Famous Africans in World History: Septimius Severus (Roman Emperor)

Septimius Severus was Emperor of Rome from 193 to 211 AD. Born in 146 to a Numudian father and an Italian mother, Severus was the first Roman Emperor who was not born and raised in Rome. Historical records make reference to Severus’ dark skin without revealing his mixed racial background.

Severus’ paternal grandfather was a Moorish knight and Roman citizen long before Roman citizenship was made universal,  probably on account of military service. Although two of Severus’ uncles served as consuls and his Father Geta owned land near Rome, Severus was raised by his Father in Libya in the North of Africa. When he turned 18, Severus went to Rome to study Law. He became a State Attorney and was named Tribune. At the age of 26, he was appointed Quaetor by Emperor Marcus Aurelius and made Praetor by the mandatory age of 39, serving in Spain. Severus was married twice. First to Marcia by whom he had no child and who died a few years afterwards. Later on he married Julia and had two sons with her. Severus became proconsul and after Commodus succeeded his Father as Emperor, he was appointed Consul, serving in Germany. Upon the overthrow and killing of the much detested Commodus in 192 AD, Severus was proclaimed Emperor by the German legions. A man of significant means, he was said to have presented each legionnaire with a cash gift of a thousand sesterces each – a figure previously unmatched. On the pretext of avenging Commodus’ death, Severus prepared to march on Rome. Juliannus, who was holding the throne on behalf of the coup plotters sent an army to arrest Severus and to kill his rival Pescennius Niger. Severus learned of the plot and turned around to offer the soldiers a bribe to either defect or kill Juliannus, which they did. Upon the death of Juliannus, Severus was invited to Rome to become the Emperor, thus becoming the first Man to attain the position of Emperor in this manner.

An accomplished military tactician, Severus made sweeping military reforms and also paid special attention to the administration of Law. . Severus expansion of the Roman Empire spread towards Africa and present-day Scotland. Although his expansionist agenda took him to present-day England in 208AD, where he is credited with contributing to the building and fortification of the 73 miles long monument known as Hadrian’s wall. The wall ran across northern Britain from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west. The first African Emperor of Rome never realized his ambition to conquer the whole of Britain. His military conquests grew steadily during the 18 years of his reign but were halted abruptly when he took till.  Severus withdrew to the region of Embocarum where he died in 211.  His dynasty continued to reign until 235 AD, with the exception of a brief period between 217-218 AD.

In a statue exhibited at the British Museum, Emperor Severus is shown with a forked beard, tightly curled African hair, wearing military dress.