A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

SEVERUS. SEVERUS. 807
river; but fiad.ng himself hotly pursued and his retraced their steps, worn out with hardships of
retreat cut off, perished by his own hand. The every description, without having accomplished
conqueror, after feasting upon the spectacle of his any great object, or secured any permanent adenemy's corpse, ordered the head to be cut off vantage. In this expedition incalculable misery
and despatched to Rome, whither he quickly was inflicted; the prince lost fifty thousand men,
followed, and put to death many senators sus- and gained the title of Britannicuss. That no
pected of having been in correspondence with the moral impression even was made is evident from
foe. Games were exhibited, and largesses be- the fact that, scarcely had the legions withdrawn
stowed on the people; but as soon as the first towards the south, and commenced the famous
excitement of success had passed away Severus, wall which still bears the name of their conmstill thirsting for military renown, resolved to mander, when a fresh insurrection broke out
return to Asia, and again assail the Parthians, among the Meatae and the Caledonians. Enraged
who, taking advantage of the civil strife in the by this audacity, Severus declared his resolution
West, had spread over Mesopotamia. Accordingly to exterminate the whole race, and instantly began
he set forth accompanied by his sons Caracalla to make preparations for a new campaign. But
and Geta, crossed the Euphrates early in the year his designs were cut short by death. He was
A. D. 198, and commenced a series of operations attacked by a violent disease in the joints, and
which were attended with the most brilliant re- expired at York, on the 4th of February, A. D. 211,
suits. Seleucia and Babylon were evacuated by in the sixty-fifth year of his age, and the eighteenth
the enemy; and Ctesiphon, at that time their of his reign. His ashes were conveyed to Rome,
royal city, was taken and plundered after a short and deposited in the tomb of M. Aurelius. As a
siege. The campaign against the Arabs, who had matter of course, his apotheosis was decreed by the
espoused the cause of Niger, was less glorious. senate, and Herodian has preserved a detailed
The emperor twice assailed their chief town Atra, account of the ceremonies performed.
and twice was compelled to retire with great loss. Although the character of Severus appears in a
The next three years were spent in the East. most favourable light when viewed in contrast
Severus entered upon his third consulship in Syria with those rulers who immediately preceded and
(A. D. 202), Caracalla being his colleague; visited followed him, there is in it not much to admire,
Arabia, Palestine, and Egypt; and having made all and nothing to love. He was, it must be adthe necessary arrangements in these countries, re- mitted, a stranger to their brutal vices; he was
turned to Rome in the same year, in order to offer free from all capricious tyranny; under ordinary
the decennial vows, and to celebrate the marriage circumstances he governed the state with integrity,
of his eldest son with Plautilla. The shows in and did all that might best promote the interests
honour of the return of the prince, of the comple- of the community at large. He devoted himself
tion of the tenth year of his reign, of his victories, with great zeal to the administration of justice,
and of the royal nuptials, were unparalleled in and to the reform of public abuses: he was, moremagnificence; that is to say, the bloodshed and over, an admirable general; and the strict disbutchery of men and animals were greater than cipline maintained by him among the troops,
ever. On one occasion, four hundred wild beasts effectually repressed, for a season, military insolence
were let loose in the amphitheatre at one moment, and excess. Nor can we refuse to acknowledge
and seven hundred, at the rate of a hundred that he possessed a large, keen, and vigorous
for each day, were slaughtered during the' course intellect, such as might well befit the ruler of such
of the games. At this time, also, each citi- an empire in such unhappy times. But he was
zen whose poverty entitled him to obtain corn utterly devoid of all high moral principle, totally
from the public store, and each of the praetorians destitute of gentleness and generosity of temper.
received ten aurei; a largess which consumed When he had once resolved to gain an object, he
about sixteen millions and a half sterling, the entertained no scruples with regard to the means
greatest sum which had ever been bestowed in by which his purpose was to be accomplished; and
such a manner on any one occasion. although not naturally cruel, was perfectly indifFor seven years Septimius remained tranquilly ferent to human suffering and life. Nor did
at Rome; but in A. D. 207, either because a success soften this hardness of heart, or qualify
rebellion in northern Britain had assumed an the bitter resentment which he cherished against
aspect so serious that his presence was deemed all who in any way opposed or thwarted his
requisite, or for the purpose of giving active designs. Not content with victory, he ever sought
employment to his sons, who were leading a life to glut his vengeance on his fallen foes, and was
of profligacy, and to the legions, whose discipline always most odious in the hour of triumph. In
had become relaxed, he determined again to take private life it is said that he was a warm friend,
the field. Accordingly, passing through Gaul, simple and domestic in his habits, and fond of
he reached his destination, early in A. nD. 208. literary pursuits.
Marching at once to the disturbed districts, he Although undoubtedly possessed of a masculine
entered Caledonia, and penetrated, we are told, tone of mind, we find one singular trait of weakto the very extremity of the island, the inha- ness, so much at variance with his shrewdness,
bitants offering no steady or formidable opposition, sagacity, and strong sense in other matters, that
but rather luring the invaders onward, in the we must regard it as a most remarkable example
expectation that they might be destroyed in detail, of the paralysing influence of vanity. He enby want and misery. Nor do these anticipations deavoured to establish a connection between himself
appear to have been altogether disappointed: and his predecessors in the purple, and most preafter having endured excessive toil in transport- posterously announced that he was the adopted son
ing supplies over barren pathless mountains, in of M. Aurelius, fifteen years after the death of that
raising causeways across swampy plains, and in prince. In this manner he set up a claim to a long
throwing bridges over unfordable rivers, the troops line of imperial ancestors, which he formally and
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