262
Septimius severus.
making.4 The senate declared for Severus, who entered the
city with his army, and terrified the people, but without com-
mitting any outrage. Didius Julianus, however, was put to
death, which was an unnecessary act of cruelty, as no one rose
to defend him. The praetorian guards were ordered to lay down
their arms, and were dismissed in disgrace. Severus im-
mediately prepared to set out for the East to attack Pescennius
Niger.
Septimius Severus was an extremely remarkable man. He
was a native of Leptis, an ancient Punic colony, in which a
numerous Boman conventus had settled, as in so many other
towns which were otherwise quite foreign. Severus was un-
doubtedly descended from a family belonging to that conven-
tus.5 Leptis was still so completely a Punic town, that the
sister of Severus, on her arrival at Rome, could speak only
broken Latin.6 Those places in Africa had kept themselves
quite distinct; and even in the towns, the predominant lan-
guage was Punic. Severus himself, however, was well acquainted
with Greek and Roman literature, and was a good writer in
each. But we possess,unfortunately, Onlyoneletterconcerning
whichthere can be no doubt that it is his: Itisexceedinglywell
written, and with great spirit7, so that we have reason to lament
the loss of his memoirs. At the time when he entered Rome as
emperor, he was in his forty-seventh year, and had greatly distin-
guished himself in all circumstances, in the administration of
provinces as well as in the command of armies. It is a peculiar
feature in his character, that he was extremely partial to foreign
religious rites, and to the arts of astrologers and soothsayers. We
find in general that foreign religions were at that time spread-
ing very much among the Romans; and this tendency was
paving the way for the reception of Christianity also, which
would otherwise have met with greater difficulties. Many
people adopted it as they would have adopted any other tlιe-
urgia, such as the Orphic; and hence Christianity now began
to emerge from its obscurity, though it had not yet obtained
* The mutinous praetorians resembled the Janissaries also in their cowardice
during the 17th and 18th centuries, until their dissolution.—N.
5 Statius wrote a beautiful poem upon one Septimius Severus, who was no
doubt one of the emperor’s ancestors.-—N. (-S'⅛αe, iv. 5.)
6 Spartian. Sept Severus, 15.
7 J. Capitolin. Clod. Albinus, 12. Compare c. 7, where another short letter
said to have been addressed by him to Clod-Albinus is preserved.
DEFEAT OF PESCENNItrS NIGER.
263
any political importance. Severus himself, but more especially
his wife, Julia Domna, a Syrian, was favourably disposed
towards Christianity, though she confounded it with
magic ceremonies. Unction was at that time often prescribed
as a remedy in cases of illness, and Severus had once received
it in a severe attack of illness; and as he attributed his recovery
to the influence of the unction and to the prayer of the bishops,
he afforded protection to Christianity by special regulations,
which he sent to the governors of the provinces. He was an
extremely handsome man, with a beautiful countenance, and a
nobly-formed head; his venerable and noble physiognomy is
still seen in his busts. The great charge which is brought
against him is that of cruelty, of which it is impossible to acquit
him. It was shewn more particularly after the fall of Clodius
Albinus, when forty-one senators were put to death for having
espoused the cause of Albinus. If the statement of Aelius
Spartianus8 is true, that women and children too were mur-
dered, the crime is still more horrible; but Spartianus is a
thoughtless and contemptible writer, and we cannot rely
upon him.9
The war against Pescennius Niger is of a peculiar character.
Avidius Cassius had been treated with so much favour at
Antioch and Alexandria, that I cannot help suspecting, that
the power of circumstances was already working towards the
separation of the East from the West, which actually began
under Diocletian, and was carried into effect by Theodosius.
The Greek language also had become as generally prevalent
throughout the East, as the Latin was throughout the West. In
the reign of M. Aurelius, Pescennius Niger had acquired great
reputation as an eminent general; and the strictness of his dis-
cipline among the troops was particularly esteemed by the
emperor. But if we compare him with Severus, he was a man
of a mild disposition, and was generally beloved. Severus
crossed the Hellespont ; and all his movements were brilliant and
decisive. He first defeated one of his rival’s generals, at Cyzicus,
and then Pescennius Niger himself in the neighbourhood of Issus.
Niger was killed, and all the eastern provinces submitted to
the conqueror. Byzantium alone offered a desperate resist-
8 Severus, 11.
9 He is so rash in his assertions, that he takes Caracalla for a son of Severus
by his first wife.—N.