On the Alleged Treachery of Julia Domna and Septimius Severus’s Failed Siege of Hatra

Abstract

The enmity between the empress Julia Domna and the powerful prefect of the guard, Fulvius Plautianus, seems to be the origin of certain unspecified accusations of treachery that were brought against Domna during the reign of her husband Septimius Severus. The latter ordered Plautianus to hunt down the supporters of his former rival, Pescennius Niger, in the East, but Plautianus took advantage of this role to accumulate riches by pillaging Syria and Mesopotamia. This probably caused the hostile reaction of Domna, who was close to the middle-eastern communities owing to her Syrian origin and cultural background. It is, therefore, not surprising that Plautianus accused the Augusta of conspiracy with the enemies of the Emperor. The case of the unsuccessful siege of the Mesopotamian city of Hatra, which Severus attacked for having supported Niger, may be indicative of the conflict that was taking place at court between Domna and Plautianus.