It must also be added that, he was a skilled soldier and strategist not afraid of discomfort, while he courageously bore the difficulties of camp life and long marches. He willingly showed himself to be a warrior-emperor in the mold of Marcus Aurelius. Even in the last years of his life when he suffered greatly from arthritis, he did not discontinue his military campaigns. Nearly upon his deathbed, in a litter, since he was unable to travel in any other way, he set off for the far North, to conquer Scotland. That is where he died.

He came from northern Africa, and was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Libya). His career progressed without any great fireworks and nothing predicted that he would get as far as he did. However, feeling he had the support of the army, he fought tooth and nail for the throne left empty after the murdered Emperor Commodus and defeated all his rivals. He increased the number of legions to thirty-three, as well as the number of corps, to which soldiers mainly from the eastern provinces were recruited. He raised soldier’s pay from 300 to 500 dinars. He also allowed soldiers to marry and live with their families (instead of in the barracks), as well as to possess land even while still in military service. With all these steps, he acquired the loyalty and devotion of soldiers. They were also, in the eyes of  contemporary historians his greatest errors. In this way he disrupted the existing balance of power, among   the Senate, the emperor and the army in favor of the latter, which from that moment on would become the decisive force on the political arena of the Roman Empire, for many decades to come.

It should come as no surprise that among senators, Septimius did not enjoy great popularity. The brave ones criticized his military campaigns, catering to soldiers and the expenses associated with all this. However, these were few in number, since objecting to the emperor’s will often resulted in removing the bold rivals from power of even killing them.The brave emperor also did forget his personal glory.

With new buildings he endeavored to leave traces of his rule for centuries to come. They were to praise his name and the new Severan dynasty. He paid special attention to his home town, Leptis Magna. But in Rome as well, he renovated and adorned with his name numerous buildings, which we were reminded of in a spiteful tone and without any understanding for such actions by the aforementioned Cassius Dion. Septimius restored the Flavian Palace (Domus Flavia) on Palatine Hill, while on its southeastern slope he built the so-called Septizodium, of which all traces were lost. Most likely this was a kind of a three-story buildings decorated with fountains and filled with column halls. Inside there was a statue of the emperor as the Invincible Sun God (Sol Invictus), which was accompanied by the planets surrounding him. This type of self-creation was connected with the emperor’s deep faith in astrology and the influence of astral constellations on his life, as well as with his sympathies for new, syncretic cults, which had started to appear in the empire. At the same time Septimius was a staunch opponent of the Jewish religion, most of all Christianity. During his reign the faithful of these cults were not permitted to gather together while repercussions against those who were denounced were made more severe.

After the death of his first wife, the second chosen of the founder of the Severus dynasty was Julia Domna, a woman with intellectual ambitions, who brought together philosophers and writers at the court. She was the mother of Caracalla and Geta – heirs and successors to Septimius.

Septimius Severus as one of the few emperors of that time died of natural causes, although rumors unfavorable to his son, often said that Caracalla had tried multiple times to get rid of his cumbersome father during the last escapade. The emperor died at the age of 65 in Eboracum (present-day York in England). His sons brought his ashes to Rome, where they were laid to rest with the proper reverence in Hadrian’s Mausoleum (Castle of the Holy Angel). Immediately afterwards the emperor was deified by the Senate. His son Caracalla who had previously been earmarked to be his success  or could assume power without any problem. However, despite all these favorable circumstances he was not able to hold on to it. First he ordered his brother to be murdered, while a few years later he himself was assassinated.

Buildings preserved in Rome, created during the reign of Septimius Severus:

•   Enlargement of the imperial palace on Palatine Hill and moving it to the edge of the hill in the    direction of Circus Maximus
• Construction of the triumphant arch of Septimius Severus on Forum Romanum

• Arch of the Silversmiths  (Arco degli Argentari) – an arch built by merchants, today adjacent to the Church of San Giorgio in Velabro; it was erected in the year 204 in order to appeal to the emperor and his family
• Renovation of the Temple of Vesta on Forum Romanum, 191