Editing Septimius Severus (section)

===Military reforms===
[[File:Bronze head of Septimius Severus, from Asia Minor, c. 195-211 AD, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen (13648215765).jpg|thumb|Bronze head of Septimius Severus, from Asia Minor, c. 195–211 AD, [[Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek]], Copenhagen. Inscription: IMP. CAE. L. SEP. SEV. PERT. AVG. / LEG. XIIII, CEM M V – TRP COS.]]

Upon his arrival at Rome in 193, Severus discharged the [[Praetorian Guard]],<ref name=Dio75/> which had murdered Pertinax and had then auctioned the Roman Empire to Didius Julianus. Its members were stripped of their ceremonial armour and forbidden to come within {{convert|160|km|0}} of the city on pain of death.<ref>Birley (1999), p.&nbsp;103.</ref> Severus replaced the old guard with 10 new cohorts recruited from veterans of his Danubian legions.<ref name=Adkins>Lesley Adkins and Roy A. Adkins, Both Professional ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=zGY1Sqjwf8kC&dq=septimius%20severus%20praetorian%20guard&pg=PA68 Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome]'', p. 68</ref>

Around 197 he increased the number of legions from 30 to 33, with the introduction of the three new legions: I, II and III ''Parthica''.<ref>George Ronald Watson, [https://books.google.com/books?id=PSEnmtuOh6K0C&dq=septimius%20severus%20number%20of%20legions&pg=PA23 The Roman Soldier]{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, p. 23</ref> He garrisoned [[Legio II Parthica]] at [[Albano Laziale|Albanum]], only {{convert|20|km}} from Rome.<ref name=Adkins/> He gave his soldiers a [[donativum|donative]] of a thousand ''[[sestertius|sesterces]]'' (250 ''[[denarii]]'') each,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/miscellanea/numismatics/severus.html|title=Septimius Severus: Legionary Denarius|website=penelope.uchicago.edu|access-date=24 December 2015|archive-date=25 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240325040706/http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/miscellanea/numismatics/severus.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and raised the annual wage for a soldier in the legions from 300 to 400 ''denarii''.<ref>Kenneth W. Harl, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=5yPDL0EykeAC&dq=septimius%20severus%20legion%20pay&pg=PA216 Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700, Part 700]'', p. 216</ref>

Severus was the first Roman emperor to station some of the imperial army in Italy. He realized that Rome needed a military central reserve with the capability to be sent anywhere.<ref>Michael Grant (1978); ''History of Rome''; p. 358; Charles Scribner's Sons; NY {{ISBN?}}</ref>