Severus, << suh VEER uhs, >> Lucius Septimius (A.D. 146-211), was emperor of Rome from A.D. 193 to 211. Severus was born in Africa, in what is now Libya. He became a Roman senator and general. After the emperor Commodus died in 192, Severus’s legions proclaimed Severus emperor. Severus seized control of Rome in 193, after defeating Pertinax and Didius Julianus, who both had been emperor briefly. As emperor, Severus reorganized the administration of the army and the provinces. He improved conditions for soldiers and offered new career opportunities to provincial Romans. Severus restructured Rome’s currency to pay his soldiers. He also enriched North Africa and built an arch in the Roman Forum to honor his triumphs. Severus conducted successful military campaigns in Africa and Britain. He became ill in Britain and died at Eboracum (now York, England).
