Talk:Antonines

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Definition of the Antonines[edit]

The way that it has come to me in my readings of history that the "Antonines period" is defined by the form of Imperial succession; namely the practice of Roman Emperors adopting worthy, but unrelated, men (usually military commanders) as their successors, and not relying on the uncertainties of family and heredity. This started with Nerva, and ended with Marcus Aurelius.

The current structure of the article gives a reference (Gibbon) for this view, but none for the stated "two emperor" definition. Unless a reference for the "two emperor" view can be found, perhaps the article should be changed to the view of Gibbon and other historians. --Vedexent (talk) - 00:35, 12 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I was just about to post the same thing, I had always thought the Antonines were the group of emperors starting from Nerva and going on until Marcus Aurelius (whether Commodus is classed as one or not I'm not sure, because Commodus was Marcus Aurelius' son). I also thought the defining factor was the selection procedure. I know that J.M. Roberts' New Penguin History of the World refers to Nerva through to Marcus Aurelius as the "age of the Antonines". Blankfrackis (talk) 21:27, 22 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]