Editing Septimius Severus (section)

=== Family and education ===

Born on 11 April 145 at [[Leptis Magna]] (in present-day Libya) as the son of [[Publius Septimius Geta (father of Septimius Severus)|Publius Septimius Geta]] and [[Fulvia Pia]],<ref name="Birley 1999, p. 1"/> Septimius Severus came from a wealthy and distinguished family of [[Equites|equestrian]] rank. On his mother's side, he descended from Roman immigrants (the Fulvii) who had intermarried with locals of [[Berbers|Libyan]] origin. His father, Publius Septimius Geta, hailed from a family of [[Berbers|Libyan]]-[[Punic people|Punic]] origin. Severus had thus [[Italia (Roman Empire)|Italic]], [[Libu|Libyan]] and [[Punic]] ancestry.<ref name="Birley 1999, pp. 212–213">Birley (1999), pp.&nbsp;212–213.</ref> He was described as "[[Libu|Libyan]] by race", by the Roman historian and senator [[Cassius Dio]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Birley |first=Anthony R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z8iEAgAAQBAJ&dq=Septimius+Severus+libyan+by+race&pg=PA50 |title=Septimius Severus: The African Emperor |date=1 June 2002 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-70745-4 |language=en}}</ref> Due to his family background he is considered the first provincial emperor, as he was the first emperor not only born in the provinces but also into a provincial family of non-Italian origin.<ref>{{cite web| title=Emperor Septimius Severus dies at York| url=https://www.historytoday.com/archive/emperor-septimius-severus-dies-york| work=History Today| access-date=1 December 2021}}</ref> Severus' father, an obscure provincial, held no major political status, but he had two cousins, Publius Septimius Aper and Gaius Septimius Severus, who served as consuls under the emperor [[Antoninus Pius]] {{reign|138|161}}. His mother's ancestors had moved from Italy to North Africa; they belonged to the [[Fulvia gens|''gens'' Fulvia]], an [[Italy (Roman Empire)|Italian]] [[Patrician (ancient Rome)|patrician family]] that originated in [[Tusculum]].<ref>Adam, Alexander, ''Classical biography'',[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2UBAAAAQAAJ&q=fulvius+gens&pg=PA182 Google eBook] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610001757/https://books.google.com/books?id=x2UBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA182&dq=classical+biography+gens+fulvia+cicero+tusculum&hl=it&ei=U0ZYTseHGsmi-gbFrJSuDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=fulvius%20gens&f=false |date=10 June 2016}}, p.182: ''FULVIUS, the name of a "gens" which originally came from Tusculum (Cic. Planc. 8)''.</ref>

Septimius Severus had two siblings: an elder brother, [[Publius Septimius Geta (brother of Septimius Severus)|Publius Septimius Geta]]; and a younger sister, Septimia Octavilla. Severus' maternal cousin was the [[praetorian prefect]] and consul [[Gaius Fulvius Plautianus]].<ref name="Birley 1999, pp. 216–217">Birley (1999), pp.&nbsp;216–217.</ref> Septimius Severus grew up in Leptis Magna. He spoke the local [[Punic language]] fluently, but he was also educated in [[Latin]] and Greek, which he spoke with a slight accent. Little else is known of the young Severus' education but, according to [[Cassius Dio]], the boy had been eager for more education than he actually received. Presumably, Severus received lessons in [[Rhetoric|oratory]]: at the age of 17, he gave his first public speech.<ref>Birley (1999), pp.&nbsp;34–35.</ref>