Metaphor and identity in Severan architecture : the Septizodium between reality and fantasy.

Abstract

The Septizodium in Rome is here interpreted metaphorically as a statement of Septimius Severus's African identity, designed to greet his return from Africa in 203. A re-interpretation of sixteenth-century drawings and the Severan marble plan suggests that the building was longer than is usually supposed, extending over seven bays with a central entranceway leading to the imperial palace.