Septimius Severus

Roman Emperor AD 193-211.

    Lucius Septimius Severus was born in North Africa. Having successfully campaigned against the Parthians in AD 198-9, he went on to visit Egypt (AD 199-200) before continuing to Syria.

    In Egypt, he visited Alexandria where he inaugurated a number of major administrative reforms: a municipal constitution was established and the emperor issued a series of legal judgements which dealt with cases brought by people from both Alexandria and the countryside.

    In AD 204, he issued an edict which prohibited all Roman subjects from embracing Christianity.

BIBL. Jones, A.H.M. The later Roman Empire, 284-602. Oxford: 1964; Birley, A.R. Septimius Severus: the African emperor. London: 1971.

Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by Rosalie and Antony E. David

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(145–211 AD)

   Roman emperor. Full name Lucius Septimius Severus, son of Publius Septimius Geta and Fulvia Pia. He was born in Leptis Magna, Libya, around 145 AD. He had a successful military and senatorial career, finally occupying the post of governor of Pannonia. Severus was proclaimed emperor in 193 AD and eventually defeated his rivals in the eastern and western parts of the Roman Empire. He visited Egypt from 199–201 AD, granting Alexandria and other major cities municipal councils and ordering new building work in Alexandria and the restoration of one of the Colossi of Memnon, which was alleged to sing but did so no more after this work. The imperial family is depicted on a relief from the temple of Esna, although the image of the younger son was later erased. He also admited Egyptians into the Roman senate, although the first Egyptian senator was not appointed until 212 AD. Severus died in York on 4 February 211 AD and was succeeded by his son, Caracalla.

Historical Dictionary Of Ancient Egypt by Morris L. Bierbrier