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Alexander Severus
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Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander, commonly called Alexander Severus, (October 1, 208–March 18, 235) was the last Roman emperor (11 March 222–235) of the Severan dynasty, having succeeded, as heir apparent, his despised cousin, the eighteen year old Emperor Elagabalus who had been murdered along with his mother by his own guards—and as a mark of contempt, had their remains cast into the Tiber river. He became emperor suddenly when a rumor of Alexander's death had circulated, triggering the assassination.
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Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander, commonly called Alexander Severus, (October 1, 208–March 18, 235) was the last Roman emperor (11 March 222–235) of the Severan dynasty, having succeeded, as heir apparent, his despised cousin, the eighteen year old Emperor Elagabalus who had been murdered along with his mother by his own guards—and as a mark of contempt, had their remains cast into the Tiber river. He became emperor suddenly when a rumor of Alexander's death had circulated, triggering the assassination. He and his cousin were both grandsons of the influential and powerful Julia Maesa, who had arranged for Elagabalus' acclaimation by the Legio III Gallica as emperor.
As the last Principate Emperor, Alexander's peace time reign was prosperous. Going to war against the rising Sassanid Empire, we have mixed accounts of the ensuing conflict, even though it checked the Sassanid threat. However, when campaigning against Germanic tribes of Germania, he was assassinated at the hands of his troops after trying diplomacy and bribery, which alienated the legions. His assassination sparked, and is used as the epoch event for, the Crisis of the Third Century—the nearly fifty years of disorder, multiple civil wars between warring claimants to his title, economic chaos, regional rebellions, and various external threats which followed.
Life
Alexander was born with the name Marcus Julius Gessius Bassianus Alexianus. Alexander's father, Marcus Julius Gessius Marcianus was a Syrian Promagistrate. His mother Julia Avita Mamaea was the second daughter of Julia Maesa and Syrian noble Julius Avitus and maternal aunt of Emperor Elagabalus. He had an elder sister called Theoclia and little is known about her. Alexander's maternal great-aunt was empress Julia Domna (also Maesa's younger sister) and his great-uncle in marriage was emperor Lucius Septimius Severus. Emperors Caracalla and Publius Septimius Geta, were his mother's maternal cousins. In 221, Alexander's grandmother, Maesa, persuaded the emperor to adopt his cousin as successor and make him Caesar and Bassianus changed his name to Alexander. In the following year, on March 11, Elagabalus was murdered, and Alexander was proclaimed emperor by the Praetorians and accepted by the Senate.
When Alexander became emperor, he was young, amiable, well-meaning, and entirely under the dominion of his mother. Julia Mamaea was a woman of many virtues, and she surrounded the young emperor with wise counsellors. She watched over the development of her son's character and improved the tone of the administration. On the other hand, she was inordinately jealous. She also alienated the army by extreme parsimony, and neither she nor her son were strong enough to impose military discipline. Mutinies became frequent in all parts of the empire; to one of them the life of the jurist and praetorian praefect Ulpian was sacrificed; another compelled the retirement of Cassius Dio from his command.
On the whole, however, the reign of Alexander was prosperous until the rise, in the east, of the Sassanids. Of the war that followed there are very various accounts. (Mommsen leans to that which is least favourable to the Romans). According to Alexander's own dispatch to the senate, he gained great victories. At all events, though the Sassanids were checked for the time, the conduct of the Roman army showed an extraordinary lack of discipline. The emperor returned to Rome and celebrated a triumph in 233.
The following year he was called to face German invaders in Gaul, who had breached the Rhine frontier in several places, destroying forts and over-running the countryside. Alexander mustered his forces, bringing legions from the eastern provinces, and crossed the Rhine into Germany on a pontoon bridge. Initially he attempted to buy the German tribes off, so as to gain time. Whether this was a wise policy or not, it caused the Roman legionaries to look down on their emperor as one who was prepared to commit unsoldierly conduct. Herodian says "in their opinion Alexander showed no honourable intention to pursue the war and preferred a life of ease, when he should have marched out to punish the Germans for their previous insolence". These circumstances drove the army to look for a new leader. They chose Gaius Iulius Verus Maximinus, a Thracian soldier who had worked his way up through the ranks.
Following the nomination of Maximinus as emperor, Alexander was slain, (on either March 18 and March 19 235 are the two possibilities), together with his mother, in a mutiny of the Legio XXII Primigenia. These assassinations secured the throne for Maximinus.
The death of Alexander is now recognised as the final nail in the coffin of the Principate system established by Augustus and signalled the beginning of the chaotic period known as the Crisis of the Third Century which weakened the empire considerably.
Legacy
Alexander was the last of the Syrian emperors. Under the influence of his mother, he did much to improve the morals and condition of the people. His advisers were men like the famous jurist Ulpian, the historian Cassius Dio and a select board of sixteen senators; a municipal council of fourteen assisted the urban praefect in administering the affairs of the fourteen districts of Rome. The luxury and extravagance that had formerly been so prevalent at the court were put down; the standard of the coinage was raised; taxes were lightened; literature, art and science were encouraged; the lot of the soldiers was improved; and, for the convenience of the people, loan offices were instituted for lending money at a moderate rate of interest.
In religious matters Alexander preserved an open mind. It is said that he was desirous of erecting a temple to the founder of Christianity, but was dissuaded by the pagan priests.
Marriage
Alexander married Sallustia Orbiana Augusta in 225, but divorced and exiled her in 227, after her father Seius Sallustius was executed for attempted murder of his emperor.
See also
External links
- (Historia Augusta at LacusCurtius: Latin text and English translation)
- a site devoted to this emperor
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