The death of Commodus on New Year's Eve A.D. 192 plunged Rome into another period of uncertainty and bloodshed. The new era began with the brief reigns of Pertinax and Didius Julianus. The stately senator, Publius Helvius Pertinax, tried to bring calm to the chaos immediately after Commodus' assassination. However, he introduced his changes far too quickly for the Praetorian Guard. Furthermore, he tried to impeach the freedmen who had murdered Commodus, thereby alienating any support he may have had. On 28th March A.D. 193 a Praetorian officer marched into the palace and hacked Pertinax to death. An unfitting end for a man of such promise. Further chaos erupted and one of the most bizarre events in Roman history now took place the position of emperor was put up for auction by the Praetorians. An ex-consul named Didius Julianus was the winner after assuring the Guard that he would not seek retribution for the murder of Pertinax. Unknown to Julianus at the time, three new rival claimants to the throne emerged after the death of Pertinax. Pescennius Niger, governor of Syria, Clodius Albinus, governor of Britain and Septimius Severus, governor of Upper Pannonia, were all acclaimed and supported by their respective legions. Severus was the cleverest of the three and he decided to march to Rome immediately. The unfortunate Julianus was sentenced to death by the Senate and a loyal officer of Severus marched into the palace on the Palatine and killed the old emperor; his reign had lasted for 66 days. The first emperor of North African origin, Septimius Severus was a shrewd and capable man with a good understanding of human nature! Severus offered Clodius Albinus the title of Caesar while he dealt with Niger in Syria. Severus marched his legions to the East and defeated Niger after a bloody and decisive battle near the River Issus in April A.D. 194. The next phase was to be rid of Clodius Albinus. At the end of A.D. 194 Severus had his eldest son, Septimius Bassianus, renamed as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and promoted him to Caesar. The new name linked the Severans to the distinguished Antonine dynasty and the promotion was a major snub to Albinus. The governor of Britain crossed the English Channel with 40,000 men and marched towards Rome. Severus met him near Lyons in southern Gaul and defeated his rival after several hours, riding his horse over the body of Albinus as a sign of complete victory. Severus was now the undisputed emperor; it was February A.D. 197 and he returned to Rome to stamp his authority on the Empire. James R. Wadman B.A., M.A. [History and Archaeology] for TimeLine Originals

Lucius Aurelius Commodus, son of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina Junior, was born at Lanunvium in A.D. 161. He was given the rank of Caesar at the early age of five. The only uprising during his reign, that of northern Britain in the early A.D. 180's, and was easily suppressed. He became insane in later life and was strangled by an athlete hired by his conspirators on the night of December 31st A.D. 192.

Bruttia Crispina was the daughter of one of Marcus Aurelius' trusted generals. Crispina was elevated to a position of empress as soon as she married Commodus in A.D. 178. Both Lucilla and herself were exiled to the island of Capri and later killed when they were implicated in a plot to assassinate Commodus.

Publius Helvius Pertinax was Emperor for only 86 days. Born in Alba, the son of a freedman Helvius Successus, originally Pertinax made his way as a teacher of grammar, but he eventually decided to find a more rewarding line of work and through the help of patronage he was commissioned an officer in a cohort. In the Parthian war that followed, he was able to distinguish himself, which resulted in a string of promotions, and after postings in Britain (as military tribune of the Legio VI Victrix) and along the Danube, he served as a procurator in Dacia. In 175 A.D. he received the honor of a suffect consulship and until 185 A.D., Pertinax was governor of the provinces of Upper and Lower Moesia, Dacia, Syria and finally governor of Britain. In the decade of the 180s, Pertinax took a pivotal role in the Roman Senate until the praetorian prefect Sextus Tigidius Perennis forced him out of public life. He was recalled after three years to Britain, whose army at the time was in a state of mutiny. He tried to quell the unruly soldiers there but one legion mutinied and attacked his bodyguard, leaving Pertinax for dead. When he recovered, he punished the mutineers severely which led to his growing reputation as a disciplinarian. When he was forced to resign in 187 A.D., the reason given was that the legions had grown hostile to him because of his harsh rule.

Decimus Clodius Septimus Albinus was a native of North Africa. As a military commander he served with distinction under Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He became governor of Bithynia, lower Germany and Britain. Clodius was eventually declared an enemy of the state and was defeated in battle at Lugdunum in Gaul on 19th February A.D. 196 by Septimius Severus.

Lucius Septimius Severus was born on 11th April A.D. 145. He built the triumphal arch to commemorate his great victories in the Parthian wars; the Septizodium, a free-standing ornamental facade and nymphaeum; and various additions to the Imperial Palace. Secular games were held in A.D. 204. Severus set out for Britain in A.D. 208 where he spent his last two and a half years. He restored Hadrian's Wall, then vigorously penetrated far into Scotland to secure the northern frontier.

Julia Domna was born in Syria around A.D. 170. She married Septimius Severus in A.D. 188, and had a son who was later to become the Emperor Caracalla, and a second son P. Septimius Geta. In A.D. 208 she accompanied Severus, Caracalla and Geta on prolonged military campaigns to Britain.