Page 160 - DK Eyewitness Travel Guides - The World's Must-See Places

AFRICA Leptis Magna

The location of some of the world's finest Roman remains,
Mf{J/T£RRAN£AN SfA Leptis Magna attests to the prosperity and status of the
~I;• EPTIS MAGNA Roman Empire in North Africa. Leptis Mag na benefited
greatly when Septimius Severus, a native of the city,
became R oman emperor in AD 193. During his reign, the
population grew to some 70,000 people, and buildings
w ere raised to glorify his name. In the 6th century, attacks
by nomadic tribes eventually led to the city's abandonment,
at which point sand dunes engulfed it, preserving the site Column detail,
Sever an Basilica
that is still being excavated today.
THE OTY'S PORT
A promontory protects the harbor at the Arch of
mouth of the Wadi Lebdah at Leptis Magna, ....._ T o Hunters' quarters Arch of
Trajan !;il Market Tiberius
and it is here that the Phoenicians settled in
the 7th century BC. They exploited the fertile
hinterland and traded olive oil, ivory, and animal
skins throughout the Carthaginian empire and
around the Mediterranean. During the early
3rd century AD, under the Roman emperor
SeptJm1us Severus, the harbor was rebu11t and
enl<rged New quays, half-a-mile (11::m) long,
were constructed, with warehouses, a temple,
and a watchtower, and a lighthouse was bu1lt
on the promontory. The mooring blocks on the
quay, wh1ch were covered in sand soon after
completion, have been well preserved.

EMPEROR SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
The Roman ruler Lucius Septimius Severus was
born 1n Leptis Magna in Roman North Afnca 1n
AD 146 Regarded as an outstanding sold1er,
Severus rose to the rank of consul and by 190
he was 1n command of the legions in Pannon1a
Soon after the murder of Emperor Pertinax 1n
193, Severus was proclaimed emperor, but he
had to fight off two rivals to secure his pos1t1on.
He was a strong but popular ruler, who was
known for his lavish entertaining. His final
campaign was to England in 208 to secure the
Roman Empire's northern border at Hadrian's
Wall Severus died in York in 211, while
prepanng to invade Scotland.

THE EMPEROR'S NEW BUILDINGS
Leptls Magna prospered under Roman rule as a
maJOr commerdal center, but at the beginn1ng
of the 3rd century, after the appointment of
Septi mius Severus as Roman emperor, the city
undervvent a transformation. Marble was
imported from Asia Minor, Greece, and Italy,
gran1te columns from Egypt, and the limestone
bu1ld1ngs took on a grand appearance (Oas~;ica/
Style, seep. 137) In AD 200, Severus bu1tt a
f1ne new Severan F orum. At the northeastern
end, he constructed the three-aisled Severan
B asilica Its marble pilasters were carved with Arch of ~ Thea ter ~ Ha drian's Baths
scenes from the lives of Hercules and Dionysus, Septimius like the market, this vast structure was given
Sever us to the city by Annobal Rufus. The lower,
h1s family's patron gods. The mighty four-s1ded
wider stone steps would have held chairs
Arch of Septimius Severus, constructed 1n for distinguished visitors. From the top, the
white marble, was raised for his visit to the city. panoramic view of the ancien t city is magnificent