We were very fortunate to be joined by the delightful Dr Simon Elliot in this special episode about his latest book, The African Emperor: The Life of Septimius Severus.

Dr Elliott (now forever known as Dr E) is a historian, archaeologist and broadcaster. His PhD is in Classics and Archaeology from the University of Kent. Dr E is the author of nineteen books (yes, nineteen!) on the ancient world, including Early Imperial Romans, Pertinax: The Son of a Slave Who Became Roman Emperor, and Roman Britain’s Missing Legion. To find a full list of his many endeavours, check out his website.

However, it is Septimius Severus, ruler of the Roman Empire from 193 to 211 CE, who we want to focus on today. You may not be particularly familiar with this emperor, but if you have seen Gladiator 2, you have met his children. Severus was the father of Caracalla and Geta who do not have the best reputation. But there is much more to his story than his disappointing children.

Dr Elliott takes us through the remarkable rise of this man: from Leptis Magna to the imperial purple. In this interview, we tackle the following questions: 

·        How did Severus emerge victorious from the chaos of The Year of Five Emperors?

·        What made him the most successful Severan emperor? (Aside from not being murdered with his mum) 

·        Was Septimius Severus responsible for a genocide during his campaign in Britain?

·        Is there a case to be made that Septimius Severus deserves to rank alongside the likes of Augustus and Trajan?

·        When is Netflix going to make I, Julia – a series revolving around all of the Julias from the Severan dynasty? (Copyright, The Partial Historians, 2026)

Join us for the fascinating life story of the founder of the last dynasty before the near collapse of the Empire in the third century CE. And don’t forget to grab yourself a copy of the book, currently a Sunday Times bestseller.

Please note: at around 39:11, when Dr E is discussing the women in the Severan dynasty, he makes reference to Julia Domna's sister as Julia Soaemias. A slip of the tongue, as Julia Domna's sister was Julia Maesa, and her daughters were Julia Soaemias (mother of Elagabalus) and Julia Mamaea (mother of Severus Alexander).

Sound Credits

Our music is by Bettina Joy de Guzman

For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

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