Creating Severan Rome: The Architecture and Self-Image of L. Septimius Severus (AD 193-211) examines the topography of Severan Rome and its role in Severus' political agenda. Although some elements reflect the emperor's concern for establishing his own legitimacy and the eventual succession of his sons, other aspects of the Severan program are tied to the emperor's broader programs of legal, military, and bureaucratic reforms. This book investigates major areas reshaped by Severus, e.g., the Roman forum, the Campus Martius, and the Palatine, as well as individual monuments, e.g., the Septizodium, in an analysis of his building program.