The African Emperor: The Life of Septimius Severus

by Simon Elliott

Septimius Severus was Rome's black emperor. Born in the blistering heat of a North African spring in Leptis Magna AD 145, he died in the freezing cold of a northern British winter in York in AD 211. A giant of an emperor, whose career can be counted in superlatives, Severus was in power at the height of Rome's might. He led the largest army to ever campaign in Britain, comprising 50,000 men, part of a Roman military establishment which peaked at 33 legions under his rule.



Born into the richest family, in the richest part of the Roman Empire, Severus monumentalised his rule across the empire. He visited - and often fought in - every region. Where he did, he left a mighty legacy in the built environment, for example in Rome where much of the Forum Romanum and most of the imperial palaces are Severan. In North Africa, his hometown of Leptis Magna is all Severan, as are the Roman cities at the Atlas mountains. In London, the land walls that still define the City's Square Mile were delineated under his rule. Visitors to the under croft at York Minster can stand where he died.


Septimius Severus was one of the greatest warrior emperors, a hard man who almost died in battle several times and whose attitude is reflected in his deathbed advice to two 'Be of one mind with your family, enrich the soldiers, and despise the rest.'

Genres: History, Nonfiction

378 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 11, 2025

About the author

Dr. Simon Elliot is an archaeologist and historian. He was awarded a PhD by the University of Kent where he studied the military presence in the South-East during the Roman occupation of Britain. He also has an MA in Archaeology from University College London and an MA in War Studies from King's College London. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent.

Reviews

[Ruben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Septimius Severus is probably the most powerful person ever born in Africa. He was from Leptis Magna (in today's Libya), followed the cursus honorum and rose through the ranks of the military and seized his opportunity as Governor of Pannonia in the year of five emperors. He ruled the Roman Empire from 193 - 211.

Enough fascinating material one would expect, but this biography is really quite strange.

It starts with an inconclusive chapter on whether Septimius Severus was black - not uninteresting but not sure why this had to be dealt with upfront.

Subsequently we get an enormous section (almost one third of the entire book) giving us random facts about the Roman Empire at the time of Severus; especially going through each of the provinces one by one felt very much beside the point - this is a biography and we want to know more about Septimius Severus. I started to worry that perhaps there is too little source material about the man to fill an entire biography.

When we finally get to Severus and the story really kicks off with the year of the five emperors, the author continues to make strange choices (an obsession to name each legion by name for instance).

The author is clearly a great expert and his knowledge is impressive, but to make a good popular history he should have made better choices about what to tell, where to tell it and what to leave out. It felt a bit like listening to an uncle who keeps not getting to the point.

Still, my objective was to learn more about Severus and the late 2nd century, and I did. So I still recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the audio-ARC.

[Cristina Elena | LaaA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Title: The African Emperor. The Life of Septimius

Author: Simon Elliott

Narrator: John Sackville

Genre: Biography, History

Publication Date: 11-September-2025

Rating: ★★★★★

I received a free copy from Bolinda Audio and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Introduction

📜 This book is a useful and fascinating introduction to the life and times of Septimius Severus. It does a great job of using historical documents and references to build a readable, chronologically ordered story, which really piqued my interest in history books. The audiobook is very well-written and narrated, making it a pleasure to listen to and a great way to absorb so much knowledge.

----
To be continued on Substack. Follow me on my Substack for more reviews!

[Josh Swinscoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about the life and times of Septimius Severus and the Severan era. However, as Interesting and entertaining this book was, the first
80 or so pages were some of the most dull pages I have ever read. The content is necessary, and interesting, how ever it isn't written in an entertaining or engaging format in the slightest. And this is the same with the final 60 or so pages. However the middle of the book was engaging, interesting, fun and something I wanted to keep reading, which is a shame its sandwiched between two dull parts. To conclude, the book is interesting and teaches, but I would only recommend it slightly, not the best I've ever read.

3½/5

[Artie LeBlanc · Rating 3 out of 5]

This s a well-produced book with good colour plates - rare today at this price point.

I have heard the author speak on several occasions - he is both engaging and erudite. Sadly, while this book is erudite, I didn't find it engaging.

Almost the first quarter of the book is spent in a dull review of the significance of colour and race in the Roman Empire, and in the geography and military dispositions at the time. This really is dull. By the time we finally reached Severus, I was predisposed to be bored: and the style was not engaging enough to carry me to the end. I was disappointed.

[Julie Friar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biography of Septimus Severus AD145 to his death in York in AD211. He led the largest army to every campaign in Britain, over 50,000 men. He is known as one of the greatest warrior emperors.

Very well written and well narrated book (I listened to the audiobook). This book holds so much knowledge it was a pleasure to listen to.