The history of the reign of Septimius Severus

The reign of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus was not very long, from 193 to 211, but the circumstances of his coming to power, active foreign and domestic policy, and the improvement of Rome became the subject of close attention of ancient authors. He founded a new dynasty in the empire and carried out a number of measures aimed at restoring the shaken state of the state, but after his death it nevertheless entered a new period of crisis.

Biography

The facts of the life of Septimius Severus are indicative in the sense that they demonstrate how Roman statesmen and military commanders eventually became emperors through the exercise of high posts, despite the fact that they did not belong to the reigning dynasty. He was born in 146 in the African city of Leptis in a Phoenician family, whose head belonged to the horsemen. From his youth, he counted on a political career, for which he had certain grounds, since among his relatives there were two consuls. He received a good education in his homeland, and then in the capital of the empire, where he moved to implement his plans.

Participation in politics

The activity of Septimius Severus as a statesman began with the fact that he took up the post of quaestor. In this post, he showed himself as a diligent worker and therefore, bypassing the next administrative step, immediately received the administration of the province of Betiku. However, his father's death forced him to return to his homeland, where he later became the legate of the Roman proconsul. After some time, the Roman emperor granted him the post of a people's tribune, where he again distinguished himself as a strict, executive employee. The successes of Septimius Severus as steward brought him some fame, so that he was entrusted with important and important tasks. He held various command posts in Spain, Syria, and Gaul. And during the service in the latter he gained considerable popularity as a principled and disinterested military leader. To understand his further success, it is important to note the fact that he enjoyed the love and respect of the troops, who later became the main support of the future emperor in the course of the coup d'état.

Rise to power

In 193, when the Roman emperor was killed, the army of Septimius Severus, a photo of sculptural sculptures of which is represented in this work, stood in the Pannonian region. Then he decided to take advantage of the situation, convincing the soldiers of his army that he wants to avenge the murder of the ruler, who, in turn, enjoyed considerable popularity among the army. Since the commander already had a good reputation among the soldiers, he was believed and took his side.

Then he sent his forces to the capital of the empire. In this case, the throne claimed two more rulers: Niger in Syria and Albin in Britain. He made an alliance with the latter and opposed the former, having won over him. After that, he defeated the Parthians and annexed Mesopotamia to the empire, which contributed to the rise of the popularity of Septimius Severus in Rome. Then he proclaimed his son to be the heir, and defeated the second challenger, his former ally, at Lyon in 1977. " Two years later he finally defeated the Parthians, consolidating his foreign policy success.

Last years

Shortly before his death, he led a military campaign against the British lands. Here he was also waiting for success: he subdued the Caledonian people, restored Adrianov Val and strengthened power in the region. During the reign of Septimius Severus (emperor), he was engaged in active construction. The most famous construction of the time of his reign is the Arc de Triomphe at the Roman Forum, built in 203 in honor of his successful Parthian campaign. On it was a quadriga depicting the ruler himself and his sons, which, incidentally, did not survive to this day. The structure has four reliefs depicting the victories of the emperor over the cities.

He also paid much attention to the infrastructure of the city. He cared about the welfare of roads, mail, conducted a topographic survey of the capital. Since the emperor himself came from the province, he paid much attention to the development of the regions of the empire, especially with regard to his homeland, Africa. He died in 211, during his campaign in Britain, from a raw climate that was extremely harmful to his health.

Results

The emperor did much to strengthen the central government. With him, the senate lost its former importance, and the army, on the contrary, increased. The ruler increased the salary to the soldiers and created three legions. He also tried to introduce uniform management throughout the empire, seeking to equalize the status of the provinces with the capital. He contributed to the increase in the revenues of the tsarist treasury due to the fact that henceforth the revenues from the provinces went to the center. In addition to state needs, these funds also went to mass games and folk entertainment.