DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18096#0285
Africa under Alexander Severus 217
picturesque headland. In the third century Caesarea contained
a large population of wealthy citizens, descendants of Roman
families who had settled there in the days of Claudius to do
honour to so kingly a dependent as Juba II. Every traveller
who has visited Cherchel can bear testimony to the extent of
the ruins of the ancient city and its extensive suburbs. The
undulations on the hillsides mark the sites of Roman villas, and
it is within the range of probability that the lordly dwelling
which became the home of the banished princess may some
day be unearthed, and some memorials of her career brought to
light. The fate of Orbiana as a dweller in such a spot as
Cherchel needs little commiseration.
It is a reproach against Alexander Severus that excessive
amiability often caused much injury to others, and that abject
deference to his mother's will was a blot in a career which, in
other respects, was almost blameless. Like so many of his pre-
decessors, who had attempted to correct long-standing abuses
in the army and to restore discipline in the garrison towns, his
career also was terminated by the hands of a soldier assassin.
The decree of the Praetorian guard was omnipotent, and the
rule of the sword irresistible. Alexander, as a reforming
Emperor, was condemned, and, almost simultaneously, mother
and son fell together. If we are to credit Herodian, who shows
no favour to Julia Mammaea, Alexander was a victim to the
greed and sordid avarice of his mother. To gratify her desire
for wealth she forced the Emperor to reduce the pay of the
soldiers for the sole purpose of personal aggrandisement.
In testimony of inherent vitality in the Roman people,
the progress of colonisation in the African provinces was not
materially affected by these frequent attempts to undermine
the constitution and place the Empire at the mercy of the
sword. The reign of Alexander, which happily lasted for nearly
fourteen years, had been specially favourable to an increase of
population in the towns of North Africa, to the advance of
agriculture in the interior of the country, and to the establish-
ment of numerous castella and other works of defence for the
protection of the frontiers from tribal attacks. For instance, a
stone found on the plains of Setif bears an inscription relating
to the construction of a castellum Dianense during his reign.1
1 C.I.L. No. 8701. Rec. de Const. 1875, p. 338.
picturesque headland. In the third century Caesarea contained
a large population of wealthy citizens, descendants of Roman
families who had settled there in the days of Claudius to do
honour to so kingly a dependent as Juba II. Every traveller
who has visited Cherchel can bear testimony to the extent of
the ruins of the ancient city and its extensive suburbs. The
undulations on the hillsides mark the sites of Roman villas, and
it is within the range of probability that the lordly dwelling
which became the home of the banished princess may some
day be unearthed, and some memorials of her career brought to
light. The fate of Orbiana as a dweller in such a spot as
Cherchel needs little commiseration.
It is a reproach against Alexander Severus that excessive
amiability often caused much injury to others, and that abject
deference to his mother's will was a blot in a career which, in
other respects, was almost blameless. Like so many of his pre-
decessors, who had attempted to correct long-standing abuses
in the army and to restore discipline in the garrison towns, his
career also was terminated by the hands of a soldier assassin.
The decree of the Praetorian guard was omnipotent, and the
rule of the sword irresistible. Alexander, as a reforming
Emperor, was condemned, and, almost simultaneously, mother
and son fell together. If we are to credit Herodian, who shows
no favour to Julia Mammaea, Alexander was a victim to the
greed and sordid avarice of his mother. To gratify her desire
for wealth she forced the Emperor to reduce the pay of the
soldiers for the sole purpose of personal aggrandisement.
In testimony of inherent vitality in the Roman people,
the progress of colonisation in the African provinces was not
materially affected by these frequent attempts to undermine
the constitution and place the Empire at the mercy of the
sword. The reign of Alexander, which happily lasted for nearly
fourteen years, had been specially favourable to an increase of
population in the towns of North Africa, to the advance of
agriculture in the interior of the country, and to the establish-
ment of numerous castella and other works of defence for the
protection of the frontiers from tribal attacks. For instance, a
stone found on the plains of Setif bears an inscription relating
to the construction of a castellum Dianense during his reign.1
1 C.I.L. No. 8701. Rec. de Const. 1875, p. 338.