He built one of Rome's most iconic arches

Another interesting fact about Septimius Severus is that he built one of Rome's most iconic arches. The Arch of Septimius Severus (Italian: Arco di Settimio Severo) is a white marble triumphal arch at the northeastern extremity of the Roman Forum dedicated in 203 A.D. to honor Emperor Septimius Severus and his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, for victory against the Parthians in two campaigns in 194-195 A.D. and 197-199 A.D. After Septimius Severus died, his sons Caracalla and Geta were initially co-emperors. Caracalla killed Geta in 212 A.D., destroying his memorials and removing all images or allusions to him from public buildings and monuments. As a result, Geta's portrait and inscriptions about him were removed from the arch.

After the second century A.D., it became usual for Roman emperors to build triumphal arches to announce their victories in a way and location that all Romans could view. The arch is notable because it was built as a deliberate weapon of imperialistic propaganda during the formation of the Roman state. It was commissioned to commemorate the Parthian victory as well as to extol the Severan dynasty. His victory over the Parthians began in 197 CE when he traveled to Nisibis in Mesopotamia to retake the city besieged by the Parthian empire. After retaking the Roman-occupied city of Nisbis from the Parthians, Alexander led his army to other Parthian cities such as Seleucia in Babylon and Ctesiphon, the capital city. Septimius Severus' campaigns resulted in the Romans gaining Northern Mesopotamia.