Antoninus Pius: was he really so peaceful?

[Late Emperor]

Hi, what you think about Antoninus Pius? Reading his biography, it seems that he was a saint in a roman world where the average individual was like Tony Soprano but it seems difficult to believe to me.

 

Was he really so peaceful and enlightened or he actually committed some roman-style atrocities in his public and private life?

 

Is it also really true that he always ruled without never leaving Rome and visiting the border provices?

[caldrail]

Antoninus Pius was well regarded by the Romans largely because he gave them what they wanted and didn't make waves. Like Claudius, it appears he ordered some military adventures to give his reign military credibility - almost an essential qualification for Roman acceptance - by pushing the british frontier to the wall of his name. He was however not a military man, and never left Italy during his rule.

[Yehudah]

Some skirmishing along the British and African frontiers was the only warfare during his reign.

[k08el01]

Everything I've read seems to point to Antoninus Pius spending imperial assets on education, the arts, and public works rather than focusing on the military, preferring to simply assign generals and governors to worry about provincial uprisings. his reign is thought to be the most peaceful in the history of the empire.

[tk421]

His reign was prosperous and relatively peaceful compared to previous or subsequent periods. The barbarians had not yet arrived. The Parthians were still pacified. Trajan and Hadrian had reformed the Roman system of governing. Hadrian had even planned the succession. Antoninus Pius was a very diligent, hard-working, shrewd Emperor. He was seen as a simple man, with simple pleasures and tastes. He was frugal with money and spent public money improving the lives of his subjects, and not his own. He avoided scandal, at least when compared to other emperors. He did not tolerate scandal and held public officials accountable. He worked to improve the lives of his subjects. In law he is credited with the concept not treating the accused as guilty before trial.

 

Antoninus Pius did not have to contend with the problems facing Trajan, Hadrian or Marcus Aurelius. He was an Italian and never left Italy during his reign. He did not have to, problems were dealt with, not ignored. He was not a general like Julius Ceasar or Marc Antony, instead relying on capable generals to fulfill military commitments.

 

His reign is notable for not being Caligula, Nero, Commodus or Elagabalus. His reign is notable for not having to deal with the major problems faced by Augustus, Vespasian, Trajan or Marcus Aurelius. He was an excellent leader.