Directory

193 CE

Pertinax is assassinated by members of the Praetorian Guard, who storm the imperial palace. The Empire is auctioned off; Marcus Didius Julianus the highest bidder, offers 300 million sesterces for the throne. Roman governors Clodius Albinus (Britannia) and Pescennius Niger (Syria) claim, with support of their troops, the imperial throne. Lucius Septimius Severus is proclaimed Emperor by his troops at Carnuntum, in Pannonia Superior (Balkans). He marches with his army to Rome. Septimius Severus enters the capital, and has Julianus put to death. He replaces the Praetorian Guard with a 15,000-man force from the Danubian legions, and gains control of the Roman Empire, beginning the Severan dynasty.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • April 14 – Lucius Septimius Severus is proclaimed Emperor by his troops at Carnuntum, in Pannonia Superior (Balkans). He marches with his army to Rome.source
  • In Britain, Clodius Albinus allies with Septimius Severus, and accepts the title of Caesar. British tribes take advantage of the disorder in the Empire, and damage Hadrian's Wall. Extensive repairs to the defence work is carried out by the legionaries.source

Conflict & Security

  • March 28 – Pertinax is assassinated by members of the Praetorian Guard, who storm the imperial palace. The Empire is auctioned off; Marcus Didius Julianus the highest bidder, offers 300 million sesterces for the throne. Roman governors Clodius Albinus (Britannia) and Pescennius Niger (Syria) claim, with support of their troops, the imperial throne.source
  • June 1 – Septimius Severus enters the capital, and has Julianus put to death. He replaces the Praetorian Guard with a 15,000-man force from the Danubian legions, and gains control of the Roman Empire, beginning the Severan dynasty.source
  • Last (4th) year of Chuping era of the Chinese Han dynasty.source
  • Battle of Cyzicus and Battle of Nicaea (Asia Minor): Septimius Severus defeats the army under Pescennius.source

Religion & Belief

  • January 1 – Year of the Five Emperors: The Roman Senate chooses Publius Helvius Pertinax, against his will, to succeed the late Commodus as Emperor. Pertinax is forced to reorganize the handling of finances, which were wrecked under Commodus, to reestablish discipline in the Roman army, and to suspend the food programs established by Trajan, provoking the ire of the Praetorian Guard.source
  • The Council of Rome, the pre-ecumenical councilsource

Economy & Finance

  • The silver content of the Roman denarius falls to 50 percent under emperor Septimius Severus, down from 68 percent under Marcus Aurelius.source

Crime & Justice

  • Counterfeiting workshops begin to appear throughout the Roman Empire.source

Births

  • Luo Tong, Chinese official of the Eastern Wu state (d. 228)source
  • Zhang Wen, Chinese official of the Eastern Wu state (d. 230)source

Deaths

  • March 28 – Pertinax, Roman emperor (assassinated) (b. 126)source
  • June 1 – Didius Julianus, Roman emperor (assassinated)source
  • Cao Cao's invasion of Xu Province: Cao Cao invades Tao Qian's Xu Province, holding him responsible for the death of Cao Song.source
  • Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus, Roman general and politiciansource
  • Adrianus (or Hadrian), Greek sophist, philosopher and writersource
  • Cao Song (or Jugao), Chinese official and father of Cao Caosource
  • Liu Yu (or Bo'an), Chinese nobleman, official and warlordsource