Person

Pescennius Niger

c. 135–194 · 2nd century · Also known as Gaius Pescennius Niger

Pescennius Niger was governor of Syria who was proclaimed emperor by his troops in 193 CE, in the civil war after the murder of Pertinax. Supported by the eastern provinces and by Byzantium, he was defeated by Septimius Severus at Cyzicus, Nicaea and finally Issus in 194 and killed. Byzantium held out against Severus' siege until about 196.

Pescennius Niger
Image: Numismatica Ars Classica NAC AG · CC BY-SA 3.0 ch · Wikimedia Commons

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ByzantiumDecline

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Pescennius Niger. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pescennius-niger
MLA
“Pescennius Niger.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pescennius-niger. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Pescennius Niger.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pescennius-niger.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Pescennius Niger’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pescennius-niger (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻