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Emperor Septimius Severus (145-211 AD), while not one of the better known Roman Emperors, was one of the most important in the history of Rome. He was a very capable man, a successful administrator, and an excelent general. He reformed the government of Rome and was extremely successful on the battlefield. Under Severus, the Roman Empire reached its greatest extent and he successfully founded a dynasty. Despite these very real achievements, many regard Septimius Severus as fatally undermining Rome.

==== Life and Reign of Septimius Severus====

Septimius Severus was born in, Leptis Magna, Tripolitania (now in Libya). He was the son of a knight or a member of the equestrian order and he was of Punic or Carthaginian descent. Severus first language was Punic, and he remained proud of his Carthaginian heritage.<ref>Birley, Anthony R., <i>Septimius Severus: The African Emperor</i> (London: Routledge, 1999), p. 15</ref> He entered the Senate about 173 AD, he was very young to become a senator but his way was eased because so many members of the elite had died in a great plague the previous year.

====Severus and the Senate====

Severus raised the status and influence of the army. However, he ignored and even persecuted members of the old senatorial order. Septimius was aware that he had seized power and was not a constitutional monarch. He knew that the Senate disliked him and saw him as a usurper.<ref> <i>Life of Septimius Severus</i>, x </ref> He marginalized both the Senate and the Italian aristocracy that had traditionally played an essential role in the government of the Empire. Severus ended this tradition. He would often appoint commoners and non-Italians to high offices and governorships. This shift infuriated the Senatorial class. However, Severus did not tolerate any opposition and he either executed or exiled several Senators.

* Grant, Michael., <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415127726/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0415127726&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=52f8a4125e2f391fdddeddb02e162abe The Severans: The Changed Roman Empire]</i> (Routledge, London, 1996)

* Hekster, Oliver, <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0748623043/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0748623043&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=9ad188f31259f2e53d559c0d52b91aba Rome and its Empire, AD 193–284]</i> (Edinburgh, Archer Press, 2008)

====References====