Petr Samoylov
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
The Severus forum was built in a north-African city called Leptis Magna in the beginning of 3rd century AD. The ancient roman forum architectural typology had gone a long way by that time, including the transition from republic image to imperial one. It reached its peak in the construction of Trajan’s forum. Its features included the generalization and reinterpretation of previous forums’ expressive achievements.
Aside from the major branch of typology evolution, there also were local ones, less complex and widescale. However, they still show influence of major forums. This becomes more evident with the construction of Trajan’s forum. As the most expressive of forums, it fully achieves the typology principal goal — glorification of the emperor. It is not surprising that Trajan’s forum became a role model.
Among local forum traditions, there was one of Northern Africa. Those forums are based on a formula close to the republic one. Complexes built prior to 3rd century AD show no connections to the development of imperial forum typology, although it is very active in the capital.
The situation changed with Septimus Severus’ rise to power. By that time, a tradition of paying respect to emperor’s native land, started by Trajan, had existed for a century. It included both political gestures and architectural projects. Septimus Severus, a known venerator of Trajan, began a vast reconstruction of his native town — Leptis Magna. Naturally, it included the construction of a forum, called the Severus forum.
The complex shows influence of several origins. The most important one is the local tradition. This leads to another source — the republican forums, which is quite distinguishable in the Severus forum. Finally, another goal was to either mimic some features of Trajan’s forum or make a reference to it.
Thus, one complex shows a certain array of influences: republican forums, local tradition and Trajan’s forum (which was influenced by the Imperial forums of 1st–2nd centuries AD).
Architectural variety of these origins, as well as the variety of their locations, historical periods, and socio-political realities of Ancient Rome determines the importance of formal and typological analysis of the Severus forum in Leptis Magna.