Salvius Julianus - Life and Career

Life and Career

Julianus was born during the last years of the Emperor Trajan (r. 98–117), probably at the village of Pupput near the Roman colony of Hadrumetum, on the east coast of Africa Province (now modern Sousse in Tunisia). Apparently he came from a Latin-speaking family. At Hadrumetum, an inscription has been discovered which describes his career in office.

He studied law with Javolenus Priscus, the head of the Sabinian school of legal thought. Julianus refers to Javolenus in his mature legal writings. Even as a young man he was renowned for his learning. According to his contemporary the Roman jurist Sextus Pomponius, Julianus (along with Aburnus Valens and Tuscianus) eventually came to lead for a time this very influential school of jurisprudence. A student of Julianus, namely Sextus Caecilius Africanus, perhaps later followed as the head of this Sabinian school.

During the Principate the classical Roman law flourished. Two schools of legal thought contended: the Proculian (earlier linked to Labeo) and the Sabinian. It appears there was some rivalry between Julianus who led the Sabinian, and another Roman jurist, a contemporary Publius Juventius Celsus who led the Proculian. Neither one quoted the other in his writings apparently. Among long-standing, close colleagues of Julianus were the aforementioned jurists Africanus and Pomponius.

In the Roman government, Julianus gradually rose in rank through a traditional series of offices. He was successively quaestor to the Emperor Hadrian (with double the usual salary), tribune of the plebs, praetor, praefectus aerarium Saturnii, and praefectus aerarium militarii, before assuming the high annual office of Roman consul in 148. Julianus also served in the Emperor's inner circle, the consilium principis, which functioned something like a modern cabinet, directing new legislation, but also sometimes like a court of law. "Hadrian organized it as a permanent council composed of members (jurists, high imperial functionaries of equestiran rank, and senators) appointed for life (consiliarii]." In the 4th-century Historia Augusta, the Emperor Hadrian's consilium principis included Julianus.

"When sat in judgment, he had on his council not only his friends and comites, but also jurists too, and in particular Juventius Celsus, Salvius Julianus, Neratius Priscus, and others, all of whom, however, the Senate had recommended." Cum iudicaret, in consilio habuit non amicos suos aut comites solum sed iuris consultos et praecipue Iuventium Celsum, Salvum Iulianum, Neratium Priscum aliosque, quos tamen senatus omnia probasset.

During this period Hadrian (r.117–138) also appointed Julianus to revise into final form the Praetor's Edict, which up until then had been announced annually. Thereafter, Julianus became occupied with writing his own substantial commentary on developments in Roman law, his celebrated Digestorum libri xc .

Under the next Emperor Antonius Pius, Julianus continued serving in the imperial council, the consilium principis. Subsequently he became governor of Germania Inferior under Antonius Pius, and later governor of Hispania Citerior under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Julianus then returned to his native region where, c. 168-169, he concluded his career as Proconsul of Africa Province. He seems to have died during the co-reign of Lucius Verus (r.161-169).

Little is known of his private life. Yet Juliainus (whose own date of birth is uncertain) evidently was related to the Emperor Didius Julianus (133–193, r.193). Perhaps through his daughter from Hadrumetum, who married into the "one of the most prominent families of Mediolanum" (modern Milan), he became the grandfather of Didius Julianas. Or else his uncle. Yet Didius was unfortunately a notorious scoundrel, who nonetheless was evidently raised by the mother of the noble Emperor Marcus Aurelius (r.161–180).