On the Transience of Earthly Power

I took this post’s pictureearlier this year while in Rome. It’s a statue of the Roman emperor Nerva. You can see the copper in the statue has been tarnished with time; in addition, Nerva’s head serves as a convenient perch for the local pigeons.

Nerva ruled the Roman empire from 96 to 98 AD. He ascended the throne after the assassination of Domitian, who had proved unpopular due to his autocratic rule (he also instituted intense persecutions of Christians). Nerva, however, had a difficult tim...