Septimus Severus was a Numidian African Moor from North Africa. He was the founder and ancestor of all the members of the Severan Dynasty.
“Septimius Severus was the first Roman emperor not born and raised in Italy. His father’s family originally came from Libya (Leptis Magna) and his mother’s family were Etruscans (Italian).
His grandfather, a Muurish knight of the Roman empire, owned land near Rome, but Septimius had grown up in Libya, Africa with his father.”
“Septimius married Julia Domna, a Syrian, daughter of a high priest. The name Domna is derived from the archaic Arabic word dumayna, meaning ‘black’. Septimius and Julia had two sons, Caracalla, the elder, born in AD 188, and Geta.”
Because Septimius’s family were highly placed Roman citizens, he was entitled to be educated in Rome. Upon graduation he became a lawyer and practised briefly in Rome.
His family background, education and experience placed him within a strong network of influence and privilege. He had solid support and patronage within the highest ranks of the empire.
He became a Roman senator at the age of 18 years upon an imperial appointment sanctioned by Marcus Aureilus in 175 AD.
He then joined the imperial legion, as an officer. From the age of 24 he took part in campaigns in Spain, Syria, Gaul, Sicily and Athens. Soon he had attained the rank of a military commander in the imperial legion, and became a member of the Praetorian Guards.
He also served as the governor of Gallia Lugdunensis and Sicily and, towards the end of Commodus’ reign, he was made consul in AD 190.
The Africans in Rome
As should be obvious to anyone with any knowledge of Roman history, black people in generally were foundational in the demographics of Rome. It is generally known that the kingdom that preceded Rome, Etruria, was basically built by a black and brown people who had immigrated to the Roman penninsula via North Africa.
Roman empire thus had many prominent black people, some being aboriginal Europeans, otherwise known as European Muurs, others came from Anatolia from the regions of Smyrna, Sardis, Cappodocia and Syria. Many of the ancient Bishops of the orthodox church were from this branch of black people, and their iconic images still exist today to bear testimony to their ethnicity.
One also had Muurs from Africa, Ethiopia and Libya. Muurish Africans from Morocco, from Egypt, as far as the present day Nigerbend countries like Nigeria and Mali were also prominent in the Roman empire. Many were landed aristocracy like the family of Septimius Severus, (and others such as Gaius Nigrinus etc).
Rome actively sought out the Muurish Africans because they were the founts of knowledge, religion and culture. Egyptian and Ethiopian priest presided over the shrines of Isis, which were prevalent all over the Roman empire.
Engineering geniuses from Alexandria, from Thebes, Egypt and others from Kart Hadash, from Meroe, and Abbyssinia all flocked Rome because there was a sore need of them in the construction and finishing of the imperial building projects.
Blogs Home
