Septimius took the throne by military force—a decision that made him overwhelmingly unpopular with the Senate. During his rule, he increased the size of the military and the wages of soldiers. During his reign, the Roman Empire reached its greatest size, stretching from Britain to Red Sea. To learn more about life in the Roman Army, see Resource #1.
Working from the legacy of the Ancient Greeks, the Ancient Romans built masterful pieces of engineering. Arches and domes became common in public buildings, aqueducts carried water all over the Empire, and the use of concrete allowed for an increase in architectural flexibility. To learn about one of the greatest feats in Roman architecture, the Colosseum, see Resource #2.
Septimius Severus Activity Guide
Teacher-Made Septimius Severus Lesson Plan- 6th Grade Social Studies
Teacher-Made Septimius Severus Lesson Plan- High School Latin
TedEd: Life as a Roman Soldier
Septimius Severus took control of the Empire thanks to the military, but Rome had a long tradition of a strong military before his ascension. Take a look into what life was like for a Roman soldier.
The Colosseum is one of the most recognizable pieces of architecture in the world. This oval amphitheater was built over 100 years before the reign of Septimius Severus and continues to be one of the oldest and largest amphitheaters in the world. To learn more about the events held in the Colosseum, see the video above.
To tour the Colosseum yourself, visit the links below:
Exterior: http://www.360cities.net/image/colosseum-south-west-side-rome#18.90,-16.70,80.0
Here is an artist rendering of what Septimius Severus might have looked like, alongside some of the reference works that helped make the modern image. The colored fresco in the upper right is especially famous for showing Septimius Severus with his natural skin and hair color.
