The supposed site of the cremation of Septimius Severus

The demise of Septimius Severus in York in February 211 was before the anticipated return to Rome with Caracalla and Geta, his two sons. This return was foretold on the bronze coinage of all three of them, if the FORT(una) RED(ux) reverse is interpreted correctly.

Geta, 209-212, AE As, FORT RED TRP III COS II SC

Rather than transport a corpse back to the eternal city the likelihood is that he was cremated locally.

There is, in Acomb/Holgate, a spot known as Severus Hill. It is in the V between Poppleton Road and York Road and can be spotted by the water tower on top. 

There was 19th century speculation that was the spot of the funeral pyre of the dead emperor, logical given the prominent location of the hill overlooking the fort and vicus. Some even thought that it was artificially created for the occasion, but geological investigation shows it to be a natural feature. 

From the hill York Minster can be seen. In Roman times it was the location of the fort headquarters. It is evident that the prominent location of Severus Hill would have been an appropriate location for the pyre to be seen by the troops and the civilian residents of Eboracum. 

Close by, this is commemorated in street names; Severus Avenue and Severus Street, off York Road. The tile shop located at the end of Severus Street has a wonderful modern bust of the deceased emperor.

Septimius Severus enters Rome (eventually)

Septimius Severus, sestertius, ADVENTVI AVG FELICISSIMO AVG SC (RIC 719c)

Here is a sestertius of Septimius Severus with IMP VIII at the end of the obverse legend (dated by RIC to AD 196). With the ADVENTVI AVG FELICISSIMO SC reverse (RIC 719c) I had always assumed it marked the return to Rome after the Eastern campaign, as indicated by the "Liberalities" table on page 72 of RIC (see below). This was also the explanation of Clive Foss in Roman Historical Coins (1990). Curtis Clay, however, put me right.

Liberalities from RIC IV, page 72

In his unpublished 1972 thesis he established that the traditional chronology of 195-7 was wrong: Byzantium actually fell in summer 195 (reflected as IMP VI or VII in imperial titulature). The previous chronology was based on the assumption that the siege of Byzantium lasted three full years, that is until summer 196, because Dio Cassius says it lasted “an entire three-year period”. Clay suggested what Dio meant was actually “two full years and into the third”. Byzantium fell in summer 195 not 196.

The break with Albinus and elevation of Caracalla to the Caesarship occurred in November 195, by which time Severus was in Viminacium; he then marched directly to Gaul, as noted by the historian Herodian, and defeated Clodius Albinus on 19 February 196 not 197. The adjustment in chronology allows the IMP VIII title to be associated with this victory in Gaul.

Septimius Severus, sestertius, Victory over Clodius Albinus (RIC 725)

Around late summer 196 Severus returned to Rome, resulting in this coin type. The “felicissimus”, or joy, in the reverse legend being rather ironic. The entry of Severus to Rome resulted in the death of ten senators as punishment for the Senate’s support of Albinus.

Septimius Severus, sestertius, PROFECTIO AVG SC (RIC 728)

Late spring-early summer 197 he made Caracalla Pontifex and Imperator Destinatus, gave games (MVNIFICENTIA AVG) and his second largesse (LIBERALITAS AVG II) to the people of Rome, and departed on his second Parthian campaign (PROFECTIO AVG).

Septimius Severus, denarius, PROFECTIO AVG (RIC 91)