Acilius Severus
Who was Acilius Severus?
4th-century Roman writer
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Acilius Severus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Acilius Severus (c. 340–400) was a Roman writer and politician in the late 4th century AD, born into a respected senatorial family with roots in Hispania. He's most famous for writing an autobiography in a mix of poetry and prose, a style called prosimetrum in classical literature. His family was already important before he was born: his father, also named Acilius Severus, was Roman consul in 323 and prefect of Rome from 325 to 327. The family's history goes back to the gens Acilia, a noble Roman clan dating from the first century CE, and they were connected to intellectual circles, including exchanging letters with the Christian writer Lactantius.
The younger Acilius Severus lived during a period when Christianity was shifting from a persecuted faith to the main religion of the Roman Empire. His life mirrored this change. According to Jerome's De viris illustribus, Severus eventually converted to Christianity, with his conversion marking the end of Jerome's account of his life. Jerome notes that Severus wrote his autobiography under two Greek titles: Καταστροφὴν (katastrophḗn), meaning 'vicissitudes' or 'calamity,' and Πεῖραν (peiran), meaning 'proofs' or 'trial.' These titles suggest a deeply personal work, framing life as a series of challenges and changes rather than a simple story of civic success.
In addition to his writing, Acilius Severus was active in public life as befit his aristocratic status. An inscription in Hispania records his role in restoring the theater of Merida, dated around 333–337. This project shows both his wealth and his connection to the Iberian province, supporting scholars' views that his family maintained strong ties to Spain while engaging in the wider Roman political scene.
The exact date of Severus' death isn't clear. Some sources suggest he died between AD 364 and 375, while other traditions say he lived until about 400. His name is sometimes shown as Aquilus or Aquilius in manuscript editions, which has sometimes made it harder to study him. Despite these uncertainties, Jerome's mention of Severus in De viris illustribus shows he was significant enough in literary and religious circles to be noted among noteworthy Christian writers.
Before Fame
Acilius Severus was born into a prominent senatorial family in the western Roman Empire. His family background gave him both the education and social connections needed for a public career. His father was a consul in 323 and the prefect of Rome, placing the family at the heart of imperial administration during Constantine I's reign, a time of significant religious and political change. Growing up in this setting, Severus received a classical Roman education in rhetoric, philosophy, and literature, laying the groundwork for his later autobiographical writing.
The family’s recorded correspondence with Lactantius, the noted Christian apologist and tutor to Constantine's son Crispus, shows that the Acilii were familiar with Christian intellectual culture even before Severus converted. An inscription at Merida linking his family to Hispania suggests he might have spent some of his early years in the western provinces rather than only in Rome. This would have given him a perspective influenced by both the imperial capital and the provincial aristocracy of Spain.
Key Achievements
- Authored an autobiography in mixed poetry and prose, recorded by Jerome in De viris illustribus as a work of literary and personal significance
- Oversaw the restoration of the theater of Merida in Hispania, approximately 333–337, demonstrating both civic engagement and regional patronage
- Maintained a family network of intellectual correspondence that included the Christian writer Lactantius, connecting the Acilii to the leading theological minds of the 4th century
- Converted to Christianity, a transition Jerome deemed significant enough to serve as the culminating event in his biographical account of Severus
- Represented the continuity of senatorial aristocratic culture into the Christian late Roman period, bridging pagan civic tradition and emerging Christian literary identity
Did You Know?
- 01.Acilius Severus gave his autobiography two Greek titles rather than a Latin one: Καταστροφὴν (vicissitudes) and Πεῖραν (trial), an unusual choice for a Roman writer of his era.
- 02.His autobiography was written in prosimetrum, a mixed form alternating poetry and prose, the same format later used in Boethius' famous Consolation of Philosophy.
- 03.An inscription records that he oversaw the restoration of the ancient theater of Merida in Hispania sometime between 333 and 337, one of the clearest surviving physical records associated with him.
- 04.His name is spelled differently across manuscript traditions, appearing as Acilius, Aquilus, or Aquilius, which has led to occasional confusion among scholars attempting to catalogue his works.
- 05.Jerome included him in De viris illustribus, a work cataloguing distinguished Christian writers, indicating that Severus was regarded not merely as a secular aristocrat but as a figure of significance within Christian literary culture.