Septimius Severus Denarius

Lucius Septimius Severus was born in Africa, far from the seat of imperial power. Yet when he arrived in Rome at the age of just 18, he was soon appointed as a senator by Marcus Aurelius. Severus went on to hold other important gubernatorial and martial posts. In the chaos that followed the reign of Commodus, Severus leveraged his prominence into an acclamation as emperor, and almost immediately demonstrated a capacity for viciously suppressing any hint of potential rivalry or dissent. The human carnage for which he was responsible stood in stark contrast to his program of refurbishing of many public buildings. Despite less than ideal health, Severus over the years led several successful military campaigns, and it was on one such in Britain that he fell ill and died when 66 years old.





This denarius (RIC 85, RSC 329) dates to 196 AD, and rather incongruously depicts Pax on its reverse, since toward the end of that year Severus was in fact gathering his legions and setting out for Gaul to meet the advancing forces of the usurper Clodius Albinus. Severus' proclamation of his son Caracalla as Caesar (and thus his presumptive successor) was what had provoked Albinus, who had thought that position rightfully his.. In the subsequent pitched battle between the two armies, it was Severus who prevailed, albeit just barely. This wasn't enough vindication for Severus, however. On horseback he personally trampled Albinus' corpse, had it decapitated, and further saw to it that Albinus' wife and sons were summarily executed.

I rather liked the patina on this specimen. Also, the reverse is rotated about 45° from medal alignment.