Messius Phoebus Severus (floruit 469–470) was a Roman politician and philosopher. He was appointedconsul withFlavius Iordanes for 470.

Born in Rome,^[1] he studied at the school of theneoplatonist philosopherProclus, inAlexandria; among the other students there were the Pagan poetPamprepius (who was instrumental in the revolt ofIllus), the military officerMarcellinus (later semi-autonomous commander in Illyricum), the nobleAnthemius (Consul and Western Roman Emperor), andIllustrius Pusaeus (Praetorian prefect of the East in 465 and Consul in 467).^[2] During this period, a pause in his career after he had become disillusioned with public life, he received some scholars who were interested in his rich library.^[3]

In 467/469 Severus returned to Rome, where the Western Emperor Anthemius elevated him to the honour of the consulate in the year 470, as well as gave him the rank ofPatricius and the office ofPraefectus urbi. According toDamascius, Severus and Anthemius had a secret plan to restore the Pagan cults.^[4] During his office, he restored parts of theColosseum.^[5]

• MacGeorge, Penny,Late Roman Warlords, Oxford University Press, 2002,ISBN 0-19-925244-0
• Martindale, John, John R. Morris, "Fl. Messius Phoebus Severus 19"PLRE II, (Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire Vol. II A.D. 395–527)
• O'Meara, Dominic,Platonopolis: Platonic Political Philosophy in Late Antiquity, Oxford University Press, 2003,ISBN 0-19-925758-2

• 5th-century western Roman consuls
• Neoplatonists
• Patricii
• Urban prefects of Rome
• Messii
• Late-Roman-era pagans
• 5th-century Greek philosophers

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata