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Hello, and welcome to the history of Rome. Episode 101 and all was of little

value. We date the reign of Septimius Severus from the moment he was hailed

emperor by the Pannonian legions in April 192, but it wasn't until February

197 that he could really relax comfortably on his throne. During the

intervening five years, he had been forced to sit perched on the edge of his

seat as he parried the thrusts of first Didius Julionus, then Paschinius

Niger, and finally Claudius Albinus. But following the defeat of Albinus at

Lugdonum, the empire ran out of men willing to get in Severus's way. Rome was

now his and his alone. But where other men might have been able to enjoy what

they had won, Severus soon discovered that it was the chase far more than the

...