Français – عربي – ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ – English
In the history of the Roman Empire, the first North African to claim the throne was a military officer called Albinus, from Hadrumetum (Sousse). He was named governor of Roman Britain by Emperor Commodus, and then proclaimed himself Emperor during the crisis that followed Commodus’ death. As he wasn’t powerful enough to tale control of the whole Empire, he made an alliance with another African soldier: Septimius Severus, who made him his auxiliary Emperor, but later killed him.
Origins
Decimus Clodius Albinus was born around 150, in Hadrumetum (Sousse), Roman Africa. He was from an aristocratic Roman family. His lifetime is characterized by the growing power of Roman Africans in Roman administration. His cognomen (nickname) Albinus comes from his albinism.
Albinus served in the army under the Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, and became governor of Roman Britain. At this time, there were many African soldiers stationed in Britain: Quintus Lollius Urbicus, governor of Britain from 139 to 142, was born in Tiddis, Numidie (modern-day Beni Hamidane, province de Constantine), and became famous for his construction of Antonine’s Wall.
Albinus claims the throne
Emperor Commodus was assassinated in December 192. The Praetorian Prefect Quintus Aemilius Laetus, who took part in the plot against him, was an African, from Thenae (Thyna, close to Sfax, modern-day Tunisia).
The army chose Senator Pertinax to succeed Commodus, but he reigned only three months before being also assassinated. The Praetorian Guard then sold the imperial throne to the rich senator Didius Julianus (who also had links with Africa, as his mother was from a Roman family that had settled in Hadrumetum (Sousse)). The army was scandalized that the throne had been auctioned, and revolted. That year, several soldiers claimed the imperial throne. Albinus was one of them, and he had the support of the Roman legions in Britain.
In the civil war that followed, Albinus formed an alliance with another soldier who also had African origins: Septimius Severus, who soon conquered Rome, becoming the first North African Emperor. Albinus agreed to serve as Septimius Severus’ Caesar (vice-Emperor), with authority over the Western part of the Empire.
After the other claimants to the throne were defeated, Septimius Severus, who was now resolved to become the sole master of the Empire, decided to eliminate Albinus, who was killed in 197.
