Alexander Severus

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Roman emperor, b. at Acco in Palestine, 208,murdered by his mutinous soldiers at Sicula on the Rhine. 235 (Sicklingen nearMainz). He was the son of Genessius Marcianus and Julia Mammaea, and was known in youth as Alexianus. WhenElagabalus, his cousin and father by adoption, wasmurdered in 222, Alexander succeeded to the imperial throne. Hiseducation had been carefully conducted by Mammaea atAntioch, whither she invited, some time between 218 and 228, the greatChristian teacher,Origen.Eusebius relates (Church History VI.21-28) that she was "a very religious woman", and thatOrigen remained some time with her, instructing her in all that could serve to glorify the Lord and confirm His Divine teachings. It does not, however, follow that she was aChristian. Her son Alexander was certainly very favorable to theChristians. His historian, Lampridius, tells us several interesting details concerning this emperor's respect for the new religion. He placed in his private oratory (lararium) images of Abraham and Christ before those of other renownedpersons, like Orpheus and Apollonius ofTyana (Vita Alex., xxix); he tolerated the free exercise of theChristian faith ("Christianos esse passus est", ibid., xxii); he recommended in the appointment of imperial governors theprudence and solicitude of theChristians in the selection of theirbishops (ibid., xiv); he caused to be adjudged to them (ibid., xlix) a building site atRome that the tavern-keepers (cauponarii) claimed, on the principle that it was better thatGod should be in some way honored there than that the site should revert to such uses; he caused the famous words of Christ (Luke 6:31): "And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them in like manner" to be engraved on the walls of the palace of the Caesars; he even cherished theidea of building a temple toOur Lord, but refrained when it was said to him that very soon all the other divinities would cease to be honored (ibid., xliii).

In spite of these signs of imperial goodwill, theChristians continued to suffer, even in this mild reign. Some writers think that it was then thatSt. Cecilia died for theChristian faith. His principal jurisconsult, Ulpian, is said by Lactantius (Divine Institutes V.2) to have codified, in his work on theduties of a proconsul (De officio proconsulis), all anti-Christian imperial legislation (rescripta principum), in order that the magistrates might more easily apply thecommon law (ut doceret quibus oportet eos paenis affici qui se cultores Dei confiterentur). Fragments of this cruel code, from the seventh of the (ten) lost books of Ulpian on the proconsular office may yet be seen in the "Digests" (I, tit. xvi, xvii, tit. II, 3; xvliii, tit. IV, 1, and tit. xiii, 6). The surname "Severus", no less than the manner in which both he and Mammaea met their death, indicate the temper of his administration. He sought to establish atRome good order and moral decency in public and private life, and made some use of his power as censor morum by nominating twelve officials (curatores urbis) for the execution of his wise dispositions. He seems to have been a disciple of the prevailing"religious syncretism" or eclecticism, established atRome by his predecessorElagabalus as the peculiar contribution of this remarkable Syro-Romanfamily to the slow but certain transformation of the greatpagan Empire into a mighty instrument ofDivine Providence for the healing of the moral ills that were then reaching fullness. All historians agree as to his life, and the moral elevation of his public and private principles;Christian historians are usually of opinion that these elements of virtue were owing to theeducation he received under the direction ofOrigen.

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