The Severans

Question 1

Civil war

Answer 1

Didius Julianus has 3 contenders - Septimius Severus, Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus

Question 2

Italy - AD 193

Answer 2

Septimius advances ‘as if through enemy territory’
Recognised by senate in June 193
Enters Rome on foot
Styles himself as the avenger of Pertinax
Replaces praetorian guard - makes it twice as large
Swears oath to not execute senators

Question 3

Securing the east

Answer 3

Septimius fights Niger as Issus
Syria divided into two provinces
Lots of retribution against Niger’s supporters
Campaign against the Parthians - AD 195

Question 4

Severus and Albinus

Answer 4

Alliance - first phase
Senate prefers Albinus?
“He was beloved by the senators” Hist. Aug. Albinus 12
AD 196 - Septimius styles Caracalla ‘caesar’
Albinus in Gaul declares himself Augustus
Albinus defeated and killed near Lyon in 197
Head sent to Rome

Question 5

Septimius Severus

Answer 5

Styles himself ‘son of Marcus Aurelius’

His wife becomes ‘mater castrorum’ (mother of the camp)

Question 6

Septimius Severus - early life

Answer 6

Provincial aristocratic background
Paternal ancestors from Lebanon 
Marries provincial royalty 
Declared emperor by his troops at Carnuntum (Danube) - 9 April 193
Marches on Rome

Question 7

Septimius returns to Rome 197

Answer 7

Demands deification of Commodus
Executes leading senators
Older son Caracalla becomes Augustus
Younger son Geta becomes Caesar

Question 8

Septimius Severus - an overview

Answer 8

Reign reflects the broad political franchise and economic development of the empire
Cultivated the army - increase in soldiers pay, allowed their marriage, promotion…
Substituted equestrian officers for senators in key positions
Broadened imperial administration power throughout the empire
Abolished regular standing jury courts

Question 9

Severus and Roman law

Answer 9

Consolidates the emperor’s position as ultimate appeals judge
Brought jurists greater prominence
His reign ushered in the golden age of Roman jurisprudence and his court employed the three greatest Roman lawyers - Papinian, Paul and Ulpian

Question 10

Britain

Answer 10

Goes there AD 208 with sons
Campaigns in Scotland
Both sons now Augusti
Septimius’ final advice to them - agree with one another, give money to the soldiers, ignore everyone else

Question 11

Legal developments under Septimius

Answer 11

Papinian becomes Praetorian prefect
Rise of law school in Beirut
Emperor above the law - “the wishes of the princeps have the force of the law”
Contrast with Pliny? (Pan. 65) “the princeps is not above the law, the law is above the princeps”

Question 12

Dynastic failure?

Answer 12

AD 211 Severus dies, Caracalla succeeds and kills Geta

Question 13

Caracalla

Answer 13

Obliterated all distinctions between Italians and provincials and enacted the Constitutio Antoniniana which extended Roman citizenship to all free Romans in the empire
Erected the famous baths at Rome
Assassinated in 217 AD by Macrinus who then became the first emperor who was not a senator

Question 14

After Caracalla

Answer 14

Equestrian Opellius Macrinus becomes emperor
Him and his son are murdered in 218
AD 218-222 Elagabalus

Question 15

Alexander Severus (222-235)

Answer 15

Largely successful - influence of mother and senatorial council
Attempted to re-elevate the status of traditional Roman cults
Cassius Dio was consul under him

Question 16

Alexander Severus - trouble in the east

Answer 16

Armies destroyed by Persians - loss of Armenia

Killed along with mother by 22nd legion in Germany who were loyal to equestrian usurper Maximius