scantilla, and his daughter Didia Clara were given the titles of Augusta.]
5 Inde se ad Palatium recepit uxore ac filia illuc vocatis,
[From there, he received himself at the Palatine Hill while his wife and daughter were summoned there,]
trepidis invitis eo transeuntibus quasi iam imminens exitium praesagirent.
[they used to lead ahead of their procession before nervous passers-by there, as though there are already a funeral for an imminent person.]
6 Praef. urbi Cornelium Repentinum, generum suum, fecit in locum Sulpiciani.
[Without warning, he made his son in law, Cornelius, the Prefect of the City in place of Sulpician.]
7 Erat interea in odio populi Didius Iulianus ob hoc,
[Meanwhile, Didius Julianus began to incur the hatred of the people for this reason,]
quod creditum fuerat emendationem temporum Commodi Pertinacis auctoritate reparandam,
[that that it had beforehand been believed that the awful changes during Commodus' times could be repaired by Pertinax being in control of the state]
habebaturque ita,
[and so it was believed]
quasi Iuliani consilio esset Pertinax interemptus.
[as though Pertinax had been removed permanently by Julianus's decision.]
8 Et iam hi primum, qui Iulianum odisse coeperant,
[And even in the beginning, did these men, who had first commenced to holding a grudge against Julianus]
disseminarunt prima statim die Pertinacis cena despecta luxuriosum parasse convivium ostreis et altilibus et piscibus adornatum.
[immediately on the first day pretend, when one of Pertinax's dinner parties was cancelled, to have prepared a banquet adorned with shellfish, game bird, and fish.]
quod falsum fuisse constat;
[something which now happens to have been a lie;]
I N F I N I T A
