World Famous Africans: Emperor Septimius Severus (Rome)
Septimius Severus: Africa’s Roman Emperor
Septimius Severus stands as a monumental figure in Roman history. Born in 146 to a Numidian (north-west African) father and an Italian mother, Severus was the first Roman Emperor who was not born and raised in Rome. Historical records refer to Severus’ dark skin without revealing his mixed racial background. Severus became the first Roman emperor of African origin. His reign lasted from 193 to 211 CE, marked by military ambition and robust reforms that reshaped the empire.
African Roots and Family Legacy
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 North Africa.
Early Career in Rome
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.
He climbed the ranks of the Roman Senate through military and legal service. In 169 CE, he served as quaestor in Sardinia. Important family ties aided his progress: his cousin was Praetorian Prefect Gaius Fulvius Plautianus
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.
From General to Emperor
Severus gained valuable administrative and military experience as tribune of the plebs and later held senior military offices in Roman Africa, reinforcing his leadership credentials. Upon the overthrow and killing of the much detested Commodus in 192 AD, Severus was proclaimed Emperor by the German legions. Severus was stationed at Noricum, a region of Europe north of what is now Italy, roughly comprising modern central Austria and parts of Bavaria, Germany.
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.
He marched to Rome, claimed power, then decisively defeated rivals Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus by 197 CE. At 52, he became sole emperor and founded the Severan dynasty. He centralized military and imperial power, doubling legion pay and diminishing senatorial influence, shifting Rome toward a more autocratic and militarized governance.
In 208 Severus, accompanied by Caracalla and his younger son, Geta, led an army to Britain to subdue the parts of the island not under Roman rule. Severus succumbed to disease at Eboracum in 211.
Reform, War, and Empire Strength
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Parthian Campaign (197–199 CE): He captured Mesopotamian territories and expanded Roman influence in the East (en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com).
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Return to Britain (208–211 CE): He fortified Hadrian’s Wall and campaigned against Caledonian tribes.
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Military Focus: He bolstered soldier pay and built new forts. Rome’s military became his principal power base.
Economically, he devalued silver coins but increased pay to legions. He also adopted a military monarchy style, weakening the Senate.
Legacy and Dynasty
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-mile-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, except for a brief period between 217-218 AD.
Severus died on February 4, 211 CE, in Eboracum (modern York, England), during his British campaign. He appointed his sons, Caracalla and Geta, as co-emperors. His wife, Julia Domna, wielded significant influence, acting as regent and stabilizing factional rivalries.
He left behind several lasting achievements:
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A strong African heritage in imperial Rome.
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Major military reforms and expanded frontier defense.
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A shift toward centralized, military-based rule
Why Septimius Severus Matters
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Breaking Boundaries: As the first emperor from Africa, he expanded global perspectives of leadership in antiquity.
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Military Reformer: His veteran-friendly reforms reshaped Roman military culture.
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Dynastic Founder: He established a dynasty that governed until the 250s CE. Except for during the rule of Marcus Opellius Macrinus (217–218), Severus’s descendants remained in power until 235.
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Symbolic Bridge: Severus personified the blend of African and Mediterranean worlds within Roman imperial society.
Final Thoughts
Septimius Severus bridges continents and cultures. From Leptis Magna’s vibrant society to the capitals of Rome and York, he redefined what a Roman emperor could be. He fortified borders, shifted Rome’s political balance, and left an African legacy etched in history. Feelnubia honors this emperor as a symbol of diversity, power, and enduring impact.
In a statue exhibited at the British Museum, Emperor Severus is shown with a forked beard, tightly curled African hair, and wearing military dress. Read more. See more here
Learn about more Africans in diaspora who impacted world history here
