Download Latin 1B Magistra Kelleher Roman Emperors #5: The Severi

Latin 1B
Magistra Kelleher
Roman Emperors #5: The Severi
Following the assassination of Commodus in 192 AD, two emperors had short-lived
careers. After the assassins murdered Commodus, they brought his body to the home of
Publius Pertinax and declared him emperor. After they bribed the Praetorian Guards they too
proclaimed him emperor. Unfortunately Pertinax was now ruling a bankrupt empire, and the
Praetorians wanted to get paid. Once he could not follow through with his bribed 300
Praetorians broke into the palace and hacked him to death. Pertinax had been emperor for 87
days. After the Praetorians paraded Pertinax’s head back to their camp two senators showed
up to bid for the job as emperor. In the end Didius Julianus won the bidding war and the
Praetorians proclaimed him emperor, but the Roman people were not happy. The armies also
didn’t like the choice of Julianus and the armies in Britain, Germany, and Syria all declared
their generals the next emperor. All three armies rushed to Rome so that they could be the first
to defeat Julianus and take hold of the empire. The senate declared Septimius Severus, the
general from Germany, the emperor and declared Julianus a criminal. The Praetorians then
assassinated Julianus; he was emperor for 66 days.
After Julianus’ death, Septimius Severus became the new emperor. His first order of
business was to discharge the disloyal Praetorians, and replace them with ranking members of
his legions. He then defended himself against his rivals both in Syria and Britain. He also
assassinated the senators who supported them. Once he had established his sole power,
Septimius set about creating a new regime in Rome. Rather than cowing to the senate and
trying to win their favor, Septimius promoted equestrians and used their favor to gain power.
He also increased the ranks of the senate by adding new members from provinces in the east.
These new senators were of course loyal to Septimius. Septimius is most well known for his
great military reforms. Septimius was a hard strict man, and he imposed strict regulations on
the army. However, he did so while also increasing the pay and privileges of the soldiers so
that he won their unwavering loyalty. He expanded the empire by conquering areas in
Mesopotamia and Parthia, and, after 5 years in power, appointed his son Caracalla co-emperor
and his other son Geta “Caesar”. He then left Geta in charge of the empire and took Caracalla
with him to Britain in an attempt to conquer the whole island for Rome. Septimius died in 211
BC leaving his two sons as joint emperors.
Although Caracalla and Geta were meant to rule together, a bitter rivalry had formed
between the two brothers. At first they decided to split things: the imperial palace and the
empire itself, but Caracalla instead decided that murdering his brother would be more
effective. After he had Geta killed, Caracalla purged the city of Rome of his supporters, but in
the process alienated himself from the senate. Rather than trying to win the support of the
senate, Caracalla, like his father, focused on the army. In 212 AD Caracalla passed the
Constitutio Antoniniana, a document which guaranteed equal citizenship to all free men. This
document is considered the foundation of many fundamental human rights movements
throught out time. Caracalla moved with the army and fashioned himself as a new Alexander
the Great. He spent most of his reign in the east fighting the Parthians. During this time, his
praetorian prefect, Macrinus, began to plot against him. In 217 Macrinus paid an assassin to
murder Caracalla.
Macrinus’ time as emperor was quite short. He was the first emperor who had never
held a senate seat, which put him at odds with the senate. He also alienated the army, by
negotiating with the Parthians. Within a year the legions had abandoned Macrinus and
proclaimed Septimius’ great nephew, Varius Avitus, known as Elagabalus, emperor. Macrinus
tried to flee, but was caught and executed.
Elagabalus was only 14 when he was proclaimed emperor in 218 AD. He was the
hereditary Syrian high priest and brought many eastern customs to Rome. During his reign
the empire was primarily ruled by his mother and grandmother. Elagabalus compelled the
Romans to make Elagabal (the Syrian sun god) their supreme deity, and practiced daily
sacrifices and rituals which most Romans found creepy. During his five year reign he was
married 3 times, but he was also a known cross-dresser. He also enjoyed promoting people
lowlifes to high positions. He made a man named Comazon his praetorian prefect (Comazon
was a cabaret dancer). Elagabalus’ grandmother convinced him to adopt his cousin Alexianus
as his heir. This placed Elagabualus’ mother and Alexianus’ mother at odds with one another
as they each struggled to put their son in higher power. Finally Alexianus’ mother, Julia
Maesa, convinced the praetorians to mutiny and kill Elagabalus in 222 AD.
Julia Maesa’s son Alexianus, known as Alexander Severus, then became emperor; he
was only 13 at the time. Alexander ruled for 13 years, but it is clear that Julia Maesa did the
majority of the work. Alexander’s rule was chaotic. He never was able to control the empire
and made many failed military expeditions. He went to fight the Germans along the Rhine
River, but instead of fighting, paid them off. This move greatly angered the legions and they
mutinied and killed both Alexander and his mother in 235 AD. Thus ended the Severi dynasty.