§1Didio Iuliano, qui post Pertinacem imperium adeptus est, proavus fuit Salvius Iulianus, bis consul, praefectus urbi et iuris consultus, quod magis eum nobilem fecit, mater Clara Aemilia, pater Petronius Didius Severus, fratres Didius Proculus et Nummius Albinus, avunculus Salvius Iulianus, avus paternus Insubris Mediolanensis, maternus ex Hadrumetina colonia.
Regarding Didius Iulianus, who obtained the imperial power after Pertinax, his great-grandfather was Salvius Iulianus, twice consul, prefect of the city, and a legal expert—which made him more noble—his mother was Clara Aemilia, his father Petronius Didius Severus, his brothers Didius Proculus and Nummius Albinus, his maternal uncle Salvius Iulianus, his paternal grandfather an Insubrian from Mediolanum, and his maternal grandfather from the colony of Hadrumetum.
Educatus est apud Domitiam Lucillam, matrem Marci imperatoris.
He was educated at the house of Domitia Lucilla, the mother of the emperor Marcus.
inter viginti viros lectus est suffragio matris Marci, quaestor ante annum quam legitima aetas sinebat designatus est.
He was chosen among the board of twenty men by the vote of Marcus's mother, and was designated quaestor a year before the legal age permitted.
aedilitatem suffragio Marci consecutus est.
He attained the aedileship by the vote of Marcus.
praetor eiusdem suffragio fuit.
He became praetor by the vote of the same.
post praeturam legioni praefuit in Germania vicensimae secundae Primigeniae.
After his praetorship, he commanded the Twenty-Second Legion Primigenia in Germany.
inde Belgicam sancte ac diu rexit, ibi Chaucis, Germaniae populis qui Albim fluvium adcolebant, erumpentibus restitit tumultuariis auxiliis provincialium, ob quae consulatum meruit testimonio imperatoris.
From there he ruled Belgica devoutly and for a long time; there, when the Chauci, a Germanic people who dwelt near the Elbe river, broke out, he resisted them with hasty auxiliary forces of the provincials, for which services he won the consulship through the testimony of the emperor.
Chattos etiam debellavit, inde Dalmatiam regendam accepit eamque a confinibus hostibus vindicavit, post Germaniam §2inferiorem rexit, post hoc curam alimentorum in Italiam meruit, tunc factus est reus per quendam Severum Clarissimum militem coniurationis cum Salvio contra Commodum, sed a Commodo, quia multos iam senatores occiderat et quidem nobiles ac potentes in causis maiestatis, ne tristius gravaretur, Didius liberatus est accusatore damnato, absolutus iterum ad regendam provinciam missus est.
He also thoroughly defeated the Chatti, then received the government of Dalmatia to rule, and defended it from neighboring enemies; after that, Lower Germany he ruled, and after this he earned the supervision of the food supply in Italy. Then he was accused by a certain Severus, a famous soldier, of conspiracy with Salvius against Commodus; but by Commodus—since he had already killed many senators, and indeed noble and powerful ones in trials of high treason, lest he be burdened more gloomily— Didius was released, with his accuser condemned; having been acquitted, he was sent again to rule a province.
Bithyniam deinde rexit, sed non ea fama qua ceteras.
Next he ruled Bithynia, but not with the same reputation as the others.
Fuit consul cum Pertinace et in proconsulatu Africae eidem successit et semper ab eo collega est et successor appellatus, maxime eo die cum filiam suam Iulianus despondens adfini suo ad Pertinacem venisset idque intimasset, dixit:
que debita reverentia, quia collega et successor meus est. statim enim mors Pertinacis secuta est.
He was consul with Pertinax and succeeded him in the proconsulship of Africa, and was always called colleague and successor by him, especially on that day when Iulianus, betrothing his daughter to his kinsman, had come to Pertinax and intimated this, [Pertinax] said: "[Receive him] with due reverence, because he is my colleague and successor." For immediately the death of Pertinax followed.
quo interfecto eum Sulpicianus imperator in castris appellari vellet, et Iulianus cum genero ad senatum venisset, quem indictum acceperat, cumque clausas valvas invenisset atque illic duos tribunos repperisset, Publium Florianum et Vectium Aprum, coeperunt cohortari tribuni, ut locum arriperet.
When he was killed, and Sulpicianus wished to be named emperor in the camp, and Iulianus had come with his son-in-law to the senate, which he had heard was summoned, and when he found the doors closed and discovered two tribunes there, Publium Florianum and Vectium Aprum, the tribunes began to urge him to seize the place.
quibus cum diceret iam alium imperatorem appellatum, retinentes eum ad praetoria castra duxerunt, sed posteaquam in castra ventum est, cum Sulpiciano praefecto urbi, socero Pertinacis, contionante sibique imperium vindicante Iulianum e muro ingentia pollicentem nullus admitteret, primum Iulianus monuit praetorianos, ne eum facerent imperatorem, qui Pertinacem vindicaret; deinde scripsit in tabulis se Commodi memoriam restituturum.
When he said to them that another was already named emperor, they, detaining him, led him to the praetorian camp. But after they came into the camp, since no one would admit Iulianus, who was promising huge rewards from the wall, while Sulpicianus, the prefect of the city and father-in-law of Pertinax, was haranguing and claiming the empire for himself, Iulianus first warned the praetorians not to make him emperor who would avenge Pertinax; then he wrote on tablets that he would restore the memory of Commodus.
atque ita est admissus et imperator appellatus, rogantibus praetorianis ne Sulpiciano aliquid noceret, quod imperator esse voluisset.
And so he was admitted and named emperor, with the praetorians requesting that he should not harm Sulpicianus in any way because he had wished to be emperor.
§3Tunc Iulianus Flavium Genialem et Tullium Crispinum suffragio praetorianorum praefectos praetorii fecit stipatusque est caterva imperatoria per Maurentium, qui et ante Sulpiciano coniunxerat.
Then Iulianus, by the vote of the praetorians, made Flavius Genialis and Tullius Crispinus praetorian prefects, and was surrounded by an imperial crowd through Maurentius, who had previously joined Sulpicianus.
sane cum vicena quina milia militibus promisisset, tricena dedit.
Indeed, although he had promised twenty-five thousand sesterces to the soldiers, he gave thirty thousand.
dein habita contione militari vespera in senatum venit totumque se senatui permisit factoque senatus consulto imperator est appellatus, et tribuniciam potestatem ius proconsulare in patricias familias relatus emeruit.
Then, having held a military assembly, he came to the senate in the evening and committed himself entirely to the senate; and by a decree of the senate, he was named emperor, and earned the tribunician power, the proconsular right, and was enrolled into the patrician families.
uxor etiam Manlia Scantilla et filia eius Didia Clara Augustae sunt appellatae.
His uxor also, Manlia Scantilla, and his daughter, Didia Clara, were named Augustae.
inde se ad Palatium recepit, uxore ac filia illuc vocatis trepidis invitisque transeuntibus, quasi iam imminens exitium praesagirent.
Then he withdrew to the Palace, his wife and daughter being summoned there, crossing over trembling and unwilling, as if they already presaged the imminent destruction.
praefectum urbi Cornelium Repentinum, generum suum, fecit in locum Sulpiciani.
He made Cornelius Repentinus, his son-in-law, prefect of the city in place of Sulpicianus.
Erat interea in odio populi Didius Iulianus ob hoc, quod creditum fuerat emendationem temporum Commodi Pertinacis auctoritate reparandam, habebaturque ita, quasi Iuliani consilio esset interemptus.
Meanwhile, Didius Iulianus was in the hatred of the people for this reason, that it had been believed that the reform of the times of Commodus was to be restored by the authority of Pertinax, and he was held in such a way as if he had been slain by the counsel of Iulianus.
et iam hi primum qui Iulianum odisse coeperant disseminarunt prima statim die Pertinacis cena despecta luxuriosum parasse convivium ostreis et altilibus et piscibus adornatum.
And already those who first began to hate Iulianus spread the rumor that on the very first day, despising the dinner of Pertinax, he had prepared a luxurious banquet adorned with oysters, fattened birds, and fish.
quod falsum fuisse constat.
This is established to have been false.
nam Iulianus tantae parsimoniae fuisse perhibetur, ut per triduum porcellum, per triduum leporem divideret, si quis ei forte misisset, saepe autem nulla exsistente religione holeribus leguminibusque contentus sine carne cenaverit.
For Iulianus is said to have been of such great parsimony that he would divide a young pig over three days, and a hare over three days, if anyone by chance had sent them to him, and often, when no religious custom existed, he supped without meat, content with vegetables and legumes.
deinde neque cenavit priusquam sepultus esset Pertinax, et tristissimus cibum ob eius necem sumpsit et primam noctem vigiliis continuavit, de tanta necessitate sollicitus.
Furthermore, he did not sup before Pertinax was buried, and, very sorrowful, took food because of his death, and continued his first night in vigils, anxious about such great necessity.