| Roman imperial dynasties | ||
|---|---|---|
 TheSeveran Tondo, depicting Septimius Severus and most of his family. | ||
| Severan dynasty | ||
| Chronology | ||
193–211 | ||
withCaracalla 198–211 | ||
withGeta 209–211 | ||
211–217 | ||
211 | ||
Macrinus' usurpation 217–218 | ||
withDiadumenian 218 | ||
218–222 | ||
222–235 | ||
| Dynasty | ||
| Severan dynasty family tree | ||
| All biographies | ||
| Succession | ||
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TheSeveran dynasty, sometimes called theSeptimian dynasty, ruled theRoman Empire between 193 and 235.[1]: 1292 It was founded by the emperorSeptimius Severus (r. 193–211)[1]: 1351 andJulia Domna, his wife, when Septimius emerged victorious from civil war of 193–197, which began with theYear of the Five Emperors.Their two sons,Caracalla (r. 192–217)[1]: 211 andGeta (r. 211)[1]: 1350 , ruled briefly after the death of Septimius.
In 217–218 there was a short interruption of dynasty's control over the empire by reigns ofMacrinus (r. 217–218)[1]: 1292 and his sonDiadumenian (r. 218) before Julia Domna's relatives assumed power by raising her two grandnephews,Elagabalus (r. 218–222)[1]: 212 andSeverus Alexander (r. 222–235)[1]: 212 , in succession to the imperial office[1]: 1292 .
The dynasty's women, Julia Domna, the mother of Caracalla and Geta, and her sister,Julia Maesa, the mother ofJulia Soaemias andJulia Mamaea, mothers of Elagabalus and Severus Alexander respectively, were all powerfulaugustae.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 thepraetorian prefects[2]: 170 .All this foreshadowed theCrisis of the Third Century[3]: 195 .
In April 9 145, Lucius Septimius Severus was born inLeptis Magna[3]: 1 , then in theRoman province ofAfrica Proconsularis and now inLibya, into a Roman family ofequestrian rank, ofLibyan-Punic andItalic origin.[4]: 2-3 [5] He rose through military service toconsular rank under the later emperors of theAntonine dynasty[citation needed].In summer 187 he married aSyrian noblewomanJulia Domna. The marriage produced two boys:Caracalla andGeta.Julia Domna also held a prominent political role in government during her husband's reign[citation needed].
Severus was proclaimed emperor in 193 by his legionaries inNoricum[4]: 3 during the political unrest that followed the death ofCommodus.[3]: 97 ,He secured sole rule over the empire in early 197, after defeatingClodius Albinus at theBattle of Lugdunum[3]: 125 [4]: 6 .
In late 197 Severus fought a successful war against theParthians[3]: 130 [4]: 6 , between 208 and 210 he campaigned with success against barbarian incursions inRoman Britain[3]: 180 and rebuiltHadrian's Wall.[6] 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, hispraetorian 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 Britain[3]: 187 [4]: 8 .
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%.[7]TheJews experienced more favorable conditions under the Severan dynasty: According toJerome, bothSeptimius Severus andAntoninus "very greatly cherished the Jews."[3]: 135
Septimius was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, whom he had elevated as co-emperors in the years preceding his death[1]: 211 [4]: 15 . The growing hostility between the brothers was initially buffered by Julia Domna's mediation[4]: 15-6 .
The eldest son of Severus, born in 188 as Lucius Septimius Bassianus[1]: 211 [4]: 6 ."Caracalla" was a nickname referring to the Gallic hooded tunic that he habitually wore[4]: 18 .In 195 Severus made him caesar and renamed him to Aurelius Antonius Marcus afterMarcus Aurelius[1]: 211 [4]: 5 .A while later, in 198, Severus made him augustus[1]: 211 [4]: 7 while also naming Caracalla's younger brother,Geta, to caesar[1]: 1350 [4]: 7 .
Caracalla hated his brother, and conflict between them culminated in the assassination of the latter in 211[1]: 211 [4]: 15 .After the murder of his brother, Caracalla tried and gained goodwill of his legionaries with lavish pay raises[1]: 211 [4]: 16 . However, he also purged many of Geta's supporters[4]: 16 .
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 issues[4]: 17 .In 213 he campaigned against theAlamanni, and in 214 he fought with theDanubian Carpi[1]: 212 .Later he raised aMacedonian phalanx to emulateAlexander the Great, and marched through Asia and Syria to Alexandria, inviting mockery of many, whom he later executed[1]: 212 .During his reign he bestowed, for reasons not entirely clear, Roman citizenship to all non-slaves living within the borders of the empire[4]: 17 .TheBaths of Caracalla in Rome are the most enduring monument of his rule[citation needed].
Caracalla died in April 8 217[1]: 211 [4]: 19 . He was murdered near Carrhae while en route to a campaign against the Partians[1]: 212 , the murder being committed by anevocatus attached to thePraetorian Guard on the order of aPraetorian prefect, the future emperor Macrinus[4]: 19 .
The younger of Severus' two sons, Geta, was born in 189[4]: 6 .He was made caesar in 198 and co-augustus in 209[4]: 8 or 210[1]: 1350 alongside his father and older brother Caracalla[1]: 1350 . Unlike the much more successful joint reign ofMarcus Aurelius (r. 161–180) and his brotherLucius Verus (r. 161–169) the previous century, relations were hostile between the two Severan brothers.[1]: 211 ,
Soon after their father's death, Geta was murdered by his brother Caracalla[1]: 1350 . Geta was murdered in their mother's apartments, and died clung to his mother, by order of Caracalla[4]: 16 , who then ruled as sole emperor.
Macrinus was the first Roman emperor who did not come from a senatorial family[1]: 1039 .He was born in 164 atCaesarea in Mauretania, nowCherchell,Algeria[citation needed].Though not related to Severans while also being of just equestrian rank and having been born into a Moorish family[4]: 20 [1]: 1039 , he rose through the ranks all the way to being a praetorian prefect under Caracalla[1]: 1039 .In 217 Macrinus became involved in a successful conspiracy to kill Caracalla[1]: 1039 , and soon after the murder troops saluted Macrinus asaugustus[9]: 10 [1]: 1039 .
His made peace with theParthian Empire[1]: 1039 , which involved paying reparations for the damage caused by Caracalla's campaigns[9]: 10 [4]: 20 .His troops considered the terms degrading to the Romans[9]: 10 .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 Septimius[4]: 20 [9]: 10 [1]: 1039 -- his troops were not impressed[4]: 20 .Due to a continuing threat from Parthia, he kept the rebellious forces in Syria[4]: 20 , where they became one way or the other acquainted withElagabalus[9]: 11 .
In May 218 troops camping near Elesa revolted and hailed Elegabalus as emperor[4]: 21 [9]: 12 .After months of rebellion and a failed attack on the rebellious troops, Macrinus met the army of Elagabalus nearAntioch where he was decisively defeated[4]: 21 [9]: 14 [1]: 1039 .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 route[4]: 21 .During his rule Macrinus never entered the city of Rome[9]: 10 .
Elagabalus was born Varius Avitus Bassianus in 203[1]: 212 and became known later as Marcus Aurelius Antonius[1]: 212 .The name "Elagabalus" followed the Latin nomenclature for the Syrian sun godElagabal, of whom he was a priest[9]: 11 .At the age of 14, in 218, Elagabalus was crowned emperor byGallic Third Legion[9]: 9 [1]: 212 .
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 Macrinus[1]: 212 by claiming that Elagabalus was actually Caracalla's bastard son with one of her daughters[9]: 11 .She also used her enormous wealth to get soldiers swear fealty to Elagabalus[11].
Having succeeded, Maesa and her family were invited to enter the camp, where Elagabalus was clad in imperial purple and crowned as emperor[9]: 11 .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[9]: 11 .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 morning[9]: 11 .In any case, he arrived as emperor in Rome by summer 219[9]: 18 [1]: 212 .
Historical sources treat his reign negatively[9]: 21 , but many of his failures can not be affirmed.However, epigraphical and numismatic evidence shows that Elagabalus did replace Jupiter with Elagabal in late 220[9]: 18 , and he also married aVestal Virgin calledAquilia Severa[1]: 212 .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 bloodlust[9]: 97 .Many, if not all, stories about his effeminacy, extravagance, and licentiousness are imaginations of ancient authors[9]: 122 .
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[1]: 212 , ascaesar and his heir[9]: 37 .At the same time he was forced divorce Aquilia in order to marryAnnia Faustina, a relative ofMarcus Aurelius, only to take Aquila back in a few months before the end of 221[1]: 212 .Elagabalus also tried on several occasions to murder Alexander, which enraged the troops[9]: 40 [1]: 212 .In 222 Elagabalus was murdered and his corpse thrown into the sewer[9]: 42 . The next day his cousin Alexander was hailed emperor by the troops[9]: 41-2 .
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Born Gessius Bassianus Alexianus in ca. 209[1]: 212 , in 221 Alexander was adopted at by Elagabalus from whence he was called Marcus Aurelius Alexander Caesar[1]: 2121 . The adoption happened at the urging ofJulia Maesa[1]: 212 , 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 throne[4]: 22 [9]: 40-2 .
Ruling from the age of 14 under the influence of his mother[1]: 212 ,Julia Avita Mamaea, ancient writers presented his reign as an efficient regime like the rule ofSeptimius Severus[4]: 22 .The rising strength of theSasanian Empire (r. 226–651) 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 Mesopotamia[1]: 212 .
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 Germania[1]: 213 .He was deified in 238 after hismemory had been condemned for a few years[1]: 213 .
The death of Alexander was theepochal event beginning the troubledCrisis of the Third Century[9]: 89 . His successor wasMaximinus Thrax (r. 235–238), the first in a series of weak emperors, which ended 50 years later with theTetrarchy instituted in the reign ofDiocletian (r. 284–305).
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