Editing Severus II (section)

== Background and early career ==
Severus was of humble birth, born in Northern [[Illyria]] around the middle of the third century.<ref name="dimalo">{{cite web |author=Michael DiMalo |year=1998 |title=Severus II |url=https://www.roman-emperors.org/severus.htm |access-date= |website=[[De Imperatoribus Romanis]] |publisher=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723043109/https://www.roman-emperors.org/severus.htm |archive-date=23 July 2020 }}</ref><ref name="abtcs">[[Aurelius Victor]] (4th century), ''[[Liber de Caesaribus]]''</ref> A friend of emperor [[Galerius]], he rose to become a senior officer in the Roman army,<ref name="dimalo"/> being nominated as ''[[Caesar (title)|caesar]]'' of the [[Western Roman Empire]]. According to [[Lactantius]], Diocletian objected to Galerius's suggestion, saying in response, "What! That dancer, that habitual drunkard who turns night into day and day into night?" Galerius persisted, saying that Severus had served faithfully as paymaster and purveyor of the army.<ref name="Hailes">[[Lactantius]] (4th century). Lord Hailes (transl.) (2021) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=XpwtEAAAQBAJ On the Deaths of the Persecutors]''. Evolution Publishing, Merchantville, NJ {{ISBN|978-1-935228-20-2}}, pp. 31-47</ref> Diocletian acquiesced and Severus succeeded to the post of ''caesar'' on 1 May 305, thus becoming the junior colleague of [[Constantius Chlorus|Constantius I]], ''[[Augustus (title)|augustus]]'' of the western half of empire.<ref name="dimalo"/>