Roman Stories, Book 9.
Starting with Romulus, the founder of Rome, the 9th volume of the "Roman Stories" series, published in 1993, is titled "The Present Century."
Trajan, a frontal attacker who expanded the territory of the Roman Empire to its maximum, Hadrian, who toured the entire empire and reestablished the ruling system, and Antoninus Pius, who established reforms with his gentle personality and virtue.
Why did later generations call them the Present Age, and why did their contemporaries call this period the Golden Age?
This is a story of 'leadership' of three outstanding men that comes back to life through the pen of Shiono.

Will future generations remember the Romans?
I think the Romans might have something worth remembering too.
I wouldn't say it's because of the Romans' nature.
It's too arrogant to say that.
So, I would say it's because of the Romans' diligence, the Romans' zeal, the Romans' sense of honor.
Life is about cherishing these virtues and working hard, but only a few will achieve a shining reputation.
But what if the vast majority of the rest of us also deserve at least some salvation from obscurity and oblivion?

--- pp.172-173

Later generations would call the period from 96 AD, when Nerva ascended the throne, through Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and until the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 AD, the "Age of the Five Good Emperors," but contemporary Romans called it the "Golden Age."
And to the three emperors, who were evaluated as worthy of the adjective “golden” in the true sense, the following adjectives were presented.
If the emperor's name were the title of a book, this modifier would feel like a subtitle.
Trajan - 'Supreme Emperor' Hadrian - 'Roman peace and eternal empire' Antoninus Pius - 'Ordered tranquility' Later generations would call the period from 96 AD, when Nerva ascended to the throne, through Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and until the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 AD, the 'Age of the Five Good Emperors', but contemporary Romans called it the 'Golden Age'.
And to the three emperors, who were evaluated as worthy of the adjective “golden” in the true sense, the following adjectives were presented.
If the emperor's name were the title of the book, this modifier would feel like a subtitle.
Trajan - 'Supreme Emperor' Hadrian - 'Roman Peace and Eternity of the Empire' Antoninus Pius - 'Ordered Tranquility'

--- p.423

As Antoninus believed that an emperor was the most empty of all, he thought that he should be an example to others not only in what he did but also in how he did it.
Since the two previous emperors had done most of the work that needed to be done, Antoninus, who succeeded them, had only to concentrate on how to do it.
According to Antoninus, work had to be thorough, clear, and concise, and fairness and transparency were absolute conditions.
He tried his best to avoid appointing relatives or friends based on connections or favoritism.
He treated his friends and relatives as equals, so they should not be overly dependent on him.
As Antoninus believed that an emperor was the most empty of all, he thought that he should be an example to others not only in what he did but also in how he did it.
Since the two previous emperors had done most of the work, Antoninus, who succeeded them, had only to concentrate on how to do it.
According to Antoninus, work had to be thorough, clear, and concise, and fairness and transparency were absolute conditions.
He tried his best to avoid appointing relatives or friends based on connections or favoritism.
He treated his friends and relatives as equals, so they should not be overly dependent on him.

--- p.439

When one rises to a position of supreme power, one usually replaces his associates, including his close associates.
But Antoninus was not like that.
The commander of the Praetorian Guard, the only military force stationed in Italy, was usually appointed by the emperor's confidant, but he did not replace that position, showing that Hadrian's personnel were maintained to this extent. It is said that the commander of the Praetorian Guard held the position for a full 20 years, and only after he volunteered to retire was he replaced by someone of Antoninus' choice.


Hadrian's greetings were thoroughly tailored to the right person and were fully functional, but Antoninus also had his own way of dealing with people.
His idea was that if a person is given a task for a long time, he becomes good at it.
And Antoninus was also quite stubborn in pushing through his own ideas.

One day, his wife Faustina complained about her husband's stinginess. The emperor rebuked her with these words:
'You are so foolish.
Now that we have become the masters of the empire, even what we had before is not ours.' In any case, this is the kind of person who says such things.
There is no act more despicable than consuming property that should be returned to the state when it is not needed.
When one rises to a position of supreme power, one usually replaces his associates, including his close associates.
But Antoninus was not like that.
The commander of the Praetorian Guard, the only military force stationed in Italy, was usually appointed by the emperor's confidant, but he did not replace that position, showing that Hadrian's personnel were maintained to this extent. It is said that the commander of the Praetorian Guard held the position for a full 20 years, and only after he volunteered to retire was he replaced by someone of Antoninus' choice.


Hadrian's greetings were thoroughly tailored to the right person and were fully functional, but Antoninus also had his own way of dealing with people.
His idea was that if a person is given a task for a long time, he becomes good at it.
And Antoninus was also quite stubborn in pushing through his own ideas.

One day, his wife Faustina complained about her husband's stinginess. The emperor rebuked her with these words:
'You are so foolish.
Now that we have become the masters of the empire, even what we had before is not ours.' In any case, this is the kind of person who says such things.
There is no act more despicable than consuming property that should be returned to the state when it is not needed.

--- p.427,8

Trajan, who ruled the Roman Empire for 20 years, was the one who truly and faithfully carried out the duties of an emperor.

'One scholar, writing 1800 years later, commented on Hadrian: 'Instead of the provincials sending representatives to Rome to appeal to their demands, the emperor himself traveled through the provinces, listening to their voices.'
Wouldn't this be the most fitting epitaph for Hadrian's tomb?

'Although they were both Roman emperors, Turanus and Hadrian reigned as rulers, while Antoninus Pius consistently played the role of a father.
"Isn't Antoninus, as described by Marcus Aurelius, the very image of an ideal father?" "Trajan, who ruled the Roman Empire for twenty years, truly and faithfully fulfilled his duties as emperor."

'One scholar, writing 1800 years later, commented on Hadrian: 'Instead of the provincials sending representatives to Rome to appeal to their demands, the emperor himself traveled through the provinces, listening to their voices.'
Wouldn't this be the most fitting epitaph for Hadrian's tomb?

'Although they were both Roman emperors, Turanus and Hadrian reigned as rulers, while Antoninus Pius consistently played the role of a father.
Antoninus, as described by Marcus Auelius, is the very picture of an ideal father.'

--- p.210.
---p.
420.
---p.453.

It was after Julius Caesar expanded the area in the late Republic that it came to play a central role in imperial governance, along with the Roman Forum, and is now called the "Forum of the Emperors."
During the republican period, the central organ of the state was the Roman Forum, with the Aemilius Synagogue and the Senate at its northern edge.

Caesar first rebuilds the Senate chamber.
And to the north of it he built the 'Caesar Forum'.
The road between the Senate House and the Aemilius Synagogue also led to a residential area for the common people called Subura.

The dictionary defines the word 'forum', which is difficult to translate into languages ​​not influenced by Latin, as "a large square in the center of the ancient Roman city, where politics.
economy.
It is explained as "the center of the judiciary and was also used for commercial transactions, trials, and public assemblies."
So to speak, it is a public square, but in our country, the meaning is expanded to include even a simple place for conversation as a 'forum'.
As described above, the Roman Forum contained the Curia, the Senate chamber where politics took place, the Basilica, a synagogue used for trials and commerce, a temple (Temple) where the treasury was kept underground, a podium (Rostrum) for assemblies, and triumphal arches and victory monuments that also served as decorations.
So it was a place where citizens would gather whenever something happened.

The 'Forum', which was created by Caesar and thus became Rome's unique architectural style, brought together these functions of the Roman Forum.
The basic shape is a rectangle.
On one side is a temple, and a double-pillared corridor with a roof surrounds the other three sides.
Inside the corridor, there are offices and shops lined up for commercial purposes.
There were also many cases where it was used as a school in the form of an academy.
The interior, surrounded by temples and corridors, is a square, and in the center of the square stands an equestrian statue of the creator of this forum.
The steps in front of the temple also serve as a podium from which to address the crowds gathered in the square.
It was after Julius Caesar expanded the area in the late Republic that it came to play a central role in imperial governance, along with the Roman Forum, and is now called the "Forum of the Emperors."
During the republican period, the central organ of the state was the Roman Forum, with the Aemilius Synagogue and the Senate at its northern edge.

Caesar first rebuilds the Senate chamber.
And to the north of it he built the 'Caesar Forum'.
The road between the Senate House and the Aemilius Synagogue also led to a residential area for the common people called Subura.

The dictionary defines the word 'forum', which is difficult to translate into languages ​​not influenced by Latin, as "a large square in the center of the ancient Roman city, where politics.
economy.
It is explained that "it is the center of the judiciary and was also used for commercial transactions, trials, and public assemblies."
So to speak, it is a public square, but in our country, the meaning is expanded to include even a simple place for conversation as a 'forum'.
As described above, the Roman Forum contained the Curia, the Senate chamber where politics took place, the Basilica, a synagogue used for trials and commerce, a temple (Temple) where the treasury was kept underground, a podium (Rostrum) for assemblies, and triumphal arches and victory monuments that also served as decorations.
So it was a place where citizens would gather whenever something happened.

The 'Forum', which was created by Caesar and thus became Rome's unique architectural style, brought together these functions of the Roman Forum.
The basic shape is a rectangle.
On one side is a temple, and a double-pillared corridor with a roof surrounds the other three sides.
Inside the corridor, there are offices and shops lined up for commercial purposes.
There were also many cases where it was used as a school in the form of an academy.
The interior, surrounded by temples and corridors, is a square, and in the center of the square stands an equestrian statue of the man who created this forum.
The steps in front of the temple also serve as a podium from which to address the crowds gathered in the square.

--- p.140-141