Except that Septimius Severus was born in what is now Libya, spoke Latin with a Punic (Carthaginian) accent. He was half Libyan and half Roman. He was not a black African in the way we would use the term today. He would have been Semitic and Italian. In fact, there is an account of Severus meeting an "Aethiop," which was what the Romans called black Africans. Severus wanted the man out of his sight because of his "ominous color." I assume that this book is fiction, not history, which is fine. But it's misleading to apply modern racial terminologies to the ancient world in order to serve modern political purposes.
He was not a black African in the way we would use the term today. He would have been Semitic and Italian.
In fact, there is an account of Severus meeting an "Aethiop,"
which was what the Romans called black Africans. Severus wanted the man out of his sight because of his "ominous color."
I assume that this book is fiction, not history, which is fine. But it's misleading to apply modern racial terminologies to the ancient world in order to serve modern political purposes.