NERVA, MARCUS COCCEIUS (A.D. em peror from Sept. 18, 96 to Jan. 25, 98, was born at Narnia in Umbria on Nov. 8, probably in the year 35. He came of a sen atorial family, his father and grandfather having been jurists.
He was praetor (66) and twice consul, in 71 with the emperor Vespasian for colleague and again in 90 with Domitian. Towards the close of the latter's reign (93) he is said to have been banished to Tarentum on a charge of conspiracy. On the murder of Domitian in September 96 Nerva was declared emperor by the people and the soldiers. He is described as a quiet, kindly, digni fied man, honest of purpose, but unfitted by his advanced age to bear the weight of empire. Nevertheless, his selection, in spite of occasional exhibitions of weakness, justified the choice. The new emperor recalled those who had been exiled by Domitian ; what remained of their confiscated property was restored to them, and a stop was put to the vexatious prosecutions which Domitian had encouraged. But the popular feeling demanded more than this. The reaction against the informers became as dangerous as the previous system. It was checked by Nerva, who was actuated by the taunt of Titus Catius Caesius Fronto that, "had as it was to have an emperor who allowed no one to do anything, it was worse to have one who allowed everyone to do everything." Nerva seems to have followed the custom of announcing the general lines of his future policy. He showed himself anxious to respect the traditional privileges of the senate, and such maxims of constitutional government as still survived. He pledged him self to put no senator to death. His councillors in all affairs of state were senators, and the hearing of claims against the Fiscus was entrusted to a praetor and a court of indices.
The economical condition of Italy evidently excited his alarm and sympathy. The last mention of a lex agraria in Roman history is connected with his name. Under the provisions of this lex, large tracts of land were bought up and allotted to poor citizens. The cost was defrayed partly from the imperial treas ury, but partly also from Nerva's private resources, and the execution of the scheme was entrusted to commissioners. He also founded or restored colonies at Verulae, Scyllacium and Sitifis in Mauretania. An entirely new departure was the main tenance at the public cost of the children of poor parents in the towns of Italy, which was combined ingeniously with the pro vision of loans for farmers. The treasury found the money, which was lent on the security of farms, and the farmers paid the interest to their municipality for the maintenance of poor children.
Private individuals were also encouraged to follow the imperial example. In the hands of Trajan, Hadrian and the Antonines, Nerva's example bore fruit in the institution of the alimentationes, the most genuinely charitable institution of the pagan world. These measures Nerva supplemented by others which aimed at lighten ing the financial burdens on the declining industry of Italy. The
cost of maintaining the imperial postal system (veliiculatio) was transferred to the fiscus; from the same source apparently money was found for repairing the public roads and aqueducts ; and lastly, the lucrative but unpopular tax of 5% on all legacies or inheritances (vicesirna hereditatum), was so readjusted as to remove the grosser abuses connected with it. At the same time Nerva did his best to reduce the overgrown expenditure of the state. A commission was appointed to consider the best modes of retrenchment, and the outlay on shows and games was cut down to the lowest possible point. Early, apparently, in 97 he detected a conspiracy against his life headed by L. (or C.) Cal purnius Crassus, but he contented himself with a hint to the conspirators that their designs were known, afid with banishing Crassus to Tarentum. The praetorian guards, at the instigation of one of their two prefects. Casperius Aelianus, whom Nerva had retained in office, imperiously demanded the execution of Do mitian's murderers, the chamberlain Parthenius and Petronius Secundus, Aelianus's colleague. Nerva vainly strove to save, even at the risk of his own life, the men who had raised him to power, but the soldiers brutally murdered the unfortunate men, and forced him to propose a vote of thanks for the deed. This humiliation convinced Nerva of the necessity of placing the government in stronger hands than his own. He resolved to adopt as his colleague and destined successor, M. Ulpius Trajanus, a distinguished soldier, at the time in command of the legions on the Rhine. In Oct. 97, in the temple of Jupiter on the Capitol, Trajan was formally adopted as his son and declared his colleague in the government of the empire. For three months Nerva ruled jointly with Trajan, but on Jan. 25, 98, he died somewhat sud denly. He was buried in the sepulchre of Augustus, and divine honours were paid him by his successor. The verdict of history upon his reign is best expressed in his own words—"I have done nothing which should prevent me from laying down my power, and living in safety as a private man." The memory of Nerva is still preserved by the ruined temple in the Via Alessandrina (il Colonacce) which marks the site of the Forum begun by Domitian, but which Nerva completed and dedicated.