The Emperor Septimius Severus
Anthony Birley describes how Septimius grappled manfully with the problem of governing that great monster, the Roman Empire.
He was small in body but strong, although he eventually grew very weak from gout; his mind was very keen and vigorous. He was eager for more education than he obtained and for this reason, although he was a man full of ideas, he was not a great talker. Towards friends he was not forgetful, towards enemies most oppressive; he was painstaking in everything that he wanted to achieve, but did not care what was said about him’ (Cassius
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