Editing Septimius Severus (section)

== Rise to power ==
[[File:0205 Altes Museum Septimius Severus anagoria.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Roman sculpture|Roman marble bust]] of Septimius Severus, early 3rd century AD, [[Altes Museum]]]]

In 191, on the advice of [[Quintus Aemilius Laetus]], [[Praetorian prefect|prefect]] of the [[Praetorian Guard]], [[Commodus|emperor Commodus]] appointed Severus as governor of [[Pannonia Superior]].<ref>{{cite book|first= Matthew|last= Bunson|location= Roma|isbn= 978-88-8289-627-0 |publisher= Newton & Compton|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=T5tic2VunRoC&q=commodus%20septimius%20severus%20191&pg=PA300|title= Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire|year= 2002|page= 300}}</ref> At around this time he is described by the classicist [[Kyle Harper]] as being "a middling senator of modest physical stature and unexceptional accomplishment".{{sfn|Harper|2017|p=123}} Commodus was assassinated the following year. [[Pertinax]] was acclaimed emperor, but he was then killed by the Praetorian Guard in early 193.{{sfn|Campbell|1994|pp= 40–41}} In response to the murder of Pertinax, Severus' legion [[Legio XIV Gemina|''XIV Gemina'']] acclaimed him emperor at [[Carnuntum]] on 9 April.{{sfn|Birley|1999|p=97}}{{sfn|Campbell|1994|pp= 40–41}} Nearby legions, such as [[Legio X Gemina|''X Gemina'']] at [[Vindobona]], soon followed suit. Having assembled an army, Severus hurried to Italy.{{sfn|Campbell|1994|pp= 40–41}}

Pertinax's successor in Rome, [[Didius Julianus]], had bought the emperorship in an auction. Julianus was condemned to death by the Senate and killed.<ref>[[Cassius Dio]], ''[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/74*.html Roman History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230909070441/https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/74%2A.html |date=9 September 2023 }}'', LXXIV.17.4</ref> Severus took possession of Rome without opposition. He executed Pertinax's murderers and dismissed the rest of the [[Praetorian Guard]], filling its ranks with loyal troops from his own legions.<ref name=Dio75>[[Cassius Dio]], ''[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/75*.html Roman History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713102219/https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/75%2A.html |date=13 July 2021 }}'', LXXV.1.1–2</ref><ref name="Birley 1999, p. 113">Birley (1999), p.&nbsp;113.</ref>

The legions of [[Syria (Roman province)|Syria]] had proclaimed [[Pescennius Niger]] emperor. At the same time Severus felt it reasonable to offer [[Clodius Albinus]], the powerful governor of [[Britannia]], who had probably supported Didius against him, the rank of [[Caesar (title)|Caesar]], which implied some claim to the succession. With his rear safe, he moved to the East and crushed Niger's forces at the [[Battle of Issus (194)|Battle of Issus]] (194).<ref name="Birley 1999, p. 113"/>
While campaigning against [[Byzantium]], he ordered that the tomb of his [[Ancient Carthage|fellow-Carthaginian]] [[Hannibal]] be covered with fine marble.<ref>
Gabriel, Richard A. ''Hannibal: The Military Biography of Rome's Greatest Enemy'', Potomac Books, Inc., 2011 {{ISBN|978-1-59797-766-1}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=h-VlDC4Jt6gC&dq=severus+byzantium+hannibal&pg=PT265 Google books]
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He devoted the following year to suppressing [[Mesopotamia]] and other [[Parthian Empire|Parthian]] vassals who had backed Niger. Afterwards, Severus declared his son [[Caracalla]] as his successor, which caused Albinus to be hailed emperor by his troops and to invade Gaul. After a short stay in Rome, Severus moved north to meet him. On 19{{spaces}}February 197 at the [[Battle of Lugdunum]], with an army of about 75,000 men, mostly composed of [[Pannonia]]n, [[Moesia]]n and [[Dacia]]n legions and a large number of auxiliaries, Severus defeated and killed Clodius Albinus, securing his full control over the empire.<ref>
[[Spartianus]], ''Severus'' 11
</ref><ref>
{{Cite book|title= Roman Britain and the English settlements
|last= Collingwood|first=R. G.
|date= 1998|orig-year= 1936|publisher= Biblo and Tannen
|others= Myres, J. N. L. (John Nowell Linton)
|isbn= 978-0-8196-1160-4|location= New York, N.Y.
|oclc= 36750306}}</ref><ref>Birley (1999), p.&nbsp;125.
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Upon returning to Rome, Septimus had 29 senators executed for treason over their support of Albinus, despite having previously taken an oath promising not to put any senators to death (a customary oath for emperors).<ref>
{{cite book |last1=Tenney |first1=Frank |title=A History of Rome |date=1923 |publisher=Henry Holt and Company |pages=531–532 |url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/FRAAHR/home.html}}
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