Severus Alexander

The last of the Severan dynasty, Severus Alexander came to power at thirteen under the regency of his mother Julia Mamaea and grandmother Julia Maesa. His reign was moderate and conciliatory but undermined by an inability to control the military, particularly after the rise of the Sassanid Persian Empire.

The murder of Severus Alexander marked the end of the last stable dynasty and the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century, a half-century of military anarchy, economic collapse, and territorial fragmentation that nearly destroyed the Roman Empire.

Key Events

222 AD Accession at age thirteen after the murder of Elagabalus

225 AD Restored traditional Roman cults and reversed Elagabalus's religious policies

230 AD Sassanid invasion under Ardashir I threatened the eastern frontier

232 AD Inconclusive Persian campaign; claimed victory but results were mixed

235 AD Murdered by mutinous soldiers near Mainz along with his mother, ending the Severan dynasty

Coinage

Severus Alexander's coinage is abundant and well-struck, featuring a gradual portrait evolution from youthful boy to mature man. The denarius remains a major denomination, though the antoninianus was briefly suspended during his reign before being reintroduced.

Denominations

Aureus Denarius Sestertius Dupondius As

Notable Types

Mars Ultor types for the Persian campaign
Spes and Pax types reflecting the reign's themes
Julia Mamaea types as Augusta

Common Reverses

PM TR P COS MARS VLTOR PAX AVG SPES PVBLICA VICTORIA AVG ANNONA AVG IOVI PROPVGNATORI

Active Mints

Rome Antioch

Key Events

Coinage

Further Reading