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The reign of the Antonine dynasty, in the 2nd Century, is considered the Golden Age of the Roman Empire. Their era is also characterized by the growing power of Roman Africans in the Imperial administration. In this article, we will discover the story of Laetus, a military from Thaenae (Thyna, close to Sfax), who is known for his murder of Commodus, the last Antonine Emperor.
Origins
Quintus Aemilius Laetus was born in Thaenae (Thyna, close to Sfax, modern-day Tunisia). His family was of Amazigh origin, and acquired Roman citizenship several generations earlier, when Lepidus was proconsul of Africa. According to Roman custom, they adopted the family name of their patron, Lepidus, who was from the gens Aemilia.
Laetus became a soldier, and a member of the Praetorian Guard, an elite body in charge of the Emperor’s personal security. Around 191, Emperor Commodus named him Praetorian Prefect (commander of the Praetorian Guard).
At this time, Emperor Commodus was living with a woman called Marcia, the daughter of a freed slave of the Imperial family. Commodus and Marcia couldn’t get married due to the social status gap between them, but Commodus considered Marcia as his wife. Marcia was a Christian (or at least sympathetic to Christianity), and she influenced the Emperor in favor of the Christian community in Rome. She was the first Christian to hold such an influence at the Imperial court.
Plot against Commodus
By the end of his life, Emperor Commodus became more and more erratic. For the New Year 192 festivities, he wanted to make a public appearance – not from the Palace, dressed in his Imperial purple robe, but from the gladiator barracks, escorted by the gladiators.
Commodus shared his idea with Marcia, with his Praetorian Prefect Laetus, and with Eclectus, his chamberlain. All three advised him against going through with his plan, as it would bring shame on the Imperial function! Commodus got angry, and decided to have them all executed on the next day.
While Commodus was bathing, Marcia found the execution order. Marcia, Laetus and Eclectus met, and decided to kill Commodus in order to save their own lives.
Marcia, who always served Commodus his first cup of wine after his bath, was charged with killing him by poisoning his wine. After drinking the poisoned cup, the Emperor fell ill and started to vomit. The conspirators, afraid that he would evacuate all the poison, ordered Narcissus, a young athlete who served as Commodus’ personal fitness trainer, to strangle him.
Later on
After the death of Commodus, the Praetorian Guard, led by Laetus, chose Senator Pertinax as the new Emperor. When Pertinax tried to reduce the pay of the military, he faced a rebellion and was also killed.
After the death of Pertinax, the Praetorian Guard decided to sell the Imperial throne to the highest bidder. Laetus was involved in the auction. The rich Senator Didius Julianus obtained the throne.
The army, scandalized by the selling of the throne, revolted and killed Didius Julianus. After this, several military officers claimed the Imperial throne. Two of them were African: Albinus, the governor of Britain, who was supported by the Roman legions based in this province, and Septimius Severus, who was to become the first North African Emperor.
After he entered Rome, Septimius Severus had Laetus executed, together with the other participants in the plot against Commodus and in the auction of the throne.
