The trailer for Gladiator 2 was recently released and the film stars Denzel Washington as Macrinus, a power broker, arms dealer, and oil and food provider for the Roman army, who keeps a roster of gladiators. It made me think about the multiple black Caesars, or emperors throughout Roman history.
Not many people know that Rome was quite diverse. One ruler that reflects the diversity of the Roman empire and it’s citizens is Septimius Severus. The famous Roman Emperor (193–211 AD) was a North African man. One of the greatest Roman Emperors.
He was the first African emperor of Rome. He was a warrior who went to Britain in 208AD and got a message from the governor saying ‘we here in Britain are being attacked from the North and are in danger of being overrun. The first thing he does is have them build the walls of Roman London.
To this day, the square mile of the city of London is defined by the African Emperor.
Here is a portrait of him and his family:
They are all wearing ceremonial garments.
In 208AD (2nd century AD), when he arrived at Hadrian’s wall, there were black…
