Episode LXXXVII – Severan Stories I

Emperors of Rome

La Trobe University

Roman Emire, Rhiannon Evans, Biography, Emperor, La Trobe University, Roman History, Julius Caesar, Rome, Caesar, Ancient History, History, Caillan Davenport, Roman Emperors

4.8 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 23 January 2018

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Three different events in the reign of Septimius Severus.

Act I - A hair of the beard

Gaius Fulvius Plautianus was a trusted relative of Septimius who became pretorian prefect and remained a close advisor. There was no love lost with the rest of the emperor’s family, which led to a swift demise.

Act II - Princes who adore you

Septimius’ sons Antoninus and Geta were constant rivals, and the Emperor worried about their behaviour and indulgences during the idle days in Rome.

Act III - Cordially detested

Septimius had a close relationship with his wife Julia Domna, and the empire respected her as the mother of the dynasty. She is remembered as having a keen political mind and being a patron of thinkers, but she wasn’t always respected in the palace.

Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

Transcript

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0:00.0	Ahve, and welcome to Emperor of Rome, a Roman history podcast from Latrobe University.
0:11.6	I'm your host Matt Smith and with me today is Dr.
0:14.5	Caylan Davenport, lecturer in Roman history from Macquarie University.
0:18.8	This is episode LXX VII, Severin Story's I.
0:25.0	Today we look at three different people from the life of Septimia Severus.
0:29.0	We'll spend some time getting to know those who are close to him
0:32.0	and those who got a little bit too close to him.
0:35.2	Act I, a hair from the beard, the death of Plautianus.
0:39.2	Here's Caitianus.
0:40.4	He's Caitianus has been with Timius Severus from the beginning so a
0:44.4	Plortianus is from Leptus Magna like Septimius Severus. Plortianus is a man of the
0:51.5	equestrian order so he's not a senator when he starts his career and at first he is
0:56.4	Prefectus Wiggolum the commander of the Wiggolays the Watch in the City of Rome and then
1:02.3	from 197 he becomes
1:04.1	Pretorian Prefect the Empress of key right-hand man is in charge of the
1:08.4	Pretorianus. But what happens with Plautianus is he's given power beyond any previous
1:14.7	Pretorian Prefect including Sir Janus the infamous Prefect of Tiberius.
1:19.4	So Plautianus holds the consulship, he is made a senator, and he even becomes patrician,
1:25.9	so he's not just a senator, he's the real sort of top ranks of the senatorial aristocracy.
1:32.3	Antoninus is actually married to Plautilla, the daughter of Plautianus.
1:37.2	So you see in sort of imagery in Rome such as a very famous arch of the Argentinai, the arch of the bankers, which is in the forum bararium of the
1:45.6	cattle market. There were these happy family images of Septimius Severus, Julia Domna, Antoninus, Lortilla, Getta, and there are coins that are minted trumpeting the happiness
	...

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