Severan dynasty

Template:Short description Template:Redirect

Template:Severan dynasty The Severan dynasty, sometimes called the Septimian dynasty, ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235Template:R. It was founded by the emperor Septimius Severus (Template:Reign)Template:R and Julia Domna, his wife, when Septimius emerged victorious from civil war of 193 - 197, which began with the Year of the Five Emperors. Their two sons, Caracalla (Template:Reign)Template:R and Geta (Template:Reign)Template:R, ruled briefly after the death of Septimius. In 217 - 218 there was a short interruption of dynasty's control over the empire by reigns of Macrinus (Template:Reign)Template:R and his son Diadumenian (Template:Reign) before Julia Domna's relatives assumed power by raising her two grandnephews, Elagabalus (Template:Reign)Template:R and Severus Alexander (Template:Reign)Template:R, in succession to the imperial officeTemplate:R.

The dynasty's women, Julia Domna, the mother of Caracalla and Geta, and her sister, Julia Maesa, the mother of Julia Soaemias and Julia Mamaea, mothers of Elagabalus and Severus Alexander respectively, were all powerful augustae. They were also instrumental in securing imperial positions for their male relatives.

Although Septimius Severus restored peace following the upheaval of the late 2nd century, the dynasty's rule was disturbed by unstable family relationships and political instability, especially the rising power of the praetorian prefects Template:R. All this foreshadowed the Crisis of the Third Century Template:R.

HistoryEdit

<timeline> ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:12 PlotArea = top:3 bottom:150 right:150 left:20 AlignBars = late

DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:193 till:235 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:195 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:193

Colors =

id:canvas value:white
id:emperor value:red
id:caesar value:blue
id:junioremperor value:pink

BarData =

bar:SeptimiusSeverus
bar:Caracalla
bar:Geta
bar:Macrinus
bar:Diadumenian
bar:Elagabalus
bar:SeverusAlexander
bar:SeiusSallustius

PlotData =

width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
bar:SeptimiusSeverus
from:193 till:211 color:emperor text:Septimius Severus
bar:Caracalla
from:196 till:198 color:caesar
from:198 till:211 color:junioremperor
from:211 till:217 color:emperor text:Caracalla
bar:Geta
from:198 till:209 color:caesar
from:209 till:211 color:junioremperor
from:211 till:211 color:emperor text:Geta
bar:Macrinus
from:217 till:218 color:emperor text:Macrinus
bar:Diadumenian
from:217 till:218 color:caesar
from:218 till:218 color:emperor text:Diadumenian
bar:Elagabalus
from:218 till:222 color:emperor text:Elagabalus
bar:SeverusAlexander
from:221 till:222 color:caesar
from:222 till:235 color:emperor text:Severus Alexander
bar:SeiusSallustius
from:225 till:227 color:caesar text:Seius Sallustius

</timeline>

Template:Font color denotes Senior Emperors
Template:Font color denotes Junior Emperors
Template:Font color denotes Caesars (official heirs)

Septimius Severus (193–211)Edit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

File:Septimius Severus busto-Musei Capitolini.jpg

The Libyan emperor Septimius Severus, the founder of the Severan dynasty

In April 9 145, Lucius Septimius Severus was born in Leptis Magna Template:R, then in the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis and now in Libya, into a Roman family of equestrian rank, of Libyan-punic and Italic origin.Template:R<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He rose through military service to consular rank under the later emperors of the Antonine dynasty Template:Cn. In summer 187 he married a Syrian noblewoman Julia Domna and the marriage produced two boys: Caracalla and Geta. Julia Domna also held a prominent political role in government during her husband's reignTemplate:Cn. Severus was proclaimed emperor in 193 by his legionaries in Noricum Template:R during the political unrest that followed the death of Commodus Template:R, and secured sole rule over the empire in early 197, after defeating Clodius Albinus at the Battle of Lugdunum Template:R Template:R.

In late 197 Severus fought a successful war against the Parthians Template:R Template:R, between 208 and 210 he campaigned with success against barbarian incursions in Roman Britain Template:R and rebuilt Hadrian's Wall Template:Cn. In Rome, his relations with the Senate were poor, but he was popular with the commoners and with his soldiers, whose salary he raised. Starting in 197, his praetorian prefect, Gaius Fulvius Plautianus, was growing in influence, but he would be executed in 205. Septimius died, from natural causes, in early 211 while on campaign in BritainTemplate:R Template:R.

During his reign, Severus debased the Roman currency several times -- for example upon his accession he decreased the silver purity of the denarius from 81.5% to 78.5%.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Jews experienced more favorable conditions under the Severan dynasty: According to Jerome, both Septimius Severus and Antoninus "very greatly cherished the Jews."Template:R

Septimius was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, whom he had elevated as co-emperors in the years preceding his deathTemplate:R Template:R. The growing hostility between the brothers was initially buffered by Julia Domna's mediationTemplate:R.

Caracalla (198–217)Edit

File:Caracalla et Geta.jpg

Caracalla and Geta, Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1907)

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

The eldest son of Severus, born in 188 as Lucius Septimius BassianusTemplate:R Template:R. "Caracalla" was a nickname referring to the Gallic hooded tunic that he habitually woreTemplate:R. In 195 Severus made him caesar and renamed him to Aurelius Antonius Marcus after Marcus Aurelius Template:R Template:R. A while later, in 198, Severus made him augustusTemplate:R Template:R while also naming Caracalla's younger brother, Geta, to caesarTemplate:R Template:R.

Caracalla hated his brother, and conflict between them culminated in the assassination of the latter in 211Template:R Template:R. After the murder of his brother, Caracalla tried and gained goodwill of his legionaries with lavish pay raisesTemplate:R Template:R. However, he also purged many of Geta's supportersTemplate:R.

During his campaigns Caracalla let his mother, Julia Domna, who accompanied her son, to handle many official matters by correspondence and refer to him only major issuesTemplate:R. In 213 he campaigned against the Alamanni, and in 214 he fought with the Danubian Carpi Template:R. Later he raised a Macedonian phalanx to emulate Alexander the Great, and marched through Asia and Syria to Alexandria, inviting mockery of many whom he executedTemplate:R. During his reign he bestowed, for reasons not entirely clear, Roman citizenship to all non-slaves living within the borders of the empireTemplate:R. The Baths of Caracalla in Rome are the most enduring monument of his ruleTemplate:Cn.

Caracalla died in April 8 217Template:R Template:R. He was murdered near Carrhae while en route to a campaign against the PartiansTemplate:R, the murder being committed by an evocatus attached to the Praetorian Guard on the order of a preatorian prefect, the future emperor MacrinusTemplate:R.

Geta (209–211)Edit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

File:Septimius Severus, Julia Domna, Caracalla, Geta, aureus, AD 202, RIC IV 181c.jpg

Dynastic aureus of Septimius Severus, minted in 202. The reverse feature the portraits of Geta (right), Julia Domna (centre), and Caracalla (left).<ref>Mattingly & Sydenham, Roman Imperial Coinage, vol. IV, part I, p. 115.</ref>

File:Severan dynasty family tree.jpg

The younger of Severus' two sons, Geta, was born in 189Template:R. He was made caesar in 198 and co-augustus in 209Template:R or 210Template:R alongside his father and older brother CaracallaTemplate:R. Unlike the much more successful joint reign of Marcus Aurelius (Template:Reign) and his brother Lucius Verus (Template:Reign) the previous century, relations were hostile between the two Severan brothersTemplate:R, and soon after their father's death Geta was murdered by his brother CaracallaTemplate:R. Geta was murdered in their mother's apartments, and died clung to his mother, by order of CaracallaTemplate:R, who then ruled as sole emperor.

Interlude: Macrinus (217–218)Edit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Macrinus was the first Roman emperor who did not come from a senatorial familyTemplate:R. He was born in 164 at Caesarea in Mauretania, now Cherchell, Algeria Template:Cn. Though not related to Severans while also being of just equestrian rank and having been born into a Moorish familyTemplate:R Template:R, he rose through the ranks all the way to being a praetorian prefect under CaracallaTemplate:R. In 217 Macrinus became involved in a successful conspiracy to kill CaracallaTemplate:R, and soon after the murder trooops saluted Macrinus as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}Template:R Template:R.

File:Aureus Macrinus-RIC 0079.jpg

Aureus of Macrinus celebrating the "generosity of the emperor" (LIBERALITAS AVG)

His made peace with the Parthian Empire Template:R, which involved paying reparations for the damage caused by Caracalla's campaignsTemplate:R Template:R. His troops considered the terms degrading to the RomansTemplate:R. One of the reasons for his eventual downfall was his attempt at saving by paying serving soldiers of the Eastern troops by higher pay scales established during the rule of Caracalla while paying the new recruits by lower pay scales from the time of SeptimiusTemplate:R Template:R Template:R -- his troops were not impressedTemplate:R. Due to a continuing threat from Parthia, he kept the rebellious forces in SyriaTemplate:R, where they became one way or the other acquainted with Elagabalus Template:R.

In May 218 troops camping near Elesa revolted and hailed Elegabalus as emperorTemplate:R Template:R. After months of rebellion and a failed attack on the rebellious troops, Macrinus met the army of Elagabalus near Antioch where he was decisively defeatedTemplate:R Template:R Template:R. Macrinus managed to escape with his son to Chalcedon where he was apprehended to be taken back to Antioch, but the guards murdered him en routeTemplate:R. During his rule Macrinus never entered the city of RomeTemplate:R.

Elagabalus (218–222)Edit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

File:Elagabalus Aureus Sol Invictus.png

Aureus of Elagabalus, minted at Antioch. The reverse commemorates the journey to Rome of the sacred black stone of Emesus, which is depicted on the quadriga.<ref>Mattingly & Sydenham, Roman Imperial Coinage, vol. IV, part II, p. 43.</ref>

File:Perge - Julia Soemias 2.jpg

Julia Soaemias, mother of Elagabalus

Elagabalus was born Varius Avitus Bassianus in 203Template:R and became known later as Marcus Aurelius AntoniusTemplate:R. The name "Elagabalus" followed the Latin nomenclature for the Syrian sun god Elagabal, of whom he was a priestTemplate:R. At the age of 14, in 218, Elagabalus was crowned emperor by Gallic Third Legion Template:R Template:R.

There are two different versions how Elagabalus gained the throne. In one version of events, Elagabalus's grandmother, Julia Maesa, Julia Domna's sister and sister-in-law of Septimius Severus, persuaded the Legio III Gallica to rebel against MacrinusTemplate:R by claiming that Elagabalus was actually Caracalla's bastard son with one of her daughtersTemplate:R. She also used her enormous wealth to get soldiers swear fealty to ElagabalusTemplate:R. Having succeeded, Maesa and her family were invited to enter the camp, where Elagabalus was clad in imperial purple and crowned as emperorTemplate:R. Another account of the events tells how Elagabalus was being protected and raised by Gannys, a foster father and lover of his mother, Julia Soaemias Template:R. In this version of events, Gannys dressed young Elagabalus in Caracalla's childhood clothes and smuggled him into the camp at night, where soldiers eventually revolted the next morningTemplate:R. In any case, he did arrive as emperor in Rome by summer 219Template:R Template:R.

Historical sources treat his reign negativelyTemplate:R, but many of his failures can not be affirmed. However, epigraphical and numismatic evidence shows that Elagabalus did replace Jupiter with Elagabal in late 220Template:R, and he also married a Vestal Virgin called Aquilia Severa Template:R. In addition to these offences to Roman sensibilities, he was also accused of being murderous and bloodthirsty, but executions during his reign appear to be politically motivated instead of being the result of simple bloodlustTemplate:R. Many, if not all, stories about his effeminacy, extravagance, and licentiousness are imaginations of ancient authorsTemplate:R.

In 221, seeing that her grandson's outrageous behaviour could mean the loss of power, Julia Maesa persuaded or forced Elagabalus to adopt his cousin, Severus Alexander Template:R, as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and his heirTemplate:R. At the same time he was forced divorce Aquilia in order to marry Annia Faustina, a relative of Marcus Aurelius, only to take Aquila back in a few months before the end of 221Template:R. Elagabalus also tried on several occasions to murder Alexander, which enraged the troopsTemplate:R Template:R. In 222 Elagabalus was murdered and his corpse thrown into the sewerTemplate:R. The next day his cousin Alexander was hailed emperor by the troopsTemplate:R.

Alexander Severus (222–235)Edit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

File:(Toulouse) Portrait de Sévère Alexandre – Musée-Saint-Raymond Ra 69.jpg

Bust of Severus Alexander, the last emperor of the Severan dynasty; Musée Saint-Raymond, Toulouse

Born Gessius Bassianus Alexianus in ca. 209Template:R, in 221 Alexander was adopted at by Elagabalus from whence he was called Marcus Aurelius Alexander CaesarTemplate:R. The adoption happened at the urging of Julia Maesa Template:R, who was the grandmother of both cousins.

His cousin Elagabalus had made several attempts at Alexander's life, which prompted the troops to mutiny, and things came to a head on March 6 when Elagabalus was put to death and Alexander raised to the throneTemplate:R Template:R.

File:Julia mamaea.jpg

Alexander Severus's mother, Julia Avita Mamaea, advised her son during his minority.

Ruling from the age of 14 under the influence of his motherTemplate:R, Julia Avita Mamaea, ancient writers presented his reign as an efficient regime like the rule of Septimius Severus Template:R. The rising strength of the Sasanian Empire (Template:Reign) heralded perhaps the greatest external challenge that Rome faced in the 3rd century; however, in 231 Alexander organised an expedition to Parthia, nominally leading it, and by this did maintain control over the province of MesopotamiaTemplate:R.

Alexander's reign ended in early 235 when he was murdered, together with his mother, by his own troops while he was wintering in Germany where he was in order to prosecute a war in Upper GermaniaTemplate:R. He was deified in 238 after his memory had been condemned for a few yearsTemplate:R.

The death of Alexander was the epochal event beginning the troubled Crisis of the Third Century Template:R. His successor was Maximinus Thrax (Template:Reign), the first in a series of weak emperors, which ended 50 years later with the Tetrarchy instituted in the reign of Diocletian (Template:Reign).

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

Severan dynasty

Contents

HistoryEdit

Septimius Severus (193–211)Edit

Caracalla (198–217)Edit

Geta (209–211)Edit

Interlude: Macrinus (217–218)Edit

Elagabalus (218–222)Edit

Alexander Severus (222–235)Edit

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Further readingEdit