Lucius Alfenus Senecio facts for kids

Lucius Alfenus Senecio was an important Roman leader who lived around the late 100s and early 200s AD. He played a big role in managing parts of the vast Roman Empire.

Lucius Alfenus Senecio's Early Life and Roles

Lucius Alfenus Senecio was born in a place called Curculum, which is now Djemila in Algeria. He was a Numidian, meaning he came from a group of people in North Africa who had adopted Roman ways.

He held several important jobs for the Roman Emperor. First, he was a procurator Augusti (a financial manager) in a region called Gallia Belgica (parts of modern-day Belgium and France). Later, he worked in Mauretania Caesariensis (around 196-197 AD), which is now part of Algeria.

Becoming a Roman Governor

After serving as a consul (a high-ranking official), Senecio became the governor of Syria (a Roman province in the Middle East) from 200 to 205 AD.

His most famous role was as the governor of Roman Britain. He was the last person to govern all of Roman Britain before it was split into smaller provinces. He served there from about 205 to 207 AD.

Challenges and Victories in Roman Britain

When Senecio arrived in Britain, there had been some trouble. Local tribes had rebelled, causing damage. He worked hard to fix and rebuild parts of Hadrian's Wall, a famous Roman barrier. A special stone monument even mentions his name, celebrating a victory.

The historian Dio Cassius wrote that Senecio won battles in Britain around 206 AD. This suggests he successfully brought the Roman areas and their borders back under control.

Dealing with Northern Tribes

However, tribes living just north of Hadrian's Wall, like the Maeatae and the Caledonian Confederacy (from what is now Scotland), continued to cause problems. Senecio had to send expeditions north of the wall to deal with them. He seemed to have some early success, even putting up a victory monument at a place called Benwell.

Emperor Septimius Severus Arrives

Another historian, Herodian, wrote that Senecio asked the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus for more soldiers. Senecio reported that the "barbarians" were rebelling, stealing, and destroying things. Even though Emperor Severus was 62 years old, he decided to come to Britain himself in 208 AD to lead new military campaigns.

When Severus arrived, he gave his younger son, Publius Septimius Geta, some duties in Roman Britain. Geta acted like a special representative for his father, helping to manage the province.

The Future of Roman Britain

Emperor Severus died in York in 211 AD. His older son, Caracalla, then tried to become the new emperor. To make things stable in Britain before he left, Caracalla may have divided the province. He might have split it into Britannia Inferior (the northern part) and Britannia Superior (the southern part). Each new province would then have its own governor. It's also possible that Severus himself had planned this division earlier.