Septimius Severus Essay - 1596 Words

There are many Roman emperors and there are a few that people see as experiencing success. In a recent survey by worldaffairsboard.com Augustus, Marcus Aurelius and Trajan were voted as the best. Septimius Severus who was also a great emperor was not even on the list. There are many things that go into making a good emperor such as military strength, taxes and life of the people in Rome. Septimius Severus was a great emperor because he had many of these needed qualities. He had some admirable wins in war and also helped the Roman Empire to grow. Septimius Severus greatly improved life for soldiers in the army and also did great things for people in Rome. During his tenure as emperor of Rome he made many improvements that greatly helped†¦show more content†¦The army sent three people from three different divisions to try and become emperor. Septimius Severus’ was one of the three and his region along the Danube was able to expand his control which helped him in his que st to be emperor (Boatwright, Gargola, Talbert 406). When Septimius went to Rome with his army from the Danube he was given imperial powers by the senate (Matyszak 131).When Augustus became emperor however he was mean and sneaky. He made the Romans turn against the current ruler Antony so that they would throw him out. For example, he illegally obtained Antony’s will and read it to the Roman people. Antony’s will had information like the fact that he would give all his money to his children by Cleopatra of Egypt and that he would like his body returned to her. This event was the last straw for the Romans and the senate declared war on Antony. Augustus became emperor in a devious way whereas Septimius Severus was the best man for the position and truthfully received the position (roman-empire.net). Septimius Severus was very knowledgeable and also victorious in war. Shortly, after becoming emperor he created a smart plan. He wanted to avenge the death of Pertinax so he took the name Pertinax as part of his title. This was a strong act so the Praetorians paraded around leaving their weapons because it was a ceremony. Severus then had his own men kill the people responsible for Pertinax’s death, while they were parading. He then dismissedShow MoreRelatedSummary : Emperor Commodus 1581 Words   |  7 Pagesenough, Carefully a plot was crafted against the emperor. The court chamberlain Eclectus and the emperor s favourite concubine Marcia added their support to the undertaking. Quietly people who supported the plot were placed into key positions. Septimius Severus and Clodius Albinus, African allies of Laetus, were given the governorships of Upper Pannonia and Britain. Pescennius Niger, another friend of Laetus, was put in charge of Syria. 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