Quintus Aemilius Laetus (died 193) was a prefect of the Roman imperial bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, from 191 until his death in 193. He acceded to this position upon the deaths of his predecessors Regillus and Lucius Julius Vehilius Gratus Julianus, by appointment of emperor Commodus. His name suggests that his family received Roman citizenship from Marcus Aemilius Lepidus.
When the behavior of Commodus turned increasingly erratic during the early 190s, Laetus is thought to have been implicated in the conspiracy that led to the emperor's murder on 31 December 192. The plot was a calculated attempt to advance the city prefect Publius Helvius Pertinax to the throne, but the assassination inadvertently initiated a period of civil war known as the Year of the Five Emperors, during which the Roman Empire witnessed five different claimants to the imperial power. The year opened with the brief reigns of Pertinax and Didius Julianus, before erupting to a full-scale war between the generals Pescennius Niger, Clodius Albinus, and Septimius Severus.
Although Laetus himself had been responsible for the accession of Pertinax, his claim to the imperial purple was opposed by the majority of the Praetorian Guard, forcing Pertinax to secure their support with an excessive promise of money. When he managed to pay only half of the promised sum, he was deserted by Laetus and killed by rogue Praetorians. In one of the most infamous episodes in Roman history,[1] the guard then proceeded to sell the Empire by auction to Didius Julianus. In response, the armies of Pescennius Niger, Clodius Albinus and Septimius Severus rose in revolt, and marched on Rome. When his demise appeared imminent, Didius Julianus ordered the execution of Laetus and the conspirators against Commodus, on suspicion that they would side with Severus.
^Birley, p. 95
and 24 Related for: Quintus Aemilius Laetus information
QuintusAemiliusLaetus (died 193) was a prefect of the Roman imperial bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, from 191 until his death in 193. He acceded...
Dalmatia. Aemilius Asper Junior, a grammarian who flourished during the second century, and the author of Ars Grammatica. QuintusAemiliusLaetus, Praetorian...
December 192. The plot was carried out by the Praetorian prefect QuintusAemiliusLaetus, Commodus' mistress Marcia, and his chamberlain Eclectus. After...
fell victim to a conspiracy directed by his Praetorian prefect QuintusAemiliusLaetus in 192. The new emperor Pertinax, who took part in the conspiracy...
Quintus Maecius Laetus was a Roman eques who flourished during the reign of the emperor Septimius Severus and his sons. He was appointed to a series of...
his new chamberlain Eclectus, and the new praetorian prefect QuintusAemiliusLaetus. In opposition to the Senate, in his pronouncements and iconography...
appointment may have been engineered by the praetorian prefect QuintusAemiliusLaetus, as part of his coup against Commodus. He was governor no later...
Julia Domna (right), Munich Glyptotek In 191, on the advice of QuintusAemiliusLaetus, prefect of the Praetorian Guard, emperor Commodus appointed Severus...
but name. The name Laeti may have become more widely used after QuintusAemiliusLaetus managed the support of the Danubian Legions for Septimius Severus...
[citation needed] The plot was carried out by the Praetorian prefect QuintusAemiliusLaetus, Commodus' mistress Marcia, and his chamberlain Eclectus. After...
QuintusAemilius Saturninus (died AD 200) was an ancient Roman member of the equites class, who held several positions under the emperors Commodus and...
Political offices Preceded by QuintusAemiliusLaetus Praetorian prefect of the Roman Empire 193 With: Titus Flavius Genialis Succeeded by Flavius Juvenalis...
Political offices Preceded by QuintusAemiliusLaetus Praetorian prefect of the Roman Empire 193 With: Tullius Crispinus Succeeded by Flavius Juvenalis...
predecessor's lifetime 31 August 161 – 31 December 192 (aged 31) Strangled to death in a conspiracy involving his praetorian prefect, Laetus, and mistress, Marcia...
may be a confusion with the year 478, when the other consul was also L. Aemilius. Ogilvie 1965, p. 371. The stone inscription of the Fasti Capitolini has...
Edited by Julius Pomponius Laetus. 1471–1472 Varro, De lingua latina Georgius Lauer Rome Edited by Julius Pomponius Laetus 1472 Epiphanius Scholasticus...
f. Laeta, named in an inscription from Rome, together with Gnaeus AemiliusLaetus. Romanius Ligur, a member of the college of Manliensium, who made a...
Lycian Families", p. 128 Leunissen, pp. 146f Leunissen, p. 147 Son of M. Aemilius Saturninus, consul suffect of 174. (Leunissen, p. 294) Quadratus' son C...
have': Aemilius, cum ... ēdūcere in aciem potuisset, intrā vallum suōs tenuit (Livy) 'although he could have led them out into battle, Aemilius held his...
Gnaeus, also common names. A few of the Umbrii bear other names, including Quintus and Sextus. This gens also provides an instance of the feminine praenomen...
Global Information