UC Riverside

Septimius Severus presented an image of himself as a traditional Roman emperor. He linked himself visually to Augustus, Trajan, and Marcus Aurelius; going as far as being adopted into Marcus Aurelius's family. Severus portrayed himself as ordained by the gods, and as the restorer of peace to Rome through his victories over Parthia. All of these connections were needed to fortify Severus's reign and Dynasty. This is only half the story. In literary authors from the third to the fourth century, this image is fiercely contested. Dio Cassius, Herodian, and the author of the Historia Augusta all display Severus as inept, cruel, and harmful to the aspirations of the Senate. This paper examines not only why these sources criticize Severus's propaganda, but how each author's criticisms change in order to stress their contemporary concerns.