SHA VITA HADRIANI 2, I-6
BY
WILLIAM C. McDERMOTT
In a most perceptive comment on Pliny's friend Julius Servianus, Sherwin-White said I) : "The notion that Servianus was the persist- ent enemy of Hadrian under Trajan (CAH xi, 222) depends only on an incident of A.D. 98 : ... For most of Hadrian's reign he was a trusted support". To be sure the authenticity of vita Hadriani 2, 6, the only passage indicating early hostility of Servianus toward his brother-in-law has been discussed before and doubts have been expressed concerning its accuracy 2). Before considering details, a brief sketch of the known or assumed facts about Servianus. He was born about 47, and his first consulship was probably in go, though the date has been disputed. He was cos II in 102, cos III in 134. He married Hadrian's sister, Domitia Paulina, probably before 98. Governor as a consulayis of Germania Superior and Panno- nia successively-possibly the former from 97/98 as the successor of Trajan, and the latter from 98. His supposed quarrel with 1 ) The Letters of Pliny (Oxford 1966), pr. 6, 26 ; cf. the summary note (p. 750) : ". . . consular pillar of Trajan and Hadrian . . .". The reference to CAH is to a statement by R. P. Longden. Criticism of Sherwin-White's view of Servianus by C. P. Jones is unjustified: Phoenix 22 (1968), I2I. Syme's statement which Jones cites is cautiously ambiguous: Tacitus (Oxford 1958), 600 : "An ancient grudge, or new annoyances, poisoned the relations between Hadrian and Servianus". On L. Iulius Ursus Servianus: Groag in RE s.v. Iulius 538 (1917) (cols. 882-891) ; Syme, Tacitus, esp. 636 ("Germania Inferior" is a slip for Germania Superior), 646 no. 20 ; Latomus 23 (1964), 753-4 ; Sherwin-White, loc. cit. and pr. 3, I7; ad 7, 6, 8-9; 8, 23, 5; 10, 2, I. Most important Leiva Petersen in PIR2 4.3 (Berlin I966), I, 631, from whose account the brief sketch of his life below is drawn. On Hadrian esp. Stein in PIR2 A 184 (1933). On the scriptores historiae Augustae we now have an exhilarating account: R. Syme, Ammianus and the Historia Augusta (Oxford 1967). Cf. A. R. Birley in Latin Biography (London 1967), 125 : "Somehow, to take the Augustan History too seriously seems faintly absurd". I incline to agree with Syme's thesis of one writer in 392-395. I would further characterize him as a genuine comedian. 2 ) Groag, cols. 883-4 (with earlier bibliography). 187
Hadrian in 98 is discussed below. He may have become ponti/ex in 101/102. He probably served with Trajan for a time in the First Dacian War 1). He was a friend of Pliny who addressed two letters to him (3, 17 ; 6, 26), referred to him twice (7, 6, 8 ; 8, 23, 5 exac- tissimo viyo), and received the ius trium liberorum from Trajan at the request of Servianus early in 98 (10, 2, 1 optimi viri tuique aynantissimi). He was also a friend of the wealthy Dasumius and mentioned in his will (CIL 6.10229, lines 8, 111-114) along with Tacitus and Pliny (line 17). For the rest of his life a few scattered and doubtful references: Hadrian showed more honor to Antinous after his death than to his sister, Domitia Paulina (Dio 69, m, 4), presumably in 130; at one time he showed marked favor to Servia- nus as his possible successor (Dio 69, 17, 3: dated 136 but surely in reference to an earlier year); Hadrian paid him honor in 134 when he was consul III (Hadr. 8, II). All other references group about his forced suicide when Hadrian was in his last illness, 135-136 (Dio 69, 1-3 ; Hadr. 15, 8 ; 23, 2 ; 23, 8 ; 25, 8 : in his goth year) 2).
Now the key and disputed passage in SHA (Hadr. 2, 1-3, 5-6) 3) : i. quinto decimo anno ad patriam redit ac statim militiam iniit, venando usque ad
1 ) Syme, JRS 47 (1957), I3I: basing his argument on Plin. Ep. 3, 17, 3. 2 ) The letter from Hadrian to Servianus (Vopisc. quatt. tyr. 8) is, of course, fantastic, but does appear to have been a reflection of Servianus, cos III (... Serviano consuli ...). It is no proof of any acquaintance of Servianus with Egypt. Cf. Syme, Ammianus, 60-65. 3 ) Text of Hohl (1927).