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The Severi

Severus Alexander (222-235)

The next emperor was chosen by Julia Mamaea and Julia Maesa. He was only a boy of fourteen and the women certainly thought they could control matters by way of the boy, who was mild mannered and inclined to go along with those around him.

The best that can be said about Severus Alexander is that he was harmless. Unfortunately, Julia Mamaea was avaricious and unscrupulous, so he was entirely the wrong man at the wrong time. Many factions within the Empire were looking to the new emperor to restore order, but he could not even maintain order within the palace.

For the first few years, the only dangers were various palace intrigues (the great jurist Ulpian lost his life in one of these). In 230, though, the new Persian empire threatened, forcing the emperor and his mother to go east. Severus Alexander himself commanded one of three large armies, though he failed to accomplish anything. Nevertheless, victories were won by some of his generals and the eastern frontier was secured.

Just in time. On the way back to Italy word came of large-scale invasions across the Rhine. The Danube armies, fresh from Persia, were sent north to deal with the Germans (233).  In 234 Severus Alexander and Julia Mamaea went north to join the legions. One of the emperor’s first acts was to try to buy off the Germans rather than fight them. Disgusted with his chronic lack of leadership, the troops mutinied and both the young man and his mother were killed.

So ended the dynasty of Septimius Severus.  What followed was certainly the lowest point in the history of the Roman Empire—fifty years of civil war that saw an endless procession of emperors, invasions, insurrections, economic chaos, and social dislocation.