Podcast Summary: Rome's African Emperor: Septimius Severus

Podcast: Dan Snow’s History Hit
Host: Dan Snow
Guest: Simon Elliott (historian, archaeologist, broadcaster)
Release Date: November 6, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode investigates the life, battles, and legacy of Septimius Severus, the first African emperor of Rome. Dan Snow and guest Simon Elliott (author of The African Emperor) assess whether Severus deserves the title of Rome’s greatest warrior emperor. The discussion covers Severus’s North African heritage, rise to power through brutal civil war, army reforms, extensive campaigns across three continents, and his death on campaign in Britain.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Case for Severus as Rome's Greatest Warrior Emperor

[04:40]

• Dan Snow introduces the classic debate: Who was the greatest warrior emperor—Trajan, Constantine, or Severus?
• Simon Elliott unequivocally picks Severus:

  “For me, it’s Severus. Septimius Severus commanded more legions than any other Roman Emperor. 33.” (Simon Elliott, 04:48)

• Severus increased the number of legions from 30 to 33, outstripping any other emperor before or after.
• He expanded the empire’s territories not only in the East (Syria, modern Iraq), but also deep into North Africa, and briefly into Scotland.

2. Severus’s North African Heritage and Rise

[06:09–10:11]

• Severus was born in Leptis Magna, in present-day Libya.
• He reset the power structure of Rome, promoting North Africans into key positions.
• “He was very proud of his North African heritage… notably dark skinned. He’s often called the Black Emperor or the African Emperor. Well, he was African and he did have dark skin.” (Simon Elliott, 06:43)
• His family’s ascent: grandfather (also Septimius Severus) was the first to become a senator, signifying integration into the Roman elite.
• The Roman Empire was a Mediterranean entity—ethnic diversity was the norm among its elites.

3. Early Political Career and Connections

[09:18]

• Severus benefited from his family’s status as senators but furthered his own career through legal, administrative, and military postings.
• Early career highlighted by clever networking and a shrewd avoidance of direct warfare.
• Severus's first major military command was in Syria, where Pertinax (his mentor) was governor.

4. Ascension amid Chaos: The Year of the Five Emperors

[14:36–17:51]

• After Commodus is assassinated (in true palace drama involving poison and strangulation), Severus’s mentor Pertinax is briefly emperor, only to be killed by the Praetorian Guard.
• Three candidates for the throne emerge: Clodius Albinus (in Britain), Pescennius Niger (in Syria), and Severus (on the Danube).
• Severus, with proximity and crack legions, marches into Rome and claims the empire.
• The advantage of geography and military strength plays a crucial role:

  “Severus is the first in play and he’s the nearest. So he descends like a sword of Damocles onto Rome…” (Simon Elliott, 17:04)

5. Civil War Maestro: Crushing Rivals

[17:57–19:43]

• Severus tactically neutralizes Albinus by making him junior emperor before turning to defeat Niger in the East (194–195).
• Afterword, he reverses and crushes Albinus at the massive Battle of Lugdunum (197):

  “It’s the biggest civil war battle in Roman history and it’s a two day affair.” (Simon Elliott, 19:39)

• Severus is nearly killed in battle—his injury is possibly the source of the gout he suffered later.

6. Rebuilding and Monumentalizing the Empire

[21:24–25:31]

• After suppressing Britain, Severus orders the first land wall of London—serving as a political statement.
• In Rome, “a third of the classical monuments you see today are Severan.” (Dan Snow, 24:28)
• Severus’s projects include the Palatine Palace, the Arch of Severus, Argentari Arch, the Forum map of Rome, and grand water features (septizoniums).

7. Constant Military Campaigning & Parthian Success

[26:13–29:06]

• Severus hated Rome itself and preferred the life of a campaigning emperor—a “great white shark, devouring anybody who gets in his way.” (Simon Elliott, 25:40)
• He takes on the Parthian Empire, the nemesis of Rome, and wins, capturing the capital on the Tigris.
  • “Severus wins. He picks a fight with the Parthians and he wins. He’s massively successful... So for him in his head, the martial Emperor, that’s a tick job done.” (Simon Elliott, 26:32)
• Monumentalizes his successes in North Africa.

8. The British Campaign: Conquest and Genocide

[29:18–41:56]

• Seeking to outdo Augustus, Severus aims to pacify and conquer northern Britain (Scotland).
• Receives a dire request from Britain: “The whole province is about to be overrun.”
• He mobilizes 50,000 troops, the largest force ever in Britain, and personally relocates the Imperial capital to York.
• The campaign is brutal, involving scorched earth tactics:

  “They eviscerate everything before them... some believe concentration camps for captives were used. They build bridges of boats across major rivers, trap the locals, and enact mass destruction.” (Simon Elliott, 36:01–37:48)

• After the native Britons submit, there is rebellion—triggering a second, even more merciless campaign.

  “Before he does, Cassius Dio has him tell his soldiers to kill everybody you come across, even the babies in their mothers’ wombs... So it does appear as though a genocide occurred.” (Simon Elliott, 39:02–40:46)

• The north is depopulated and disappears from the Roman record for decades.

9. Death in York and Aftermath

[41:56–44:57]

• Severus dies in York, convinced of his victory, believing he has eclipsed Augustus by conquering both Britons and Parthians.
• His two sons, Caracalla and Geta, inherit the empire but despise each other. Geta is murdered by Caracalla soon after.
• The Severan dynasty quickly collapses into chaos—the crisis of the third century ensues.

10. Legacy: Was Severus Rome’s Greatest Warrior Emperor?

[44:57–45:23]

• Dan asks Simon directly if Severus was the greatest warrior emperor—Simon agrees, placing him above Trajan in military accomplishment:

  “I think Severus was definitely the greater military commander.” (Simon Elliott, 45:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [06:43] Simon Elliott on Race in Rome:

  "He’s often called the Black Emperor or the African Emperor. Well, he was African and he did have dark skin. ... If you’re in the Roman world, you’re part of the Roman world."

• [17:04] Simon Elliott on Civil Wars:

  “Severus is the first in play and he’s the nearest. So he descends like a sword of Damocles onto Rome…”

• [19:39] On the Battle of Lugdunum:

  “It’s the biggest civil war battle in Roman history and it’s a two day affair.”

• [25:40] Simon Elliott on Severus’s Personality:

  "Severus is a great white shark. ... Devouring anybody who gets in his way."

• [40:39] Dan Snow (echoing Tacitus) on the British Campaign:

  "He made a desert and called it peace. ... Genocide taking place?"

• [45:19] Simon Elliott’s verdict:

  "I think Severus was definitely the greater military commander."

Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|----------------------------------------| | 04:40 | Who was the greatest warrior emperor? | | 06:09 | Severus’s North African origins | | 09:18 | Early political maneuvering | | 14:36 | Death of Commodus, Pertinax’s rise | | 17:51 | Civil war rivals and ascension | | 19:37–19:43 | Battle of Lugdunum | | 21:24 | Severus’s London wall | | 25:31 | Monumental building in Rome | | 26:13 | Parthian campaign | | 29:18 | Moving against the Brits (Scotland) | | 33:29 | Logistics & resistance in northern Britain | | 36:01 | Brutal campaigning & scorched earth | | 39:02 | Genocide and depopulation | | 41:56 | Severus’s death in York | | 44:57 | Did Severus bring about Rome’s decline?| | 45:19 | Final verdict: Severus or Trajan? |

Conclusion

This episode positions Septimius Severus as perhaps Rome’s greatest (and fiercest) warrior emperor, not just for the scale of his campaigns and expansion but also for his transformative—and frequently brutal—impact on the imperial system and the empire’s borders. Simon Elliott’s expert insight brings Severus’s North African identity, military genius, monument-building, and ruthlessness into sharp focus, contextualizing his reign as one of superlatives and setting the stage for the empire’s turbulent third century.