Lucius Septimius Severus

Names:

• 11 April 145: Lucius Septimius Severus
• 9 April 193: Imperator Caesar Lucius Septimius Severus Pertinax Augustus
• 4 February 211: natural death

Successor of: Pertinax, Didius Julianus

Relatives:

• father: Publius Septimus Geta
• mother: Fulvia
• first wife: Paccia Marciana
• second wife: Julia Domna
  • sons: Caracalla, Geta

Early career

• 

  145 Born in Lepcis Magna
• 170 Quaestor
• 171 Quaestor II
• 173 Deputy of the proconsul of Africa
• 174 Tribune
• 178 Praetor
• c.180 Iuridicus Asturiae et Callaeciae
• c.182 Commander of IIII Scythica
• 186-189 Propraetor of Gallia Lugdunensis
• 189/190 Proconsul of Sicily
• 190 Consul
• 191-193 Propraetor of Pannonia Superior

Main deeds

• 193 Murder of Pertinax; Didius Julianus, Pescennius Niger (recognized by the Parthian king Vologases V), Clodius Albinus, and Septimius Severus proclaimed emperor (Imperator I); Severus marches on Rome; recognized by the Senate; marches to the east
• 194 Consul II (with Clodius Albinus II); siege of Byzantium; victory at Cyzicus (Imperator II); victory at Nicaea (Imperator III); defeats Niger near Issus (Imperator IV); Niger flees to Parthia but is killed
• Baalbek raised to the rank of colonia; claims to have been adopted by Marcus Aurelius
• 195 First war against the Parthian Empire (about Osrhoene [Imperator V], Arabia Scenite [Imperator VI], and Adiabene [Imperator VII]); accepts the titles Arabicus, Adiabenicus, and Pius; war declared upon Clodius Albinus
• 196 Caracalla made caesar; Severus returns to Rome
• 196/197 Fall of Byzantium (Imperator VIII)
• 197 Clodius Albinus defeated near Lugdunum (Imperator IX); beginning of Second Parthian War

• 

  197/198 Capture of Ctesiphon (Imperator X)
• 198/199 Parthian victory; accepts the title Parthicus (Imperator XI); diplomatic "victory" at Hatra (Imperator XII)
• 199 Stay in Syria and Egypt
• 200 Stay in Rome
• 201 Preparation of visit to Africa; founding of Gholaia
• 202 Consul III (with Caracalla); decennalia in Rome; Caracalla marries Plautilla; moves to Africa
• 203 Campaign against the Garamantes; visit to Lepcis; dedication of the Arch of Septimius Severus; Byzantium refounded
• 204 Ludi Saeculares
• 205 Caracalla consul II (with Geta); fall of Plautian, the praetorian prefect
• 206 War against the bandits of Bulla Felix
• 208 Caracalla consul III (with Geta II); Leaves for Britain
• 210 Accepts the title Britannicus
• 211 Death in York

New legions: I Parthica, II Parthica, III Parthica

Buildings (Rome)

Arch of Septimius Severus, Arch of the Bankers, Baths of Severus, Septizodium

Buildings (outside Rome)

• Byzantium, Mese, Sea Walls, Hippodrome
• Lepcis Magna, many buildings, like the Arch of Severus, the New Forum, the Basilica, the Temple of the Septimians, and the Port

Contemporary events

• 197 Tertullian publishes his Apologeticum
• 203 Martyrdom of Perpetua

Succeeded by: Caracalla, Geta

Links

• biography included in the Historia Augusta,
• Cassius Dio, Roman History (Book 75, 76, 77)
• Herodian, History of the Roman Empire (Book 2 and 3)
• Asellius Aemilianus
• Julia Maesa
• Philostratus
• Plautianus
• Tertullian
• Varius Marcellus

"No battles and no victories can be compared to those of Severus, and no army to the size of his army; there are no comparable uprisings among nations, or total number of campaigns, or length and speed of marches."^note[Herodian, History of the Roman Empire 3.7.7.]