Antoninus Pius
1
9.9
- proper noun
- /ˌæntəˈnaɪnəs paɪəs/
- Emperor Antoninus Pius ruled during a time of peace.
Examples
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Historians often praise Antoninus Pius for his fair administration and lack of military conflict.
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A statue of Antoninus Pius stands in the Vatican Museums, celebrating his contributions to Roman history.
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Antoninus Pius presided over the Roman Empire during a period of relative peace and stability.
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The reign of Antoninus Pius is often regarded as the height of the Roman Empire.
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Antoninus Pius presided over the Roman Empire during a period of relative peace and stability.
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Historians often praise Antoninus Pius for his fair administration and lack of military conflict.
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The reign of Antoninus Pius is often regarded as the height of the Roman Empire.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Antoninus + Pius
This is a proper name rather than a compositional phrase: knowing the individual name parts (which are not lexical words with transparent meanings to a B1 learner) does not allow one to infer the referent 'Roman emperor' or the historical dates. Proper names are idiosyncratic and language-specific, so their referential meaning is not derivable from constituent parts.
Etymology
Antoninus Pius comes from the nickname Pius, which means 'pious' or very dutiful. One popular story says Roman leaders gave him this name because he showed great respect for his adoptive father Hadrian and kept the empire peaceful, so the name reminds us he was a calm, fair ruler.