Legate against the Emperor: the beginning, course and results of the revolt of Antonius Saturninus

Abstract

The purpose of the work is to analyze the causes, course and consequences of the rebellion of Anthony Saturninus, directed against the emperor Domitian (89 AD). After analyzing the strategic situation in the western provinces and the course of events, the author proves that the performance was poorly prepared, was of a spontaneous nature and was doomed to failure from the very beginning. The author’s conclusions: a thorough analysis of the sources suggests that the initiative of the rebellion of Saturninus belonged to the mass of soldiers, while for Saturninus himself, the imperial acclamation, most likely, was a complete surprise. In 97 AD, the highest commanding staff of the Roman army, mindful of the circumstances of the defeat and death of Saturninus, managed to prevent a civil war by guaranteeing the transfer of power from Emperor Nerva to the protege of the military, Mark Ulpius Trajan.