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, Ancient History

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.

[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

[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.

[David Brimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 Stars: As a good a biography of Septimius Severus as one could ask for. Well researched and well written, The African Emperor is top shelf Roman history.

[Douglas Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This brief biography packs in recent discoveries and more up to date thinking than the previous authoritative text on the matter. Elliot tells the story of a social outsider, a Carthaginian; who seized power in the aftermath of the throne of the Roman Empire was sold to the highest bidder in the wake of the assassination of Emperor Pertinax by his own guards. From this pathetic event, an able and wily general took power in Rome who then took out his resentment on the Senate. Elliot is best at relating the military campaigns that brought Septimius Severus to power and cemented his rule. The author presents the civil wars against Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus as campaigns of movement that seem more like Napoleonic campaigns than the kinds of wars the Romans typically carried out. There is much movement, maneuvering, bypassing, cities under siege and climactic, decisive battles.
Elliot seems less comfortable with the many domestic battles Severus fought however- the tension between his Praetorian Prefect, Gaius Fulvius Platianus and the rest of his family, a tension that ended with the deaths of a few members of the Severan family feels downplayed. Also sidelined is the friction between the imperial sons, Caracalla and Geta which also had fatal consequences. Overall, Simon Elliot highlights how the Severan dynasty was a pivotal moment for Roman history. His chief aim seems to be updating the lore presented in Birley's similarly titled biography from the 1980s while also slimming down the text. Overall a satisfying read for the reader interested in learning about the transition from noble Antonine dynasty to the military anarchy of the 3rd century.

[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.

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

[Well of Lost Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost DNF this because it was dense as hell.

My Roman Empire knowledge was also heavily skewed towards the celebrities: Julius Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, Caligula, Commodus... Septimius Severus wasn't even on my radar.

Once the book finally settles into Severus's biography (a few chapters in), it becomes a fascinating look at an emperor I'd never encountered before. As a history buff, I ended up genuinely enjoying the deep dive into a lesser-known Roman emperor (well, lesser known to me anyway).

Would I recommend it? Probably not. Am I glad I read it? Absolutely. Sometimes a book doesn't have to be universally enjoyable to be personally rewarding.

[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.