History of Septimius Severus

Difference (from prior major revision) (author diff)

Added: 2a3

Severus's family was of equestrian rank, and in 172 he seems to have been made a senator by Marcus Aurelius. In 190 he became consul, and in the following year received from Commodus? the command of the legions in Pannonia?. On the murder of Pertinax? by the troops in 193, they proclaimed Septimius emperor, whereupon he hurried to Italy and took possession of Rome without opposition. The legionaries of Syria, however, proclaimed Pescennius Niger emperor and those of Britain, Albinus; it was not until 197 that all competing claimants were eliminated.

Changed: 4c5

Septimius Severus owed his advancement to [Aemilius Laetus]? who was the last [praetorian prefect]? of Commodus?. Severus claimed the throne in April 193 and prepared to fight [Didius Julianus]? but the legions? of Julianus refused to fight and Severus was proclaimed emperor. It was not until 197 that all competing claimants were eliminated.

In the later years of his reign Septimius undertook a number of military actions in defence of Roman Britain against barbarian incursions and undertook reconstruction of Hadrian's Wall before dying in York on the 4th February AD 211.

Changed: 6,83c7,12

In the later years of his reign Severus undertook a number of military actions in defence of Roman Britain against barbarian incursions and undertook reconstruction of Hadrian's Wall before dying in York on the 4th February AD 211.

See also Roman Empire, Roman Emperors, Byzantine Empire and Byzantine Emperors.

Text to integrate from Schaff-Herzog Encyc of Religion:

His
family was of equestrian rank, and in 172 he seems
to have been made a senator by Marcus Aurelius.
In 190 he became consul, and in the following year
received from Commodus the command of the
German legions in Pannonia. On the murder of
Pertinax by the troops in 193, they proclaimed
Septimius emperor, whereupon he hurried to Italy and took
possession of Rome without opposition. The
legionaries of Syria, however, proclaimed Pescennius
Niger emperor and those of Britain, Albinus; and
only after bloody wars was Septimius able to make
himself master of the Roman world.

With
Septimius Severus begins the series of military
emperors and the motto of his life was his dying
exhortation to his sons, "let us work!" His entire
reign was devoted to the welfare of the empire, and
he finally succumbed to overexertion in a campaign
against the Caledonians. Stern, wise, and energetic,
Septimius restored peace to the empire after the
misrule of Commodus and the civil wars. No
emperor before Constantine was so important for the
development of Roman law.
</p>

It is generally assumed that Septimius was
friendly to the Christians until 202, when, for some
unknown reason, he became their enemy and
persecutor. This rests upon an incorrect interpretation of
the words of his biographer Spartianus: "In his
journey [through. Palestine in 202] he established
very many laws for the Palestinians; he forbade the
Jews to be placed under heavy punishment, but
sanctioned this in the case of Christians." This was
really no new law, but only a reemphasizing of laws
already existing, and was designed to check the
Christian propaganda rather than to set on foot
a general persecution. Nor was there any wide
persecution, and there are many evidences that not
only was the emperor not personally hostile to the
Christians, but he even protected them against the
populace. There were doubtless Christians in his
own household, and in his reign the church at Rome
had almost absolute peace. On the other hand,
individual officials availed themselves of the laws to
proceed with rigor against the Christians.
Naturally the emperor, with his strict conception of law,
did not hinder such partial persecution, which took
place in Egypt and the Thebaid, as well as in
proconsular Africa and the East. Christian martyrs
were numerous in Alexandria (cf. Clement, Strom.,
ii. 20; Eusebius, Hist. eccl., V., xxvi., VI., i. sqq.).
No less severe were the persecutions in Africa, which
seem to have begun in 197 or 198 (cf. Tertullian's
Ad martyres), and included the Christians known
in the Roman martyrology as the martyrs of
Madaura. Probably in 202 or 203 Felicitas and
Perpetua (q.v.) suffered for their faith. Persecution
again raged for a short time under the proconsul
Scapula in 211, especially in Numidia and
Mauritania. Later accounts of a Gallic persecution,
especially at Lyons, are legendary. In general it
may thus be said that the position of the
Christians under Septimius Severus was the same as under
the Antonines; but the law of this emperor at least
shows clearly that the rescript of Trajan had failed

The reign of Septimius provides an interesting example of the persecution meted out to Christians under the Roman empire. Septimius made no new laws against Christians, but allowed the enforcement of laws already long-established. There is no evidence of systematic persecution, and there are many evidences that not only was the emperor not personally hostile to the Christians, but he even protected them against the
populace. There were doubtless Christians in his own household, and in his reign the church at Rome had almost absolute peace. On the other hand, individual officials availed hemselves of the laws to proceed with rigor against the Christians. Naturally the emperor, with his strict conception of law, did not hinder such partial persecution, which took place in Egypt and the Thebaid, as well as in proconsular Africa and the East. Christian martyrs were numerous in Alexandria (cf. Clement of Alexandria, Stromata,
ii. 20; Eusebius, Church History, V., xxvi., VI., i.).
No less severe were the persecutions in Africa, which seem to have begun in 197 or 198 (cf. Tertullian's Ad martyres), and included the Christians known
in the Roman martyrology as the martyrs of Madaura. Probably in 202 or 203 Felicity and
Perpetua? suffered for their faith. Persecution again raged for a short time under the proconsul Scapula in 211, especially in Numidia and Mauritania. Later accounts of a Gallic persecution, especially at Lyons, are legendary. In general it may thus be said that the position of the Christians under Septimius Severus was the same as under the Antonines; but the law of this emperor at least shows clearly that the rescript of Trajan had failed

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	Revision 9 . . December 10, 2001 11:02 pm by MichaelTinkler [integrating old encylopedic material into article]
	Revision 8 . . December 10, 2001 10:37 pm by MichaelTinkler [integrating some birth/death info into first sentence]
	Revision 7 . . December 9, 2001 11:28 pm by Alan Millar [old encyc text to integrate]
	Revision 6 . . (edit) December 2, 2001 1:54 am by (logged).153.24.xxx
	Revision 5 . . (edit) December 2, 2001 1:08 am by (logged).153.24.xxx [emphasis, links, copyedit]
	Revision 4 . . October 2, 2001 7:01 pm by BernardBrowne