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Who Were the Severan Emperors of Rome?

By , About.com Guide

Bust of Julia Domna.

Bust of Julia Domna.

CC Flickr User Chris Waits
Question: Who Were the Severan Emperors of Rome?
Which emperors were the Severans and when was the Severan Dynasty?
Answer: There were five Severan emperors in the Severan Dynasty. The first of the Severan Emperors was also the first of the soldier emperors of Rome, Septimius Severus.

L. Septimius Severus - ruled 197-211. (Born April 11, 145.)

Caracalla - ruled 211-217. (Born April 4, 188.)

Geta - ruled 211. (Born March 7, 189.)

Elagabalus - ruled 218-222. (Born 203-304.)

Severus Alexander - ruled 222-235. (Born October 1, 208.)

Powerful women influenced the course of their lives, particularly Septimius Severus' sister-in-law Julia Maesa, Julia Domna, Caracalla and Geta's mother, Julia Soaemias, Elagabalus' mother, and Severus Alexander's mother, Julia Mamaea. These emperors had Libyan and Syrian backgrounds.

After the Severans, the next era for the Roman Empire was the period of Chaos, followed by the Tetrarchy, followed by Constantine's dynasty and with it, the acceptance of Christianity in the Empire.

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