Lucius Septimius (Roman governor) facts for kids
Lucius Septimius was an important Roman official in ancient Britain. He was a governor of a Roman area called Britannia Prima during the late 300s AD. We don't know much about his full name or life, but a special stone he dedicated tells us a little about him.
A Roman Governor in Ancient Britain
Lucius Septimius served as a governor in Roman Britain. A governor was like a leader or manager of a Roman province. A province was a large area of land controlled by the Roman Empire. Britannia Prima was one of these provinces in what is now England.
The Famous Stone of Cirencester
We know about Lucius Septimius because of a stone column base he had made. This stone was found in a Roman town called Cirencester. On this stone, Lucius Septimius wrote a special message, known as an inscription.
The message on the stone was a dedication to Jupiter. Jupiter was the most important god in the ancient Roman religion. This dedication probably happened between the years 360 AD and 380 AD. It might have been during the time of an emperor named Julian, who also believed in the old Roman gods.
What the Inscription Says
The words on the stone tell us a few interesting things. They show that even important people like Lucius Septimius still followed the old Roman gods. This was happening even though Christianity was becoming very popular in the Roman Empire at that time.
Here is what the inscription says, in simpler words:
- "To Jupiter, Best and Greatest..." (This shows respect for Jupiter.)
- "...Lucius Septimius..., governor of Britannia Prima, restored [this monument]..." (He fixed or rebuilt something important.)
- "...being a citizen of Rheims." (This means he came from a city called Rheims, which is in modern-day France.)
- "This statue and column erected under the ancient religion Septimius restores, ruler of Britannia Prima." (He was bringing back or honoring something from the old Roman religion.)
This stone helps us understand that different beliefs existed side-by-side in the Roman Empire. Even as Christianity grew, some people, especially those in power, still honored the traditional Roman gods.
