4. A history of Ephesus from coins: the Roman province
4.4 The Severans to Severus Alexander
Septimius Severus (193-211) ( 31 ) outfought and outmaneuvered all other contenders to found a new dynasty (though he also joined the old one by adopting the dead Commodus as his brother). His intent was to leave the Empire to his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, each of whom he made Caesar, and then Augustus, during his lifetime.
Geta was the younger of Septimius' Severus sons ( 2 , 5 , 32 ). He was made Caesar in 197, and Augustus perhaps in 209. Both he and Caracalla became co-Augusti at his father's death, and he apparently granted Ephesus the right to build a temple and take the title neokoros in his honor. But his brother killed him in 211.
Caracalla (211-217) ( 14 , 33 ), elder son of Septimius Severus, may have tried to outdo his brother and co-ruler Geta by granting Ephesus the title neokoros not for his own cult, but for that of Artemis. Once Geta was eliminated, Caracalla came east to fight the Parthians, but was assassinated by Macrinus while on campaign.
Macrinus (217-218) praetorian prefect for Caracalla, had the emperor killed when they were on campaign in the East ( 7 ). He made his son Diadumenian Caesar at the beginning of his short reign, and Augustus at its end. It is possible that Ephesus, along with Pergamon and Smyrna, lost its title neokoros under this emperor, as it never boasts it on his coins.
Elagabalus (218-222) gave many eastern cities honors, and made Ephesus four times neokoros; but his outlandish behavior in Rome resulted in his assassination ( 43 ).
Severus Alexander (222-235), whose popularity was promoted by his mother Julia Mamaea, succeeded his cousin Elagabalus at around age fourteen. Early in his reign, Ephesus tried to retain the title four times neokoros for its temple to Elagabalus, but later coins show that it lost.
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