Quintus Petronius Didius Severus was a Roman who lived in the 2nd century. Severus' family was one of the most prominent and significant families in Midolanensis or

Mediolanum Mediolanum, the ancient city where Milan now stands, was originally an Insubres, Insubrian city, but afterwards became an important Ancient Rome, Roman city in Northern Italy. The city was settled by a Celts, Celtic tribe belonging to the Ins ...

(modern

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

). Severus was of the

gens In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , ; : gentes ) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same ''nomen gentilicium'' and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens, sometimes identified by a distinct cognomen, was cal ...

Petronia. His father was Quintus Petronius Severus, born c. 70 AD, was a distinguished

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

and had a sister named Petronia Vara, born c. 75 AD. His mother was Didia Jucunda, of the gens Didia, thus explaining the use of both gentile names in his own, as became the custom around this time. His paternal grandfather Quintus Petronius, son of one Gaius Petronius, was an Insuber or

Insubria Insubria is a historical-geographical region which corresponds to the area inhabited in Classical antiquity by the Insubres; the name can also refer to the Duchy of Milan (1395–1810). For several centuries this name stood for an area stretchin ...

n in the city. His grandfather, father, aunt and Severus himself were born and raised in Mediolanensis. Severus married Aemilia Clara, an

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

n woman from

Hadrumetum Hadrumetum, also known by #Names, many variant spellings and names, was a Phoenician Phoenician colonies, colony that pre-dated Carthage. It subsequently became one of the most important cities in Roman Africa before Vandal Kingdom, Vandal and Uma ...

. Their sons were: * Didius Proculus, married, his son was betrothed to his niece

Didia Clara Didia Clara was a daughter and the only recorded child of the Roman emperor Didius Julianus and empress Manlia Scantilla. She was born and raised in Rome. Little is known about her personality or life. After Didius Julianus purchased the throne o ...

. * Didius Nummius Albinus * Marcus Didius Severus Julianus, 137 AD, best known as

Didius Julianus Marcus Didius Julianus (; 29 January 133 – 2 June 193) was Roman emperor from March to June 193, during the Year of the Five Emperors. Julianus had a promising political career, governing several provinces, including Dalmatia (Roman province) ...

, briefly Roman Emperor in 193 AD.

References

* Augustan History - Didius Julianus

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20070205062029/http://www.roman-empire.net/decline/julianus.html * https://web.archive.org/web/20060511154451/http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/1761.html Nobility from Milan Roman-era inhabitants of Italy 2nd-century Romans Severus, Quintus Petronius Didius Severus, Quintus {{AncientRome-bio-stub