Septimius Severus

Who is Septimius Severus?

Lucius Septimius Severus was a Roman emperor who reigned from 193 to 211 AD, born in the city of Leptis Magna on the Libyan coast, in the Roman province of Africa. He came from a wealthy equestrian family of mixed Italian and Punic-Berber North African descent on his father's side, making him the first Roman emperor born into a provincial, non-Italian family. Rising through a conventional senatorial career under earlier emperors, Severus seized power in 193 during the chaotic 'Year of the Five Emperors,' defeating rivals Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus in successive civil wars to secure sole rule. As emperor he strengthened the army by raising soldiers' pay and granting them the right to marry, reduced the political power of the Senate in favor of equestrians and provincial administrators, and expanded and fortified the empire's frontiers, including a campaign in Britain where he reinforced Hadrian's Wall. He founded the Severan dynasty with his sons Caracalla and Geta. Severus died of illness in 211 AD at Eboracum, in modern York, England, while campaigning in Britain, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most militarily capable and reform-minded emperors of the Roman world.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Septimius Severus" · Britannica, "Septimius Severus" · UNRV Roman History, "Septimius Severus - Roman Emperor"