Editing Principate (section)

=== Under the Antonines ===
Under the [[Nerva–Antonine dynasty|Antonine dynasty]], it was standard for the Emperor to appoint a successful and politically promising individual as his successor. Though later scholars would often cite this as an ideal system in which succession to the position of princeps was determined on the basis of ability rather than heredity, that this was the intention of the emperors themselves has generally been rejected by modern scholarship.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Geer |first1=Russel Mortimer |title=Second Thoughts on the Imperial Succession from Nerva to Commodus |journal=Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association |date=1936 |volume=67 |pages=47–54 |doi=10.2307/283226 |jstor=283226 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/283226 |access-date=10 February 2025 |issn=0065-9711|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Grainger |first1=John D. |title=The Roman Imperial Succession |date=30 June 2020 |publisher=Pen and Sword History |isbn=978-1-5267-6605-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VwLoDwAAQBAJ&dq=rome+dynastic+succession&pg=PT96 |access-date=10 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

This period saw several firsts for the imperial office, including the first recognised period of rule by two emperors during the co-rule of [[Marcus Aurelius]] and [[Lucius Verus]] from their accession in 161 AD until the latter's death in 169 AD, and the succession of [[Commodus]] marking the first transfer of power to a son born to a sitting emperor. Often ranked amongst the worst Roman emperors, Commodus's 12-year reign was followed by [[Year of the Five Emperors|a civil war between rival generals]] and the final dynasty of the Principate, the [[Severan dynasty]].