| Arminius I | |
|---|---|
| 72nd Roman Emperor
| |
| |
| Bust of Arminius I | |
| Reign | 24 April, 1128 - 24 February, 1142 |
| Predecessor | Herminus |
| Successor | Nerva Ariovistus |
| Born | c.1085 Germanic-Roman border |
| Died | 24 February, 1142 (aged 57) |
| Spouse | Severina |
| Issue | Nerva Ariovistus (alledged) |
| Full name | |
| Ermanarius Arminius Flaccus | |
| Father | Ermanaric |
Arminius I (Latin: Ermanarius Arminius Flaccus; c.1085 - 24 February, 1142) was Roman Emperor between 1128 to 1142, and has often pointed to as a major player in the gradual decline of the Roman Empire.
Born early in the reign of Nerva (1084 - 1116), Arminius was the son of the semi-legendary Thurginian tribal leader Ermanaric and was brought up along the Germanic-Roman border, fighting alongside the German legions during the late-Co-Imperial Period. Having almost no connections to Imperial nobles, Arminius rose through the ranks an a basis of exemplary skills and tactical brilliance, later being granted the position of general in an Ostrogothic mercenary band. As he became more associated with Roman generals/military leaders/governors, Arminius began to muster a large military force for a march on Rome, citing that the Co-Imperial Emperors failed at maintaining the peace with German tribesmen. After seizing control of the Pannonian legions in 1127, he proceeded to declare himself Emperor, and took leave to the capital to overthrow the Emperor Herminus, something he achieved in the April of 1128.
Arminius I's rule was noted to be light and anti-interventionist, allowing the settlement of German people's inside the Empires borders, and refusing to fight against upstart nobles, leaving that duty to his most loyal generals. He frequently got into squabbles with the Senate over his light rule, and many governors/proconsuls refused to accept a Germanic born Emperor, despite the fact that he became a citizen of Rome with the Nervan Decree of 1116. Most historians nowadays point to Arminius' policy in regards to Germanic settlement as one of the first major steps towards the decline of the Roman Empire, as it furthered "non-Roman" migration into the nation, which would later build up into the Migration Period and subsequent "barbaric" invasions. Arminius was succeeded by his relative (possibly his son) Nerva Ariovistus.