[Born at Narnia, in Umbria, A.D. 32. Died at Rome, A.D. 98. Aged 64.]
Pliny says that the commencement of the reign of Nerva was the era of
returning freedom; and Tacitus praises the same Emperor, for reconciling
supreme authority with the liberty of the citizen. He succeeded the
Emperor Domitian, who was murdered, and his first care was to restore
tranquillity, and to repair the effects of his predecessor’s tyranny. He
put an end to the persecution of the Christians, attended to the wants
of the poor, and exercised a rigid economy. Gentleness and goodness were
marked features in his character.
[From the gallery of the Emperors in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]