The unforgiving temper of Severus, stimulated by avarice, indulged a spirit of revenge where there was no room for apprehension..
And so his cruelty became a mask for misrule as he allowed the army to take on a new form which would threaten the future of the empire.
Severus possessed a considerable share of vigor and ability; but the daring soul of the first Caesar, or the deep policy of Augustus, were scarcely equal to the task of curbing the insolence of the victorious legions. By gratitude, by misguided policy, by seeming necessity, Severus was reduced to relax the nerves of discipline.