Septimius Severus was a Roman general and later a Roman emperor too. He has the credit of being the first emperor from North Africa. He was born and brought up in Libya which was known as Leptis Magna in those times. He belonged to a very distinguished and well-to-do family. He was black in colour as every body else who came from these regions. This just goes to prove that there was no racial discrimination during the times of the Roman Empire.
Thus it proves that people were not discriminated on the basis of colour and race. Septimius Severus is also at times known as "The Black Emperor". Yet this cannot be ascertained through the busts and coins of that time. But I believe you can make out his features through these engravings and carvings.
" Severus came from a wealthy, distinguished family of equestrian rank. He was of Italian Roman ancestry on his mother's side and Phoenician ancestry on his father's side.[12] "
A quotation based on the ancient records showing Severus would not be called Black as we think of the Sub-Saharan Black.
False claims on history serve no one well.
Rihan Sharma , HI i am adam smith from India., answered
Severus probably did look like Claudio Gentile, but I don't think he could perform soccer like him! He probably was similar to Hannibal.
Oh come on people. Septimius Severus was obviously mixed race. The reason people can identify the fact that he looks like the Romans AND people identify the fact that he looks what would be called a black man today is because he was of MIXED "race". So as with most mixed people today he would've most likely have been somewhere in the range of looking tanned to medium brown, seeing as his mother was Roman.
All these claims that he was "Black" and he was "clearly not Black" are ridiculous, when it is clearly obvious that however so he was of mixed descent. So however it's looked at, yes the Romans did allow someone of a "different" look/"race" to themselves become their leader.
The reason why there is so much uncertainty with claims of him being black or white being regarded as strange when he doesn't quite look like either is because he wasn't!!
Septimius Severus was a North African native, which most probably means that he was of Berber origin. Although, there are some people who for some reason or another consider anything to do with Africa to mean black, history speaks another language and Septimius Severus was definitely not black.
Septimius Severus was a Libyan native, born in Leptis Magna where is his statue still up to now (see www.donparrish.com I can not see any different in between him and any other roman emperors. So do not tell me that all the Roman emperors were blacks.
I did grow up near Leptis Magna, I spent most of my life around it, and recently with surprise, exactly before USA election, I start hearing things and stories about the great emperor Septimius Severus that he was black, I did believe that was part of president Obama election comp, is like something normal or usual for great nations and superpowers to have black leader! (or introduction for the new president so people do not get shocked or panic if he wine the election), one day and that day might come remember this, if somebody says to you that all Romans were blacks! Please try to understand that America is becoming a black country like any one in Africa!
Septimius Severus is Libyan-Italian Barbarian purely white dark Mediterranean race not black!!! Blacks had naiver cross the desert only with slave businessmen find great trade there, so he myth looks like Qaddafi and Claudio Gentile!!! You can see big different between Claudio Gentile and Mohamed Sissoko
I also do not believe that Septimius Severus was black! He is Libyan, like any Libyan, maybe he looked like Qaddafi and I do agree with some of those smart people around the world who believe this was part of president Barack Obama advertisement to elect him! Something which to many black people can not understand and they just believe it! Three or five or many years ago did somebody say any thing such this! NO naiver, so please do not use and change our history because of election or whatsoever! Loca Pazzini from Roma.
I disagree that Septimius Severus was black! I 'll explain to you my reason! As Italian who livis and touch this stories every day in my life! Please consider those facts: In our ancient society blacks were slaved, who do the hard and dirty jobs and lived for that only! Some of them had no names nothing just the parson who owned them, they used to be for seal and buying as expensive or cheap! I advice anybody to read this article before we start! mathildasanthropologyblog.wordpress.com all we agree that he was son of Libyan father and Italian mother, so we used to mix with Libyans and Greeks very easy! So his color maybe dark to white not to black! As you can see his status everywhere! Last words: In that time, the Romans naiver accepted any different race! Spacial to be their leader.
