He came from an honorable family
One of the most interesting facts about Septimius Severus is that he came from an honorable family. Septimius Severus was born on April 11, 145, as the son of Publius Septimius Geta and Fulvia Pia, into a wealthy and prominent equestrian family. Severus was of Italic and Punic descent; his Roman ancestors came from his mother's side, while his Punic ancestors came from his father's. He is considered the first provincial emperor due to his father's family history, as he was the first emperor not only born in the provinces but also into a provincial family of non-Italian heritage. Severus' father was a minor provincial with no political clout, although he had two relatives, Publius Septimius Aper and Gaius Septimius Severus, who served as consuls under Emperor Antoninus Pius r. 138-161.
His mother's relatives had migrated from Italy to North Africa; they were descendants of the gens Fulvia, an Italian noble family descended from Tusculum. Septimius Severus had two siblings: a younger sister, Septimia Octavilla, and an elder brother, Publius Septimius Geta. Gaius Fulvius Plautianus, the praetorian prefect and consul, was Severus' maternal cousin. Septimius Severus was born and raised in Leptis Magna. He was fluent in Punic, but he was also educated in Latin and Greek, which he spoke with a slight accent. Little is known about the young Severus' education, but according to Cassius Dio, the kid wished for more education than he received. Severus, presumably, received oratory lessons: at the age of 17, he delivered his first public speech.
