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<p>[QUOTE="zumbly, post: 4529255, member: 57495"]One of the first things Pius had to do during his reign was to confront a Senate faction that was eager to condemn Hadrian. Pius wouldn't have any of it, but instead of just putting the opposition to death, he instead pointed out that if they wanted to revoke Hadrian's acts, then they would have to rescind his own appointment as emperor as well. It was a signal that while he wasn't going to be a tyrant, he wasn't going to be a pushover either. Maybe he even was one of those rarest of rulers, who did the job because he felt it was his duty, and not because he wanted the power.</p><p><br /></p><p>In a private letter to his friend Fronto around 142/3, A-Pi revealed another side of his character - one of an affectionate, doting, and probably at least slightly indulgent father. This would have been about two years after the death of his wife, and he declared candidly to Fronto that he would sooner live in exile, banished to the island of Gyara with his twelve year old daughter Faustina, than live in the royal palace without her. </p><p><br /></p><p>Writing about 200 years later, Julian II dedicated a short paragraph on Pius in The Caesars, a satire in which he runs down and throws shade at his long list of predecessors. Even while snarkily calling Pius fussy to the point of wanting to split cumin seeds, he grudgingly admitted his wisdom and moderation when it came to governing the empire.</p><p><br /></p><p>Pius wasn’t perfect, but it’s probably safe to say he was a reasonably smart, rational, and decent guy. Which, as far as Roman emperors go, is saying something!</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1121818[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1121817[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1121819[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1121820[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1121821[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1121822[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1121823[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1121824[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="zumbly, post: 4529255, member: 57495"]One of the first things Pius had to do during his reign was to confront a Senate faction that was eager to condemn Hadrian. Pius wouldn't have any of it, but instead of just putting the opposition to death, he instead pointed out that if they wanted to revoke Hadrian's acts, then they would have to rescind his own appointment as emperor as well. It was a signal that while he wasn't going to be a tyrant, he wasn't going to be a pushover either. Maybe he even was one of those rarest of rulers, who did the job because he felt it was his duty, and not because he wanted the power. In a private letter to his friend Fronto around 142/3, A-Pi revealed another side of his character - one of an affectionate, doting, and probably at least slightly indulgent father. This would have been about two years after the death of his wife, and he declared candidly to Fronto that he would sooner live in exile, banished to the island of Gyara with his twelve year old daughter Faustina, than live in the royal palace without her. Writing about 200 years later, Julian II dedicated a short paragraph on Pius in The Caesars, a satire in which he runs down and throws shade at his long list of predecessors. Even while snarkily calling Pius fussy to the point of wanting to split cumin seeds, he grudgingly admitted his wisdom and moderation when it came to governing the empire. Pius wasn’t perfect, but it’s probably safe to say he was a reasonably smart, rational, and decent guy. Which, as far as Roman emperors go, is saying something! [ATTACH=full]1121818[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1121817[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1121819[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1121820[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1121821[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1121822[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1121823[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1121824[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
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