Septimius Bassus ( fl. 317–319) was a Roman politician, and a member of the

Septimia gens The gens Septimia was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. The gens first appears in history towards the close of the Republic, and they did not achieve much importance until the latter half of the second century, when Lucius Septimius Sev ...

Life

Bassus was born in a senatorial family, the son of Lucius Septimius Severus (b. c. 245) and wife Pomponia Bassa (born c. 250). His paternal grandfather was a Lucius Septimius ... (b. c. 210), son of

Gaius Septimius Severus Aper Gaius Septimius Severus Aper (c. 175211/212) was a Roman aristocrat. Life He was appointed consul ordinarius in 207 with the otherwise unknown Lucius Annius Maximus. Aper came from Leptis Magna and was probably a paternal grandson of the consul ...

, while his maternal grandparents were the

Roman Senator The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...

Pomponius Bassus and wife the noblewoman Pomponia Gratidia. Through his maternal grandfather, Bassus was a descendant of the Roman emperor

Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Latin: áːɾkus̠ auɾέːli.us̠ antɔ́ːni.us̠ English: ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good ...

, Roman empress

Faustina the Younger Annia Galeria Faustina the Younger (born probably 21 September AD, – 175/176 AD) was Roman empress from 161 to her death as the wife of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, her maternal cousin. Faustina was the youngest child of Emperor Antoninus Pius a ...

and of the former ruling Nerva–Antonine dynasty of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

. Bassus was ''

praefectus urbi The ''praefectus urbanus'', also called ''praefectus urbi'' or urban prefect in English, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, an ...

'' of Rome between 317 (he is attested in office on 15 May) until 319 (at least until 1 September). Between 13 July and 13 August 318, he was at

court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in acco ...

; for this reason he was substituted by Julius Cassius. He had a daughter, Septimia Bassa, born c. 305, who was the first wife of

Valerius Maximus Basilius Valerius Maximus Basilius ( 319–323) was a prominent Roman senator during the reign of the emperor Constantine I. Life A pagan, he must have had a successful political career, as he managed to be appointed urban prefect of Rome (), serving fro ...

Ancestry

References

* "Septimius Bassus 19", ''

Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire ''Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire'' (abbreviated as ''PLRE'') is a work of Roman prosopography published in a set of three volumes collectively describing many of the people attested to have lived in the Roman Empire from AD 260, the date ...

'', Volume 1, Cambridge University Press, 1992, , p. 157. 4th-century deaths 4th-century Romans Bassus Urban prefects of Rome Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown {{AncientRome-bio-stub