Editing Severus II

{{short description|Roman emperor from 306 to 307}}
{{about|the Roman emperor|the Syriac Orthodox patriarch|Severus II bar Masqeh}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Severus II
| image        = Gold Aureus of Severus II (MANTIS).jpg
| image_size   = 
| alt          = Coin depicting man with diadem facing right
| caption      = ''[[Aureus]]'' of Severus as ''[[Caesar (title)|caesar]]'', [[Trier]] mint
| succession   = [[Roman emperor]]
| moretext     = (in the [[Western Roman Empire|West]])
| reign        = 25 July 306&nbsp;– April 307<br/>(with [[Galerius]] in the [[Eastern Roman Empire|East]])
| reign-type   = [[Augustus (title)|''Augustus'']]
| predecessor  = [[Constantius I]]
| successor    = [[Maxentius]] <small>([[de facto]])</small><br/>[[Licinius]] <small>([[de jure]])</small>
| regent       = [[Constantine I]]
| reg-type     = {{no wrap|Co-ruler}}
| reign1       = 1 May 305&nbsp;– 25 July 306<br/>(under [[Constantius I]])
| reign-type1  = [[Caesar (title)|''Caesar'']]
| birth_name   = Flavius Severus
| birth_date   = 250s
| birth_place  = [[Illyria]]
| death_date   = September 307
| death_place  = [[Tres Tabernae]]
| burial_place = 
| issue        = [[Flavius Severianus]]
| full name    = Flavius Valerius Severus
}}

'''Flavius Valerius Severus''' (died September 307), enumerated as '''Severus II''',<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kienast |first=Dietmar |url=https://archive.org/details/romische-kaisertabelle |title=Römische Kaisertabelle|publisher=[[Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft|WBG]] |date=2017|language=de |page=278 |orig-date=1990 |name-list-style=amp}} Enumerated after [[Septimius Severus]].</ref> was a [[Roman emperor]] from 306 to 307, and a member of the [[Tetrarchy]]. He shared control of the western half of the empire with [[Constantine I]], but spent most of his short reign in a civil war against the usurper [[Maxentius]], who later killed him and took over Italy.

== Background and early career ==
Severus was of humble birth, born in Northern [[Illyria]] around the middle of the third century.<ref name="dimalo">{{cite web |author=Michael DiMalo |year=1998 |title=Severus II |url=https://www.roman-emperors.org/severus.htm |access-date= |website=[[De Imperatoribus Romanis]] |publisher=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723043109/https://www.roman-emperors.org/severus.htm |archive-date=23 July 2020 }}</ref><ref name="abtcs">[[Aurelius Victor]] (4th century), ''[[Liber de Caesaribus]]''</ref> A friend of emperor [[Galerius]], he rose to become a senior officer in the Roman army,<ref name="dimalo"/> being nominated as ''[[Caesar (title)|caesar]]'' of the [[Western Roman Empire]]. According to [[Lactantius]], Diocletian objected to Galerius's suggestion, saying in response, "What! That dancer, that habitual drunkard who turns night into day and day into night?" Galerius persisted, saying that Severus had served faithfully as paymaster and purveyor of the army.<ref name="Hailes">[[Lactantius]] (4th century). Lord Hailes (transl.) (2021) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=XpwtEAAAQBAJ On the Deaths of the Persecutors]''. Evolution Publishing, Merchantville, NJ {{ISBN|978-1-935228-20-2}}, pp. 31-47</ref> Diocletian acquiesced and Severus succeeded to the post of ''caesar'' on 1 May 305, thus becoming the junior colleague of [[Constantius Chlorus|Constantius I]], ''[[Augustus (title)|augustus]]'' of the western half of empire.<ref name="dimalo"/>

== Augustus, 306–307 ==
[[File:Severus II Aureus Joanneum.jpg|alt=''Aureus'' from 306 or 307 depicting Severus, Nicomedia mint|thumb|left|''Aureus'' from 306 or 307 depicting Severus, Nicomedia mint]]
When Constantius died in Britain in July 306, his son [[Constantine I]] was immediately acclaimed emperor by his soldiers. At the same time, Severus was promoted to ''[[Augustus (title)|augustus]]'' by [[Galerius]]. Lactantius reports that Galerius had done this to promote the older man to the higher office, while accepting the imperial symbols of Constantine and accepting him as a member of the [[Tetrarchy]], albeit with the rank of ''caesar''.<ref name=Hailes/> Despite his lower title, Constantine controlled most of the Western empire ([[Roman Britain|Britain]], [[Roman Gaul|Gaul]], and [[Hispania]]), leaving Severus with the control of [[Roman Italy|Italy]] and [[Africa (Roman province)|Western Africa]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Pohlsander |first=Hans |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-DCEKDw7I7cC |title=The Emperor Constantine |publisher=Routledge |year=2004a |isbn=0-415-31937-4 |location=London & New York |pages=16–17}}</ref>

When [[Maxentius]], the son of the retired emperor [[Maximian]], revolted at [[Rome]] in October, Galerius sent Severus to suppress the rebellion. Severus moved towards Rome from his capital, [[Mediolanum]], at the head of an army previously commanded by Maximian.<ref name="dimalo"/> Fearing the arrival of Severus, Maxentius offered Maximian the co-rule of the empire. Maximian accepted, and when Severus arrived under the walls of Rome and besieged it, his men deserted to Maxentius. Severus fled to [[Ravenna]], an impregnable position.<ref name="dimalo"/> Maximian offered to spare his life and treat him humanely if he surrendered peaceably, which he did around April 307.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last=Barnes |first=Timothy D. |url=https://archive.org/details/barnes-new-empire |title=The New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=1982 |isbn=0-674-28066-0 |place=Cambridge, MA |page=5 |doi=10.4159/harvard.9780674280670}}</ref> Despite Maximian's assurance, Severus was nonetheless displayed as a captive and later imprisoned at [[Tres Tabernae]], near the current [[Cisterna di Latina]].{{sfn|Barnes|1981|p=30}} One belief is that when Galerius himself invaded Italy to suppress Maxentius and Maximian, the former ordered Severus's death.<ref name="abtcs"/> His death probably took place in September or October, as documents with his name were still issued in September, while news of his death already arrived in Egypt by December.<ref name=":0" /> Lactantius reports that he was permitted to kill himself by opening his veins.<ref name=Hailes/> Another belief is that Severus was killed in Ravenna.<ref name="ancrom">''[[Origo Constantini Imperatoris]]'' (4th century)</ref><ref>''[[Annales Ecclesiastici]]'', vol. 1, pp. 769-770</ref>

The position of Western ''augustus'' remained officially vacant until the [[Conference of Carnuntum]] of November 308, in which [[Licinius]] was appointed as new emperor (although his western domains only consisted of the [[Balkans|Balkan Peninsula]]).{{sfn|Barnes|1981|pp=30–33}} Severus was survived by his son [[Flavius Severianus]], but he was later executed by Licinius for treason.{{sfn|Barnes|1981|p=64}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book |last=Barnes |first=Timothy D. |author-link=Timothy Barnes (classicist) |title=Constantine and Eusebius |url=https://archive.org/details/constantineeuseb0000barn/mode/1up |year=1981 |publisher=Harvard University Press |location=Cambridge, MA |isbn=978-0-674-16531-1 }}

==External links==
*{{Wikisource-inline|1=The_History_of_the_Decline_and_Fall_of_the_Roman_Empire_(Bury)/XIV|2=The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume 1, Chapter XIV}}
*{{Commons-inline|Flavius Valerius Severus}}
	
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{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef | before=[[Constantius Chlorus|Constantius I]] }}
{{s-ttl | title=[[List of Roman emperors|Roman emperor]]
        | years=306–307
        | with=[[Galerius]] }}
{{s-aft | after=[[Licinius]] }}
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{{s-bef | before= [[Constantius Chlorus|Constantius I]]|before2=[[Galerius]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[List of Roman consuls|Roman consul]] | years=307 |with=[[Maximinus Daza]]|with2=[[Galerius]]|with3=[[Maximian]]|with4=[[Constantine I]]}}
{{s-aft | after= [[Diocletian]]|after2=[[Galerius]]|after3=[[Maxentius]]|after4=[[Valerius Romulus]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Roman emperors}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Severus, Flavius Valerius}}
[[Category:3rd-century births]]
[[Category:307 deaths]]
[[Category:4th-century Roman emperors]]
[[Category:Constantinian dynasty]]
[[Category:4th-century Roman consuls]]
[[Category:Tetrarchy]]
[[Category:Valerii]]
[[Category:Damnatio memoriae]]