Septimius Severus et senatores once again. A Debate with Cesare Letta

Abstract

The article controverts Cesare Letta’s lecture given on the 19th International Epigraphic Congress (Rome 2014) and published later that year in the post-conference proceedings (C. Letta, Settimo Severo e il senato // Epigrafia e ordine senatorio, 30 anni dopo, Roma. 2014, pp. 127–141). C. Letta claims (and I disagree with him) that the upper limit of senators in the Severan era is 600. He rejects Historia Augusta with its list of condemned senators mentioned by name at the same time including anonymous ones known from other sources (such as Herodian, Cassius Dio, epigraphy) thus establishing the number of senators repressed by Septimius Severus at 111. On the basis of my research I conclude that the limit of senators amounts to 900–1000 people, the list of the repressed (only the ones known by name) amounts to 55 people, that is 5 % of the senate’s makeup. I ascertain the aforementioned figures (as regards the scope of repressions) are minimum values, however, contrary to C. Letta’s calculations, mine are based on substantive personal data. I concur with Cesare Letta that Africans had strong position in senate of the Roman Empire in the Antonine as well as in the Severan era. According to my research, they constituted a bit more than 20 % of all senators in the Severan period. Nevertheless, I uphold my opinion of a significant role of Africans being in the very close circles of Septimius Severus — they constituted 40 % of the senators there. These values (20 % and 40 %) are very meaningful and they represent the role of Severus’s kin in the ruling elite well. Therefore, I can not agree with Cesare Letta that the issue of origo in Septimius Severus’s personal policy can be marginalized. Refs 14.