The reign of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus was not very long, from 193 to 211, but the circumstances of his coming to power, active foreign and domestic policy, as well as the improvement of Rome became the subject of close attention of ancient authors. He founded a new dynasty in the empire and carried out a number of measures aimed at restoring the shaken position of the state, but after his death, it nevertheless entered another period of crisis.
Biography
The facts of the life of Septimius Severus are revealing in the sense that they demonstrate how Roman statesmen and generals, through holding high positions, eventually became emperors, despite the fact that they did not belong to the reigning dynasty. He was born in 146 in the African city of Leptis into a Phoenician family, the head of which belonged to the equestrian class. From his youth, he counted on a political career, for which he had certain reasons, since among his relatives there were two consuls. He received a good education in his homeland, and then in the capital of the empire, where he moved to carry out his plans.
Participation in politics
Activity of SeptimiusSevera as a statesman began with the fact that he took the post of quaestor. In this post, he proved himself to be a diligent worker, and therefore, bypassing the next administrative step, he immediately received the control of the province of Betiku. However, the death of his father forced him to return to his homeland, where after some time he became the legate of the Roman proconsul. After some time, the Roman emperor granted him the post of people's tribune, where he again distinguished himself as a strict, executive worker. The successes of Septimius Severus as a steward brought him some fame, so that he was entrusted with important and responsible tasks. He held various command posts in Spain, Syria, Gaul. Moreover, during his service in the latter, he gained considerable popularity as a principled and disinterested military leader. To understand his further successes, it is important to note the fact that he enjoyed the love and respect of the troops, which later became the main support of the future emperor during his coup d'état.
Rise to power
In 193, when the Roman emperor was killed, the army of Septimius Severus, the photo of whose sculptures is presented in this work, stood in the Pannonian region. Then he decided to take advantage of the situation by convincing the soldiers of his army that he wanted to avenge the murder of the ruler, who, in turn, enjoyed considerable popularity among the troops. Since the commander already had a good reputation among the soldiers, they believed him and stood on hisside.
Then he sent his forces to the capital of the empire. At the same time, two more rulers claimed the throne: Niger in Syria and Albin in Britain. He made an alliance with the latter and opposed the former, defeating him. After that, he defeated the Parthians and annexed Mesopotamia to the empire, which contributed to the growth of Septimius Severus' popularity in Rome. Then he proclaimed his son heir, and defeated the second applicant, his former ally, at Lyon in 197. Two years later, he finally defeated the Parthians, consolidating his foreign policy success.
Recent years
Shortly before his death, he led a military campaign against British lands. Here, too, success awaited him: he subjugated the Caledonian people, restored Hadrian's Wall and strengthened power in the region. During his reign, Septimius Severus (emperor) was actively involved in construction. The most famous structure of his reign is the Arc de Triomphe in the Roman Forum, built in 203 to celebrate his successful Parthian campaign. On it was a quadriga depicting the ruler himself and his sons, which, however, has not survived to this day. The structure has four reliefs depicting the emperor's victories over cities.
He also paid much attention to the infrastructure of the city. He took care of the well-being of roads, mail, carried out a topographic survey of the capital. Since the emperor himself came from the provinces, he paid much attention to the developmentregions of the empire, especially his homeland, Africa. He died in 211, during his campaign in Britain, from a damp climate that was extremely harmful to his he alth.
Results
The Emperor did a lot to strengthen the central government. Under him, the Senate lost its former importance, and the army, on the contrary, strengthened. The ruler increased the salaries of the soldiers and created three legions. He also tried to introduce uniform government throughout the empire, seeking to equalize the status of the provinces with the capital. He contributed to an increase in the income of the royal treasury due to the fact that from now on the income from the provinces went to the center. In addition to state needs, these funds were also used for mass games and folk entertainment.
