The Septimius Stone

Blog post by Elliot Masefield

Elliot Masefield is a work experience placement from The Cotswold School.

The Septimius stone is a stone block that once stood at the base of a restored Jupiter column. The inscription carved into its face commemorates the governor Lucius Septimius, by whom the monument was restored. The inscription reads thus

“To Jupiter, Best and Greatest, His Perfection Lucius Septimus…. governor of Britannia Prima, restored (this monument), being a citizen of Rheims. This statue and column erected under the ancient religion Septimus restored, ruler or Britannia prima.”

This ancient text divulges not only the exact provenance and establishment of the Jupiter column, but also betrays a fascinating insight into the religious and cultural turmoil that unfolded in this era of Roman history, and the position of Lucius Septimius within this conflict.

The Roman emperor Diocletian made great reforms to the Roman bureaucracy following his accession in the year 284, such as the division of Roman states into further provinces, under the control of individual governors. The objective of this was to prevent the consolidation of indigenous rebels in Roman provinces and ensure a more stable peace. This move resulted in the quartering of Britain into several provinces, the first of which being named Britannia Prima. Britannia prima extended over England’s south-west and all of Wales; from the placement of the governor’s column in Cirencester, we can discern that Corinium was likely its capital.

In the year 306, Emperor Constantine acceded to the Roman throne, famous for being the first Christian emperor of Rome, and opening Roman culture to the influence of monotheism. Indeed, he was a founder of the Nicene Creed, a seminal text in Christian theological history, written in 325 AD. During and after his reign, Christianity flourished in the Roman empire, and its influence spread unchecked through its territory, most emperors now abandoning the oppression of Christians as Roman leadership became increasingly Christianised. However, during the period after his death, imperial rule was fraught with instability, treachery and death. With such brief and violent reigns, it is no surprise that the emperors of this age were often radical, paranoid and despotic, each seeking to enforce their disparate views with increasing impulsiveness and vitriol. One such emperor was Julian the apostate, acceding in 361 ad, Julian held allegiance to the Pagan, pantheon religion of the old Roman empire. He sought to lead a ‘pagan church,’ resembling the powerful Christian hierarchy, but upholding the historic beliefs of Roman paganism. Following this belief, his policies of religious tolerance were soon transfigured into violent persecution of Christians, and the tyrannical enforcement of his own beliefs.

The policies and rule of Julian the apostate align with the appointment of Lucius Septimius as governor of Britannia prima. This leads to the interesting conjecture that, befitting his commemoration as a religious reformer, Lucius was initially appointed by Julian the apostate to reform British Christianity to traditional roman paganism. This is supported by the inscription, reading ‘to Jupiter, best and greatest.’ This statement conveys that the governor availed to elevate Roman paganism to the common religion of Britain, and possibly to eradicate or quash other religions which persisted contemporary to his rule. Altogether, this presents a compelling image of Septimius the governor, installed by the apostate to act as his hand in the lands of Britain. Julian’s religious fervour must have been administrated through appointed governors, leaders that upheld his holy mission to secure these radical reforms in the distant provinces of the empire. Lucius Septimius commanded from Corinium, richest city of Britannia prima, where he resurrected towering monuments of the pantheon gods, to the acclaim of Jupiter, Julian-and his own. Perhaps his reformations were benevolent, bringing new wealth and spirituality to the people of Britannia prima and its majestic temples; perhaps they were violent, zealous and bloody, reinvoking the dreadful oppression and slaughter of Christians in the days of Nero and the Caesars.

Julian’s reign was to be a short one, however, and within three years he was deposed, succeeded by further Christian emperors, and his religious efforts forgotten and subsumed by history. Perhaps Lucius Septimius was also overthrown, perhaps he continued to rule; we shall likely never know, for the stone of his column is all that remains of his history and his rule.