Lucius Alfenus Senecio
Encyclopedia
Lucius Alfenus Senecio was a Roman
figure of the late 2nd - early 3rd centuries.
, in Africa, Lucius Alfenus Senecio was a Romanized North African
. He served as consul
and as governor of Syria
in 200. Between c. 205 and 207, he was the last governor of all Roman Britain
prior to its division into multiple provinces.
He restored many of the installations at Hadrian's Wall
following the uprisings of earlier years and a Victory dedication mentions his name. Dio Cassius
also writes of victories in Britain in 206 and it is therefore likely that he finished the re-occupation of the province and its frontiers. Troubles from the tribes immediately north of the wall however, trouble from the Maeatae
and the Caledonian Confederacy appear to have required expeditions north of the wall. Senecio seems to have been initially successful; he erected a victory monument at Benwell
.
Herodian
records that he requested re-enforcements from emperor Septimius Severus
, perhaps to undertake punishment raids in Scotland or for a military expedition led by the emperor himself. His report back to Rome described barbarians rebelling, overrunning the land, taking booty and causing destruction. Despite being 62 years old, Septimius Severus chose to intervene personally, arriving in 208 to lead new campaigns.
When Severus arrived in Britain he charged his youngest son, Publius Septimius Geta
with the task of administering some aspects of Roman Britain although as viceroy
rather than as a formal governor.
When Severus died at York
in 211, his eldest son, Caracalla
tried to claim the throne. As part of his efforts to settle matters in Britain before leaving to press his claim, he may have divided the province into Britannia Inferior
in the south and Britannia Superior
in the north, each with its own governor. Alternatively, the division may have been decreed by Severus sometime previously.
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
figure of the late 2nd - early 3rd centuries.
Career
Born in Curculum, now DjemilaDjemila
Djémila is a mountain village in Algeria, near the northern coast east of Algiers, where some of the best preserved Berbero-Roman ruins in North Africa are found...
, in Africa, Lucius Alfenus Senecio was a Romanized North African
. He served as consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
and as governor of Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
in 200. Between c. 205 and 207, he was the last governor of all Roman Britain
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
prior to its division into multiple provinces.
He restored many of the installations at Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
following the uprisings of earlier years and a Victory dedication mentions his name. Dio Cassius
Dio Cassius
Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus , known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was a Roman consul and a noted historian writing in Greek...
also writes of victories in Britain in 206 and it is therefore likely that he finished the re-occupation of the province and its frontiers. Troubles from the tribes immediately north of the wall however, trouble from the Maeatae
Maeatae
The Maeatae were a confederation of tribes who lived probably beyond the Antonine Wall in Roman Britain. The historical sources are vague as to the exact region they inhabited....
and the Caledonian Confederacy appear to have required expeditions north of the wall. Senecio seems to have been initially successful; he erected a victory monument at Benwell
Benwell
Benwell is an area in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne, England.-History:Benwell village was recorded in A.D. 1050 known as Bynnewalle which roughly translates as "behind the wall" or "by the wall". Referring to its position relative to Hadrian's Wall...
.
Herodian
Herodian
Herodian or Herodianus of Syria was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful history in Greek titled History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus in eight books covering the years 180 to 238. His work is not entirely reliable although his relatively unbiased account of Elagabalus is...
records that he requested re-enforcements from emperor Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus , also known as Severus, was Roman Emperor from 193 to 211. Severus was born in Leptis Magna in the province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Severus seized power after the death of...
, perhaps to undertake punishment raids in Scotland or for a military expedition led by the emperor himself. His report back to Rome described barbarians rebelling, overrunning the land, taking booty and causing destruction. Despite being 62 years old, Septimius Severus chose to intervene personally, arriving in 208 to lead new campaigns.
When Severus arrived in Britain he charged his youngest son, Publius Septimius Geta
Publius Septimius Geta
Geta , was a Roman Emperor co-ruling with his father Septimius Severus and his older brother Caracalla from 209 to his death.-Early life:Geta was the younger son of Septimius Severus by his second wife Julia Domna...
with the task of administering some aspects of Roman Britain although as viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
rather than as a formal governor.
When Severus died at York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in 211, his eldest son, Caracalla
Caracalla
Caracalla , was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he murdered the latter in 211...
tried to claim the throne. As part of his efforts to settle matters in Britain before leaving to press his claim, he may have divided the province into Britannia Inferior
Britannia Inferior
Britannia Inferior was a subdivision of the Roman province of Britannia established c. 214 by the emperor Caracalla, son of Septimius Severus. Located in modern northern England, the region was governed from the city of Eboracum by a praetorian legate in command of a single legion stationed in...
in the south and Britannia Superior
Britannia Superior
Britannia Superior was one of the provinces of Roman Britain created around 197 AD by Emperor Septimus Severus immediately after winning a civil war against Clodius Albinus, a war fought to determine who would be the next emperor. Albinus was the governor of Britannia during that civil war...
in the north, each with its own governor. Alternatively, the division may have been decreed by Severus sometime previously.